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At least 541 records · Page 30Linked to original sources
USGS2009

An incomplete analysis

Niles and colleagues (2009) do not present all of the data relevant to the issues they address in the article they wrote for BioScience. They reference unnamed sources for pre-1997 horseshoe crab harvest to conclude that recent harvest exceeds historic harvest. In fact, reported landings from New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia in 2006 (352 metric tons [mt]) were between landings in 1989 (365 mt) and 1990 (232 mt) (www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/commercial/inaex.html), despite nonmandatory reporting coastwide before 1998 (Kreamer and Michels 2009). They present egg densities from New Jersey beaches only. Of the 11 Delaware beaches sampled, eggs in the top 5 centimeters exceeded their monitoring target of 50,000 per square meter at 5 in 2006 and at 6 in 2007 (Kalasz et al. 2008). They rely on the Delaware trawl survey for historic trends. Nine fishery-independent surveys have been used to assess trends in the Delaware Bay region, and several began before 1990 (Smith et al. 2009a).

BioScience↗
USGS2022

Standard operating protocol for mark and recapture monitoring of Brook Floater in streams

The Brook Floater ( Alasmidonta varicosa ) is a small (<100 mm) freshwater mussel (Family: Unionidae) found in streams of the eastern United States (U.S.) (Nedeau 2008). While there has been limited effort to document the status of Brook Floater across its range, there is evidence of Brook Floater range contraction and declining local abundances over recent decades (Wicklow et al. 2017, NatureServe 2021). Brook Floater is a Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in 15 states (94% of range); listed as endangered, threatened, or special concern in nearly every state and province where it still occurs; and has been extirpated from two states (Rhode Island and Delaware). Brook Floater was petitioned for Federal listing under the U.S. Endangered Species Act; however, the listing was determined not to be warranted (U.S. FWS 2019), although it remains a Regional SGCN of very high concern in U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (U.S. FWS) Regions 5 (Terwilliger 2015) and 4 (SEAFWA-WDC 2019) and is an At-Risk Species in U.S. FWS Region 5. A critical component of understanding population declines is site-specific information about population density and demographics (e.g., growth, age structure) to assess population viability. This information had previously only been collected for a few populations of Brook Floater (e.g., Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission) and methods to collect these data varied from state to state, thus limiting comparisons across the range. In 2016, a competitive State Wildlife Grant (SWG) was awarded to develop a standardized monitoring technique that will aid in understanding differences in population viability across its range and assess changes in populations through time. The protocol described in this report was subsequently developed and tested by Massachusetts and Maine (2 sites in each state) and revised based on field experiences. Data collected using this protocol will allow for state managers to make informed decisions about management actions for Brook Floater. Monitoring approaches are ideally designed to meet management objectives. Management objectives are specific, quantifiable outcomes that reflect the values of the decision makers and relate directly to the management decisions (Conroy and Peterson 2013). Lack of well-defined objectives hinders success of conservation and management actions because there are undefined metrics to determine when the objectives have been met (Yoccoz et al. 2001, Nichols and Thompson 2006). While monitoring to understand a system (i.e., status and trends; Reynolds et al. 2016) provides baseline information for developing management recommendations in the future, Nichols and Thompson (2006) criticize status and trends monitoring because of time lags associated with conservation and the costs and resource availability needed for surveillance, among other reasons. State partners in the Brook Floater SWG have a variety of different monitoring objectives (e.g., abundance/density, survival, recruitment) that depend on the population sizes and demographics. There are many approaches for estimating population parameters such as density, age structure, recruitment, and growth rates. For example, presence/absence (i.e., multistate models), counts (i.e., multi-state models or Dail-Madsen model; Dail and Madsen 2011), and capture mark-recapture (CMR; e.g. Cormack-Jolly-Seber models; Lindberg and Rexstad 2002) are all approaches for assessing population status and viability.

