DOCSLIB.ORG

On the Open Water (PDF)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
On the Open Water (PDF) O N THE O PEN WATER nearly all species of Great Lakes fish, as rom the earliest inhabitants to modern-day well as many types of birds and mammals at some point in their life cycles. The residents, people throughout history in the water in these areas has the warmth and shallowness to support warm-water fish United States and Canada have prized the and other aquatic organisms. Almost the entire Lake Huron to Lake Erie Corridor Lake Huron to Lake Erie Corridor as a source of is categorized as nearshore waters. F Unfortunately, because of their closeness water, food, transportation and recreation. Despite human to the land and human communities, nearshore waters are most vulnerable to pressures, the Corridor continues to support a remarkable pollution and degradation. Pollution not only affects the water that passes through amount of aquatic biodiversity. Protecting this precious the Lake Huron to Lake Erie Corridor, but also settles into the bottom sedi- water resource is essential to the continued prosperity ments of the Corridor’s rivers and lakes, thus impacting aquatic life for decades. of the surrounding region. MEYER JONATHAN The nearshore water environment has The shoreline of Lake St. Clair in Tecumseh, Ontario. The Land and Water Connection Trees along a stream provide been changed physically, chemically shade and habitat for Nearshore Waters ecologically, they are not as biologically and biologically by human activity. While waterways and land may seem aquatic organisms. Raw sewage, fertilizers and pesticides, The undercut banks provide diverse or productive as the fringes and to connect only at shorelines, the The Great Lakes cover one-third of industrial discharges and polluted interconnectedness of water and land hiding and feeding areas the region known as the Great Lakes shallows of those lakes. for fish and insects. stormwater runoff are among the goes far beyond a simple beach. Basin. Although the vast waters of These shallow water areas are known contaminants that have entered the activity, affects the the deeper, larger Great Lakes domi- as nearshore waters. They are home to Corridor, to the detriment of wildlife Many animals know this. For example, nate the Basin geographically and the beaver fells trees on shore and uses health and biodiversity and humans. them to build lodges in the water. The of waterways. An bald eagle nests in trees on land, yet feeds example is removing on prey caught in the water. Many trees and shrubs from reptiles and amphibians feed and live in a riverbank. It may wetlands but nest in uplands. Humans seem like a simple, DEBORAH J. BASSETT-MAXWELL DEBORAH J. live on land but go on or into the water isolated action. But it to fish, boat and swim. can have widespread effects on the run-off. The increased water complex system of the river: The loss volumes can increase the river’s Nearly everything that takes place of roots that anchor soil and absorb speed, leading to erosion of on land, especially human rainwater can result in greater surface embankments downstream. The increased amounts of soil going into the river can bury a fish spawning bed. That can reduce fish populations, resulting in smaller catches for anglers. Whether we live upstream or downstream, on hills or lowlands, in rural or urban areas, we are all connected by water – to each other, to fish and mammals, to birds and insects, to reptiles and amphibians, to wildflowers, shrubs and trees. Turtles and ducks bask together on a log at the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority’s Lighthouse Cove Conservation Area. Woody debris along watercourses ERNIE BERGEN provide habitat for many animals. A coastal marsh in the St. Clair River Delta near Walpole Island 24 EXPLORE OUR NATURAL WORLD: A BIODIVERSITY ATLAS OF THE LAKE HURON TO LAKE ERIE CORRIDOR | ON THE OPEN WATER ON THE OPEN WATER | EXPLORE OUR NATURAL WORLD: A BIODIVERSITY ATLAS OF THE LAKE HURON TO LAKE ERIE CORRIDOR 25 Aquatic Food Web FOOD WEB OF THE GREAT BLUE HERON IN LAKE ST. CLAIR The food web within nearshore waters has many links, extending from extremely tiny microorganisms Phytoplankton to large fish, birds, mammals