Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Fisheries Science Update - Pilbara Demersal Scalefish Resource - November 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key points: 2023 stock assessment outcomes:

• The Pilbara Demersal Scalefish Resource (PDSR) spans from the North West Cape to 120ºE and comprises over 60 demersal scalefish species, including indicator species red emperor, rankin cod, and bluespotted emperor.
• The PDSR is accessed by recreational fishers, charter operators and three commercial fisheries: Pilbara Fish Trawl (Interim) Managed Fishery, Pilbara Trap Managed Fishery, and the Pilbara Line Fishery.
• The PDSR is a key ‘food bowl’ for Western Australia, supplying the local market with about 2,500 tonnes of demersal scalefish annually.
• The PDSR provides unique and valuable recreational fishing opportunities at locations such as …

Fisheries Science Update - Spanish Mackerel - November 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key Points: 2023 stock assessment:

• The statewide large pelagic finfish resource (SWLPR) is distributed throughout Western Australia (WA) and includes a range of tropical and temperate pelagic species.
• Spanish mackerel is an indicator species for the SWLPR.
• The latest stock assessment provides a ‘health check” on the status of WA Spanish mackerel statewide and in each management region.
• The 2023 stock assessment shows WA Spanish mackerel remains sustainable with some concerns in the Pilbara region.
• Current management measures are expected to maintain WA Spanish mackerel at an acceptable level outside the Pilbara region.
• The next Spanish Mackerel stock assessment is …

Representations And Realities: Misali Island's Biodiversity In Hybrid Narratives, Justin Ross Whitney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are complex organisms that ebb and flow between strict and unyielding conservation doctrines often at the cost of community engagement. Misali Island is different. Conceived and advocated for by community members, this organism has navigated a tumultuous tenure of environmental degradation, periods of high and low funding, and a looming tourism presence. On top of these challenges has been a growing fishing community attempting to share in the bounty of this shockingly biodiverse setting. This study sorts through the grey space of Misali Island by applying a hybrid narrative that interfaces the marine context of the …

The Influence Of Polystyrene Microplastics On Juvenile Steelhead Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Kaitlyn Marie Baker

Dissertations and Theses

Mass production of plastic within the past decade has led to over 100 billion tons of plastics being added to the world’s oceans through rivers and effluent disposal and decomposition. For marine environments, the sudden and constant growth of microplastics (plastics 1 µm to 5 mm in diameter), is of particular concern to top-predatory fish such as steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), who passively or actively uptake microplastics while consuming prey. Previous research has demonstrated clear detrimental impacts of microplastic accumulation in bivalves, seabirds, and zebrafish, including decreased diet, reproduction rates, and metabolism, as well as increased rates of …

Fisheries Science Update - Western Australian Salmon Resource - September 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key points: 2023 stock assessment outcomes:

• The latest weight of evidence stock assessment for Western Australian salmon indicates the status of the stock is adequate and the risk to the stock is low. This means that there are no sustainability concerns for the stock.
• The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) tracks our aquatic resources by undertaking weight of evidence stock assessments on a regular basis.
• This science update follows on from the previous Western Australian salmon update in 2017.
• Detailed information on the latest stock assessment is available in Fisheries Research Report No. 336.

A Description Of The Grassland Communities Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska Including Scotts Bluff National Monument And Rare Plant Survey Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska, Volume I, Terri Hildebrand, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This study resulted from a Cooperative Agreement between Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the National Park Service (NPS), with funding provided by the Natural Resource Preservation Program of the NPS. Scotts Bluff National Monument was seeking to characterize the native grassland communities of the Wildcat Hills region in order to develop species composition models for prairie restoration of disturbed lands at the monument. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission needed similar information to refine community classification for the Wildcat Hills region, and to update rare plant species inventories. This report includes a description of the grassland communities and a rare …

