The Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit (est. 1971) is a partnership among the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit conducts fisheries and aquatic science research, trains graduate students, and supports state and federal management needs. Its work emphasizes world‑class fisheries research, aquatic resource management, and extension services that help agencies address conservation challenges.
Bluegill Size Structure and Growth Data for Six States in the Midwestern USA Bluegill Size Structure and Growth Data for Six States in the Midwestern USA
Bluegill length and age data from standardized surveys conducted during 2000-2021 were obtained from Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota through direct requests. Some data were obtained through collaboration with Dr. Gretchen Hansen at the University of Minnesota. These data were used to calculate proportional size distribution (PSD), mean total length (TL) at age...
Walleye Temperature and Depth Values and Abiotic Conditions of Three Northern Wisconsin Lakes Collected Between June – October 2022 Walleye Temperature and Depth Values and Abiotic Conditions of Three Northern Wisconsin Lakes Collected Between June – October 2022
Defining a realized niche using key habitat components like temperature, water clarity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) is important to understanding how distributions and demographics of freshwater fish populations may respond to environmental changes. However, habitat preferences are often defined in a laboratory setting and may not accurately reflect preferred habitat in nature. To define a...
Muskellunge spawning habitat characteristics and availability in Green Bay, Lake Michigan Muskellunge spawning habitat characteristics and availability in Green Bay, Lake Michigan
Objective Habitat degradation has been associated with the loss of many self-sustaining Muskellunge Esox masquinongy populations, including those in Green Bay, where stocking has provided an exceptional trophy fishery but restoration goals include establishing self-sustaining populations and there is little evidence of natural recruitment. Our objectives were to determine whether (1)...
Authors
Jared E. Krebs, Robert J. Sheffer, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Ryan Eastman, Steven R. Holger, Joshua K. Raabe, Daniel A. Isermann
Lake sturgeon behavioral diversity in the Laurentian Great Lakes: Migratory patterns across populations and habitats Lake sturgeon behavioral diversity in the Laurentian Great Lakes: Migratory patterns across populations and habitats
Background Characterizing the diversity of migration behaviors from the individual to the population level is essential for understanding how organisms respond to environmental variation and how these responses affect survival and habitat use. Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a species of special concern in the Laurentian Great Lakes that are long-lived and generally classified as
Authors
Skye D. Fissette, Charles C. Krueger, Lisa M. O'Connor, Thomas C. Pratt, Daniel A. Isermann, Dan Wilfond, John A. Sweka, Darryl W. Hondorp
Bright spots for advancing ecological understanding and conservation decision-making Bright spots for advancing ecological understanding and conservation decision-making
A lot can be learned by studying bright spots—defined as unexpected positive outcomes. In fields like public health, education, and oncology, identifying factors behind bright spots reveals previously unknown drivers of success that can be replicated elsewhere. This concept is being applied in conservation but is hampered by variations in definitions of bright spots and confusion with...
Authors
Holly Susan Embke, Zachary S. Feiner, Gretchen Hansen, Daniel A. Isermann, Olaf P. Jensen, Christopher I. Rounds, Quinn Smith, M. Jake Vander Zanden
Comparative genomics of Bacillus anthracis A and B-clades reveals genetic variation in genes responsible for spore germination Comparative genomics of Bacillus anthracis A and B-clades reveals genetic variation in genes responsible for spore germination
Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is composed of three genetic clades (A, B, and C). Clade-A is the most common and distributed worldwide, B-clade has a narrow geographic distribution, and C-clade is rare. South Africa's Kruger National Park (KNP) has high diversity of B. anthracis, with strains from A and B clades described from its northernmost region, Pafuri. We...
Authors
Sankwetea P. Mokgokong, Ayesha Hassim, Tendo Mafuna, Wendy Christine Turner, Henriette van Heerden, Kgaugelo E. Lekota
The breeding season and movement ecology of male white‐tailed deer in southwest Wisconsin The breeding season and movement ecology of male white‐tailed deer in southwest Wisconsin
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter, deer) have been widely studied regarding their breeding ecology and responses to hunting pressures. However, variations in defining the breeding season—its duration and timing—across studies have created uncertainty about whether regional differences in deer breeding ecology stem from ecological factors or methodological...
