The Cooperative Research Units were created to enhance graduate education in fisheries and wildlife sciences and facilitate cooperative research among federal and state natural resource agencies and universities on topics of mutual concern.

The Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit is in the Department of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife Management Program.

Research at the Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit is problem oriented and provides our Cooperators (Montana State University; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Geological Survey) and other agencies with useful and practical information needed to understand and manage fishery resources in the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.

Technical areas of special emphasis include whirling disease, native fish species restoration and management, large-river fish assemblages, sport fishery management, and regulated-river and reservoir fisheries.