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At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
USGS2021

Suitability of an upper Mississippi River tributary for invasive carp reproduction

Invasive carp are expanding throughout the upper Mississippi River basin and are of great concern due to their potential economic and ecological impacts. Identification of spawning locations provides critical information on recruitment sources to evaluate potential management strategies. Our objective was to create and validate a spawning habitat suitability model of the Des Moines River, Iowa, during low-, average-, and high-water-level conditions. Backwater availability, abundance of hardpoints (structures that create turbulence), river gradient and sinuosity, water temperature, and continuously free-flowing river lengths were used as model parameters. The model was compared to back-calculated spawning locations from invasive carp eggs collected in 2014–2015. Turbulent hardpoints, river sinuosity, and gradient were not significant predictors of invasive carp spawning locations, and backwater availability in the 25 river kilometers downstream of each reach was inversely correlated with invasive carp spawning locations. Invasive carp eggs were not caught in 2014 despite optimal spawning conditions, revealing that spawning may have high interannual variation. This study suggests that predicting invasive carp reproduction may require variables in addition to those currently proposed.

Iowa↗
USGS2022

It’s complicated and it depends: A review of the effects of ecosystem changes on Walleye and Yellow Perch populations in North America

Walleye Sander vitreus and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens are culturally, economically, and ecologically significant fish species in North America that are affected by drivers of global change. Here, we review and synthesize the published literature documenting the effects of ecosystem changes on Walleye and Yellow Perch. We focus on four drivers: climate (including temperature and precipitation), aquatic invasive species, land use and nutrient loading, and water clarity. We identified 1,232 tests from 370 papers, split evenly between Walleye ( n = 613) and Yellow Perch ( n = 619). Climate was the most frequently studied driver ( n = 572), and growth or condition was the most frequently studied response ( n = 297). The most commonly reported relationship was “no effect” (42% of analyses), usually because multiple variables were tested and only a few were found to be significant. Overall responses varied among studies for most species-response–driver combinations. For example, the influence of invasive species on growth of both Walleye and Yellow Perch was approximately equally likely to be positive, negative, or have no effect. Even when results were variable, important patterns emerged; for example, growth responses of both species to temperature were variable, but very few negative responses were observed. A few relationships were relatively consistent across studies. Invasive species were negatively associated with Walleye recruitment and abundance, and higher water clarity was negatively associated with Walleye abundance, biomass, and production. Some variability in responses may be due to differences in methodology or the range of variables studied; others represent true context dependence, where the effect of a driver depends on the influence of other variables. Using common metrics of impact, publishing negative results, and robust analytical approaches could facilitate comparisons among systems and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the responses of Walleye and Yellow Perch to ecosystem change.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS2025

Off-channel habitat use by silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis) in the upper Mississippi River

The spread of invasive carp in the Mississippi River Basin of the U.S. has caused substantial ecological and economic problems. Although there are a variety of strategies to manage invasive carp, removal remains a central part of many efforts. To be most effective, large-scale removal of invasive carp should target fish when they are densely aggregated in locations with favorable conditions for deploying fishing gear. We used acoustic telemetry to track off-channel habitat use by silver carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and bighead carp H. nobilis in backwaters and impounded areas across three navigation pools of the upper Mississippi River to identify factors associated with high densities. Backwater areas generally had high use when temperatures were warm and river discharge was high, and impounded areas generally had high use when temperatures were cooler and discharge was lower. Models of habitat use suggest silver carp and bighead carp show predictable habitat relationships in off-channel areas that could improve removal efficiency.

Illinois, Iowa, Missouri↗
USGS2025

Long‐term effects of low‐drop grade control structures on channel evolution in the Yazoo River Basin

Channel incision is a widespread problem, especially in river basins that have an extensive history of channel alterations. Because channel incision causes large ecological and economic consequences, the prevention of continued migration of headcuts, defined as a steep change in stream gradient over a short reach, has been the focus of many stream engineering projects. Low-drop grade control structures (GCS) are a type of structure installed to halt the upstream movement of a headcut and were widely installed in the rivers and streams of the Yazoo River Basin in northern Mississippi. The goal of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of these structures 30+ years post installation. To assess GCS effects on channel morphology, stream cross-section surveys were used to calculate Bank Height Ratio, Width-to-Depth Ratio, and Entrenchment Ratio, while point estimates made along each transect were used to calculate the average sediment size distribution for each of 30 sites. Analyses revealed that the GCS were successful in checking channel incision moving headward in the streams: sites upstream of the GCS were less incised and had greater accumulations of fine substrates compared to sites downstream and sites on streams lacking erosion control structures. Given the widespread use of GCS, these results can inform efforts aimed at managing channel incision.

