Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Evaluation Of A Diffused Oxygen Aeration System Under On-Farm Harvest Conditions, Philip R. Pearson, Sara E. Duke, Bartholomew W. Green, C. Douglas Minchew, Rachel V. Beecham, Jin M. Kim

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

The aeration effectiveness of a diffused oxygen system was compared with that of a tractor-powered paddlewheel during eight harvests of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus at Top Cat II Fishery in Chicot County, Arkansas. Dissolved oxygen and water temperature data were collected from a grading net aerated by the diffused oxygen system, from a grading net aerated by a paddlewheel, and from the open culture pond between the two grading nets and were not significantly different. However, comparison of estimated oxygen consumption by the biomass confined in each grading net indicated that the aeration effectiveness of the diffused oxygen system equaled …

Efficacy Of Translocations For Restoring Populations Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, Jo Ann L. D. Dullum, Kerry R. Foresman, Marc R. Matchett

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

We evaluated translocation as a method to promote recovery of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) after plague-induced population declines in colonies at the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Montana. We translocated prairie dogs in June of 1999 and evaluated the effects of translocation on colony area 1 year and 4 years later. We also assessed effects of release group size and estimated rates of population growth and survival. Initial size of experimental colonies was categorized as inactive (0 ha), small (0.1-2.0 ha), or large (2.0-6.6 ha); numbers of prairie dogs translocated to each colony size class were …

Maximum Size Of Fish Caught With Standard Gears And Recreational Angling, Kevin L. Pope, Gene R. Wilde, Daryl L. Bauer

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

We correlated maximum lengths of freshwater fishes captured during 10 years with standard gears (i.e., gill nets, boat electrofishers and trap nets) and angling from Nebraska water bodies to determine which methodology provided better estimates of maximum size of fishes produced within a given water body. In general, maximum length of fishes captured with standard gears was smaller than maximum length of fishes captured with angling. Although significant (based on sequential Bonferroni adjustment) correlation was found in only one of nine sport fishes assessed, all correlations were positive indicating a general trend between maximum size of fishes captured with these …

Alaska Reflections, Volume 17, Number 2 - Fall 2005

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Table of Contents:
Reflecting
Outreach News
Dead Thing Duty
It Ain’t Easy
A Slowed Burn
Fish Schticks

Differences In Pah Tolerance Between Capitella Species: Underlying Biochemical Mechanisms, Lis Bach, Annemette Palmqvist, Lene Juel Rasmussen, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

The polychaete Capitella capitata consists of a species complex within which differences in tolerance to tox­icants have been observed. For example, it has been shown that Capitella sp. S is more sensitive (e.g., in terms of survival, growth and reproduction) to PAH and other stressors than the more opportunistic Capi­tella sp. I, which is able to take up and biotransform the PAH fluoranthene (Flu). In the present study, an in­vestigation was performed to examine whether differences in tolerance between Capitella species sp. I and sp. S are due to differences in biotransformation, measured as the amount of Flu-metabolites produced by …

Ecology Of The Missouri River: Missouri River Creel Survey, Bellevue Bridge To Camp Creek, 3 April Through 29 May 2004, Gerald Mestl

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

The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's strategic plan has stated the following management goal for the Missouri River: Restore, protect, and maintain the diversity of historic Missouri River habitats, resources, and ecosystem functions in order that present and future generations may enjoy consumptive and non-consumptive outdoor recreational opportunities (NGPC 1996). To accomplish this goal the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission identified the following five objectives: • To restore terrestrial and aquatic floodplain habitat types by 2008. This would include old oxbows, chutes, side channels, sand bars, backwaters, wetlands, and other shallow water habitats. To restore ftows that reflect the natural …

Risk And Consequence Analysis Focused On Biota Transfers Potentially Associated With Surface Water Diversions Between The Missouri River And Red River Basins, Greg Linder, Ed Little, Lynne Johnson, Chad Vishy, Bruce Peacock, Heather Goeddecke

