Barry P Baldigo
Barry Baldigo has been a Research Biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey since 1990. He leads numerous collaborative studies that aim to improve our understanding of the health of aquatic ecosystems, impacts of environmental contaminants and hydrologic modification, important interrelations, and management options that help mitigate ecological disturbance and sustain valuable natural resources.
Professional Membership:
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
American Fisheries Society
New York State Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
Society for Freshwater Science (formerly North American Benthological Society)
Professional Experience
Research Biologist (RGE); U.S. Geological Survey, Troy, NY; 1990-present: Principal investigator for cooperative water programs (with NGOs, and county, regional, and state agencies) evaluating interrelations among restoration, channel stability, habitat, and fish communities; tissue contaminants and toxicity of water and sediments in Areas of Concern across the Great Lakes; basin features, impound
Senior Biologist; Adirondack Lakes Survey Corp, Raybrook, NY; 1988-1990: Field coordinator for the EPA’s Episodic Response Project assessing effects of episodic acidification on water quality, fish survival, and biologic communities in streams of the southwestern Adirondack Mountains, New York.
Senior Scientist; Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Co., Las Vegas, NV; 1984-1988: Lead investigator for several EPA technical-support projects in the Northwest and regional coordinator and instructor for EPA’s NSWS Eastern and Western Lakes-, Eastern Stream-, and Michigan Lakes Biology and Acidification Surveys.
Research Biologist; University of Nevada, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Las Vegas, NV; 1980-1984: Invertebrate taxonomist and technician; helped develop and assess new field guidelines for modifying EPA’s national site-specific water quality criteria (NPDES permitting program) and stream biological assessments.
Education and Certifications
SUNY, College of Environmental Sciences & Forestry M.S. Fisheries Biology, 1982
Utica College of Syracuse University B.S. Biology, 1978
Science and Products
Probabilistic relationships between acid-base chemistry and fish assemblages in streams of the western Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA
Acidification impacts and goals for gauging recovery of Brook Trout populations and fish communities in streams of the Western Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA
Changes in growth of Rainbow Trout in a Catskill Mountain Reservoir following Alewife and White Perch Introductions
Effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to Honnedaga Lake, NY
Results of the 2010-2011 East-Central Adirondack Stream Survey (ECASS)
Relationships between indicators of acid-base chemistry and fish assemblages in streams of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Effects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to an Adirondack lake
Assessing condition of macroinvertebrate communities and bed sediment toxicity in the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern, New York, USA
Effects of extreme floods on macroinvertebrate assemblages in tributaries to the Mohawk River, New York, USA
Assessing the status of sediment toxicity and macroinvertebrate communities in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York
Efficacy of environmental DNA to detect and quantify Brook Trout populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains, New York
Assessing Brook Trout populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains using environmental DNA -- Summary report
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Emerging Methods for Detection and their Potential for Inventorying Brook Trout Populations in Streams of the Western Adirondacks
Quantitative Assessment of Water Quality in Upper Esopus Creek: Fish, Macroinvertebrates, Periphyton, Turbidity, and Nutrients
Assessing Spatiotemporal Patterns in Fish Assemblages from Acid-Sensitive Streams in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains
Quantitative assessment of water quality in the Upper Esopus Creek using fatty acid content of periphyton
Didymosphenia geminata in the Upper Esopus Creek: Seasonal changes in density and distribution, controlling environmental factors, and potential ecosystem impacts
Use of telemetry to assess potential effects of Schoharie Reservoir waters on trout populations in the Upper Esopus Creek
Effects of recreational flow releases on natural resources of the Indian and Hudson Rivers
Identifying Thermal Refuges in the Schoharie Watershed
Spatiotemporal trends in fish assemblages of the Mohawk River
Sediment Toxicity and Condition of Benthic Invertebrate Communities in the Rochester Embayment Area-of-Concern
Sediment toxicity and status of benthic invertebrate communities in the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries within the Massena Area-of-Concern
