Christopher M Holbrook, PhD
Christopher Holbrook is a Research Fisheries Biologist based in Millersburg, MI.
Research Themes
My research supports native fish restoration and fishery management in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Most of my work uses fish tracking technology (telemetry) to fill gaps in knowledge of species ecology and population dynamics at scales or resolutions that could not be achieved with other methods. Current research projects focus on the following themes:
- Inform fisheries management, native species restoration, and invasive species control with better understanding of spatial ecology, demographics, and population dynamics.
- Develop and improve aquatic animal tracking methods and capabilities.
Professional Experience
2010 - Present. Research Fish Biologist. USGS Great Lakes Science Center, Hammond Bay Biological Station
2007 - 2010. Fishery Biologist. USGS Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory
2005 - 2007. Graduate Research Assistant. University of Maine, Department of Biological Sciences
2002 - 2004. Biological Science Technician. NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Maine Field Station
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Fisheries and Wildlife. Michigan State University. 2015
M.S. Zoology. University of Maine. 2007
B.S. Zoology. University of Maine. 2004
Science and Products
Data releases by this scientist
Publications by this scientist
Filter Total Items: 52
Effects of acoustic tag implantation on lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens: lack of evidence for changes in behavior Effects of acoustic tag implantation on lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens: lack of evidence for changes in behavior
An assumption of studies using acoustic telemetry is that surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters or tags does not alter behavior of tagged individuals. Evaluating the validity of this assumption can be difficult for large fish, such as adult sturgeons, not amenable to controlled laboratory experimentation. The purpose of this study was to determine if and when this assumption was...
Authors
Darryl W. Hondorp, Christopher Holbrook, Charles C. Krueger
Catchment-wide survival of wild- and hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon smolts in a changing system Catchment-wide survival of wild- and hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon smolts in a changing system
We developed a hierarchical multistate model to estimate survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in the Penobscot River, USA, over a decade during which two mainstem dams were removed from the catchment. We investigated effects of (i) environmental factors, (ii) rearing history, and (iii) management actions, including dam removal, turbine shutdown, and installation of new...
Authors
Daniel S. Stich, Michael M. Bailey, Christopher M. Holbrook, Michael T. Kinnison, Joseph D. Zydlewski
An evaluation of a bed instability index as an indicator of habitat quality in mountain streams of the northwestern United States An evaluation of a bed instability index as an indicator of habitat quality in mountain streams of the northwestern United States
Managers of aquatic resources benefit from indices of habitat quality that are reproducible and easy to measure, demonstrate a link between habitat quality and biota health, and differ between human-impacted (i.e., managed) and reference (i.e., nonimpacted or minimally impacted) conditions. The instability index (ISI) is an easily measured index that describes the instability of a...
Authors
Paul C. Kusnierz, Christopher Holbrook, David L. Feldman
Fine-scale pathways used by adult sea lampreys during riverine spawning migrations Fine-scale pathways used by adult sea lampreys during riverine spawning migrations
Better knowledge of upstream migratory patterns of spawning Sea Lampreys Petromyzon marinus, an invasive species in the Great Lakes, is needed to improve trapping for population control and assessment. Although trapping of adult Sea Lampreys provides the basis for estimates of lake-wide abundance that are used to evaluate the Sea Lamprey control program, traps have only been operated at...
Authors
Christopher Holbrook, Roger A. Bergstedt, Noah S. Adams, Tyson Hatton, Robert L. McLaughlin
Diel activity patterns of juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon with implications for operation of a gated water diversion in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta Diel activity patterns of juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon with implications for operation of a gated water diversion in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta
In the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, tidal forces that reverse river flows increase the proportion of water and juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon diverted into a network of channels that were constructed to support agriculture and human consumption. This area is known as the interior delta, and it has been associated with poor fish survival. Under the rationale that...
