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James E McKenna, Jr., PhD

James E McKenna, Jr. is a Research Ecologist based in Cortland, NY.

Dr. McKenna is a Research Ecologist with the Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science in Cortland, NY. For the past 28 years, he has conducted research on Great Lakes ecosystems, including tributary watersheds and the St. Lawrence River. His research topics range from native fish population restoration to ecosystem function and threats evaluation. Much of his work focuses on applied ecology of fish communities in the Great Lakes Region to support natural resource manager decision-making. His work often involves development of new analytical tools and methods to address complex ecological questions about how biodiversity and ecosystem function and adaptability is maintained (or repairable) in the face of continuing human activities. The methods have been applied to simplify the complex relationships among more than 100 fish species and their habitats into salient interpretations of fish communities that managers may use to address conservation and restoration objectives for Great Lakes ecosystems. This includes characterization of the best potential of any aquatic habitat to support the various fish species and associated biodiversity.  Recent research has revealed habitat conditions (both locally and globally) most influential to fish communities in the Great Lakes proper and identified the inherent suitability (or unsuitability) of each of the millions of 30-m habitat units within a Great Lake. The research demonstrates how the natural suitability of habitat conditions varies by species and is affected by anthropogenic disturbances, including climate change. One research project, supporting native American tribal interests, provides managers and scientists with a detailed understanding of biodiversity and fish communities in rivers and streams throughout a large region of the St. Lawrence River valley, highlighting the abundance and distributions of threatened and endangered species, and characterizing their habitats. Restoration research has included work with the thousands of Atlantic Salmon, Ciscos, and Bloaters raised at the Tunison laboratory to support reintroduction of these native species to historically occupied habitats, and has shown how native prey fish (e.g., Cisco and other Coregonine species) can be raised in hatcheries in large numbers, transported to a Great Lake, and released successfully. The work also demonstrates how to mark the fish and their tolerance for use of advance technology, like acoustic telemetry, to track their movement and survival after release into the wild. This research advances our ability to understand threats to fish populations and aquatic communities at scales from stream reaches and small open lake locations to entire watersheds and whole Great Lake basins, and supports cost-effective management decisions about Great Lakes fishes and restoration or conservation of their habitats. 

Professional Experience

  • Research Ecologist, October 2022 to present, US Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science, Cortland, NY

  • Supervisory Research Ecologist, Acting Director July 2017 to September 2022, US Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science, Cortland, NY

  •  Research Ecologist, March 1995 to March 2014, US Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science, Cortland, NY

  • Associate Research Scientist, October 1992 to March 1995, Florida Marine Research Institute, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Petersburg, FL. Analyst in Fisheries Statistics and Fisheries Independent Monitoring Departments

  • Assistant Research Scientist, May 1990 to October 1992, Florida Marine Research Institute, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Petersburg, FL. Analyst in Fisheries Statistics Department

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D. (1990) in Biological Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography. Dissertation: Ecology of an exploited Antarctic fish community

  • M.S. (1987) in Biological Oceanography from U. of Rhode Island, Oceanography School: An Analysis of Food Limitation in the Benthic Communities of Narragansett Bay Using a Numerical Simulation Model

  • B.S. with Distinction in Marine Science from Richard Stockton State College (1981)

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • American Fisheries Society

  • International Association of Great Lakes Researchers

  • Managing Editor, Northeastern Naturalist

Abstracts and Presentations

  • McKenna, J.E.,Jr. and P. Kocovsky. 2020. Habitat Characterization and Species Distribution Model of the only Large Lake Population of the Endangered Silver Chub. 150st Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Columbus, OH, September 2021.

  • McKenna, J.E.,Jr., and M.T. Slattery. 2020. Seasonal Responses of Walleye Abundance to Changes in Ecological Flow. New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Feb 2020

  • McKenna, J.E.,Jr., J.H. Johnson, S. Lapan, M. Chalupnicki, G. Mackey, M. Millard, K. Loftus, M. Connerton, C. Legard, B. Weidel, D. Gorsky. 2021. Rehabilitating Native Lake Ontario Coregonine Fishes: Tunison et al. New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Feb 2021.

  • McKenna, J.E.,Jr., C. Riseng, and K. Wehrly. 2021. Evaluation of relative benefits in various restoration areas of the Great Lakes nearshore zone based on fish perception of disturbed conditions. 151st annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Baltimore, MD, November 2021.

