Life Sciences Commons^™

Demographic And Temporal Variations In Immunity And Condition Of Polar Bears (Ursus Maritimus) From The Southern Beaufort Sea, Lorin A. Neuman-Lee, Patricia A. Terletzky, Todd C. Atwood, Eric M. Gese, Geoffrey D. Smith, Sydney Greenfield, John Pettit, Susannah S. French

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Assessing the health and condition of animals in their natural environment can be problematic. Many physiological metrics, including immunity, are highly influenced by specific context and recent events to which researchers may be unaware. Thus, using a multifaceted physiological approach and a context-specific analysis encompassing multiple time scales can be highly informative. Ecoimmunological tools in particular can provide important indications to the health of animals in the wild.We collected blood and hair samples from free-ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea and examined the influence of sex, age, and reproductive status on metrics of immunity, …

Ante-Mortem Detection Of Chronic Wasting Disease In Recto-Anal Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissues From Elk (Cervus Elaphus Nelsoni) Using Real-Time Quaking-Induced Conversion (Rt-Quic) Assay: A Blinded Collaborative Study, Sireesha Manne, Naveen Kondru, Tracy Nichols, Aaron Lehmkuhl, Bruce Thomsen, Rodger Main, Patrick Halbur, Somak Dutta, Anumantha G. Kanthasamy

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Prion diseases are transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) characterized by fatal, progressive neurologic diseases with prolonged incubation periods and an accumulation of infectious misfolded prion proteins. Antemortem diagnosis is often difficult due to a long asymptomatic incubation period, differences in the pathogenesis of different prions, and the presence of very low levels of infectious prion in easily accessible samples. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a TSE affecting both wild and captive populations of cervids, including mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, muntjac, and most recently, wild reindeer. This study represents a well-controlled evaluation of a newly developed real-time quaking-induced conversion (RT-QuIC) …

Livestock Guarding Dogs Today: Possible Solutions To Perceived Limitations, Silvia Ribeiro, Jenny Dornig, Ana Guerra, Jasna Jeremic, Jean-Marc Landry, Daniel Mettler, Vicente Palacios, Ueli Pfister, Simone Ricci, Robin Rigg, Valeria Salvatori, Sider Sedefchev, Elena Tsingarska, Linda Van Bommel, Luisa Vielmi, Julie K. Young, Margherita Zingaro

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Exchanging experience and finding solutions to problems facing the use of livestock guarding dogs (LGDs) in modern societies were among the goals of a meeting organized in Portugal from 20th to 21st October 2015 within the scope of the LIFE MedWolf Project (www.medwolf.eu). The meeting was attended by 16 specialists from around Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Slovakia and Bulgaria), as well as from Australia and the USA.

In this article we outline constraints on the use of LGDs identified during the meeting and summarize the main solutions proposed. We have grouped the issues into 10 main topics …

Seasonal Effects Of Wind Conditions On Migration Patterns Of Soaring American White Pelican, Javier Gutierrez Illan, Guiming Wang, Fred L. Cunningham, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Energy and time expenditures are determinants of bird migration strategies. Soaring birds have developed migration strategies to minimize these costs, optimizing the use of all the available resources to facilitate their displacement. We analyzed the effects of different wind factors (tailwind, turbulence, vertical updrafts) on the migratory flying strategies adopted by 24 satellite-tracked American white pelicans (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) throughout spring and autumn in North America. We hypothesize that different wind conditions encountered along migration routes between spring and autumn induce pelicans to adopt different flying strategies and use of these wind resources. Using quantile regression and fine-scale atmospheric …

Restricted Cross-Scale Habitat Selection By American Beavers, Robert A. Francis, Jimmy D. Taylor, Eric Dibble, Bronson Strickland, Vanessa M. Petro, Christine Easterwood, Guiming Wang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Animal habitat selection, among other ecological phenomena, is spatially scale dependent. Habitat selection by American beavers Castor canadensis (hereafter, beaver) has been studied at singular spatial scales, but to date no research addresses multi-scale selection. Our objectives were to determine if beaver habitat selection was specialized to semiaquatic habitats and if variables explaining habitat selection are consistent between landscape and fine spatial scales. We built maximum entropy (MaxEnt) models to relate landscape-scale presence-only data to landscape variables, and used generalized linearmixed models to evaluate fine spatial scale habitat selection using global positioning system (GPS) relocation data. Explanatory variables between the …

Evaluation Of Antibody Response To An Adjuvanted Hapten-Protein Vaccine As A Potential Inhibitor Of Sexual Maturation For Farmed Atlantic Salmon, Darcy S.O. Mora, Mo D. Salman, Christopher A. Myrick, Jack C. Rhyan, Lowell A. Miller, Ellen Marie Sætre, Douglas C. Eckery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

