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At least 361 records · Page 20Linked to original sources
USGS2026

Comparison of nonlethal techniques as indicators of lipid content in Lake Whitefish

Objective Energetic reserves are important indicators of the relative health of fish and fish populations. Body condition indices that relate fish weight to length are commonly used as quick, noninvasive methods for approximating lipid content and condition. A microwave meter (i.e., fat meter or energy meter) is a noninvasive method found to be more accurate in some species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of nonlethal techniques for estimating muscle lipid content in Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis . Methods We compared the sensitivity of three nonlethal indicators of lipid content to laboratory-extracted muscle lipid content in Lake Whitefish, including readings from a handheld microwave meter at several positions, Fulton’s condition factor, and relative weight. Results We found significant, positive relationships between lipid content and each estimation method, except relative weight, with weak to moderate correlations. The microwave meter was moderately correlated to lipid content when positioned anterior to the dorsal fin above the lateral line ( r 2 = 0.50), while other positions and combinations of positions had weaker correlations ( r 2 range = 0.27–0.45). Correlation was only slightly improved by including additional model variables (i.e., length and weight). Fulton’s condition factor was weakly correlated with lipid content ( r 2 = 0.19), while relative weight was not significantly correlated with lipid content. Conclusion The microwave meter provides an improvement to muscle lipid estimation compared with length–weight body condition indices; however, microwave meter readings alone do not constitute a reliable predictive measure for true muscle lipid content under the conditions tested here. We hypothesize that the low strength of correlation may be due to low muscle lipid content or the presence of thick scales in Lake Whitefish. Further investigation is needed to understand the mechanisms negatively affecting the predictive performance of the microwave meter in Lake Whitefish and other species.

Michigan↗
USGS2026

Discharge magnitude drives interannual variation in distribution of the invertebrate host Manayunkia occidentalis of the salmon parasite Ceratonova shasta

Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate statistical evidence for relationships between flow event characteristics and annelid host distribution, an important and necessary step toward providing and justifying management actions. Declines in Klamath River salmon have been attributed to infection and disease that are caused by the myxozoan parasite Ceratonova shasta . Flow manipulation has been used to manage risk of C. shasta for juvenile salmonids in this system. One mechanism by which flow-related disturbance can reduce the risk of C. shasta infection for salmon is by reducing populations of the obligate invertebrate host Manayunkia occidentalis . We previously demonstrated that hydraulic conditions during peak discharge events drive the distribution of M. occidentalis and suggested that high-magnitude flow events would be effective for reducing the distribution of the annelid host. However, evidence of the effects of flow events on M. occidentalis was needed to support the use of flow management. Methods To address this knowledge gap, we leveraged a multiyear data set to estimate relationships between the distribution the annelid host and the characteristics of each discharge event. We measured the presence or absence of M. occidentalis at spatially georeferenced sampling locations, stratified across the range of hydraulic and substrate conditions in three reaches annually from 2012 to 2020. Results During the study period, the magnitude of peak discharge ranged from 52.4 to 314.3 m 3 /s. The inclusion of seven additional years’ data in the base model (hierarchical; annual-level covariate + previous “single year” model) resulted in parameter estimates that were similar to those that were derived for the previous (2016) model, supporting that substrate, depth, and velocity during peak discharge predicted annelid distribution. The magnitude model (base model + annual-level covariate for peak discharge) showed evidence of a strong negative association with annelid presence (95% of all Markov chain–Monte Carlo draws were negative). Every 101.9 m 3 /s increase in peak discharge was associated with an estimated 39% decrease in the odds of annelid presence. The estimated effect of magnitude on the probability of annelid presence was illustrated in the contrast between low- and high-magnitude peak discharge scenarios. For both scenarios, the effects of depth, velocity at peak discharge, and substrate, consistent with the previous model (2016), were evident, as was the further reduction in probability of annelid presence at the higher peak discharge. However, under the low-magnitude discharge scenario, M. occidentalis were predicted to be present on smaller less stable substrates and at a wider range of depths and velocities than they were under the high-magnitude discharge scenario. In contrast to the covariate for magnitude, the inclusion of a duration covariate did not show a strong relationship with annelid distribution, which we attributed to the lack of variation in this covariate during the study period. Conclusions This work provides quantitative evidence that high-magnitude peak discharge flow events lead to lower probabilities of annelid host presence. Lower probabilities of annelid hosts are indicative of a reduced distribution of the M. occidentalis host and in turn reduced risk of C. shasta for salmon.

