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At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources
USGS2001

Cruise Report; RV Moana Wave cruise M1-01-GM; the bathymetry and acoustic backscatter of the mid shelf to upper slope off Panama City, Florida, northeastern Gulf of Mexico; September 3, through October 12, 2001, Panama City, FL to Panama City, FL

A zone of deep-water reefs is thought to extend from the mid and outer shelf south of Mississippi and Alabama to at least the northwestern Florida shelf off Panama City, Florida (Figure 1, 67kb). The reefs off Mississippi and Alabama are found in water depths of 60 to 120 m (Ludwick and Walton, 1957; Gardner et al., in press) and were the focus of a multibeam echosounder (MBES) mapping survey by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2000 (Gardner et al., 2000; in press). If this deep-water-reef trend does exist along the northwestern Florida shelf, then it is critical to determine the accurate geomorphology and type of the reefs that occur because of their importance as benthic habitats for fisheries. Precisely georeferenced high-resolution mapping of bathymetry is a fundamental first step in the study of areas suspected to be critical habitats. Morphology is thought to be critical to defining the distribution of dominant demersal plankton/planktivores communities. Fish faunas of shallow hermatypic reefs have been well studied, but those of deep ahermatypic reefs have been relatively ignored. The ecology of deep-water ahermatypic reefs is fundamentally different from hermatypic reefs because autochthonous intracellular symbiotic zooxanthellae (the carbon source for hermatypic corals) do not form the base of the trophic web in ahermatypic reefs. Instead, exogenous plankton, transported to the reef by currents, serves as the primary carbon source. Thus, one of the principle uses of the morphology data will be to identify whether any reefs found are hermatypic or ahermatypic in origin. Community structure and trophodynamics of demersal fishes of the outer continental of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico presently are the focus of a major USGS reseach project. A goal of the project is to answer questions concerning the relative roles played by morphology and surficial geology in controling biological differentiation. Deep-water reefs are important because they are fish havens, key spawning sites, and are critical early larval and juvenile habitats for economically important sport/food fishes. It is known that deep-water reefs function as a key source for re-population (via seasonal and ontogenetic migration) of heavily impacted inshore reefs. The deep-water reefs south of Mississippi and Alabama support a lush fauna of ahermatypic hard corals, soft corals, black corals, sessile crinoids and sponges, that together form a living habitat for a well-developed fish fauna. The fish fauna comprises typical Caribbean reef fishes and Carolinian shelf fishes, plus epipelagic fishes, and a few deep-sea fishes. The base of the megafaunal invertebrate food web is plankton, borne by essentially continuous semi-laminar currents generated by eddies, spawned off the Loop Current, that periodically travel across the shelf edge. A few, sidescan-sonar surveys have been made of areas locally identified as Destin Pinnacles, Steamboat Lumps Marine Reserve (Koenig et al., 2000; Scanlon, et al., 2000; 2001), Twin Ridges (Briere, et al., 2000; Scanlon, et al., 2000), and Madison-Swanson Marine Reserve (Koenig et al., 2000; Scanlon, et al., 2000; 2001). However, no quantitative and little qualitative information about the geomorphology and surficial geology can be gained from these data. Existing bathymetry along the northwestern Florida shelf suggests the existence of areas of possible isolated deep-water reefs. NOAA bathymetric maps NOS NH16-9 and NG16-12 show geomorphic expressions that hint of the presence of reefs in isolated areas rather than in a continuous zone. There has been no systematic, high-resolution bathymetry collected in this area, prior to this cruise. After the successful mapping of the deep-water reefs on the Mississippi and Alabama shelf (Gardner et al., 2000; in press), a partnership composed of the USGS, Minerals Management Service, and NOAA was formed to continue the deep-reef mapping to the northwest Florida mid shelf and upper slope. This cruise is the first fruit of that partnership.