United States Geological Survey: Publications

Section 1 provides a brief overview of the project, including a cursory summary of the history of the “Garrison Diversion” and how that history relates to this work focused on the analysis of risks and consequences potentially associated with interbasin biota transfers. The present study was initiated under the auspices of the Dakota Water Resources Act (DWRA) of 2000, which directed the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive study of the water quality and quantity needs of the Red River Valley and the options for meeting those needs. As such, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) requested technical support …

Whooping Cranes: The Road To Survival

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Whooping cranes are one of the best known of all endangered species and symbolize the struggle to maintain the vanishing creatures of this world. One scientist estimated that only 1400 whoopers survived by 1860. Their population continued to decline due to drainage of wetlands, conversion of grasslands to agriculture, and hunting until only 15 or 16 cranes survived the winter of 1941-42 in Texas. The present world population is about 450 wild and captive whooping cranes (2005). Only one self-sustaining population survives in the wild; these birds spend the winter at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas coast and …

2002 Licensed Angler Survey: Summarized Results, Keith L. Hurley, Kristin L. Duppong-Hurley

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

On October 22, 2002, 5000 six-page surveys (Appendix 3) were sent to a stratified-random sample of Nebraska anglers drawn from the 2001 licensed anglers database. The database included all anglers who purchased a fishing license in 2001 as well as all lifetime fishing permit holders who purchased their license before or during 2001. The database did not include those possessing a free permit, such as veteran’s or senior citizen permits. The survey subsample (2.6% of the 2001-licensed angler database) was stratified such that the proportions of surveys in the subsample (4366 residents and 634 non-residents) matched the proportions of resident/non-resident …

Nebraska Catfish Anglers: Descriptions And Insights Derived From The 2002 Nebraska Licensed Angler Survey, Keith Hurley, Kristin Duppong-Hurley

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

Analyses in this report will refer to number of different groups. Catfish seeking anglers are defined as any angler who has spend at least 1 trip during 2002 in pursuit of a catfish species (channel, blue, flathead, or bullhead). This is the most general group included in the analyses and is also the least avid group of anglers in regards to their relationship to catfish angling. Catfish anglers are defined as those respondents who identified a catfish species as the species they most prefer to target. Catfish anglers represent a smaller group of respondents with a higher avidity for catfish …

Endangered And Threatened Wildlife And Plants; Determination Of Endangered Status For The Salt Creek Tiger Beetle (Cicindela Nevadica Lincolniana)

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered status for the Salt Creek tiger beetle (Cicindela nevadica lincolniana), pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (Act). This species is endemic to the saline wetlands of eastern Nebraska (NE) and associated streams in the northern third of Lancaster County and southern margin of Saunders County. Only three small populations of this subspecies remain, and the known adult population size in 2005 was only 153 individuals. This final rule extends Federal protection and recovery provisions of the Act to the Salt Creek tiger beetle.

Contaminant Exposure And Reproductive Health Of Sandhill Cranes In The Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska., Matthew S. Schwarz, Christina D. Lydick, Karen J. Nelson, Timothy S. Gross

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The central Platte River Valley provides crucial staging habitat for the endangered whooping crane (Grus americana) and the mid-continent population of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis). Platte River flow depletions and the conversion of native wet meadows for agriculture and other purposes has decreased the cranes natural habitat in the central Platte River Valley, and waste corn now makes up most of the cranes diet while they are in the Valley.

The purpose of this research was to measure organochlorine, elemental contaminant, and pesticide exposure to sandhill cranes from the central Platte River Valley, and to evaluate their reproductive condition. Pesticides …

A Survey Of Elemental Contaminants And Organochlorines At North Platte National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska, 1993., Matthew S. Schwarz, Brent J. Esmoil, Timothy E. Fannin

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The North Platte National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) is located 8 miles northeast of Scottsbluff, in Nebraska's Panhandle. It was established by Executive Order in 1916, and was managed by the Bureau of Reclamation (BR) until 1986, when primary jurisdiction was granted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The 2,909 acre Refuge includes three reservoirs: 1) Lake Alice, 2) Winters Creek Lake, and 3) Lake Minitare (Figure 1). Water levels in all three reservoirs are managed by BR for irrigation and Lake Minitare is managed as a State Recreation Area under a lease agreement with the Nebraska Game and …

