Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
Filter Total Items: 18
Production, behavior, and survival of juvenile shad and river herring
USGS is conducting research to better understand biology, behavior, and survival of juvenile fishes that travel between fresh and saltwater to complete their lifecycles. Migratory fishes as such as herring and shad are vital components in riverine and coastal ecosystems, transporting food and nutrients between fresh rivers and the ocean. They are also an important forage fish for predators in...
Using Multiple Indicators to Assess Stream Condition in the Chesapeake Bay
USGS is working with federal, state and local partners to develop multiple assessments of stream and river conditions in non-tidal areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These assessments will help managers preserve stream health and improve biological conditions in impaired streams as the human population and climate continue to change in this region.
Population Monitoring and Removal Strategies for Blue Catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) in Chesapeake Bay
USGS is helping with the design of a population survey and developing mathematical models to assess potential activities to manage the population of invasive blue catfish ( Ictalurus furcatus ) in the Chesapeake Bay. This research will help managers determine the cost and feasibility of approaches to control this invasive species.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Population and the Availability of Menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) as Their Food Source in Chesapeake Bay: Historical and Present-day Comparison
USGS is collaborating with many biologists in analysis of data on osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) and their prey (menhaden, Brevoortia tyrannus , and other species of fish) in the middle and lower Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The data compiled and collected will help determine if a lack of menhaden or other environmental factors are affecting osprey reproductive success in portions of the...
Study reveals importance of groundwater for stability of freshwater fish populations and resilience to climate change
Issue: Climate change is warming streams and rivers of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and this is a critical concern for fisheries management and conservation. To address this issue, the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) recently identified four actions: • address the threats of climate change in all aspects of the partnership’s work; • prioritize communities, working lands, and most vulnerable habitats...
Brook trout vulnerability to drought: eastern component of USGS national integrated ecohydrological research
There is a growing and urgent need to develop and implement innovative strategies to research, monitor, and manage freshwater resources as societal demands escalate simultaneously with climate-driven changes in water availability.
A case study of temporal trends in risk factors associated with endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass
Issue The USGS has a long-term research effort that identified endocrine disruption in smallmouth bass (SMB) in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Endocrine disruption can cause many changes in fish, including intersex characteristics where fish develop characteristics of the other sex, such as immature eggs forming in males. An overview by USGS of endocrine disruption in fish found the condition...
Agricultural best management practices can improve water quality and conditions for fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Issue Partners in the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) are implementing best management practices (BMPs) to prevent nutrient and sediment from entering waterways across the Chesapeake watershed and reduce loads to the Bay. In addition to reducing nutrients, CBP partners want to better understand how BMPs can provide additional benefits for addressing toxic contaminants, such as pesticides, hormones...
Invasive Blue Catfish Science to Support Conservation and Fisheries Management
Dietary analyses, health, and reproduction of blue catfish in tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay inform ecosystem impacts and mitigation strategies for this aquatic nuisance species.
Assessing the habitat conditions to support freshwater fisheries in the Chesapeake Watershed
Issue: The Chesapeake Bay Program partners are striving to improve habitat conditions for recreational fisheries and other native fishes in the Bay and its watershed. While national fish habitat assessments have been conducted, resource managers need more local information to focus restoration and protection efforts in Chesapeake Bay watershed. Conducting the fish-habitat assessments are...
Time marches on, but do factors driving instream habitat and biology remain consistent?
Issue : Stream ecosystems are affected by a complex set of interacting terrestrial and aquatic stressors. With many streams experiencing degraded conditions that often correspond with increased anthropogenic activities, an important outcome of the Chesapeake Bay Program is to improve stream health. The USGS is conducting research to better understand the complex factors affecting stream health...
Pathogens in the Aquatic Environment – Waterfowl, Avian Influenza
This project focuses on understanding the prevalence and strains of avian influenza viruses in the aquatic environment and how this compares to those circulating within wild birds in the same area.