An experimental contraceptive vaccine was evaluated in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). A peptide derived from the beta subunit of luteinizing hormone (LH) was conjugated to two different carrier proteins, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), and formulated with one of four immunostimulants in a water-in-oil emulsion. Specific antibody responses to the peptide and each carrier protein were evaluated. While the antibody response to KLH was stronger than the response to BSA, both carrier proteins stimulated comparable antibody responses to the LH peptide. The immunostimulant proved to be more important for enhancing the LH peptide antibody response …

Wide But Variable Distribution Of A Hypervirulent Campylobacter Jejuni Clone In Beef And Dairy Cattle In The United States, Yizhi Tang, Richard J. Meinersmann, Orhan Sahin, Zuowei Wu, Lei Dai, James C. Carlson, Jodie Plumblee Lawrence, Linda Genzlinger, Jeffrey T. Lejeune, Qijing Zhang

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Campylobacter jejuni clone SA is the major cause of sheep abortion and contributes significantly to foodborne illnesses in the United States. Clone SA is hypervirulent because of its distinct ability to produce systemic infection and its predominant role in clinical sheep abortion. Despite the importance of clone SA, little is known about its distribution and epidemiological features in cattle. Here we describe a prospective study on C. jejuni clone SA prevalence in 35 feedlots in 5 different states in the United States and a retrospective analysis of clone SA in C. jejuni isolates collected by National Animal Health Monitoring System …

A Review Of Virulent Newcastle Disease Viruses In The United States And The Role Of Wild Birds In Viral Persistence And Spread, Vienna R. Brown, Sarah N. Bevins

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Newcastle disease is caused by virulent strains of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), which causes substantial morbidity and mortality events worldwide in poultry. The virus strains can be differentiated as lentogenic, mesogenic, or velogenic based on a mean death time in chicken embryos. Currently, velogenic strains of NDV are not endemic in United States domestic poultry; however, these strains are present in other countries and are occasionally detected in wild birds in the U.S. A viral introduction into domestic poultry could have severe economic consequences due to the loss of production from sick and dying birds, the cost of control measures …

The 17th Rocky Mountain Virology Association Meeting, Joel Rovnak, Rushika Perera, Matthew W. Hopken, Jenna Read, Derrick M. Waller, Randall J. Cohrs

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Since 2000, scientists and students from the greater Rocky Mountain region, along with invited speakers, both national and international, have gathered at the Mountain Campus of Colorado State University to discuss their area of study, present recent findings, establish or strengthen collaborations, and mentor the next generation of virologists and prionologists through formal presentations and informal discussions concerning science, grantsmanship and network development. This year, approximately 100 people attended the 17th annual Rocky Mountain Virology Association meeting, that began with a keynote presentation, and featured 29 oral and 35 poster presentations covering RNA and DNA viruses, prions, virus-host interactions and …

Limited Antibody Evidence Of Exposure To Mycobacterium Bovis In Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) In The Usa, Kerri Pedersen, Ryan S. Miller, Theodore D. Anderson, Kristy L. Pabilonia, Jonathan R. Lewis, Rebecca L. Mihalco, Christian Gortazar, Thomas Gidlewski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Bovine tuberculosis is a chronic disease of cattle (Bos taurus) caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium bovis. Efforts have been made in the US to eradicate the disease in cattle, but spillover into wildlife and subsequent spillback have impeded progress in some states. In particular, infection in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has been followed by infection in cattle in some Midwestern states. Infection has also been documented in feral swine (Sus scrofa) on the Hawaiian island of Molokai and in various European countries, but no large-scale survey of antibody exposure to the bacteria has …

Identification Of Brucella Spp. In Feral Swine (Sus Scrofa) At Abattoirs In Texas, Usa, Kerri Pedersen, N. E. Bauer, S. Olsen, A. M. Arenas-Gamboa, A. C. Henry, T. D. Sibley, T. Gidlewski

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Various tissues, nasal swabs, urine and blood samples were collected from 376 feral swine at two federally inspected abattoirs in Texas during six separate sampling periods in 2015. Samples were tested for Brucella spp. by culture and serology. Brucella spp. were cultured from 13.0% of feral swine, and antibodies were detected in 9.8%. Only 32.7% of culture-positive feral swine were also antibody positive, and 43.2% of antibody-positive feral swine were culture positive. Approximately, the same number of males (14.0%) and females (12.1%) were culture positive, and slightly more males (10.5%) than females (8.7%) were antibody positive. Our results indicate that …

