Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

The Effects Of Chanellization And Channel Restoration On Aquatic Habitat And Biota Of The Pecos River, New Mexico, Darrel J. Mecham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

River channelization has been shown to negatively impact riverine ecosystems by degrading aquatic habitat conditions, decreasing diversity of both fish and aquatic invertebrate assemblages and impairing fish recruitment. As knowledge of the negative impacts of channelization has increased, so have channel restoration efforts. We evaluated a recent channel restoration project on the Pecos River, New Mexico by comparing abiotic and biotic conditions among five reaches of river, including the restored reach, an unchannelized reach and a channelized reach all prone to streamflow intermittence and an unchannelized reach and channelized reach more perennial in nature. Our first objective was to assess …

Hydrologic And Temperature Regime Influence On Growth And Recruitment Of Fishes In An Upper Midwest Riverine Ecosystem, Brett Donald Nelson

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The natural flow regime is often identified as the primary driver of ecological integrity in rivers. The Minnesota River basin is characterized by a row-crop agricultural landscape with an extensive network of drainage tiles and ditches to improve land productivity. Intensive surface and subsurface drainage alters flow regimes, increasing the magnitude and frequency of high flows. Changes in river hydrology lead to alterations in geomorphology, including increased bank erosion, channel widening, and downward incision that can lead to floodplain disconnection. Disruption of historical hydrology can alter energy flow and connection to specialized habitats subsequently affecting important aquatic communities and populations …

Zebra Mussel (Dreissena Polymorpha) Habitat Associations In Four West-Central Minnesota Lakes, April Rose Londo

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

In 1989, zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) were first documented in the land of ten thousand lakes in the Lake Superior Basin at Duluth. Zebra mussels are successful invaders because the species attaches to substrates with byssal threads, can adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions, and has a free-swimming veligers that are easily transported. Although invasive mollusks pose a range of economic and ecological threats to inland waters, our understanding of zebra mussels in Minnesota lakes remains limited. To gain additional information regarding zebra mussel ecology in lake systems, I conducted research in four west-central Minnesota lakes that were …

The Effects That Liquid And Solid Cattle Manure Have On The Water Quality Of Drainage Ditches In Putnam County, Ohio, Janelle Horstman

Honors Projects

Lake Erie has experienced harmful algal blooms with increased frequency since the mid-1990s due to excess nutrients from Rivers, such as the Maumee River, and largely agricultural watersheds. Nonpoint source pollution from agriculture contributes to eutrophication, algal blooms, and the degradation of water quality. This creates stress on aquatic fauna, reduced aesthetic quality, odor, and limits of the water for usage of drinking, recreation, and industry. This research paper asks what the contributions of having access to manure application records, soil records, and information about antibiotics have on what is known about manure management and antibiotic resistance, which has been …

The Elwha River Restoration: Landscape Change, Salmon, And Sense Of Place, Kelseyanne Johnson

All Master's Theses

Removal of the Elwha River dams to restore the ecosystem and salmon fisheries is the largest project of its kind in the history of the United States. Spanning decades and affecting generations, this project has changed and will continue to change the landscape. This research examined the influence of the anticipated return of salmon on 18 key stakeholders' sense of place of the Elwha River. For almost all stakeholders, changes to the Elwha landscape are welcomed as they expect that salmon will restore the ecosystem to its natural state. Narrative data revealed dominant themes in participants' sense of place expressed …

Relative Survival Of Gags Mycteroperca Microlepis Released Within A Recreational Hook-And-Line Fishery: Application Of The Cox Regression Model To Control For Heterogeneity In A Large-Scale Mark-Recapture Study, Beverly J. Sauls

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to measure injuries and impairments directly observed from gags Mycteroperca microlepis caught and released within a large-scale recreational fishery, develop methods that may be used to rapidly assess the condition of reef fish discards, and estimate the total portion of discards in the fishery that suffer latent mortality. Fishery observers were placed on for-hire charter and headboat vessels operating in the Gulf of Mexico from June 2009 through December 2012 to directly observe reef fishes as they were caught by recreational anglers fishing with hook-and-line gear. Fish that were not retained by anglers were …