Cooperator Science Series↗
USGS2024

Hydrologic, water operations, reservoir temperature, river temperature, sediment transport, habitat, and fish population modeling for the Trinity River Water Management Plan

Humboldt County is developing a Water Management Plan that will describe a range of proposed annual releases from Trinity Reservoir consistent with the 1959 water delivery contract between Humboldt County and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation). The 1959 contract states that Reclamation shall release not less than an annual quantity of 50,000 acre-feet into the Trinity River for the beneficial use of Humboldt County and other downstream users (Contract Water). The Water Management Plan will outline how Contract Water should be released for the benefit of fisheries in the Trinity River and lower Klamath River, with the primary goal of expanding a harvestable surplus of Tribal, recreational, and commercial fisheries. A set of annual Contract Water release scenarios were developed during five workshops conducted in 2022 and 2023 with interested parties including Humboldt County, state and federal resource agencies, tribal representatives, Reclamation, and the U.S. Department of the Interior Solicitor’s office. A suite of modeling and technical tools was used to analyze annual conditions with and without Contract Water releases. This Modeling Report describes the modeling tools used to assess Contract Water release scenarios, including CalSim II, HEC-5Q, RBM10, sediment transport models, Chinook Salmon habitat models, and the Stream Salmonid Simulator. Results from all models are summarized to provide a comparative overview of modeled release scenarios to modeled baseline conditions. Mean annual Contract Water release scenarios ranged from 50,000 acre-feet to 170,000 acre-feet, and varied in timing, magnitude, and duration, though all releases were made between October and April. As shown in Table ES-1, a key finding of this modeling report is Contract Water releases that had the greatest modeled increase in Chinook Salmon abundance relative to baseline conditions included those that released 50,000 acre-feet in the fall period from October through December as pulse flows or baseflows, and those that released 170,000 acre-feet from October through April as a combination of pulse flows and baseflows. Modeled beneficial effects on populations were primarily due to either (1) increases in habitat area during the spawning life stage in October through December, which decreased redd superimposition (e.g., the process of a later arriving spawner building a redd on top of an existing redd) and improved egg survival, or (2) increases in flow during the fry emergence and juvenile rearing life stage in March through April, which increased the fry and parr carrying capacity (e.g., the upper limit for the number of fry or parr that a habitat unit can support) of individual habitat units. Another key finding of this report is all Contract Water scenarios that released at least 50,000 acre-feet annually from Trinity Reservoir had similar effects on Trinity Reservoir storage, Central Valley Project (CVP) storage, CVP contract water deliveries, and Sacramento River water temperatures. Whether these scenarios were released annually as a fall baseflow, fall pulse flow, spring pulse flow, or spring baseflow, they all resulted in similar storage patterns in Trinity Reservoir – an annual reduction in storage relative to the baseline that was relatively small in wetter years and larger in drier years. As a result of lower Trinity Storage levels, Trinity River Division (TRD) exports to the CVP were reduced. Because the timing of exports is similar each year, reaching a peak in July through September, the reduction to exports occurred at the same time each year, independent of Contract Water release timing, resulting in similar storage, CVP delivery, and water temperature effects in the Sacramento River basin portion of the CVP. The water temperature effects on the Sacramento River were limited to the months of July and August, relatively minor, and were primarily attributed to changes in storage, release magnitude, and release temperature from Lake Shasta, and not due explicitly to inflows from the TRD.

California↗
USGS2025

Black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) population density, recruitment, size structure, and population growth at Naval Base Ventura County, San Nicolas Island, California, 2013–22

The range of the endangered black abalone ( Haliotis cracherodii ) is divided into the North Central California region, the Central California region, the Southern California Mainland region, the Channel Islands region, and the Baja California region by the National Marine Fisheries Service for management purposes. San Nicolas Island is one of eight subregions of the Channel Islands region. The black abalone recovery plan establishes five demographic criteria for the possible delisting or downlisting of the species. The U.S. Geological Survey monitors nine long-term intertidal black abalone sites at San Nicolas Island, California, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy, which owns the island. This report uses data collected between 2013 and 2022 and the delisting criteria to analyze and describe the density, recruitment, size structure, and population trends at the nine U.S. Geological Survey monitoring sites at San Nicolas Island.

