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At least 865 records · Page 48Linked to original sources
USGS1948

A report upon the Grand Coulee Fish Maintenance Project 1939-1947

The construction or Grand Coulee Dam, on the upper Columbia River, involved the loss of 1,140 lineal miles of spawning and rearing stream to the production of anadromous fishes. The fact that the annual value of these fish runs to the nation was estimated at $250,000 justified reasonable expenditures to assure their perpetuation. It was found economically infeasible to safely collect and pass adult fish upstream and fingerling fish downstream at the dam because of the tremendous flow of the river and the 320 foot vertical difference in elevation between forebay and tailrace. The Grand Coulee Fish-Maintenance Project, undertaken by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 1939, consisted in relocating the anadroumous runs of the upper Columbia River to four major tributaries entering below the Grand Coulee damsite. These streams were believed capable of supporting several times their existing, badly depleted, run. The plan was predicated upon the assumption that the relocated runs, in conformity with their "homing tendency", would return to the lower tributaries rather than attempt to reach their ancestral spawning grounds above Grand Coulee Dam. This interim report covers the history and accomplishments of the Grand Coulee Fish-Maintenance Project through the initial period of relocating the rune as well as the first four years of the permanent program. Results obtained to date indicate conclusive success in diverting the upper Columbia fish runs into the accessible lower tributaries. The results also indicate, less conclusively, that - in spite of many existing handicaps - the upper Columbia salmon and steelhead runs may be rehabilitated through the integrated program of natural and artificial propagation incorporated in the Grand Coulee Fish-Maintenance Project.

Washington↗
USGS2018

Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2017

This report presents biomass-based summaries of fish communities in western Lake Erie derived from USGS bottom trawl surveys from 2013 to 2017 during June and September. The survey design provided temporal and spatial coverage that does not exist in the interagency trawl database, and thus complemented the August Ohio-Ontario effort to reinforce stock assessments with more robust data. Analyses herein evaluated trends in: total biomass, abundance of dominant predator and forage species, non-native species composition, biodiversity and community structure. Data from this effort can be explored interactively online (https://lebs.shinyapps.io/western-basin/), and future analyses will be supported by public data and metadata records available on ScienceBase (https://doi.org/10.5066/F7KK9B1R).

Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, New York, Pennsyvania↗
USGS2021

Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2020

This report presents biomass-based summaries of fish communities in the West Basin of Lake Erie derived from USGS bottom trawl surveys conducted from 2013 to 2020 during June and September. The survey design provided temporal and spatial coverage that did not exist in the interagency trawl database, and thus complemented the August ODNR-OMNRF effort to reinforce stock assessments with more robust data. Analyses herein evaluated trends in: total biomass, abundance of dominant predator and forage species, non-native species composition, biodiversity and community structure. Data from this effort can be explored interactively online (https://lebs.shinyapps.io/western-basin/), and are accessible for download (https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/6013031fd34e162231fed756, Keretz et al. 2021). Annual survey data are added to these sources as the data become available.

Lake Erie↗
USGS2022

Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2022

This report presents biomass-based summaries of fish communities in western Lake Erie derived from USGS bottom trawl surveys conducted from 2013 to 2022 in June and September. The survey design compliments the August ODNR- OMNDMNRF effort by reinforcing stock assessments with more robust data. Analyses herein evaluated trends in total biomass, abundance of dominant predator and forage species, non-native species composition, biodiversity and community structure. Data from this effort can be explored interactively online (https://lebs.shinyapps.io/western-basin/) and are accessible for download (Keretz et al. 2023). Annual survey data are added to these sources as data become available.

Lake Erie↗
USGS2024

Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2023

This report presents biomass-based summaries of fish communities in western Lake Erie derived from USGS bottom trawl surveys conducted from 2013 to 2023. Analyses herein evaluated trends in total biomass, abundance of dominant predator and forage species, non-native species composition, biodiversity and community structure. Data from this effort can be explored interactively online and are accessible for download. Annual survey data are added to these sources as data become available.