  • Woda, Joshua, Neil Terry, James E. McKenna, Jr., John Williams, Scott Prindle, Michael Connerton. 2021. Mapping Temperature-dependent Fish Habitat in the Salmon River, NY. 151st annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society, November 2021.

  • Brown, T. et al. 2022. Distributions of sympatric cisco and lake whitefish larvae in Lake Ontario embayments. Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Grand Rapids, MI 16 May 2022.

  • Heisey A., A. Beezel, B. Weidel, B. Lantry, B. O’Malley, D. Yule, M. Vinson, B. Ray, M. Seider, M. Chalupnicki, J. McKenna Jr., D. Gorsky, M. Connerton. 2022. An evaluation of coregonine egg deposition between Lake Superior and Lake Ontario. 152nd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society. Spokane, WA. August 2022.

  • Koeberle, A., S.A. Sethi, M.A. Chalupnicki, B. Hammers, J.E. McKenna, Jr., D.P. Mulhall, W. Pearsall, M. Bartron, A. Maloy, C. Rees, L. Atkins. 2022. Novel Acoustic Telemetry to Evaluate Survival of Re-introduced Native Cisco (Coregonus artedi) at a Whole-lake Level in the Finger Lakes, New York. Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Grand Rapids, MI 16 May 2022.

  • Kraus, R.T., M. Faust, M. Rowe, J. Markham, C. Vandergoot,  T. MacDougall, J.D. Schmitt, J.E. McKenna, Jr. 2022. Synergisms from collaborative research – merging water quality modeling and fisheries science in Lake Erie. Joint Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Grand Rapids, MI 16 May 2022.

  • Legard, C. et al. 2022. Bloater re-introduction in Lake Ontario. New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Feb 2022.

  • McKenna, J.E.,Jr. 2022. Conservation decision-support for Silver Chub habitat in Lake Erie. Northeast Natural History Conference, April 2022.

  • Le Tarte L., M. Chalupnicki, J.E. McKenna, Jr., A. Gatch, M. Nguyen, S. LaSalle, B.C. Weidel. 2023. Sodus Bay Coregonines: Past, Present, Future. New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Feb 2023.

  • McKenna, J.E., Jr., R.S. Cornman, and A. David. 2023. Biodiversity and Distribution Estimates in a Tributary to the St. Lawrence River Using eDNA and Conventional Collection Methods. New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Feb 2023.

  • McKenna, J.E.,Jr. 2023. The Laurentian Great Lakes: Restoration Research. Conservation Biology Seminary Series, State University of New York at Cortland, 23 February 2023.

  • Moore, J., M. Chalupnicki, J.E. McKenna, Jr., and D.E. Dittman. 2023. Multi-year Assessment of Walleye Spawning in the Black River. New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Feb 2023.

  • Rubenstein S., J.E. McKenna, Jr., J.H. Johnson. 2023. Phototaxic response of Cisco larvae. New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Feb 2023.

  • Skrotzki, J. M., M. A. Chalupnicki, J. E. McKenna Jr., and J. H, Johnson. 2023. Dace Hybridization and Diet Comparison. New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Feb 2023.

  • Taylor, T.L., M.A. Chalupnicki, J.E. McKenna, Jr., and J.H. Johnson. 2023. Diel Diet of Swallowtail Shiner in Little York Lake. New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.

Science and Products

Science pages by this scientist

link
Male atlantic salmon showing a kype in lower jaw

Aquatic Native Species and Habitat Restoration: Restoring native freshwater fish populations

USGS is working to help restore Atlantic salmon, bloater and cisco populations in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River as part of the Coregonid Restoration effort. These three key species of the native Lake Ontario fish community are extirpated (Atlantic salmon and bloater) or are at low levels of former abundance (cisco).
link

Aquatic Native Species and Habitat Restoration: Restoring native freshwater fish populations

USGS is working to help restore Atlantic salmon, bloater and cisco populations in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River as part of the Coregonid Restoration effort. These three key species of the native Lake Ontario fish community are extirpated (Atlantic salmon and bloater) or are at low levels of former abundance (cisco).
Learn More
link
View of Mount Ascutney, Connecticut River, and Cornish-Windsor Bridge

NorEaST: A Tool to Understand the Responses of Fish to Changes in Stream Temperature

