Geology topics

James H. Selgeby

Publications and source records attributed to James H. Selgeby.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2002

Reestablishing a spawning population of lake trout in Lake Superior with fertilized eggs in artificial turf incubators

Fertilized eggs from lake trout Salvelinus namaycush were placed in artificial turf incubators and deployed on Devils Island Shoal, Lake Superior, in an attempt to reestablish a spawning population on this once important spawning area. Efficacy was measured by the changes in catch rates, age composition, and origin of adult lake trout returning to the shoal in the fall in subsequent years. The abundance of lake trout spawners without fin clips, which implies that these fish hatched in the lake, increased throughout the sampling period, whereas the abundance of hatchery-reared fish (indicated by one or more fin clips) stocked for restoration purposes remained low. Year-class-specific stock–recruitment analysis suggested that the recruitment of unclipped spawners was related to the number of eggs planted in previous years rather than to spawning by the few adult lake trout visiting the reef. Increases in adult fish at Devils Island Shoal were independent of trends at adjacent sites, where unclipped spawner abundances remained low. Enhanced survival to hatch and apparent site imprinting of young lake trout make this technique a viable alternative to stocking fingerling and yearling lake trout to reestablish spawning populations on specific sites in the Great Lakes.

Devil's Island shoal, Lake Superior↗

USGS1998

Reproduction and early life history of ruffe ( Gymnocephalus cernuus ) on the St. Louis River, a Lake Superior tributary

Reproduction and early life history of ruffe ( Gymnocephalus ceriums ) was investigated during April to July in 1993 and 1994 in the St. Louis River, a western Lake Superior tributary. This study was conducted to assist fishery managers in determining possible interactions among the early life stages of ruffe and other North American percids, and in obtaining information useful in developing control methods targeted at the early life stages of ruffe. Ruffe had a prolonged spawning period that extended from late April to late June with peak spawning in mid to late May when water temperatures were between 12 and 14°C. The majority of ruffe protolarva were captured 1 to 2 weeks after egg deposition between mid May and late June and most were captured in water 0.5-m deep. Onshore-offshore movements were not observed, but diel vertical movements of larval ruffe were observed on several occasions. The greatest chance of ballast water transport of pelagic larval ruffe is between mid May and July. Information on reproduction and early life history in this report will assist fishery mangers in development of ruffe control methods, and assist Great Lakes shipping in ballast water management to prevent the spread of ruffe.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1998

A bioenergetics modeling evaluation of top-down control of ruffe in the St. Louis River, western Lake Superior

Ruffe ( Gymnocephalus cernuus ), were accidentally introduced into the St. Louis River estuary, western Lake Superior, in the mid 1980s and it was feared that they might affect native fish through predation on eggs and competition for forage and habitat. In an effort to control the abundance of ruffe and limit dispersal, a top-down control strategy using predators was implemented in 1989. We used bioenergetics modeling to examine the efficacy of top-down control in the St. Louis River from 1991 to 1994. Five predators--northern pike ( Esox lucius ), walleye ( Stizostedion vitreum vitreum ), smallmouth bass ( Micropterus dolomieui ), brown bullhead ( Ictalurus nebulosus ), and yellow perch ( Perca flavescens )--were modeled to determine their consumption of ruffe and four other native prey species-spottail shiner ( Notropis hudsonius ), emerald shiner ( Notropis atherinoides ), yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ), and black crappie ( Pomoxis nigromaculatus ). Although predators ate as much as 47% of the ruffe biomass in 1 year, they were not able to halt the increase in ruffe abundance. The St. Louis River is an open system that allows predators to move freely out of the system, and the biomass of managed predators did not increase. A selectivity index showed all five predators selected the native prey and avoided ruffe. The St. Louis River has several predator and prey species creating many complex predator-prey interactions; and top-down control of ruffe by the predators examined in this study did not occur.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1998

A collapsible trap for capturing ruffe

A modified version of the Windermere trap was designed, constructed, and tested for its effectiveness in capturing ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus . The inexpensive, lightweight, collapsible trap was easily deployed and retrieved from a small boat. Field tests conducted at the St. Louis River estuary in western Lake Superior in spring 1995 and 1996 indicated that the trap was effective in capturing ruffe. Proportions of the ruffe in trap and bottom trawl catches were similar in 1995 and 1996. This trap could be a useful tool in surveillance, monitoring, or control programs for ruffe or similar species, either to augment existing sampling programs or especially in situations where gillnetting or bottom trawling are not feasible.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS1998

