Fisheries News & Science
By Jeff Schaeffer | AFS Co-Chief Science Editor. E-mail: [email protected] Fish culturists struggle constantly with preventing and treating disease, but one helpful trend is the development of assays that can provide rapid diagnostics so that disease presence can be verified or treated. Saranya Plaon and colleagues at the Srinakharinwirot University (Thailand) present a great look... Read More
When you think of a national park, you probably have a vision of a place that is mostly pristine and untouched. So when Parks Canada took on the task of trying to eradicate the invasive Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis from the Middle and Lower Devon lakes, which form part of the headwaters of the Clearwater... Read More
As an anadramous species, Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar have a complex life history that includes spending part of their lives in freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats. In recent years, the decline of Atlantic Salmon has been attributed to their poor marine survivorship, due in large part to climate change. However, factors contributing to their marine... Read More
By Sarah Harrison | AFS Contributing Editor. E-mail: [email protected] Clifford Hutt (Mississippi State University, Human Dimensions and Conservation Laboratory) and his colleagues estimated both the economic impact (the monetary benefits of angling to the regional economy) and economic value (the value of a fishing trip above the angler’s actual costs; their net “willingness-to-pay” for the... Read More
By Sarah Harrison | AFS Contributing Editor. E-mail: [email protected] In this study, Joseph H. Tarnecki and William F. Patterson of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, University of South Alabama, examined the impact of the BP Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill on the diet and trophic position of Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus off the coasts of... Read More
Jeff Schaeffer | AFS Co-Chief Science Editor. E-mail: [email protected] This article highlights efforts to conserve Delta Smelt Hypomesus transpacificus, an endangered species threatened by habitat loss and drought in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta. This is an important topic because several social media communications have blamed Delta Smelt for exacerbating California’s current drought issues. This has... Read More
Jeff Schaeffer | AFS Co-Chief Science Editor. E-mail: [email protected] With this article, Vicky Blazer (U.S. Geological Survey, National Fish Health Research Laboratory) and her colleagues established clearly that endocrine disruptors were a potential issue for fish health, and not just in watersheds with high human population densities. They found a surprisingly high incidence of intersex... Read More
Jeff Schaeffer | AFS Co-Chief Science Editor. E-mail: [email protected] This work by Richard Ryder represents an important paper because it was one of the first widely accepted papers that promoted the idea that groups of freshwater lakes were comparable and that fish yields could be predicted based on physical and chemical attributes. The morphoedaphic index... Read More
Recent advances in genetic analysis are transforming the ways in which biologists monitor and manage aquatic organisms. Traditional monitoring techniques for aquatic species are often costly and time-intensive, especially when managers need information about rare, elusive, or newly-colonizing species. Analysis of DNA found in the environment, or eDNA, can provide managers with data about the... Read More
Craig Gothreaux Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 2000 Quail Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808. E-mail: [email protected] Patrick Banks Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Baton Rouge, LA 70808 When the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded and sank in the Gulf of Mexico, shockwaves were felt throughout the region and the country. The result was... Read More