Climate change is expected to alter stream temperature and flow regimes over the coming decades, and in turn influence distributions of aquatic species in those freshwater ecosystems. To better anticipate these changes, there is a need to compile both short- and long-term stream temperature data for managers to gain an understanding of baseline conditions, historic trends, and future projections.
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
link

NorEaST: A Tool to Understand the Responses of Fish to Changes in Stream Temperature

Climate change is expected to alter stream temperature and flow regimes over the coming decades, and in turn influence distributions of aquatic species in those freshwater ecosystems. To better anticipate these changes, there is a need to compile both short- and long-term stream temperature data for managers to gain an understanding of baseline conditions, historic trends, and future projections.
Learn More

Data releases by this scientist

Laboratory Evaluation of Phototaxis in Cultured Cisco Larvae

Field observations in a Lake Ontario embayment suggested that there is a phototaxic response of larval cisco that changes with development. This switch was verified using cultured cisco in a laboratory environment. These data include counts of cisco larvae at three depth ranges within multiple 95 liter tanks. Each tank of larvae were exposed to one of three different light treatments with three re
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Abiotic data collected in the St. Lawrence River and several tributaries in and adjacent to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe reservation in northern New York, 2004

This data set includes the sample site locations, site descriptions, and abiotic data used in the analyses reported in McKenna et al. 2008. The data represent selected abiotic conditions within the St. Lawrence and lower reaches of four US tributaries during 2004. Samples were collected from shallow, seinable areas (less than 1.5 m) of the St. Lawrence River, adjacent wetland channels, and the low
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Survival and ancillary data associated with Cisco acoustic tagging experiment conducted in 2018 and 2019

These data include survival information for Cisco in the laboratory for up to 30 days after surgical implantation of two different sizes of Lotek acoustic tags. Three-hundred fish of a range of sizes were used for the implantation and controls of this experiment, which was repeated three time. Ancillary data of surgical condition, recovery, and time until death or tag expulsion were also recorded,
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Taxonomic composition of environmental DNA acquired by filtration from the St. Regis River, New York

Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys have become important tools for monitoring aquatic biodiversity. Barcode sequencing of eDNA generates community profiles that, while potentially biased in both capture and amplification, can nonetheless yield high information content per unit cost. While factors affecting eDNA capture and amplification have been heavily studied, watershed-scale assessments of fish
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Genetic species identification of larval Coregonines from Chaumont Bay (New York), Lake Ontario

Location, occurrence, collection information, and genetic species identification data in support of an analysis of the spatial separation of Lake Whitefish and Cisco larvae in Chaumont Bay, Lake Ontario, the last known spawning area of both species in American waters of Lake Ontario. Genetic species identification of larval coregonines collected between April 2004 and 2015 is provided for larval s
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Bee-Gap: Ecology, Life-History, and Distribution of Bee Species in the United States 2017

Bee-Gap describes the ecology, life-history, and distribution of 3,925 bee species in the United States that have geographical data and verified taxonomy. The database was constructed by compiling information from a broad range of internet sources and peer-reviewed journal articles. The 10 traits included in the database are: native status (native versus exotic/introduced), state and territory pre
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Hydrospatial Framework for the Laurentian Great Lakes

This data release provides the georeferenced boundaries that delimit each spatial unit of the Great Lakes Regional Aquatic Gap Analysis Project (GLGap) Coastal Hydrospatial Framework at each spatial scale from the local 90m cell to the entire Laurentian Great Lakes system and from the shoreline to the deepest offshore waters. The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collab
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Metagenetic analysis of stream community composition based on environmental DNA

A survey of environmental DNA was performed in Tunison Creek downstream of the USGS Tunison Aquatic Laboratory. The goal of the survey was to characterize the source ecological community at multiple trophic or taxonomic levels by associating DNA fragments with reference databases. Three taxonomically informative genetic loci were used: the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 locus, the mitochondria
By
Fort Collins Science Center

FishVis, predicted occurrence and vulnerability for 13 fish species for current (1961 - 1990) and future (2046 - 2100) climate conditions in Great Lakes streams.

Climate change is expected to alter the distributions and community composition of stream fishes in the Great Lakes region in the 21st century, in part as a result of altered hydrological systems (stream temperature, streamflow, and habitat). Resource managers need information and tools to understand where fish species and stream habitats are expected to change under future conditions. Fish sample
By
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
No results found.

