Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Habitat Modeling Of Three Endemic Crayfish Species In The Black River Drainage Of Missouri And Arkansas: Factors Affecting Distribution And Abundance, Matthew Stephen Nolen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Ozark faunal region of Missouri and Arkansas harbors a high level of aquatic biological diversity, especially in regards to endemic crayfish. Orconectes eupunctus, Orconectes marchandi, and Cambarus hubbsi are three such endemics that are threatened by a limited natural distribution and the invasions of Orconectes neglectus. I sought to determine how natural and anthropogenic factors influence these three species across multiple spatial scales. Local and landscape data were used in decision tree analyses (CART) to determine their influence effect on presence/absence and density of the three species. Predictive models were validated using k-fold cross validation. O. eupunctus presence was …

Strike Mechanics Of An Ambush Predator: The Spearing Mantis Shrimp, M. Devries, E. Murphy, S. Patek

Faculty Publications, Biological Sciences

Ambush predation is characterized by an animal scanning the environment from a concealed position and then rapidly executing a surprise attack. Mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) consist of both ambush predators (‘spearers’) and foragers (‘smashers’). Spearers hide in sandy burrows and capture evasive prey, whereas smashers search for prey away from their burrows and typically hammer hard-shelled, sedentary prey. Here, we examined the kinematics, morphology and field behavior of spearing mantis shrimp and compared them with previously studied smashers. Using two species with dramatically different adult sizes, we found that strikes produced by the diminutive species, Alachosquilla vicina, were faster (mean peak …

The Lobster Bulletin, Fall 2012, Lobster Institute, University Of Maine

Lobster Bulletin

The Lobster Bulletin newsletter includes research updates, and information on lobsters and the lobster industry. The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine is dedicated to protecting and conserving the lobster resource, and enhancing lobstering as an industry and a way of life.

Headlines in the Fall 2012 issue include:

• Group Seeks to Protect Ocean by Promoting Better Lawn Care Practices
• Lobster Institute 25th Anniversary Celebration Continues
• Maine Conforms First-Ever Case of West Nile Virus
• Research Report: Direct Determination of Age in Lobsters
• Research Report: Lobster Cam Back Online Soon
• Lobster Council Taking Giant Step Forward

Swimways: Protecting Paddlefish Through Movement-Centered Management, Brenda M. Pracheil, Mark A. Pegg, Larkin A. Powell, Gerald Mestl

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Attempts to mitigate lack of formal interjurisdictional paddlefish management have been made in the United States through the Mississippi River Interstate Cooperative Resource Association (MICRA). We used 1988–2009 data from the MICRA paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) stock assessment database—a database containing mark–recapture and biometric information on more than 30,000 individually marked wild paddlefish and more than 2 million hatchery-origin paddlefish—to estimate survival and movement across large and potentially biologically relevant spatial scales. Paddlefish frequently moved between political jurisdictions with differing conservation strategies and harvest regulations and showed differences in survival parameter estimates throughout their range. We argue that the degree of …

Topeka Shiner (Notropis Topeka): Species Conservation Assessment, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The primary goal in development of at-risk species conservation assessments is to compile biological and ecological information that may assist conservation practitioners in making decisions regarding the conservation of species of interest. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka) as a Tier I at-risk species of high priority for conservation. Some general management recommendations are made here regarding Topeka shiners; however, conservation practitioners will need to use professional judgment to make specific management decisions based on objectives, location, and a multitude of variables. This resource was designed to share available knowledge of the Topeka shiner that …

Economic Impact Of Double-Crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax Auritus, Depredation On Channel Catfish, Ictalurus Punctatus,Aquaculture In Mississippi, Usa, Brian S. Dorr, Loren W. Burger, Scott C. Barras, Kristina Casscles Godwin

Brian S Dorr

The Yazoo River Basin of Mississippi, USA, supports the largest concentration of hectares devoted to channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, aquaculture production in North America. The Yazoo Basin also supports large numbers of resident, wintering and migrating fish-eating birds, with the Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, implicated as the most serious depredating species. We used data from aerial surveys of numbers and distribution of cormorants in the Yazoo Basin and on commercial catfish ponds during winters (November–April) 2000–2001 and 2003–2004 to refine estimates of regional economic losses due to cormorant depredation. In both periods, the greatest monthly estimates of cormorant foraging occurred …

The Lobster Bulletin, Summer 2012, Lobster Institute, University Of Maine

Lobster Bulletin

The Lobster Bulletin newsletter includes research updates, and information on lobsters and the lobster industry. The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine is dedicated to protecting and conserving the lobster resource, and enhancing lobstering as an industry and a way of life.

