Distribution, Health, and Development of Larval and Juvenile Lost River
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Distribution, Health, and Development of Larval and Juvenile Lost River and Shortnose Suckers in the Williamson River Delta Restoration Project and Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon: 2008 Annual Data Summary Open File Report 2009–1287 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Distribution, Health, and Development of Larval and Juvenile Lost River and Shortnose Suckers in the Williamson River Delta Restoration Project and Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon: 2008 Annual Data Summary By Summer M. Burdick, Christopher Ottinger, Daniel T. Brown, Scott P. VanderKooi, Laura Robertson, and Deborah Iwanowicz Open-File Report 2009-1287 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Marcia K. McNutt, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2009 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Suggested citation: Burdick, S.M., Ottinger, C., Brown, D.T., VanderKooi, S.P., Robertson, L., and Iwanowicz, D., 2009, Distribution, health, and development of larval and juvenile Lost River and shortnose suckers in the Williamson River Delta restoration project and Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon: 2008 annual data summary: U.S. Geological Survey Open- File Report 2009-1287, 76 p. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted material contained within this report. Contents Executive Summary.................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction and Background...................................................................................................................................... 3 Study Area.................................................................................................................................................................. 7 Methods...................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Larval Fish Sampling............................................................................................................................................... 8 Random Stratified Sampling................................................................................................................................ 8 Fixed Site Sampling............................................................................................................................................. 8 Larval Sample Collection..................................................................................................................................... 9 Juvenile Fish Sampling ........................................................................................................................................... 9 Benthic Sampling .................................................................................................................................................. 11 Trammel Net Sampling ......................................................................................................................................... 11 Health and Condition Assessment ........................................................................................................................ 12 Bacterial Terminal Restriction Length Polymorphism (tRFLP) Analysis ............................................................ 13 Transforming Growth Factor-ß (TGF-ß) mRNA Expression in Age-0 Juvenile Suckers: Methods Development................................................................................................. 14 Results...................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Spatial Patterns in Relative Abundance and Condition of Larval Fish................................................................... 15 Larval Sucker Distribution, Condition, and Sample Density Relative to Hydrodynamic Conditions....................... 17 Larval Sample Efficiency ................................................................................................................................... 18 Juvenile Fish Habitat and Habitat Use .................................................................................................................. 19 Juvenile Sucker Prey Availability....................................................................................................................... 19 Spatial and Temporal Variation in Juvenile Sucker Distribution......................................................................... 19 Juvenile Fish Community .................................................................................................................................. 21 Health and Condition of Age-0 Juvenile Suckers .................................................................................................. 22 Mucosal Bacterial Communities ........................................................................................................................ 22 Transforming Growth Factor-ß (TGF-ß) mRNA Expression .............................................................................. 24 Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................ 24 Habitat Development in the Williamson River Delta.............................................................................................. 24 Larval Sucker Distribution ..................................................................................................................................... 25 Juvenile Sucker Distribution.................................................................................................................................. 26 Hypothesized Gradient in Mucosal Bacterial Communities................................................................................... 27 Transforming Growth Factor-ß (TGF-ß) mRNA Expression.................................................................................. 27 Acknowledgments..................................................................................................................................................... 27 References Cited...................................................................................................................................................... 28 iii Figures Figure 1. Map of study area in and adjacent to the Williamson River Delta, in the northeast portion of Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon................................................................................................................................. 33 Figure 2. Map of Upper Klamath Lake study area and three defined areas of the lake ............................................ 34 Figure 3. Mean weekly sample density for Lost River sucker larvae, and a grouping of larvae identified as either shortnose or Klamath largescale suckers.................................................................................................... 35 Figure 4. Mean weekly sample density of larval fish in plankton samples collected from four strata in and adjacent to the Williamson River Delta, Oregon, between May 5 and June 17, 2008. ............................................... 36 Figure 5. Larval Lost River sucker sample densities at seven fixed sites sampled weekly in and adjacent to the Williamson River Delta, Oregon, between May 5 and July 18, 2008 ........................................................... 37 Figure 6. Larval shortnose or Klamath largescale sucker sample densities at seven fixed sites sampled weekly in and adjacent to the Williamson River Delta, Oregon, between May 5 and July 18, 2008 ............ 38 Figure 7. Williamson River discharge and water temperature at the mouth of the Williamson River (dashed line), as measured during weekly site visits between May 5 and July 18, 2008 ................................................... 39 Figure 8. Larval sample density by week and species at seven fixed sites sampled weekly in and adjacent to the Williamson River Delta, Oregon, between May 5 and July 18, 2008 ........................................................... 40 Figure 9. Length of juvenile suckers collected in trap nets set in the Williamson River Delta and southern Agency Lake, Oregon, between May 5 and September 25, 2008 ............................................................................ 41 Figure 10. Mean weekly catch per unit effort for age-0 suckers caught in trap nets set over night in the Tulana Unit of the Williamson River Delta and Agency Lake between June 22 and September 26, 2008...................... 42 Figure 11. Mean weekly catch per unit effort (suckers per net) for age-0 suckers caught in three areas of the Tulana Unit of the Williamson River Delta