A Description Of The Grassland Communities Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska Including Scotts Bluff National Monument And Rare Plant Survey Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska, Volume Ii, Terri Hildebrand, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This study resulted from a Cooperative Agreement between Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the National Park Service (NPS), with funding provided by the Natural Resource Preservation Program of the NPS. Scotts Bluff National Monument was seeking to characterize the native grassland communities of the Wildcat Hills region in order to develop species composition models for prairie restoration of disturbed lands at the monument. Nebraska Game and Parks Commission needed similar information to refine community classification for the Wildcat Hills region, and to update rare plant species inventories. This report includes a description of the grassland communities and a rare …

Vegetative Sampling Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska Including Scotts Bluff National Monument And Rare Plant Survey Of The Wildcat Hills Region Of Northwestern Nebraska, A Final Report To: Nebraska Game And Parks Commission, Terri Hildebrand, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Wildcat Hills region of northwestern Nebraska is a ridge extending westerly from Chimney Rock in Morrill county to west of Kiowa Creek in central Scotts Bluff county and southerly into the northernmost portions of Banner county (Fig. 1). Much of the expanse is fronted along its northern portion by the North Platte River and US Highway 26. Also included within the study area are the federal lands of Scotts Bluff National Monument and Chimney Rock National Historic Site. Two large portions of state lands, Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area and Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area, are located just easterly …

Freshwater And Saline Flood Plain Wetlands Of The North Platte River - Sources And Seasonal Dynamics: Kiowa Wildlife Management Area, Morrill, Ne, Anne M. Matherne

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Kiowa Wildlife Management Area (WMA), a 1 mi² wetland and upland on the North Platte River, was acquired by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) in 1993. The WMA comprises two distinct wetland types, alkaline and freshwater, both of which provide important wildlife habitat. It was the goal of this project to understand the hydrology controlling the development and maintenance of these wetlands in order to anticipate the affect of management strategies on the wetland complex. The study was designed to develop a comprehensive picture of the hydrogeology of both the fresh and alkaline portions of the WMA, …

Willa Cather Ecological Prairie: An Ecological Overview, Harold G. Nagel

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This report includes data gathered on the ecology of a 610 acre mixed grass prairie in south-central Nebraska over a two year period.

An attempt was made to identify as many of the plant and animal species present and to determine density and standing crop biomass wherever possible, under the time and financial constraints present. Few attempts have been made to develop complete species checklists for both animals and plants in prairies. The data collected are considered baseline conditions against which comparisons can be made after a management plan is carried out.

This study of Cather Prairie had several objectives. …

The Flora Of The Oak-Wooded Drainages At The Timber Point Area, Southeastern Butler County, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Timber Point Area is a 160-acre recreational/wildlife area occupying to S½ of the SW¼ sec. 22 and the adjacent N½ of the NW¼ sec. 27, T14N R4E. The area is located in the loess-mantled glacial-till hills of southeast Nebraska not far from the terminal moraine of the Pre-Illinoian glacial sheet, one mile south and two miles east of the present town of Brainard. The uplands at Timber Point were apparently in pasture prior to purchase by the NRD, with some cultivated fields occupying the lower ground along a stream valley which southwest to northeast through the property. This small …

The Flora Of Two Oak Drainages At The Red Cedar Area, Southwestern Saunders County, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The Red Cedar Area is a 175 acre recreational/wildlife area occupying the SE sec. 20, T14N R5E and a small portion of sec. 29 directly to the south. The area is located in the glacial-till hills of southeast Nebraska ca 5 mi. north and 2 mi. west of Valpraiso. The bulk of the area was cultivated farmland prior to purchase by the NRD, and nearly all upland areas here were cultivated cropland, save for some steep oak-wooded drainages on the east side of Hunter’s Slough, which ran northwest to southeast through the property. The creek was dammed after NRD purchase …

The Vascular Plants Of The Woodlands Of South Table Creek In The Vicinity Of The National Arbor Day Center, Nebraska City, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

