You are here

Home » Login » Samuel K-Wasser

Samuel K-Wasser

Samuel K Wasser
Research Professor
wassers@uw.edu
232 JHN
(206) 543-1669
Not accepting graduate students
Fields of interest
Conservation Biology, Ecology, Physiology

My laboratory aims to use the best possible science to help direct wildlife conservation and management policies around the world.

We specialize in the development and application of noninvasive tools for monitoring wildlife over large landscape areas. We pioneered methods to acquire stress, reproductive and nutrition hormones, as well as DNA from scat. This enables us to monitor the physiological health of wildlife, as well as their abundance and distribution, all of which can be layered onto a Geographic Information System that also includes habitat and disturbance measures. To enhance sample acquisition, we train detection dogs to locate scat of selected wildlife species over large remote areas. These dogs can detect samples from up to 18 species at once, at distances of 0.25 miles or more from the source. These collective tools enable us to monitor multiple species over large landscape areas for abundance, distribution and physiological health without ever seeing a single individual.

Our lab also developed methods to determine the geographic origin of poached African elephant ivory. We developed methods to extract DNA from ivory. Relying on our ability to also acquire DNA from feces, we then began collecting reference DNA from elephant scat throughout Africa, used to build a geographic-specific allele frequency map for this species across 16 loci. We determine the origin of ivory by matching its genotype to this multi-locus allele frequency map. Currently, we are collaborating with the Interpol Working Group on Wildlife Crime to investigate the origins of all major ivory seizures in the recent past.

Dr. Wasser acquired his B.Sc in Zoology at Michigan State University, his M.Sc in Zoology at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his Ph.D. in Animal Behavior at the University of Washington. After receiving his Ph.D., Wasser was awarded the first H.F. Guggenheim Career Development Award for his studies of reproductive impacts of aggression in female mammals. He then received the first Research Scientist Development Award from the Smithsonian Institution for his work on noninvasive hormone methods. During his time at the Smithsonian, Wasser also directed their Conservation and Management Training Program for African nationals. After 5 years at the Smithsonian, Wasser returned to the University of Washington as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Scientific Director of the Center for Wildlife Conservation at the Woodland Park Zoo. In 2001, Wasser was awarded the endowed chair in Conservation Biology by the University of Washington Board of Reagents. He is currently Research Professor in the UW Department of Biology and Director of their Center for Conservation Biology after being awarded the endowed chair in Conservation Biology by the University of Washington Board of Reagents.