Authors
John M. Plumb, Noah S. Adams, Russell W. Perry, Christopher Holbrook, Jason G. Romine, Aaron R. Blake, Jon R. Burau
Acoustic telemetry reveals large-scale migration patterns of walleye in Lake Huron Acoustic telemetry reveals large-scale migration patterns of walleye in Lake Huron
Fish migration in large freshwater lacustrine systems such as the Laurentian Great Lakes is not well understood. The walleye (Sander vitreus) is an economically and ecologically important native fish species throughout the Great Lakes. In Lake Huron walleye has recently undergone a population expansion as a result of recovery of the primary stock, stemming from changing food web dynamics...
Authors
Todd A. Hayden, Christopher Holbrook, David G. Fielder, Christopher S. Vandergoot, Roger A. Bergstedt, John M. Dettmers, Charles C. Krueger, Steven J. Cooke
Use of oviduct-inserted acoustic transmitters and positional telemetry to estimate timing and location of spawning: a feasibility study in lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush Use of oviduct-inserted acoustic transmitters and positional telemetry to estimate timing and location of spawning: a feasibility study in lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush
Background Oviduct-inserted transmitters have shown promise for determining precise location of spawning in fishes. Use of traditional manual tracking to locate expelled oviduct transmitters is laborious and accurate estimates of time of transmitter expulsion require frequent surveys. We tested the feasibility of using oviduct-inserted transmitters with positional telemetry to estimate...
Authors
Thomas R. Binder, Christopher M. Holbrook, Scott M. Miehls, Henry T. Thompson, Charles C. Krueger
Estimating reach-specific fish movement probabilities in rivers with a Bayesian state-space model: application to sea lamprey passage and capture at dams Estimating reach-specific fish movement probabilities in rivers with a Bayesian state-space model: application to sea lamprey passage and capture at dams
Improved methods are needed to evaluate barriers and traps for control and assessment of invasive sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus) in the Great Lakes. A Bayesian state-space model provided reach-specific probabilities of movement, including trap capture and dam passage, for 148 acoustic tagged invasive sea lamprey in the lower Cheboygan River, Michigan, a tributary to Lake Huron. Reach...
Authors
Christopher M. Holbrook, Nicholas S. Johnson, Juan P. Steibel, Michael B. Twohey, Thomas R. Binder, Charles C. Krueger, Michael L. Jones
An approach for filtering hyperbolically positioned underwater acoustic telemetry data with position precision estimates An approach for filtering hyperbolically positioned underwater acoustic telemetry data with position precision estimates
Background Telemetry systems that estimate animal positions with hyperbolic positioning algorithms also provide a technology-specific estimate of position precision (e.g., horizontal position error (HPE) for the VEMCO positioning system). Position precision estimates (e.g., dilution of precision for a global positioning system (GPS)) have been used extensively to identify and remove...
Authors
Trevor D. Meckley, Christopher M. Holbrook, C. Michael Wagner, Thomas R. Binder
Blocking and guiding adult sea lamprey with pulsed direct current from vertical electrodes Blocking and guiding adult sea lamprey with pulsed direct current from vertical electrodes
Controlling the invasion front of aquatic nuisance species is of high importance to resource managers. We tested the hypothesis that adult sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus), a destructive invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes, would exhibit behavioral avoidance to dual-frequency pulsed direct current generated by vertical electrodes and that the electric field would not injure...
Authors
Nicholas S. Johnson, Henry T. Thompson, Christopher M. Holbrook, John A. Tix
Tracking animals in freshwater with electronic tags: past, present and future Tracking animals in freshwater with electronic tags: past, present and future
Considerable technical developments over the past half century have enabled widespread application of electronic tags to the study of animals in the wild, including in freshwater environments. We review the constraints associated with freshwater telemetry and biologging and the technical developments relevant to their use. Technical constraints for tracking animals are often influenced...
Authors
Steven J. Cooke, Jonathan D. Midwood, Jason D. Thiem, Peter Klimley, Martyn C. Lucas, Eva B. Thorstad, John Eiler, Chris Holbrook, Brendan C. Ebner
Adjusting survival estimates for premature transmitter failure: A case study from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Adjusting survival estimates for premature transmitter failure: A case study from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
In telemetry studies, premature tag failure causes negative bias in fish survival estimates because tag failure is interpreted as fish mortality. We used mark-recapture modeling to adjust estimates of fish survival for a previous study where premature tag failure was documented. High rates of tag failure occurred during the Vernalis Adaptive Management Plan’s (VAMP) 2008 study to...