Gill net saturation by lake trout in Michigan waters of Lake Superior

We conducted experimental fishing for lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Michigan waters of Lake Superior to determine the importance of soak time on catch per effort (CPE) in numbers per kilometer of standard gill net. We modeled CPE as a nonlinear function of the number of nights between setting and lifting (soak time), in which the nets fill at a certain rate toward some maximum after which the nets cannot hold more fish. We found that lake trout CPE increased with soak time at a rate that varied with lake trout density toward a saturation level that was independent of lake trout density. The CPE values of nets soaked 2–5 nights divided by the CPE of nets soaked 1 night were significantly lower than would be expected had CPE increased as a linear function of the number of nights soaked. We derived a means for correcting gill-net CPE values for differing soak times to a common base of 1 night soaked. We concluded that it is inappropriate to assume lake trout catches in gill nets will increase in direct proportion to the number of nights soaked and recommend that CPE of lake trout in gill nets be corrected for soak time.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS1998

Cyclopoid and harpacticoid copepods of the Laurentian Great Lakes

Historical collections of cyclopoid and harpacticoid copepod crustaceans in the Great Lakes have mainly been based on samples taken with plankton nets in deeper waters (>5 m). Of the non-calanoid copepod species known from the Great Lakes, 58 or 64 live primarily on or in the sediments and rarely are collected in plankton samples. Because of their small size, they are rarely retained in the coarse sieves used to concentrate samples of benthic invertebrates. Thus, the abundance and distribution of most species of these two groups of copepods have never been adequately documented in the Great Lakes. We examined the stomach contents of small, bottom-feeding fishes such as slimy sculpin which feed on benthic copepods that live in deep, inaccessible rocky areas of the Great Lakes to collect some of the material. We also collected in shallow nearshore habitats, including wetlands. We present an annotated checklist of cyclopoid and harpacticoid copepods based on published records and our recent collections in the Great Lakes. We have added 14 species of cyclopoid copepods to the Great Lakes record, increasing the total to 30. Because we probably have accounted for most of the cyclopoid species, we provide a key to the identification of this group. We have added 19 species of harpacticoid copepods to the 15 previously known to the Great Lakes, and suspect that additional species remain to be discovered. In individual lakes, there were approximately as many species of cyclopoids as harpacticoids; the total number of species per lake ranged from 35 to 57. The most speciose genera were Bryocamptus (7), Canthocamptus (5), and Moraria (5) in the Harpacticoida, and Diacyclops (6) and Acanthocyclops (5) in the Cyclopoida. The origin of introduced species, our ability to classify copepod habitat, and the ecological significance of copepods are discussed.

Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin New Series↗

USGS1997

Gillnet selectivity for lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) in Lake Superior

Gillnet selectivity for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) was estimated indirectly from catches in nets of 102-, 114-, 127-, 140-, and 152-mm stretch measure. Mesh selectivity was modeled as a nonlinear response surface that describes changes in the mean, standard deviation, and skewness of fish lengths across mesh sizes. Gillnet selectivity for lake trout was described by five parameters that explained 88% of the variation in wedged and entangled catches, 81% of the variation in wedged catches, and 82% of the variation in entangled catches. Combined catches of wedged and entangled lake trout were therefore described more parsimoniously than separate catches of wedged and entangled lake trout. Peak selectivity of wedged and entangled fish increased from 588 to 663 mm total length as mesh size increased from 102 to 152 mm, and relative selectivity peaked at a total length of 638 mm. The estimated lake trout population size-frequency indicated that gillnet catches were negatively biased toward both small and large lake trout. As a consequence of this bias, survival of Lake Superior lake trout across ages 9-11 was underestimated by about 20% when the catch curve was not adjusted for gillnet selectivity.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗

USGS1996

Causes of declining survival of lake trout stocked in U.S. waters of Lake Superior in 1963-1986

Survival of the 1963-1982 year-classes of stocked yearling lake trout Salvelinus namaycush declined significantly over time in Lake Superior. To investigate possible causes of this decline, a Ricker model of stock-recruitment was used to describe the catch per effort (CPE) of age-7 stocked lake trout in the Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior as functions of the numbers of yearlings stocked 6 years earlier (an index of density dependence), the density (CPE) of wild adult lake trout (an index of predation), and large-mesh (a?Y 114-mm stretch-measure) gill-net fishing effort (an index of fishing mortality). Declining CPE of stocked lake trout in Michigan and Wisconsin was significantly associated with increasing large-mesh gillnet fishing effort. Declining CPE of stocked lake trout in Minnesota was significantly associated with increasing density of wild lake trout. Declining survival of stocked lake trout may therefore have been caused by increased mortality in large-mesh gill-net fisheries in Michigan and Wisconsin, and by predation by wild lake trout that recently recolonized the Minnesota area. We recommend that experimental management be pursued to determine the relative importance of large-mesh gillnet fishing effort and of predation by wild lake trout on the survival of stocked lake trout in U.S. waters of Lake Superior.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗

USGS1996

Predation on ruffe by native fishes of the St. Louis River Estuary, Lake Superior, 1989-1991

The ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus , an exotic Eurasian percid, recently became established in the St. Louis River estuary, Lake Superior, after accidental introduction. Management actions (catch regulations and stockings) were enacted in 1989 to increase the density of top-level predators in the estuary, and thus to increase predation on ruffe. We conducted a field and laboratory study to determine if, and to what extent, native piscivores consume ruffe. Stomachs of 3,669 predators were examined in 1989–1991. Ruffe occurred in 6.7% of burbot Lota lota , 5.8% of bullheads Ictalurus spp., 4.7% of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu , 2.6% of northern pike Esox lucius , 2.6% of black crappies Pomoxis nigromaculatus , and 1.3% of yellow perch Perca flavescens (4.5% after 1989) captured during the 3-year study. No ruffe were found in 967 stomachs of walleyes Stizostedion vitreum examined. Ruffe were 22.7%, of the diet (by weight) of bullheads (during the only year bullheads were captured) and 0.1–17.9% of the diet of northern pike. Ruffe were 0.9–24.5% of the diet of smallmouth bass that contained fish, 1.5–6.9% of yellow perch that contained fish, and 0.0–10.9% of black crappies that contained fish. Most ruffe eaten were age-0 or small age- 1 fish. In the laboratory, walleyes that were first fed soft-rayed prey or that were also offered soft-rayed prey consumed very few ruffe, whereas walleyes that were first fed spiny-rayed yellow perch or were also offered yellow perch consumed about equal numbers of ruffe and yellow perch. Northern pike and burbot consumed about equal numbers of ruffe and yellow perch in the laboratory. It is unlikely that predation will effectively control the initial expansion of ruffe in other areas of the Great Lakes because native predators initially consume few ruffe, especially if more preferred soft-rayed prey are available.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗

USGS1996

Seasonal bathymetric distributions of 16 fishes in Lake Superior, 1958-75

The bathymetric distributions of fishes in Lake Superior, which is one of the largest and deepest lakes in the world, has not been studied on a lakewide scale. Knowledge about the bathymetric distributions will aid in designing fish sampling programs, estimating absolute abundances, and modeling energy flow in the lake. Seasonal bathymetric distributions were determined , by 10-m depth intervals, for 16 fishes collected with bottom trawls and bottom-set gill nets within the upper 150 m of Lake Superior during 1958-75. In spring trawl catches, maximum abundance occurred at these depths: 15 m for round whitefish (Prosopium cylindraceum); 25m for longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus); 35 m for lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax); 45 m for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush); 65 m for pygmy whitefish (Prospoium coulteri) and bloater (Coregonus hoyi); 75 m for trout- perch (Percopsis omiscomaycus); 105 m for shortjaw cisco (Coregonus zenithicus); and 115 m for ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius), burbot (Lota lota), slimy sculpin (Cottus cogantus), spoonhead sculpin (Cottus ricei), and deepwater sculpin (Myoxcephalus thompsoni). Bathymetric distributions in spring gill nets were similar to those in trawls, except that depths of maximum abundances in gill nets were shallower than those in trawls for lake trout, rainbow smelt, longnose sucker, and burbot. Lake herring (Coregonus artedi) and kiyi (Coregonus kiyi) were rarely caught in trawls, and their maximum abundances in spring gill net collections were at depths of 25 and 145 m, respectively. In summer, pygmy whitefish, shortjaw cisco, lake herring, kiyi, longnose sucker, burbot, ninespine stickleback, trout-perch, slimy sculpin, and spponhead sculpin were at shallower depths than in spring, whereas rainbow smelt were found in deeper water; there was no change for other species. In fall, shortjaw cisco was at shallower depths than in summer, whereas the remaining species were found deeper, except for lake whitefish and lake trout whose modal depths did not change. Distributions of lake trout and lake whitefish were analyzed by age group, and the young (ages 1-3) of both species were often found in shallower water than were older fish. The shallow-water species exhibited little seasonal changes in bathymetric distributions, whereas the species that inhabited the middepths of deeper water generally moved shallower as the seasons progressed. Most of the more pronounced seasaonl changes in bathymetric distribution were associated with spawning movements.

