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Comparison Of Different Extraction Solvents Used In Gc-Ms Analysis For Detectingvolatile Odor Compounds In Heat Cow Sweat, Özgül Ani̇taş, Serap Göncü

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The accurate estrus detection is essential for successful reproduction. Many scientists reported the importance of pheromones for accurate detection of estrus. In addition, the choice of the appropriate device and the appropriate extraction solvent is important for obtaining quickly and more estrus-specific pheromones. In this study, sweat samples were collected in heat cows and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the gas chromatography mass spectrometry were evaluated using three different solvents (diethyl ether, dichloromethane, and hexane) for extraction. VOCs with different numbers and different ratios were identified in all three extraction solvents. As the solvent, 9 compounds were detected in diethyl …

Investigation Of The Zinc Accumulation In The Tissue And Performance In Broilers Raisedwith High Levels Of Zinc Sulfate Feed Under Heat Stress, Thawinan Waeothong, Jai Wei Lee, Liang Chou Hsia

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of feeding zinc sulfate on the growth performance, Zn accumulation in the tissue, and the tibia quality. First day old of 100 chicks were randomly assigned to 10 experimental groups in a 5 (0 mg/kg Zn, 40 mg/kg ZnO, 40 mg/kg ZnSO$_{4}$.H$_{2}$O, 500 mg/kg ZnSO$_{}$, and 1000 mg/kg ZnSO$_{4}$) × 2 (high and low temperature) factorial arrangement under randomized complete block design (RCBD). Each experimental group was replicated with 10 birds. Birds were kept in individual cage until 42 days. The results showed that broilers receiving the zinc sulfate supplementation …

Power Of Body Live Weights In Differentiation Physiological Growth Of Goat Breeds, Raed Alatiyat, Amani Al-Dawood

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

We assumed that live body weight (LBW) would be useful to be utilized as informative categorical variable in differentiation goat performance towards better assignment into breeds. One-day old goat kids of both sexes were separately allocated as 3 breeds: Baladi, crossbreds and Shami. The kid LBW was recorded weekly until the 12th week of age. Weekly LBW showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) for both males and females of the 3 breeds and highly significant (p < 0.0001) between breeds. The high phenotypic correlation between most of the studied measurements encouraged us to investigate their efficiency in breed differentiation at early life age. Results showed that only LBW of the week 1, 2, 5, 9, and 11, and week 1, 2, 3, 11, and 12 were efficient in discriminating male and female kids, respectively. These results were better presented by showing significant genetic distances (p < 0.0001) between the breeds using the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram. It is inferred that the phylogenetic tree lengths of the three breeds were 29.02 and 222.13 for male and female kids, respectively. Baladi and crossbred kids of both sexes grouped into one cluster closer than Shami kids. The canonical discriminant analysis was proved its successfulness for identifying breed based on LBW measurement.

An Assessment Of Ensiling Potential In Maize X Legume (Soybean And Cowpea) Binarymixtures For Yield And Feeding Quality, Erdem Gülümser, Hani̇fe Mut, Uğur Başaran, Medi̇ne Çopur Doğrusöz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In this study, maize and legume intercropping were evaluated in terms of silage yield and quality. Maize (Zea mays L.''M'') was intercropped with soybean (Glycine max L. ''S'') and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. ''C'') as binary mixtues (maize + legume), and the seed rates were as follows: 100 + 0%, 75 + 25%, 50 + 50% and 25 + 75%. The harvested plants were chopped with the particle size of < 2, ensiled in 2 kg plastic jars and left fermentation at 25 ± 2 °C for 45 days. In this study, silage yield, dry matter ratio, pH value, crude protein ratio, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, digestibility of dry matter, dry matter intake, total digestibil nutrient relative feed values, lactic acid, acetic acid, butyric acid, malic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, oxalic acid, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium contents were determined. All the M + S mixtures showed high performance in terms of Flieg score and lactic acid content. The highest relative feed quality value was determined in the sole cowpea (156.4) and 25M + 75S% (148.5) mixture. As a result, intercropping maize with legumes resulted in superior silage quality without a reduction in yield.

