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Fish and Climate Change (FiCli) Database: Informing climate change adaptation and management actions for freshwater fishes
Fish and Climate Change (FiCli) Database: Informing climate change adaptation and management actions for freshwater fishes
Recreational and inland fisheries are invaluable to their local communities, providing economic support, food security, and enhanced social connection with natural areas. CASC scientists examine how climate change is contributing to aquatic habitat loss, increased river and lake temperatures, and invasive aquatic species to help fisheries adapt to these changes. Explore our science on fish below.
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Increasing the Adaptive Capacity of Cold-Water Fishes Through Stream Barrier Removals
Project Overview As the climate continues to warm, managers are faced with challenges in providing suitable habitat for cold-water fish to increase their adaptive capacity. While the removal of barriers to fish movement, such as culverts and dams, would provide a rare opportunity to increase their adaptive capacity, managers currently have a limited number of resources to anticipate the...
Forecasting Tools to Inform the Management of Native Fishes and Their Habitats in a Drought Sensitive Terminal Lake System
Project Overview Terminal lake systems, water sources that are confined to streams, wetlands, and seasonal lakes that do not flow into the ocean, are greatly impacted by climate effects such as drought, reduced snowpack and increased wildfire activity. As a result, managers are faced with a lack of resources to study these aquatic habitats and the residing native fish. Researchers...
Habitat Evaluation Framework for Eastern Hellbender Recovery in Western North Carolina Post-Hurricane Helene
Project Overview: Hurricane Helene caused widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and wildlife habitat in western North Carolina. Resulting disruptions to stream ecosystems have threatened species like the eastern hellbender, a fully aquatic salamander and key indicator of stream health. Scientists supported by this Southeast CASC project will compile and evaluate pre-storm habitat...
Building community-based monitoring partnerships between rural schools and wildlife refuges in Alaska
Project Overview In Alaska, winters are becoming shorter and more unpredictable, leading to changes in lake and river ice, impacting access to hunting grounds, fuel wood transportation and recreation for local communities. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will revitalize and modernize a freshwater ice observation network with a youth-centric partnership that teams...
Does Less Ice Cover Lead to More Turbulent Overwinter Conditions on Great Lakes Fish Spawning Reefs?
Project Overview Declining winter ice cover in the Great Lakes can affect how winds and waves influence coldwater fish reproduction on reefs, as ice cover may shield fish from these forces. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will measure water movement and ice cover in Lake Erie to model future scenarios, helping fishery managers in the region make habitat restoration and...
Identifying the Environmental Limits of Aquatic Species in Prairie Streams to Build Climate Resilience
Project Overview Climate change and human activities are threatening many sensitive aquatic species in prairie streams across the Great Plains region. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will combine and analyze data collected independently by Great Plains states to identify thresholds of environmental change that may lead to species loss and changes in aquatic...
Impacts to Ecosystems and Fisheries in Northwest Alaska from “Rusting Rivers”
Project Overview In Northwest Alaska, “rusting rivers” are becoming increasingly apparent as climate change causes ancient spring seeps to re-emerge after permafrost melts. While they have become more common over the past few years, very little is understood about their impacts on stream food webs. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will bridge the knowledge gap by...
Leveraging Existing Data to Assess the Vulnerability of Native Salmonid Populations in the Greater Yellowstone Area
Project Overview: Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYA) are ecologically and socio-economically important species, but are threatened by drought, rising water temperatures, habitat loss, and non-native species. Researchers supported by this North Central CASC project will use climate data and extensive population records to...
Phase Two: Accelerating the Scale and Impact of the Southeast Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Management Network (SE RISCC)
An invasive species is a species that is not native to a location and that rapidly grows and spreads in its new range, often damaging native plants and wildlife. At present, the southeastern USA harbors thousands of invasive plants and animals, which were introduced intentionally through the plant and pet trade or unintentionally through other forms of commercial trade. Many of these...
Predicting Climate-Driven Invasive Fish Spread to Support Indigenous and State Freshwater Management in Florida
Project Overview Climate change and invasive fish species threaten the resilience and biodiversity of freshwater ecosystems in the Southeastern U.S., including the Everglades, which are vital to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Researchers supported by this Southeast CASC project will model invasive fish distributions under changing climate conditions and refine the model...
Rekindling Relations: Integrating Mvskoke Indigenous Knowledge for Bio-Cultural Climate Adaptation
Project Overview A collaborative research team including the North Central CASC, University of Oklahoma, and College of the Muscogee Nation will conduct ethnographic interviews in the Mvskoke Language (Opvnvkv) documenting Mvskoke Indigenous Knowledge (IK) on several culturally significant species relevant to climate adaptation. The findings will support local management efforts by...
Research to Action for Yukon River Salmon: Adapting to Climatic, Food-Web, and Habitat Changes
Project Overview Salmon populations in the Yukon River Basin have plummeted to historic lows, disrupting fisheries, fueling conflicts, and impacting communities that have relied on salmon for generations. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will combine traditional knowledge, field data, and modeling to identify the key drivers of salmon decline and create tools to guide...