Remembering Dr. Jim Cloern

At the meeting, the Delta ISB will commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Jim Cloern, who passed away on November 3, 2025. Dr. Cloern served on the Delta ISB from 2020 to 2021, and prior to becoming a member, was one of the scientists that the Delta ISB would always turn to for feedback and insights, given his four decades of research in the Bay-Delta at the United States Geological Survey on topics ranging from primary production to disturbance by introduced species.

During Dr. Cloern’s time on the Delta ISB, he played an important role in the 2021 non-native species review and organized a Delta ISB panel discussion on food webs that eventually resulted in the Delta ISB’s pursuit of a review on this topic, which was completed in 2024.

His legacy extends far beyond the Delta ISB, and he was awarded the Brown-Nichols Science Award in 2012 for his outstanding contributions to science in the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary and watershed, among many other accolades.

"Dr. Cloern was genuinely fascinated by our evolving estuary, dedicating more than four decades to meticulous observations that continue to expose its ecosystem interconnectedness," says Delta Lead Scientist Dr. Lisamarie Windham-Myers. "Today’s Delta science community is more warm, welcoming, and world-recognized because of his light."