Publications by this scientist

Filter Total Items: 73

U.S. Geological Survey Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science research to rehabilitate native prey fish of the Lake Ontario fish community—Coregonine fishes

Restoration of native coregonines to Lake Ontario of the Laurentian Great Lakes will improve the diversity of forage for salmonid predators and ecological function in the lake, but efficacy of experimental releases for native species restoration must be evaluated. The Coregonine Research Program at the U.S. Geological Survey Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science encompasses a diverse array of rese
Authors
James E. McKenna, James H. Johnson, Steven Lapan, Marc Chalupnicki, Gregg Mackey, Mike Millard, Kevin Loftus, Michael Connerton, Christopher Legard, Brian Weidel, Dimitry Gorsky
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) culture manual

The primary objective of the Atlantic Salmon Research Program established at the U.S. Geological Survey Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science as mandated by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to restore Atlantic salmon (Linnaeus, 1758; Salmo salar) into Lake Ontario. This objective focuses on evaluating the survival of stocked Atlantic salmon in current Lake Ontario conditions to create a g

Authors
Marc A. Chalupnicki, Rich Chiavelli, James E. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Cisco (Coregonus artedi) and bloater (Coregonus hoyi) culture manual

The primary objective of the Coregonine Research Program established at the U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science as mandated by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to restore native coregonines, specifically Coregonus artedi (Lesueur, 1818; ciscoes) and Coregonus hoyi (Milner, 1874; bloaters) into Lake Ontario. This objective focuses on pr

Authors
Marc A. Chalupnicki, Gregg Mackey, James E. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Whole-lake acoustic telemetry to evaluate survival of stocked juvenile fish

Estimates of juvenile survival are critical for informing population dynamics and the ecology of fish, yet these demographic parameters are difficult to measure. Here, we demonstrate that advances in animal tracking technology provide opportunities to evaluate survival of juvenile tagged fish. We implemented a whole-lake telemetry array in conjunction with small acoustic tags (including tags < 1.0
Authors
Alexander Koeberle, Webster Pearsall, Brad Hammers, Daniel Mulhall, James E. McKenna Jr., Marc Chalupnicki, Suresh Andrew Sethi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Conservation decision support for Silver Chub habitat in Lake Erie

ObjectiveConservation and restoration of aquatic species is difficult, especially for rare species, because their habitats are typically disturbed, obscuring the natural ability of the habitat to support each species. The Lake Erie population of Silver Chub Macrhybopsis storeriana struggles to sustain itself in a habitat disturbed by a wide spectrum of anthropogenic factors. Application of multipl
Authors
James E. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Evaluation of threatened, endangered, and rare fish species and communities of the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries in the United States

Biodiversity is responsible for important ecological processes like productivity and ecosystem stability, and rare species are a major component of biodiversity. Rarity increases a species' vulnerability to disturbances and also makes them difficult to study. Globally, species of freshwater systems are some of the most threatened, and evaluation of rare freshwater species and their habitats is nee
Authors
James E. McKenna, Anthony David
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Larval cisco and lake whitefish exhibit high distributional overlap within nursery areas

Coregonine fishes, including lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and cisco (C. artedi), are socioecologically important in the Laurentian Great Lakes and of conservation concern, but the processes driving recruitment variability are unclear. In Lake Ontario, cisco and lake whitefish exhibit similar spawning behaviours and early life histories, but population trajectories are diverging. One hyp
Authors
Taylor A. Brown, Lars G. Rudstam, Jeremy P. Holden, Brian Weidel, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Ann J. Ropp, Marc Chalupnicki, James E. McKenna, Suresh A. Sethi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Decision support for aquatic restoration based on species-specific responses to disturbance

Disturbances to aquatic habitats are not uniformly distributed within the Great Lakes and acute effects can be strongest in nearshore areas where both landscape and within lake effects can have strong influence. Furthermore, different fish species respond to disturbances in different ways. A means to identify and evaluate locations and extent of disturbances that affect fish is needed throughout t
Authors
James E. McKenna, Catherine Riseng, Kevin Wehrly
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Results of the collaborative Lake Ontario bloater restoration stocking and assessment, 2012–2020

