Ph.D. Candidate

Ecology Graduate Group

kwzillig@ucdavis.edu

kenzillig@gmail.com

 

Degree:

B.A. Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN

Research Interests:
I am interested in the ecology of freshwater and marine ecosystems, especially as it pertains to species of
conservation concern. I am focused on using ecophysiology techniques to understand how environmental
factors influence organismal biology and then scaling that knowledge to predict and interpret ecosystem
responses. 
My dissertation work focuses on Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Using whole organism
ecophysiological techniques I am exploring how different populations of salmon differ from one another
in their thermal physiology and capacity to acclimate to different thermal conditions. I have conducted
experiments on Chinook salmon from across the west coast and look forward to my research informing
management solutions.
To this end, one of my focal populations is from the Yuba River, California. This system is undergoing a
large restoration project seeking to design new habitat for the local salmon population. My research will
identify habitat qualities best suited to the rearing of juvenile Chinook salmon.
I am involved in two additional Chinook salmon experiments, both revolve around understanding how
field conditions (e.g. predators, competitors, low food availability etc.) influence thermal physiology. I
am collaborating with Alex McInturf to investigate how temperature the physiology of Chinook salmon
juveniles and a predator, largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and whether we can use these
physiological measures to predict the outcomes of predatory interactions. My second project is testing
how food availability and energetic state influence thermal performance of Chinook salmon in both the
lab and field. This work will aid in developing adaptive thermal management criteria.
In 2018 I participated in a field season at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. This work was conducted with
Dr. Anne Todgham and explored how resident rockcod species (Trematomus
bernacchii and Pagothenia borchgrevinkii) will be influenced by the multiple stressors of climate change:
warming oceans and increasing ocean acidity. Our work on these species involved physiological and
behavioral techniques. 
I enjoy the design and engineering of novel performance chambers to test physiological traits and have
developed and modified designs for temperature preference chambers, burst swim performance chambers
and respirometry systems.
Please check out more information on my personal website:
https://kenzillig.github.io/
Or reach out to me directly:
Kwzillig (at) ucdavis.edu

PUBLICATIONS
Zillig, K.W., Lusardi, R.A., Moyle, P., Fangue, N.A. Variation in Thermal Eco-physiology among West
Coast Salmonids: Implications for Management. Reviews in Fisheries and Fish Biology. In Review.
Zillig, K.W., Lusardi, R. A., Cocherell, D.E., and Fangue, N.A. 2018. Intraspecies variation in thermal
performance of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) across a latitudinal gradient. In prep.
Zillig, K.W., Cocherell, D.E., Baird, S.E., Nguyen, T.X., Poletto, J.B., Todgham, A.E., and Fangue, N.A.
The effect of feed restriction and acclimation temperature on aerobic metabolism in green sturgeon,
Acipenser Medirostris. In prep.

Hanson, M.G., Ligocki, I.Y., Zillig, K.W., Steel, A.E., Todgham, A.E. and Fangue, N.A. In Press. Risk-
taking and locomotion in foraging threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus): the effect of
nutritional stress is dependent on social context. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology.
Siefert, A., Zillig, K.W., Friesen, M.L., and Strauss, S.Y. 2019. Mutualists stabilize coexistence of
congeneric legumes. American Naturalist. 193:2 200-2012.
Siefert, A., Zillig, K.W., Friesen, M.L., and Strauss, S.Y. 2018. Soil microbial communities alter
conspecific and congeneric competition consistent with patterns of field coexistence in three Trifolium
congeners. Journal of Ecology 106:5 1876–1891
SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATIONS
Zillig, K.W., Lusardi, R. A., Cocherell, D.E., and Fangue, N.A. 2020. Intraspecific variation in thermal
physiology of West-Coast Chinook salmon. Ecological Society of America, Virtual Conference.
Zillig, K.W., Lusardi, R. A., Cocherell, D.E., and Fangue, N.A. 2019. Eco-physiological patterns in
thermal performance among populations of Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. American
Fisheries Society Conference. Reno, NV.
Zillig, K.W., Lusardi, R. A., Cocherell, D.E., and Fangue, N.A. 2018. Differences in thermal
performance between populations of Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. Bay-Delta Science
Conference, Sacramento, CA.
Zillig, K.W., Lusardi, R. A., Cocherell, D.E., and Fangue, N.A. 2018. Interpopulation variation in the
thermal performance of Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. International Congress on the
Biology of Fishes. Calgary, AB.
Zillig, K.W. 2013. Mother Nature in Australia with a Dry Spell: How Climate Change caused the
Australian Megafauna Extinction Event. Senior Thesis Presentation, Carleton College. Northfield, MN
Zillig, K.W., Dai, Z., Xue-fei, H. and W. Overwijk. 2012. Addition of anti-VEGF shows no positive or
negative synergistic effects against melanoma tumor when combined with covax vaccine. CPRIT
Internship Program Presentation, MD Anderson Cancer Center. Houston, TX
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Zillig, K.W., Todgham, A. E., Baird S.E., Nguyen T.X., Cocherell D.E., and N.A. Fangue. 2019. The
effect of feed restriction and acclimation temperature on aerobic metabolism in green sturgeon, Acipenser
medirostris. American Fisheries Society Conference. Reno, Nevada.  
Zillig, K.W., Todgham, A. E., Baird S.E., Nguyen T.X., Cocherell D.E., and N.A. Fangue. 2018. The
effect of feed restriction and acclimation temperature on aerobic metabolism in green sturgeon, Acipenser
medirostris. Bay-Delta Conference. Sacramento, California.