Authors
Christopher M. Holbrook, Russell W. Perry, Patricia L. Brandes, Noah S. Adams
Non-USGS Publications**
Holbrook, C.M., Zydlewski, J., Gorsky, D., Shepard, S., and M.T. Kinnison. 2009. Movements of pre-spawn adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) near hydroelectric dams in the lower Penobscot River, Maine. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 29: 495-505.
**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.
Science and Products
Data releases by this scientist
Publications by this scientist
Filter Total Items: 52
Effects of acoustic tag implantation on lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens: lack of evidence for changes in behavior Effects of acoustic tag implantation on lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens: lack of evidence for changes in behavior
An assumption of studies using acoustic telemetry is that surgical implantation of acoustic transmitters or tags does not alter behavior of tagged individuals. Evaluating the validity of this assumption can be difficult for large fish, such as adult sturgeons, not amenable to controlled laboratory experimentation. The purpose of this study was to determine if and when this assumption was...
Authors
Darryl W. Hondorp, Christopher Holbrook, Charles C. Krueger
Catchment-wide survival of wild- and hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon smolts in a changing system Catchment-wide survival of wild- and hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon smolts in a changing system
We developed a hierarchical multistate model to estimate survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts in the Penobscot River, USA, over a decade during which two mainstem dams were removed from the catchment. We investigated effects of (i) environmental factors, (ii) rearing history, and (iii) management actions, including dam removal, turbine shutdown, and installation of new...
Authors
Daniel S. Stich, Michael M. Bailey, Christopher M. Holbrook, Michael T. Kinnison, Joseph D. Zydlewski
An evaluation of a bed instability index as an indicator of habitat quality in mountain streams of the northwestern United States An evaluation of a bed instability index as an indicator of habitat quality in mountain streams of the northwestern United States
Managers of aquatic resources benefit from indices of habitat quality that are reproducible and easy to measure, demonstrate a link between habitat quality and biota health, and differ between human-impacted (i.e., managed) and reference (i.e., nonimpacted or minimally impacted) conditions. The instability index (ISI) is an easily measured index that describes the instability of a...
Authors
Paul C. Kusnierz, Christopher Holbrook, David L. Feldman
Fine-scale pathways used by adult sea lampreys during riverine spawning migrations Fine-scale pathways used by adult sea lampreys during riverine spawning migrations
Better knowledge of upstream migratory patterns of spawning Sea Lampreys Petromyzon marinus, an invasive species in the Great Lakes, is needed to improve trapping for population control and assessment. Although trapping of adult Sea Lampreys provides the basis for estimates of lake-wide abundance that are used to evaluate the Sea Lamprey control program, traps have only been operated at...
Authors
Christopher Holbrook, Roger A. Bergstedt, Noah S. Adams, Tyson Hatton, Robert L. McLaughlin
Diel activity patterns of juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon with implications for operation of a gated water diversion in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta Diel activity patterns of juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon with implications for operation of a gated water diversion in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta
In the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California, tidal forces that reverse river flows increase the proportion of water and juvenile late fall-run Chinook salmon diverted into a network of channels that were constructed to support agriculture and human consumption. This area is known as the interior delta, and it has been associated with poor fish survival. Under the rationale that...
Authors
John M. Plumb, Noah S. Adams, Russell W. Perry, Christopher Holbrook, Jason G. Romine, Aaron R. Blake, Jon R. Burau
Acoustic telemetry reveals large-scale migration patterns of walleye in Lake Huron Acoustic telemetry reveals large-scale migration patterns of walleye in Lake Huron
Fish migration in large freshwater lacustrine systems such as the Laurentian Great Lakes is not well understood. The walleye (Sander vitreus) is an economically and ecologically important native fish species throughout the Great Lakes. In Lake Huron walleye has recently undergone a population expansion as a result of recovery of the primary stock, stemming from changing food web dynamics...
