The Interactive Ecology of Atlantic Salmon and Smallmouth Bass: Competition for Habitat? Gus Wathen 1, Stephen Coghlan 1 ,Joseph Zydlewski 1,2, Joan Trial 3 1 University of Maine Department of Wildlife Ecology 2 USGS Maine Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit 3 Maine Department of Marine Resources Three-pronged approach: Simulated Stream Controlled Invasion Open Observations Experiment Open-system observations Stream Name Treatment Narraguagus River ATS only Crooked River ATS only Union River ATS and SMB Great Works Stream ATS and SMB Kenduskeag Stream SMB only Schoodic Stream SMB only Union River 1 6-12-08 7-30-08 9-22-08 Velocity (m/s) Velocity 0 0 Depth (m) 0.6 ATS Great Works Stream SMB 0.8 6-13-08 7-29-08 9-23-08 Velocity (m/s) Velocity 0 0 Depth (m) 0.4 ATS Only 0.6 Available ATS Use 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 Depth (m) 0.1 0.0 Early Mid Late ATS + SMB 0.6 Available ATS Use 0.5 SMB Use 0.4 0.3 Depth (m) 0.2 0.1 0.0 Early Mid Late Summary • ATS and SMB overlap in meso- and micro- habitat use during mid to late summer •The presence of SMB may cause ATS to utilize shallower water than they would normally select •Only 0+ SMB were detected in study reaches •Repeated in summer 2009 Controlled Invasion Pollard Hoyt Hemlock N= 40 N= 40 (0+) (0+) N= 19 N= 19 (1+) (0+) Detectability of ATS Before and After 2nd Introduction Allopatric Sympatric 0.8 Before Before After After 0.6 0.4 Detectability 0.2 0.0 Pollard Hemlock Pollard Hemlock # observed during snorkel Detectability = est # w/3 - pass removal Summary • Did not detect a change in ATS habitat use in the presence of 1+ SMB •Significant decrease in detectability of ATS in the presence of SMB • Indicates habitat shift by “non-detected” ATS – hiding behavior • Repeated in 2009 using 0+ SMB The Annular Tank: A Simulated Stream •Mean velocities: Pool = 0.06 m/s Riffle = 0.18 m/s •Mean Depths: 1.2m Pool = 48 cm Riffle = 17 cm •8 equally spaced PIT tag antennae 5.2m Pool 2 Riffle 1 Riffle 2 Pool 1 Experimental Design Test 1: Interspecific Competition Test 2: Interspecific Competition Prior residents: Prior residents: Invaders: Invaders: Test 3: Intraspecific Competition Test 4: Intraspecific Competition Prior residents: Prior residents: Invaders: Invaders: Change in ATS habitat use when ATS is "invader" 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0 -0.2 Change in Proportional Use -0.4 Pool 1 Riffle 1 Pool 2 Riffle 2 Edge Habitat Type Change in ATS habitat use when SMB is "invader" 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 -0.1 -0.2 Change in Proportional Use -0.3 Pool 1 Riffle 1 Pool 2 Riffle 2 Edge Habitat Type Summary • “Resident” fish shifted in their habitat use after the introduction of “invasive” fish. •No distinction in use and shifts between species •Several replicates through 2009 Response of resident fishes to barrier removal in Sedgeunkedunk Stream Stephen M. Coghlan Jr.1, Cory Gardner1,2, Joseph Zydlewski1,2 1University of Maine Department of Wildlife Ecology 2Maine Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Research Unit Image courtesy of Rory Saunders, NOAA A B C D A B C E Meadow Dam prior to fishway construction, August 2008 (photo courtesy of Carl Young) Meadow Dam prior to fishway construction,2008 August 2008 (photo courtesy of Carl Young) Sedgeunkedunk - Mill Dam Mill Dam, 1 day post-removal August 2009 Metrics of interest • Species richness, diversity • Abundance (density) • Body size (biomass) • Assemblage structure (species composition, size spectrum) BACI design – comparisons: • Before / after removal • Among sites within stream • Treatment vs. reference Density – July 2007 3.5 Meadow Mill Dam Dam 3 2.5 White sucker ) 2 2 Redbreast Sunfish Golden