Mississippi↗
USGS2023

Influence of invasive bigheaded carps on abundance of Gizzard Shad in the Tennessee River

Objective The Tennessee River basin and its cascade of reservoirs are home to some of the most diverse freshwater fish assemblages in the world. This unique system is threatened by the ongoing invasion of Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Bighead Carp H. nobilis , hereafter referred to together as “bigheaded carps.” Bigheaded carps may directly compete for food resources with native clupeid species such as Gizzard Shad Dorosoma cepedianum , and this potential interaction could have damaging ecological and economic consequences. High relative abundances of Gizzard Shad are crucial to the Tennessee River food web and associated fisheries because of their role as a forage base for piscivorous species. Methods We analyzed a collection of annual gillnetting and electrofishing data spanning from 1990 to 2017 to test whether Gizzard Shad relative abundances have changed in Tennessee River reservoirs since the arrival of bigheaded carps. Result Our analyses indicated that Gizzard Shad abundances have been declining but were already declining prior to the arrival of bigheaded carps in the Tennessee River. Conclusion At this stage in the invasion, we could not attribute a cause-and-effect relationship to the inverse correlation between Gizzard Shad and bigheaded carps, but we advise continued monitoring of indicators of harmful interactions.

Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South ↗
USGS2021

International importance of Percids: Summary and looking forward

Research presented in the preceding chapters emphasizes recent advancements in the research, management, and aquaculture of Walleye, Sauger, and Yellow Perch in North America. These percid fishes, along with the European Perch and Pikeperch, are economically and ecologically important fishes in their native geographic range. Advances in techniques to evaluate current habitat and predict future habitat conditions provide managers with detailed baseline information and biophysical models useful for evaluating adaptive management practices. Current habitat use and movement assessments have improved substantially with technological advancements in acoustic tags and extensive receiver array networks, which, combined with genetic and genomic tools, are improving percid stock assessments and management. Advances in percid aquaculture techniques have improved growth, survival, and disease resistance, enhancing percid stocking efforts and the production of marketable fish. The exchange of information between researchers and managers will continue to advance techniques of percid management for commercial and recreational exploitation and improve aquaculture practices to provide a lucrative commercial aquaculture industry.

Book chapter↗
USGS2025

Adaptive management for recreational fisheries decisions in the face of uncertainty

Recreational fisheries management requires making decisions that consider social, economic, and ecological dimensions. The feedbacks among ecological changes and social responses by fishers create complexity and uncertainty. However, uncertainty can impede the integration of ecological and social dimensions, particularly when considering human behavioural responses to management decisions and ecological changes. One of the few ways to reduce these uncertainties is via experimentation at the system level. Adaptive management (and the larger umbrella of decision analysis) provides a framework to implement purposeful management experiments in a structured manner to learn through an iterative decision process, thereby allowing for the reduction in social and ecological uncertainties in response to planned policy interventions. We discuss the theory of adaptive management and conditions for which it is appropriate, as well as the benefits and costs of applying active versus passive adaptive management to reduce social and ecological uncertainties for recreational fisheries. We then provide key examples from previous studies on decisions for zoning in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, stocking decisions that include stakeholder learning in Germany, and decisions for stocking and harvest management in British Columbia, that demonstrate best practices for implementation of adaptive management to reduce uncertainties surrounding human behaviour and other social and ecological objectives related to recreational fisheries.

Book chapter↗
USGS1977

Entropy, materials, and posterity

Materials and energy are the interdependent feedstocks of economic systems, and thermodynamics is their moderator. It costs energy to transform the dispersed minerals of Earth's crust into ordered materials and structures. And it costs materials to collect and focus the energy to perform work - be it from solar, fossil fuel, nuclear, or other sources. The greater the dispersal of minerals sought, the more energy is required to collect them into ordered states. But available energy can be used once only. And the ordered materials of industrial economies become disordered with time. They may be partially reordered and recycled, but only at further costs in energy. Available energy everywhere degrades to bound states and order to disorder - for though entropy may be juggled it always increases. Yet industry is utterly dependent on low entropy states of matter and energy, while decreasing grades of ore require ever higher inputs of energy to convert them to metals, with ever increasing growth both of entropy and environmental hazard. Except as we may prize a thing for its intrinsic qualities - beauty, leisure, love, or gold - low-entropy is the only thing of real value. It is worth whatever the market will bear, and it becomes more valuable as entropy increases. It would be foolish of suppliers to sell it more cheaply or in larger amounts than their own enjoyment of life requires, whatever form it may take. For this reason, and because of physical constraints on the availability of all low-entropy states, the recent energy crises is only the first of a sequence of crises to be expected in energy and materials as long as current trends continue. The apportioning of low-entropy states in a modern industrial society is achieved more or less according to the theory of competitive markets. But the rational powers of this theory suffer as the world grows increasingly polarized into rich, over-industrialized nations with diminishing resource bases and poor, supplier nations with little industry. The theory also discounts posterity, the more so as population density and percapita rates of consumption continue to grow. A new social, economic, and ecologic norm that leads to population control, conservation, and an apportionment of low-entropy states across the generations is needed to assure to posterity the options that properly belong to it as an important but voiceless constituency of the collectivity we call mankind. ?? 1977 Ferdinand Enke Verlag Stuttgart.