Investigation Of Relationships Between Placental Characteristics And Kid Birth Weight Ingoats, Çağri Kandemi̇r, Fatma Akkaya, Turğay Taşkin, Bi̇sem Ni̇sa Kandemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of this study was to determine the relationships among the kid birth weight, the placental, and cotyledon traits in Saanen goats. The effect of parity, birth type, and birth weight (BIRWT), on placental and cotyledon characteristics, were analyzed by the general linear model. Significant differences for birth type occurred on cotyledon length (CL) and cotyledon depth (CDEP). The means for cotyledon width (CWID) and cotyledon depth (CDEP) were 21.52 and 0.361 mm, respectively. The general means of total cotyledon surface area (TCSA), cotyledon number (CN), and cotyledon weight (CWE) were 67.27 cm$^{2}$, 66.76 unit, and 153.51 g, respectively. …

Variations In The Median Sacral Crest And Angulation Of The First Sacral Spinous Process Associated With Sacrocaudal Fusion In Greyhounds, Saad M. Y. Ismail, Christina M. Murray, Mark A. Stevenson, Hung-Hsun Yen, Helen M. S. Davies

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The current study aimed to investigate the association between the morphology of the median sacral crest, variation in the angle of the spinous process of the first sacral vertebra, and the occurrence of sacrocaudal fusion in greyhounds. In this study, 167 sacra from cadavers of greyhounds (previously euthanized for reasons unrelated to this study) were collected, classified into standard and fuses sacra (based on the number of fused vertebrae and type of fusion), and then classified based on the morphology of the median sacral crest into three different types: type F (full crest), type N (when the median sacral crest …

Effects Of Feed Restriction On The Occurrence Of White Striping And Wooden Breast Myopathies, Performance, Carcass Characteristics And Some Blood Parameters In Broiler Chickens, Hayri̇ye Değer Oral Toplu, Serap Ünübol Aypak, Ahmet Nazligül, Mehmet Kaya

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was planned to determine the effects of feed restriction applied at different times and levels on the occurrence of white striping and wooden breast myopathies, performance, carcass characteristics and some blood parameters in broilers. In total, 600 male broilers were randomly placed to 5 groups with eight replicates. Control group was fed ad libitum throughout experimental period. T1 and T2 groups received feed as 80% and 70% of control group from 11 to 24 days of age, respectively. T3 and T4 groups received feed as 80% and 70% of control group from 25 to 39 days of age, …

Mediator Margins In The Dairy Supply Chain And Factors Influencing Marketing Preferences In Eastern Mediterranean Region Of Turkey, Mehmet Feri̇t Can, Ayteki̇n Günlü, Yilmaz Aral, Tuğba Sarihan Şahi̇n, Mehmet Saltuk Arikan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The purpose of this study is to identify the shares of the intermediaries in the Eastern Mediterranean region milk supply chain (I) and to estimate the factors influencing the raw milk marketing preferences of milk producers (II). The research was conducted in 2017 with 102 dairy farms and 36 dairy industry enterprises in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, and Osmaniye provinces. As a result of the research, it was found that 85% of the milk produced by dairy farms was offered to the market, 65% of the milk entering the supply chain was transferred to the dairy industry and the average capacity utilization …

Comparative Efficiency Of Five Mathematical Functions In Modelling The First Lactation Milk Yield Of Kankrej Cattle, Thiruvothur Venkatesan Raja, Achintya Kumar Das, Satish Kumar Rathee, Umesh Singh, Sushil Kumar, Bharat Singh Rathod, Harshad Panchasara

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Modelling of first lactation milk yield of Kankrej cattle was done using five different non-linear mathematical functions viz., exponential decline function (EDF), gamma function (GF), inverse polynomial function (IPF), mixed log function (MLF) and parabolic exponential function (PEF). We compared their efficiency in describing variations in first lactation milk yield of animals maintained under field conditions. A total of 3994 fortnightly daily milk records of 203 Kankrej cattle calved during the years between 2011 and 2017 at farmers? herds in the Banaskantha region of Gujarat State, India were utilized for the study. The PROC NLIN procedure of Statistical Analysis Software …

