Animal Sciences Commons^™

Flight Of The Freshwater Fish, Michael H. Wilson

Capstones

Michael H. Wilson

Capstone Abstract

December 27, 2016

Flight of the Freshwater Fish

The Hudson River provides for millions of people as a path for commercial and private transportation, a source of food and energy, and perhaps most importantly for many living in the tri-state area as a destination for recreation and relaxation. The most overlooked feature of the river is how the wildlife shows clear signs of a changing climate and rapid environmental response to the impacts of global warming on the river.

Entire populations of fish species in the lower Hudson have been forced to leave the river …

Measurement Of Fisheries Compliance Outcomes : A Preliminary National Study : Frdc Final Report, E Price, Roy Melville-Smith, D King, Timothy J. Green, W Dixon, S Lambert, T Spencer

Fisheries Research Reports

This report presents the results of a project undertaken by a group of Australia and United States based fishery compliance experts to assess and compare methods for measuring fisheries compliance outcomes that can be used to assess and compare the effectiveness of fishery enforcement and compliance assistance activities. This eight month project was requested in 2013 by Australia’s National Fisheries Compliance Committee (NFCC) as a way to provide fisheries compliance groups with improved methods for measuring and tracking the effectiveness of their activities and for justifying and managing their budgets.

Review Of Potential Fisheries And Marine Management Impacts On The South-Western Australian White Shark Population, S M. Taylor, J M. Braccini, R Mcauley, Wayne J. Fletcher

Fisheries Research Reports

Following five fatal incidents involving white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) off the lower west coast of Western Australia between September 2011 and July 2012, as well as other highly-publicised non-fatal encounters with this species, in 2012 the State Government funded several new initiatives to better understand white sharks in Western Australia and the likely effectiveness of any community safety interventions in Western Australian waters.

Improving Efficiency In Generating Submissions And Consistency Of Outcomes For Marine Stewardship Council (Msc) Based Assessments, Warrick Fletcher, Daniel J. Gaughan, Lynda Bellchambers Dr

Fisheries Research Reports

The prevalence of fishery certification schemes and associated ecolabels has grown over the last ten years with numerous ecolabels now in the marketplace e.g. Friends of the Sea, Naturland, SAI Global Trust (Parkes et al. 2010, Washington and Ababouch 2011, Ward and Phillips 2013). However, one of the most prominent and well regarded, particularly by eNGOs, is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) (Gutiérrez et al. 2012, Ponte 2012, Bush et al. 2013, Ward and Phillips 2013) which accounts for greater than 10 % of annual global harvest of wild capture fisheries (MSC 2014b).

Double-Crested Cormorants, Brian S. Dorr, Kristi L. Sullivan, Paul D. Curtis, Richard Chipman, Russell D. Mccullough

Wildlife Damage Management Technical Series

The history of conflict between double-crested cormorants (Figure 1) and human interest in fisheries is long and convoluted. Following a low point in the 1970s, populations of cormorants expanded in North America, as did concerns about impacts on fisheries. By the late 1990s, natural resource agencies in 27 states reported losses of free-ranging fish stocks to cormorants. Agencies in 10 states, ranging from the Southwest to the Northeast, considered cormorant predation to be of moderate to major concern to fishery management.

Overall, double-crested cormorants are not major consumers of commercial and sportfish species. However, exceptions have been recorded at specific …

Growth And Reproduction Of Southern Flounder (Paralichthys Lethostigma) In The North-Central Gulf Of Mexico, Morgan Marie Corey

Master's Theses

Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma is the most commonly harvested flatfish in the north-central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and supports a major inshore recreational fishery, yet knowledge of the species’ life history is greatly limited. The objective of this research was to describe the growth and reproduction of Southern Flounder in the Mississippi stock. Fish were collected during September 2014 to March 2016 using primarily recreational fishing techniques. Otoliths (n = 313) were sectioned to estimate age, and multiple length-at-age models were fit to total length (TL, mm) and age estimate (y) data. Gonadal tissue samples (n = 221) …

Slides: Crystalised Not Frozen: Addressing Historical Exclusion Of Traditional Owners From Water, Poh-Ling Tan

Indigenous Water Justice Symposium (June 6)

Poh-Ling Tan, Griffith University

13 slides

Rapid Lateral Extraction Of Otoliths That Maintains The Integrity Of Fish Product To Improve Access To Catches And Reduce Potential Sampling Biases, Corey B. Wakefield, Dion K. Boddington, Stephen J. Davies