Secondary Lead Poisoning In Golden Eagle And Ferruginous Hawk Chicks Consuming Shot Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs, Thunder Basin National Grassland, Wyoming, Robert M. Stephens, Aran S. Johnson, Regan Plumb, Kimberly K. Dickerson, Mark C. Mckinstry, Stanley H. Anderson

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Recreational shooting of black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) is a common activity at Thunder Basin National Grassland (TBNG), Wyoming. The prairie dog carcasses left in the area are scavenged by coyotes (Canis latrans), raptors, and other animals. These scavengers are susceptible to lead (Pb) poisoning if they consume Pb bullet fragments or Pb shot when scavenging the shooter-killed prairie dogs. In 2000, a local rehabilitator noted an increase of Pb poisoning cases in raptors (L.Layton, pers. comm. 3/30/01) from the area. We collected several shooter-killed prairie dog carcasses from TBNG for determining if Pb fragments remained …

Risk And Consequence Analysis Focused On Biota Transfers Potentially Associated With Surface Water Diversions Between The Missouri River And Red River Basins, Greg Linder, Ed Little, Bruce Peacock, Heather Goeddeke, Lynne Johnson, Chad Vishy

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Under the auspices of the Dakota Water Resources Act (DWRA) of 2000, the Secretary of the Interior has been directed to conduct a comprehensive study of the water quality and quantity needs of the Red River Valley and the options for meeting those needs. As such, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) requested technical support from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) for an evaluation of the risks and economic consequences of biota transfers potentially associated with interbasin water transfers that might occur between the Upper Missouri River and the Red River of the North (Red River) …

Th E Conservation Reserve Program And Duck Product Ion In The U.S. Prairie Pothole Region, Ronald Reynolds

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Th e Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America has historically been considered the most important area of the continent for many species of waterfowl, particularly upland nesting ducks (Bellrose 1976). However, during the time since settlement of this area by Europeans, productivity by species such as mallard, gadwall, blue-winged teal, northern shoveler, and northern pintail has apparently declined. Beauchamp and others (1996) reported a system-wide decline in nest success of upland nesting duck species in the PPR between 1935 and 1992. Nest success has been identified as the single most important factor influencing population change of mallards breeding in …

The Use Of Discontinuities And Functional Groups To Assess Relative Resilience In Complex Systems, Craig R. Allen, L. Gunderson, A. R. Johnson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

It is evident when the resilience of a system has been exceeded and the system qualitatively changed. However, it is not clear how to measure resilience in a system prior to the demonstration that the capacity for resilient response has been exceeded. We argue that self-organizing human and natural systems are structured by a relatively small set of processes operating across scales in time and space. These structuring processes should generate a discontinuous distribution of structures and frequencies, where discontinuities mark the transition from one scale to another. Resilience is not driven by the identity of elements of a system, …

Factors Affecting Regional Variation In Growth Of Channel Catfish, Bart W. Durham, Kevin L. Pope, Gene R. Wilde

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

We related the length at age of channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, an indirect measure of growth, to three climatic and five morphoedaphic variables in 144 Texas reservoirs. Growth of channel catfish ages 3 through 6 was negatively related to longitude, a factor that explained as much as 34% of the variation in length at age. Channel catfish length at age was not significantly related to latitude, conductivity, morphoedaphic index, mean depth, and maximum depth in all age-classes. Among age-7 channel catfish, length at age was positively related to reservoir area, which explained 35% of the variation in growth. A …

Ecology Of The Missouri River. Progress Report, Dingell-Johnson Project F-75-R-23, Supplement I - Missouri River Creel Survey, Bellevue To Camp Creek, 2 April Through 14 October 2005, Gerald Mestl