Plants, Prions And Possibilities: Current Understanding And Significance Of Prion Uptake Into Plants, Tracy A. Nichols

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is an infectious, neurodegenerative disease of deer (white-tailed and mule), elk, moose, sika deer and muntjac caused by a misfolded version of a normally occurring protein. The notion that CWD could be spread indirectly via the environment has been documented and accepted in the scientific community for quite some time. Deer and elk consume soil, inhale dust and lick objects that have infectious material on them, resulting in chronic, low dose exposure. Surface contamination of plants with urine or feces is likely an additional source of exposure via ingestion and has been modeled in the laboratory …

Interpreting And Predicting The Spread Of Invasive Wild Pigs, Nathan P. Snow, Marta A. Jarzyna, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

1. The eruption of invasive wild pigs (IWPs) Sus scrofa throughout the world exemplifies the need to understand the influences of exotic and nonnative species expansions. In particular, the continental USA is precariously threatened by a rapid expansion of IWPs, and a better understanding of the rate and process of spread can inform strategies that will limit the expansion.

2. We developed a spatially and temporally dynamic model to examine three decades (1982– 2012) of IWP expansion, and predict the spread of IWPs throughout the continental USA, relative to where IWPs previously inhabited. We used the model to predict where …

Limited Antigenic Diversity In Contemporary H7 Avian-Origin Influenza A Viruses From North America, Yifei Xu, Elizabeth Bailey, Erica Spackman, Tao Li, Hui Wang, Li-Ping Long, John A. Baroch, Fred L. Cunningham, Xiaoxu Lin, Richard G. Jarman, Thomas J. Deliberto, Xiu-Feng Wan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Subtype H7 avian–origin influenza A viruses (AIVs) have caused at least 500 confirmed human infections since 2003 and culling of >75 million birds in recent years. Here we antigenically and genetically characterized 93 AIV isolates from North America (85 from migratory waterfowl [1976–2010], 7 from domestic poultry [1971–2012], and 1 from a seal [1980]). The hemagglutinin gene of these H7 viruses are separated from those from Eurasia. Gradual accumulation of nucleotide and amino acid substitutions was observed in the hemagglutinin of H7 AIVs from waterfowl and domestic poultry. Genotype characterization suggested that H7 AIVs in wild birds form diverse and …

Tracking A Deadly Virus Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza In Wild Birds, Tom Deliberto, Gail Keirn

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

For Dennis Kohler, the call was somewhat unexpected. On a cold, windy morning in December 2014, Kohler sat in his Colorado office reviewing research plans for upcoming disease studies. A few hours later, Koehler's colleagues at the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., called to notify him and other members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Wildlife Disease Program (NWDP) that recent samples collected from wild birds in Washington State had tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Earlier that month, a die-off of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), American wigeon (A. Americana) and northern …

Monitoring Cryptic Amphibians And Reptiles In A Florida State Park, Richard M. Engeman, Walter E. Meshaka Jr., Robert Severson, Mary Ann Severson, Greg Kaufman, N. Paige Groninger, Henry T. Smith

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We monitored cryptic herpetofauna at Savannas Preserve State Park, Florida, by combining artificial cover counts with a quantitative paradigm for constructing and calculating population indices. Weekly indices were calculated from two consecutive days of data collection each week for 7 months from mid-winter to mid-summer in three habitats. Seventeen species were observed at least once, and time trends using index values were followed for six species. Among these, abundance and seasonal pattern information were obtained for an exotic species (greenhouse frog) and a species identified by the Florida Committee on Rare and Endangered Plants and Animals as threatened (Florida scrub …

Is There A Future For Genome-Editing Technologies In Conservation?, J. A. Johnson, R. Altwegg, D. M. Evans, J. G. Ewen, I. J. Gordon, N. Pettorelli, J. K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

In a recent review, Pimm et al. (2015) highlight emerging technologies in protecting biodiversity. While their list is noteworthy, the authors’ exclusion of innovations in genomic research, with the exception of single-species DNA barcoding methods, was surprising given recent advances in genome-editing technology and its potential application to conservation. Taylor & Gemmell (2016) address that deficiency in a subsequent commentary identifying three avenues where emerging genomic technologies have great potential for increasing our ability to conserve biodiversity. Those areas include the use of next-generation sequencing technologies and methods such as RADseq for monitoring genetic diversity, effective population size, and …