Florida↗
USGS2002

Cruise report RV Moana Wave Cruise M-1-02-GM bathymetry and acoustic backscatter of the mid and outer continental shelf, head of De Soto Canyon, northeastern Gulf of Mexico June 17, through July 9, 2002 Pensacola, FL to Pensacola, FL

The mid to outer continental shelf off Mississippi-Alabama and off northwest Florida were the focus of US Geological Survey (USGS) multibeam echosounder (MBES) mapping cruises in 2000 and 2001, respectively. These areas were mapped to investigate the extent of "deep-water reefs" first suggested by Ludwick and Walton (1957). The reefs off Mississippi and Alabama were initially described in water depths of 60 to 120 m (Ludwick and Walton, 1957) but the 2000 mapping found reef and hardgrounds to be much more extensive than previously thought (Gardner et al., 2001). The persistent trend of reef-like features along the outer shelf of Mississippi-Alabama suggested the trend might continue along the northwest Florida mid and outer shelf so a MBES-mapping effort was mounted in 2001 to test this suggestion. It is critical to determine the accurate location, geomorphology, and types of the ridges and reefs that occur in this region to understand the Quaternary history of the area and to assess their importance as benthic habitats for fisheries. The 2001 survey found a series of shelf-depth platforms with ridges (possibly reefs) constructed on their surfaces (Gardner et al., 2002). The area known as the "head of De Soto Canyon" is the large unmapped region between the 2000 and 2001 mapped areas. The head of De Soto Canyon is an outer shelf zone with a relatively steep western wall and a much gentler eastern wall. It was unknown prior to this cruise whether the reefs of the Mississippi-Alabama shelf continue eastward into the head of De Soto Canyon and connect with the ridges and reefs mapped on the northwest Florida outer shelf. The existence of carbonate-cemented latest Quaternary to Holocene sandstones along the western wall of the head of De Soto Canyon (Shipp and Hopkins, 1978; Benson et al., 1997; W.W. Schroeder, personnel comm., 2002) is of interest because of the potential benthic habitats they may represent. Precisely georeferenced high-resolution mapping of bathymetry is a fundamental first step in the study of an area suspected to be critical benthic habitats. Morphology is thought to be critical to define the distribution of dominant demersal plankton/planktivores communities. Community structure and trophodynamics of demersal fishes of the outer continental shelf of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico presently are focuses of a major USGS research project. A goal of the project is to answer questions concerning the relative roles played by morphology and surficial geology in controlling biological differentiation. Deep-water ridges, reefs, and outcrops are important because they are fish havens and key spawning sites, and are critical habitats for larval, juvenile, and economically important sport/food fishes.

Gulf of Mexico, head Of De Soto Canyon↗
USGS2011

Summary of juvenile salmonid passage and survival at McNary Dam-Acoustic survival studies, 2006-09

Passage and survival data were collected at McNary Dam between 2006 and 2009. These data have provided critical information for resource managers to implement structural and operational changes designed to improve the survival of juvenile salmonids as they migrate past the dam. Given the importance of these annual studies, the primary objectives of this report were to summarize the findings of these annual studies to ensure that passage and survival metrics are consistently calculated and reported across all years and to consolidate this information in a single document, thereby making it easier to reference. It is worth noting that this report does not contain all the information from all the annual reports. The intent of this report was to summarize the key findings from multiple years of research. The reader is encouraged to reference the annual reports if more detailed information is needed. Chapter 1 summarizes existing behavior, passage, and survival results for fish released 10 rkm upstream of McNary Dam and from the McNary Dam tailrace during 2006-09. Chapter 2 summarizes existing behavior, passage, and survival results for fish released in the mid-Columbia River and detected at McNary Dam during 2006-09. Results from 2006 indicated that higher spill discharge generally resulted in higher fish passage through spill, and in turn, higher fish survival through the entire dam. Within the spillway, passage effectiveness was highest for the south spill bays, adjacent to the powerhouse. Increased passage in this area, combined with detailed 3-dimensional approach paths, aided in the design and location of the temporary spillway weirs (TSWs) at McNary Dam prior to the 2007 migration of juvenile salmonids. During the 2007 study, the TSWs were tested under two spill treatments during the spring and summer: a "2006 Modified spill," and a "2007 test spill." In the spring, slightly higher discharge through spill bays 14-17 was the primary difference between the spill treatments tested. During the summer, spill treatments were characterized by a high (60 percent) and low (40 percent) percent flow of the total discharge going through the spillway. Flow through the TSWs represented about 7-8 percent of total project discharge in spring and about 10-11 percent of total project discharge in summer. Overall, the TSWs passed 24 percent of yearling Chinook salmon and 27 percent of subyearling Chinook salmon, but passed about 65 percent of juvenile steelhead. In spring, there was little evidence for an effect of spill treatment on either fish passage or survival, however, this was not surprising given there was a relatively small difference between spill treatments. For subyearling Chinook salmon during the summer study, high spill discharge resulted in higher fish passage through the spillway and lower fish passage through the powerhouse. Season wide survival (paired-release) for yearling and subyearling Chinook salmon was 0.98 and 0.92 (SE<0.04) through TSW 20, and 0.96 and 0.97 (SE<0.04) through TSW 22, respectively. Season-wide survival (single-release) for juvenile steelhead was 0.98 (SE=0.024) through TSW 20, and 0.90 (SE=0.02) through TSW 22. The extent to which location and structural design contributed to the differences observed between the two TSWs was uncertain. Nonetheless, the TSWs performed similarly to surface-oriented fish passage structures at other locations and appear to be a useful fish passage alternative at McNary Dam. The 2008 and 2009 studies confirmed previous results showing high survival for fish passing through the TSWs, especially juvenile steelhead. Although the number of all fish species passing through the TSWs was lower in 2008 and 2009 compared to 2007, fish passage efficiency for juvenile steelhead and subyearling Chinook salmon was higher in years with the TSWs, compared to 2006, before the TSWs were in place.

