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At least 1,441 records · Page 80Linked to original sources
USGS2005

Diet overlap of introduced rainbow trout and three native fishes in an Ozark stream

Private angling groups in Oklahoma have requested permission to stock rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss into streams of northeastern Oklahoma although little is known regarding interactions between introduced rainbow trout and native fishes in these systems. Our study objectives were to assess diet overlap between introduced rainbow trout and native smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, shadow bass Ambloplites ariommus, and bluegill sunfish Lepomis macrochirus in Brush Creek, Oklahoma, a small spring-fed Ozark stream. Rainbow trout diet composition differed from that of all three native fishes in the 2 months of comparison (March and May 2001), and rainbow trout diets contained relatively low numbers of prey. It is unlikely that exploitative competition for food resources occurred between rainbow trout and these three native fishes. ?? 2004 by the American Fisheries Society.

American Fisheries Society Symposium↗
USGS2005

A comparison of the influences of urbanization in contrasting environmental settings on stream benthic algal assemblages

Patterns of stream benthic algal assemblages along urbanization gradients were investigated in three metropolitan areas-Boston (BOS), Massachusetts; Birmingham (BIR), Alabama; and Salt Lake City (SLC), Utah. An index of urban intensity derived from socioeconomic, infrastructure, and land-use characteristics was used as a measure of urbanization. Of the various attributes of the algal assemblages, species composition changed along gradients of urban intensity in a more consistent manner than biomass or diversity. In urban streams, the relative abundance of pollution-tolerant species was often higher than in less affected streams. Shifts in assemblage composition were associated primarily with increased levels of conductivity, nutrients, and alterations in physical habitat. Water mineralization and nutrients were the most important determinants of assemblage composition in the BOS and SLC study areas; flow regime and grazers were key factors in the BIR study area. Species composition of algal assemblages differed significantly among geographic regions, and no particular algal taxa were found to be universal indicators of urbanization. Patterns in algal biomass and diversity along urban gradients varied among study areas, depending on local environmental conditions and habitat alteration. Biomass and diversity increased with urbanization in the BOS area, apparently because of increased nutrients, light, and flow stability in urban streams, which often are regulated by dams. Biomass and diversity decreased with urbanization in the BIR study area because of intensive fish grazing and less stable flow regime. In the SLC study area, correlations between algal biomass, diversity, and urban intensity were positive but weak. Thus, algal responses to urbanization differed considerably among the three study areas. We concluded that the wide range of responses of benthic algae to urbanization implied that tools for stream bioassessment must be region specific. ?? 2005 by the American Fisheries Society.

American Fisheries Society Symposium↗
USGS2005

Use of an urban intensity index to assess urban effects on streams in three contrasting environmental settings

To assess the effects of urbanization on assemblages (fish, invertebrate, and algal), physical habitat, and water chemistry, we investigated the relations among varying intensities of basin urbanization and stream ecology in three metropolitan areas: the humid northeastern United States around Boston, Massachusetts; the humid southeastern United States around Birmingham, Alabama; and the semiarid western United States around Salt Lake City, Utah. A consistent process was used to develop a multimetric urban intensity index (UII) based on locally important variables (land-use/land-cover, infrastructure, and socioeconomic variables) in each study area and a common urban intensity index (CUII) based on a subset of five variables common to all study areas. The UII was used to characterize 30 basins along an urban gradient in each metropolitan area. Study basins were located within a single ecoregion in each of the metropolitan areas. The UII, ecoregions, and site characteristics provided a method for limiting the variability of natural landscape characteristics while assessing the magnitude of urban effects. Conditions in Salt Lake City (semiarid climate and water diversions) and Birmingham (topography) required nesting sites within the same basin. The UII and CUII facilitated comparisons of aquatic assemblages response to urbanization across different environmental settings. ?? 2005 by the American Fisheries Society.

