University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Endangered Species Bulletins and Technical Reports (USFWS) US Fish & Wildlife Service March 2003 Endangered Species Bulletin, March/April 2003 - Vol. XXVIII No. 2 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/endangeredspeciesbull Part of the Biodiversity Commons "Endangered Species Bulletin, March/April 2003 - Vol. XXVIII No. 2" (2003). Endangered Species Bulletins and Technical Reports (USFWS). 9. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/endangeredspeciesbull/9 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the US Fish & Wildlife Service at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Endangered Species Bulletins and Technical Reports (USFWS) by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service When we think about biological diversity, the plant and animal treasures hidden away in tropical rainforests or the unusual species that evolve on isolated islands readily come to mind. It may surprise many people that the March/April 2003 Vol. XXVIII No. 2 freshwater systems of the southeastern United States contain an extraordinary diversity of aquatic animals. The richest temperate freshwa- ter fish fauna in the world, for example, can be found in the Southeast. Even so,“new” species are still being de- scribed as scientists learn more about the complexity of the regions’ biological re- sources. At the same time, however, habitat alterations, water pollution, invasive nonnative species, and other problems threaten to turn this center of diversity into a center of extinction. Read inside about efforts to save “the jewels in our waters.” U.S.U.S. FishFish && WildlifeWildlife ServiceService Corel Corp. photo WASHINGTON D.C. OFFICE Washington, D.C. 20240 Steve Williams, Director Claire Cassel, Chief, Division of Partnerships and Outreach (703)358-2390 Gary Frazer, Assistant Director for Endangered Species Patrick Leonard, Chief, Division of Consultation, HCPs, Recovery, and State Grants Elizabeth H. Stevens, Deputy Assistant Director (703)358-2106 Chris L. Nolin, Chief, Division of Conservation and Classification (703)358-2105 Kathy Walker, Chief, Office of Program Support (703)358-2079 http://endangered.fws.gov/ PACIFIC REGION—REGION ONE Eastside Federal Complex, 911 N.E. 11th Ave, Portland OR 97232 California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, David B. Allen, Regional Director (503)231-6118 Washington, American Samoa, Commonwealth Steve Thompson, Manager, California/Nevada Office (916) 414-6464 of the Northern Mariana Islands, http://pacific.fws.gov/ Guam and the Pacific Trust Territories SOUTHWEST REGION—REGION TWO P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, NM 87103 Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas H. Dale Hall, Regional Director (505)248-6282 http://southwest.fws.gov/ MIDWEST REGION—REGION THREE Federal Bldg., Ft. Snelling, Twin Cities MN 55111 Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Robyn Thorson, Regional Director (612)715-5301 Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin http://midwest.fws.gov/ SOUTHEAST REGION—REGION FOUR 1875 Century Blvd., Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30345 Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, Kentucky, Sam Hamilton, Regional Director (404)679-7086 Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, http://southeast.fws.gov/ Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands NORTHEAST REGION—REGION FIVE 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, MA 01035 Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Mamie Parker, Regional Director (413)253-8300 Massachusetts, New Hampshire, http://northeast.fws.gov/ New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia MOUNTAIN-PRAIRIE REGION—REGION SIX P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver CO 80225 Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Ralph O. Morgenweck, Regional Director (303)236-7920 Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/ ALASKA REGION—REGION SEVEN 1011 E. Tudor Rd., Anchorage, AK 99503 Alaska Rowan Gould, Regional Director (907)786-3542 http://alaska.fws.gov/ IN THIS ISSUE 4 Jewels in our Waters 6 Conservation and Recovery of Southeastern Imperiled Fishes 8 Releasing Mussels into Recovering Waters Telephone: (703)358-2390 Contributors Fax: (703)358-1735 Sam D. Hamilton 10 Crayfish: An Overlooked Fauna E-mail: [email protected] Kelly Ann Bibb Shane D. Hanlon Editor Robert S. Butler Michael Bender Robert J. DiStefano 12 The Urban Life of Darters Guenter A. Schuster Associate Editor Daniel J. Drennen Susan D. Jewell Tyler Sykes Forty-One Tons Richie Kessler 14 Art Director J. Brent Harrel David Yeargin Ken Burton Richard L. Mayden Landowners Are Recognized for Subscriptions Manager Paul Hartfield 16 Germaine Kargbo