Geologische Rundschau↗
USGS2024

Real-time invasive sea lamprey detection using machine learning classifier models on embedded systems

Invasive sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) has historically inflicted considerable economic and ecological damage in the Great Lakes and continues to be a major threat. Accurately monitoring sea lampreys are critical to enabling the deployment of more targeted and effective control measures to minimize the impact associated with this species. This paper presents the first stand-alone system for real-time detection of sea lamprey attachment on underwater surfaces through the use of classifier models deployed on a microcontroller system. A range of low-complexity models was explored: single-layer artificial neural networks, logistic regression, Gaussian Naive-Bayes, decision trees, random forest, and Scalable, Efficient, and Fast classifieR (SEFR). Threshold models tuned using a multi-objective optimization formulation were also considered. Classifier models were trained with a dataset generated through live animal testing and presented accuracies between 80 and 86%. The models were deployed on an Arduino microcontroller platform and compared in classification accuracy, detection performance, time complexity, and memory size using real-time detection testing. Classification accuracies between 65 and 75% were observed during validation. Models demonstrated good capture rates for lamprey attachments (63–85%), and average detection delays ranging from 9 to 36 s. A video demonstrating the operation of the system during a real-time validation test is also included in this work. While there is room for improving the accuracy of the system, this research presents the first step toward an electronic sea lamprey monitoring system that can provide a detailed view of sea lamprey activity enhancing control and conservation efforts across its entire range.

Neural Computing and Applications↗
USGS2020

Climate-induced expansions of invasive species in the Pacific Northwest, North America: A synthesis of observations and projections

Climate change may facilitate the expansion of non-native invasive species (NIS) in aquatic and terrestrial systems. However, empirical evidence remains scarce and poorly synthesized at scales necessary for effective management. We conducted a literature synthesis to assess the state of research on the observed and predicted effects of climate change on a suite of 398 aquatic and terrestrial NIS now present in or a major threat to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest (PNW), USA and British Columbia. Surprisingly, very few studies (n = 15) have investigated the observed effects of climate change on the distribution, abundance, spread, or impact of the focal NIS, with only five studies focusing on terrestrial (n = 2) or aquatic (n = 3) species within the PNW. Only 93 studies predicted the future dynamics of the focal NIS somewhere in their non-native range using climate model projections, yielding 117 species-specific predictions. However, only 30 of those studies generated predictions that overlapped with the PNW, and only six focused specifically on the expansion or abundance of NIS (n = 11 species) entirely within the region. Although our understanding of how climate change may interact with biological invasions is notably lacking, some evidence suggests that climate-induced NIS expansions are already underway in the PNW, particularly in aquatic ecosystems, and will be exacerbated by future changes in temperature and precipitation regimes. Better information is urgently needed for managers to implement strategic prevention, early detection, and proactive actions that ameliorate ecologically and economically devastating impacts of NIS.

Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, ↗
USGS2024

A synthesis of the characteristics and drivers of introduced fishes in prairie streams: Can we manage introduced harmful fishes in these dynamic environments?

Prairie streams of North America support native fishes that are adapted to the dynamic environment that characterizes these ecologically and economically important ecosystems. However, prairie streams have been altered by landscape changes that may affect the proportions of native and introduced species in fish communities. Herein, we investigate drivers of introduced fish in prairie streams, detail common introduced species and their traits and effects, investigate how climate change may alter the balance between native and introduced species, and summarize management options. Commonly introduced fishes are those with the ability to tolerate extreme variations in temperature, hydrology, and salinity and, as a result, most of the introduced fishes were native to other prairie streams within the Great Plains ecoregion. This suggests environmental extremes may act as a filter for establishment or that short-distance translocations are more common than introductions from other ecoregions. The mechanisms or extent to which introduced species affect native fishes is often assumed or understudied. Climate change may amplify environmental disturbances in ways that may favor native or introduced fishes depending on species traits and biotic interactions. Actions such as habitat modifications or disturbances may favor introduced fishes over native fishes. Research to understand the relative roles of trait preadaptation and spatial proximity of source populations in introduced species establishment could benefit future management. Moreover, patterns observed in other ecosystems may not be transferrable to prairie streams, highlighting the need to understand the context dependency of effects of introduced species.