Bloater, Coregonus hoyi, are deepwater planktivores native to the Laurentian Great Lakes and Lake Nipigon. Interpretations of commercial fishery time series suggest they were common in Lake Ontario through the early 1900s but by the 1950s were no longer captured by commercial fishers. Annual bottom trawl surveys that began in 1978 and sampled extensively across putative bloater habitat only yielde
Authors
Brian Weidel, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Marc Chalupnicki, Michael Connerton, Steve Davis, John M. Dettmers, Timothy Drew, Aaron T. Fisk, Roger Gordon, S. Dale Hanson, Jeremy Holden, Mark E. Holey, James H. Johnson, Timothy B. Johnson, Colin Lake, Brian F. Lantry, Kevin Loftus, Gregg Mackey, James E. McKenna, Michael J. Millard, Scott P. Minihkeim, Brian O'Malley, Adam Rupnik, Andrew C. Todd, Steven Lapan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Acoustic tag retention and tagging mortality of juvenile cisco Coregonus artedi

Release of hatchery-reared juvenile cisco (Coregonus artedi) is an important tool for recovering Great Lakes populations, but post-release survival is unknown. Telemetry using small acoustic tags provides opportunities to assess the efficacy of hatchery-reared fish releases. However, better understanding of the tolerance of juvenile cisco to acoustic tags is needed. Juvenile cisco mortality and ta
Authors
James E. McKenna, Suresh Sethi, Grant Marvin Scholten, Jeremy W. Kraus, Marc Chalupnicki
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Great Lakes Science Center

Composition and distribution of fish environmental DNA in an Adirondack watershed

BackgroundEnvironmental DNA (eDNA) surveys are appealing options for monitoring aquatic biodiversity. While factors affecting eDNA persistence, capture and amplification have been heavily studied, watershed-scale surveys of fish communities and our confidence in such need further exploration.MethodsWe characterized fish eDNA compositions using rapid, low-volume filtering with replicate and control
Authors
Robert S. Cornman, James E. McKenna, Jennifer A. Fike
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center

Habitat characterization and species distribution model of the only large-lake population of the endangered Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844)

The endangered Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844) is native to North America and primarily riverine, with the only known large‐lake population in Lake Erie. Once a major component of the Lake Erie fish community, it declined and became nearly extirpated in the mid‐1900s. Recent collections in western Lake Erie suggest that Silver Chub may be able to recover, but their habitat and
Authors
James E. McKenna, Patrick Kočovský
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

McKenna J.E.Jr. 1991. Trophic relationships of Antarctic demersal fish through gut content analysis. Fishery Bulletin. 89:643-654
McKenna J.E.Jr. 1993. Spatial structure and temporal continuity of the South Georgian Antarctic fish community. Fishery Bulletin 91:475-490
McKenna J.E.Jr., Saila S.B. 1989. Results of Fish Stock Assessment Survey, South Georgia, December 1987 - January 1988. Selected Publications of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, vol. II (SC-CAMLR-VII/BG/23).
McKenna J.E.Jr., Saila S.B. 1991. Application of an objective method for detecting changes in fish communities: Samar Sea, the Philippines. Asian Fisheries Science. 4:201-210.
McKenna J.E.Jr., Saila S.B. 1991. Shifts in the Antarctic demersal fish community of South Georgia. Fisheries Research. 12:109-124.

**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.

News about this scientist

GLSC Works with NY State DEC to Release and Study Cisco in Lake Erie

GLSC Works with NY State DEC to Release and Study Cisco in Lake Erie

Tunison Lab works with NYDEC to release acoustically tagged cisco in Lake Erie.

Read Article
McKenna, Dittman Present at New York AFS Annual Meeting

McKenna, Dittman Present at New York AFS Annual Meeting

Presentation to the New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

Read Article
McKenna Presents at Dynamic Environmental-Flow Endpoints Workshop

McKenna Presents at Dynamic Environmental-Flow Endpoints Workshop

Addressing drought and habitat modification

Read Article

Science and Products

Science pages by this scientist

link
Male atlantic salmon showing a kype in lower jaw

Aquatic Native Species and Habitat Restoration: Restoring native freshwater fish populations

USGS is working to help restore Atlantic salmon, bloater and cisco populations in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River as part of the Coregonid Restoration effort. These three key species of the native Lake Ontario fish community are extirpated (Atlantic salmon and bloater) or are at low levels of former abundance (cisco).
link

