Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

From Sunscreen To Seafood: Tracing The Ecological And Human Health Risks Of Oxybenzone Contamination In Local Fish, Alyssa Brasko

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Oxybenzone (benzophenone-3) is a widely used ultraviolet (UV) filter in sunscreens, offering protection against harmful radiation but raising significant environmental concerns due to its persistence and toxicity in aquatic ecosystems. This ongoing study aims to investigate the bioaccumulation and ecological impact of oxybenzone in fish species along Florida’s Space Coast, contributing to a broader understanding of its environmental fate and potential human exposure through seafood consumption. The research will employ advanced analytical techniques, including Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), to quantify oxybenzone levels in locally sourced fish. Fish samples will be obtained from the non-profit organization …

Comprehensive Temporal, Spatial, And Environmental Analysis Of Arkansas Tournament Information Program (Atip) Data With A Lake Dardanelle Case Study., Jeffrey G. Phillips

ATU Scholars Symposium

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) established the Arkansas Tournament Information Program (ATIP) in 1990 to provide a long-term, standardized dataset to describe Black Bass (Micropterus spp.) tournament outcomes, angler performance, and fish size structures across Arkansas, yet most of its analytical potential has not been fully explored beyond yearly summary reports. This project will use ATIP data from 1990 to 2027 and a biological case study from Lake Dardanelle to evaluate long-term trends, compare lake-specific performance, identify environmental drivers of tournament success, access how well tournament data represents true Black Bass populations, and create an “average” year benchmark …

Assessing The Effect Of A Human-Made Reservoir On The Mussel Community In Caney Creek, Trakker Estes

ATU Scholars Symposium

Freshwater mussels are one of the most threatened taxonomic groups globally, with less than 32% of North American taxa considered secure. In Arkansas, over half of the state’s 85 species are endangered, threatened, or of special concern. Small impoundments may contribute to these declines through reduced hydrological connectivity and the resulting decline of fish community movement. This study examines the effects of Tri-County Lake, a small impoundment of Caney Creek in southern Arkansas, on mussel abundance and diversity. In total, eight sites were surveyed upstream, within, and downstream of the impoundment across various habitat types. A timed-search approach utilizing scuba …

6ppd-Quinone In Middle Tennessee Waters: Assessing Ecological Impact, Andrew Davis Todd, Raphael Marquise Chandler, Kerolos Gerges Basalos, Denise Lori Loewinger

Student Scholar Symposium

This poster presents the dangers of a toxic chemical used on car tires that is entering aquatic ecosystems and harming fish populations.

Can Assessment Of Morphometrics Correctly Predict Species In Madtoms?, Harley C. Walden

ATU Scholars Symposium

Species delineation is commonly achieved through genetic analyses, but the utility of morphometrics as an alternative method remains unclear. This study investigates whether morphometric measurements can effectively differentiate species in madtoms (Noturus spp.). A total of 10 morphometric traits were measured from 50 individuals each of three madtom species: the Slender Madtom (Noturus exilis), the Black River Madtom (Noturus maydeni), the Ozark Madtom (Noturus albater), the Ouachita Madtom (Noturus lachneri) and the Freckled Madtom (Noturus nocturnus). Random forest modeling was employed to identify which morphometric variables most accurately distinguish between …

Distribution Of Mussels In Two Intermittent Upland Streams Of The Arkansas Valley Ecoregion, Aaron A. Brady, Seth Drake, Zach Crain, Kendall Moles

ATU Scholars Symposium

Freshwater mussels are facing an increasing need for conservation due to their declining populations. More data is needed on mussel distributions, especially in tributaries of large rivers to properly conserve and restore populations. Big Shoal Creek and Little Shoal Creek are two upland-tributaries of the Arkansas River (Lake Dardanelle) in which no records exist for freshwater mussel populations. We addressed this knowledge gap by sampling a total of 9 sites in Little Shoal Creek and 18 sites in Big Shoal Creek to determine the abundance and distribution of mussels in these streams. Mussels were sampled using a timed search approach. …

Empowering Young Innovators Through School-Based Agricultural Education: Insights From A Nigerian Secondary School Teacher, Mary O. Olumide-Oyaniyi

National Collaborative for Research on Food, Energy, and Water Education (NC-FEW)

Nigeria faces challenges like food insecurity and economic instability, worsened by a growing youth population. School-Based Agricultural Education (SBAE) engages youth in agricultural innovations. This study implemented SBAE principles in a Nigerian school, combining poultry farming and aquaculture. Students managed a poultry farm, using chicken droppings to breed maggots as feed for catfish in rainwater-filled tanks. The project enhanced students' skills, improved local food production, and engaged the community. Despite funding and management challenges, the initiative demonstrated SBAE's potential to empower youth and advance agricultural practices, offering a model for similar projects in other regions.