Lake Erie↗
USGS2024

A new water temperature modeling approach to predict thermal habitat suitability for nonnative cichlids in Florida rivers

As global temperatures increase, the spatiotemporal arrangement of thermal habitats in Florida rivers may shift, creating the potential for greater dispersal and establishment of nonnative tropical freshwater fishes. To understand how water temperature changes may affect the spatial distribution of these nonnative species, more effective water temperature prediction models are necessary. Currently, most models employ either a generalized air–water temperature relationship or require expensive and complicated tools to measure hydrometeorological factors (e.g. groundwater input). Thus, we developed a novel modeling approach that is accurate, accessible, and cost-effective in allowing fisheries managers to project water temperatures in rivers across Central and North Florida. To characterize the potential for nonnative fishes to spread northward, we evaluated two hardy and abundant species currently found primarily in South Florida: Mayan Cichlid ( Mayaheros urophthalmus ) and Oscar ( Astronotus ocellatus ). Our results show an increase in thermally suitable winter days for both species in 10 of 11 rivers studied, consistent with predicted water temperature warming under 16 climate-change scenarios spanning different levels of air temperature warming (+1 °C, +2 °C, +3 °C, +4 °C) and precipitation/groundwater thermal sensitivity (0, 0.33, 0.66, 1). Considering resource limitations, fisheries managers can use our water temperature modeling approach to predict effects of climate change on Mayan Cichlid and Oscar survival, growth, and dispersal and take actions to manage potential northward movement of these species.

Florida↗
USGS2018

Relationships between indicators of acid-base chemistry and fish assemblages in streams of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The acidity of many streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) has increased significantly since pre-industrial (∼1850) times due to the effects of highly acidic atmospheric deposition in poorly buffered watersheds. Extensive stream-monitoring programs since 1993 have shown that fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages have been adversely affected in many streams across the GRSM. Matching chemistry and fishery information collected from 389 surveys performed at 52 stream sites over a 22-year period were assessed using logistic regression analysis to help inform the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s assessment of the environmental impacts of emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) and sulfur (SO x ). Numerous logistic equations and associated curves were derived that defined the relations between acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) or pH and different levels of community richness, density, and biomass; and density and biomass of brook trout, rainbow trout, and small prey (minnow) populations in streams of the GRSM. The equations and curves describe the status of fish assemblages in the GRSM under contemporary emission levels and deposition loads of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) and provide a means to estimate how newly proposed (and various alternative) target deposition loads, which strongly influence stream ANC, might affect key ecological indicators. Several examples using ANC, community richness, and brook trout density are presented to illustrate the steps needed to predict how future changes in stream chemistry (resulting from different target deposition loads of N and S) will affect the probabilities of observing specific levels of selected biological indicators in GRSM streams. The implications of this study to the regulation of NO x and SO x emissions, water quality, and fisheries management in streams of the GRSM are discussed, but also qualified by the fact that specific examples provided need to be further explored before recommendations concerning their use as ecological indicators could be proposed.

North Carolina, Tennessee↗
USGS2019

Conservation of black bass diversity: An emerging management paradigm

Black bass (Micropterus spp.) are quintessential North American sportfishes that support economically valuable fisheries and act as keystone predators within aquatic ecosystems. Despite their prominence among North American fish fauna, a number of taxonomic designations are unresolved and novel forms continue to be identified within drainages of the southeastern USA. We review the current understanding of black bass diversity, including distributions, evolutionary histories, and phylogenetic relationships. We also provide a brief overview of the major paradigms that have been applied to black bass management and highlight an emerging focus on the conservation of black bass diversity. Black bass diversity is threatened by anthropogenic land- and water-use, fragmentation of fluvial habitats, historic and contemporary stocking of non-native congeners, and climate change. Successful conservation of black bass diversity requires that management agencies prioritize the protection of native species, forms, and lineages within and across jurisdictional boundaries. Collaboration among scientists and resource is needed to develop practical ways to ameliorate current problems created by past and present anthropogenic alterations, while also preparing for future challenges like global climate change.

Fisheries Magazine↗
USGS2017

Comparing stream-specific to generalized temperature models to guide salmonid management in a changing climate

Global climate change is predicted to increase air and stream temperatures and alter thermal habitat suitability for growth and survival of coldwater fishes, including brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis), brown trout (Salmo trutta), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In a changing climate, accurate stream temperature modeling is increasingly important for sustainable salmonid management throughout the world. However, finite resource availability (e.g. funding, personnel) drives a tradeoff between thermal model accuracy and efficiency (i.e. cost-effective applicability at management-relevant spatial extents). Using different projected climate change scenarios, we compared the accuracy and efficiency of stream-specific and generalized (i.e. region-specific) temperature models for coldwater salmonids within and outside the State of Michigan, USA, a region with long-term stream temperature data and productive coldwater fisheries. Projected stream temperature warming between 2016 and 2056 ranged from 0.1 to 3.8 °C in groundwater-dominated streams and 0.2–6.8 °C in surface-runoff dominated systems in the State of Michigan. Despite their generally lower accuracy in predicting exact stream temperatures, generalized models accurately projected salmonid thermal habitat suitability in 82% of groundwater-dominated streams, including those with brook charr (80% accuracy), brown trout (89% accuracy), and rainbow trout (75% accuracy). In contrast, generalized models predicted thermal habitat suitability in runoff-dominated streams with much lower accuracy (54%). These results suggest that, amidst climate change and constraints in resource availability, generalized models are appropriate to forecast thermal conditions in groundwater-dominated streams within and outside Michigan and inform regional-level salmonid management strategies that are practical for coldwater fisheries managers, policy makers, and the public. We recommend fisheries professionals reserve resource-intensive stream-specific models for runoff-dominated systems containing high-priority fisheries resources (e.g. trophy individuals, endangered species) that will be directly impacted by projected stream warming.