California↗
USGS2019

Angler catch and harvest of targeted sportfishes in small Georgia lakes

Public fishing areas (PFAs) in Georgia are intensively managed freshwater impoundments that provide a variety of fishing opportunities to anglers. Management efforts and fishing regulations at these PFAs depend on understanding basic aspects of recreational fishing pressure, catch, and harvest. Accordingly, we conducted a roving creel survey during January – December 2013 at Marben PFA in middle Georgia to quantify sport fishing total effort, catch, harvest, and fish catch by species, number, and weight in 14 lakes. Almost all of the anglers interviewed (84% of the 1159 parties) targeted a preferred species; of these anglers, 34.7% targeted a second species, and 5.7% targeted a third species. Sunfish (Lepomis spp.) ranked highest among primary, secondary, and tertiary targeted species; whereas, channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) was the highest ranked quaternary targeted species. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) ranked second among primary, tertiary, and quaternary targeted species. Catches and harvest of targeted sportfish in Marben PFA varied considerably by species. Sunfish were the most abundant species by number caught (37 fish ha-1) and harvested (19 fish ha-1; 2.25 kg-1) for the entire survey period. Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) had the lowest reported catch (2.03 ha-1) and second lowest observed harvest 0.50 kg ha-1), but largemouth bass had the lowest observed harvest in number (0.42 ha-1) and observed weight (0.41 kg ha-1). Rankings of species targeted by Marben anglers differed from those of other Georgia anglers, who targeted largemouth bass most, followed by sunfish and channel catfish. These findings imply that Georgia PFA fishery managers may give consideration to site-specific management objectives when developing or managing local fisheries, rather than relying on state summary statistics. The smaller profile and intensive management of the Marben PFA impoundments benefited anglers of varying skill levels and backgrounds equally, making it an ideal setting for recruiting new anglers while still challenging experienced anglers.

Georgia↗
USGS2019

Oyster reefs in northern Gulf of Mexico estuaries harbor diverse fish and decapod crustacean assemblages: A meta-synthesis

Oyster reefs provide habitat for numerous fish and decapod crustacean species that mediate ecosystem functioning and support vibrant fisheries. Recent focus on the restoration of eastern oyster ( Crassostrea virginica) reefs stems from this role as a critical ecosystem engineer. Within the shallow estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM), the eastern oyster is the dominant reef building organism. This study synthesizes data on fish and decapod crustacean occupancy of oyster reefs across nGoM with the goal of providing management and restoration benchmarks, something that is currently lacking for the region. Relevant data from 23 studies were identified, representing data from all five U.S. nGoM states over the last 28 years. Cumulatively, these studies documented over 120,000 individuals from 115 fish and 41 decapod crustacean species. Densities as high as 2,800 ind m −2 were reported, with individual reef assemblages composed of as many as 52 species. Small, cryptic organisms that occupy interstitial spaces within the reefs, and sampled using trays, were found at an average density of 647 and 20 ind m −2 for decapod crustaceans and fishes, respectively. Both groups of organisms were comprised, on average, of 8 species. Larger-bodied fishes captured adjacent to the reef using gill nets were found at an average density of 6 ind m −2 , which came from 23 species. Decapod crustaceans sampled with gill nets had a much lower average density, <1 ind m −2 , and only contained 2 species. On average, seines captured the greatest number of fish species ( n = 33), which were made up of both facultative residents and transients. These data provide general gear-specific benchmarks, based on values currently found in the region, to assist managers in assessing nekton occupancy of oyster reefs, and assessing trends or changes in status of oyster reef associated nekton support. More explicit reef descriptions (e.g., rugosity, height, area, adjacent habitat) would allow for more precise benchmarks as these factors are important in determining nekton assemblages, and sampling efficiency.

Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas↗
USGS2020

Gear comparison study for sampling nekton in Barataria Basin marshes

This project was funded by the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group (LA TIG) to support decisions related to investments in long-term monitoring. The LA TIG seeks to ensure long-term monitoring informs coastal restoration activities with the goal of sustaining and improving fisheries impacted by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Oil Spill. The project objective was to compare nekton catch across an estuarine gradient using different sampling gear with the goal of identifying trade-offs among nekton sampling approaches. To accomplish this objective, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), The Water Institute of the Gulf (the Institute), Dynamic Solutions, LLC, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center (LSU AgCenter), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) completed a field gear comparison study from 2018 to 2019. This work compared electrofisher and seine sampling at 12 fixed stations in Barataria Basin using data collected by LDWF. In addition, and in conjunction with LDWF monthly sampling, the same 12 fixed stations were sampled in May 2019 using a throw trap to compare nekton catch and assemblages collected with the throw trap, seine and electrofisher. LDWF has been conducting seine sampling since 1986, and seine data are used by the State of Louisiana to assess juvenile shrimp, crab and fish abundances, sizes and overall assemblages. In 2018, LDWF began conducting electrofisher sampling at 12 Barataria Basin seine stations in order to determine if the two gear types sample similar species and assemblages for potential future replacement of long-term seine sampling with electrofishing. Throw traps were included as they provide density estimates, which are ultimately the desired statistic used in modeling trophic webs, and are used in assessing habitat restoration outcomes. The project compared the nekton catch and assemblages collected using seine, electrofisher, and throw trap data from marsh edge habitats located across the estuarine gradient in Barataria Basin. Specifically, catch per unit effort (CPUE), species richness, species-specific total length (mm) distribution and nekton assemblages were compared between gear types. The first dataset was collected in May 2019 with throw trap (Appendix A), seine (LDWF data), and electrofisher (LDWF data) gear, and the second dataset (collected by LDWF) spanned 14 months of seine and electrofisher monthly sampling occurring from May 2018 through June 2019 at 12 stations in Barataria Basin. Key findings include that gear bias was not evident across the range of water quality conditions (salinity, temperature, o C, dissolved oxygen, mg L-1 , turbidity, NTU; Appendix B: scatter plots) captured during this pilot study, but differences in nekton catch per unit effort (CPUE) and assemblages were evident between gear types. However, those differences largely depended on the parameter examined. For example, the overall CPUE was highest for electrofishing, followed by seine, and then throw trap. When grass shrimp (the most abundant taxon collected) were removed from CPUE, the electrofisher and seine results were similar in CPUE. When CPUE was corrected for gear efficiency and total area sampled, the throw trap had the highest reported density of nekton sampled, followed by electrofisher and seine results. Electrofishing captured the highest number of species, which included more unique species compared to seine or throw trap catches, though all gear types captured at least one unique species. These highlight a need for caution in interpreting assemblage and density data when comparing datasets derived from different sampling methodologies. These key findings can help inform implementation and interpretation of long-term monitoring data in Louisiana as management decisions are made about coastal restoration projects to sustain and improve fisheries. There are trade-offs in selecting gear types for estuarine nekton monitoring of density, abundance, species richness, and assemblages. The table below (Table 1) summarizes some considerations when selecting gear types for long-term monitoring of estuarine nekton. In addition to biological and ecological considerations, other important considerations include cost, the labor required to conduct sampling, logistics, and potential uncertainties related to how effective each gear type is for sampling the wide variety of conditions found across Louisiana’s coastal habitats. For example, although electrofishing may capture higher CPUE, the equipment is more expensive to obtain and maintain compared to the other gear types. Most importantly, this table highlights differences in the nekton assemblages sampled by each gear type; this consideration is critical when designing the goals of a long-term monitoring program as it will inform how the data can be used and interpreted in the future. This report provides caveats, assumptions, and recommendations that can help support the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), LDWF and the LA TIG in comparing data from different gear types, and in making decisions for future monitoring. Findings from this study are limited to the range of water quality conditions occurring during these data collection events; these data and analyses could benefit from sampling across a wider range of water quality conditions, and collection of habitat structure and bottom type data which are not routinely collected but critically influence nekton. Further investigation examining how relative differences detected in key species abundances between gear types might impact ecosystem indicators and energetics in a modeled food web would provide valuable input to understand outputs of the Comprehensive Aquatic System Model for Barataria Basin, including the potential impacts of nekton monitoring decisions on food web models.

