Coleman Ecological, Inc.

West Fork Sheep Creek is home to a native trout population

Coleman Ecological, Inc. (CEI) provides a complete range of ecological services to public and private sector clients, including aquatic consulting, fisheries consulting, habitat restoration consulting, bioassessment and monitoring services, physical habitat assessment, physical habitat modeling, ecological modeling, and more.

The CEI Difference - We find ecologically sound solutions to ecological problems. Our consultants understand the complex and dynamic nature of aquatic systems, and apply rigorous study methods to get to the root of each problem. CEI consultants are highly experienced and among the most highly trained scientists in their fields.

We invite you to explore the CEI website to learn more about our services, our work, and the latest news about CEI.

About CEI -

Mark Coleman

Coleman Ecological, Inc. (CEI) was founded by Mark Coleman. Mark Coleman holds a Ph.D. (Colorado State University) in Fishery and Wildlife Biology, and M.S. (University of Wisconsin) and B.S. (University of Washington) degrees in Zoology. He has more than 15 years experience in biological and ecological research. He has worked in a variety of systems, from aquatic to terrestrial, from fish to birds, mammals, and reptiles, and is the author of several peer-reviewed publications and technical reports (click Publications on menu). In addition, Mark also spent three years as lead scientist developing components of a research animal habitat for use by NASA on the International Space Station, and has served as a scientific and technical advisor for public and private entities.

Mark has been involved in fisheries ecology and management of aquatic systems, and has completed numerous projects in both the public and private sectors, specializing in physical habitat in streams and rivers, thermal ecology of fishes, and limnology. He has training in fisheries ecology, stream systems, limnology, and fluvial geomorphology.

Mark maintains memberships in several professional and scientific organizations, including the American Fisheries Society (AFS), Ecological Society of America (ESA), North American Benthological Society (NABS), and the Colorado Riparian Association (CRA).

Cecelia Coleman is also part of the CEI team. Cecelia is a City of Fort Collins Certified Master Naturalist. Under this program, she conducts various environmental education programs. She has managed Research and Development and Quality Assurance Programs for two international corporations and has experience with data collection in the field on small stream fish populations and stream habitat, and serves as Quality Manager, field assistant, photographer, and technical editor for CEI, as needed.

CEI Services -

Bioassessments: upstream/downstream studies including fish, macroinvertebrates, and periphyton; reference condition comparisons. Mark Coleman electrofishing while Colorado Watershed Network staff net fish

Fisheries surveys: electrofishing, Underwater (snorkel), Seine, and other methods.

Behavioral studies: behavioral and habitat use/preference studies for fish and macrointertebrates.

Limnology (Lakes & Reservoirs): analysis of physical, chemical (organic, inorganic, and nutrients), and biological data (fish, zooplankton, phytoplankton) from lakes and reservoirs to determine ecological condition, and possible water quality risks.

Macroinvertebrate surveys: our macroinvertebrate specialist is an expert in macroinvertebrate identification and ecology in the Southern Rocky Mountain Region.

Physical habitat modeling & Instream flow studies: cutting edge approaches for modeling aquatic habitat and temperature in streams and rivers, including 2D hydrodynamic modeling (River-2D), PHABSIM, and MesoHABSIM (Sim-Stream), and stream network temperature modeling (SNTEMP/StreamTemp).

Research and analysis: we conduct basic and applied research using cutting edge field and laboratory techniques. We employ thorough scientific literature reviews and powerful data analysis tools for rigorous scientific reporting.

Restoration planning: design consulting for aquatic habitat restoration and enhancement projects to ensure that fisheries or other ecological objectives will be met.

Threatened & endangered species: technical assessments and management plans for state and federally listed rare, or threatened and endangered species.

Lectures, Seminars, and Workshops: lectures designed to convey complex ecological topics in an accessible manner to audiences; seminars for public education on aquatic and riparian ecology topics; workshops with assembled experts to exchange knowledge on aquatic ecology topics for continuing education and policy decisions.

Environmental Assessments & Impact Analyses

Policy Analysis

Database development

It doesn't stop there. Challenge us with new or unusual requests, and our response may just surprise you!

Representative Projects -

Temperature Monitoring Services
assisted a government agency with selecting temperature monitoring sites and deployed temperature monitors in a headwater stream based on geomorphic and hydraulic criteria; fully documented site selection rationale to ensure that temperature data are not biased.

Literature Review for Environmental Impact Assessment
assisted a private client with a literature review and analysis of recent research and recovery efforts on two threatened and endangered species in support of an environmental assessment for project on federal lands.

EMAP bioassessment in a Front Range stream
Assisted a nonprofit organization with electro fishing, invertebrate sampling, and physical habitat surveys using EPA EMAP protocols.

Risks of winter reservoir drawdown to aquatic biota
Prepared an analysis of the risks to aquatic biota of winter drawdown of a high- elevation lake in Colorado.

Temperature Monitoring Protocol
Assisted a local agency with stream temperature monitoring, selected representative temperature monitoring sites, and prepared representative stream temperature monitoring protocols.

Life-History and Ecology of The Greenback Cutthroat Trout
Reviewed available scientific literature and unpublished data, and prepared the most up-to-date report on the life-history and ecology of the greenback cutthroat trout for a group of State and Federal Agencies. The report will serve as the basis for the long-range management plan for the greenback cutthroat trout (the 'state fish' of Colorado), which is currently listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.