A Model Of Oocyte Population Dynamics For Fish Oogenesis, Louis Fostier, Frédérique Clément, Romain Yvinec, Violette Thermes

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of Hematodinium Infection In A Seasonal Population Model Of The Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab, Gwendolyn R. Sargent, Romuald Lipcius, Leah Shaw, Junping Shi, Jeffrey D. Shields

Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference

No abstract provided.

Spatial Assessment Of Slender Madtom (Noturus Exilis) Diets Within The Illinois Bayou, Brendon K. Mitchell

ATU Scholars Symposium

The Slender Madtom (Noturus exilis) is a common species with a widespread distribution across the Mississippi River basin. In Arkansas, they can be found in upland rivers/streams in the Arkansas River and White River watershed. Very little data has been collected on the diet of this species and how it varies. We wanted to spatially assess the diet of Slender Madtoms. Slender Madtoms were sampled from 8 sites in the Illinois Bayou watershed using seines and kick nets. Small-scale gastric lavage was used to extract diet data from all individuals. All prey items were preserved and identified to the genus …

Microhabitat Use Of The Highland Darter (Etheostoma Teddyroosevelt) In The Illinois Bayou Watershed Of Arkansas, Colton W. Morris

ATU Scholars Symposium

Highland Darters (Etheostoma teddyroosevelt) are an Ozark regional endemic species, occurring in the Arkansas River and upper White River systems of Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. There have been very few studies on this species, specifically those that have quantified the habitat use of this species across its range. A new study was needed to fill in the knowledge gap of microhabitat use by the Highland Darter in Arkansas. We wanted to address this knowledge gap by assessing the microhabitat use of this species in the Illinois Bayou watershed in Arkansas. Highland Darters were observed during snorkel surveys at known …

Mussel Communities Of Two Impacted Tributaries In The Arkansas South Central Plains Ecoregion, Jimmy Hall, Seth Drake, Parker Brannon, Savannah Wise

ATU Scholars Symposium

Anthropogenic influences such as mining and water quality degradation from wastewater effluents and agricultural runoff heavily impact freshwater mussel communities. The South-Central Plains (SCP) Ecoregion in Arkansas contains the Smackover Formation, an area that has been exploited for its oil with high frequency of drilling. In 1922 the Smackover pool in Union County was found and quickly became one of the world's most productive oil sites. Hurricane Creek and Smackover Creek, two tributaries within the Ouachita River basin, have experienced negative impacts from oil exploration and mining. However, to our knowledge, mussel communities in these creeks have not been assessed …

Culled Lionfish Sexual Maturity Over A Four-Year Timespan​, Christina Bland, Jurgen Hauer, Bilal Saleem, Noelle James

Symposium of Student Scholars

Lionfish are invasive in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. Like many other invasive species, they do not have any natural predators in these areas, so their population can grow unchecked. This can decrease the population of native fish species due to lionfish eating to excess. Because of their impact on native species, resource managers have incentivized lionfish hunting. Hunters were paid $6 USD for every pound of lionfish they brought in, so they possibly favored larger lionfish to increase their reward which would lead to an adaptive advantage for fish of smaller sizes. We hypothesized that the lionfish bounty program …

Workshop Abstracts: The International Conference & Workshop On Lobster (And Crab) Biology And Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Western Rock Lobster Council, Fisheries Research And Development Corporation

International Conference on Lobster (and Crab) Biology and Management (ICWL)

The theme of the 12th ICWL is ‘ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM)’. EBFM is a holistic approach to fisheries management that recognises all the interactions within an ecosystem rather than considering a single species or issue in isolation. We consider this represents best practice for fisheries management and reflects that fisheries research and management focus is now broader than just sustainability. Therefore, in addition to presentations that focus on lobster (and crab) biology and stock assessment, we have also welcomed presentations that examine other aspects of EBFM, such as ecosystem effects of fishing, economic assessments, social issues, governance, and compliance with …

Program, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia, Fisheries Research And Development Corporation, Western Rock Lobster Council

International Conference on Lobster (and Crab) Biology and Management (ICWL)

No abstract provided.