Louisiana↗
USGS2011

Proceedings of the Klamath Basin Science Conference, Medford, Oregon, February 1-5, 2010

This report presents the proceedings of the Klamath Basin Science Conference (February 2010). A primary purpose of the meeting was to inform and update Klamath Basin stakeholders about areas of scientific progress and accomplishment during the last 5 years. Secondary conference objectives focused on the identification of outstanding information needs and science priorities as they relate to whole watershed management, restoration ecology, and possible reintroduction of Pacific salmon associated with the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA). Information presented in plenary, technical, breakout, and poster sessions has been assembled into chapters that reflect the organization, major themes, and content of the conference. Chapter 1 reviews the major environmental issues and resource management and other stakeholder needs of the basin. Importantly, this assessment of information needs included the possibility of large-scale restoration projects in the future and lessons learned from a case study in South Florida. Other chapters (2-6) summarize information about key components of the Klamath Basin, support conceptual modeling of the aquatic ecosystem (Chapter 7), and synthesize our impressions of the most pressing science priorities for management and restoration. A wealth of information was presented at the conference and this has been captured in chapters addressing environmental setting and human development of the basin, hydrology, watershed processes, fishery resources, and potential effects from climate change. The final chapter (8) culminates in a discussion of many specific research priorities that relate to and bookend the broader management needs and restoration goals identified in Chapter 1. In many instances, the conferees emphasized long-term and process-oriented approaches to watershed science in the basin as planning moves forward.

California, Oregon↗
USGS2026

Spatial and temporal trends of mercury in fish from Duck Valley Reservation Reservoirs, southwestern Idaho and northern Nevada, 2007–24

The Shoshone-Paiute (Sho-Pai) Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada, manage reservoirs that support commercial and recreational activities, including robust Oncorhynchus mykiss (rainbow trout) fisheries that attract anglers year-round. Reservoirs are common environments for methylation and bioaccumulation of mercury, which is a potent neurotoxin when elevated levels are consumed. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Sho-Pai Tribes, measured total mercury concentrations in the muscle tissue of rainbow trout from three Reservation reservoirs in Idaho and Nevada in 2007, 2009, 2013, and 2024. This report highlights spatial and temporal trends of mercury concentrations in rainbow trout in the Duck Valley Reservation reservoirs from 2007 through 2024, and presents limited data on other commonly consumed species, specifically Perca flavescens (yellow perch), Micropterus dolomieu (smallmouth bass), and Micropterus salmoides (largemouth bass). Mercury data are also presented for nearby sites and lower trophic level species. In 2024, two fish sampling methods were used and compared: biopsy muscle plugs and muscle fillets. Results show good agreement between mercury concentrations of biopsy and fillet muscle samples taken from the same fish, with most sample pairs differing by less than 20 percent, though biopsied fish had an unexpectedly high mortality rate. Mercury concentrations increased in Sheep Creek Reservoir during the study period, but no significant trend was observed in Mountain View Reservoir or Lake Billy Shaw. Only 1 rainbow trout out of 160 sampled in the Reservation reservoirs during the study period exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended methylmercury criterion of 0.3 milligram per kilogram of wet weight (mg/kg ww). Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and yellow perch had higher mercury concentrations than rainbow trout and may pose a greater risk to consumers. Mercury concentrations in largemouth bass exceeded 0.3 mg/kg ww, although only two fish were sampled, both from Sheep Creek Reservoir. Fish consumption advisories on Tribal lands are determined by the Tribes, and these results may help Sho-Pai managers determine the mercury exposure risk to Tribal members and visiting anglers.