and can be seen only with humans. Individual food chains can a microscope, be incredibly complex. They may which reveals involve hundreds of different types their of organisms. A food chain can fascinating be understood by examining the shapes and colors. different levels, called trophic levels, Fragilaria spp. through which energy flows. These (above) are diatoms include producers, consumers and that are common in decomposers. the waters of the Lake Huron to Lake Erie Primary producers form the first Corridor during link in a food chain. In a freshwater winter, spring and WYNNE DR. MICHAEL ecosystem, such as the Lake Huron fall while the blue-green algae, Oscillatoria spp. (below), dominate in to Lake Erie Corridor, primary the summer months of July and August. producers include phytoplankton, periphyton, and aquatic macro- An energy pyramid is a useful way to visualize the phytes. These are plants that depend transfer of energy in food chains. (ILLUSTRATION LEFT) THE ECOLOGY OF LAKE ST. CLAIR on the sun for their energy. Energy is lost as it passes through each WETLANDS: A COMMUNITY PROFILE, U.S. FISH AND trophic level. The presence of producers, WILDLIFE SERVICE, BIOLOGICAL REPORT 85 (7.7), Phytoplankton, also called algae, or autotrophs, far outweighs the presence SEPTEMBER 1986. grow suspended in the open waters. of consumers, or heterotrophs. In the biosphere, plants account for 99 percent More than 80 species of phytoplank- of all biomass. All other organisms constitute ton inhabit the Detroit River and 71 the remaining one percent. and stonefly nymphs. Some feed The top, or quarternary consumers, species have been identified in Lake on dead organic matter (detrius) in the aquatic food chain are fish St. Clair. Periphyton are larger algae, shallow water, usually less than 23 ft or filter feed. Other species are predatory, eaters–humans, mammals and birds, which are attached to the lake bot- (7 m) deep, where there is good light feeding on other smaller organisms. such as cormorants and bald eagles. tom or to other aquatic plants. penetration. They are the dominant primary producers in the St. Clair Secondary consumers in an aquatic Decomposers are bacteria and other Aquatic macrophytes, or submersed River, Lake St. Clair and Detroit ecosystem include reptiles and microorganisms that break down aquatic plants, are large, rooted River system. The macrophyte beds amphibians such as bullfrogs, painted and feed on the decaying remains plants that live under the surface of that grow on the fringes of coastal turtles, and water snakes. They eat of aquatic organisms. The marshes and along the shoreline insects and other small prey. breakdown of the organic matter also creates nutrients for green provide food and cover for waterfowl Tertiary consumers include such large and fish. plants. Decomposers play a critical predatory game fish as walleye and role in maintaining the complex Zooplankton are the most numerous muskellunge. They feed on smaller biological and chemical animals in the open waters. These fish that in turn had fed on zooplankton systems of the open water microscopic creatures move about and insects. environment. and eat by straining algae from the water. In turn, zooplankton are eaten Primary Producers Tertiary Consumers by many small fish, such as sunfish phytoplankton, periphyton muskellunge, white bass, walleye and minnows, and the larval stages and aquatic macrophytes and northern pike of many game fish species, including yellow perch. Primary Consumers Quaternary Consumers zooplankton, mussels, snails, osprey, tern, bald eagle, great DENISE M. STYKA Benthic macroinvertebrates are THE ECOLOGY OF LAKE ST. CLAIR WETLANDS: A COMMUNITY PROFILE, U.S. FISH spineless creatures that live in the crayfish and aquatic insects blue heron, raccoons and humans AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BIOLOGICAL REPORT 85 (7.7), SEPTEMBER 1986 The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) bottom of a waterway for at least feeds mostly on small fish, but insects, Secondary Consumers Decomposers frogs, and mice are occasionally eaten part of their lives. These creatures minnows, gizzard shad, emerald shiner, invertebrates, bacteria and other microor- This diagram shows the