Evaluation Of Cyp19 As A Candidate Gene For Milk Production Traits In Native Cattle Andbuffalo Populations Of Southern India, Sudhakar Krovvidi, Thiruvenkadan Kannan Aranganoor, Saravanan Ramasamy, Vinoo Regula, Muralidhar Metta, Jeyakumar Mani

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Candidate gene approach facilitates searching causative polymorphisms that influence quantitative traits. Biosynthesis of estrogen catalyzed by aromatase, a product of the CYP19 gene affect lactogenesis. The objective of the study was to determine the polymorphism in the promoter region of CYP19 gene by PCR-RFLP and was undertaken on 502 bovine species belonging to Ongole (Bos indicus), Holstein Friesian crossbred, Jersey crossbred cattle, and Murrah buffaloes reared across Southern India. The frequency of the CYP19A allele was 0.90, 0.88, and 0.77 in Jersey crossbred, HF crossbred, and Ongole cattle, respectively. The BB genotypes could not be observed in Jersey crossbred cattle. …

In Vitro Gas Production And Fatty Acids Biohydrogenation Of Diets Containing Different Unsaturated Fatty Acids Sources Plus Crude Glycerin, Arturo Samuel Gomez Insuasti, Yury Tatiana Granja-Salcedo, Julian Andres Castillo Vargas, Juliana Duarte Messana, Ana Paula De Oliveira Sader, Telma Teresinha Berchielli

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

An in vitro trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of different unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) sources plus crude glycerin (CGL) on gas production and rumen biohydrogenation (RBH). Incubated diet corresponded to diets containing corn silage (30%) and concentrate (70%) composed of corn, urea, mineral salts, CGL, and different UFA sources as follows: no additional fat (NAF), rumen protected fat (RPF), soybean oil, linoleic acid (LA) or alpha-linolenic acid (LN). Methane concentrations in LA and LN were lower compared to NAF (p < 0.001), but when CH4 was expressed as a proportion of total gas, NAF and RPF showed the greatest values among evaluated UFA sources (p = 0.001). 18:1 t11 concentration showed a faster increase from 0 to 1 h and a slower decrease from 1 to 36 h of incubation, irrespective of UFA source. A higher C18:1 t11 production rate was observed from 1 h to 5 h of incubation, where LA and LN have higher values compared to NAF and RPF diets (p < 0.001). Diets with a high content of LA may be efficient as a nutritional approach to reduce methane production and RBH, resulting in positive effects on vaccenic acid concentrations.

Factors Influencing Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity In Mine Pit Lakes Along The Mesabi Iron Range, Jeremy Laurich

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Restoration of mine pit lakes for recreation is going to be very important for the future of Minnesota’s Mesabi Iron Range area. As many as 250 lakes will need to be restored in the future along this 100-kilometer-long swath of mining country. Information regarding the organisms that currently inhabit these lakes is important for future restorations to be a success. The focus of this study was to identify the types of aquatic invertebrates present in pit lakes and to identify some of the factors that influence their abundance and diversity. During this study, invertebrate samples were taken along the shore …

Is There A Relationship Between Aquatic Vegetation And Amphipod Stocking Mortality?, Alaina Taylor

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Amphipod occurrence and abundance has declined in the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR). Wildlife managers have stocked prairie pothole wetlands with Gammarus lacustris since 2018 to establish self-sustaining populations. G. lacustris have been detected in only 2 of 22 stocked basins, suggesting that they have died or failed to reproduce in most stocking attempts. Aquatic plant surveys were conducted in stocked wetlands and compared to data from surveys of wetlands with naturally occurring populations to understand if G. lacustris would be expected to survive in stocked wetlands based on characteristics of the aquatic vegetation communities. SAV coverage was significantly higher in …

Predicting Total Length Of Fish In Minnesota Lakes Using Bony Structure Dimensions, Jay Holland

