Publications
Welcome to the Great Lakes Science Center's Publications page.
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Seasonal spatial ecology of Lake Trout in Lake Erie Seasonal spatial ecology of Lake Trout in Lake Erie
Objective Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush are native coldwater apex predators that play an important role in maintaining ecosystem functionality and diversity in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Following population collapses, rehabilitation efforts were widely initiated in the Great Lakes to reestablish self‐sustaining Lake Trout populations. Lake Erie may pose a challenge to these...
Authors
Tyler Funnell, Travis Brenden, Richard Kraus, Tom MacDougall, James Markham, Charles Richard Murray, Jason Robinson, Christopher S. Vandergoot
Decision analysis of Integrated Pest Management: A case study on invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes Basin Decision analysis of Integrated Pest Management: A case study on invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes Basin
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) provides a powerful framework for addressing threats to human well-being caused by nuisance species including invasives. We examined the hypothesis that adaptive management could erode barriers to IPM implementation by developing a decision-analytic adaptive management framework for invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) IPM in the Laurentian Great...
Authors
Sean Alois Lewandoski, Kelly Filer Robinson, Travis O. Brenden, Ryan Booth, Peter Hrodey, John B. Hume, Thomas C. Pratt, Anne M Scott, Matthew Symbal, C. Michael Wagner, Nicholas S. Johnson
Reconstructing half a century of coregonine recruitment reveals species-specific dynamics and synchrony across the Laurentian Great Lakes Reconstructing half a century of coregonine recruitment reveals species-specific dynamics and synchrony across the Laurentian Great Lakes
Understanding how multiple species and populations vary in their recruitment dynamics can elucidate the processes driving recruitment across space and time. Lake Whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and Cisco (C. artedi) are socioecologically important fishes across their range; however, many Laurentian Great Lakes populations have experienced declining, poor, or sporadic recruitment in...
Authors
Taylor A. Brown, Lars G. Rudstam, Suresh A. Sethi, Paul Ripple, Jason Smith, Ted Treska, Christopher Hessell, Erik Olsen, Ji X. He, Jory Jonas, Benjamin J. Rook, Joshua Blankenheim, Sarah J.H. Beech, Erin Brown, Eric K. Berglund, H. Andrew Cook, Erin S. Dunlop, Stephen James, Steven A. Pothoven, Zach Amidon, John A. Sweka, Dray Carl, Scott Hansen, David Bunnell, Brian Weidel, Andrew Edgar Honsey
Electrofishing Sandusky River grass carp spawning grounds may disrupt spawning Electrofishing Sandusky River grass carp spawning grounds may disrupt spawning
Invasive grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella spawning was confirmed in Lake Erie with the collection of fertilized eggs in the Sandusky River, Ohio in 2015. Managers responded with initiation of adult grass carp removal in 2017. Hydrodynamic modeling revealed a potential spawning location in downtown Fremont, Ohio (41.3455; −83.1110), which was supported by the presence of sexually mature...
Authors
Ryan E. Brown, Christine M. Mayer, Corbin David Hilling, Song S. Qian, James Roberts
Evaluating behavioral responses of spawning-phase Walleyes to odors of rivers and other Walleyes Evaluating behavioral responses of spawning-phase Walleyes to odors of rivers and other Walleyes
Many fish species show a remarkable ability to home to streams for spawning and fishery managers have applied that knowledge to restore or rehabilitate populations of some species. Walleye Sander vitreus show strong homing tendencies and the ability to select their natal river from other streams. The role of olfactory cues has been hypothesized but never tested in Walleye and many...
Authors
Tyler Buchinger, Troy Zorn, Nicholas S. Johnson, Weiming Li
Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2023 Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2023
This report presents biomass-based summaries of fish communities in western Lake Erie derived from USGS bottom trawl surveys conducted from 2013 to 2023. Analyses herein evaluated trends in total biomass, abundance of dominant predator and forage species, non-native species composition, biodiversity and community structure. Data from this effort can be explored interactively online and...