Evaluating The Utility Of Beaver Reintroduction Programs For Enhancing Habitat For Rainbow Trout And Steelhead, Jonathan Rodger Hegna

All Master's Theses

Beaver reintroduction programs are increasingly being viewed as a way to enhance salmonid habitat and production. However, the actual effectiveness of using beavers as a habitat enhancement tool for ESA listed steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss populations is unknown. We examined the type of habitat, at both the microhabitat and mesohabitat levels, preferred by steelhead in three small streams in the upper Yakima Basin, WA through standard snorkel surveys and habitat measurements. Our results suggest that steelhead in small streams strongly prefer (relative to availability) microhabitats that have deeper water(> 30 cm), slow stream velocities(< 0 .05 mis), and complex cover types. Habitat partitioning among the size-classes (small< 50 mm, medium 50-90 mm, large> 90 mm total length, TL) principally operated …

Fishermen, Politics, And Participation: An Ethnographic Examination Of Commercial Fisheries Management In St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Cynthia Grace-Mccaskey

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is widespread debate regarding the overall status of the world's fisheries, with some researchers projecting their total collapse in only a few decades, and others concluding the situation is not quite as bleak. Additional debates include what strategies should be used to manage fisheries at various scales, and further research is needed to determine which strategies are most appropriate for use in particular situations and locales, as context is critical.

Recently, prominent common pool resources scholars have expressed the need for ethnographic approaches to studying resource management institutions in order to move beyond the current focus of simply …

Policy Analysis For Optimizing Native Fisheries On The Mckenzie River, Mary Ray

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

The impact of hatchery fish on native populations has been extensively studied, especially as environmental management has generally moved toward a conservation focus. In Oregon, the McKenzie River native rainbow trout population has been the focus of recent interest groups attempting to induce a change in management practices to support native fisheries. The McKenzie River Chapter of Trout Unlimited is interested in learning more about the impacts that hatchery stocked rainbow trout have on native river populations. It is the group's intent to seek a rule change to management by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. A review of …

Relative Abundance And Spatial Distribution Of Lepomid Sunfishes In The Peace River, Justin Henry Heller

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines spatially continuous sampling data in order to investigate patterns of abundance and distribution of three recreationally important sunfish species (bluegill, redear, and spotted sunfish) along the main-stem of the Peace River, a large softwater river located in southwest Florida. A total of 467 electrofishing transects were sampled biannually from spring 2008 to spring 2010. Sampling sites ranged from the headwaters of the Peace River in Polk County, FL to the oligohaline waters located in Charlotte County, FL. All fish were collected with boat mounted electrofishing gear, and aquatic habitat and physiochemical water quality measurements were recorded at …

Of Fish And People: Managerial Ecology In Newfoundland And Labrador Cod Fisheries, Dean Louis Yelwa Bavington

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation aims to understand the history of, and possible alternatives to, managerial responses to socio-ecological issues by examining one of the largest natural resource management failures of the twentieth century—the collapse of the Northern cod fisheries off Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. In 1992, the Northern cod fishery off Newfoundland and Labrador (the world's largest ground fishery) was shut down. The Northern cod had been reduced to 1% of their historic spawning biomass and cod fishing as a way of life had come to an end after a 500 year history. The dissertation develops and applies a critical theory of …

A Spatial And Temporal Analysis Of Riparian Vegetation Along Satus Creek On The Yakama Indian Reservation, Kathryn Gellenbeck

All Master's Theses

Satus Creek provides critical habitat for the Yakima River Basin steelhead. A diverse community of riparian vegetation is important for healthy fish habitat; vegetation changes can affect shade, cover, channel structure, water quality, and food availability. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze and illustrate riparian vegetation change, both temporally and spatially, along three separate reaches of Satus Creek. A Geographic Information Systems approach was applied to assess the vegetation change by comparing plant species composition and density on 1949 and 1995 aerial photographs. The GIS approach allowed patterns and trends in the vegetation to be identified. In less …