California↗
USGS2026

Timing is everything: Drivers of upstream movement of fishes

Objective Understanding whether fishes quickly respond to shifting temperatures and flows, especially as they pass through river reaches that may be thermally unsuitable, may help to prioritize climate-informed management strategies. Methods Here, we use 15 years of daily fish passage data (2005–2020) from the Leaburg Dam on the McKenzie River, Oregon, USA, with water temperatures and river flows from two associated gauges. We examine the relative influence of temperature, flow, and calendar date on fish moving upstream, the range of conditions experienced by each species, and long-term patterns in timing, supported by annual count data from the years 1971–2020. Results Comparisons of timing and conditions while each species passed upstream through the Leaburg Dam fish ladders revealed that some taxa were more consistent seasonally (e.g., Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus and Largescale Sucker Catostomus macrocheilus ), experiencing a more restricted range of conditions, while others moved throughout the year under highly variable environmental conditions (e.g., trout). For both groups, calendar date appeared to be a primary driver of movement timing, even when local environmental factors of temperature and flow were considered. We note broad trends toward earlier passage across all species except Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha . Notable declines in movement of Mountain Whitefish Prosopium williamsoni and Largescale Suckers occurred during years of extreme weather events, indicating that they may be particularly sensitive to the combined impacts of water temperature and flow and could serve as sentinel taxa. Conclusions Although timing is recognized as a driver for the onset of migrations, this suggests that most fish may continue to move upriver during consistent time periods, potentially increasing their risk of exposure to suboptimal environmental conditions. Our results demonstrate the utility of long-term passage data for detecting patterns in local timing, environmental conditions co-occurring with fish movement, and the sensitivity of different fish species in responding to environmental extremes during upstream migrations.

Oregon↗
USGS2026

Laboratory evaluation of phototaxis in cultured Cisco larvae

Objective Field observations in a Lake Ontario embayment suggested that there is a phototaxic response of larval coregonines that changes with development. Methods We used a controlled laboratory experiment with hatchery-reared larvae exposed to three different light regimes (24-h light, 24-h dark, or 12-h light followed by 12-h dark) to test for phototaxis in Cisco Coregonus artedi . Results Larval depth distributions were not uniform, and contrasts between vertical distributions within early and late portions of the time series when larvae were exposed to light showed evidence of phototaxis and transition to a preference for the bottom around 68 d posthatch. Larval behavior in dark treatments contrasted with those exposed to light and also suggested that other influences on depth distribution could be operating. Conclusions As observed in other species, larval Cisco phototaxis response would likely result in diel vertical migrations and may be an adaptation to changes in food distributions balanced with predation risk as the larvae grow and become stronger swimmers. This has implications for the success of Cisco restoration in the Great Lakes, particularly as climate change affects environmental conditions and phenology.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS2026

Life history traits and population dynamics of Freshwater Drum across large river gradients

Objective Monitoring and assessment of nongame native fishes is limited, but conservation interest in these species is growing. Freshwater Drum Aplodinotus grunniens are a wide-ranging species that serve important functional roles and could serve as an indicator for similar but less common species. Our overall objectives were to quantify and compare population dynamic rates and life history of Freshwater Drum among study reaches in the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers and relate these metrics to hypothesized environmental and anthropogenic factors. Methods We integrated recently collected age data with monitoring data to estimate age and size distributions, growth curves, maturation schedules, mortality rates, and young-to-adult ratios of Freshwater Drum in six study reaches spanning 1,500 km of river. Principal component analyses and linear regression were used to relate environmental and anthropogenic gradients (latitude, commercial harvest, hydrologic dynamics, primary productivity) to life history traits and population dynamic rates. Results We found latitudinal gradients in life history traits and population dynamic rates whereby Freshwater Drum in upstream, higher-latitude study reaches generally exhibited later maturity, slower growth, smaller maximum size, and lower mortality rates compared with those in lower-latitude study reaches. Further, young-to-adult ratios positively corresponded with chlorophyll- a concentration. No clear relationships were apparent between population dynamic rates and hydrologic variation or commercial harvest. Conclusions Latitude is an important structuring component of life history traits and population dynamics of Freshwater Drum in the upper Mississippi and Illinois rivers likely due to both temperature seasonality and disturbance regimes. The presence of demographic structure in a widespread, common species such as Freshwater Drum suggests similar patterns likely exist in other long-lived native fishes.