Authors
Mark Richard Dufour, Francesco Guzzo, Corbin David Hilling, Kevin R. Keretz, Richard Kraus, Richard Cole Oldham, James Roberts, Joseph Schmitt
Effects of trap funnel and finger design on Sea Lamprey entrance and retention Effects of trap funnel and finger design on Sea Lamprey entrance and retention
Traps are used to catch adult sea lampreys during their upstream migration to estimate their abundance in streams and, in turn, provide a measure of the Sea Lamprey Control Program’s effectiveness. During 2015 and 2016, we experimentally compared two components of sea lamprey trap design: trap entrance funnel type and the presence of retention devices, using side-by-side instream test...
Authors
Peter J. Hrodey, Gale Bravener, Scott M. Miehls
A transferable approach for quantifying benthic fish sizes and densities in annotated underwater images A transferable approach for quantifying benthic fish sizes and densities in annotated underwater images
1. Benthic fishes are a common target of scientific monitoring but are difficult to quantify because of their close association to bottom habitats that are hard to access. Advances in image-acquisition technologies, machine vision, and deep learning have made capturing and quantifying fishes with cameras increasingly feasible. We present a method and open-source software called...
Authors
Peter C. Esselman, Shadi Moradi, Joseph K. Geisz, Christopher Roussi
Before the fire: Predicting burn severity and potential post-fire debris-flow hazards to Colorado River Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus) conservation populations Before the fire: Predicting burn severity and potential post-fire debris-flow hazards to Colorado River Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus) conservation populations
Background Colorado River Cutthroat Trout (CRCT; Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus) conservation populations may be at risk from wildfire and post-fire debris flows hazards. Aim To predict burn severity and potential post-fire debris flow hazard classifications to CRCT conservation populations before wildfires occur. Methods We used remote sensing, spatial analyses, and machine learning...
Authors
Adam Gerhard Wells, Charles Yackulic, Jaime Kostelnik, Andrew R. Bock, Robert E. Zuellig, Daren M. Carlisle, James Roberts, Kevin B. Rogers, Seth M. Munson
Developing a predictive model to identify Sea Lamprey parasitism on Lake Trout using biologgers Developing a predictive model to identify Sea Lamprey parasitism on Lake Trout using biologgers
Objective Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus remain problematic for Lake Trout Salvelinus namaycush restoration in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Fisheries assessments would benefit from knowledge of spatial–temporal patterns of Sea Lamprey parasitism on Lake Trout; however, such patterns are challenging to estimate from wounding rates on caught Lake Trout. Electronic tags have been used to...
Authors
Connor Reeve, Jean V. Adams, Scott M. Miehls, Michael R. Lowe, Steven J. Cooke, Mary L. Moser, Jake W. Brownscombe
Multi-decadal trophic shifts in Lake Erie yellow perch Perca flavescens Multi-decadal trophic shifts in Lake Erie yellow perch Perca flavescens
In Lake Erie, yellow perch Perca flavescens support vast commercial and recreational fisheries, yet populations have recently declined. Using N = 5889 yellow perch stomachs collected from 1997 to 2021, we explored trends in the feeding ecology and trophic level of yellow perch with generalized additive models. Models revealed a significant decrease in yellow perch trophic level (−0.15...
Authors
Joseph Schmitt, Ann Marie Gorman, Carey Knight, Mark Richard Dufour, James Roberts, Travis Hartman
Egg size scales negatively with system size in a periodic fish species Egg size scales negatively with system size in a periodic fish species
Optimal egg size theory implies that female organisms balance between fecundity and individual offspring investment according to their environment. Past interspecific studies suggest that fishes in large marine systems generally produce smaller eggs than those in small freshwater systems. We tested whether intraspecific egg size variation reflected a similar pattern by comparing egg size...
Authors
Scott T Koenigbauer, Zachary S. Feiner, Benjamin Dickinson, Stephanie L. Shaw, Zoe Almeida, Mark Richard Dufour, Alexander James Gatch, Claire Schraidt, Tomas O. Hook