North American Great Plains↗
USGS2016

Assessments of species' vulnerability to climate change: From pseudo to science

Climate change vulnerability assessments (CCVAs) are important tools to plan for and mitigate potential impacts of climate change. However, CCVAs often lack scientific rigor, which can ultimately lead to poor conservation prioritization and associated ecological and economic costs. We discuss the need to improve comparability and consistency of CCVAs and either validate their findings or improve assessment of CCVA uncertainty and sensitivity to methodological assumptions.

Biodiversity and Conservation↗
USGS2017

Early detection monitoring for larval dreissenid mussels: How much plankton sampling is enough?

The development of quagga and zebra mussel (dreissenids) monitoring programs in the Pacific Northwest provides a unique opportunity to evaluate a regional invasive species detection effort early in its development. Recent studies suggest that the ecological and economic costs of a dreissenid infestation in the Pacific Northwest of the USA would be significant. Consequently, efforts are underway to monitor for the presence of dreissenids. However, assessments of whether these efforts provide for early detection are lacking. We use information collected from 2012 to 2014 to characterize the development of larval dreissenid monitoring programs in the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington in the context of introduction and establishment risk. We also estimate the effort needed for high-probability detection of rare planktonic taxa in four Columbia and Snake River reservoirs and assess whether the current level of effort provides for early detection. We found that the effort expended to monitor for dreissenid mussels increased substantially from 2012 to 2014, that efforts were distributed across risk categories ranging from high to very low, and that substantial gaps in our knowledge of both introduction and establishment risk exist. The estimated volume of filtered water required to fully census planktonic taxa or to provide high-probability detection of rare taxa was high for the four reservoirs examined. We conclude that the current level of effort expended does not provide for high-probability detection of larval dreissenids or other planktonic taxa when they are rare in these reservoirs. We discuss options to improve early detection capabilities.

Idaho, Oregon, Washington↗
USGS2024

How well do existing surveys track fish community performance measures in the St. Clair-Detroit River System?

The St. Clair-Detroit River System (SCDRS) connects Lake Huron to Lake Erie and provides important habitats for many fishes of economic and ecological importance. Portions of the SCDRS are designated as Great Lakes Areas of Concern and fish production and conservation may be compromised. Efforts to address beneficial use impairments have focused on restoring habitat for native fishes and improving aquatic ecosystem health. Considerable site-specific research and long-term, annual fish surveys have examined responses to habitat improvements. However, there is uncertainty surrounding whether individual studies and surveys can assess (1) population-level benefits of habitat enhancements and (2) whether management objectives are being met. To identify monitoring gaps and inform long-term monitoring program development, we compared outputs from SCDRS fish monitoring surveys (based on discussions with regional agencies) with performance measures specified in management plans (obtained through gray literature searches). Performance measures for harvested species aligned well with outputs of existing surveys. In contrast, at-risk fishes often had objectives and performance measures that reflected knowledge gaps and study needs. Although harvested species were well-monitored relative to specified performance measures, at-risk fishes were less reliably collected by existing surveys, except for lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens . Effective evaluation of restoration efforts for at-risk fishes may require additional survey efforts that target species-specific habitat use and life history characteristics.

Michigan↗
USGS2021

Growth inhibition of the harmful alga Prymnesium parvum by plant-derived products and identification of ellipticine as highly potent allelochemical

Prymnesium parvum is a toxin-producing harmful alga that has caused ecological and economic damage worldwide. Effective methods to control blooms of this species in the field, however, are unavailable. This study examined five natural compounds present in the invasive plant Arundo donax and one synthetic derivative (5,6-dichlorogramine) for their effect on P. parvum growth. All compounds except one inhibited growth in the following order of potency: ellipticine > > 5,6-dichlorogramine > 1 H-indole = 2,4,6-trimethyl-benzonitrile > gramine. Ellipticine was by far the most potent inhibitor, with full algicidal activity at concentrations as low as 0.04 mg L −1 and 3- and 9-day IC 50 values of 0.012 and 0.007 mg L −1 , respectively. A reduction in chlorophyll content and swimming activity and an increase in length and volume (swelling) were documented in algal cells exposed to 0.01–0.02 mg ellipticine L −1 . These results show that ellipticine is among the most potent natural algicides identified to date. The sixth compound tested, oleamide, unexpectedly stimulated algal growth above control levels. Overall, these observations confirm the existence of highly potent anti- P. parvum allelochemicals in giant reed and demonstrate potential for using products derived from this plant in the development of natural, environmentally friendly methods to control harmful algal blooms.