Michigan↗
USGS2025

Complexity and integration of recreational fisheries

Recreational fisheries are interconnected, complex, adaptive systems characterized by multiple direct and indirect interactions among ecological and human subsystems. This is important for many reasons, including that feedbacks between the social and ecological dimensions lead to difficult-to-predict, often entirely unexpected, outcomes and because many management and governance systems have multiple objectives that can involve social (e.g. fisher satisfaction), economic (e.g. license revenue), and ecological (e.g. fish conservation) dimensions. Embracing a social-ecological-system perspective can usher in an improved era of recreational fisheries science and management. Interdisciplinary approaches that unite experts across disciplines (e.g. social and ecological sciences) to create a unique theoretical, conceptual, and methodological identity are needed to gather crucial information from recreational fishers, quantify and predict fisher behaviours and outcomes from these behaviours, and integrate these findings into fisheries management. In this chapter, we lay the conceptual foundation for recreational fisheries as coupled social-ecological systems that are also complex and adaptive, and discuss the interdisciplinary approach to operationalize this book’s vision.

Book chapter↗
USGS2025

Evaluating detection of temporal trends in long-term freshwater fisheries data to inform future monitoring efforts

Objective Florida’s Freshwater Fisheries Long-Term Monitoring Program was implemented in 2006 to track changes in freshwater fish populations and communities. As part of an evaluation of the program, this study used a simulation framework to assess trend detection for fish abundance and biomass indices and how sampling intensity (number of samples per year) and frequency (number of years) can influence detection of these trends. Methods Using count and weight data from fall electrofishing samples collected between 2006 and 2021 from 21 lakes, trends were simulated for annual mean count and weight over a 10-year period that ranged from −70% to +200%. In all, simulations were performed for seven game fish species and three management-relevant groups (large nongame, nonnative, and prey species). For sampling intensity, data were simulated with a range of sample sizes, from 10 to 40 electrofishing transects or the maximum number available for a given lake. For sampling frequency, data were simulated for different sampling schedules that included sampling 1 year followed by 1- or 2-year breaks (4–5 years of sampling in a 10-year period), sampling two consecutive years followed by 1- or 2-year breaks (6–7 years of sampling in a 10-year period), and sampling the first 5 years only. Results Simulations based on weight and count data yielded similar results, but the effect of sampling frequency and sampling schedule varied by species, management group, and lake. Trend detection was lower and more variable when mean counts and weights of fish in electrofishing samples were low. Overall, at least a 60% increase or 40% decrease over a 10-year period was typically needed for trends in mean weight and count to be detected at least 80% of the time in at least half of the lakes. Increasing sampling intensity did not substantially improve trend detection for lower-magnitude changes, but reducing sample intensity to a minimum of 10 electrofishing transects per year would have a large negative effect on trend detection in almost all lakes. Detection of trends improved as the number of years sampled increased, but ideally, sampling should be spaced throughout the entire 10-year period to capture the full magnitude of change. Sampling every year generally resulted in better trend detection and for many species and groups was the only sampling schedule that resulted in all study lakes achieving the 80% target detection level. Of the alternative schedules considered, those involving 2 years of consecutive sampling outperformed those with only 1 year of sampling followed by a 1- or 2-year break. Conclusions Relatively large changes in mean count and weight were required to detect trends over a 10-year period, but there was no clear advantage of using count or weight data for monitoring purposes. Further, study results support the current sampling intensity, but trend detection is optimized at higher mean catch and weight values. Although sampling every year is ideal, an alternative schedule involving sampling two consecutive years with 1- or 2-year breaks could be considered in certain situations. These results will be important for informing future decisions regarding Florida’s Freshwater Fisheries Long-Term Monitoring Program and other monitoring initiatives.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management.↗
USGS2004