Michel Kreger Conservation Work Patricia L. Ford On the Cover In Memoriam: Tyler Alley Sykes Cambarus dubius, a 18 brilliantly colored species of crayfish, is part of the rich diversity of aquatic Down by the Green River wildlife native to the 20 Southeastern United States. Photo by Guenter Schuster 22 Sending Surrogates to the Rescue Opposite page The aquatic wildlife of the Southeast supports a variety of other animals, 24 Cryptic Biodiversity such as the raccoon. Corel Corp. photo 27 Sturgeon Surveys in the Lower Mississippi Other News The Endangered Species Bulletin welcomes manuscripts on a wide range of topics related to endangered species. We are particularly interested in news about recovery, habitat conserva- 28 Chinese Biologists Compare tion plans, and cooperative ventures. Please contact the Editor before preparing a manuscript. Argali to Bighorn We cannot guarantee publication. We also welcome your comments and ideas. Please e-mail them to us at [email protected]. Departments The Fish and Wildlife Service distributes the Bulletin primarily to Federal and State agencies, and official contacts of the Endangered Species Program. It also is reprinted by the University of Michigan as part of its own publication, the Endangered Species UPDATE. To subscribe, write 30 Regional News and the Endangered Species UPDATE, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Recovery Updates Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1115; or call (734) 763-3243. 31 Listing Actions Printed with vegetable-based ink on recycled and recyclable paper. If you do not keep back issues, please recycle the paper, pass them along to an interested person, or Box Score donate them to a local school or library. 36 Jewels in our Waters by Sam D. Hamilton At the crack of dawn, as you slice exploring a new area, or just having fun The rivers that run through the through the calm river with quiet paddle on a hot summer day. Everyone may not Southeast support a variety of life. Would strokes, your canoe glides upstream know, however, about the wealth of you be surprised to discover that hiding through a bank of fog that will slowly aquatic life hidden in our waters. in some of our southeastern rivers are burn off with each cast of your fishing rod. Therefore, it is my pleasure to introduce fish that rival in beauty those found on Why does everyone love our beautiful an edition of the Endangered Species coastal coral reefs? People generally are southern rivers, creeks, and lakes? I Bulletin devoted to the conservation of unaware of the vast biological diversity believe the answer is a personal one. For southeastern aquatic species and the contained within the rivers and streams some, it is relaxing. For others, it is ecosystems upon which they depend. of the southeastern United States. Many enjoying a day of fishing with your dad, scientists, however, are well aware of the treasures we have and are concerned This cypress swamp, below, part of Bond Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia, is home to a variety of about their future. freshwater and anadramous fishes, including the endangered shortnose sturgeon. USFWS photo by John and Karen Hollingsworth 4 ENDANGERED SPECIES BULLETIN MARCH/APRIL 2003 VOLUME XXVIII NO. 2 Total Area Listed Mussels Listed Fishes Southeast: 34 elsewhere: 76 3, 251,871 sq. mi. (8,422,346 km2) Southeast: 67 elsewhere: 5 542,212 sq. mi Constituting just 14.3% of the area of the United (1,404,329 km2) States, the southeastern states are home to 30.9% of its listed fishes, and 93% of its listed mussels. The richest temperate freshwater fish impact of some of these threats. How- (3) We must make greater efforts to fauna in the world (approximately 530 ever, our aquatic species still face conserve species before they require taxa, or 66 percent of the freshwater increasing threats. As our nation’s cities federal protection. species of North America) occurs in the continue to grow, water demands (4) We must continue our efforts to southeastern states of Arkansas, Louisi- continue to skyrocket, destruction of support research and learn more about ana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, habitat continues, nonpoint source aquatic faunal groups, like crayfish, that Georgia, North and South Carolina, pollution (such as sedimentation) are not very well known. Virginia, and Kentucky1. Of the more increases, and impacts resulting from the (5) We must work more effectively to than 110 federally listed fishes, 34 taxa introduction of nonnative (or invasive) create consensus-based regional conser- (18 endangered, 16 threatened) are species continue to devastate native vation and recovery strategies for aquatic found in the Southeast. The situation is aquatic species. species across the Southeast. even worse for mussels: 72 species of How can