A Benefit-Cost Analysis Decision Framework For Mitigation Of Disease Transmission At The Wildlife–Livestock Interface, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Steven J. Sweeney, Julie L. Elser, Ryan S. Miller, Matthew Farnsworth, Pauline Nol, Steven S. Shwiff, Aaron M. Anderson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The economics of managing disease transmission at the wildlife–livestock interface have received heightened attention as agricultural and natural resource agencies struggle to tackle growing risks to animal health. In the fiscal landscape of increased scrutiny and shrinking budgets, resource managers seek to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs of disease mitigation efforts. To address this issue, a benefit-cost analysis decision framework was developed to help users make informed choices about whether and how to target disease management efforts in wildlife and livestock populations. Within the context of this framework, we examined the conclusions of a benefit-cost analysis conducted for …

Limited Transmission Of Emergent H7n9 Influenza A Virus In A Simulated Live Animal Market: Do Chickens Pose The Principal Transmission Threat?, Angela Bosco-Lauth, Richard A. Bowen, J. Jeffrey Root

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Emergent H7N9 influenza A virus has caused multiple public health and financial hardships. While some epidemiological studies have recognized infected chickens as an important bridge for human infections, the generality of this observation, the minimum infectious dose, and the shedding potential of chickens have received conflicting results. We experimentally tested the ability of domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) to transmit H7N9 to co-housed chickens and to several other animal species in an experimental live animal market. Results indicated that an infected chicken failed to initiate viral shedding of H7N9 to naIve co-housed chickens. The infected chicken did, however, …

Supplementary Feeding And Endangered Avian Scavengers: Benefits, Caveats, And Controversies, Ainara Cortés- Avizanda, Guillermo Blanco, Travis L. Devault, Anil Markandya, Munir Z Virani, Joseph Brandt, José A Donázar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Large avian scavengers are among the most vulnerable vertebrates, and many of their populations have declined severely in recent decades. To help mitigate this marked reduction in abundance, supplementary feeding stations (SFS; colloquially termed “vulture restaurants”) have been created worldwide, often without consideration of the scientific evidence supporting the suitability of the practice. SFS have been effective and important tools for conservation and reintroduction of avian scavengers. However, negative consequences can result from large aggregations of individual birds, disrupting intraguild processes and promoting density-dependent decreases in productivity. At the community level, SFS favor the congregation of predators (ie facultative scavengers), …

Review Of Anthraquinone Applications For Pest Management And Agricultural Crop Protection, Shelagh T. Deliberto, Scott J. Werner

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We have reviewed published anthraquinone applications for international pest management and agricultural crop protection from 1943 to 2016. Anthraquinone (AQ) is commonly found in dyes, pigments and many plants and organisms. Avian repellent research with AQ began in the 1940s. In the context of pest management, AQ is currently used as a chemical repellent, perch deterrent, insecticide and feeding deterrent in many wild birds, and in some mammals, insects and fishes. Criteria for evaluation of effective chemical repellents include efficacy, potential for wildlife hazards, phytotoxicity and environmental persistence. As a biopesticide, AQ often meets these criteria of efficacy for the …

American Robins (Turdus Migratorius) And Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla Cedrorum) Vary In Use Of Cultivated Cherry Orchards, Rachael A. Eaton, Catherine A. Lindell, Jeffrey Homan, George M. Linz, Brian A. Maurer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Some fruit-eating bird species commonly consume cultivated fruit. Species-specific variation in diet preferences could result in varying use of orchards and impacts on the fruit-producing industry. However, species specific studies of avian orchard use are lacking, particularly throughout the fruit-growing season. Our objectives were to quantify the frequency of daily bird visits to orchards and the amount of time birds spent visiting orchards each day over the fruit-ripening season. Birds are well-documented consumers of cultivated sweet cherries (Prunus avium), which are relatively high in sugar and low in proteins and lipids. American Robins (Turdus migratorius) and …

Identification Of Robust Microsatellite Markers For Wild Pig Fecal Dna, Elizabeth M. Kierepka, Shem D. Unger, David A. Keiter, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr., Fred L. Cunningham, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Collection of fecal samples for use in a genetic capture-mark-recapture framework has become popular as a noninvasive method of monitoring wildlife populations. A major caveat to this process, however, is that fecal samples often yield low quality DNA that is prone to genotyping errors, potentially leading to biases in population parameter estimation. Therefore, considerable care is required to identify robust genetic markers, especially in hot or humid conditions that may accelerate DNA degradation. We identified microsatellite loci in wild pig (Sus scrofa) fecal samples that were robust and informative within warm, humid ecosystems. To examine how degradation affected …