Biological Science Report↗

USGS1995

Winter diet of lake herring ( Coregonus artedi ) in western Lake Superior

Lake herring ( Coregonus artedi ) and zooplankton samples were simultaneously collected through the ice in the Apostle Islands region of western Lake Superior to provide information on the winter feeding ecology of lake herring. Zooplankton constituted the entire diet of the 38 lake herring collected for this study. We found no evidence of piscivory, although it has been reported by anglers. Diet selectivities were calculated using a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test and showed a preference of lake herring for larger zooplankton, especially Diaptomus sicilis , whereas the smaller copepod, Cyclops bicuspidatus thomasi , and immature copepod stages were selected against. These data document that overwintering copepods are food for a broad size range of lake herring in winter.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1995

Introduction to the Proceedings of the 1994 International Conference on Restoration of Lake Trout in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) restoration in the Great Lakes began in the 1950s when stocking of artificially propagated lake trout was coupled with the first attempts at sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) control. A major milestone in the restoration process was recorded when a selective sea lamprey larvicide was identified in 1958 (Applegate et al. 1958) and then applied broad scale in Lake Superior in 1958-60 (Applegate et al. 1961). Other milestones include the expansion of the sea lamprey control programs into Lakes Michigan and Huron in 1960 (sustained usage in Lake Huron began in 1966, Smith and Tibbles 1980), Lake Ontario in 1971-72 (Elrod et al. 1995), and Lake Erie in 1986 (Cornelius et al. 1995). Following the collapse of lake trout in the Great Lakes and the implementation of massive stocking of hatchery-reared fish and effective sea lamprey control, the first documented evidence of nearshore natural reproduction of lake trout was in Lake Superior in 1965 (Dryer and King 1968), in Lake Michigan in 1980 (Jude et al. 1981), in Lake Huron in 1981-82 (Nester and Poe 1984), and in Lake Ontario in 1986 (Marsden et al. 1988).

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1995

Lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) populations in Lake Superior and their restoration in 1959-1993

Naturally-reproducing populations of lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) have been reestablished in most of Lake Superior, but have not been restored to 1929-1943 average abundance. Progress toward lake trout restoration in Lake Superior is described, management actions are reviewed, and the effectiveness of those actions is evaluated; especially stocking lake trout as a tool for building spawning stocks, and subsequently, populations of wild recruits. Widespread destruction of lake trout stocks in the 1950s due to an intense fishery and sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) predation resulted in lower overall phenotypic diversity than was previously present. Stocking of yearling lake trout, begun in the 1950s, produced high densities of spawners that reproduced wherever inshore spawning habitat was widespread. Sea lampreys were greatly reduced, beginning in 1961, using selective chemical toxicants and barrier dams, but continue to exert substantial mortality. Fishery regulation was least effective in Wisconsin, where excessive gillnet effort caused high by-catch of lake trout until 1991, and in eastern Michigan, where lake trout restoration was deferred in favor of a tribal fishery for lake whitefish ( Coregonus clupeaformis ) in 1985. Restoration of stocks was quicker in offshore areas where remnant wild lake trout survived and fishing intensity was low, and was slower in inshore areas where stocked lake trout reproduced successfully and fishing intensity was high. Inshore stocks of wild lake trout are currently about 61 % of historic abundance in Michigan and 53% in Wisconsin. Direct comparison of modern and historic abundances of inshore lake trout stocks in Minnesota and Ontario is impossible due to lack of historic stock assessment data. Stocks in Minnesota are less abundant at present than in Michigan or Wisconsin, and stocks in Ontario are similar to those in Michigan. Further progress in stock recovery can only be achieved if sea lampreys are depressed and if fisheries are constrained further than at present.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1995

Population recovery and natural recruitment of lake trout at Gull Island Shoal, Lake Superior, 1964-1992

We documented an increase in the abundance of wild lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) at Gull Island Shoal in western Lake Superior and examined the relationship between parental-stock size and recruitment of age-0 fish in 1964–1992. Abundance of adult wild female lake trout and densities of age-0 fish both increased during the 28-year period. A significant positive, linear relationship (P = 0.0002) was found between the abundance of wild females on the spawning reef in the fall and density of age-0 lake trout on adjacent nursery grounds in August and September of the following year. The abundance of hatchery-origin females did not explain significant amounts (P = 0.107) of variation in recruitment. We concluded that most recruitment in 1965–1992 was the result of natural reproduction of wild females. After 28 years of recovery the Gull Island Shoal lake trout population appears to have additional capacity to increase because the stock-recruitment relationship is still linear. Therefore, restoration periods on the order of 30 years may be needed for other lake trout populations in the Great Lakes. We recommend that the refuge established to protect this population be maintained to allow further study of the relationship between parental stock and recruitment, and to provide a major source of recruitment to the lake trout population in the surrounding waters

