U.S. EPA ORISE Fellow | National Geographic Explorer | NSF Graduate Research Fellow
U.S. EPA ORISE Fellow | National Geographic Explorer | NSF Graduate Research Fellow
Brian Kastl holds over 15 years of experience leading freshwater research teams, spearheading coastal conservation projects, and teaching environmental leadership, spanning 12 countries. Through scientific innovations, capacity-building, and local knowledge, he is passionate about achieving co-benefits for nature and livelihoods. Brian particularly enjoys informing management and policy.
His current research guides the protection of endangered coho salmon. As an ORISE Fellow for the EPA, he is developing water temperature guidance for California and tribes. By sharing his findings with agencies and conservation groups, he co-develops solutions that increase salmon population resilience.
UC Berkeley PhD in Environmental Science, Management & Policy, 2023
East-West Center Asia Pacific Leadership Program, 2012
University of Hawai'i MSc in Geology & Geophysics, 2010
University of Auckland Fulbright Scholar in School of Environment, 2008
Pomona College B.A. in Geology, 2007
Water management, salmon conservation, environmental flows, freshwater ecology, hydrology, geomorphology, outreach/education
Peer-reviewed Publications
Kastl B, Obedzinski M, Carlson SM, Boucher WT, Grantham TE (2022) Migration in drought: Receding streams contract the seaward migration window of endangered salmon. Ecosphere 13(12): e4295.
Kastl B, et al. Deep enough to swim? Stream water depths that support endangered coho salmon outmigration. Authorea. December 29, 2022. DOI: 10.22541/au.167229658.85701844/v1
Kastl B, Abdel-Ghaffar S, Grantham T (in prep) Streamer: an R package to calculate stream network gage coverage. Journal of Open Source Software.
Kastl B, Manville V (revise/resubmit) Hazards from the failure of hydrothermally altered slopes: the 4.6 ka Mangaio Formation debris flow, Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand. Bulletin of Volcanology.
Kastl B, Fagents SA, Houghton BF (in final prep) Erosional and Depositional Processes of the 18 March 2007 Lahar at Mt. Ruapehu, New Zealand. Sedimentary Geology.
Kastl B (2014) Reducing disaster risks to mangrove forest livelihoods through watershed-based protected area management, In Murti R. and Buyck C, (Ed.) Safe Havens: Protected Areas for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, IUCN, Gland Switzerland, p. 22-32.
Grosfils EB, Long SM, Venechuk EM, Hurwitz DM, Richards JW, Kastl BC, Drury DE, Hardin J (2011) Geologic map of the Ganiki Planitia Quadrangle (V-14), Venus. USGS Investigations Map 3121, 1:5M.
Kastl B (2010) Debris flow behavior: Impacts of compositional variability and channel geometry at Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand. In P. Bierman and D. Montgomery (Ed.) Key Concepts in Geomorphology textbook.
Tielke JA, Kastl B, Otgonhuu J (2007) Genesis and evolution of Tertiary lavas of the central Hangay Mountains, Mongolia. 20th Annual Keck Symposium Publication, Wooster, Ohio.
Education Materials
Kastl B (2014) Four hydrologic ecosystem service assessment profiles. ValuES: Methods for integrating ecosystem services into policy, planning, and practice. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research.
Public Lectures
Kastl B (2019) National Geographic Explorers Festival. Reviving the Endangered Coho Salmon of California. National Geographic Headquarters, Washington DC.
Popular Articles
Kastl B (2013) East-West Center-inspired Environmental Leadership Model Gains Momentum in the Middle East. East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii publication.
Technical Documents
Kastl B, Winklerprins L, Leathers K, Dinh Z, Witherby S (2018) Geomorphic and hydraulic controls on coho salmon outmigration in the Russian River Watershed, California. UC Berkeley, River-Lab Graduate Student Papers.
Kastl B, Teneva L, Kaufman L, Hannah L (2015) The role of parrotfish in supporting coral reef accretion under rising sea levels: A management framework to maintain shoreline protection as an ecosystem service in Abrolhos Bank, Brazil. Conservation International.
Kastl B and Jupiter SD (2014) Economic Valuation of Fisheries and Tourism in the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape, Fiji. Wildlife Conservation Society, Fiji.
Kastl B (2013) Strengthening the Design of the Community-based Disaster Risk Management output of the GMS Flood and Drought Risk Management and Mitigation Project: Viet Nam and Lao PDR. Asian Development Bank, Manila, Philippines.
Kastl B (2013) Rainforest conservation benefits for freshwater and marine fish of Pohnpei, Micronesia. The Nature Conservancy. Regional Office, Pohnpei, Micronesia.
Kastl B (2012) Coastal Mangrove Forest Devastation and Channel Sedimentation: Community-based Solutions. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Gland, Switzerland.
Kastl B (2012) Technical and Feasibility Analysis: Reverse Osmosis and Freshwater Lake Rehabilitation in Koh Kong Province, Cambodia. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Regional Headquarters Bangkok, Thailand.
Kastl B (2012) Improvement of Access to Freshwater Resources through the Promotion of Local Innovations in Koh Kong Province, Cambodia. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Regional Headquarters Bangkok, Thailand.
2021. NSF InFEWS (Innovations at the nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems) Fellow
2019. California Sea Grant Graduate Research Fellowship
2019. American Fisheries Society Western Division Travel Grant
2019. National Geographic Early Career Grant
2018. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Internship Program
2018. Lyman Wildlife and Fisheries Field Research Fund
2017. ESPM Starter Field Research Grant
2016. Ecological Society of America Graduate Student Policy Award
2015. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
2014. Sustainable Water Markets Fellowship, Walton Family Foundation
2014. United Nations Environmental Program Sub-Global Assessment Mentor Award
2013. United Nations Environmental Program Land-Ocean Connections Travel Award
2009. University of Hawaii International Travel Grant
2007. Recruitment Scholarship Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii
2007. Fulbright U.S. Student Research Grant to New Zealand
San Francisco State University Instructor. Department of Geography and Environment. "Introduction to Environmental Science". Spring 2020.
National Geographic Student Expeditions Leader. Conservation, fish ecology, and grant-writing for high school students in Belize, Alaska and DC. Summers 2016 - 2019.
National Outdoor Leadership School Instructor. Environmental science and leadership to middle school students. Summers 2013 - 2014.
East-West Center Teaching Assistant. Watershed management for international undergraduate students (US State Department grant). Summers 2010 - 2012.
Shawco, University of Cape Town, South Africa Teacher. Weekly physical geography lessons to marginalized township students. Autumn 2006.
Twitter: @BrianKastl