Washington;Oregon↗
USGS2016

QRev—Software for computation and quality assurance of acoustic doppler current profiler moving-boat streamflow measurements—Technical manual for version 2.8

The software program, QRev applies common and consistent computational algorithms combined with automated filtering and quality assessment of the data to improve the quality and efficiency of streamflow measurements and helps ensure that U.S. Geological Survey streamflow measurements are consistent, accurate, and independent of the manufacturer of the instrument used to make the measurement. Software from different manufacturers uses different algorithms for various aspects of the data processing and discharge computation. The algorithms used by QRev to filter data, interpolate data, and compute discharge are documented and compared to the algorithms used in the manufacturers&rsquo; software. QRev applies consistent algorithms and creates a data structure that is independent of the data source. QRev saves an extensible markup language (XML) file that can be imported into databases or electronic field notes software. This report is the technical manual for version 2.8 of QRev.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2018

Survival, travel time, and utilization of Yolo Bypass, California, by outmigrating acoustic-tagged late-fall Chinook salmon

Juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) migrating through California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta toward the Pacific Ocean face numerous challenges to their survival. The Yolo Bypass is a broad floodplain of the Sacramento River that floods in about 70 percent of years in response to large, uncontrolled runoff events. As one of the routes juvenile salmon may utilize, the Yolo Bypass has recently received attention for having potential benefit to rearing and migrating salmon. Consideration is being given to a plan to build a cut or “notch” in the Fremont Weir to increase juvenile salmon access to the Yolo Bypass. To help provide information about the potential benefit of such a plan, we analyzed data from a telemetry study conducted in February and March 2016 by the U.S. Geological Survey and California Department of Water Resources to estimate entrainment into and distribution of juvenile Chinook salmon within the Yolo Bypass, and to compare survival and travel time through the Yolo Bypass to other routes in the Delta. We also estimated juvenile Chinook salmon survival through three short reaches of the Sacramento River where the proposed California WaterFix North Delta Diversion intakes would divert water to export facilities to provide baseline information against which any effects of those intakes could be measured in the future. We found that entrainment into the Yolo Bypass varied widely and was quite high only at the peak of the March 2016 flood. Spatial distribution of juvenile Chinook salmon within the Yolo Bypass was fairly even for fish entering the Yolo Bypass over the Fremont Weir, but increasingly skewed toward the east bank for fish released within the Yolo Bypass. Survival within Yolo Bypass was not significantly different for fish based on spatial distribution. Survival through the Delta for fish migrating through the Yolo Bypass was generally on par with the weighted survival through the Delta of fish migrating through all other routes. Survival was highest for fish remaining in the Sacramento River and lowest for those entrained into the Interior Delta via Georgiana Slough. Survival through the short section of the Sacramento River near the proposed North Delta Diversion intakes was high.