Colorado Temperature Database/Fish Thermal Tolerance Review
Provided technical assistance to the Colorado Water Quality Control Division (Department of Public Health and Environment), reviewed over 500 original papers from the scientific literature, and constructed the Colorado Temperature Database. The database is used to develop water quality standards for temperature to protect aquatic life. As a result of this work, the first enforceable temperature standards were enacted in Colorado during early 2007. NOTE: CEI President, Mark Coleman, was one of several members of the Temperature Standards team presented with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Award in 2007 for their contributions to establishing new science-based standards for the State of Colorado.

Fish Habitat - Winter Park
Conducted a rapid fish and fish habitat assessment, confirming the presence and locations of existing fish habitat at the site, and advised the client on placement of bank and in-stream structure to minimize impacts on existing spawning and nursery habitat.

Pioneer Park Fishery/Invertebrate Analysis
Analyzed fisheries data from the Colorado River to develop a detailed description of the baseline fish community structure before restoration activities began, and summarized the functional ecology, water quality, and physical habitat affinities of aquatic invertebrates and made recommendations to help the client establish procedures for monitoring stream macroinvertebrate communities.

Temperature and Recruitment of Native Cutthroat Trout

Peer-Reviewed Publications and Reports

Todd, A.S., Coleman, M.A., Konowal, A.M., May, M.K., Johnson, S., Vieira, N.K.M., and Saunders, J.F. 2008. Development of new water temperature criteria to protect Colorado's fisheries. Fisheries 33:433-443.

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2007. Cold summer temperature limits recruitment of age-0 Colorado River cutthroat trout. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 136:1231–1244.

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2007. Cold Summer Temperature Regimes Cause a Recruitment Bottleneck in Age-0 Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Reared in laboratory streams. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 136:639–654.

Coleman, M.A. 2007. Cold summer stream temperature reduce recruitment of native cutthroat trout populations. Ph.D. Dissertation. Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University.

Coleman, M.A. 2007. Life-history and ecology of the greenback cutthroat trout. Report to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Greenback Cutthroat Trout Recovery Team, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, and Colorado State University.

Coleman, M.A. 2006. Pioneer Park restoration: fisheries data analysis and aquatic invertebrate survey recommendations for restoration project monitoring. A report prepared for Grand Environmental Services, Grand Lake, Colorado.

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2006. The role of cold summer temperatures in translocation success in native cutthroat trout in high elevation Colorado streams. Final Report to the Central Utah Completion Act, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and USDA Forest Service.

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2005. Causes of Recruitment Bottlenecks in Translocated Cutthroat Trout Populations: Investigation of Low Temperature Effects, Annual Report to the Central Utah Completion Act, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and USDA Forest Service.

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2004. Causes of Recruitment Bottlenecks in Translocated Cutthroat Trout Populations: Investigation of Low Temperature Effects, Annual Report to the Central Utah Completion Act, Colorado Division of Wildlife, and USDA Forest Service.

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2003. Causes of Recruitment Bottlenecks in Translocated Cutthroat Trout Populations: Investigation of Low Temperature and Brook Trout Effects, Annual Report to the Central Utah Completion Act and Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Millspaugh J.J., Coleman M.A., Bauman P.J. et al. 2000. Serum profiles of American Elk, Cervus elaphus, at the time of handling for three capture methods, Canadian Field Naturalist 114: (2) 196-200.

Coleman, M.A., Garland, T., Jr., Marler, C.A. et al. 1998. Glucocorticoid Response to forced exercise in laboratory house mice (Mus domesticus), Physiology & Behavior 63(2):279-285. (Coleman M.S. Thesis)

Coleman, M.A. 1998. Book review: Evolutionary Analysis by S. Freeman and J.C. Herron (1998). Animal Behaviour 55(6):1736-1737.

Presentations -

Coleman, M.A. 2008. Assessing thermal suitability of streams for establishment of native trout conservation populations in high-elevation streams. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society Western Division, Portland, Oregon.

Coleman, M.A. 2008. New temperature standards to protect aquatic life in Colorado. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society Colorado/Wyoming Chapter, Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Coleman, M.A. 2007. Climate change & native trout. What does the future hold for native cutthroat trout in Rocky Mountain National Park. Rocky Mountain National Park Climate Change Adaptations Workshop, Estes Park, Colorado.

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2005. Can cold summer temperatures reduce recruitment of cutthroat trout and explain differences in translocation success? National Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Anchorage, Alaska.

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2005. Can cold summer stream temperature reduce recruitment of cutthroat trout populations in Colorado and explain differences in translocation success? Colorado-Wyoming Chapter American Fisheries Society, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2004. Can low summer water temperature cause recruitment bottlenecks in translocated cutthroat trout populations? Meeting of The Colorado/Wyoming Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Fort Collins, Colorado (Mar. 7 – 10, 2005).

Coleman, M.A., Fausch, K.D. 2004. Can low summer water temperature cause recruitment bottlenecks in translocated cutthroat trout populations? Meeting of The Western Division of the American Fisheries Society, Salt Lake City, Utah (Feb. 29 – Mar. 1, 2004).

Coleman, M.A.; Marler, C.A. 1997. Behavioral and hormonal recovery from stress during the lactation and parental care period in Peromyscus californicus. The Society of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Baltimore, Maryland.

CEI Associates -

Primary Collaborators

Marci Koski is currently employed in California as a NEPA/CEQA auditor

Marci Koski, Ph.D.

Aquatic Ecologist ~
Bioenergetic and ecological modeling of aquatic food webs, and studies on a wide range of aquatic organisms and their ecological relationships.

Dave Rees is the President of Timberline Aquatics, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado

David E. Rees, M.S.

Aquatic Ecologist
Timberline Aquatics, Inc.
Benthic macroinvertebrate studies including identification, study design, data analysis, interpretation, and report preparation.