
Sponsors: Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, Black Bass Committee of Southern Division, Centrarchid Technical Committee of North Central Division
This symposium highlighted the expanding network of research surrounding riverine black bass and Rock Bass populations during 33 talks and 1 poster by presenters from around the country. The Arkansas Chapter of AFS, Centrarchid Technical Committee of NCD AFS, and the Mississippi Interstate Cooperative Resource Association supported student travel to the symposium through two awards provided to Amy Cottrell (Auburn University) and Jonathan Watson (University of Maine). In addition to learning more about life history traits and management of Smallmouth Bass, attendees were introduced to relatively understudied black bass species such as Guadalupe Bass, Shoal Bass, and newly described Choctaw Bass. The session began with an update on the Native Black Bass Initiative presented by Vance Crain, SARP Program Coordinator. During subsequent talks three consistent themes emerged: (1) stream Centrarchid populations are a product of existing habitat, (2) continuing to genetically distinguish Centrarchids from one another will allow us to better manage and protect populations for both ecological integrity and economic value, and (3) human influences on the environment continue to affect stream-dwelling populations of all Centrarchids; however, increasing human alterations of these ecosystems tends to increase our involvement in a management context as a way to counteract these influences. Read the abstracts here.
—Amy Cottrell, Auburn University, and Michael Siepker, Iowa Department of Natural Resources