Fish Migration as an Ecosystem Linkage Between Lake Erie and Its Tributaries

Fish Migration as an Ecosystem Linkage Between Lake Erie and Its Tributaries PDF Author: Jeremy Joseph Pritt
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Ecosystem management
Languages : en
Pages : 197

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Book Description
Migratory fish are globally harvested by humans and are important to ecosystem function. The management of migratory fish depends on an ability to monitor populations and a sound understanding of the role of fish migrations in an ecosystem context. Lake Erie is a highly productive freshwater fishery and many of Lake Erie's fishes are potamodromous, migrating from Lake Erie into tributaries to spawn. The goal of this dissertation was to improve methods for monitoring migratory fishes and examine the role of fish migrations in ecosystem processes. First, I developed techniques for monitoring spawning stocks of migratory fishes in the Maumee River, one of Lake Erie's largest tributaries, using hydroacoustic sampling, gill net sampling, and Bayesian state-space modeling. I determined that the spawning stock abundance for Walleye was approximately 650,000 fish in 2011 and 550,000 individuals in 2012. Second, I examined the importance of fish migrations as a material subsidy to upstream riverine consumers using stable isotope analysis. I found that although migratory fish inputs (eggs and carcasses) were a negligible pool of carbon relative to other sources. However, migratory fish biomass had low carbon to nitrogen ratios, indicating high nutritional quality, and stable isotope analysis supported the hypothesis that some riverine fishes and invertebrates consume these inputs. Third, I estimated detection probabilities for larval fishes in the Maumee and Detroit rivers and demonstrated how detection information can be used to inform indices of abundance and taxonomic richness estimates. Detection probabilities varied among taxa and were generally greater in the Maumee River than the Detroit River. Taxa with the greatest detection probabilities were those with high fecundities, small hatching lengths, and no nesting behaviors. Accounting for incomplete detection greatly increased an index of abundance for a species with low detection probability but had a relatively minor influence on a species with high detection probability. Fourth, I conducted a literature review to synthesize habitat use of larval fishes in the Great Lakes. Habitat use varied among species, with some preferring nearshore, shallow habitats and others preferring offshore, deep habitats. From this information, I created three habitat groups: Lotic, Lentic Nearshore, and Lentic Offshore. Life history traits partially explained species' membership into the three habitat groups and may be useful for predicting the response of larval fishes to habitat restoration and possible habitat use of future invasive species. My study provides methodological advances for the monitoring of adults and larvae of migratory. I also showed that migratory fish are used as a food source by some resident fishes in lower reaches of Lake Erie tributaries; however, I hypothesize that the importance of migratory fish to upstream ecosystems has been diminished by anthropogenic disturbances. Thus, ecosystem-based management efforts should therefore consider the potential importance of migratory fish as ecosystem linkages.

Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Fish Habitat and Environmental-nearshore Fish Community Relationships in the Eastern Lake Erie Basin [microform]

Spatial and Temporal Assessment of Fish Habitat and Environmental-nearshore Fish Community Relationships in the Eastern Lake Erie Basin [microform] PDF Author: Sapna Sharma
Publisher: National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada
ISBN: 9780612915800
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 364

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Book Description
Environmental conditions were used to determine relationships with the nearshore fish assemblage of the eastern basin and to model habitat for different life stages of walleye in the eastern Lake Erie basin adjacent to the outflow of the Grand River. Optimal walleye habitat tended to be found along the shoreline of the lake and dependent on the Grand River plume. Generally, there was very little optimal walleye habitat found in the lower reaches of the Grand River. The nearshore fish assemblage tended to be size-structured and related to specific environmental conditions, such as conductivity, temperature, dissolved organic carbon, chloride concentrations, alkalinity, sampling date and abundances of emergent and submergent plants. Improvements in both biotic and abiotic features of habitat in the nearshore and tributaries will enhance the amount of habitat optimal for specific fish species, and thereby the potential abundance of these fish species.

Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair Handbook

Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair Handbook PDF Author: S. J. Bolsenga
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
ISBN: 9780814324707
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 500

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Book Description
Learn about the wonders of Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair in this fascinating and readable book. The most comprehensive reference source available about the lakes, Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair Handbook is an ideal guide for anglers, boaters, swimmers, beach walkers—anyone who uses and enjoys the lakes. The handbook explains, in simple terms, the reasons for the scenic beauty and the natural events that occur in the coastal and offshore waters of Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, including the St. Clair, Detroit, and Niagara rivers extending from Sarnia, Ontario, to Niagara-on-the-Lake, New York. Individual chapters focus on the land, air, water, and life forms that comprise the natural history and environment of the region—the shoreline topography, wind and weather patterns, water temperature cycles and water level changes, the ecology, and indigenous animal life. Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair Handbook enhances our understanding and appreciation of the lakes and their surroundings by addressing fundamental questions about the Lake Erie region: • how Lake Erie was formed through glacial processes • why daily and seasonal weather patterns occur • causes of the water currents and waves • causes of temperature patterns in the lakes • the location of productive reef features • the species of fish and birds found in the area • the importance of the wetlands • the effect of current and past pollution on the aquatic life in the lakes

The Development of an Aquatic Habitat Classification System for Lakes

The Development of an Aquatic Habitat Classification System for Lakes PDF Author: W.D.N. Busch
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 1351094041
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description
In the context of freshwater fisheries changing their strategies from the regulation of harvest and the enhancement of populations, to the creation and protection of habitats and the management of ecosystems, moves toward establishing an aquatic habitat classification system. Eight papers, from the February 1988 Symposium on the Classification and Inventory of Great Lakes Aquatic Habitats (the last in a series of Great Lakes Symposia), propose various classification approaches, most using a limited number of physical, chemical, and/or biological variables to produce some form of index. They also include overviews and summaries of the classification process.

Conference in the Matter of Pollution of Lake Erie and Its Tributaries - Indiana-Michigan-New York-Ohio-Pennsylvania

Conference in the Matter of Pollution of Lake Erie and Its Tributaries - Indiana-Michigan-New York-Ohio-Pennsylvania PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Erie, Lake
Languages : en
Pages : 922

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The Death and Life of the Great Lakes

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes PDF Author: Dan Egan
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393246442
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
New York Times Bestseller Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize Winner of the J. Anthony Lukas Award "Nimbly splices together history, science, reporting and personal experiences into a taut and cautiously hopeful narrative.… Egan’s book is bursting with life (and yes, death)." —Robert Moor, New York Times Book Review The Great Lakes—Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior—hold 20 percent of the world’s supply of surface fresh water and provide sustenance, work, and recreation for tens of millions of Americans. But they are under threat as never before, and their problems are spreading across the continent. The Death and Life of the Great Lakes is prize-winning reporter Dan Egan’s compulsively readable portrait of an ecological catastrophe happening right before our eyes, blending the epic story of the lakes with an examination of the perils they face and the ways we can restore and preserve them for generations to come.

Report on Pollution of Lake Erie and Its Tributaries

Report on Pollution of Lake Erie and Its Tributaries PDF Author: United States. Division of Water Supply and Pollution Control
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Erie, Lake
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Lake Erie

Lake Erie PDF Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Office of Biological Services
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Fishes
Languages : en
Pages : 206

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State of Lake Erie

State of Lake Erie PDF Author: M. Munawar
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Biotic communities
Languages : en
Pages : 576

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Survey of Larval Fish in the Michigan Waters of Lake Erie, 1975 and 1976

Survey of Larval Fish in the Michigan Waters of Lake Erie, 1975 and 1976 PDF Author: Ronald C. Waybrant
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Erie, Lake
Languages : en
Pages : 100

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