A field defined by operation
Reservoir Operation Ecology studies how operational decisions reorganize physical, chemical and biological states across reservoirs and connected waters. It treats operation as a persistent ecological driver—not merely an engineering background condition.
Core scientific questions
How do release rules, water-level trajectories and withdrawal depths propagate through thermal structure, oxygen, materials, habitats and ecological networks? How can those pathways be observed, attributed and anticipated?
Scope and boundaries
ROE connects limnology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, aquatic ecology, engineering and adaptive management while remaining focused on mechanisms caused or mediated by reservoir operation.
Why a network
Comparable observations, shared terminology and coordinated experiments are needed across reservoir types and regions. ROE Network provides a platform for that collective work.