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

This report describes Missouri River activities and results related to a channelized Missouri River creel survey conducted from 2 April through 14 October 2005. This is the sixth of a planned annual creel survey to be conducted on alternating sections of the channelized Missouri River to measure changes in recreational fishing activity, especially those changes due to large scale habitat restoration efforts. We returned to the Bellevue to Camp Creek reach in 2005 because we had to cancel the creel on this reach in 2004 after the second creel period due to lack of personnel. Future reports will contain additional …

Wildlife Biologist, Division Of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado, David E. Sharp, James A. Dubovsky, Kammie L. Kruse

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The abundance of the Mid-Continent Population of Sandhill Cranes has been relatively stable since the early 1980s, compared to the increases that were recorded in the 1970s. The Central Platte River Valley, Nebraska spring index for 2004, uncorrected for visibility bias, was 356,850. The photo-corrected 3-year average for 2001-2003 was 370,300, which is within the established population objective range of 343,000-465,000 cranes. All Central Flyway states, except Nebraska, allowed crane hunting in portions of their respective states during 2003- 04. About 7,700 hunters participated in these seasons, which was similar to the number that participated in the previous year’s seasons. …

Growth Of Stocker Channel Catfish To Large Market Size In Single-Batch Culture, Bartholomew W. Green, Carole R. Engle

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

Catfish farmers increasingly are producing fish larger than the traditional size of 0.45-0.57 kg/fish in order to meet processing plant requirements for larger fish. Production of larger channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) in multiple-batch culture has been investigated in a few studies, but the impact of understocked fingerlings on growth of carry-over fish is unknown. The present study was conducted to quantify growth, feed conversion ratio, net daily yield, and net and total yield of stocker channel catfish grown in single-batch, one-season culture to mean individual weights of 0.60, 0.72, 0.91, or 1.17 kg/fish. Channel catfish (mean weight = …

Duck Nesting On Rotational And Continuous Grazed Pastures In North Dakota, Robert K. Murphy, Darrell J. Schindler, Richard D. Crawford

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

To improve the economic viability of grazed prairie and thus conserve it as wildlife habitat, the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture (PPJV) cost-shares establishment of rotational cattle grazing on privately owned, native rangeland. During 1996 and 1997 we evaluated duck nest density, nest success, and nesting habitat on six PPJV rotational grazed pastures on the Missouri Coteau landform in central and northwestern North Dakota. Each rotational pasture was paired with a traditional, continuous grazed pasture for comparison. We located 444 nests of eight duck species. We detected no differences (P > 0.1) between rotational and continuous grazed pastures in apparent nest density …

High Abundance Of Nesting Long-Eared Owls In North Dakota, Robert K. Murphy, Laura J. Rosenfield, Robert N. Rosenfield, Melvin P. Nenneman

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The long-eared owl (Asio otus) is a secretive, poorly understood species in the Great Plains of the United States and Canada. In North Dakota the long-eared owl has been considered a species of special concern (Petersen 1991), due mainly to lack of information on its occurrence and nesting status. We discovered 39 long-eared owl nests while searching for Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii) nests in northwestern and north central North Dakota during April and May 2000. Long-eared owl nests mainly were observed at J. Clark Salyer and Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuges (NWRs) in the Souris River …

Non-Native Species Monitoring And Control In The Upper San Juan River, New Mexico 2004, Jason E. Davis

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Intensive non-native removal in 2004 on the upper San Juan River marked the fourth year of such efforts. A total of 6,925 channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus and 1,216 common carp Cyprinus carpio were removed from RM’s 166.6 – 147.9 during 10 removal trips. Of the 10 trips, 6 were conducted from PNM Weir to Hogback Diversion (RM’s 166.6 – 159.0) and four from Hogback Diversion to Shiprock Bridge, New Mexico (RM’s 158.8 – 147.9). In addition to intensive removal efforts, opportunistic removal during riverwide monitoring trips continued in 2004.