Headlines in the Summer 2012 issue include:

• Understanding the Soft Shell Lobster
• Lobster Institute to Host UMaine Lobster Showcase to Celebrate Its 25th Anniversary
• New Lobster Mandatory V-Notch Rules In New York Marine Waters
• Research Report: Effects of Acidification on Juvenile Lobsters Being Studied at UMaine
• Research Report: Fact Sheet Released on Status of Eutrophication in the …

Project Limulus: Understanding And Conserving A Critical Natural Resource, Jennifer H. Mattei

Jennifer Mattei

Mattei, fellow SHU associate professor of Biology, Dr. Mark Beekey, and many other devoted biologists and conservationists are deeply committed to studying and preserving Limulus polyphemus – the American horseshoe crab. A concerted effort is now under way to locate, count and tag horseshoe crabs – whose numbers have declined since the early 1990s. The crabs are considered to be both a dominant and a “keystone” species of the intertidal zone. Their greatest value to humankind is that the blood of Limulus has an amazing property: It contains unique blood cells (amebocytes) that are used to test human vaccines for …

Exploring The Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries occasional publications

This booklet is designed to assist you in exploring and appreciating the Houtman Abrolhos Islands. It provides a general overview on the attributes of the Abrolhos that make it so unique. A place rich in ecological, historical, economic and cultural significance for Western Australia.

Apart from being an introduction to the Abrolhos, the booklet also provides background and context for the various management plans and strategies developed and implemented to sustainably manage these Islands and their surrounding waters.

An Approach For Use Of Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (Didson) To Quantify Behavioral Aspects Of Piscivory At Ecologically Relevant Time And Space Scales, Victoria E. Price

Master's Theses

Predator-prey interactions of large vagile fishes are difficult to study in the ocean due to limitations in the space and time requirements for observations. Small-scale direct underwater observations by divers (<10m >radius) and large-scale hydroacoustic surveys (10s - 100s km2) are traditional approaches. However, large piscivorous predators identify and attack prey at the scale of meters to tens of meters. Dual- Frequency Identification Sonar, or DIDSON, is a high-resolution acoustic camera operating in the MHz range that provides detailed continuous video-like imaging of objects out to 30 m range. This technology can be used to observe predator-prey interactions at ecologically …

Terrestrial Habitat Requirements Of Nesting Freshwater Turtles, D. A. Steen, J. P. Gibbs, K. A. Buhlman, J. L. Carr, B. W. Compton, J. D. Congdon, J. S. Doody, J. C. Godwin, Kerry L. Holcomb, D. R. Jackson, F. J. Janzen, G. Johnson, M. T. Jones, J. T. Lamer, T. A. Langen, M. V. Plummer, J. W. Rowe, R. A. Saumure, J. K. Tucker, D. S. Wilson

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Because particular life history traits affect species vulnerability to development pressures, cross-species summaries of life history traits are useful for generating management guidelines. Conservation of aquatic turtles, many members of which are regionally or globally imperiled, requires knowing the extent of upland habitat used for nesting. Therefore, we compiled distances that nests and gravid females had been observed from wetlands. Based on records of > 8000 nests and gravid female records compiled for 31 species in the United States and Canada, the distances that encompass 95% of nests vary dramatically among genera and populations, from just 8 m for Malaclemys to …

Genetic Variation In Potentially Virulent Vibrio Parahaemolyticus From The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Nicholas Felix Noriea Iii

Dissertations

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V_p) is a gram-negative bacterium found naturally in marine and estuarine environments. V_p is found in oysters including those which are later consumed by the public. Sub-populations of potentially virulent Vp contain specific virulence factors and are relevant human pathogens capable of causing gastroenteritis, wound infection, and death. The tdh and trh genes, both encoding hemolysins, have been correlated with the majority of clinical V_p isolates but have not been shown to be the definitive virulence factors.