Authors
Todd A. Hayden, Christopher Holbrook, David G. Fielder, Christopher S. Vandergoot, Roger A. Bergstedt, John M. Dettmers, Charles C. Krueger, Steven J. Cooke
Use of oviduct-inserted acoustic transmitters and positional telemetry to estimate timing and location of spawning: a feasibility study in lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush Use of oviduct-inserted acoustic transmitters and positional telemetry to estimate timing and location of spawning: a feasibility study in lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush
Background Oviduct-inserted transmitters have shown promise for determining precise location of spawning in fishes. Use of traditional manual tracking to locate expelled oviduct transmitters is laborious and accurate estimates of time of transmitter expulsion require frequent surveys. We tested the feasibility of using oviduct-inserted transmitters with positional telemetry to estimate...
Authors
Thomas R. Binder, Christopher M. Holbrook, Scott M. Miehls, Henry T. Thompson, Charles C. Krueger
Estimating reach-specific fish movement probabilities in rivers with a Bayesian state-space model: application to sea lamprey passage and capture at dams Estimating reach-specific fish movement probabilities in rivers with a Bayesian state-space model: application to sea lamprey passage and capture at dams
Improved methods are needed to evaluate barriers and traps for control and assessment of invasive sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus) in the Great Lakes. A Bayesian state-space model provided reach-specific probabilities of movement, including trap capture and dam passage, for 148 acoustic tagged invasive sea lamprey in the lower Cheboygan River, Michigan, a tributary to Lake Huron. Reach...
Authors
Christopher M. Holbrook, Nicholas S. Johnson, Juan P. Steibel, Michael B. Twohey, Thomas R. Binder, Charles C. Krueger, Michael L. Jones
An approach for filtering hyperbolically positioned underwater acoustic telemetry data with position precision estimates An approach for filtering hyperbolically positioned underwater acoustic telemetry data with position precision estimates
Background Telemetry systems that estimate animal positions with hyperbolic positioning algorithms also provide a technology-specific estimate of position precision (e.g., horizontal position error (HPE) for the VEMCO positioning system). Position precision estimates (e.g., dilution of precision for a global positioning system (GPS)) have been used extensively to identify and remove...
Authors
Trevor D. Meckley, Christopher M. Holbrook, C. Michael Wagner, Thomas R. Binder
Blocking and guiding adult sea lamprey with pulsed direct current from vertical electrodes Blocking and guiding adult sea lamprey with pulsed direct current from vertical electrodes
Controlling the invasion front of aquatic nuisance species is of high importance to resource managers. We tested the hypothesis that adult sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus), a destructive invasive species in the Laurentian Great Lakes, would exhibit behavioral avoidance to dual-frequency pulsed direct current generated by vertical electrodes and that the electric field would not injure...
Authors
Nicholas S. Johnson, Henry T. Thompson, Christopher M. Holbrook, John A. Tix
Tracking animals in freshwater with electronic tags: past, present and future Tracking animals in freshwater with electronic tags: past, present and future
Considerable technical developments over the past half century have enabled widespread application of electronic tags to the study of animals in the wild, including in freshwater environments. We review the constraints associated with freshwater telemetry and biologging and the technical developments relevant to their use. Technical constraints for tracking animals are often influenced...
Authors
Steven J. Cooke, Jonathan D. Midwood, Jason D. Thiem, Peter Klimley, Martyn C. Lucas, Eva B. Thorstad, John Eiler, Chris Holbrook, Brendan C. Ebner
Adjusting survival estimates for premature transmitter failure: A case study from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Adjusting survival estimates for premature transmitter failure: A case study from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
In telemetry studies, premature tag failure causes negative bias in fish survival estimates because tag failure is interpreted as fish mortality. We used mark-recapture modeling to adjust estimates of fish survival for a previous study where premature tag failure was documented. High rates of tag failure occurred during the Vernalis Adaptive Management Plan’s (VAMP) 2008 study to...
Authors
Christopher M. Holbrook, Russell W. Perry, Patricia L. Brandes, Noah S. Adams
Non-USGS Publications**
Holbrook, C.M., Zydlewski, J., Gorsky, D., Shepard, S., and M.T. Kinnison. 2009. Movements of pre-spawn adult Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) near hydroelectric dams in the lower Penobscot River, Maine. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 29: 495-505.
**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.