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin↗
USGS2026

Evaluating reservoir passage and survival of juvenile Chinook Salmon to support reintroduction upstream of Shasta Dam, California

Objective Juvenile Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha that are released upstream of Shasta Reservoir migrate more than 35 km to reach Shasta Dam, although survival through this system is poorly understood. We conducted a reservoir-scale acoustic telemetry study to quantify downstream movement and survival under seasonally variable environmental conditions to inform decisions about juvenile collection strategies for Chinook Salmon reintroduction above Shasta Dam. Methods A total of 656 hatchery-origin juvenile Chinook Salmon were acoustic-tagged, released near the mouth of the McCloud River, and monitored in Shasta Reservoir and the Sacramento River from September 2024 through March 2025 using an array of telemetry receivers. Results Most tagged fish failed to move downstream through the McCloud River Arm of Shasta Reservoir and arrive at Shasta Dam. Survival probabilities were estimated at 0.268 to the downstream end of the McCloud River Arm and 0.119 to Shasta Dam. For fish that did reach the dam, elapsed time from release to arrival was 66.4 d, and fish typically arrived and departed during daylight hours. Nine tagged juveniles were detected downstream of the dam, and three were later detected more than 500 km downstream. Conclusions The consistently low survival and restricted downstream movement provide important information indicating that downstream collection of juvenile Chinook Salmon should be focused in the lower McCloud River and the upper portion of the McCloud River Arm of Shasta Reservoir rather than at Shasta Dam.

California↗
USGS2026

A novel method for quantifying streambed penetrability to inform benthic habitat assessment

Objective Penetrability of streambed sediments is important for the ecological functioning of many benthic organisms, yet there is ambiguity in terminology associated with this concept and there is no standardized method of penetrability measurement available to scientists and resource managers. The goal of our study was to better define the terms of compaction and penetrability as they relate to streambed substrate and to advance the measurement techniques for assessing penetrability of bed sediments in gravel-bed streams. Methods We tested the performance of a modified penetrometer method in 12 different substrate configurations in the laboratory and used the data to determine the relationship between penetration depth and substrate characteristics. We then simulated additional sampling effort and used bootstrapping methods to provide guidance on the number of samples required to achieve consistent results. Finally, we tested the device in a field setting to validate our laboratory and simulation results. Results Depth of penetration was negatively related to increasing substrate particle diameter and number of particle size-classes in both laboratory and field tests. Mean depth of penetration and CV stabilized after five samples, but variation remained high in scenarios containing large-grained particles. Conclusions Our results show that the device has application in gravel-bed streams but may require high amounts of sampling effort to capture variation in streams dominated by large substrate. We discuss the uses and limitations of this method for estimating substrate penetrability and provide guidance on interpretation of the estimates that it produces.