A total of 146 V_p isolates from the northern Gulf of Mexico were collected and probed …

Effects Of Hypoxia And 4-Tert-Octylphenol On Gene Expression Profiles Of The Sheepshead Minnow (Cyprinodon Variegatus), Arthur Alan Karels

Dissertations

Hypoxia occurs in estuaries of northern Gulf of Mexico and world-wide, with increasing frequency/severity via eutrophication and anthropogenic influences. Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) form transcriptional complex and bind DNA at hypoxia responsive elements (HREs) in promoter regions of genes needed for systemic and cellular adaptation of fish to low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia, DO <2.0 mg/ml). Hypoxia-induced activation of HIF-αs can lead to a cascade of downstream activation, such as erythropoietin (EPO). Return to normal DO levels (normoxia), prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs) are activated to degrade HIF-αs back to baseline. Fish are affected by environmental estrogen mimics, like 4-tert-octylphenol (4tOP), binding estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) at estrogen responsive elements (EREs) and activating genes vitellogenin (VTG). Previous research showed overlap or crosstalk between these two mechanistic pathways. Hypoxia triggers unknown factors regulating ERE-mediated ERα signaling pathway, and stressor combinations could increase/decrease hypoxic or endocrine pathway. Research examined molecular/physiological effects of hypoxia (acute and chronic, moderate and severe) and 4tOP (~60μg/L)on adult male and/or female sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus). Three genes identified, cloned, and sequenced (HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and PHD3), plus previously identified genes EPO and VTG, were examined in liver/testes exposed to hypoxia and/or 4tOP for cellular/physiological changes. Endpoints examined included mRNA expression from real-time PCR of HIF-1α, HIF-2α, PHD3, EPO, and VTG using cDNA from total RNA extracts, and microarray analyses of genes expressed during the transition from hypoxia back to normoxia. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed isolation of two HIF-α isofoms (HIF-1α and HIF-2α) and the PHD3 isoform. Significant up-regulation of PHD3 occurred within 10 hrs of chronic hypoxia, and persisted when severe (1.5 mg/L) and declined when moderate (~2.5mg/L). Significant up-regulation of HIF-1α and EPO occurred within 30 minutes to 2 hours of onset of acute severe and very severe (~1.08mg/L) hypoxia. Hypoxia acted similar to an estrogen mimic, with huge up-regulation of VTG gene expression in males, and increased VTG levels (additive effect) when hypoxia was combined with 4tOP. Microarray analyses showed 125 genes with significant transcriptional change, with up- or down-regulation from transitions of: (1) hypoxia (72 hrs) to normoxia (74 hrs) and (2) hypoxia+4tOP (72 hrs) to normoxia+4tOP (74 hrs).

Comparison Of Creel Survey Data To Traditional Sampling Techniques In Pit-Lake Fisheries Of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, Derek L. Rupert

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Populations of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides, and bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus, were evaluated from five pit-lakes in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky, to determine if accurate proportional stock density (PSD) data can be obtained from a mandatory creel survey. It was hypothesized that the proportion of stock-to-quality (300-400mm) and quality (+400mm) largemouth bass from four years (2007-2010) of creel survey data would be statistically similar to those generated through on-site sampling in 2011. Fish were collected via a combination of gill netting, seining, hook-and-line fishing, and boat-mounted electro-fishing. In two of the pit-lakes, the sampling-generated length frequency data was not significantly …

The Lobster Bulletin, Spring 2012, Lobster Institute, University Of Maine

Lobster Bulletin

The Lobster Bulletin newsletter includes research updates, and information on lobsters and the lobster industry. The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine is dedicated to protecting and conserving the lobster resource, and enhancing lobstering as an industry and a way of life.

Headlines in the Spring 2012 issue include:

• Lobster Institute’s 2012 Canadian/U.S. Lobstermen’s Town Meeting Attracts over 100
• Darden Restaurants to Establish a “Lobster Farm” in Malaysia
• National Seafood Marketing Coalition Addresses U.S. Senate
• Lobster Science Symposium Planned for November
• Research Report: Warm Water Affecting Lobsters
• Research Report: Steneck participates in Task Force on Global Fishing
• Lobster Institute’s …

Double-Crested Cormorant Distribution On Catfish Aquaculture In The Yazoo River Basin Of Mississippi, Brian S. Dorr, Loren W. Burger, Scott C. Barras, Kristina Casscles Godwin

Brian S Dorr

No abstract provided.

