Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Gaining Mussel: Evaluating Reintroduction Success Of Native Freshwater Mussels In Nebraska And Eastern Wyoming, Travis A. Moore

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Freshwater mussels are one of the most imperiled groups of organisms in North America, with over two-thirds of species considered threatened, endangered, or of special concern. These long-lived bivalves are essential to stream ecosystems, acting as filter feeders that improve water quality and as indicators of aquatic health. In Nebraska and Wyoming, native mussel populations have declined sharply due to habitat modification, pollution, and reduced connectivity. Two species of particular concern are the Plain Pocketbook Lampsilis cardium, listed as Tier I at-risk in Nebraska, and the Fatmucket Lampsilis siliquoidea, a Tier II at-risk species. In response, state agencies …

Drift Dynamics Of Early Life-Stage Invasive Carps, Saurav Karki

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Asian carp species pose significant ecological threats to North American freshwater systems due to their invasive nature and prolific reproduction. Their semi buoyant eggs develop while drifting downstream with the river current. Understanding early life-stage transport is therefore critical for predicting recruitment potential and guiding management efforts. Existing fluvial egg drift models, including those relying on 1-D hydraulics and fully 3-D CFD-based models, are either inadequate for complex braided rivers or too computationally demanding for large-scale application. The Platte River in Nebraska, characterized by wide, shallow, multi-threaded channels, is dominated by two-dimensional flow conditions, making a depth-averaged 2-D modeling approach …

Primary Investigation Of Rice-Fish Co-Culture: Investigating The Feasibility Of Raising Fish In Flooded Rice Paddies In The Southern Usa, Yulin Jia, Aaron K. Jackson, Bartholomew Green, S. Adam Fuller, Heather Box, Laduska Sells, Candis Ray, Paxton Harper, Brennan Smith

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

With limited land and water resources available it has become critical to maximize output for agricultural products while maintaining sustainable farming practices. Ricefish co-culture can be used to maximize limited land and water resources for production of rice and fish concurrently and reduce the need of chemical inputs. While rice-fish co-culture has been practiced in Asia for centuries, very few studies have examined the feasibility and economic impact of rice fish co-culture in the U.S.A. Two studies were conducted in Stuttgart, Arkansas, U.S.A. from 2023-2024 to investigate the suitability of raising Koi carp in flooded rice paddies with a sushi …

Assessment Of Sampling Gears For Bigheaded Carp In Mid-Order Prairie Rivers In Nebraska, Brett M. Anderson

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Bighead Carp H. nobilis (collectively bigheaded carp) have invaded tributaries to the Missouri River and Platte River in Nebraska, USA. Information pertaining to efficient sampling protocols for assessing bigheaded carp populations as well as benefiting removal efforts is needed. Herding is a method used to increase the capture efficiency and detection probability of adult bigheaded carp by simultaneously using active and passive sampling gears. During June-July 2023, four herding techniques were assessed regarding their ability to elicit directional movement past an enclosure gate. The combination of sound and electrofishing resulted in the highest mean …

Walleye And Sauger Movement And Entrainment In Lewis And Clark Lake, William Joseph Radigan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Walleye Sander vitreus and Sauger Sander canadensis are both socioeconomically important sportfish species in Lewis and Clark Lake, an interjurisdictionally managed mainstem Missouri River reservoir fishery. Since 2011, adult catch per unit effort (CPUE) of both Walleye and Sauger has remained at approximately 50% of pre-2011 levels. A presumed reason for the suppressed CPUE of adult Walleye and Sauger is substantial entrainment of larval and adult fish resulting from the reservoir’s high turnover rate (7.2 d). Acoustic telemetry was used to quantify adult movement and entrainment and ichthyoplankton trawls were used to assess larval entrainment. Relative importance of factors driving …

Comparative Performance Of Reciprocal Cross Hybrid Striped Bass In Three Intensive Production Systems, Bartholomew Green, Steven D. Rawles, Matthew E. Mcentire, Candis L. Ray

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Objective: The objective of these two studies was to quantify the comparative performances of yearling and 2- year- old reciprocal cross hybrid Striped Bass (White Bass Morone chrysops ♀ × Striped Bass M. saxatilis ♂), also called sunshine bass, and water quality in traditional and split ponds and an outdoor mixotrophic biofloc technology production system.
Methods: In study 1, two- year- old fish (247.9 g/fish) were stocked at 7,410 fish/ha (0.86 fish/m3) in ponds and 6.3 fish/m2 (7.1 fish/m3) in biofloc system tanks and grown for 151–153 d. In study 2, yearling fish (147.0 g/fish) were stocked at 7,904 fish/ha …

Movements And Habitat Use Of Silver Carp In The Arkansas And White River, A. L. Althoff, J. L. Kinschuh, D. K. Owens, Jonathan J. Spurgeon, J. N. Stevens, S. E. Lochmann

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Noaa Oceanic And Atmospheric Research Ocean Carbon Observing Science Plan Fy25 To Fy35, United States National Oceanographic And Atmospheric Administration

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Technical Reports and Related Materials

United States National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration oceanic and atmospheric research ocean carbon observing science plan for fiscal years 2025 through 2035.