The Evolution Of International Fisheries Management In The North Pacific Ocean And Prospects For The Future, Paul Augustus Flynn

Theses and Major Papers

The abundant resources of the North Pacific Ocean have been the subject of international disputes and negotiations through the 20th century. The management of species which range throughout this vast area, are not under the jurisdiction of a single state. That fact has required the establishment of a framework in which allocation and conservation measures can be researched and agreed upon. This has been accomplished through various multilateral and bilateral agreements. From the voluntary Japanese suspension of a directed salmon fishery off the coast of Alaska in 1938 to recently completed multilateral treaties, significant advances have been made in Pacific …

The Rhode Island Marine Fisheries Council: Stewardship In Need Of Goals And Objectives, Robert Censabella

Theses and Major Papers

In the State of Rhode Island, marine fisheries are managed through the Marine Fisheries Council, a citizen-based regulatory body of nine members from either the commercial or recreational fishing industries or experienced with the conservation and management of fisheries resources. To ostensibly help this group make informed decisions, biological data and scientific advice are provided by the State Division of Fish and Wildlife. This thesis examines the decision-making process of this Council. More specifically, it provides a case study of how this body has attempted to manage the State's winter flounder stocks-an economically-valuable species which confines its life cycle mostly …

Impacts Of Irrigation Development On Anadromous Fish In The Yakima River Basin, Washington, Robert L. Tuck

All Master's Theses

Prior to Euroamerican development, the Yakima River Basin was a major producer of salmon. Total runs of approximately 800,000 have declined to 3,000-5,000, or less than 1% of original run size. Three species are extinct in the basin, including summer chinook, coho, and sockeye.

Irrigation development, including the construction of unscreened diversions, the blockage of spawning and rearing habitat by reservoir dams, and the dewatering of spawning and rearing habitat, began in the mid-1800's and today totals approximately 500,000 acres. Historical records provide a wealth of information documenting irrigation development and its consequences on anadromous fish populations.

Linking Management And Markets: The Northwest Atlantic Sea Herring Industry And The Case For "Regional" Quotas, Peter Jessup Moore

Theses and Major Papers

This review and characterization of the U.S. Atlantic sea herring fishery and industry analyzes opportunities for and constraints to developing the herring resource more fully. Chapter 1 describes the herring resource, the existing fishery, and reviews current research into the international transboundary migrations of the Atlantic sea herring. Chapters 2 and 3 describe the development of the herring fishery management plan in the context of the global herring market and the management complications that arise from the transboundary migrations of the stocks. Examples of successful linkages between fisheries management and market development are described in Chapter 4 to illustrate the …

Sea-Surface Temperature Related Fisheries And Resource Markets, Jeffrey Michael Rasinski

Theses and Major Papers

This thesis addresses the potential application of sea-surface temperature (SST) data to economic resource markets. It considers the revolution in technology and the accessibility of timely, accurate SST observations for resource markets. Specifically, it addresses issues related to pelagic fisheries and the fish meal industry. The thesis presents a discussion and overview of the upwelling ecosystem of Peru and the Peruvian anchovy (Engraulis ringens) including quantitative analysis and forecasts for the fishery and fish meal prices. This analysis is used to demonstrate the commercial application and relationship between SST and related resource markets. The thesis establishes a bioeconomic statistical model …

A Study Of The Summer Steelhead, Oncorhynchus Mykiss In Several Intermittent Tributaries Of The Satus Creek Basin, Washington, Joel Denney Hubble

All Master's Theses

The summer steelhead, Oncorhynchus mykiss population was studied in three intermittent tributaries in the Satus Creek Basin. There was a strong tendency for post emergent fry, resulting from redds located in intermittent reaches to move downstream. However, survival to perennial flow conditions was very low. Steelhead production in Dry Creek appears to be lower than in Logy Creek, because of elevated water temperatures and minimal spring and summer stream flow.