Estimating chronic toxicity of waters from the St. Lawrence River at Massena Area-of-Concern using two plankton species
Science and Products
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Probabilistic relationships between acid-base chemistry and fish assemblages in streams of the western Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA
Surface waters across much of the Adirondacks of New York were acidified in the late 20th century but began to recover after the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act. Little data, however, were available to characterize biological impacts and predict recovery of fish assemblages in regional streams. Quantitative fish and chemistry surveys were completed in 47 headwater streams during summer 2014-1AuthorsBarry Baldigo, Scott George, Timothy J. Sullivan, Charles T. Driscoll, Douglas A. Burns, Shuai Shoa, Gregory B. LawrenceAcidification impacts and goals for gauging recovery of Brook Trout populations and fish communities in streams of the Western Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA
Results from several long‐term monitoring programs in the western Adirondack Mountains, New York, indicate that acid–base chemistry of headwater streams has remained unchanged or improved only marginally since the 1990s. A paucity of quantitative fishery data, however, limits our understanding of the pre‐acidified communities as well as present‐day impacts of acidification on fish assemblages, whiAuthorsBarry Baldigo, Scott George, Gregory Lawrence, Eric PaulChanges in growth of Rainbow Trout in a Catskill Mountain Reservoir following Alewife and White Perch Introductions
Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss were introduced to the Esopus Creek watershed in the Catskill Mountains of New York in the early 1880s. This introduction created a renowned naturalized fishery that remains important to the local economy today. The objective of this study was to determine whether the growth and condition of Rainbow Trout in the Ashokan Reservoir changed following the establishmenAuthorsScott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Michael J. Flaherty, Eileen A. RandallEffects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to Honnedaga Lake, NY
Liming techniques are being explored in many regions as a means to accelerate the recovery of aquatic biota from decades of acid deposition. The preservation or restoration of native sportfish populations has usually been the impetus for liming programs, and as such, less attention has been paid to its effects on other biological assemblages such as macroinvertebrates. In 2012, a program was initiAuthorsGregory Lampman, Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Gregory B. Lawrence, Randall L. FullerResults of the 2010-2011 East-Central Adirondack Stream Survey (ECASS)
No abstract available.AuthorsGregory B. Lawrence, Scott D. George, Douglas A. Burns, Barry P. Baldigo, Sophia Passy, Karen M. Roy, Katrina L. PoundRelationships between indicators of acid-base chemistry and fish assemblages in streams of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The acidity of many streams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) has increased significantly since pre-industrial (∼1850) times due to the effects of highly acidic atmospheric deposition in poorly buffered watersheds. Extensive stream-monitoring programs since 1993 have shown that fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages have been adversely affected in many streams across the GRSM. MatcAuthorsBarry P. Baldigo, Matt A. Kulp, John S. SchwartzEffects of watershed and in-stream liming on macroinvertebrate communities in acidified tributaries to an Adirondack lake
Liming techniques are being explored as a means to accelerate the recovery of aquatic biota from decades of acid deposition in many regions. The preservation or restoration of native sportfish populations has typically been the impetus for liming programs, and as such, less attention has been given to its effects on other biological assemblages such as macroinvertebrates. Furthermore, the differinAuthorsScott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Gregory B. Lawrence, Randall L. FullerAssessing condition of macroinvertebrate communities and bed sediment toxicity in the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern, New York, USA
The United States and Canada agreed to restore the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes ecosystem under the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1972. The lowest reach of the Genesee River and the Rochester Embayment on Lake Ontario between Bogus Point and Nine Mile Point, including Braddock Bay, were designated as an Area of Concern (AOC) due to effects of contaAuthorsBrian Duffy, Scott D. George, Barry P. Baldigo, Alexander J. SmithEffects of extreme floods on macroinvertebrate assemblages in tributaries to the Mohawk River, New York, USA
