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MSU Graduate Theses

Theses/Dissertations

2020

Mississippi River

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Larval Fish Sampling And Scaphirhynchus Sturgeon Drift Dynamics In The Mississippi And Missouri Rivers, Hae Hyun Kim Dec 2020

Larval Fish Sampling And Scaphirhynchus Sturgeon Drift Dynamics In The Mississippi And Missouri Rivers, Hae Hyun Kim

MSU Graduate Theses

Humans have been altering the natural ecosystem for centuries. These alterations provide many socioeconomic benefits (e.g., navigation and flood-control). However, these alterations can have negative ecological consequences. Large rivers across the country have been manipulated to facilitate various human activities. Rivers are dynamic systems governed by various abiotic and biotic factors. Ultimately these alterations change the natural biogeochemical cycles and reduce available habitats. These impacts likely affect riverine fishes’ ability to carry out their lifecycle. Riverine organisms, and particularly fish, have adapted to survive in free-flowing systems. Population dynamics (i.e., recruitment, growth and mortality) are the basis of fisheries management. …


Fish And Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration And Conservation Efforts, Madison C. Cogar Dec 2020

Fish And Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration And Conservation Efforts, Madison C. Cogar

MSU Graduate Theses

Fish and macroinvertebrate response to restoration and conservation efforts varies in regards to the size and structure of the system (e.g. headwater streams in WV versus large rivers such as the Mississippi River). This project reviews fish and macroinvertebrate rebound in treated acid mine drainage (AMD) streams in WV as well as macroinvertebrate drift patterns in the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. AMD is a product of a chemical reaction resulting in an acidic water outflow from mining sites, which may harm aquatic life. As a response, passive AMD treatment systems have been installed. I tested the effectiveness of remediation by …


Population Structure And Habitat Use Of Bluegill In The Upper Mississippi River, Ethan Allyn Rutledge Aug 2020

Population Structure And Habitat Use Of Bluegill In The Upper Mississippi River, Ethan Allyn Rutledge

MSU Graduate Theses

Fish populations are driven by the dynamic rate functions (i.e., recruitment, growth, and mortality). Knowledge of these vital rates can provide critical information to determine spatiotemporal population-level changes in the system. Therefore, understanding these vital rates are important in the proper management of any fishery. Anthropogenic modifications to the environment have had damaging effects on the organisms within these ecosystems. Specific to Upper Mississippi River fishes, channelization, dams, and loss of floodplain connectivity have all been purported as deleterious. In the face of these modifications, understanding habitat use and vital rates of individual species is needed to help guide management …


Gear Specific Catch Rates And Population Dynamics Of Channel Catfish In The Mississippi River, Colby Gainer Aug 2020

Gear Specific Catch Rates And Population Dynamics Of Channel Catfish In The Mississippi River, Colby Gainer

MSU Graduate Theses

Perpetual anthropogenic alterations have imposed deleterious effects on aquatic ecosystems. In the Mississippi River, channelization, dams, and loss of floodplain connectivity have all been reputed as detrimental. Dynamic rate functions (i.e., recruitment, growth, and mortality) are the driving forces behind fish populations. Understanding population dynamics is important for guiding management decisions. Knowledge of vital rates can provide pivotal information that will determine spatiotemporal population-level changes within the system. In the Mississippi River, Channel Catfish are a commercially and recreationally important species. However, limited population demographic information currently exists in the Upper Mississippi River. We sought to determine the most effective …