Spatial Assessment Of Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Communities In Tributaries Of Lake Dardanelle, Brendon K. Mitchell

ATU Scholars Symposium

Aquatic macroinvertebrates are key bioindicators of water/habitat quality and can be used to catch changes in the health of the aquatic systems that they live within. They can also be used to determine a fish community as many fish species require macroinvertebrates as a key part of their diet. These macroinvertebrate communities can change significantly due to varying land-use practices on surrounding riparian area. This is especially in places like Arkansas with lots of agriculture and an increasing population. We assessed 6 tributaries of Lake Dardanelle (Bakers Creek, Shoal Creek, Spadra Creek, Middle Fork Illinois Bayou, Hurricane Creek, and Mill …

Comparison Of Redfin Darter (Etheostoma Whipplei) Diets From Two Spatially Distinct Streams In The Arkansas River Valley, Ben S. Johnson, Ethan H. Dodson

ATU Scholars Symposium

SPATIOTEMPORAL COMPARISON OF REDFIN DARTER (ETHEOSTOMA WHIPPLEI) DIETS FROM TWO SPATIALLY-DISTINCT STREAMS IN THE ARKANSAS RIVER VALLEY.

Ben S. Johnson1^*, Ethan H. Dodson1,2, and Kyler B. Hecke1, 1Arkansas Tech University, Department of Biological Sciences, Russellville, AR [email protected], 2Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, 213 AR-89, Mayflower, AR

Diet-data collection is increasingly difficult for darters, as most methods require the dissection of each specimen and the removal of the digestive tract, which is fatal. As a result, the diets of many darter species have been relatively understudied. The Redfin Darter (Etheostoma whipplei) is one species where …

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 …

Comparison Of Channel Catfish Populations In Two Northeast Kansas Impoundments, Ethan Thompson

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

In the summer of 2022, we sampled Channel Catfish populations at Brown State Fishing Lake and Sabetha City Lake, both located in Northeast Kansas. These impoundments are similar only in latitude and size with several differences in their fish populations, specifically with Channel Catfish. One is stocked annually with 200 mm intermediate Channel Catfish and the other is not. Surprisingly, the impoundment that is not stocked has a higher density of fish than the impoundment that is. This poster will present age, growth, length, and weight information and make inferences on the impacts of population density on those metrics.

Functional Implications Reflected In Neurocranial Morphology Of Lamniform Sharks (Elasmobranchii: Lamniformes), Jake J. Wood

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

Lamniform sharks (Elasmobranchii: Lamniformes) display diverse habitat preferences and lifestyles. Based on museum specimens and published illustrations, we examined the proportion of the anteroposterior length of the rostral, olfactory, optic, and otic regions with respect to the neurocranial length in each lamniform species as a proxy of relative importance of each sensory region (electroreception, olfaction, vision, and ‘coordination’) to its lifestyle. We show that: 1) Carcharias and Megachasma (ragged-tooth and megamouth) have short rostral and large otic regions indicative of slower-swimming pelagic lifestyles with elevated coordination for balancing in the water column; 2) Alopias pelagicus, A. vulpinus, …

Effect Of Temperature Variation On Endurance Swimming Capacity Of Juvenile White Sturgeon (Acipenser Transmontanus), Alex M. Stolberg

2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference

White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), a species within one of the most globally threatened taxa, are highly susceptible to changes in their environments due to unique life history traits. Specifically, juvenile white sturgeon are impacted by altered watershed dynamics caused by water diversion structures such as dams, weirs, irrigation ditches, or levees. One location of great concern is the Sacramento-San Joaquin (S-SJ) watershed where decades of water diversion has brought on changes to the temperature, flow, and management of the area. This study looks to primarily identify the impact of water temperature on the endurance swimming capacity of juvenile white sturgeon, …

Effects Of Environmental Warming On Clarias Gariepinus Growth And Physiology, Dean Cahill

Capstone Showcase

Fresh water makes up about 0.8% of the Earth’s surface and is home to six percent of its species. Environmental warming is projected to have a significant effect on freshwater systems as the century progresses. They are susceptible to irreversible damage because fresh water availability and temperature is dependent of climate. The Clarias gariepinus, or the African Catfish, is popular among aquaculture in Africa and Asia because of its rapid growth, quick reproduction, and hardiness. The goal of my thesis was to examine the effect of environmental warming and elevated temperatures on the growth and physiology of Clarias gariepinus populations …