Spatial Ecology Of Large Bodied Ichthyofauna In The Red River Of The North Basin, William Marshall Stuart

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding spatial patterns and processes is essential for designing research studies, implementing management actions, and planning restoration efforts. The Red River of the North basin spans a broad geographic area where jurisdictional oversight is divided among several entities (Manitoba, CAN; North Dakota, USA; Minnesota, USA; South Dakota, USA), creating a mosaic of regulatory and functional process zones. Understanding the spatial ecology of freshwater fishes in this disjointed landscape is essential to address diverse life history requirements and the movement constraints imposed by anthropogenic structures. Long-term acoustic telemetry revealed that large bodied ichthyofauna employ a diverse range of movement strategies (i.e., …

Impacts Of Invasive Carp And Their Population Dynamics On Fish Communities In The Missouri River, Joshua F. Kocik

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Invasive Carp species: Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, and Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus have both potential and realized abilities to negatively impact native species. Specifically, Bighead Carp and Silver Carp as filter feeders have been theorized to be detrimental not only to adult filter-feeding species, but to many fish which rely on plankton and algae in their early-life stages. The impact of Invasive Carp on the overall fish community remains underexplored. The fish communities below Gavins Point Dam (Invasive Carp present) and Fort Randall Dam (Invasive Carp absent) afford the …

Spatiotemporal Plasticity In Reproductive Readiness And Recruitment Of Ichthyoplankton Of Invasive Silver Carp Along A Western Invasion Front, Jessi L. Urichich

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Individuals of invasive species at the edge of their invasion distribution may exhibit enhanced reproductive capacity and phenotypic plasticity leading to accelerated range expansion. Environmental conditions in highly fluctuating environments at distribution edges may either promote or hinder such reproductive readiness and phenotypic plasticity. Dynamic habitat conditions and periodic disturbances experienced in prairie streams, such as drought (e.g., low-flow, high water temperatures), may potentially reduce suitable spawning environments and ichthyoplankton recruitment of invasive Silver Carp, potentially slowing range expansion or enabling management strategies that reduce abundance in the absence of a reproducing population. Female Silver Carp batch fecundity, Gonadosomatic Index …

Population Demography, Occupancy, And Connectivity Of Invasive Bigheaded Carp In The Platte River, Nebraska And Its Tributaries, Blake W. Logan

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Bighead Carp H. nobilis, collectively referred to as bigheaded carp, are invasive species in the United States of America that have expanded their range throughout the Missouri River basin in the last three decades. It may be desirable to develop management plans directed at the monitoring, control, or removal of bigheaded carp within the Missouri River basin. However, a knowledge gap exists regarding bigheaded carp ecology in Missouri River tributaries, which may be important for the development of management plans. As such, this study characterized bigheaded carp population demographics, occupancy, and connectivity in …

An Examination Of The Eastern Nebraska And Western Iowa Flash Flood Event Of 6-7 August 1999, Catherine M. Zapotocny

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Technical Reports and Related Materials

Flash flooding occurs each summer in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. While 10-inch rains are extraordinary, it is not uncommon to have at least one excessive rain event during the annual convective season. A significant flash flood occurred in east central Nebraska and western Iowa the night of August 6, 1999 into the morning of August 7, 1999. Antecedent hydrologic conditions limited the loss of life, however considerable property damage resulted as the heavy rain fell over the urbanized areas in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa.

