Mitchell Eaton
Adjunct Faculty
Research Ecologist, SE CASC
Bio
Education
Ph.D., University of Colorado (2009)
Research Interests
Population ecology and conservation, decision-theoretic science
I am a Research Ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center, and an adjunct faculty member in the Applied Ecology Department. My focus is in applied wildlife ecology/management, emphasizing the use of quantitative modeling to understand resource dynamics and use of decision-theoretic methods to guide management decisions under uncertainty. My research includes endangered-species conservation, modeling species’ distribution, abundance, and connectivity, and developing parameter estimation and decision-optimization methods. I work closely with natural resource decision makers and their stakeholders to help frame management problems, formulate approaches to evaluate trade-offs and optimally allocate limited resources, and consider how science can most effectively support management needs. I have an ongoing interest in tropical ecology including crocodilian conservation and wildlife harvest dynamics.
Web Resources
Publications
- Distribution and disturbances of ditches across salt marshes of the Northeast U.S. with implications for management and restoration , Journal of Environmental Management (2025)
- Applying portfolio theory to benefit endangered amphibians in coastal wetlands threatened by climate change, high uncertainty, and significant investment risk , FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE (2024)
- Multi-criteria decision approach for climate adaptation of cultural resources along the Atlantic coast of the southeastern United States: Application of AHP method , CLIMATE RISK MANAGEMENT (2024)
- The effects of flow extremes on native and non-native stream fishes in Puerto Rico , FRESHWATER BIOLOGY (2024)
- Decision science as a framework for combining geomorphological and ecological modeling for the management of coastal systems , ECOLOGY AND SOCIETY (2023)
- Quantifying uncertainty in coastal salinity regime for biological application using quantile regression , ECOSPHERE (2023)
- Scenario-Based Decision Analysis: Integrated scenario planning and structured decision making for resource management under climate change , BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION (2023)
- Value-aligned planning objectives for restoring North Carolina aquatic resources , (2023)
- Considering science needs to deliver actionable science , CONSERVATION BIOLOGY (2022)
- Distinct pathways to stakeholder use versus academic contribution in climate adaptation research , CONSERVATION LETTERS (2022)