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We know 2021 was another year full of ups and downs due to the pandemic, so we extended the membership renewal grace period. However, the final date to renew before your membership lapses and you lose access to your member benefits is this Friday, March 4. Renew now so you don't miss out on benefits such as:
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- Online access to six top fisheries journals
- Fisheries magazine
- 30% off books, such as the soon-to-be-released second edition of Methods for Fish Biology
- Savings of up to $200 each on registration for the Joint Aquatic Science Meeting (JASM2022) and the 152nd Annual Meeting in Spokane
- Participation in AFS Sections and Divisions
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Hotel reservation blocks for the Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting (JASM) in Grand Rapids this May are now open! Book now while a variety of great choices near the convention center are still available - we are expecting more than 4,000 attendees at this joint meeting.
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Reservations are also now available for child care at JASM, featuring reasonable rates subsidized by the meeting organizers. Mothers' rooms are also available at the convention center.
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Abstract submission for symposia and contributed paper sessions is now open for the 152nd Annual Meeting in Spokane this August. Descriptions of each symposium session are available on the submission form. Submit your abstracts by April 8.
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AFS Executive Director Doug Austen testified before a remote hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee's Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee last month. The hearing, titled titled “Securing the Future of Climate Adaptation Science at the United States Geological Survey,” discussed H.R. 6654, the Climate Adaptation Centers Science Act, which would permanently authorize the CASC program and increase the budget for research on climate change effects on fish, wildlife, ecosystems, and communities. AFS has organized and conducted five-year reviews of the CASC centers.
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AFS joined 50 other conservation and outdoor organizations in calling on the Biden Administration to take into account several conservation-related considerations while implementing the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Some key areas are: building on existing partnerships, creating durable conservation at scale, addressing government capacity needs, waiving non-federal match requirements, improving the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, and establishing a national tracking database and dashboard.
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A commission of leading scientists, conservationists, anglers, boaters, business leaders, and policy experts is being convened to assess the current threat from aquatic invasive species (AIS) and gaps in public policy and funding. Consider sharing your expertise in the new AFS AIS Policy Working Group to help inform AFS participation in this process. Responsibilities include monthly meetings along with review and feedback on draft recommendations.
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Over recent decades, the South Branch Potomac River, West Virginia, has experienced fish kills and episodes of suppressed health in adult fish that have spanned small stretches to nearly 120 km of contiguous habitat. Although factors such as endocrine disruption, chemical contaminants, and infectious agents have been detected, no single causal mechanism has been identified. To gain information about the temporal nature of abnormalities, differences in life stage impacts, and potential risk factors, investigations of rank scores of macroscopic fish health indicators were conducted utilizing seasonal and annual boat electrofishing surveys for Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu and Golden Redhorse Moxostoma erythrurum.
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Translocation is a management strategy that seeks to address threats to fish and wildlife populations by establishing new populations in ecologically suitable areas. Populations of Finescale Dace Chrosomus neogaeus in the Great Plains may benefit from translocation, as they exhibit a climate relict natural history that has led to a disjunct distribution and minimal dispersal opportunities. The authors of this paper assessed the translocation suitability of sites for Finescale Dace in the Belle Fourche River basin, Wyoming–South Dakota, using a ranking approach for output from multiple analyses.
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In 2021, the Northern Highland Fishery Research Area (NHFRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary of continuous fisheries population monitoring and compulsory angler creel census on five lakes in northern Wisconsin. The authors of this paper review the history of the NHFRA, its role in evaluating experimental regulations, how data derived from the NHFRA were paramount in developing a critical Walleye Sander vitreus management plan for a joint tribal subsistence and recreational angling fishery, discuss the NHFRA as a training ground for early career fisheries professionals, and speculate on its future.
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Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used in marine wildlife research and have rapidly expanded across many scientific disciplines. As recent technological developments have improved the versatility and functionality of UAVs, the potential of these systems for research on small-scale and artisanal fisheries has grown considerably, although this potential is still underexploited. The authors of this paper present and discuss the potential use of UAVs for surveying small-scale fishing activities as a complement to traditional research methods.
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Society Diversity Survey
AFS is committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in our society and profession. As part of our commitment, we’re asking for AFS members to participate in the 2022 Society Diversity Survey. This survey is being administered by Western Washington University and is funded through the National Science Foundation’s LEAPS award (Leading Cultural Change through Professional Societies of Biology). The survey is also being administered to other Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies (CASS) member societies.
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We are asking all AFS members to participate in this important survey effort. The questionnaire is short and is expected to take less than 10 minutes to complete. Please check your email for the survey link.
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Register now for this spring's Planning & Executing Successful Rotenone & Antimycin Projects training course, May 23-27 in Logan, Utah, a 4½ day training course for biologists who manage the planning and execution of rotenone or antimycin projects. The course stresses public involvement, safety, planning, and new application restrictions and techniques from the AFS Rotenone SOP Manual. The course was developed to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency re-registration requirements.
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Nominations for 2022 AFS awards are now open. Recognize worthy accomplishments by your colleagues in conservation, science, and service to the profession. We are seeking a diverse pool of nominees for these prestigious awards. Self-nominations are also encouraged.
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RESOURCES
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CAREERS: For the latest JOBS postings from around the U.S. and Canada
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