About

Professor Nann A. Fangue is a researcher at the Fish Conservation Physiology Lab at the University of California, Davis. Her work focuses on understanding the ecological significance of physiological variation in aquatic animals inhabiting dynamic environments. Her research employs both field- and laboratory-based studies to investigate how abiotic parameters such as oxygen and temperature influence physiological performance in various aquatic species, often those living in extreme or challenging habitats. She integrates comparative animal physiology with mechanistic, ecological, and evolutionary physiology to explore mechanisms underlying local adaptation and acclimation. Her work also applies this fundamental knowledge to conservation efforts, including predicting species' responses to climate change and habitat modifications.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Ecology
• Biology
• Geography
• Environmental resource management
• Environmental science
• Economics
• Law
• Environmental planning
• Natural resource economics
• Fishery

Selected publications

• The ecological relevance of critical thermal maxima methodology for fishes

  Journal of Fish Biology · 2023 · 109 citations

  • Ecology
  • Biology
  • Environmental resource management

  as a metric in experiments, focusing on rates of thermal ramping, acclimation regimes, thermal safety margins, methodological endpoints, links to performance traits and repeatability. Care must be taken when interpreting CTM in ecological contexts, because the protocol was originally designed for ecotoxicological research with standardized methods to facilitate comparisons within study individuals, across species and contexts. CTM can, however, be used in ecological contexts to predict impacts of environmental warming, but only if parameters influencing thermal limits, such as acclimation temperature or rate of thermal ramping, are taken into account. Applications can include mitigating the effects of climate change, informing infrastructure planning or modelling species distribution, adaptation and/or performance in response to climate-related temperature change. The authors' synthesis points to several key directions for future research that will further aid the application and interpretation of CTM data in ecological contexts.

  DOI

• One hundred research questions in conservation physiology for generating actionable evidence to inform conservation policy and practice

  Conservation Physiology · 2021 · 59 citations

  • Political Science
  • Environmental resource management
  • Environmental planning

  Abstract Environmental change and biodiversity loss are but two of the complex challenges facing conservation practitioners and policy makers. Relevant and robust scientific knowledge is critical for providing decision-makers with the actionable evidence needed to inform conservation decisions. In the Anthropocene, science that leads to meaningful improvements in biodiversity conservation, restoration and management is desperately needed. Conservation Physiology has emerged as a discipline that is well-positioned to identify the mechanisms underpinning population declines, predict responses to environmental change and test different in situ and ex situ conservation interventions for diverse taxa and ecosystems. Here we present a consensus list of 10 priority research themes. Within each theme we identify specific research questions (100 in total), answers to which will address conservation problems and should improve the management of biological resources. The themes frame a set of research questions related to the following: (i) adaptation and phenotypic plasticity; (ii) human–induced environmental change; (iii) human–wildlife interactions; (iv) invasive species; (v) methods, biomarkers and monitoring; (vi) policy, engagement and communication; (vii) pollution; (viii) restoration actions; (ix) threatened species; and (x) urban systems. The themes and questions will hopefully guide and inspire researchers while also helping to demonstrate to practitioners and policy makers the many ways in which physiology can help to support their decisions.

  DOI

• Goodbye to “Rough Fish”: Paradigm Shift in the Conservation of Native Fishes

  Fisheries · 2021 · 90 citations

  • Political Science
  • Fishery
  • Geography

  Abstract While sometimes difficult to admit, perspectives of European and white males have overwhelmingly dominated fisheries science and management in the USA. This dynamic is exemplified by bias against “rough fish”—a pejorative ascribing low-to-zero value for countless native fishes. One product of this bias is that biologists have ironically worked against conservation of diverse fishes for over a century, and these problems persist today. Nearly all U.S. states retain bag limits and other policies that are regressive and encourage overfishing and decline of native species. Multiple lines of evidence point towards the need for a paradigm shift. These include: (1) native species deliver critical ecosystem services; (2) little demonstration that native fish removals deliver intended benefits; (3) many native fishes are long-lived and vulnerable to overfishing and decline; and (4) fisher values and demographics shifting towards native fish conservation. Overall, existing native fish policies are unacceptable and run counter to the public trust doctrine where government agencies manage natural resources for public use. We encourage agencies to revisit their policies regarding native fishes and provide suggestions for developing more holistic, protective, and inclusive conservation policy.

  DOI

Recent grants

• DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Mechanisms of thermal ontogenetic plasticity and adaptation in native and invasive fishes

  NSF · $20k · 2014–2015

Frequent coauthors

• Dennis E. Cocherell

  University of California, Davis

  62 shared

• Richard E. Connon

  University of California, Davis

  39 shared

• Anne E. Todgham

  University of California, Davis

  33 shared

• Lisa M. Komoroske

  University of Massachusetts Amherst

  30 shared

• Joseph J. Cech

  University of California, Davis

  23 shared

• Andrew L. Rypel

  University of California, Davis

  22 shared

• Jamilynn B. Poletto

  University of California, Davis

  20 shared

• Tien‐Chieh Hung

  University of California, Davis

  19 shared

Labs

• Fish Conservation Physiology LabPI

Education

• Ph.D., Fisheries

  University of California, Davis

  1995

• M.S., Fisheries

  University of California, Davis

  1992

• B.S., Fisheries

  University of California, Davis

  1989

Similar researchers at University of California, Davis

• Blake Meyersh-126
• J. Bruce Germanh-114
• John Douglas McPhersonh-108
• Steven J. Luckh-104
• Paul J. Hagermanh-99