American Fisheries Society Symposium↗
USGS2005

Hydrologic changes in urban streams and their ecological significance

Urban development modifies the production and delivery of runoff to streams and the resulting rate, volume, and timing of streamflow. Given that streamflow demonstrably influences the structure and composition of lotic communities, we have identified four hydrologic changes resulting from urban development that are potentially significant to stream ecosystems: increased frequency of high flows, redistribution of water from base flow to storm flow, increased daily variation in streamflow, and reduction in low flow. Previous investigations of streamflow patterns and biological assemblages provide a scale of ecological significance for each type of streamflow pattern. The scales establish the magnitude of changes in streamflow patterns that could be expected to produce biological responses in streams. Long-term streamflow records from eight streams in urbanizing areas of the United States and five additional reference streams, where land use has been relatively stable, were analyzed to assess if streamflow patterns were modified by urban development to an extent that a biological response could be expected and whether climate patterns could account for equivalent hydrologic variation in the reference streams. Changes in each type of streamflow pattern were evident in some but not all of the urban streams and were nearly absent in the reference streams. Given these results, hydrologic changes are likely significant to urban stream ecosystems, but the significance depends on the stream's physiographic context and spatial and temporal patterns of urban development. In urban streams with substantially altered hydrology, short-term goals for urban stream rehabilitation may be limited because of the difficulty and expense of restoring hydrologic processes in an urban landscape. The ecological benefits of improving physical habitat and water quality may be tempered by persistent effects of altered streamflow. In the end, the hydrologic effects of urban development must be addressed for restoration of urban streams. ?? 2005 by the American Fisheries Society.

American Fisheries Society Symposium↗
USGS2008

Conservation status of imperiled north American freshwater and diadromous fishes

This is the third compilation of imperiled (i.e., endangered, threatened, vulnerable) plus extinct freshwater and diadromous fishes of North America prepared by the American Fisheries Society's Endangered Species Committee. Since the last revision in 1989, imperilment of inland fishes has increased substantially. This list includes 700 extant taxa representing 133 genera and 36 families, a 92% increase over the 364 listed in 1989. The increase reflects the addition of distinct populations, previously non-imperiled fishes, and recently described or discovered taxa. Approximately 39% of described fish species of the continent are imperiled. There are 230 vulnerable, 190 threatened, and 280 endangered extant taxa, and 61 taxa presumed extinct or extirpated from nature. Of those that were imperiled in 1989, most (89%) are the same or worse in conservation status; only 6% have improved in status, and 5% were delisted for various reasons. Habitat degradation and nonindigenous species are the main threats to at-risk fishes, many of which are restricted to small ranges. Documenting the diversity and status of rare fishes is a critical step in identifying and implementing appropriate actions necessary for their protection and management.

Fisheries↗
USGS2003

The use of traditional Hawaiian knowledge in the contemporary management of marine resources

It is traditional for Hawaiians to "consult nature" so that fishing is practiced at times and places, and with gear that causes minimum disruption of natural biological and ecological processes. The Ho'olehua Hawaiian Homestead continues this tradition in and around Mo'omomi Bay on the northwest coast of the island of Moloka'i. This community relies heavily on inshore marine resources for subsistence and consequently, has an intimate knowledge of these resources. The shared knowledge, beliefs, and values of the community are culturally channeled to promote proper fishing behavior. This informal system brings more knowledge, experience, and moral commitment to fishery conservation than more centralized government management. Community-based management in the Mo'omomi area involves observational processes and problem-solving strategies for the purpose of conservation. The system is not articulated in the manner of Western science, but relies instead on mental models. These models foster a practical understanding of local inshore resource dynamics by the fishing community and, thus, lend credibility to unwritten standards for fishing conduct. The "code of conduct" is concerned with how people fish rather than how much they catch.

Hawai'i↗
USGS2013

Interactions between striped bass and other gamefish in reservoirs

Competitive interactions among reservoir fishes may be pronounced because fish assemblages in these artificial environments have had little time to develop niche-partitioning strategies that alleviate negative interspecific interactions. Such interactions may at times have been intensified by introductions of predators such as striped bass Morone saxatilis , introduced to create additional fisheries and control pelagic clupeids. Possible interactions between existing fish assemblages and striped bass include predation and competition. While there is a perception among angler groups that predation by striped bass on co-existing game fish is significant, most studies have reported little or no predation on game fish my striped bass and have considered predation rare and inconsequential. Moreover, predation that occurs will likely be compensatory and fail to reduce overall game fish survival. Any indirect effect of striped bass predation by restricting prey-sized game fish to limited refuge sites remains unknown. Exploitative competition may be more common. Although infrequently, introduced striped bass have depleted prey resources shared with other piscivores, particularly when stocking rates have been high, when there is a high rate of natural reproduction, or when prey supply has plunged in response to environmental fluxes. Fluctuation in prey supply, associated with ordinary environmental variability, and associated time lages in prey supply and predator demand, preclude adjusting predator densities to exactly balance demand with supply. The frequency of low supply-demand rations varies across systems and exhibits seasonal trends. Nevertheless, chronic supply-demand imbalances are manageable where the predator assemblage is at least partially controlled through stocking, harvest regulations, or both. Because of the poor state of knowledge concerning the parameters defining balance and because uncontrollable annual fluctuations preclude exact management of alternating prey levels, we suggest adjusting stocking to manage demand to that it equals the median historical prey supply. Simulating the removal of striped bass and predicting the aftermath may be the most cost-efficient way to provide decision support for stakeholders involved in determining if a striped bass stocking program is beneficial to most users.