Journal of Earth and Life Science

This study seeks to establish a relationship between a fish’s total length to the size of various bony structures of prey fishes. Three important prey fish species in Minnesota were selected for examination in this study, including Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus, Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus, and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens. Length and weight dimensions of each fish’s otoliths, cleithra, and vertebrae were associated to total lengths of the fish they came from. In many dietary studies, the need for these relationships is strongly related to the disfigurement or degradation of prey fish in stomach samples. With accurate enough regression equations, researchers …

Abiotic Factors Effect On Summertime Fish Sampling, Kyle Oxley

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Fish surveys are vital in understanding various information about a fishery. Surveys lay the groundwork to how an agency views the status of the fishery, are used to set appropriate regulations, and manage stocking. Understanding which areas of a fishery holds the greatest density of fish is key to achieving the most accurate sample that reflects the fishery. The objective of this study was to track fish densities throughout the summer of 2021 and establish if there is a relationship between high fish density locations and specific water column characteristics. Fish density, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were measured bimonthly at …

Burbot Post-Spawn Diet, Madison Gibson

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Burbots have become an increasingly popular game fish among anglers and have become a strong predator within the systems, consuming a wide variety of organisms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare male and female burbots diets post-spawn in a system. Burbots angled from Bad Medicine Lake were sacrificed and the stomach contents were observed, categorized by the lowest taxonomic key, and then weighed in grams. Percent by weight was calculated for each category of organisms and presented in a pie charts. In all three analyses, crustaceans were the main source of the diet structure at more than …

Exploring The Genetic Variability Of Zebra Mussels Dreisenna Polymoprha, Maxwell Carr

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Zebra Mussels Dreisenna polymorpha are one of the most well-known invasive species here in the United States. This species can take over watersheds very quickly, causing damage to both the ecosystem and man-made structures. The basic physical behavior of this species has been well documented, but the invasive North American Zebra Mussel is much more aggressive and therefore causes more damage in the Great Lakes region compared to its native waters. Genetic variation may be playing a very large role in how and why D. polymorpha is causing such large problems for stakeholders in the United States. This review cites …

Effectiveness Of Endothall Treatment In Reducing Potamogeton Crispus In Lake Julia, Jake Sorensen

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Curly leaf pondweed Potamogeton crispus, is a submerged aquatic plant non-native to North America. It was most likely introduced when common carp Cyprinus carpio were intentionally brought to the Midwest. Endothall is an aquatic herbicide commonly used to control curlyleaf pondweed in lakes. This study focused on collecting data from Lake Julia in Sherburne County, MN. Lake Julia is treated annually in the spring to control curlyleaf pondweed. The results show treatment areas saw a significant increase in vegetation density compared to control areas (P < 0.01). Changes in percent vegetation coverage by date were insignificant (P = 0.24). No significant signs of fish kills were observed. Because this study looked at overall vegetation coverage instead of specifically curlyleaf pondweed, we cannot conclude the increase in vegetation coverage was from curlyleaf pondweed alone. Based on the results from Poovey et al. (2002) we would expect lower vegetation coverage in treatment areas instead of the increased vegetation coverage observed in our study. This suggests the possibility that the endothall treatment successfully killed curlyleaf pondweed in treated areas, which allowed for new growth of submerged aquatic plants to take place as water temperatures increased.

Embracing Dynamic Models For Gene Drive Management, Andrew J. Golnar, Emily W. Ruell, Alun L. Lloyd, Kim M. Pepin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Robust methods of predicting how gene drive systems will interact with ecosystems is essential for safe deployment of gene drive technology. We describe how quantitative tools can reduce risk uncertainty, streamline empirical research, guide risk management, and promote cross-sector collaboration throughout the process of gene drive technology development and implementation.