Temperature Effects On Growth And Stress Physiology Of Brook Trout: Implications For Climate Change Impacts On An Iconic Cold-Water Fish, Joseph G. Chadwick Jr

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Despite the threat of climate change, the physiological mechanisms by which temperature drives the distribution of species are unclear. Here we used chronic temperature exposures to determine that the upper limit for positive growth in the eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is 23.4 °C. Additionally, brook trout exposed to daily temperature oscillations of 8 °C, around a mean of 21 °C, exhibited growth rates that were 43 and 35% lower by length and weight respectively, than in constant 21 °C controls. Limitations in growth were associated with increases in indicators of the physiological stress response. Individuals exposed to …

A Numerical Study On Hydraulic Characteristics In The Ice Harbor-Type Fishway, Seojun Kim, Kwonkyu Yu, Byungman Yoon, Yoonsung Lim

Journal Articles

Recently various types of fishways have been developed and constructed in order to preserve diversity of fish species and restore the riverine ecological system. Some of the fishways in Korea, however, seem to be designed and installed without careful study on their functions and swimming characteristics of target fishes. The present study aims to elucidate proper hydraulic characteristics of the Ice Harbor-type fishway. In the present study, we analyzed the hydraulic characteristics depending on changes in the spans of walls in the Ice Harbor-type fishways, by using Flow-3D, a three dimensional numerical simulation program. Two physical experiments were performed to …

Diversity And Distribution Of Mongolian Fish: Recent State, Trends And Studies, Yuri Dgebuadze, Bud Mendsaikhan, Ayurin Dulmaa

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

The studies in recent years (2000-2011) have allowed to make more precise the list and ranges of Mongolian fish. This is connected with new findings as well as the continuing process of invasion of alien species. Climate change and increase of human impact transformed ranges and local distribution of fish during last 30 years. Bias on ratio of ecological guilds, number of pathological findings are increasing, and declining of local diversity, rate of growth and fecundity of many species of fish are observed. In the course of long-term observation was confirmed periodically drying of waters of the Central Asian Lake …

Efficacy, Effort, And Cost Comparisons Of Trapping And Acetaminophen-Baiting For Control Of Brown Treesnakes On Guam, Larry Clark, Peter J. Savarie, John A. Shivik, Stewart W. Breck, Brian S. Dorr

Brian S Dorr

Abstract: Brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) are an invasive species to the island of Guam. Because they have extirpated the native forest avifauna on Guam and are a threat to other Pacific islands, the development of efficient and cost-effective methods to control them is desired. We compared the efficacy, cost, and effort required to remove brown treesnakes on 6-ha plots in forest scrub on Guam, using 2 methods: trapping and poison baiting. Toxic baits consisted of dead neonatal mice adulterated with 80-mg acetaminophen. To assess efficacy, we used mark-recapture methods to estimate snake abundance on plots 12 days before and 12 …

The Direction Of Research And Management Of Double-Crested Cormorants Heading Into The 2000s: Symposium Overview And Future Information Needs, Brian S. Dorr, Christopher Somers

Brian S Dorr

Abstract.—An overview is provided of a symposium on the direction of research and management of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) heading into the 2000s. The current symposium built on previous efforts and described a number of focus areas of informational need, including cormorant impacts on natural resources, demographics of cormorants, assessment of control efforts, assessment of fish consumption and bioenergetics, and cormorant spatial ecology and influences on movements. The cormorant symposium highlighted a shift in research focus relative to earlier symposia, from evaluating potential impacts on commercial and natural resources to evaluating management actions in attaining desired goals. In addition, the …

Modification Of Net Configurations Of The Coda Netlauncher© To Enhance Bird Capture, Amanda M. Prisock, Brian S. Dorr, James C. Cumbee

Brian S Dorr

Abstract: We modified and evaluated capture nets fi red from the Coda Netlauncher® as a tool for capturing various avian species. We modified the netlauncher by using customized nets to maximize the area of the capture zone. We captured 137 birds, comprising 12 species, in 23 attempts between July 2008 and October 2009 using this method. Capture success rates varied from 25 to 69% were comparable to success rates reported for other capture methods for these species. However, individual capture success for different net configurations varied greatly from 3 to 65%. Minimal injuries and 2 bird fatalities were reported. The …

Management Of Double-Crested Cormorants To Improve Sport Fisheries In Michigan: Three Case Studies, Brian S. Dorr, Shauna L. Hanisch, Peter H. Butchko, David G. Fielder

Brian S Dorr

No abstract provided.