Snakeheads ( Pisces, Channidae ): A biological synopsis and risk assessment

Snakeheads (family Channidae) are airbreathing freshwater fishes containing two genera, Channa with 26 species native to Asia, Malaysia, and Indonesia; and Parachanna with 3 species native to tropical Africa. Some snakeheads are small, reaching about 17 centimeters, but most are much larger, the largest reported to be 1.8 meters in length. All are considered thrust predators with most being piscivorous as adults. A few of the smaller snakeheads and colorful juveniles of some larger ones have been available to hobbyists through the aquarium fish trade. Several species are highly valued as food fishes within parts of their native ranges, especially in Asia where they are an important part of capture fisheries and aquaculture. Because of these uses by humans, introductions far beyond native ranges have occurred. One Asian snakehead has been established in Oahu, Hawaii, since before 1900. Another species was discovered established in southeastern Florida in 2000, and a third in a pond in Maryland in 2002. Others have been captured from natural waters of the United States without evidence of reproduction and likely represent released aquarium fishes. That snakeheads at or near sexual maturity were being sold alive in ethnic food markets raised fears that they could be introduced into novel waters. These concerns led to this study on the biology of snakeheads. A risk assessment is included that examines environmental and related aspects of snakehead introductions.

Circular↗
USGS2017

Report from the Workshop on Coregonine Restoration Science

Summary Great Lakes fishery managers have the opportunity and have expressed interest in reestablishing a native forage base in the Great Lakes consisting of various forms and species within the genus Coregonus . This report summarizes the proceedings of a workshop focused on a subset of the genus, and the term “coregonines” is used to refer to several species of deepwater ciscoes (also known as “chubs”) and the one more pelagic-oriented cisco species ( Coregonus artedi , also known as “lake herring”). As the principal conservation agency for the United States Government, the Department of Interior has unique and significant authorities and capacities to support a coregonine reestablishment program in the Great Lakes. To identify and discuss key uncertainties associated with such a program and develop a coordinated approach, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the principal Department of the Interior bureaus to address Great Lakes fishery issues, held the first of a series of workshops on coregonine science in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on October 11–13, 2016. Workshop objectives were to identify (1) perceived key uncertainties associated with coregonine restoration in the Great Lakes and (2) DOI capacities for addressing these key uncertainties.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2018

Acoustic telemetry as a potential tool for mixed-stock analysis of fishery harvest: A feasibility study using Lake Erie walleye

Understanding stock composition is critical for sustainable management of mixed-stock fisheries. When natural markers routinely used for stock discrimination fail, alternative techniques are required. We investigated the feasibility of using acoustic telemetry to estimate spawning population contributions to a mixed-stock fishery using Lake Erie’s summer walleye (Sander vitreus) recreational fishery as a case study. Postrelease survival was estimated after tagging and used to inform simulations to evaluate how contribution estimates could be affected by survival, sample size, and expected population contributions. Walleye experienced low short-term survival after tagging, but showed higher survival after 100 days, likely allowing fish to return to spawning areas the following spring. Based on simulations, accuracy and precision of population composition increased with an increase in the number of tagged fish released, and both appeared to stabilize when ≥200 tagged fish were released. Results supported the feasibility of using acoustic telemetry to estimate spawning population contributions to mixed-stock fisheries in Lake Erie.

Michigan, Ohio↗
USGS1964

Status of the deepwater cisco population of Lake Michigan

The species and size composition and the abundance of the cisco (Leucichthys spp.) population of Lake Michigan have undergone drastic changes since the sea lamprey became established in the 1940's. The changes were measured by the catches of gill nets of identical specifications fished at the same seasons, depths, and locations in 1930-32, 1954-55, and 1960-61. The two largest ciscoes (johannae and nigripinnis), exploited heavily in a highly selective fishery from the midnineteenth century to the early 1900's, were only sparsely represented in the catch in the 1930's and were absent from catches of the comparison surveys in 1954-55 and 1960-61. The species of intermediate size (alpenae, artedi, kiyi, reighardi, and zenithicus) constituted about two-thirds of the cisco stocks of the deepwater zone in the 1930's but declined to 23.9 and 6.4 percent in the 1950's and 1960's, respectively. Major causes of change were the increased fishing pressure and sea lamprey predation that accompanied the disappearance of the lake trout. The small, slow-growing cisco (hoyi) - the primary food of lake trout - which was not fished intensively, and was too small to suffer greatly from sea lamprey predation, increased from 31.0 percent of the catch in the 1930's to 76.1 percent in the 1950's and 93.6 percent in the 1960's. Consequences of the extreme imbalance of the cisco population have been a reduction in mean size of all species, extension of the range of the very abundant hoyi (formerly most abundant in moderately shallow areas) to almost all depths and sections of the lake, and possibly introgressive hybridization among the various species. The primary change in the fishery has been a shift from gill nets to more extensive use of trawls which can take the now abundant smaller fish.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS2025