PNM Weir to Hogback Diversion - SECTION 1

Channel catfish CPUE …

Environmental Contaminants Associated With A Swine Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation And Implications For Mcmurtrey National Wildlife Refuge, Matthew S. Schwarz, Kathy R. Echols, Mark J. Wolcott, Karen J. Nelson

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Waste generated by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) may contain a variety of contaminants including nutrients, pathogens, trace elements, antibiotics, and hormones. In 2000, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began to characterize CAFO contaminants in lagoons, canals, and created wetlands operated by Hastings Pork, a large swine CAFO adjacent to McMurtrey National Wildlife Refuge (McMurtrey) in Clay County, Nebraska. The created wetlands were designed to attract waterfowl; therefore, the primary purpose of this research was to evaluate whether migratory waterfowl were likely exposed to CAFO contaminants. A secondary research objective was to determine if created wetland water was suitable …

2004 Annual Report: Migratory Bird Conservation Commission

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

Report of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission for the Fiscal Year 2004

Approvals During Fiscal Year 2004

Migratory Bird Conservation Fund

Summary of Fiscal Year 2004 MBCF Land Acquisitions

New National Wildlife Refuge Boundary Approvals

Membership of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission

Map Showing National Migratory Bird Refuge Areas

Map Showing Wetland Management Districts

Notes on Tables One and Two

Table One – National Migratory Bird Refuge Areas

Table Two – Waterfowl Production Areas by State and County

North American Wetlands Conservation Fund

Table Three – U.S. Wetland Conservation Proposals Approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission for FY 2004 …

Roadside Bias In Point Count Surveys At Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota, J. Scott Dieni, Paulette Sherr

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

We investigated potential biases of using roadside point counts to sample breeding bird populations in the northern mixed··grass prairie. In 1995, a breeding bird inventory and monitoring program was initiated at Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, east-central North Dakota. Surveys were conducted annually through 1998 from an extensive point count array permanently located across the refuge (n = 162). Fifty-nine percent of the point counts were established directly on tertiary dirt roads and trails, while the remaining were interspersed at randomly selected distances of 100, 200, 300, and 400 m away from roads. Roadside point counts commonly consisted of a mosaic …

Bufflehead Breeding Activity In South-Central North Dakota, Gregory A. Knutsen, Janet C. King

United States Fish and Wildlife Service: Publications

The bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) is a small, cavity-nesting diving duck that breeds primarily in the aspen parkland and boreal forest regions of Alaska and Canada (Erskine 1972, Bellrose 1976, Gauthier 1993). According to Gauthier (1993), buffleheads prefer habitat consisting of small, permanent wetlands with a scarcity of emergent vegetation and adjacent aspen or poplar (Populus spp.) stands.

Texture Profile Analysis And Composition Of A Minced Catfish Product, J. Lee Wiles, Bartholomew W. Green, R. Bryant

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

Texture Profile Analysis of minced catfish products indicated that minced proteins from the belly flap meat have excellent functional properties to form gels or restructured products. Belly flap meat is considered a low-value trimming, with about 16.9% protein and 11.2% total lipid. Washing of minced catfish trimmings increased the moisture content from 71.5% to 77.9% while reducing mechanical hardness (19.1 N to 11.9 N), chewiness index (14.2 N to 8.83 N) and shear energy (0.82 J to 0.51 J). No significant changes were found in cohesiveness, resilience, and springiness of the minced fish after washing or the addition of 3.3% …

Comparison Of Three Methods Of Size Grading Channel Catfish Stockers, Bartholomew W. Green, David L. Heikes, Andrew E. Goodwin

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

The stocking of size-graded catfish into production ponds should increase production efficiency, but grading large numbers of fish with existing technology is laborious. We evaluated the effectiveness of a mechanical grader recently developed at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) relative to that of box and sock graders and assessed injuries sustained by stocker channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus during grading. Three 0.25-acre ponds were stocked at 11,777 lb/acre. Initial total length (TL) ranged from 6.3 to 15.7 in, and initial weight of individuals ranged from 0.04 to 1.10 lb. The fish population in each pond was divided into …