Idaho, Nevada↗
USGS2021

Assessing cormorant populations and association with fish stocking in Texas

—Double-Crested Cormorants ( Nannopterum auritum ) and Neotropic Cormorants ( Nannopterum brasilianum ) are thought to be expanding their populations across Texas. This expansion is cause for a concern for both fish stocking and fisheries management in public waters. To examine the historic and current populations and distributions of cormorants, we first evaluated the temporal and spatial patterns of cormorants in Texas. Also, because cormorants are thought to depredate public fisheries, we conducted a small observational field study to assess cormorant presence and behavior at lakes relative to fish stocking. We compiled Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data for both species over a period of fifty years (1970 to 2019). We assessed changes in detection rates at CBCs among years as evidence of population trends during the winter, and changes in distance from the Gulf Coast of CBCs reporting cormorants for evidence of changes in distribution. Our results suggest that winter populations of Double-Crested Cormorants are relatively stable, with no meaningful change in distribution. In contrast, Neotropic Cormorants appear to be both increasing in number and expanding their range. Our assessment of cormorant abundance and behavior at stocked and unstocked lakes from December through February revealed a significant difference in detections among the stocked lakes during pre- and post-stocking but no significant difference among the control lakes.

Texas↗
USGS2018

N-mix for fish: estimating riverine salmonid habitat selection via N-mixture models

Models that formulate mathematical linkages between fish use and habitat characteristics are applied for many purposes. For riverine fish, these linkages are often cast as resource selection functions with variables including depth and velocity of water and distance to nearest cover. Ecologists are now recognizing the role that detection plays in observing organisms, and failure to account for imperfect detection can lead to spurious inference. Herein, we present a flexible N-mixture model to associate habitat characteristics with the abundance of riverine salmonids that simultaneously estimates detection probability. Our formulation has the added benefits of accounting for demographics variation and can generate probabilistic statements regarding intensity of habitat use. In addition to the conceptual benefits, model application to data from the Trinity River, California, yields interesting results. Detection was estimated to vary among surveyors, but there was little spatial or temporal variation. Additionally, a weaker effect of water depth on resource selection is estimated than that reported by previous studies not accounting for detection probability. N-mixture models show great promise for applications to riverine resource selection.

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences↗
USGS2002

Uncertainty of exploitation estimates made from tag returns

Over 6,000 crappies Pomoxis spp. were tagged in five water bodies to estimate exploitation rates by anglers. Exploitation rates were computed as the percentage of tags returned after adjustment for three sources of uncertainty: postrelease mortality due to the tagging process, tag loss, and the reporting rate of tagged fish. Confidence intervals around exploitation rates were estimated by resampling from the probability distributions of tagging mortality, tag loss, and reporting rate. Estimates of exploitation rates ranged from 17% to 54% among the five study systems. Uncertainty around estimates of tagging mortality, tag loss, and reporting resulted in 90% confidence intervals around the median exploitation rate as narrow as 15 percentage points and as broad as 46 percentage points. The greatest source of estimation error was uncertainty about tag reporting. Because the large investments required by tagging and reward operations produce imprecise estimates of the exploitation rate, it may be worth considering other approaches to estimating it or simply circumventing the exploitation question altogether.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS2022

Rapidly assessing social characteristics of drought preparedness and decision making: A guide for practitioners