Climate change is forecast to bring more frequent and intense precipitation to New York which has motivated research into the effects of floods on stream ecosystems. Macroinvertebrate assemblages were sampled at 13 sites in the Mohawk River basin during August 2011, and again in October 2011, following historic floods caused by remnants of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The annual exceedaAuthorsMirian R. Calderon, Barry P. Baldigo, Alexander J. Smith, Theodore A. EndrenyAssessing the status of sediment toxicity and macroinvertebrate communities in the Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern, New York
In 1972, the governments of Canada and the United States committed to restoring the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the Laurentian Great Lakes under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Through this framework, the downstream-most section of Eighteenmile Creek, a tributary to the south shore of Lake Ontario in New York, was designated as an Area of Concern (AOC) because water quAuthorsScott D. George, Brian T. Duffy, Barry P. BaldigoEfficacy of environmental DNA to detect and quantify Brook Trout populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains, New York
Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is rapidly evolving as a tool for monitoring the distributions of aquatic species. Detection of species’ populations in streams may be challenging because the persistence time for intact DNA fragments is unknown and because eDNA is diluted and dispersed by dynamic hydrological processes. During 2015, the DNA of Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis was analyzed from wAuthorsBarry P. Baldigo, Lee Ann Sporn, Scott D. George, Jacob BallAssessing Brook Trout populations in headwater streams of the Adirondack Mountains using environmental DNA -- Summary report
This project evaluated standard fish-survey and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling methods to determine the ability of eDNA to accurately predict the presence and abundance of resident Brook Trout populations in 40 headwater streams mainly in the western Adirondack Mountains during 2014–2015 (Figure 2). Standard 3-pass electrofishing surveys found that Brook Trout were absent from about 25 percentAuthorsBarry P. Baldigo, Scott D. George, Lee Ann Sporn, Jacob BallNon-USGS Publications**
Warren, D. R., A. G. Ernst, and B. P. Baldigo. 2009. Influence of spring floods on year-class strength of fall- and spring-spawning salmonids in Catskill Mountain streams. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 138(1):200-210.Baldigo, B. P., and T. P. Baudanza. 2001. Avoidance response and mortality of juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta) in tests with copper sulfate-treated waters from West Branch Reservoir, Putnam County, New York. U. S. Geological Survey, WRI 99-4237, Troy, NY.Baldigo, B. P., K. R. Riva-Murray, and G. E. Schuler. 2004. Effects of environmental and spatial features on mussel populations and communities in a North American river. Walkerana 14(31):1-32.Baldigo, B. P., D. R. Warren, A. S. Gallagher-Ernst, S. J. Miller, D. Davis, W.Keller, T. P. Baudanza, D. DeKoskie, and J. R. Buchanan, 2008. Restoring geomorphic stability and biodiversity in streams of the Catskill Mountains, New York, USA. Pages 1777-1790 in J. L. Nielsen, and coeditors, editors. Proceedings of the Fourth World Fisheries Congress: Reconciling fisheries with conservation, Symposium 49. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.Smith, A. J., B. T. Duffy, D. L. Heitzman, J. Lojpersberger, L. E. Abele, B. P. Baldigo, M. R. McHale, S. G. George, J. Siemion, and M. A. Novak. 2013. Upper Esopus Creek: Biological Assessment, 2009-2010 Survey. NYSDEC SOP 208·09, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Troy, NY., 30 pp.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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Emerging Methods for Detection and their Potential for Inventorying Brook Trout Populations in Streams of the Western Adirondacks
Background Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the hereditary material in organisms that contains the biological instructions for building and maintaining them. The chemical structure of DNA is the same for all organisms, but differences exist in the order of the DNA building blocks, known as base pairs. Unique sequences provide a means to identify individual species and detect their presence within aqQuantitative Assessment of Water Quality in Upper Esopus Creek: Fish, Macroinvertebrates, Periphyton, Turbidity, and Nutrients
Background The Esopus Creek is located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State and is part of the New York City (NYC) drinking water supply system. The basin was dammed in 1915 to form the Ashokan Reservoir splitting the creek into Upper (upstream of the reservoir) and Lower segments. The drainage area of Upper Esopus Creek, between the source (Winisook Lake) and the Ashokan Reservoir is apprAssessing Spatiotemporal Patterns in Fish Assemblages from Acid-Sensitive Streams in the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains
Background With few exceptions, the contemporary and past effects of acidification on fish populations and communities in streams across acid-sensitive regions of NY have not been documented. The pervasive lack of information only permits anecdotal insight into the spatial effects of acidification on stream-fish assemblages and essentially precludes any broad effort to quantify temporal trendsQuantitative assessment of water quality in the Upper Esopus Creek using fatty acid content of periphyton
Problem - The Esopus Creek is located in the Catskill Mountains of New York State and is part of the New York City (NYC) drinking water supply system. The basin was dammed in 1915 to form the Ashokan Reservoir splitting the creek into Upper (upstream of the reservoir) and Lower segments. The Schoharie Reservoir, located 27 miles north of the Ashokan Reservoir, supplies water to Upper Esopus CreekDidymosphenia geminata in the Upper Esopus Creek: Seasonal changes in density and distribution, controlling environmental factors, and potential ecosystem impacts
Background The invasive diatom Didymosphenia geminata (didymo) has historically been a wide-spread, but rare, micro algae found in moderately flowing cold-water streams of North America, Europe, Asia, and (more recently) New Zealand. Demographic patterns of didymo have recently changed resulting in greater spatial coverage and temporal persistence (e.g. blooms) in streams worldwide. Didymo bloomsUse of telemetry to assess potential effects of Schoharie Reservoir waters on trout populations in the Upper Esopus Creek
Background - Turbid waters originating in the Schoharie Reservoir allegedly impair habitat and resident trout populations in Upper Esopus Creek; however, to date no scientific studies have documented adverse affects of altered thermal, suspended sediment (turbidity), and flow regimes on survival, growth, or behavior of trout or the health of their populations. The 424 mi2 Esopus Creek watershed isEffects of recreational flow releases on natural resources of the Indian and Hudson Rivers
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is developing a unit management plan/environmental impact statement (UMP/EIS) for the Hudson Gorge Primitive Area, an area of Forest Preserve land encompassing a scenic stretch of the Hudson River in the Adirondack Park. Two goals of the UMP/EIS are to inventory natural resources and ecosystems and take actions to protect those rIdentifying Thermal Refuges in the Schoharie Watershed
Problem Water temperature is a critical component of trout habitat. Stream temperatures not only affect the distribution, behavior, and survival of trout (and other species), but also compel these species to move toward small areas of preferred temperatures, known as refuges, to maximize growth, survival, and fitness. The Schoharie watershed in the Catskill Mountains, including East Kill, West KilSpatiotemporal trends in fish assemblages of the Mohawk River
Problem The mainstem of the Mohawk River extends from Lake Delta Dam near Rome, NY downstream to its confluence with the Hudson River near Cohoes, NY. It supports a diverse fishery that is used extensively by recreational anglers. Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and walleye (Sander vitreus) are among the most popular game species with anglers but past biological surveys have documented atSediment Toxicity and Condition of Benthic Invertebrate Communities in the Rochester Embayment Area-of-Concern
Background Heavy metals, phosphorus, and organic contaminants in water and sediments of the lower Genesee River, resulted in the designation of fourteen beneficial uses as impaired in the Rochester Embayment Area of Concern (AOC). The benthic macroinvertebrate community or “benthos” Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) was designated as degraded in the Genesee River because the New York State DepartmenSediment toxicity and status of benthic invertebrate communities in the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries within the Massena Area-of-Concern
Background Past water-quality issues in the St. Lawrence River at Massena, NY resulted in a determination that selected beneficial uses were impaired in a surrounding Area of Concern (AOC) and on the Canadian side of the international boundary (Cornwall, Ontario). The benthic macroinvertebrate community or “benthos” Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) was designated degraded because impairment metricsEstimating chronic toxicity of waters from the St. Lawrence River at Massena Area-of-Concern using two plankton species
Background Past water-quality issues in the St. Lawrence River at Massena, NY resulted in a determination that selected beneficial uses may be impaired in a surrounding Area of Concern (AOC) and on the Canadian side of the international boundary (Cornwall, Ontario). The plankton (phytoplankton zooplankton) Beneficial Use Impairment (BUI) was so designated because impairment metrics were unavailabl - Data
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