Fisheries Research Articles

The capacity to sample otoliths of fish from commercial, recreational, artisanal or subsistence catches can be constrained if the dissection process results in alterations to their external appearance and thus reduces its value and/or shelf life. There can also be significant biases incorporated into the collection of otolith samples if access is only granted relative to the size of the fish (i.e. if smaller fish are sold whole). To reduce such limitations, we herein describe a rapid and simple method of lateral otolith extraction that maintains the integrity of the fish product, and thus reduces potential biases in sample …

A Highly Sensitive Underwater Video System For Use In Turbid Aquaculture Ponds, Chin-Chang Hung, Shih-Chieh Tsao, Kuo-Hao Huang, Jia-Pu Jang, Hsu-Kuang Chang, Fred C. Dobbs

OES Faculty Publications

The turbid, low-light waters characteristic of aquaculture ponds have made it difficult or impossible for previous video cameras to provide clear imagery of the ponds' benthic habitat. We developed a highly sensitive, underwater video system (UVS) for this particular application and tested it in shrimp ponds having turbidities typical of those in southern Taiwan. The system's high-quality video stream and images, together with its camera capacity (up to nine cameras), permit in situ observations of shrimp feeding behavior, shrimp size and internal anatomy, and organic matter residues on pond sediments. The UVS can operate continuously and be focused remotely, a …

Seasonal Wind Patterns Around The Western Australian Coastline And Their Application In Fisheries Analysis, Alan Pearce, Anthony M. Hart, D. V. Murphy, Hannah Rice

Fisheries Research Reports

Monthly wind statistics have been derived for 23 weather stations along the Western Australian coast from Wyndham in the north-east of the state, down the west coast and around to Eucla in the south-east. The overall seasonal wind cycle at each site has been derived based on the 30-year period 1982 to 2011 (although a few stations had shorter records), and these show the major changes between the wind regimes along the Northwest Shelf, the west coast and the south coast.

Saffron Cod (Eleginus Gracilis) In North Pacific Archaeology, Megan A. Partlow, Eric Munk

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis) is a marine species often found in shallow, brackish water in the Bering Sea, although it can occur as far southeast as Sitka, Alaska. Recently, we identified saffron cod remains in two ca. 500-year-old Afognak Island midden assemblages from the Kodiak Archipelago. We developed regression formulae to relate bone measurements to total length using thirty-five modern saffron cod specimens. The archaeological saffron cod remains appear to be from mature adults, measuring 22–45 cm in total length, and likely caught from shore during spawning. Saffron cod may have been an important winter resource for Alutiiq people living …

Passage Route Survival And Behavior Of Juvenile Salmon At Priest Rapids Dam, Columbia River, Wa, Kyle B. Hatch

All Master's Theses

Columbia River hydropower is an economic mainstay of the Pacific Northwest. However, it is well known that the construction of hydropower dams has added anthropogenic pressure to Columbia River salmon populations. Juvenile salmon that pass through powerhouse turbines at large hydropower dams display higher mortality rates than salmon passing through alternative routes; thus at Priest Rapids Dam, a top-spill fish bypass was constructed as a safer alternate downstream passage. To investigate the efficacy of this new passage structure, an acoustic telemetry study was conducted in the spring of 2014 to determine the ability of the bypass to collect and safely …

Status Reports Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Of Western Australia 2014/15. State Of The Fisheries, W.J Fletcher, K. Santoro

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide the public with an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA) managed by the Department of Fisheries (Department). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.

The Reproductive Biology Of The Finetooth Shark, Carcharhinus Isodon, In The Northwest Atlantic Ocean, Amanda N. Brown

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Shark fisheries are a multimillion dollar industry in the United States and have significant contributions both recreationally and commercially. In order to maintain this industry, fisheries must be properly managed. An understanding of life history and reproduction is crucial in order to adequately manage shark fisheries. The finetooth shark, Carcharhinus isodon, is a member of the small coastal shark (SCS) fishery complex. It is found in Atlantic waters from South Carolina to Florida and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. This species has recently come under increased fishing pressure and has previously been overfished. New data is needed in order …

Fisheries Management Paper No.266 - Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery Bycatch Action Plan 2014-2019. Version 1.0, Department Of Fisheries, Western Australia

Fisheries Management Papers

Bycatch is described as the part of the catch which is returned to the sea (usually referred to as non-retained or discarded) either because it has no commercial value or because legislative requirements preclude it being retained. Thus, this Bycatch Action Plan (BAP) includes unmarketable finfish and invertebrate species, along with endangered, threatened and protected (ETP) species, such as marine mammals, reptiles and some elasmobranchs.

