Fish and Aquatic Species Conservation

Prevalence of novel, emerging hepatitis viruses in wild white suckers and their association with liver tumors in the Great Lakes region

The role of pheromones in guiding American eel migration

Landscape genetics of Atlantic slope freshwater mussels

Dwarf Wedgemussel Propagation and Restoration in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern US

The Challenge: Since its inception in 2002 the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI) has taken the lead in monitoring amphibian populations on Department of Interior lands. ARMI scientists work on a broad spectrum of species and management issues to address the core causes of amphibian declines. In many cases, research requires complex study designs and innovative methods. A key...

It is difficult to evaluate the presence or abundance of many imperiled species. Low numbers, cryptic behaviors or habitats that are difficult to search can combine to make it difficult for a researcher to detect and monitor species and population changes. Wildlife and Fisheries researchers are applying research tools from molecular science to attempt to better understand and evaluate these...

These systems are characterized as 4th order and larger nontidal riverine systems, which includes many of the intermediate and larger size rivers, such as the Penobscot, Connecticut, Hudson, Delaware, and Susquehanna Rivers and their larger tributaries of the northeastern U.S. Fish passage, thermal stress, and ecological flows are likely important issues in these systems. Fish health issues and...

Disease may be caused by infectious agents, nutritional imbalances, physiological or genetically-based abnormalities, and suboptimal environmental conditions, acting either alone or in combination with other factors. In many instances, environmental stressors may merge forces with an infectious agent or some other non-infectious factor to produce or exacerbate a state of disease. By studying...

Freshwater mussels are considered ecosystems engineers benefiting the streams and rivers they inhabit through filtration, biodeposition, and nutrient cycling, thereby influencing water quality. However, many of these species are rapidly declining due to shifting environmental conditions and habitat loss. Researchers at Leetown Science Center are evaluating how different species of mussels respond...

A major focus of USGS-LSC is the design and evaluation of state-of the-art upstream and downstream fish passage structures for hydropower facilities of different sizes and locations and for different fish species, including endangered sturgeons and Atlantic salmon. Performance, physiology, behavior and energetics of each fish species are tested in-house for each design.

Physiological demands are especially important to anadromous fish because of their need to move between freshwater and seawater and to make long, often difficult migrations.

Recent discoveries of the extent of sturgeon movement in the Gulf of Maine combined with relicensing and water use issues in the Connecticut River demand closer evaluation of shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon migration and behavior patterns.