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1995

Hatching, dispersal, and bathymetric distribution of age-0 wild lake trout at the Gull Island Shoal complex, Lake Superior

We studied age-0 lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) associated with spawning and nursery areas of the Gull Island Shoal complex in western Lake Superior. Post-emergent age-0 lake trout were captured on rocky spawning substrate with a 3-m beam trawl and at the nursery area with a bottom trawl from June to September 1990 and June to August 1991. Catch data suggested that age-0 lake trout move distances of 7–11 km to the nursery area over a 3-month period. Water currents, measured at Gull Island Shoal, may be a part of the transport mechanism. Examination of daily-growth increments on the sagittae and back-calculation from the date of capture revealed that most fish hatched between 6 June and 19 July in 1990 and between 30 April and 30 May in 1991. The duration of the hatch was 100 days in 1990 and 120 days in 1991, and the estimated incubation period is about 7 months for lake trout eggs at this site. Similar hatch-date distributions of age-0 captured on different sampling dates suggested that natural mortality was low.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1995

Density-independent survival of wild lake trout in the Apostle Islands area of Lake Superior

The lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) stock at Gull Island Shoal in western Lake Superior was one of only a few stocks of lean lake trout in the Great Lakes that survived overfishing and predation by the sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ). Since the mid 1960s, the abundance of wild recruits measured at age 0 and the number of age-7 to -11 wild fish recruited to the fishable stock have increased. We used the Varley-Gradwell method to test for density-dependent survival between these life stages. Survival from age-0 to ages 7–11 was not affected by increasing density, which suggests that further increases in recruitment and stock size are still possible. We suggest that testing for the existence of density-dependent survival can be used to indicate when lake trout populations are rehabilitated.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1995

Lake trout restoration in the Great Lakes: stock-size criteria for natural reproduction

We examined the question of whether the lake trout restoration program in the Great Lakes has developed brood stocks of adequate size to sustain natural reproduction. Stock size criteria were developed from areas of the Great Lakes where natural reproduction has been successful (defined as detection of age-1 or older recruits by assessment fishing). We contrasted them with stocks in areas with no natural reproduction. Based on the relative abundance of spawners measured in the fall and the presence or absence of natural reproduction in 24 areas of the Great Lakes, we found three distinct sets of lake trout populations. In seven areas of successful natural reproduction, the catch-per-unit-effort (CPE) of spawners ranged from 17 to 135 fish/305 m of gillnet. Stock sizes in these areas were used as a gauge against which stocks in other areas were contrasted. We conclude that stock densities of 17-135 fish/305 m of gill net are adequate for natural reproduction, provided that all other requirements are met. No natural reproduction has been detected in seven other areas, where CPEs of spawners ranged from only 3 to 5 fish/305 m. We conclude that spawning stocks of only 3-5 fish/305 m of net are inadequate to develop measurable natural reproduction. Natural reproduction has also not been detected in ten areas where CPEs of spawners ranged from 43 to 195 fish/305 m of net. We conclude that spawning stocks in these ten areas were adequate to sustain natural reproduction, but that some factor other than parental stock size prevented recruitment of wild lake trout.

Journal of Great Lakes Research↗

USGS1995

Diet and feeding periodicity of ruffe in the St. Louis River estuary, Lake Superior

Ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus , a percid native to Europe and Asia, is established in the Lake Superior drainage and could have negative impacts on native fish through competition for forage and predation on fish eggs. We investigated the diet of ruffes in the 4,654-ha St. Louis River estuary in May–October 1989–1990 and the feeding periodicity of ruffes in two adjacent habitats during five 24-h periods in summers 1990–1991. Ruffes were primarily benthophagous. Age-0 ruffes fed mostly on cladocerans and copepods in early summer and midge larvae (Chironomidae) in late summer and fall. Adult ruffes less than 12 cm fed mostly on midges and other macrobenthos but also consumed large numbers of microcrustaceans. Adult ruffes 12 cm and larger fed mostly on midges, burrowing mayflies Hexagenia spp., and caddisflies (Trichoptera). Ruffes consumed few fish eggs. Adult ruffes in deeper waters and all age-0 ruffes fed throughout the day as indicated by weight patterns of stomach contents. However, adult ruffes generally moved to shallower waters at night to feed most heavily. Results of this study indicate that ruffes will probably compete with other benthic-feeding fishes such as yellow perch Perca flavescens and trout-perch Percopsis omiscomaycus .

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