Towards Optimized Population Control Efficiency In Space And Time: A Modelling Framework Adapted To A Colonial Waterbird, Alban Guillaumet, Brian S. Dorr, Guiming Wang

Brian S Dorr

The double-crested cormorant is a native North American waterbird that recently underwent a dramatic population expansion. Population control efforts in the USA and Canada attempt to mitigate cormorant damages to natural resources and aquaculture. However, there is currently no coordination among the various stakeholders involved in management activities as well as no attempt to optimize population control efficiency. In this paper, we present for the first time a spatially explicit stage-structured metapopulation model parameterized for the cormorant. We developed simulation tools to get insights into the efficiency gain that can be expected from a better planning of management activities in …

Summer And Migrational Movements Of Satellite-Marked Double-Crested Cormorants From A Breeding Colony Managed By Egg-Oiling In Lake Ontario, Usa, Brian S. Dorr, Jimmy D. Taylor Ii, Scott J. Werner, D. Tommy King, James F. Farquhar, Irene M. Mazzocchi, Russell D. Mccullough

Brian S Dorr

Abstract.—A two-year satellite telemetry study was initiated in May 2000 at a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) breeding colony on Little Galloo Island (LGI) in eastern Lake Ontario, New York, USA, which is managed by egg-oiling. The objective was to describe cormorant (N = 26/year) movements, specifically during the period of reproductive management by egg-oiling and seasonally (breeding, migration and wintering). Egg-oiling at two-week intervals resulted in a hatch success on LGI of 5.7% for 2000 and 2001, combined. The majority (97%) of core use areas of marked cormorants contained LGI throughout three egg-oiling treatments (six weeks), and 71% still contained …

Reaching Into The Past For Future Resilience: Recovery Efforts In Maine Rivers And Coastal Waters, John Lichter, Ted Ames

Maine Policy Review

John Lichter and Ted Ames discuss how analysis of environmental histories of human activities affecting Maine’s estuary, river, and coastal marine ecosystems can shed light on the role key fish species may play. Through Maine’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative, a group of researchers from Bowdoin, Bates, Univer­sity of Southern Maine, and Penobscot East Resource Center have teamed up to examine ecological recovery in the state’s waterways and coastal fisheries. Several river restoration efforts were already underway, and others are being planned as a direct result of this inter­disciplinary project.

Priority Effects Among Young-Of-The-Year Fish: Reduced Growth Of Bluegill Sunfish (Lepomis Macrochirus) Caused By Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens)?, Mark A. Kaemingk, Jeffrey C. Jolley, David W. Willis, Steven R. Chipps

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

1. When available, Daphnia spp. are often preferred by age-0 yellow perch and bluegill sunfish because of energetic profitability. We hypothesised that predation by age-0 yellow perch could lead to a midsummer decline (MSD) of Daphnia spp. and that priority effects may favour yellow perch because they hatch before bluegill, allowing them to capitalise on Daphnia spp. prior to bluegill emergence. 2. Data were collected from 2004 to 2010 in Pelican Lake, Nebraska, U.S.A. The lake experienced a prolonged MSD in all but 1 year (2005), generally occurring within the first 2 weeks of June except in 2008 and 2010 …

Age Composition And Distribution Of Red Drum (Sciaenops Ocellatus) In Offshore Waters Of The North Central Gulf Of Mexico: An Evaluation Of A Stock Under A Federal Harvest Moratorium, Sean P. Powers, Crystal Hightower, J. Marcus Drymon, Matthew W. Johnson

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Because of a lack of fishery- dependent data, assessment of the recovery of fish stocks that undergo the most aggressive form of management, namely harvest moratoriums, remains a challenge. Large schools of red drum (Sclaenops ocellatus) were common along the northern Gulf of Mexico until the late 1980s when increased fishing effort quickly depleted the stock. After 24 years of harvest moratorium on red drum in federal waters, the stock is in need of reassessment; however, fishery dependent data are not available in federal waters and fishery-independent data are limited. We document the distribution, age composition, growth, and condition of …