Using Integral Projection Models To Study Silver Carp Management Practices, Cameron Coles

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

24andmore: Using Genomics To Improve Walleye (Sander Vitreus) Stocking In Iowa, Rachel Mcdonnell

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) at UNI

Walleye, Sander vitreus, is one of the top gamefish in Iowa. Due to poor natural reproduction in many Iowa waterbodies, populations are managed with stocking. There are two strains of walleye used to stock Iowa’s inland waters: a river strain derived from the Mississippi River near Genoa, WI and a lake strain derived from Spirit Lake, IA. Each strain may have unique characteristics relative to their environment that could affect the fitness and success of fish stocked. The goal of this study is to understand the genetic diversity within and between each strain to offer stocking guidance to the Iowa …

Genetic Effect Of Long-Term Angling Pressure On Bluegill Populations In Small Impoundments In Kansas, Morganne Borsh

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) at UNI

Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) is a versatile sport fish popularly fished across Kansas. Over the last decade, Bluegill catch rates have decreased, likely from high angler harvest rates of larger individuals. Large males that exhibit parental care have high growth rates and aggressively defend nests, making them vulnerable to angling. Males that display cuckoldry behavior reach maturity sooner, exhibit slower growth rates, and are generally smaller. The goal of this study is to determine if fisheries-induced evolution resulting from long-term harvest has led to a decline in the growth rate of Bluegill. A total of 100 individuals were sampled from ten …

Investigating The Primary Production Of Bear Lake's Filamentous Algal Blooms, Maycee Page

Student Research Symposium

Filamentous algae blooms(FABs) have been appearing on the Western Shore of Bear Lake within the last couple of years with minimal research done on them. Through YSI meter sampling of light and dark trials of Bear Lake’s Eastern and Western shores and Fluorometer analysis of samples of filamentous algae taken from each site, gross primary production(GPP), net ecosystem production(NEP), and community respiration were calculated. Through graphical analysis between many of the factors that were accounted for, one statistical significance found was between the mass in milligrams of periphyton produced and the gross primary production. The two have a negative correlation …

An Agent-Based Modeling Approach For Predicting The Behavior Of Bighead Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Nobilis) Under The Influence Of Acoustic Deterrence, Joey Gaudy, Craig Garzella

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Preventing Infectious Hematopoietic Necrosis In Salmonid Fish Along The Columbia River Basin, Whitney L. Wright

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health Annual Conference

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a member of the Rhabdoviridae family and causes infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN) disease in many salmonid species during the juvenile or “fry” stage of life. IHNV is endemic to Western North America and occurs in the Columbia River Basin, where Steelhead and Chinook salmon are the most abundant IHNV-vulnerable species. IHNV can cause an epidemic in wild or farmed stocks, killing 90-95 percent of the fish it infects. Transmission is currently understood to occur by direct exposure through the gills, and the virus is shed typically from asymptomatic or clinically ill carrier adults at …

The Effect Of Water Levels On Crayfish Aggression, Emory B. Johnson, Sarah E. Blase

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Crayfish are a very prevalent invasive species that affect many different environments all over the world. Crayfish, specifically Procambarus clarkii, are an invasive species that have currently taken a foothold in the Santa Monica mountains and are threatening native stream species. There is currently a severe drought occurring in the Santa Monica mountains. The drought has been reshaping many aquatic environments by limiting space and resources such as food and shelter. Crayfish are a very aggressive species and adversely affect the habitat they inhabit by rapidly colonizing, burrowing, and their voracious diets. Due to the adverse effects crayfish can have …

Early Nutritional Programming To Enhance The Utilization Of Plant Based Diets In Fish (Largemouth Bass, Micropterus Salmoides), Maya Rene Jackson, Cora Teets, Amit Kumar Yadav, Waldemar Rossi

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Aquaculture has been the fastest growing animal food-producing sector for over half a century. Sustainable aquaculture should include replacement of fish-based feed sources by plant-based ingredients. However, this approach is often impeded by poor growth in carnivorous fish such as largemouth bass (LMB, Micropterus salmoides) fed high levels of plant-based protein. Therefore, our overall goal of the present work was to develop alternative methods of utilizing the plant-based diets (PBD) for sustainable LMB production. When fish is exposed to PBD early in their life, they may accept them more efficiently at later stages (so called Nutritional Programing, NP). Therefore, …