The objective of this study is to describe the composition of the vascular plant flora of a three-quarter mile stretch of woodland along South Table Creek managed by the National Arbor Day Foundation in Nebraska City. This 50-60 acre woodland is representative of the many small tributaries of the Missouri River in southeastern Nebraska, and may represent the only natural “preserve” of native forest on the west side of the Missouri River between Fontenelle Forest and Indian Cave State Park. All naturally-occurring species encountered in this study are listed alphabetically by family at the end of this paper, and a …

The Flora Of Meadowlark Prairie, Northeastern Seward County, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This report is on the flora of the Meadowlark Prairie. The prairie is an approximately 7 acre remnant of virgin tall-grass prairie in extreme northeastern Seward County, Nebraska. The remnant is triangular in shape and lies on a gentle southeast-facing slope with a total relief of 50 ft., along the east boundary of the Meadowlark Recreation Area. The prairie is surrounded on the east side by a small brome-infested prairie remnant and cultivated field off the NRD property, and on the remaining sides by formerly cultivated fields now seeded to native warm-season grasses. Soils in the area are primarily derived …

The Flora And Plant Communities Of The Ceresco Saline Basins, Southern Saunders County, Nebraska, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This report is on the flora and plant communities of the Ceresco Saline Basins. The basins are along Rock Creek east of Ceresco and represent the northernmost representatives of the “eastern saline marsh” community in Nebraska. Eastern saline marshland is mostly restricted to the Salt Creek drainage in northern and central Lancaster County, though the Ceresco basins extend a mile or more north into Saunders County in the floodplain of Rock Creek. Some of the wetland in this area is currently under management of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, while some of the northernmost portions of the basins are …

Waterbody Size Predicts Bank- And Boat-Angler Efforts, Derek S. Kane, Kevin L. Pope, Keith D. Koupal, Mark A. Pegg, Christopher J. Chizinski, Mark A. Kaemingk

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Bank- and boat-angler efforts are logistically difficult and costly to estimate, preventing landscape-scale estimates that are required to address current and future challenges (e.g., climate change, invasive species) for inland recreational fisheries. Using a large Nebraska, USA, recreational fishery dataset (N = 67 waterbodies), we demonstrate that waterbody size can be used to predict bank- and boat-angler efforts across a heterogeneous landscape of extra small (< 104 ha) and large (> 647 ha) waterbodies. Bank and boat anglers respond to waterbody size, however these relationships appear to be unique between the two angler types. Boat-angler efforts increased as a function of waterbody size, whereas bank-angler …

Spatial And Temporal Activity Patterns Among Sympatric Tree-Roosting Bat Species In An Agriculturally Dominated Great Plains Landscape, Christopher Fill, Craig R. Allen, John F. Benson, Dirac Twidwell

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

In agroecosystems, bats can provide a critical ecosystem service by consuming night-flying insect pests. However, many bats also face intense population pressures from human landscape modification, global change and novel diseases. To better understand the behavioral activity of different bat species with respect to space, time, habitat, and other bat species in this environment, we investigated species correlations in space and time over row crop agricultural fields. We used acoustic grids to document spatial and temporal co-occurrence or avoidance between bats and recorded eight species across the 10 field sites we sampled. All species significantly overlapped in two-dimensional space and …

Striped Blenny (Chasmodes Bosquianus) Presence And Behavior Between Sunrise And Sunset At Oyster Landing, South Carolina, Madeline Schuetze

Honors Theses

Lunar and diel cycles of fishes can help to interpret their behaviors during their reproductive season. Temperate estuaries are used by many benthic fishes for shelter and reproduction. This study examined the behavior and presence of striped blennies (Chasmodes bosquianus) during diel and lunar cycles. PVC pipe shelters were placed to mimic oyster shell nests, a natural habitat for blennies, and cameras were placed to monitor these shelters in April, May, and June 2022, during the striped blenny reproductive period. Video footage was reviewed and analyzed for the presence and behavior of both male and female blennies. Male presence …

Determination Of Cadmium Uptake In Crassostrea Virginica Shell Under Controlled Conditions, Joseph John Pavelites Ii