Aquatic Native Species and Habitat Restoration: Restoring native freshwater fish populations

USGS is working to help restore Atlantic salmon, bloater and cisco populations in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River as part of the Coregonid Restoration effort. These three key species of the native Lake Ontario fish community are extirpated (Atlantic salmon and bloater) or are at low levels of former abundance (cisco).
Learn More
link
View of Mount Ascutney, Connecticut River, and Cornish-Windsor Bridge

NorEaST: A Tool to Understand the Responses of Fish to Changes in Stream Temperature

Climate change is expected to alter stream temperature and flow regimes over the coming decades, and in turn influence distributions of aquatic species in those freshwater ecosystems. To better anticipate these changes, there is a need to compile both short- and long-term stream temperature data for managers to gain an understanding of baseline conditions, historic trends, and future projections.
By
Climate Adaptation Science Centers
link

NorEaST: A Tool to Understand the Responses of Fish to Changes in Stream Temperature

Climate change is expected to alter stream temperature and flow regimes over the coming decades, and in turn influence distributions of aquatic species in those freshwater ecosystems. To better anticipate these changes, there is a need to compile both short- and long-term stream temperature data for managers to gain an understanding of baseline conditions, historic trends, and future projections.
Learn More

Data releases by this scientist

Laboratory Evaluation of Phototaxis in Cultured Cisco Larvae

Field observations in a Lake Ontario embayment suggested that there is a phototaxic response of larval cisco that changes with development. This switch was verified using cultured cisco in a laboratory environment. These data include counts of cisco larvae at three depth ranges within multiple 95 liter tanks. Each tank of larvae were exposed to one of three different light treatments with three re
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Abiotic data collected in the St. Lawrence River and several tributaries in and adjacent to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe reservation in northern New York, 2004

This data set includes the sample site locations, site descriptions, and abiotic data used in the analyses reported in McKenna et al. 2008. The data represent selected abiotic conditions within the St. Lawrence and lower reaches of four US tributaries during 2004. Samples were collected from shallow, seinable areas (less than 1.5 m) of the St. Lawrence River, adjacent wetland channels, and the low
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Survival and ancillary data associated with Cisco acoustic tagging experiment conducted in 2018 and 2019

These data include survival information for Cisco in the laboratory for up to 30 days after surgical implantation of two different sizes of Lotek acoustic tags. Three-hundred fish of a range of sizes were used for the implantation and controls of this experiment, which was repeated three time. Ancillary data of surgical condition, recovery, and time until death or tag expulsion were also recorded,
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Taxonomic composition of environmental DNA acquired by filtration from the St. Regis River, New York

Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys have become important tools for monitoring aquatic biodiversity. Barcode sequencing of eDNA generates community profiles that, while potentially biased in both capture and amplification, can nonetheless yield high information content per unit cost. While factors affecting eDNA capture and amplification have been heavily studied, watershed-scale assessments of fish
By
Fort Collins Science Center

Genetic species identification of larval Coregonines from Chaumont Bay (New York), Lake Ontario

Location, occurrence, collection information, and genetic species identification data in support of an analysis of the spatial separation of Lake Whitefish and Cisco larvae in Chaumont Bay, Lake Ontario, the last known spawning area of both species in American waters of Lake Ontario. Genetic species identification of larval coregonines collected between April 2004 and 2015 is provided for larval s
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Bee-Gap: Ecology, Life-History, and Distribution of Bee Species in the United States 2017

Bee-Gap describes the ecology, life-history, and distribution of 3,925 bee species in the United States that have geographical data and verified taxonomy. The database was constructed by compiling information from a broad range of internet sources and peer-reviewed journal articles. The 10 traits included in the database are: native status (native versus exotic/introduced), state and territory pre
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Hydrospatial Framework for the Laurentian Great Lakes

This data release provides the georeferenced boundaries that delimit each spatial unit of the Great Lakes Regional Aquatic Gap Analysis Project (GLGap) Coastal Hydrospatial Framework at each spatial scale from the local 90m cell to the entire Laurentian Great Lakes system and from the shoreline to the deepest offshore waters. The U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service collab
By
Great Lakes Science Center

Metagenetic analysis of stream community composition based on environmental DNA

A survey of environmental DNA was performed in Tunison Creek downstream of the USGS Tunison Aquatic Laboratory. The goal of the survey was to characterize the source ecological community at multiple trophic or taxonomic levels by associating DNA fragments with reference databases. Three taxonomically informative genetic loci were used: the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 locus, the mitochondria
By
Fort Collins Science Center

FishVis, predicted occurrence and vulnerability for 13 fish species for current (1961 - 1990) and future (2046 - 2100) climate conditions in Great Lakes streams.