American Fisheries Society Symposium↗
USGS2015

Spotted bass Micropterus punctulatus (Rafinesque 1819)

Three subspecies of Spotted Bass Micropterus punctulatus were historically recognized: the smaller Northern Spotted Bass M. p. punctulatus , the larger, longer-lived Alabama Spotted Bass M. p. henshalli , and the now invalidated Wichita Spotted Bass M. p. wichitae (Bailey and Hubbs 1940; Cofer 1995; Warren 2009; Rider and Maceina 2015, this volume). The subspecific status has been examined over the past decade as advanced genetic analyses have been developed (e.g., Kassler et al. 2002; Baker et al. 2008; Tringali et al. 2015, this volume). The American Fisheries Society has recently changed the designation of the Alabama Spotted Bass to a separate species, Alabama Bass M. henshalli (Page et al. 2013). The remainder of this paper will discuss the biology and conservation of only Spotted Bass. Both species have been observed to hybridize with other Micropterus spp. (Koppelman 1994; Pierce and Van Den Avyle 1997; Barwick et al. 2006).

American Fisheries Society Symposium↗
USGS1950

Pollution in the lower Columbia Basin in 1948 with particular reference to the Willamette River

Development of the salmon resources of the lower Columbia River Basin appears as sound insurance against the threat of a serious reduction in the runs to the upper river areas through the multiple-purpose programs of water development now under way by the Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and private interests. Any comprehensive plan for the full development of the fisheries resources in the lower Columbia Basin must be predicated upon accurate knowledge of the waters therein polluted to a degree affecting fish life. Pollution surveys have been made in the lower Columbia Basin at various times in the past -- the most intensive studies having been made in the Willamette Valley.

Oregon↗
USGS2006

Evaluating light-based geolocation for estimating demersal fish movements in high latitudes

We evaluated light - based geolocation estimates from pop-up satellite tags in high latitudes because some of the largest fisheries in the world are in areas where this technique has not been assessed. Daily longitude and latitude were estimated by using two Wildlife Computers software programs: 1) Argos Message Processor (AMP), which summarizes light intensity data transmitted to satellites, and 2) Time Series Processor (TSP), which uses more detailed data obtained from retrieved tags. Three experiments were conducted in the northern Gulf of Alaska using tags placed on 1) Pacific halibut in outdoor aquaria, 2) a fixed mooring line at various depths and 3) wild Pacific halibut. TSP performed better than AMP because the percentage of days with geolocation estimates was greater and the mean error magnitude and bias were smaller for TSP and increased with depth for both programs; however, latitude errors were much greater than longitude errors at all depths. Light - based geolocation enabled us to discern basin-scale movements and showed that the Pacific halibut in our study remained within the Gulf of Alaska. We conclude that this technique provides a feasible method for inferring large-scale population structure for demersal fishes in high latitudes.

Alaska↗
USGS2003

Pop-up archival transmitting (PAT) tags: A method to investigate the migration and behavior of Pacific halibut ( Hippoglossus stenolepis ) in the Gulf of Alaska

Pop-up archival transmitting (PAT) tags provide a fisheries-independent method of collecting environmental preference data (depth and ambient water temperature) and migration distance. In this study, we evaluate the use of pop-up archival transmitting tags as a method to investigate demersal fish. We report the results from eight pop-up archival transmitting tagged Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis (from 107 to 165 cm FL) that were released in and around Resurrection Bay, Alaska. Commercial fishermen recovered three tags, while five tags transmitted data to Argos satellites. Horizontal migration was not consistent among fish as four Pacific halibut remained in the vicinity of release while the other four traveled up to 358 km from the release site. Vertical movement was not consistent among fish or over time; however, they spent most of their time at depths of 150 to 350 m. The minimum and maximum depths reached by any of the Pacific halibut were 2 m and 502 m, respectively. The fish preferred water temperatures of approximately 6°C, but experienced temperatures between 4.3 and 12.2°C. Light attenuation with depth prevented geolocation software and light sensing hardware from accurately estimating geoposition for the majority of days. The methods, adapted from investigations on large pelagic fish, proved to be effective for studying Pacific halibut in the northern Gulf of Alaska. PAT tags allowed us to obtain high accuracy locations of the fish at the end of the tag deployments as well as preliminary data to identify approximate seasonal locations and to characterize their depth and temperature characteristics. By using PAT tags, we will be able to ensure tag returns during the winter season (which is closed to fishing) and gain valuable biological information even if fish migrate large distances or to unexpected locations.