Several flash flood ingredients came together over the area. These meteorological factors are typical …

Low Similarity Between Parasite Communities Of Ten Sympatric Carangid Species, Juan M. Osuna-Cabanillas, Emigdio Marín-Enríquez, Ana P. Martínez-Falcón, Juan T. Timi, Francisco N. Morales-Serna

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Host phylogeny and ecological convergence are two factors thought to influence the structure of parasite communities. The aims of this study were to determine the diversity of metazoan parasites of 10 sympatric fish species of the family Carangidae from the southeastern Gulf of California, and to analyze their similarity at infracommunity and component community levels, in order to determine if the host species, particularly those congeneric with similar ecological characteristics, exhibit similar assemblages of parasites. In total, 874 fish specimens were examined and 40 parasite species were identified. The component community was composed by 21 parasite species in Caranx caninus …

Effect Of Dietary Phytase On Water And Fecal Prokaryotic And Eukaryotic Microbiomes In A Hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis Aureus X O. Niloticus) Mixotrophic Biofloc Production System, Candis L. Ray, Jason Abernathy, Bartholomew Green, Adam Rivers, Kevin Schrader, Steven Rawles, Matthew Mcentire, Miles Lange, Carl Webster

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

In this study we evaluated feed and temporal effects on prokaryotic (16S) and eukaryotic (18S) microbiome dynamics in an outdoor mixotrophic biofloc system used to grow hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis aureus x O. niloticus) to market size. The dicalcium phosphate -free practical feed treated with 6-phytase (3000 FTU/kg; P-Free+ Phytase) and positive (Control) and negative (P-Free) control practical feeds used were formulated to contain 27.7% digestible protein and 4% lipid. Sex reversed, all-male hybrid tilapia (28.9 g/fish) were stocked (29 fish/m³) in 9 outdoor rectangular tanks (16.6 m³) and grown for 154 days. The …

Retention Of P-Chip Microtransponders And Post-Tagging Survival Of Small-Bodied Stream Fishes, J. Spooner, Jonathan J. Spurgeon

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Reduced Representation Sequencing Reveals Weak Genetic Differentiation Between Canadian And European Larus Hyperboreus (Glaucous Gull), E. Lachance Linklater, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, G. J. Robertson, L. Colston-Nepali, F. Vigfusdottir, V. L. Friesen

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Use Of Otolith Microchemistry To Determine Natal Origins For Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix In The Lower Mississippi River Basin, C. Barshinger, M. Eggleton, J. Spurgeon

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Two Otolith Processing Methods For Silver Carp Age Estimation, J. N. Stevens, C. E. Barshinger, J. J. Spurgeon, M. A. Eggleton, S. E. Lochmann

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Arctic Report Card 2024, United States National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration

National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: Technical Reports and Related Materials

The Arctic Report Card from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for 2024.

Relationship Between Socking Rate And Production Of Stocker Hybrid Tilapia And Water Quality In A Mixtotrophic Biofloc System, Bartholomew W. Green, Steven D. Rawles, Candis L. Ray, Matthew E. Mcentire

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Intensified production of stocker-size tilapia can be accomplished using the biofloc technology production system. Stocker-size tilapia (ca. 10–200 g/fish) are raised for subsequent stocking for grow-out to market size. The relationship between stocking rate and the production of stocker-size hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis aureus x O. niloticus) was evaluated in two studies in outdoor mixotrophic biofloc tanks. Hybrid tilapia were stocked in 18.6-m² (15.7-m³) tanks at 50–150 fish/m² (59–178 fish/m³) in 25 fish/m² (30 fish/m³) increments in Study 1 and grown for 141–143 days. Stocking rates evaluated in 4.7-m …

The Influence Of Invasive Species On Fishers’ Satisfactions, Caroline M. Laplante

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Invasives species are prevalent and widespread in North America. Outdoor recreational activities, such as fishing, introduce a point in which humans may interact with invasive species and have to adapt their own behaviors. Bigheaded carp in the Missouri River below Gavin’s Point Dam are a group of invasive fish species that were thought to be negatively relating to recreational fishers’ satisfactions. Using a content analysis and an importance-grid, we conclude that invasive species do not strongly relate to recreational paddlefish fishers’ satisfactions. Paddlefish fishers represent a small sub-set of recreational fishers in Nebraska and South Dakota. The content analysis revealed …

Understanding Avidities Of Recreational Activities For People Possessing Fishing Licenses And Residing In Urban Environments, Kyle F. Hansen

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recreational fishing is one of the world's most popular pastimes, wherein participation is associated with sociodemographic factors. Even so, fishing license sales are declining in the USA in conjunction with a reduction in rural populations as people move to urban areas. Thus, urban areas are constantly growing in population size, population diversity, and geographic size suggesting a need to understand fishing participation in these growing areas. Natural resource managers often use participation to understand recreationists, yet avidity could provide a new way to understand recreationists. The goal of our study is to understand what sociodemographic factors influence the fishing avidity …

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 …