Transaction of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS2026

The value of electronic tagging and tracking studies for understanding fish–hypoxia interactions

Objective Hypoxia (i.e., low dissolved oxygen availability) is a natural phenomenon but can also be induced by human activities (e.g., nutrient enrichment from runoff). Given that dissolved oxygen is essential for aquatic life, periods of hypoxia tend to have negative consequences (e.g., sublethal disturbances, mortality) for most fishes. Extensive laboratory research has documented hypoxia thresholds and physiological and behavioral outcomes for a variety of freshwater and marine fishes and there is also an extensive body of fieldwork assessing population-level responses (e.g., survival, distribution). Yet, studying how individual fish respond to hypoxia in the wild has proved challenging; electronic tagging and tracking tools (e.g., biotelemetry, biologging) have made it easier to study individual responses to hypoxia and complement other tools like hydroacoustics that tend to focus on population-level responses. Methods We review what has been learned from contemporary studies that employ electronic tagging and tracking tools to understand how fish respond to hypoxia in the wild. Topics explored include identifying and validating hypoxia thresholds, habitat compression, connectivity, mortality, physiological and bioenergetic consequences, and extreme weather conditions. We also consider what we have learned about evaluating various management plans for hypoxia and reflect on how electronic tags have also been used in aquaculture systems and in hybrid studies that combine laboratory and field research. We highlight fishes in Lake Erie as a research narrative to demonstrate how electronic tagging and tracking have markedly improved our understanding of a longstanding hypoxia issue. Results Our synthesis revealed that electronic tagging and tracking have provided critical information on how fish respond to hypoxia in the field, revealing complex trade-offs and compensatory mechanisms as well as cryptic hypoxia-induced mortality. Beyond just illuminating space use and mortality, tags equipped with various sensors are revealing how fish deal with hypoxia in real time in terms of physiology, bioenergetics, and behavior. Conclusions As electronic tagging and tracking methods experience further innovation and are increasingly applied to understand the effects of hypoxia on fish, we expect more unanticipated findings about the effects of hypoxia on fish in all aquatic ecosystems, which will strengthen our ability to manage and mitigate hypoxia. Combining tools and approaches (e.g., lab and field) is perhaps the best way to generate comprehensive understanding.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1968

Book Review: Transmission of viruses by the water route by Gerald Berg, ed.

This "book" is a collection of 31 carefully edited reports which are based upon presentations of highly qualified persons who were, for the most part, participants in a 3-day symposium held in 1965 and sponsored by the research branch of what is now the Federal Water Pollution Control Administration (FWPCA).

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1986

[Book review] Fish immunology, edited by M. J. Manning and M. F. Tatner

Review of: Fish Immunology. Edited by M. J. Manning and M. F. Tatner. Academic Press, London. 1985. 374 pages. $32.50. Reviewed by B. R. Griffin, Fish Farming Experimental Station, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Stuttgart, Arkansas 72160, USA.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS2011

First-year growth, condition, and size-selective winter mortality of freshwater drum in the lower Missouri River

We compared first-year growth and relative condition (Kn) of the 1997 and 1998 year-classes of freshwater drum Aplodinotus grunniens among three sites in a 235-km reach of the channelized Missouri River and tested for the occurrence of size-selective overwinter mortality during the first winter. Prewinter mean length was 15 mm greater, mean weight was 8 g greater, and mean Kn was 5% greater at the upstream site than at the downstream site. The prewinter mean length of age-0 freshwater drum was significantly greater in 1997 (115 mm) than in 1998 (109 mm), but Kn was significantly greater in 1998 (107) than in 1997 (102). There was no evidence that density-dependent interactions influenced prewinter growth and Kn. Size-selective overwinter mortality of the smallest size-classes of freshwater drum occurred at two of three sites during the 1997-1998 winter, and K n decreased 9-15%. Size-selective overwinter mortality of the 1998 cohort of freshwater drum did not occur during the 1998-1999 winter, and K n declined 0-10%. A prolonged growing season (through early December 1998), in conjunction with less severe winter water temperature conditions, apparently minimized the incidence of size-selective overwinter mortality for the 1998 cohort of freshwater drum. We conclude that size-selective overwinter mortality of age-0 freshwater drum occurs in the lower channelized Missouri River but depends on the length of the prewinter growing season, winter duration, and the severity of winter water temperatures.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS2004