Journal of Applied Phycology↗
USGS2021

A bright spot analysis of inland recreational fisheries in the face of climate change: Learning about adaptation from small successes

Inland recreational fisheries have social, economic, and ecological importance worldwide but these fisheries are increasingly challenged by the diverse effects of climate change. Coupled with other anthropogenic stressors, climate change has contributed to declines in freshwater biodiversity of greater severity than those observed across marine or terrestrial taxa. At a macro level, inland fisheries are experiencing declines. There are, however, a number of success stories, or ‘bright spots,’ in inland recreational fisheries management, where innovative approaches are leading to increases in social and ecological well-being in the face of climate change. Cases such as these are important sources of inspiration and learning about adaptation to climate and environmental change. In this article, we analyze 11 examples of such ‘bright spots’ drawn from multiple jurisdictions around the world from which we extracted lessons that might apply to fisheries management challenges beyond the region and context of each case. Collectively, these bright spots highlight adaptive initiatives that allow for recreational fisheries management to mitigate to stressors associated with current and future climate change. Examples identified include community-based restoration projects, collaborative and adaptive approaches to short-term fisheries closures, transdisciplinary large-scale conservation projects, and conservation-minded efforts by individuals and communities. By highlighting examples of ‘small wins’ within inland recreational fisheries management, this review contributes to the idea that a ‘positive future’ for inland recreational fisheries in the face of climate change is possible and highlights potential strategies to adapt to current and future climate scenarios.

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries↗
USGS2016

Quantification of storm-induced bathymetric change in a back-barrier estuary

Geomorphology is a fundamental control on ecological and economic function of estuaries. However, relative to open coasts, there has been little quantification of storm-induced bathymetric change in back-barrier estuaries. Vessel-based and airborne bathymetric mapping can cover large areas quickly, but change detection is difficult because measurement errors can be larger than the actual changes over the storm timescale. We quantified storm-induced bathymetric changes at several locations in Chincoteague Bay, Maryland/Virginia, over the August 2014 to July 2015 period using fixed, downward-looking altimeters and numerical modeling. At sand-dominated shoal sites, measurements showed storm-induced changes on the order of 5 cm, with variability related to stress magnitude and wind direction. Numerical modeling indicates that the predominantly northeasterly wind direction in the fall and winter promotes southwest-directed sediment transport, causing erosion of the northern face of sandy shoals; southwesterly winds in the spring and summer lead to the opposite trend. Our results suggest that storm-induced estuarine bathymetric change magnitudes are often smaller than those detectable with methods such as LiDAR. More precise fixed-sensor methods have the ability to elucidate the geomorphic processes responsible for modulating estuarine bathymetry on the event and seasonal timescale, but are limited spatially. Numerical modeling enables interpretation of broad-scale geomorphic processes and can be used to infer the long-term trajectory of estuarine bathymetric change due to episodic events, when informed by fixed-sensor methods.

Estuaries and Coasts↗
USGS2017

Impacts of coastal land use and shoreline armoring on estuarine ecosystems: An introduction to a special issue

The nearshore land-water interface is an important ecological zone that faces anthropogenic pressure from development in coastal regions throughout the world. Coastal waters and estuaries like Chesapeake Bay receive and process land discharges loaded with anthropogenic nutrients and other pollutants that cause eutrophication, hypoxia, and other damage to shallow-water ecosystems. In addition, shorelines are increasingly armored with bulkhead (seawall), riprap, and other structures to protect human infrastructure against the threats of sea-level rise, storm surge, and erosion. Armoring can further influence estuarine and nearshore marine ecosystem functions by degrading water quality, spreading invasive species, and destroying ecologically valuable habitat. These detrimental effects on ecosystem function have ramifications for ecologically and economically important flora and fauna. This special issue of Estuaries and Coasts explores the interacting effects of coastal land use and shoreline armoring on estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems. The majority of papers focus on the Chesapeake Bay region, USA, where 50 major tributaries and an extensive watershed (~ 167,000 km 2 ), provide an ideal model to examine the impacts of human activities at scales ranging from the local shoreline to the entire watershed. The papers consider the influence of watershed land use and natural versus armored shorelines on ecosystem properties and processes as well as on key natural resources.

Estuaries and Coasts↗