Persistent Organic Pollutant Determination in Killer Whale Scat Samples: Optimization of a Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry Method and Application to Field Samples, Lundin, Jessica I., Dills RL, Ylitalo Gina M., Bradley Hanson M., Emmons Candice K., Schorr GS, Hempelmann Jennifer A., Parson Kim M., and Wasser Samuel K. , Arch Environ Contam Toxicol , Volume DOI 10.1007/s00244-015-0218-8, (2015)
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in caribou, moose, and wolf scat samples from three areas of the Alberta oil sands, Lundin, Jessica I., Riffell Jefferey A., and Wasser Samuel K. , Environmental Polution, Volume 206, p.527-534, (2015)
New evidence for hybrid zones of forest and savanna elephants in Central and West Africa, Mondol, Samrat, Moltke Ida, Hart John, Keigwin Michael, Brown Lisa, Stephens Matthew, and Wasser Samuel K. , Molecular Ecology, 08/2015, Volume 24, p.6134-6147, (2015)
Genetic assignment of large seizures of elephant ivory reveals Africa’s major poaching hotspots., Wasser, Samuel K., Lisa Brown, Mailand Celia, Mondol Samrat, Clark William, Laurie Cathy, and Weir Bruce S. , Science, 07/2015, Volume 349, p.84-87, (2015)
Physiological implications of landscape use by free-ranging maned wolves in Brazil, Vynne, CR, Booth RK, and Wasser S. K. , Journal of Mammology, Volume 95, Issue 4, (2014)
Male biased sex ratio of poached elephants is negatively related to paching intensity, Mondol, S., Mailand CR, and Wasser S. K. , Conservation Genetics, 2014, Volume DOI 10.1007/s10592-04-0603-2, (2014)
Quantifying past and present connectivity illuminates a rapidly changing landscape for the African elephant, Epps, CW, Wasser S. K., Keim JL, Mutayoba BK, and Brashares JS , Molecular Ecology, 2013, Volume 22, p.1574-1588, (2013)
Effects of exposure, diet, and thermoregulation on fecal glucocorticoid measures in wild bears, Stetz, J., Hunt K., Kendall KC, and Wasser S. K. , PLoS One, 2013, Volume 8, Issue 2, (2013)
Using detection dogs to conduct simultaneously surveys of northern spotted and barred owls, Wasser, S. K., Hayward LS, Hartman J., and Booth RK , PLoS One, Volume 7, Issue 8, p.e42892, (2012)
To kill or not to kill-that is the question, Wasser, S. K., Keim JL, Taper ML, and lele SR , Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Volume 67, (2012)
Evaluation of circulating eosinophil count and adrenal gland function in California sea lions naturally exposed to domoic acid, Gulland, F., Hall AJ, Greig D., Frame E., Colegrove K., Booth RK, Wasser S. K., and Scott-Moncrieff JC , Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association, Volume 241, Issue 7, p.943-949, (2012)
Factors influencing degradation of DNA and hormones in maned wolf scat, Vynne, C., Baker MR, Breuer CK, and Wasser S. K. , Animal Conservation, Volume 15, p.184-194, (2012)
Methods of estrus detection and correlates of the reproductive cycle in the sun bear, Frederick, C., Kyes R., Hunt K., Collins D., Durrante B., and Wasser S. K. , Theriogenology, (2012)
Distinguishing the impacts of inadequate prey and vessel traffic on an endangered killer whale population, Ayres, KL, Booth RK, Hempelmann JA, Koski KL, Emmons CK, Baird RW, Balcomb-Bartok K., Hanson HB, Ford MJ, and Wasser S. K. , PLoS One, Volume 7, Issue 6, p.e36842, (2012)
Evidence that ship noise increase stress in right whales, Rolland, RM, PArks SE, Hunt K., Castellote M., Corkerson PJ, Nowacek DP, Wasser S. K., and Kruase SD , Proceedings Royal Society B< Biological Sciences, Volume 279, p.2363-2368, (2012)
Combating the illegal trade in African elephant ivory with DNA forensics, Wasser, Samuel K., Clark William Joseph, Drori Ofir, Kisamo Emily Stephen, Mailand Celia, Mutayoba Benezeth, and Stephens Matthew , Conservation Biology, 2008, Volume 22, Issue 4, p. - -1071, (2008)
Using DNA to track the origin of the largest ivory seizure since the 1989 trade ban, Wasser, Samuel K., Mailand Celia, Booth Rebecca, Mutayoba Benezeth, Kisamo Emily, Clark Bill, and Stephens Matthew , Proc Nat Acad Sci, 2007, Volume 104, Issue 10, p. - -4233, (2007)
Scat detection dogs in wildlife research and management: application to grizzly and black bears in the Yellowhead Ecosystem, Alberta, Canada, Wasser, S. K., Davenport B., Ramage E. R., Hunt K. E., Parker M., Clarke C., and Stenhouse G. , Canadian Journal Of Zoology-Revue Canadienne De Zoologie, 2004, Volume 82, Issue 3, p. - -492, (2004)
Fecal glucocorticoid assays and the physiological stress response in elk, Millspaugh, Joshua J., Woods Rami J., Hunt Kathleen E., Raedeke Kenneth J., Brundige Gary C., Washburn Brian E., and Wasser Samuel K. , Wildlife Society Bulletin, 2001, Volume 29, Issue 3, p. - -907, (2001)
A generalized fecal glucocorticoid assay for use in a diverse array of nondomestic mammalian and avian species, Wasser, Samuel K., Hunt Kathleen E., Brown Janine L., Cooper Kathy, Crockett Carolyn M., Bechert Ursula, Millspaugh Joshua J., Larson Shawn, and Monfort Steven L. , General and Comparative Endocrinology, 2000, Volume 120, Issue 3, p. - -275, (2000)
Noninvasive physiological measures of disturbance in the northern spotted owl, Wasser, Samuel K., Bevis Kenneth, King Gina, and Hanson Eric , Conservation Biology, 1997, Volume 11, Issue 4, p. - -1022, (1997)
Reproductive control in wild baboons measured by fecal steroids, Wasser, Samuel K. , Biology of Reproduction, 1996, Volume 55, Issue 2, p. - -399, (1996)