Alaska Fishery Research Bulletin↗
USGS2013

Estimating abundance of adult striped bass in reservoirs using mobile hydroacoustics

Hydroacoustic surveys have proven valuable for estimating reservoir forage fish abundance but are more challenging for adult predators such as striped bass Morone saxatilis. Difficulties in assessing striped bass in reservoirs include their low density and the inability to distinguish species with hydroacoustic data alone. Despite these difficulties, mobile hydroacoustic surveys have potential to provide useful data for management because of the large sample volume compared to traditional methods such as gill netting and the ability to target specific areas where striped bass are aggregated. Hydroacoustic estimates of reservoir striped bass have been made using mobile surveys, with data analysis using a threshold for target strength in order to focus on striped bass-sized targets, and auxiliary sampling with nets to obtain species composition. We provide recommendations regarding survey design, based in part on simulations that provide insight on the level of effort that would be required to achieve reasonable estimates of abundance. Future surveys may be able to incorporate telemetry or other sonar techniques such as side-scan or multibeam in order to focus survey efforts on productive habitats (within lake and vertically). However, species apportionment will likely remain the main source of error, and we see no hydroacoustic system on the horizon that will identify fish by species at the spatial and temporal scale required for most reservoir surveys. In situations where species composition can be reliably assessed using traditional gears, abundance estimates from hydroacoustic methods should be useful to fishery managers interested in developing harvest regulations, assessing survival of stocked juveniles, identifying seasonal aggregations, and examining predator–prey balance.

American Fisheries Society Symposium↗
USGS1981

Food of the Pacific white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, Dall's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli, and northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus, off California and Washington

Our knowledge of the feeding habits of the Pacific white-sided dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens , and the Dall's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli , is based on examination of the stomach contents of stranded animals, animals accidentally taken in commercial fishing gear, those taken in the western Pacific commercial fishery, and animals that died during capture attempts. Of these only a few were normally feeding animals taken at sea, whose stomach contents were thoroughly examined. Fished and squids previously identified from stomachs of dolphins and porpoises by various investigators are listed in Table 1. This paper documents the stomach contents of 44 Pacific white-sided dolphin and 9 Dall's porpoise collected at sea off California and Washington. All animals were collected by the authors during pelagic fur seal studies with the exception of three dolphins which were collected by a staff biologist during whale research voyages off California. Comparisons of stomach contents are made between the Pacific white-sided dolphins, Dall's porpoise, and northern fur seal, Callorhinus ursinus , collected near the same locations and usually on the same day. Mention of the dolphin, porpoise , and seal in this paper refers to the above-named species unless noted otherwise.

California, Washington↗
USGS2024

Evaluating behavioral responses of spawning-phase Walleyes to odors of rivers and other Walleyes

Many fish species show a remarkable ability to home to streams for spawning and fishery managers have applied that knowledge to restore or rehabilitate populations of some species. Walleye Sander vitreus show strong homing tendencies and the ability to select their natal river from other streams. The role of olfactory cues has been hypothesized but never tested in Walleye and many aspects of Walleye migratory behavior associated with spawning are poorly understood. The objectives of our study were: 1) to determine if spawning-phase Walleye from the Ford River in Michigan favored the odor of water from their home stream over that of a nearby river, and 2) to examine effects of male and female Walleye (conspecific) odors on water choice preferences of spawning-phase male Walleyes to learn whether such odors may attract adult Walleyes into rivers. Flow-through flume assays with two side-by-side channels were used to evaluate behavioral preferences of spawning-phase Walleye to river and conspecific odors. Odors of Ford River in 2021 trials and conspecific males in 2019 trials (when analyzed by individuals but not groups) influenced the behavior of male Walleye. However, follow up work during 2022 did not detect any responses to Ford River water or male-conditioned water. Additional work is needed to determine the possible role of olfactory cues in the homing behavior of spawning-phase Walleye.

Michigan↗
USGS1965

Distribution of fishes in U. S. streams tributary to Lake Superior

Experimental sea lamprey control by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries on Lake Superior streams provided many new distributional records of the fish fauna. Seventy-one species were recorded from 175 streams. Specimens were collected at the electromechanical barriers, with electric shockers, with fyke nets, and during chemical treatment of streams. Maps showing stream records of each species are presented.