Executive Summary This guide is intended to provide managers, decision makers, and other practitioners with advice on conducting a rapid assessment of the social dimensions of drought. Findings from a rapid assessment can provide key social context that may aid in decision making, such as when preparing a drought plan, allocating local drought resilience funding, or gathering the support of local agencies and organizations for collective action related to drought mitigation. Part I —In the introduction to Part I, we describe the unique problems associated with drought—particularly its slow onset and long duration, which make it difficult to define drought—and highlight five major types of drought (see Box 1). We introduce a few social dimensions of drought (such as economic and institutional perspectives), demonstrate how these dimensions can be interrelated, and describe a few of the modern challenges (such as transformational change and cascading risks) that practitioners face. We also provide background on the rapid assessment method, first describing it as a “snapshot” of the social landscape, then providing some key advantages of the method (it can be quicker and cheaper than more in-depth methods), and lastly describing how secondary data and other methods can help overcome some of the disadvantages of rapid assessments. Then, after summarizing the process of developing this guide, we outline the process of using the guide. Importantly, we compare the guide to a travel guide, which provides many different types of information and is best approached with specific interests in mind. Ultimately, we hope for this guide to be malleable enough that it can be helpful to researchers and practitioners in many different contexts, using many different research methods. Related to how to use the guide, we characterize the type of person who might be motivated to use this guide. We also specify key qualifications for a researcher conducting a rapid assessment, drawing particular attention to training on ethical considerations. We sketch out key considerations when choosing social dimensions of drought to focus on, and the type of data used for analysis. First, it is important to note that in this guide we provide nine important social dimensions of drought, but this is by no means a comprehensive list, and a researcher may find that other dimensions better fit their local context. Second, we provide some pros and cons to a narrow (focusing on just a few dimensions or at a smaller scale) versus broad research focus. Lastly, we describe the pros and cons of using primary versus secondary data (one strategy is to use both, sequentially) and qualitative versus quantitative data. Ultimately, Part I of this guide functions as an exploration of the various decisions a researcher will make when designing a rapid assessment. These decisions will inform the type of findings and other outcomes that result from the rapid assessment. Part II —Part II of this guide introduces nine key social dimensions of drought: defining the problem of drought, individual perceptions, social relationships, technology, economics and livelihoods, water governance, decision making, information, and social vulnerability. Each section provides background and key considerations related to a particular dimension, as well as ideas for how to explore the dimension via a rapid assessment. Part III —Part III of this guide provides two hypothetical examples of how one might use this guide to aid the practitioner in implementing the lessons learned here. In the first example, a watershed group uses two dimensions, defining the problem of drought and social relationships, to inform a community meeting about protecting fisheries from drought. In the second example, a resource manager uses the economics and livelihoods and social vulnerability dimensions to inform the development of a livestock grazing drought management plan.

Techniques and Methods↗
USGS2019

Movement dynamics of Smallmouth Bass in a large western river system

The Snake River, Idaho, between Swan Falls and Brownlee dams supports a popular fishery for Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu . Recently, anglers have expressed concern about harvest of Smallmouth Bass associated with seasonal congregations in and near the lower reaches of several major tributaries. Little is known about Smallmouth Bass movement in the system, and a better understanding of movement dynamics will help to guide future management. From March to August 2016, Smallmouth Bass (≥260 mm; n = 1,131) were tagged with T-bar anchor tags to evaluate large-scale movement patterns. Movement was estimated from 63 angler-reported tags for which area descriptions provided sufficient detail to assign a recapture location. Extent of fish movement varied among segments and tributaries from 0 to 128 river kilometers (rkm). From March to May 2017, Smallmouth Bass (≥305 mm; n = 149) in the Snake, Boise, Payette, and Weiser rivers and in Brownlee Reservoir were implanted with radio transmitters. Of the 149 Smallmouth Bass that were released with radio transmitters, 107 were relocated at least once. Additionally, 79.6% of fish with radio transmitters had a maximum extent of movement of 5 rkm or greater and 42.6% had a maximum extent of 30 rkm or greater; one radio-tagged fish moved 167 rkm upstream. Average daily movement of Smallmouth Bass varied among river segments and was greatest in the spring and summer. Fish from the Snake River, tributaries (e.g., Boise River), and Brownlee Reservoir moved all around the study area, indicating an absence of clear population boundaries. As such, Smallmouth Bass in the study area appear to function as one large population as opposed to multiple subpopulations, thereby indicating that management as one population is likely appropriate.