California↗
USGS2018

Fish behavior and abundance monitoring near a floating surface collector in North Fork Reservoir, Clackamas River, Oregon, using multi-beam acoustic imaging sonar

An imaging sonar was used to assess the behavior and abundance of fish sized the same as salmonid smolt and bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus ) at the entrance to the juvenile fish floating surface collector (FSC) at North Fork Reservoir, Oregon. The purpose of the FSC is to collect downriver migrating juvenile salmonids (Chinook salmon [ Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ], Coho salmon [ Oncorhynchus kisutch ], and steelhead [ Oncorhynchus mykiss ]) at the North Fork Dam and to safely route them around the hydroelectric projects. The objective of the imaging sonar component of this study was to assess the behaviors of both smolt and predator-size fish (smolt [60–250 millimeter] and predator 350–650 [millimeter]) observed near the FSC and to determine if the presence of predator-size fish influenced the abundance of smolt-size fish. An imaging sonar was deployed near the entrance to the FSC during the spring smolt out-migration period. The imaging sonar technology was an informative tool for assessing abundance and spatial and temporal behaviors of both smolt and predator-size fish near the entrance of the FSC. Both smolt and predator-size fish were regularly observed near the entrance, with greater abundances observed during day than during night. Behavioral differences were also observed between the two fish-size classes, with smolt-size fish traveling straighter with more directed movement, and predator-size fish generally showing more milling behavior. Additionally, the presence of predator-size fish may be effecting the abundance and direction of travel of smolt-size fish, as counts of smolt-size fish were reduced in conjunction with the presence of predator-size fish and a greater proportion of smolt-size fish were observed traveling away from the FSC when predator-size fish were present than when predator-size fish were absent. Results of modeling potential predator-prey interactions and influences indicated that both the number of juvenile fish tracks and photoperiod had the strongest effects on the number of predator fish tracks, with more predator-size fish tracks observed as the number of smolt-size fish tracks increased. Overall, the results indicate that predator-size fish are present near the entrance of the FSC, concomitant with smolt-size fish, and their abundances and behaviors indicate that they may be drawn to the entrance of the FSC because of the abundance of prey-sized fish found there.

Oregon↗
USGS2022

Monitoring fish abundance and behavior, using multi-beam acoustic imaging sonar, at a Selective Water Withdrawal structure in Lake Billy Chinook, Deschutes River, Oregon, 2020

Collection of juvenile salmonids at Round Butte Dam is a critical part of the effort to enhance populations of anadromous fish species in the upper Deschutes River because fish that are not collected at the dam may either incur increased mortality during dam passage or remain landlocked and lost to the anadromous fish population. Adaptive resolution imaging sonar systems were used to assess the behavior, abundance, and timing of fish at the entrance to the Selective Water Withdrawal (SWW) intake and fish collection structure located in the forebay of Round Butte Dam during the spring of 2020. The purpose of the SWW is to direct surface currents in the forebay to attract and collect downriver migrating juvenile salmonid smolts (Chinook salmon [ Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ], sockeye salmon [ O. nerka ], and steelhead [ O. mykiss ]) from Lake Billy Chinook and to enable operators of the SWW to withdraw water from surface and benthic elevations in the reservoir to manage downriver water temperatures. The objective of this study was to assess the abundance and behaviors of smolt-size fish (95–300 millimeters) observed near the SWW and to determine if the presence of bull trout ( Salvelinus confluentus; >350 millimeters), the predominant predator of juvenile salmonids, influenced the behavior of downriver migrants. Two imaging sonar units were deployed during the spring of 2020 smolt out-migration period. One unit monitored fish movements near the entrances and one unit monitored in one of the collection flumes of the SWW. The imaging sonar technology was informative for assessing abundance and spatial and temporal behaviors of smolt and bull trout-size fish. Smolt and bull trout-size fish were regularly observed near the entrance to and in the collection flume. Increased abundances were observed during the night, with corresponding increased discharge through the SWW, compared to during the day when discharge was reduced. Behavioral differences also were observed at different discharge rates, with smolt-size fish exhibiting more directed movement toward the collector during periods of increased discharge. Additionally, the presence of bull trout-size fish may have affected the behavior of smolt-size fish because a greater percentage of smolt-size fish were observed traveling away from the SWW when bull trout-size fish were present than when bull trout-size fish were absent. Increased counts of bull trout-size fish coincided with the increased abundances of smolt-size fish. Overall, the results indicate that smolt-size fish are more abundant near the entrance and in the flume of the SWW during periods of increased discharge, and bull trout-size fish were present at the SWW and may have affected smolt collection.

Oregon↗