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

The objective of this thesis was to meet growing demand for the development of environmental biomonitors that protect ecosystems and public health. To do this, I determined the potential of oyster shell as a bioindicator of cadmium (Cd) in the environment by determining the mode of Cd uptake and relationships between Cd concentrations in the environment, shell, and soft tissues of juvenile eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica Gmelin). I performed a review of the literature on the ability of oyster shell to retain metal contaminants and the factors that could affect this process (Chapter 2). I then reared C. virginica …

Gulf Sturgeon Mesohabitat Use And Movement In The Lower Pearl River Louisiana-Mississippi, Amanda Popovich

LSU Master's Theses

After spring migrations to natal rivers Gulf Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi reside in freshwater holding areas prior to fall emigrations to nearby estuaries. Limited published information on the physical habitat characteristics of these holding areas is available, especially for juvenile fish in the western portion of the Gulf Sturgeon’s distribution. To further investigate freshwater occupancy and movement patterns, 32 acoustic receivers were deployed from late April to October of 2021 and 2022 in 1600-m reaches distributed throughout the lower Pearl River, Louisiana-Mississippi, the westernmost river within their distribution. Generalized linear mixed models and multi-state models were used to determine what …

Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix Movements In The Lower Cumberland And Lower Tennessee River, Miranda Belanger

Scholars Week

Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix are an invasive species making up a large portion of the fish biomass in the lower portions of the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River. This species is expanding its range throughout the upper portions of these rivers, beginning with Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. Silver Carp rarely spawn in Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley, but they can enter these reservoirs through the lock chamber. Thus, the bottleneck created by lock chambers can be used to control expansion of invasive Silver Carp. Although Silver Carp movement patterns have been studied in other portions of the Tennessee …

Fisheries Science Update - Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Resource - April 2023, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Science Updates

Key points: 2022 stock assessment outcomes:

• The Gascoyne Demersal Scalefish Resource (GDSR) comprises more than 60 species inhabiting Gascoyne oceanic waters (excluding inner Shark Bay), with pink snapper and goldband snapper recognised as the two indicator species.
• Oceanic pink snapper is five years into a 20-year recovery plan following a 2017 stock assessment that showed the stock was at severe risk.
• The GDSR oceanic pink snapper recovery plan is based on limiting the annual total fishing mortality of oceanic pink snapper to 100 tonnes (all sectors combined) and providing targeted protection for key spawning aggregations.
• The Department of Primary Industries …

Neoliberalismo Y La Mar: Los Efectos Del Sistema Neoliberal Y La Pesca Artesanal De Caleta Portales, Isaac Bronfine

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study is meant to explore the fundamental conflict between the neoliberal system implemented in Chilean society and the artisanal fishing sector, represented by Caleta Diego Portales in Valparaíso, Chile. The struggle of the artisanal fishing sector has been made more salient in the minds of the general Chilean public due to the estallido social or “social explosion” in 2019 which lead to a process of drafting a new constitution, and the recent corruption scandals regarding government officials and fishing law reforms.

Beginning with how neoliberal theory gained traction in intellectual spaces around the world, this study then examines how …

Diverse Portfolios: Investing In Tributaries For Restoration Of Large River Fishes In The Anthropocene, Kristen L. Bouska, Brian D. Healy, Michael J. Moore, Corey G. Dunn, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, Craig P. Paukert

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Rehabilitation of large Anthropocene rivers requires engagement of diverse stakeholders across a broad range of sociopolitical boundaries. Competing objectives often constrain options for ecological restoration of large rivers whereas fewer competing objectives may exist in a subset of tributaries. Further, tributaries contribute toward building a “portfolio” of river ecosystem assets through physical and biological processes that may present opportunities to enhance the resilience of large river fishes. Our goal is to review roles of tributaries in enhancing mainstem large river fish populations. We present case histories from two greatly altered and distinct large-river tributary systems that highlight how tributaries contribute …

Bats Increased Foraging Activity At Experimental Prey Patches Near Hibernacula, Winifred F. Frick, Yvonne A. Dzal, Kristin A. Jonasson, Michael D. Whitby, Amanda M. Adams, Christen Long, John E. Depue, Christian M. Newman, Craig K. R. Willis, Tina L. Cheng

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

1. Emerging infectious diseases in wildlife can threaten vulnerable host populations. Actions targeting habitat improvements to aid population resilience and recovery may be beneficial long-term strategies, yet testing the efficacy of such strategies before major conservation investments are made can be challenging.