It is Government policy to minimise bycatch in all commercial fisheries. This BAP details a program of actions to address bycatch issues in the Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery (EGPMF), in accordance with the EGPMF …

Potential Eradication And Control Methods For The Management Of The Ascidian Didemnum Perlucidum In Western Australia, Julieta Muñoz, Justin I. Mcdonald

Fisheries Research Reports

In Western Australia, the invasive colonial ascidian Didemnum perlucidum was first detected in the Swan River Estuary in 2010 and subsequently recorded at multiple locations across the State. Ongoing research by the Department of Fisheries (the Department) indicates that this species exhibits strong seasonal changes in abundance. Although, D. perlucidum is able to reproduce sexually (larvae) and asexually (budding) year round, larvae density and settlement, and overall colony size significantly decreases during the colder months (winter). From a management point of view this period would present the best opportunity for an attempt at eradication or control of this species.

Angler Effort And Catch Within A Spatially Complex System Of Small Lakes, Christopher J. Chizinski, Dustin R. Martin, Kevin L. Pope, Tony J. Barada, Jeffrey J. Schuckman

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Spatial layout of waterbodies and waterbody size can affect a creel clerk’s ability to intercept anglers for interviews and to accurately count anglers, which will affect the accuracy and precision of estimates of effort and catch. This study aimed to quantify angling effort and catch across a spatially complex system of19 small (<100 ha) lakes, the Fremont lakes. Total (±SE) angling effort (hours) on individual lakes ranged from 0 (0) to 7,137 (305). Bank anglers utilized 18 of the 19 lakes, and their mean (±SE) trip lengths(hours) ranged from 0.80 (0.31) to 7.75 (6.75), depending on the waterbody. In contrast, boat anglers utilized 14 of the 19 lakes, and their trip lengths ranged from 1.39 (0.24) to 4.25 (0.71), depending on the waterbody. The most sought fishes, as indexed by number of lakes on which effort was exerted, were anything (17 of 19 lakes), largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (15 of 19 lakes), and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus (13 of 19 lakes). Bluegill Lepomis machrochirus, crappie Pomoxis spp., and largemouth bass were caught most frequently across the lakes, but catch rates varied considerably by lake. Of the1,138 parties interviewed, most parties (93%) visited …

Status Reports Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Of Western Australia 2013/14. State Of The Fisheries, W.J Fletcher, K. Santoro

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide the public with an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA) managed by the Department of Fisheries (Department). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.

Growth Of Tropical Dasyatid Rays Estimated Using A Multi-Analytical Approach, Owen R. O'Shea, Matias Braccini, Rory Mcauley, Conrad W. Speed, Mark G. Meekan

Fisheries Research Articles

We studied the age and growth of four sympatric stingrays: reticulate whipray, Himanutra uarnak (n=19); blue mask, Neotrygon kuhlii (n=34); cowtail, Pastinachus atrus (n=32) and blue-spotted fantail, Taeniura lymma (n=40) rays at Ningaloo Reef, a fringing coral reef on the north-western coast of western Australia. Age estimates derived from band counts within sectioned vertebrae ranged between 1 and 27 years (H. uarnak, 1 - 25 yrs.; N. kuhlii, 1.5 - 13 yrs.; P. atrus, 1 - 27 yrs. and T. lymma, 1 -11 yrs.). Due to limitations of sample sizes, we combined several analytical methods …

Status Reports Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Of Western Australia 2012/13. State Of The Fisheries, W.J Fletcher, K. Santoro

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia (SRFAR) provide the public with an annual update on the state of the fish stocks and other aquatic resources of Western Australia (WA) managed by the Department of Fisheries (Department). These reports outline the most recent assessments of the cumulative risk status for each of the aquatic resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.

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 …

Western Rock Lobster Ecology – The State Of Knowledge - Marine Stewardship Council - Principle 2: Maintenance Of Ecosystem, Lynda M. Bellchambers, P Mantel, Arani Chandrapavan, Matthew B. Pember, Scott Evans

Fisheries Research Reports

The commercial fishery is managed in three zones: south of latitude 30°S (Zone C), north of latitude 30°S (Zone B) and a third offshore zone (Zone A) around the Abrolhos Islands (Figure 1.3). Effort is evenly split between the southern and northern zones through the implementation of management controls aimed at addressing zone-specific issues. These issues include different maximum size restrictions and seasonal opening and closing dates. This report focuses on the state of the western rock lobster ecology at the date of publication.