complicated relationships within the food chain of the great blue heron. too. When hunting, the heron will stand include mussels, snails, crayfish, Hundreds of organisms may be involved in any single aquatic food chain. A disturbance in one level motionless waiting for the right moment frogs and turtles ganisms can affect many other creatures. to strike its prey. leeches, worms, sow bugs, mayfly 26 EXPLORE OUR NATURAL WORLD: A BIODIVERSITY ATLAS OF THE LAKE HURON TO LAKE ERIE CORRIDOR | ON THE OPEN WATER ON THE OPEN WATER | EXPLORE OUR NATURAL WORLD: A BIODIVERSITY ATLAS OF THE LAKE HURON TO LAKE ERIE CORRIDOR 27 Return of the Mayfly The burrowing mayfly (Hexagenia spp.) is one of the most important fish foods in open waters. The burrowing mayfly nymph feeds on JOHN SCHAFER JOHN the decaying remains of aquatic plants. In turn, both the aquatic nymph and the flying adult mayfly are food for many animals, especially fish and birds. Large swarms of flying insects are The canvasback duck a common sight around water (Aythya valisineria) frequently during the summer. These are can be seen on the open waters. It was named “valisineria” after burrowing mayflies that have wild celery, its favored food source. emerged from their aquatic larval stage as adults and are mating. They may seem like a nuisance but it is important to remember that they, like many other aquatic insects, INSTITUTE RESEARCH WATER NATIONAL STATON, SHAWN The northern riffleshell (Epioblasma torulosa rangiana) is a freshwater mussel that requires well- BRUCE MANNY BRUCE provide an important link in the oxygenated, swiftly flowing water and prefers to live in fine to coarse gravel substrate.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Life History and Population Dynamics of Lake Sturgeon
    LIFE HISTORY AND POPULATION DYNAMICS OF LAKE STURGEON, Acipenser fulvescens, IN THE MUSKEGON RIVER, MICHIGAN by Paul Joseph Vecsei (Under the direction of Douglas L. Peterson) ABSTRACT The lake sturgeon was once abundant throughout Lake Michigan with an estimated 11 million fish prior to human exploitation. By the early 1900s, however, most populations had been decimated by severe over-fishing and habitat degradation. Despite recent interests in restoring the species in Lake Michigan, little is known about the current status of remnant populations. The primary objectives of this study were to estimate annual spawning stock abundance and to identify potential spawning habitat for lake sturgeon on the Muskegon River, Michigan. To capture adult lake sturgeon, I used large-mesh, bottom-set gill nets deployed at the mouth of the Muskegon River from mid- March through May, 2002-2005. Radio telemetry was used to monitor seasonal movements and to identify likely spawning habitats. Sampling for larval lake sturgeon was conducted in May of each year using D-frame drift nets anchored in the mainstream of the river channel. During the 4 years of the study, I expended more than 5000 gill-net hours and captured 59 individual adult lake sturgeon. Larval lake sturgeon were captured in 2 years, suggesting that at least some natural reproduction still occurs. Habitat analysis revealed that the lower Muskegon River likely contains extensive reaches of potential spawning habitat for lake sturgeon. INDEX WORDS: Biology, population dynamics, habitat, lake
    [Show full text]
  • Status of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser Fulvescens Rafinesque 1817)
    Journal of Applied Ichthyology J. Appl. Ichthyol. 32 (Suppl. 1) (2016), 162–190 Received: August 12, 2016 © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH Accepted: October 19, 2016 ISSN 0175–8659 doi: 10.1111/jai.13240 Status of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque 1817) in North America By R. M. Bruch1, T. J. Haxton2, R. Koenigs1, A. Welsh3 and S. J. Kerr2 1Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Oshkosh, WI, USA; 2Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, ON, Canada; 3School of Natural Resources, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA Summary The species Lake Sturgeon (LS) had been assigned at least Lake Sturgeon is a potamodromous, fluvial-dependent spe- 17 different scientific names during the 19th and 20th cen- cies from the family