Authors
Matthew Hunsaker, Marie L.J. Gilbertson, Daniel J. Storm, Wendy Christine Turner
The Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit (est. 1971) is a partnership among the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit conducts fisheries and aquatic science research, trains graduate students, and supports state and federal management needs. Its work emphasizes world‑class fisheries research, aquatic resource management, and extension services that help agencies address conservation challenges.
Bluegill Size Structure and Growth Data for Six States in the Midwestern USA Bluegill Size Structure and Growth Data for Six States in the Midwestern USA
Bluegill length and age data from standardized surveys conducted during 2000-2021 were obtained from Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota through direct requests. Some data were obtained through collaboration with Dr. Gretchen Hansen at the University of Minnesota. These data were used to calculate proportional size distribution (PSD), mean total length (TL) at age...
Walleye Temperature and Depth Values and Abiotic Conditions of Three Northern Wisconsin Lakes Collected Between June – October 2022 Walleye Temperature and Depth Values and Abiotic Conditions of Three Northern Wisconsin Lakes Collected Between June – October 2022
Defining a realized niche using key habitat components like temperature, water clarity, and dissolved oxygen (DO) is important to understanding how distributions and demographics of freshwater fish populations may respond to environmental changes. However, habitat preferences are often defined in a laboratory setting and may not accurately reflect preferred habitat in nature. To define a...
Muskellunge spawning habitat characteristics and availability in Green Bay, Lake Michigan Muskellunge spawning habitat characteristics and availability in Green Bay, Lake Michigan
Objective Habitat degradation has been associated with the loss of many self-sustaining Muskellunge Esox masquinongy populations, including those in Green Bay, where stocking has provided an exceptional trophy fishery but restoration goals include establishing self-sustaining populations and there is little evidence of natural recruitment. Our objectives were to determine whether (1)...
Authors
Jared E. Krebs, Robert J. Sheffer, Daniel J. Dembkowski, Ryan Eastman, Steven R. Holger, Joshua K. Raabe, Daniel A. Isermann
Lake sturgeon behavioral diversity in the Laurentian Great Lakes: Migratory patterns across populations and habitats Lake sturgeon behavioral diversity in the Laurentian Great Lakes: Migratory patterns across populations and habitats
Background Characterizing the diversity of migration behaviors from the individual to the population level is essential for understanding how organisms respond to environmental variation and how these responses affect survival and habitat use. Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is a species of special concern in the Laurentian Great Lakes that are long-lived and generally classified as
Authors
Skye D. Fissette, Charles C. Krueger, Lisa M. O'Connor, Thomas C. Pratt, Daniel A. Isermann, Dan Wilfond, John A. Sweka, Darryl W. Hondorp
Bright spots for advancing ecological understanding and conservation decision-making Bright spots for advancing ecological understanding and conservation decision-making
A lot can be learned by studying bright spots—defined as unexpected positive outcomes. In fields like public health, education, and oncology, identifying factors behind bright spots reveals previously unknown drivers of success that can be replicated elsewhere. This concept is being applied in conservation but is hampered by variations in definitions of bright spots and confusion with...
Authors
Holly Susan Embke, Zachary S. Feiner, Gretchen Hansen, Daniel A. Isermann, Olaf P. Jensen, Christopher I. Rounds, Quinn Smith, M. Jake Vander Zanden
Comparative genomics of Bacillus anthracis A and B-clades reveals genetic variation in genes responsible for spore germination Comparative genomics of Bacillus anthracis A and B-clades reveals genetic variation in genes responsible for spore germination
Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, is composed of three genetic clades (A, B, and C). Clade-A is the most common and distributed worldwide, B-clade has a narrow geographic distribution, and C-clade is rare. South Africa's Kruger National Park (KNP) has high diversity of B. anthracis, with strains from A and B clades described from its northernmost region, Pafuri. We...
Authors
Sankwetea P. Mokgokong, Ayesha Hassim, Tendo Mafuna, Wendy Christine Turner, Henriette van Heerden, Kgaugelo E. Lekota
The breeding season and movement ecology of male white‐tailed deer in southwest Wisconsin The breeding season and movement ecology of male white‐tailed deer in southwest Wisconsin
White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter, deer) have been widely studied regarding their breeding ecology and responses to hunting pressures. However, variations in defining the breeding season—its duration and timing—across studies have created uncertainty about whether regional differences in deer breeding ecology stem from ecological factors or methodological...
Authors
Matthew Hunsaker, Marie L.J. Gilbertson, Daniel J. Storm, Wendy Christine Turner