Publications

We found mean target strength to be a reliable in situ predictor of fish weight, which allows direct estimation of the pelagic planktivore fish biomass from target strength measurements. Fish were collected by midwater trawling concurrent with target strength measurements (120-kHz frequency) in Lake Michigan. The mean weight of fish caught ranged from 2 to 71 g and mean target strength...

Gillnet selectivity for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) was estimated indirectly from catches in nets of 102-, 114-, 127-, 140-, and 152-mm stretch measure. Mesh selectivity was modeled as a nonlinear response surface that describes changes in the mean, standard deviation, and skewness of fish lengths across mesh sizes. Gillnet selectivity for lake trout was described by five...

We examined parasites of 152 lake herring (Coregonus artedi) collected from three locations in Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior in 1994, four locations in Wisconsin waters in 1996, and one location in Minnesota waters in 1996 to determine; 1) the species composition and relative abundances of parasites in lake herring, 2) the differences in parasite relative abundances across locations...

The morphology of pharyngeal teeth of freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) was studied to determine changes that occur during growth of drum that may relate to consumption of zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) by larger fish. Pharyngeal teeth were of three types. Cardiform teeth were replaced by villiform teeth, which were replaced by molariform teeth as the size class of drum...

Various studies indicate that PCBs appear to have an adverse effect on the viability of fertilized eggs and subsequent early life stages of lake trout and related species. Our tests detected no impairment of fertilization of lake trout eggs in PCB-dosed lake water. The concentration of PCBs in the fertilization medium that we used was more than 20 times as high as estimated ambient...

A revised annotated checklist for the chironomid midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) of the southeastern United States is presented that includes the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Much of the information concerns occurrence and habitat preference records based upon the authors' data, as well as published and unpublished data. Some...

The restoration of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Michigan has been an elusive goal of resource management agencies in the Great Lakes region. In this study, we estimated annual survival rates of adult lake trout from an area in northwestern Lake Michigan known as the Clay Banks refuge. We tagged and recaptured fish with gill nets during the fall spawning season (N = 12,175...

Ruffe (Gymnocephalus cernuus) occur widely in Eurasia. This species was accidentally introduced into Lake Superior and rapidly occupied the western part of the lake. Ruffe had a strong impact on populations of commercially important fish species and on commercial fishing. Our studies show that ruffe from Lake Superior are strongly infested by parasites specific to North America. These

The present study was conducted to determine impacts of zebra mussel [Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas, 1771); Dreissenidae] infestation on unionids in firm substrata in western Lake Erie. Unionid mollusks were collected at a total of 15 stations on three offshore depth contours (2, 3, and 4 m) in 1983 (before zebra mussel infestation), in 1990 and 1993 (after zebra mussel infestation), and...

Restrictions on the release of PCBs into the environment began in the early 1970s, resulting in reduced PCB concentrations in Lake Michigan bloaters (Coregonus hoyi). However, since 1980, PCB concentrations in bloater have declined only slightly. The bloater population also increased 40-fold during 1970 through 1984, resulting in a diet shift and a density-dependent decline in growth...

Establishing a stock of mature, hatchery-reared fish is necessary to restore a self-sustaining population of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Ontario. Stocking fish off shore rather than near shore to reduce predation on these fish by large lake trout or piscivorous birds may enhance survival of hatchery-reared fish and accelerate establishment of a population of adults. Results...

Barrier dams, traps, and lampricides are the techniques currently used by the Great Lakes Fishery Commission to control sea lampreys {Petromyzon marinug) in the Great Lakes. To augment these control techniques, a sterile-male-release research program was initiated at the Lake Huron Biological Station. Male sea lampreys were sterilized by intraperitoneal injection of the chemical...