Acipenseridae, and one of the largest turies due to the variation in color and shape displayed by freshwater fishes within its North American range extending the different life stages and populations (Scott and Cross- to the Great lakes, Mississippi River, and Hudson Bay drai- man, 1973). Eventually LS was recognized as one species nages. Like almost all other sturgeon species, Lake Stur- with the scientific designation Acipenser fulvescens (ful- = geon populations throughout its range suffered mass vescens yellowish or tawny) originally proposed by Con- – declines or extirpation in the late 1800s into the early stantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783 1840). The common name 1900s, due to extensive overexploitation and habitat loss Lake Sturgeon was given due to the abundance of the species and
    [Show full text]
  • Brief History of the Michigan Geological Survey – Page 1 of 6 Understanding of the Michigan Basin
    MICHIGAN Geological Survey and also the first department of the State created by statute. Michigan Geological Survey, Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 30028, 735 E. Hazel Street, The bill authorized and directed Governor Stevens T. Lansing, MI 48909. Mason, with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE MICHIGAN A competent person whose duty it shall be to make an GEOLOGICAL SURVEY accurate and complete geological survey of this state, which shall be accompanied with proper maps and R. Thomas Segall, State Geologist diagrams, and furnish a full and scientific description of its rocks, soils and minerals, and of its botanical and geological productions . and provide specimens of the HISTORICAL SEQUENCE OF same . ORGANIZATIONAL NAME AND An appropriation of some $3,000 was recommended to carry out the above work during the first year, and on DIRECTORS: February 23, 1837, Governor Mason signed the bill into First Geological Survey law. Douglass Houghton, State Geologist, 1837-45 As a result of this legislation, Dr. Douglass Houghton, Second Geological Survey who had conceived and planned the survey, and Alexander Winchell, State Geologist 1859-62 persuaded individual members of the legislature to Michigan Geological and Biological Survey commit money and time to this undertaking, was Alexander Winchell, State Geologist, 1869-71 appointed Michigan's first State Geologist. The Carl Rominger, State Geologist, 1871-85 Michigan Geological Survey's early accomplishments Charles E. Wright, State Geologist, 1885-88 are inextricably linked with the work and personality of M. E. Wadsworth, State Geologist, 1888-93 Dr. Houghton.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents. Letter of Transmittal. the Value Of
    FOURTH REPORT THE VALUE OF SCIENTIFIC OF RESEARCH TO THE STATE. THE MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE BY VICTOR C. VAUGHAN. CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE ANNUAL Members of the Michigan Academy of Science:—Please MEETING permit me to thank you in the first place for the honor HELD AT which you have done me in making me President for this year of the Academy. Every man desires the good will ANN ARBOR, MARCH 27, 28 AND 29, 1902 of his neighbors, and so far as the scientific man is concerned, honors of this kind make up the larger part of PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE the recompense which he receives for his toil. It is COUNCIL especially pleasant to be honored at home, by those who best know one. I thoroughly appreciate the fact that BY my predecessors in this position have made it an JAMES B. POLLOCK, Sc. D., honorable one, and I feel that you have placed me in SECRETARY good company, and I only hope that I may bear myself BY AUTHORITY worthily. LANSING, MICHIGAN I have decided to say a few words concerning the value ROBERT SMITH PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS AND BINDERS, of scientific research to the state. In order that I may not 1904 use words loosely, and that I may plainly indicate my meaning, I will attempt a short analysis of this subject. In the first place, it may very properly be asked, what TABLE OF CONTENTS. constitutes scientific research. I apprehend by these Articles published in this report: terms the acquisition of new facts.