shiner Common shiner 1.5 Fall Fish Density (#/m Density Black nosed dace 1 0.5 0 ABCDE Site Total density – Pre-removal 5 4 3 May-08 2 Jul-08 #/m 2 May-09 1 0 AB CDE Total density – Post-removal 5 4 May-08 2 3 Jul-08 #/m May-09 2 Aug-09 1 0 AB CDE BND density– pre-removal 3 2.5 2 May-08 2 1.5 Jul-08 #/m May-09 1 0.5 0 ABCDE BND density– post-removal 3 2.5 2 May-08 2 Jul-08 1.5 #/m May-09 1 Aug-09 0.5 0 ABCDE FF density – pre-removal 0.6 0.5 0.4 May-08 2 0.3 Jul-08 #/m May-09 0.2 0.1 0 ABCDE FF density – post-removal 0.6 0.5 0.4 May-08 2 Jul-08 0.3 #/m May-09 Aug-09 0.2 Fallfish density 0.1 0 AB CDE WS density – pre-removal 0.5 0.45 0.4 0.35 0.3 May-08 2 0.25 Jul-08 #/m 0.2 May-09 0.15 0.1 0.05 0 ABCDE WS density – post-removal 0.5 0.45 0.4 0.35 May-08 0.3 2 Jul-08 0.25 #/m May-09 0.2 Aug-09 0.15 White sucker density 0.1 0.05 0 ABCDE Species richness • Mill Dam separated richest (downstream) and poorest (upstream) sites • After removal, richness decreased below and increased above (former) dam 16 14 12 10 May-08 Jul-08 8 May-09 6 # of species Aug-09 4 2 0 ABCDE Summary • Pre-removal: Species richness and abundances were highest below Mill Dam • Immediate response to dam removal was a drop in species richness and abundance below the dam • Many fish appeared to move upstream in response to the dam removal • Collected ATS fry below Mill Dam; collected parr upstream 3 days after dam removal • Collected alewife YOY(?) below fishway 30 days after Mill dam removal Barrier removal and range expansion of sea lamprey: quantifying habitat conditioning in Atlantic salmon nursery streams Stephen M. Coghlan Jr.1, Silas Ratten1,2, Cory Gardner1,2, Joseph Zydlewski1,2, Kevin Simon3, Rob Hogg1,2 1University of Maine Department of Wildlife Ecology 2Maine Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Research Unit 3University of Maine School of Biology and Ecology http://www.alaska-in-pictures.com/data/media/5/creek-spawning-salmon_4634.jpg http://www.onlinefishinglog.com/images/blog/redds/slide-7_bull-trout-redd.jpg Benthic communities of Lake Ontario tributaries : the influence of migratory Pacific salmon Susan D. Proch http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/images/cc_salmon_redds_usfws.jpg Descriptive: Population estimate Distribution of nests 6 Distribution of nests - 2008 5 4 3 2 # of lamprey nests 1 0 0 25 50 75 100 125 Mill Dam 150 175 200 distance225 upstream from Penobscot River (m) 250 275 300 325 350 375 400 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625 650 675 700 725 Test hypotheses that: • Sea lamprey spawning conditions habitat to the benefit of Atlantic salmon • Habitat quality is higher in reaches accessible to sea lamprey than inaccessible reaches • Sea lamprey range expands following barrier removal • Habitat quality improves after barrier removal, throughout watershed Metrics of habitat quality • Permeability, embeddedness, and particle size → spawning habitat • Depth, velocity, substrate profiles → energetic profitability of foraging habitat for juveniles • Marine-derived nutrients → invertebrate production, drift → juvenile growth Experimental BACI design: compare metrics… • Temporally: before and after – seasonally (pre-spawn vs. post-spawn) – annually (pre-dam removal vs. post-dam removal) • Spatially: within and among streams – low lamprey density vs. high lamprey density – accessible reaches vs. inaccessible reaches – lamprey-rich stream vs. lamprey-less stream ACCESSIBLE NEWLY ACCESSIBLE NOT USED INACCESSIBLE Primary productivity, MDNE Depth, velocity profiles Particle size, embeddedness Fine sediment accumulation Intragravel permeability Benthic productivity, drift Modeling ATS habitat quality June 1, 2009 June 4 – July 15, 2009 Any questions?.