Gene drive technologies, although diverse in design and mode of action, are molecular architectures that promote the transmission of genetic information between generations. In theory, the release of one gene-drive-modified organism (GDMO) has the potential to irreversibly alter species, ecosystems, and environmental processes at a global scale (although in practice …

Economic Effects Of Predation By Scaup On Baitfish And Sportfish Farms, Carole R. Engle, Stephen Clements, Brian S. Dorr, J. Brian Davis, Luke A. Roy, Anita M. Kelly

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fish-eating birds have been found to consume baitfish and sportfish raised on farms in the United States. Understanding the on-farm economic effects of such wildlife conflicts is essential for wildlife management agencies to make informed decisions. Lesser scaup, while not widely considered a fisheating bird, will consume farmed fish. Baitfish and sportfish farms in Arkansas (the major baitfish and sportfish producingstate in the U.S.) were surveyed to gather data on the cost of protecting farm crops from scaup. The values of lost sales revenue from the various species of baitfish and sportfish consumed by scaup were estimated based on a …

Rabies Post-Exposure Healthcare-Seeking Behaviors And Perceptions: Results From A Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices Survey, Uganda, 2013, Sarah C. Bonaparte, Laura Adams, Barnabas Bakamutumaho, Galileu Barbosa Costa, Julie M. Cleaton, Amy Gilbert, Modupe Osinubi, Emily G. Pieracci, Sergio Recuenco, Victor Tugumizemu, Joseph Wamala, Ryan M. Wallace

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background Rabies is a viral disease of animals and people causing fatal encephalomyelitis if left untreated. Although effective pre- and post-exposure vaccines exist, they are not widely available in many endemic countries within Africa. Since many individuals in these countries remain at risk of infection, post-exposure healthcare-seeking behaviors are crucial in preventing infection and warrant examination.

Methodology A rabies knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey was conducted at 24 geographically diverse sites in Uganda during 2013 to capture information on knowledge concerning the disease, response to potential exposure events, and vaccination practices. Characteristics of the surveyed population and of the canine-bite …

Differing Alterations Of Odor Volatiles Among Pathogenic Stimuli, Patrick Millet, Talia Martin, Maryanne Opiekun, Gary K. Beauchamp, Bruce A. Kimball

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Alterations of the volatile metabolome (the collection of volatiles present in secretions and other emanations) that occur in response to inflammation can be detected by conspecifics and chemometric analyses. Using a model system where mouse urinary metabolites are altered by treatment with lipopolysaccharide (found in the outer cell membrane of gram-negative bacteria), we hypothesized that alteration of body odor volatiles will vary according to the pathogen responsible for inducing the inflammation. We tested this hypothesis by treating mice with different immunogens that engage different immune signaling pathways. Results suggest that alterations of body odor volatiles resulting from inflammation do contain …

Using Object-Based Image Analysis To Detect Laughing Gull Nests, Benjamin F. Martini, Douglas A. Miller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Remote sensing has long been used to study wildlife; however, manual methods of detecting wildlife in aerial imagery are often time-consuming and prone to human error, and newer computer vision techniques have not yet been extensively applied to wildlife surveys. We used the object-based image analysis (OBIA) software eCognition to detect laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) nests in Jamaica Bay as part of an ongoing monitoring effort at the John F. Kennedy International Airport. Our technique uses a combination of high resolution 4-band aerial imagery captured via manned aircraft with a multispectral UltraCam Falcon M2 camera, LiDAR point cloud data, and …

Soil Response Of Helicopter Liming In The Monongahela National Forest, Jarrett Douglas Fowler

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Soils in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) are acidic due to sandstone parent material, acid deposition, uptake of base cations by vegetation, and release of organic acids by organic matter (OM) decomposition. Increases in soil acidity have caused declines in forest health and changed species composition and nutrient status. Liming can neutralize soil acidity, but no large-scale liming projects have been done on acid forest soils in the USA. In anticipation of acquiring funding for a proposed liming project in the MNF, in 2007 and 2009 10 sites were selected to sample and analyze soils before lime was applied. In …

An Examination Of Limiting Factors Of Chrysemys Picta Bellii (Western Painted Turtles) In The Lower Willamette River Basin, Oregon, James P. Holley