Effects Of Simulated Removal Activities On Movements And Space Use Of Feral Swine, Justin W. Fischer, Dan Mcmurty, Chad R. Blass, W. David Walter, Jeff Beringer, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Abundance and distribution of feral swine (Sus scrofa) in the USA have increased dramatically during the last 30 years. Effective measures are needed to control and eradicate feral swine populations without displacing animals over wider areas. Our objective was to investigate effects of repeated simulated removal activities on feral swine movements and space use.We analyzed location data from 21 feral swine that we fitted with Global Positioning System harnesses in southern MO, USA. Various removal activities were applied over time to eight feral swine before lethal removal, including trapped-and-released, chased with dogs, chased with hunter, and chased with …

Evaluation Of Boldness Assays And Associated Behavioral Measures In A Social Parrot, Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta Monachus), Kaan Kerman, Kathryn E. Sieving, Colette S. Mary, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Boldness reflects consistent individual differences in risk-taking behavior across various contexts. However, evaluating this basic assumption has largely been neglected in birds. In a captive monk parakeet population (Myiopsitta monachus; N = 33), we undertook an analysis of 7 measures across 3 commonly used boldness assays (i.e., novel object, emergence, and predator-exposure tests). Using principal component analysis, we derived 3 components (PCs). PC-2 loaded strongly with measures from emergence and predator-exposure tests; we interpreted it as the closest approximation of boldness. PC-1 and PC-3 described different aspects of feeding such as foraging activity and rate, respectively. Finally, we …

Disease-Emergence Dynamics And Control In A Socially-Structured Wildlife Species, Kim M. Pepin, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Once a pathogen is introduced in a population, key factors governing rate of spread include contact structure, supply of susceptible individuals and pathogen life-history. We examined the interplay of these factors on emergence dynamics and efficacy of disease prevention and response. We contrasted transmission dynamics of livestock viruses with different life-histories in hypothetical populations of feral swine with different contact structures (homogenous, metapopulation, spatial and network). Persistence probability was near 0 for the FMDV-like case under a wide range of parameter values and contact structures, while persistence was probable for the CSFV-like case. There were no sets of conditions where …

Evaluation Of A Food Bait Block For Potential Chemical Delivery To Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys Ludovicianus), Gary W. Witmer, Rachael S. Moulton, Jenna L. Swartz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Fertility control is a potential method to control prairie dog populations in the urban/suburban environment. However, an effective, oral delivery system is needed. We tested a food bait block delivery system that could make baits available to prairie dogs over a number of days which would make this method more cost-effective than placing food bait by hand near burrows every day. Prairie dogs readily consumed the bait blocks stacked on vertical metal poles during the day. We found, however, that rabbits and mice also consumed the food bait blocks, mainly at night. Over the course of the study, the mean …

Natality Of Yearling Coyotes In West Virginia, G. G. Albers, J. W. Edwards, R. E. Rogers, L. L. Mastro

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Minimal information is available regarding the reproduction of coyotes (Canis latrans) in the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes the states of Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Since reproductive information is useful to assess populations and determine management strategies and because this information is unavailable for the Mid-Atlantic, we examined uterine tracts of 66 female coyotes collected from February to May 2010 for fetuses. We measured fetuses using a digital caliper and approximated dates of conception and parturition. Nine (13.6%) female coyotes were pregnant with visible fetuses; seven of these females were yearlings (1.5–2.5 y old). …

Blackbird Damage Is An Important Agronomic Factor Influencing Sunflower Production, Hans Kandel, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

From 2001 to 2013 (except 2004), the National Sunflower Association sponsored a comprehensive production survey of physiologically mature sunflower (Helianthus annuus) fields in the Canadian province of Manitoba and eight states in the United States. Trained teams of surveyors randomly stopped at one sunflower field for every 4,047 – 6,070 ha (10,000-15,000 acres). Each team evaluated plant stand, yield potential, disease, insect, weed, and bird damage for each field. We pooled data gathered during the most recent 5-years (2009 to 2013) of the survey and found that sunflower damage caused by blackbirds and plant lodging ranked fifth (behind plant spacing, …

New Study Underway To Estimate The Impact Of Lesser Scaup On Arkansas’ Baitfish Industry, Stephen Clements, Brian Davis, Brian S. Dorr, Luke A. Roy, Anita M. Kelly, Carole R. Engle

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The baitfish industry is an important economic enterprise for many aquaculture producers in Arkansas. The industry generates approximately $30 million annually in farm-gate sales of these small fish that include fathead minnows, goldfish and golden shiners. Diving ducks known as scaup, or “Bluebills,” spend late fall through early spring in Arkansas and Mississippi on deep water wetlands, rivers, and aquaculture ponds. The notion that scaup are consuming an abundance of baitfish in Arkansas ponds has concerned commercial growers for several years.