    [Show full text]
  • Lake St. Clair Food Web MENT of C
    ATMOSPH ND ER A I C C I A N D A M E I C N O I S L T A R N A T O I I O T N A N U E .S C .D R E E PA M RT OM Lake St. Clair Food Web MENT OF C Sea Lamprey White Bass Walleye Rock Bass Muskellunge Smallmouth Bass Northern Pike Pumpkinseed Yellow Perch Rainbow Common Carp Smelt Channel Catfish Freshwater Drum Spottail Shiner Round Goby Lake Sturgeon Mayfly nymphs Gammarus Raptorial waterflea Zebra/Quagga mussels Invasive waterflea Chironomids Mollusks Calanoids Native waterflea Cyclopoids Diatoms Green algae Blue-green algae Flagellates Rotifers Foodweb based on “Impact of exotic invertebrate invaders on food web structure and function in the Great Lakes: NOAA, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, 4840 S. State Road, Ann Arbor, MI A network analysis approach” by Mason, Krause, and Ulanowicz, 2002 - Modifications for Lake St. Clair, 2009. 734-741-2235 - www.glerl.noaa.gov Lake St. Clair Food Web Sea Lamprey Planktivores/Benthivores Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). An aggressive, non-native parasite that Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvscens). Endangered over most of its historic fastens onto its prey and rasps out a hole with its rough tongue. range. Its diet commonly includes small clams, snails, crayfish, sideswimmers, aquatic insect larvae, algae, and other plant matter. Piscivores (Fish Eaters) Macroinvertebrates White bass (Morone Chrysops). Prefers clear open water in lakes and large rivers. Chironomids/Oligochaetes. Larval insects and worms that live on the lake Visual feeders, uses sight instead of smell to find prey.
    [Show full text]
  • Environmental Outline History of the Upper Great Lakes Fisheries Robert Archibald Northern Michigan University, [email protected]
    Upper Country: A Journal of the Lake Superior Region Volume 6 Article 7 2018 Fish Farm: Environmental Outline History of the Upper Great Lakes Fisheries Robert Archibald Northern Michigan University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.nmu.edu/upper_country Recommended Citation Archibald, Robert (2018) "Fish Farm: Environmental Outline History of the Upper Great Lakes Fisheries," Upper Country: A Journal of the Lake Superior Region: Vol. 6 , Article 7. Available at: https://commons.nmu.edu/upper_country/vol6/iss1/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals and Peer-Reviewed Series at NMU Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Upper Country: A Journal of the Lake Superior Region by an authorized editor of NMU Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. Archibald: Fish Farm: Environmental Outline History of the Upper Great Lakes Fish Farm: Environmental Outline History of the Upper Great Lakes Fisheries Robert Archibald Ph.D. The Upper Great Lakes are beautiful in their enormity, clarity, and beauty. But their appearance is not the whole story. Underneath the surface there is clear evidence of profound ecological change, exhibited in many ways but especially in the history of fish species. Fish are impacted by airborne pollution; over-fishing, point pollution, run-off pollutants and invasive species compete for food and alter the food chain. The size and quality of native fish stocks provided a reliable food source for Native Americans and impressed the first European visitors to the Upper Peninsula. Fish, particularly whitefish, were a mainstay in the diet of Upper Peninsula’s indigenous population.
    [Show full text]
  • Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser Dabryanus) - Sturgeons
    Pond Life - Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) - Sturgeons http://www.pond-life.me.uk/sturgeon/acipenserdabryanus.php Search Pond Life... Home Sturgeons Koi Other Fish Fish Health Ponds Plants Forums Contents Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) Home Sturgeons Acipenseriformes Sturgeon Food & Feeding Sturgeon Care Sheet Sturgeon Guide Sturgeon Species List Adriatic Sturgeon Alabama Sturgeon Amu Darya Sturgeon Amur Sturgeon Atlantic Sturgeon Beluga Sturgeon Chinese Paddlefish Chinese Sturgeon Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) photo from the website of CAFS Common Sturgeon (http://zzzy.fishinfo.cn/) Diamond Sturgeon Dwarf Sturgeon by Karen Paul Green Sturgeon Description: The Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) has 8-13 dorsal scutes, 26-39 lateral Gulf Sturgeon scutes, 9-13 ventral scutes, 44-57 dorsal fin rays and 25-36 anal fin rays. Colouration ranges from Kaluga Sturgeon dark grey to brown-grey on the back to white on the ventral side. The body is rough because it is Lake Sturgeon covered with small pointed denticles. The four barbels are located closer to the mouth than the end Paddlefish of the snout. The Yangtze Sturgeon can reach 1.3 meters in length and a weight of 16kg. Pallid Sturgeon Persian Sturgeon Sakhalin Sturgeon Ship Sturgeon Shortnose Sturgeon Shovelnose Sturgeon Siberian Sturgeon Stellate Sturgeon Sterlet Syr Darya Sturgeon White Sturgeon Yangtze Sturgeon Sturgeon Videos Koi Other Fish Fish Health Yangtze Sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) photo from the website of CAFS Ponds (http://zzzy.fishinfo.cn/) Plants Forums Wild Distribution: Asia; restricted to the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River system, Search rarely seen below the Gezhouba Dam. The Yangtze Sturgeon is a potamodromous (freshwater only) species.