2. The disease white-nose syndrome (WNS) has caused severe declines in several species of North American hibernating bats. We tested a novel conservation approach targeted at improving foraging conditions near bat hibernacula by experimentally manipulating insect density in the pre-hibernation fattening period and spring emergence recovery period. We measured foraging (feeding buzzes) and echolocation activity of little brown bats Myotis …

   ---

   Go to article

Evaluating Benthic Macroinvertebrate Populations In Response To Scouring Events In The Trinity River, Ca, Liam Hay, Michael W. O'Neil, Chloe Pieper-Wasem

Environmental Science & Management Senior Capstones

River systems across California have been impacted by appurtenant structures such as dams and diversions. These structures have had an adverse impact on Benthic invertebrate (BMI) communities by regulating river systems and changing the natural hydraulic pulses that follow seasonal precipitation. Benthic invertebrates are a critical food resource for salmonids and serve as an indicator of ecosystem health. Our study was interested in seeing the effects of scouring events on BMI in the Trinity River of Trinity County, C.A. Following a large precipitation event that occurred in the region in December 2022, an influx of water entered the river through …

Seasonal Growth, Movement, And Survival Of Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch) Utilizing Restored Rearing Habitat, Monica S. Tonty

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Scott River supports the most robust population of threatened Coho Salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch remaining in the Klamath River basin. Even in the Scott River, low quality and restricted extent of juvenile rearing habitat limits the Coho Salmon population to a small fraction of historic abundance. To support persistence and recovery of Scott River Coho Salmon, the Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC) has constructed a portfolio of restoration projects to improve juvenile rearing habitat, including beaver dam analogs (BDAs). The Scott River BDAs were the first implemented anywhere in California. This study compares juvenile Coho Salmon responses associated with production …

Ancient Bears Provide Insights Into Pleistocene Ice Age Refugia In Southeast Alaska, Flavio Augusto Da Silva Coelho, Stephanie Gill, Crystal M. Tomlin, Marilena Papavassiliou, Sean D. Farley, Joseph A. Cook, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, George K. Sage, Timothy H. Heaton, Sandra L. Talbot, Charlotte Lindqvist

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

During the Late Pleistocene, major parts of North America were periodically covered by ice sheets. However, there are still questions about whether ice-free refugia were present in the Alexander Archipelago along the Southeast (SE) Alaska coast during the last glacial maximum (LGM). Numerous subfossils have been recovered from caves in SE Alaska, including American black (Ursus americanus) and brown (U. arctos) bears, which today are found in the Alexander Archipelago but are genetically distinct from mainland bear populations. Hence, these bear species offer an ideal system to investigate long-term occupation, potential refugial survival and lineage turnover. Here, we present genetic …

Movement And Genomic Methods Reveal Mechanisms Promoting Connectivity In A Declining Shorebird: The Lesser Yellowlegs, K. Christie, R. E. Wilson, J. A. Johnson, C. Friis, C. M. Harwood, L. A. Mcduffie, E. Nol, Sarah A. Sonsthagen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Fecal Dna Metabarcoding Shows Credible Short-Term Prey Detections And Explains Variation In The Gut Microbiome Of Two Polar Bear Subpopulations, M. Franz, L. Whyte, T. C. Atwood, D. Menning, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, S. L. Talbot, K. L. Laidre, E. Gonzalez, M. A. Mckinney

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.