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.

Ministerial Policy Guideline No.21: Matters Related To The 2010 Funding Reform Decisions Of Government, Department Of Fisheries Wa

Fisheries Administrative Guidelines

This guideline forms a further part of a framework for the administration of the fishing and related industries in Western Australia.

It documents, for the assistance of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and other fisheries personnel, and for the information of the industry and the community, decisions taken by the Government in June 2010 in relation to access fees for commercial fishing and aquaculture activities authorised under the Fish Resources Management Act 1994 (FRMA) and pearling activities under the Pearling Act 1990, and associated Ministerial undertakings relating to access and lease fees prescribed under the FRMA and Pearling Act …

Status Reports Of The Fisheries And Aquatic Resources Of Western Australia 2011/12. State Of The Fisheries, W.J Fletcher, K. Santoro

Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

The Status Reports of the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of Western Australia provide the public with an annual update on the state of the fish and other aquatic resources of Western Australia managed by the Department. These reports outline the cumulative risk status for each of the ecological resources (assets) within WA’s six Bioregions using an Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) approach.

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

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Impacts of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) to fisheries have been documented, but evaluation of the process and outcomes of cormorant management to reduce impacts on fisheries is lacking. We provide a synthesis of adaptive management of double-crested cormorants in the Les Cheneaux Islands (LCI), Brevoort Lake, and Drummond Island, Michigan from 2004 to 2007. The LCI management focused on reducing numbers of nesting cormorants in the region as a means of improving the yellow perch (Perca flavescens) population and fishery. At Brevoort Lake and Drummond Island, management focused on lethal and nonlethal harassment of spring migrating …

Assessing Anglers Identification Of Common Fish Species Of Nebraska, Jason Reed

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Creel surveys, also known as angler surveys, entail individual interviews with anglers.  The interviews include a variety of questions pertaining to their fishing trip on that particular day. The interviewer asks the angler questions that include, but are not limited to what species they caught that day, the size of the fish, how many hours they spent fishing that day, what bait they were using, etc. If the angler does not know the species caught or misidentifies the species there is the potential for the recorded data to negatively impact management techniques that rely on the creel survey data.                                                                                                        One …

The Aquarium Trade As An Invasion Pathway In The Pacific Northwest, Angela L. Strecker, Philip M. Campbell, Julian D. Olden

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The aquarium trade moves thousands of species around the globe, and unwanted organisms may be released into freshwaters, with adverse ecological and economic effects. We report on the first investigation of the ornamental pet trade as an invasion pathway in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, where a moderate climate and a large human population present ample opportunities for the introduction and establishment of aquarium trade species. Results from a regional survey of pet stores found that the number of fish (n=400) and plant (n=124) species currently in the aquarium trade is vast. Pet stores import thousands of …

Are Western Australian Waters The Least Productive Waters For Finfish Across Two Oceans? A Review With A Focus On Finfish Resources In The Kimberley Region And North Coast Bioregion, B. W. Molony, S. J. Newman, L. Loll, R C J Lenanton, B. Wise

Fisheries Research Articles

The marine ecosystems of Western Australia, including those in the Kimberley, are classified as being of moderate to low productivity. This is primarily a consequence of the influence of the Leeuwin Current, the eastern boundary current that flows poleward delivering warm, low nutrient waters, and only sporadic short-term upwelling events to shelf habitats off the Western Australian coast. This, coupled with little riverine inflow from old weathered terrestrial systems, results in low levels of primary and secondary production in habitats along most of the coast. The consequence is that finfish fisheries in the Kimberley and throughout the State typically land …

Angler Survey Of The Connecticut River, Justin P. Davis

EEB Articles

The Connecticut River is the largest and most diverse inland fishery resource in the State of Connecticut. Significant improvements in water quality over the past 30 years have led to progressive increases in recreational use, presumably increasing fishing pressure on some species and possibly decreasing overall fishing quality. To address this concern, the Inland Fisheries Division (IFD) of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP) conducted an angler survey on the entire portion of the Connecticut River within the state during March-October of 2008-09. The survey used a similar design as a smaller-scale survey of the river’s …