Reframing fish passage prioritization for human nutrition outcomes

Water control infrastructure forms barriers that fragment river habitats, reducing aquatic biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides. Irrigation infrastructure, for example, although implemented to support food production, highlights problematic trade-offs against wild food systems like inland fisheries which are a critical food resource for tens of millions of people, particularly in tropical countries. To reduce fragmentation at a broad range of barriers, fish passage technology is sometimes implemented to support migrating fish, aided by frameworks designed to prioritize barriers for remediation. This study critically evaluated 93 fish passage barrier prioritization frameworks globally to explore how they could strategically guide fish passage investments in tropical contexts and identify criteria relevant to delivering on nutrition security outcomes. Results showed prioritization frameworks were ill-equipped to support the broader human development goals that may drive fish passage investments in tropical countries, such as supporting human nutrition under United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger. Tropical contexts were underrepresented despite substantial recent fish passage investment, whereas temperate and conservation focused frameworks, particularly from North America, dominated. These findings prompt reflection on the inherent biases in fish passage barrier prioritization frameworks and criteria. Improving understanding of and collaboration with local partners to integrate SDG 2 into future prioritization frameworks could improve fish passage infrastructure and help support better nutrition and food production for communities.

Environmental Management↗
USGS1989

Acid rain publications by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1979-1989

Pollution of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems has been a concern to society since the burning of fossil fuels began in the industrial revolution. In the past decade or so, this concern has been heightened by evidence that chemical transformation in the atmosphere of combustion by-products and subsequent long-range transport can cause environmental damage in remote areas. The extent of this damage and the rates of ecological recovery were largely unknown. "Acid rain" became the environmental issue of the 1980's. To address the increasing concerns of the public, in 1980 the Federal government initiated a 10-year interagency research program to develop information that could be used by the President and the Congress in making decisions for emission controls. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been an active participant in acid precipitation research. The Service provided support to a number of scientific conferences and forums, including the Action Seminar on Acid Precipitation held in Toronto, Canada, in 1979, an international symposium on Acidic Precipitation and Fishery Impacts in Northeastern North America in 1981, and a symposium on Acidic Precipitation and Atmospheric Deposition: A Western Perspective in 1982. These meetings as well as the growing involvement with the government's National Acidic Precipitation Assessment Program placed the Service in the lead in research on the biological effects of acidic deposition. Research projects have encompassed water chemistry, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, fish, and waterfowl. Water quality surveys have been conducted to help determine the extent of acid precipitation effects in the northeast, Middle Atlantic, and Rocky Mountain regions. In addition to lake and stream studies, research in wetland and some terrestrial habitats has also been conducted. Specific projects have addressed important sport species such as brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), and striped bass (Morone saxatilis). Trace metal accumulation in fish has been investigated and a symposium sponsored on related work. U.S> Fish and Wildlife Service scientists serve as advisors and participants in research being conducted by industry, nonprofit groups, State and other Federal agencies. Researcher have worked closely with colleagues in Canada, England, Norway, Scotland, the Soviet Union, and Sweden to gain additional understanding of the problem. In 1982, the Service implemented a mitigation research program to provide resource managers with information to help them protect sensitive ecosystems, and rehabilitation methods for resources already affected by acidification. An international workshop was convened to outline the research needs. Several conferences were organized to develop appropriate field and laboratory procedures. Scientists with the mitigation research program are evaluating the ecological effects of liming (addition of base material) surface waters and surrounding watershed to provide buffering against acidic inputs. Through long-term cooperative project with States and other organizations, investigations are studying possible abatement methods for regions most affected by acidic deposition. To date, more than 200 reports the describe these studies have been published. These products include conference proceedings, journal articles, and in-house scientific publications. An education poster describing the effects of acid rain on aquatic ecosystems was developed and distributed to individuals, conservations and State organizations, and the public education system. This annotated bibliography lists current publications by Service authors, cooperators, or contractors on acid rain and related quality. Entire are arranged alphabetically by author surname. For further information about the research program, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Acid Precipitation Section, National Fishery Research Center -- Leetown, Box 700, Kearneysville, WV 25430.

Biological Report↗