Special Scientific Report - Fisheries↗
USGS2007

The atlantic salmon: Genetics, conservation and management

Atlantic Salmon is a cultural icon throughout its North Atlantic range; it is the focus of probably the World’s highest profile recreational fishery and is the basis for one of the World’s largest aquaculture industries. Despite this, many wild stocks of salmon are in decline and underpinning this is a dearth of information on the nature and extent of population structuring and adaptive population differentiation, and its implications for species conservation. This important new book will go a long way to rectify this situation by providing a thorough review of the genetics of Atlantic salmon. Sponsored by the European Union and the Atlantic Salmon Trust, this book comprises the work of an international team of scientists, carefully integrated and edited to provide a landmark book of vital interest to all those working with Atlantic salmon.

Book↗
USGS2020

Genetic analysis of the diet of red‐footed boobies (Sula sula) provisioning chicks at Ulupa'u Crater, O'ahu

The diet of red‐footed boobies ( Sula sula ) provisioning chicks was quantified using 106 regurgitations collected from 81 adults over two study years with contrasting oceanographic conditions: 2014 and 2015. A total of 1,049 prey items were sorted into three broad categories (fish, squid, and other, consisting of highly‐digested ‘mush’ and parasitic isopods) and assigned a categorical freshness value of 1 (perfect condition), 2 (superficial digestion), or 3 (highly digested and incomplete). A total of 492 undigested prey items (freshness 1 and 2) were measured and sampled for genetic identification with 401 (82%) successfully identified. Rarefaction analyses suggested robust diet sampling, with 32 documented species: 29 fishes and three squids. While the prey‐specific index of relative importance highlighted that fish dominated the diet in 2014 (32.3% fish, 15.1% squid) and in 2015 (29.9% fish, 22.3% squid), diet composition varied significantly between the two study years. The purpleback flying squid ( Stenoteuthis oulaniensis ) accounted for 98.7% (232 of 236) of the identified squid specimens. Mantle lengths were significantly longer in 2015 (7.2 ± 1.1 SD cm) than in 2014 (6.3 ± 1.7 SD cm). These results indicate a higher relative abundance and size of the epipelagic squids available to foraging red‐footed boobies in 2015, during warm‐water conditions associated with the positive phase of the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Due to their diverse diet, red‐footed boobies are useful bioindicators of epipelagic nekton assemblages during changing oceanographic conditions. Moreover, their reliance on the purpleback flying squid makes these seabirds ideal samplers of the juveniles of this poorly studied species. Understanding how interannual and longer‐term oceanographic variability affects central‐place foraging seabirds and the recruitment and abundance of their squid prey is critical for precautionary ecosystem‐based fisheries management of oceanic islands and the surrounding marine environment.

Hawaii↗
USGS2022

Using near-term forecasts and uncertainty partitioning to inform prediction of oligotrophic lake cyanobacterial density

Near-term ecological forecasts provide resource managers advance notice of changes in ecosystem services, such as fisheries stocks, timber yields, or water quality. Importantly, ecological forecasts can identify where there is uncertainty in the forecasting system, which is necessary to improve forecast skill and guide interpretation of forecast results. Uncertainty partitioning identifies the relative contributions to total forecast variance introduced by different sources, including specification of the model structure, errors in driver data, and estimation of current states (initial conditions). Uncertainty partitioning could be particularly useful in improving forecasts of highly variable cyanobacterial densities, which are difficult to predict and present a persistent challenge for lake managers. As cyanobacteria can produce toxic and unsightly surface scums, advance warning when cyanobacterial densities are increasing could help managers mitigate water quality issues. Here, we fit 13 Bayesian state-space models to evaluate different hypotheses about cyanobacterial densities in a low nutrient lake that experiences sporadic surface scums of the toxin-producing cyanobacterium, Gloeotrichia echinulata . We used data from several summers of weekly cyanobacteria samples to identify dominant sources of uncertainty for near-term (1- to 4-week) forecasts of G. echinulata densities. Water temperature was an important predictor of cyanobacterial densities during model fitting and at the 4-week forecast horizon. However, no physical covariates improved model performance over a simple model including the previous week's densities in 1-week-ahead forecasts. Even the best fit models exhibited large variance in forecasted cyanobacterial densities and did not capture rare peak occurrences, indicating that significant explanatory variables when fitting models to historical data are not always effective for forecasting. Uncertainty partitioning revealed that model process specification and initial conditions dominated forecast uncertainty. These findings indicate that long-term studies of different cyanobacterial life stages and movement in the water column as well as measurements of drivers relevant to different life stages could improve model process representation of cyanobacteria abundance. In addition, improved observation protocols could better define initial conditions and reduce spatial misalignment of environmental data and cyanobacteria observations. Our results emphasize the importance of ecological forecasting principles and uncertainty partitioning to refine and understand predictive capacity across ecosystems.

New Hampshire↗