Environmental Science and Management Professional Master's Project Reports

Oregon’s two native freshwater turtle species, Chrysemys picta bellii (Western painted turtle) and Actinemys marmorata (Northwestern pond turtle), have seen significantly reduced population sizes since the founding of Portland in 1845, with estimates of up to 90% for A. marmorata. This project examined turtle nesting activity at 25 sites across a range of turtle populations and habitats around the Lower Willamette River Basin. All discovered turtle nesting activity was found in areas of high solar exposure. We found 93% of over 400 nest attempts to have been depredated across the 25 sites, well above most other reported rates. At …

Changes In The Philippine Coastal Environment, Karl H. Szekielda, Ma. Aileen Leah G. Guzman

Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Global warming is progressing at a faster speed than has been estimated earlier in climate forecasting, and the ocean responds rather quickly to global temperature increase. This study uses remotely sensed data that were accessed from the System for Multidisciplinary Research and Applications (NASA Giovanni) to study environmental change in the Philippines’ coast. Monthly averaged sea surface temperature series from around the Philippines indicate that the Philippines follow the global trend in ocean temperature increase and show the increase of about 0.50C within two decades. Despite the high variability in temperature, the linear regressions displayed for all seasons show an …

Effects Of Harvest Regulations And Post-Release Hooking Mortality On Walleye Populations In South Dakota, Cade Lyon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Harvest regulations are commonly implemented to manipulate fisheries stocks. By regulating the size and number of fish that are harvested by anglers, managers are able to meet the goals and needs of regions. However, these management actions come with the potential for negative consequences. Overexploitation due to less restrictive harvest regulations can cause collapses in fisheries populations. In addition, indirect consequences such as hooking mortality brought on by length-based regulations can also be detrimental to populations. In this study, I investigated the effects of various harvest regulations on Walleye populations in three western South Dakota irrigation reservoirs: Angostura, Belle Fourche, …

The Effects Of Genetic Differences In An Innate Immune Receptor On Immune Responses To Haemonchus Contortus In Sheep, Denzel Deshawn Middleton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Little is known about differences observed in early immunological signaling events that result in cellular infiltration and Th2 cytokine production that mediate parasite expulsion. Parasite resistant St. Croix (STC) sheep have been used as model for full host protective immunity as they present the ability to respond to larval stages of H. contortus. RNA sequencing analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated with H. contortus larval antigen (HcLA) revealed significant upregulation in NLRP3 and its pathway component TLR4. Predicted protein structural software identified distinct differences in NLRP3 protein structure in STC and parasite susceptible Suffolk (SUF) sheep. NLRP3 …

A Survey Of Anthelmintic Resistance In Angus Bulls Participating In Centralized Performance Tests In Appalachia, Roger Tyler Rohrbaugh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resistance to anthelmintics, more commonly referred to as “de-wormers,” has been on the rise in parasites that affect cattle. Parasite infection can have severe impacts on calf productivity resulting in reduced profitability. Therefore, we sought to better understand anthelmintic resistance in Appalachia by surveying Angus bulls entering performance tests in VA and WV. During a four-year period, over 1050 Angus bulls were tested at bull development facilities in Wardensville, WV, Culpeper, VA and Wytheville, VA. Fecal samples were collected at arrival and 14-21 days later for determination of fecal egg count (FEC) reduction. Upon arrival, all bulls received either fenbendazole …

Evaluation Of Population Structure, Age, Growth, And Mortality Of Blue Catfish And Flathead Catfish Within The Robert C. Byrd Pool Of The Ohio And Kanawha Rivers, Joseph Vincent Siegel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Ohio River is continuing to recover from a long history of anthropogenic impacts. Blue Catfish were considered locally extirpated from the West Virginia sections and have been reintroduced through fingerling stockings beginning in 2002. Flathead Catfish are naturally sustaining in the pool and combined with Blue Catfish provide two popular recreational fisheries. The Blue Catfish and Flathead Catfish studies shared similar objectives: (1) evaluating size structure, (2) estimating growth rates, and (3) estimating annual mortality. From 2017 to 2020, we collected catfish annually through low frequency electrofishing and trotline surveys at 10 fixed locations. Electrofishing catch rates for Blue …