Prospects For Fisheries Development In West Africa, Steven K. Ireland

Theses and Major Papers

The production of food is a primary concern for the countries of Africa. Marine fisheries can contribute toward alleviating undernutrition and provide employment opportunities in developing countries. In West Africa there are substantial marine fisheries resources but there is a need for development and improved management of these resources. Fisheries development efforts have thus far achieved limited success in the region. However, there is considerable potential for increasing the contribution of fisheries to economic development if the problems of fisheries development can be overcome.

Malaysia And The Law Of The Sea, Mohd Fadzil Shuhaimi

Theses and Major Papers

The new legal regime of the oceans has brought many changes in the Malacca Strait. The most recent one in the enactment of the Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone Act 1984 as corollary to its proclamation on the Exclusive Economic Zone in 1980. A year later, the Fisheries Act 1985 was enacted by Malaysia as a result of increasing needs to address new issues in fisheries protection and management in the Malaysian fisheries waters. The conclusion of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, among other things, has improvised the concept of transit passage in the straits …

Mariculture Management For Pohnpei State, Federated States Of Micronesia, Kevin Brooks Foster

Theses and Major Papers

The Marine Resources Division of Pohnpei State, Federated States of Micronesia is currently engaged in development activities that include the establishment of family scale mariculture projects for community members of remote villages and outer islands. The goal of this undertaking is to supplement subsistence and income generation ventures for community members through the wise use and exploitation of the marine environment. These aims may be jeopardized unless a management plan is devised that reflects the customary marine resource practices as embraced by islanders from each community. The intent of this thesis projects is to devise a mariculture management model that …

Formulation Of A Management Scheme For The Swordfish Fishery Of The Eastern Caribbean, Harold F. Upton

Theses and Major Papers

During the 1983 season, two U.S. longline vessels initiated the first attempts at the commercial exploitation of swordfish in the Eastern Caribbean. In 1986, the number of U.S. vessels participating in the fishery surpassed 40 with landings of nearly two million pounds per season. The sudden influx of participants and technology to the region has resulted in a variety of user conflicts and associated policy issues. Major areas of concern involve the conservation of a heavily exploited resource and the distribution of benefits which accrue from resource exploitation among the resource-adjacent island states and U.S. fishing operations. This study examines …

The Trinidad And Tobago/Venezuela Fishing Agreement, Zaleena K. Chin-Yuen-Kee

Theses and Major Papers

The twin-island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is situated adjacent to the Republic Of Venezuela such that at one point Trinidad is merely seven miles off the northeast coast of Venezuela. Fishing activities of nationals of each country in the waters of the other are therefore common and often lead to conflict. In an attempt to solve the fishing problem a fishing agreement was negotiated. It came into force in 1978 and expired in 1984 whereupon negotiations commenced once more in an attempt to achieve new accord. The fishing industries of both countries and the conflicts which led to the …

Cooperatives: Their Effectiveness And Limitations For Small-Scale Fisheries Development, Hiroaki Yonesaka

Theses and Major Papers

Increased experience in fisheries cooperatives of developing countries has called into question a long-held presumption about their desirability and feasibility. In this context, this study attempts to reformulate the cooperative approach for small-scale fisheries in a realistic policy framework. First, past failures of fisheries cooperatives are analyzed from three different angles: the uniqueness of the fishing industry, systems intrinsic to the cooperative, and development policy. Second, various possibilities of building viable cooperatives are explored by introducing two key concnpets: the strategic option and the operational option. On the one hand, the strategic option implies that it is imperative to integrate …

Shellfish Resources Of Washington, Robert Grant Levens

Graduate Student Research Papers

This paper will explore the salt water shellfish resources of Washington State. Particular emphasis will be placed upon the Pacific and Olympia Oysters, the Dungeness Crab, the research being done at Quilcene, and the lesser varieties of shellfish, including shrimp and the hardshell species of clams. The latter includes the littleneck, butter, Manila, and geoduc clams. A major emphasis will be the commercial importance of the shellfish, but the sportsman and the expanding role of Washington as a summer recreation area will not be overlooked.