    [Show full text]
  • Petition to List US Populations of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser Fulvescens)
    Petition to List U.S. Populations of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) as Endangered or Threatened under the Endangered Species Act May 14, 2018 NOTICE OF PETITION Submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on May 14, 2018: Gary Frazer, USFWS Assistant Director, [email protected] Charles Traxler, Assistant Regional Director, Region 3, [email protected] Georgia Parham, Endangered Species, Region 3, [email protected] Mike Oetker, Deputy Regional Director, Region 4, [email protected] Allan Brown, Assistant Regional Director, Region 4, [email protected] Wendi Weber, Regional Director, Region 5, [email protected] Deborah Rocque, Deputy Regional Director, Region 5, [email protected] Noreen Walsh, Regional Director, Region 6, [email protected] Matt Hogan, Deputy Regional Director, Region 6, [email protected] Petitioner Center for Biological Diversity formally requests that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) list the lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in the United States as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act (“ESA”), 16 U.S.C. §§1531-1544. Alternatively, the Center requests that the USFWS define and list distinct population segments of lake sturgeon in the U.S. as threatened or endangered. Lake sturgeon populations in Minnesota, Lake Superior, Missouri River, Ohio River, Arkansas-White River and lower Mississippi River may warrant endangered status. Lake sturgeon populations in Lake Michigan and the upper Mississippi River basin may warrant threatened status. Lake sturgeon in the central and eastern Great Lakes (Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River basin) seem to be part of a larger population that is more widespread.
    [Show full text]
  • Round Goby (Neogobius Melanostomus), Native to the Black Sea, Threatens the Waters of the State of Michigan
    State of Michigan’s Status and Strategy for Round Goby Management Scope The invasion of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), native to the Black Sea, threatens the waters of the State of Michigan. The goals of this document are to summarize the: • Current level of understanding on the biology and ecology of the round goby. • Management options for round goby in Michigan. • Future possible directions for round goby management in Michigan. Biology and Ecology I. Identification Round gobies are small, soft- bodied fish. Their fused pelvic fin forms a suction disk on their ventral surface and distinguishes them from native sculpins. Adults have brownish gray bodies with dark brown/black blotches. During spawning and nest guarding, males have black bodies with yellowish spots and median fins with a yellow/white outer edge. Generally, a large, oblong, black spot is present at the end of the first white/greenish dorsal fin, beginning at the fifth ray; sculpins usually have a mark in the same area. This black spot on juveniles has a light border. The round goby’s head that makes up approximately 22 to 23% of its body length is as wide or wider than it is deep (Charlesbois et al. 1997). In the United States, round gobies reach up to 17.8 cm in length (Jude 1993). II. Life History In the spring, when water temperatures range from 9 to 26°C, males migrate from deeper water before the females to establish spawning areas in shallow water (Moiseyeva and Rudenko 1976, MacInnis and Corkum 2000, Murphy et al. 2001, Kornis et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Caviar and Conservation
    Caviar and Conservation Status, Management, and Trade of North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish Douglas F.Williamson May 2003 TRAFFIC North America World Wildlife Fund 1250 24th Street NW Washington DC 20037 Visit www.traffic.org for an electronic edition of this report, and for more information about TRAFFIC North America. © 2003 WWF. All rights reserved by World Wildlife Fund, Inc. All material appearing in this publication is copyrighted and may be reproduced with permission. Any reproduction, in full or in part, of this publication must credit TRAFFIC North America. The views of the author expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the TRAFFIC Network, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), or IUCN-The World Conservation Union. The designation of geographical entities in this publication and the presentation of the material do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of TRAFFIC or its supporting organizations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The TRAFFIC symbol copyright and Registered Trademark ownership are held by WWF. TRAFFIC is a joint program of WWF and IUCN. Suggested citation: Williamson, D. F. 2003. Caviar and Conservation: Status, Management and Trade of North American Sturgeon and Paddlefish. TRAFFIC North America. Washington D.C.: World Wildlife Fund. Front cover photograph of a lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) by Richard T. Bryant, courtesy of the Tennessee Aquarium. Back cover photograph of a paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) by Richard T. Bryant, courtesy of the Tennessee Aquarium. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface .
    [Show full text]
  • Round Goby Fact Sheet
    Round Goby Iowa Aquatic Invasive Species Neogobius melanostomus Fact Sheet Description: The round goby has a body that is mostly slated gray, mottled with black and brown spots. It has thick lips and frog-like raised eyes. One of the most noted features is that it has only single scallop-shaped pelvic fin. The round goby is usually 3-6 inches long but may reach up to 10 inches long. Distribution: The round goby has not yet been found in Iowa waters, but this fish is becoming increasingly common in the Great Lakes. This species is native to the Black and Caspian Seas and in all likelihood entered the United States from the discharge of ballast water released from transoceanic vessels. The goby has the potential to enter the Mississippi River through the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal and down the Illinois River. Threats: Impacts of a goby invasion in Iowa are uncertain however, in areas where the goby has been established they have had a severely negative impact on native fish populations. Populations of mottled sculpins are already dwindling and may be driven into extinction from round goby competition. Other species may be affected include logperch and lake sturgeon – a species that is already endangered in Iowa. If round gobies colonize the Mississippi River, there is concern over the impacts they may have on darters, several of which are listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List. Control: Preventing the spread of the round goby is vital. Anglers, commercial fisherman, and fishery professionals should know how to identify the round goby.
    [Show full text]
  • Sturgeon and Paddlefish Life History and Management: Experts’ Knowledge and Beliefs
    Received: 18 May 2017 | Accepted: 16 June 2017 DOI: 10.1111/jai.13563 STURGEON PAPER Sturgeon and paddlefish life history and management: Experts’ knowledge and beliefs I. Jarić1,2,3 | C. Riepe1,4 | J. Gessner1 1Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany Summary 2Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Although sturgeons and paddlefish represent a highly endangered species group, Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, České knowledge regarding their ecology, life history and management and restoration Budějovice, Czech Republic measures still reveals substantial gaps and uncertainties. As such, it was hypothesized 3Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, that the information on overall experiences and perspectives of researchers working Serbia in the field would provide a good indication of the state of knowledge, and help iden- 4Thünen-Institute of Baltic Sea Fisheries, Rostock, Germany tify areas for further investigation. To gain in- depth insight into their perspectives on a variety of topics related to sturgeon life history, management and conservation, as Correspondence Ivan Jarić, Biology Centre of the Czech well as opinions on issues characterized by a lack of data, a worldwide online survey Academy of Sciences, Institute of was conducted among scientists specializing in sturgeon and paddlefish research. Hydrobiology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic. With a total of 277 respondents, the response rate was good (40.3% of those invited). Email: [email protected]; [email protected] The survey results indicated a high level of uncertainty with regard to various aspects of sturgeon life history, such as spawning migrations, reproduction and senescence. Responses differed largely with the origin and the research focus of the participants.
    [Show full text]