Idaho↗
USGS2012

Genetic research for wildlife and fisheries management - A primer

Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) use a range of research approaches to investigate the genetics of native and non-native species that are being managed. This Fact Sheet outlines those approaches and explains the type of information they provide.

Fact Sheet↗
USGS2005

Biological science in Oregon

Fishing is an important part of Oregon's culture. The Western Fisheries Research Center (WFRC) has been conducting research in Oregon for many years to provide information that can be used by managers to help keep fish and other parts of the ecosystem healthy. Below are examples of some of WFRC's studies.

Oregon↗
USGS2020

Contaminants in fish and shellfish in the Stillaguamish River and Port Susan marine areas, Washington

The greater Port Susan area of Central Puget Sound, Washington, is home to some of the Stillaguamish Tribe’s fishing, hunting, and gathering areas since time immemorial. It is also a popular sport and commercial fishing area for the public. Large shellfish beds lie in the Port Susan and Stillaguamish estuary and several Pacific salmon species return to the Stillaguamish River and Tulalip fishery every year. Clams and salmon are a local and consumable resource for Tribal members and the public. This review largely confirms existing recommendations from the Washington State Department of Health regarding clam and salmon human consumption advisories.

Washington↗
USGS2022

Assessing the spawning movement and habitat needs of riverine Neosho Smallmouth Bass

Stream fishes are vulnerable to a variety of natural and anthropogenic stressors. Information on fish movements and habitat use is essential to conserve and manage populations, particularly at the edges of distributions and novel habitats. The Neosho Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu velox is endemic to the southwestern Ozark Highlands ecoregion, where the riverscape is highly dissected by impoundments. Our study objectives were to determine the pre-spawn, spawn, and post-spawn movements of adult, radio-tagged Neosho Smallmouth Bass, and identify the habitat factors at multiple spatial scales related to suitable spawning habitat. Movements by tagged fish in the Elk River of Oklahoma and Missouri and two Oklahoma tributaries draining to lower Elk River and Grand Lake O’ the Cherokee were greatest during the spring spawning period and were positively related to discharge and fish size; however, we observed considerable individual and stream-specific variability. Temperature and fish movement rate in the Elk River were positively related in all seasons except for winter, although temperature was less important for Smallmouth Bass movement in the smaller streams. Tagged fish were never detected using active or passive telemetry in the reservoir or reservoir-river interface except during periods of lotic character (i.e., the reservoir was not pooled above the Buffalo Creek-Elk River confluence). Nests were typically located at intermediate depths (mean = 0.8 m; SD = 0.3) and in low velocity habitats (0.0–0.2 m/s). Most of the nests examined comprised gravel substrates; however, 2.5% of the nests observed were located on full or partial bedrock substrate. We also documented nest clustering behavior by Neosho Smallmouth Bass (i.e., adjacent nests within 2 m of each other); 66 nest clusters were identified across 22 stream reaches. Cluster presence was more prevalent in warmer stream reaches with wide, shallow channels, and less likely in groundwater-gaining reaches, whereas overall nest abundance was greater in warmer streams and reaches with deeper pools. We showed the importance of both warmer streams and deep pools of small streams for Smallmouth Bass rearing (i.e., young-of-year abundance). We found negative relationships between floods and first-year juvenile survival and show the importance of stream network position (i.e., adjacency to larger streams) for mitigating the negative effects of July floods. Our analyses of both nesting and young-of-year habitat use suggest small streams, typically not considered important to many fisheries, are responsible for a proportion of Neosho Smallmouth Bass production. Further, consideration of management actions restricting take during the early spawning season may be warranted due to the unique nesting behavior (i.e., clustering) exhibited by this subspecies.

Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma↗