PNNL

Kate Buenau is a quantitative ecologist and modeler in the Coastal Sciences Division of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She joined PNNL in 2009 after completing a Ph.D. in ecology, evolution and marine biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Her experience includes assessing and modeling species-habitat relationships and species interactions in large rivers, estuaries, and nearshore habitats. Her work supports large-scale ecosystem restoration on the Missouri and Columbia rivers and Puget Sound, and conservation of a diverse range of species including shorebirds, fish, and seagrass. She also works on modeling environmental effects of marine energy development for the Triton project. She develops habitat and population models along with tools for decision support, risk management, and uncertainty quantification, and has worked extensively with resource managers and stakeholders to create and implement practical adaptive management.

• Ecological models of species-habitat relationships, population viability, and aquatic ecosystems
• Quantitative decision support tools for habitat restoration and adaptive management
• The effects of environmental heterogeneity and change on phase shifts and alternative stable states

• PhD in Ecology & Evolution of Biology, University of California - Santa Barbara
• BS in Science, Biology, Arizona State University

• Ecological Society of America
• Society for Ecological Restoration

• 2010 OPA for contributions to Puget Sound-Georgia Basin Crossboundary Indicators project
• 2008 Charles A. Storke Award, UC Santa Barbara

2025

• Buenau K.E., H.L. Diefenderfer, M.A. McKeon, and A.B. Borde. 2025. "Tidal-Hydrological Dynamics of Water Temperature across Freshwater Forested Wetlands on the Northeastern Pacific Coast." Journal of the American Water Resources Association 61, no. 1:Art. No. e13249. PNNL-SA-204947. doi:10.1111/1752-1688.13249

2022

• Buenau K.E., L. Garavelli, L.G. Hemery, and G. Garcia Medina. 2022. "A review of modeling approaches for understanding and monitoring the environmental effects of marine renewable energy." Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 10, no. 1:Art. No. 94. PNNL-SA-156376. doi:10.3390/jmse10010094

2021

• Diefenderfer H.L., G.D. Steyer, M.C. Harwell, A.J. Loschiavo, H.A. Neckles, D.M. Burdick, and G.E. Johnson, et al. 2021. "Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large-scale ecosystem restoration." Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 19, no. 2:108-117. PNNL-SA-144525. doi:10.1002/fee.2274

2018

• Thom R.M., J. Gaeckle, K.E. Buenau, A.B. Borde, J. Vavrinec, L.M. Aston, and D.L. Woodruff, et al. 2018. "Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) Restoration in Puget Sound: Development of a Site Suitability Assessment Process." Restoration Ecology 26, no. 6:1066-1074. PNNL-SA-128364. doi:10.1111/rec.12702

2016

• Diefenderfer H.L., G.E. Johnson, R.M. Thom, K.E. Buenau, L.A. Weitkamp, C.M. Woodley, and A.B. Borde, et al. 2016. "Evidence-based Evaluation of the Cumulative Effects of Ecosystem Restoration." Ecosphere 7, no. 3:e01242. PNNL-SA-104585. doi:10.1002/ecs2.1242

2014

• Buenau K.E., T.L. Hiller, and A.J. Tyre. 2014. "Modeling the effects of river flow on population dynamics of piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and least terns (Sternula antillarum) nesting on the Missouri River." River Research and Applications 30, no. 8:964-975. PNNL-SA-91812. doi:10.1002/rra.2694

2011

• Thom R.M., H.L. Diefenderfer, J.E. Adkins, C. Judd, M.G. Anderson, K.E. Buenau, and A.B. Borde, et al. 2011. "Guidelines, processes and tools for coastal ecosystem restoration, with examples from the United States." Plankton & Benthos Research 5, no. Supplement:185-201. PNNL-SA-73076. doi:10.3800/pbr.5.185

2020

Diefenderfer HL, GD Steyer, MC Harwell, AJ LoSchiavo, HA Neckles, DM Burdick, GE Johnson, KE Buenau, E Trujillo, JC Callaway, RM Thom, NK Ganju, RR Twilley. 2020. Applying cumulative effects to strategically advance large-scale ecosystem restoration. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, doi:10.1002/fee.2274.

2018

Thom RM, J Gaeckle, KE Buenau, AB Borde, J Vavrinec, LM Aston, and DL Woodruff, et al. 2018. Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) restoration in Puget Sound: development of a site suitability assessment process. Restoration Ecology. PNNL-SA-128364. doi:10.1111/rec.12702

2016

Diefenderfer HL, GE Johnson, RM Thom, KE Buenau, LA Weitkamp, CM Woodley, AB Borde, and RK Kropp.  2016.  "Evidence-based evaluation of the cumulative effects of ecosystem restoration." Ecosphere 7(3):e01242.

2014

Buenau KE, TH Hiller, and AJ Tyre. 2014. “Modeling the effects of river flow on population dynamics of piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) and least terns (Sternula antillarum) nesting on the Missouri River.” River Research and Applications 30(8):964-975. DOI: 10.1002/rra.2694.

2011

Thom RM, HL Diefenderfer, JE Adkins, C Judd, MG Anderson, KE Buenau, AB Borde, and GE Johnson.  2011.  "Guidelines, processes and tools for coastal ecosystem restoration, with examples from the United States."  Plankton & Benthos Research 5(Supplement):185-201.  doi:10.3800/pbr.5.185

2012

Buenau KE, NN Price, RM Nisbet. 2012. Size dependence, facilitation, and microhabitat mediate space competition between coral and crustose coralline algae in a spatially explicit model.  Ecological Modelling 237-238: 23-33.

2011

Buenau KE, NN Price and RM Nisbet.  2011.  Local interactions drive size dependent space competition between coral and crustose coralline algae.  Oikos 120: 941-949.

2007

Buenau KE, A Rassweiler, and RM Nisbet. 2007. The effects of landscape structure on space competition and alternative stable states.  Ecology 88(12): 3022-3031.

2004

Buenau KE, LR Gerber.  2004.  Developing recovery and monitoring strategies for the endemic Mount Graham red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis) in Arizona.  Animal Conservation 7: 17-22.

Gerber LR, KE Buenau and GR VanBlaricom.  2004.  Density dependence and risk of extinction in a small population of sea otters.  Biodiversity and Conservation 13(14): 2741-2757.