Movement and population size of American shad near a low-head lock and dam

We investigated the population size and the proportion of the population of American shad Alosa sapidissima that passed through the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam, a low-head lock and dam on the Savannah River in South Carolina and Georgia. We fitted 110 American shad with radio transmitters in 2001 and 2002. All but two fish moved downstream after transmitter implantation. In 2001, a smaller proportion of American shad implanted with radio transmitters earlier in the season returned to the dam than fish released later. Of the fish that returned to the dam, over 50% in 2001 and 9% in 2002 passed through the lock and continued migrating upstream. In both years, the modal daily movement distance was less than 1 km. Movements greater than 5 km/d were generally associated with fish rapidly returning upstream after their initial downstream movement. Continuous diel monitoring indicated that movements greater than 0.1 km/h were more frequent at night than during the day. In both years, American shad were not uniformly distributed over the study area but were predominantly grouped just below the dam and in a relatively large pool approximately 6 km below the dam. We estimated the population size of American shad that reached the New Savannah Bluff Lock and Dam at 157,685 in 2001 and 217,077 in 2002.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS2004

An evaluation of multipass electrofishing for estimating the abundance of stream-dwelling salmonids

Failure to estimate capture efficiency, defined as the probability of capturing individual fish, can introduce a systematic error or bias into estimates of fish abundance. We evaluated the efficacy of multipass electrofishing removal methods for estimating fish abundance by comparing estimates of capture efficiency from multipass removal estimates to capture efficiencies measured by the recapture of known numbers of marked individuals for bull trout Salvelinus confluentus and westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi. Electrofishing capture efficiency measured by the recapture of marked fish was greatest for westslope cutthroat trout and for the largest size-classes of both species. Capture efficiency measured by the recapture of marked fish also was low for the first electrofishing pass (mean, 28%) and decreased considerably (mean, 1.71 times lower) with successive passes, which suggested that fish were responding to the electrofishing procedures. On average, the removal methods overestimated three-pass capture efficiency by 39% and under-estimated fish abundance by 88%, across both species and all size-classes. The overestimates of efficiency were positively related to the cross-sectional area of the stream and the amount of undercut banks and negatively related to the number of removal passes for bull trout, whereas for westslope cutthroat trout, the overestimates were positively related to the amount of cobble substrate. Three-pass capture efficiency measured by the recapture of marked fish was related to the same stream habitat characteristics that influenced (biased) the removal estimates and did not appear to be influenced by our sampling procedures, including fish marking. Simulation modeling confirmed our field observations and indicated that underestimates of fish abundance by the removal method were negatively related to first-pass sampling efficiency and the magnitude of the decrease in capture efficiency with successive passes. Our results, and those of other researchers, suggest that most electrofishing-removal-based estimates of fish abundance are likely to be biased and that these biases are related to stream characteristics, fish species, and size. We suggest that biologists regard electrofishing-removal- based estimates as biased indices and encourage them to measure and model the efficiency of their sampling methods to avoid introducing systematic errors into their data.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗
USGS1993

Prolonged swimming performance of northern squawfish

We determined the prolonged swimming performance of two size-classes of northern squawfish Ptychocheilus oregonensis at 12 and 18°C. The percentage of fish fatigued was positively related to water velocity and best described by an exponential model. At 12°C, the velocity at which 50% of the fish fatigued (FV50) was estimated to be 2.91 fork lengths per second (FL/s; 100 cm/s) for medium-sized fish (30–39 cm) and 2.45 FL/s (104 cm/s) for large fish (40–49 cm). At 18°C, estimated FV50 was 3.12 FL/s (107 cm/s) for medium fish and 2.65 FL/s (112 cm/s) for large fish. Rate of change in percent fatigue was affected by fish size and water temperature. Large fish fatigued at a higher rate than medium-sized fish; all fish fatigued faster at 12 than at 18°C. The mean times to fatigue at velocities of 102–115 cm/s ranged from 14 to 28 min and were not affected by fish size or water temperature. Our results indicate that water velocities from 100 to 130 cm/s may exclude or reduce predation by northern squawfish around juvenile salmonid bypass outfalls at Columbia River dams, at least during certain times of the year. We recommend that construction or modification of juvenile salmonid bypass facilities place the outfall in an area of high water velocity and distant from eddies, submerged cover, and littoral areas.

Oregon, Washington↗