Climate change is expected to alter the distributions and community composition of stream fishes in the Great Lakes region in the 21st century, in part as a result of altered hydrological systems (stream temperature, streamflow, and habitat). Resource managers need information and tools to understand where fish species and stream habitats are expected to change under future conditions. Fish sample
By
Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, Upper Midwest Water Science Center
No results found.

Publications by this scientist

Filter Total Items: 73

U.S. Geological Survey Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science research to rehabilitate native prey fish of the Lake Ontario fish community—Coregonine fishes

Restoration of native coregonines to Lake Ontario of the Laurentian Great Lakes will improve the diversity of forage for salmonid predators and ecological function in the lake, but efficacy of experimental releases for native species restoration must be evaluated. The Coregonine Research Program at the U.S. Geological Survey Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science encompasses a diverse array of rese
Authors
James E. McKenna, James H. Johnson, Steven Lapan, Marc Chalupnicki, Gregg Mackey, Mike Millard, Kevin Loftus, Michael Connerton, Christopher Legard, Brian Weidel, Dimitry Gorsky
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) culture manual

The primary objective of the Atlantic Salmon Research Program established at the U.S. Geological Survey Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science as mandated by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to restore Atlantic salmon (Linnaeus, 1758; Salmo salar) into Lake Ontario. This objective focuses on evaluating the survival of stocked Atlantic salmon in current Lake Ontario conditions to create a g

Authors
Marc A. Chalupnicki, Rich Chiavelli, James E. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Cisco (Coregonus artedi) and bloater (Coregonus hoyi) culture manual

The primary objective of the Coregonine Research Program established at the U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center, Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Science as mandated by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is to restore native coregonines, specifically Coregonus artedi (Lesueur, 1818; ciscoes) and Coregonus hoyi (Milner, 1874; bloaters) into Lake Ontario. This objective focuses on pr

Authors
Marc A. Chalupnicki, Gregg Mackey, James E. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center, Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Whole-lake acoustic telemetry to evaluate survival of stocked juvenile fish

Estimates of juvenile survival are critical for informing population dynamics and the ecology of fish, yet these demographic parameters are difficult to measure. Here, we demonstrate that advances in animal tracking technology provide opportunities to evaluate survival of juvenile tagged fish. We implemented a whole-lake telemetry array in conjunction with small acoustic tags (including tags < 1.0
Authors
Alexander Koeberle, Webster Pearsall, Brad Hammers, Daniel Mulhall, James E. McKenna Jr., Marc Chalupnicki, Suresh Andrew Sethi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Conservation decision support for Silver Chub habitat in Lake Erie

ObjectiveConservation and restoration of aquatic species is difficult, especially for rare species, because their habitats are typically disturbed, obscuring the natural ability of the habitat to support each species. The Lake Erie population of Silver Chub Macrhybopsis storeriana struggles to sustain itself in a habitat disturbed by a wide spectrum of anthropogenic factors. Application of multipl
Authors
James E. McKenna
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Evaluation of threatened, endangered, and rare fish species and communities of the St. Lawrence River and its tributaries in the United States

Biodiversity is responsible for important ecological processes like productivity and ecosystem stability, and rare species are a major component of biodiversity. Rarity increases a species' vulnerability to disturbances and also makes them difficult to study. Globally, species of freshwater systems are some of the most threatened, and evaluation of rare freshwater species and their habitats is nee
Authors
James E. McKenna, Anthony David
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Larval cisco and lake whitefish exhibit high distributional overlap within nursery areas

Coregonine fishes, including lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) and cisco (C. artedi), are socioecologically important in the Laurentian Great Lakes and of conservation concern, but the processes driving recruitment variability are unclear. In Lake Ontario, cisco and lake whitefish exhibit similar spawning behaviours and early life histories, but population trajectories are diverging. One hyp
Authors
Taylor A. Brown, Lars G. Rudstam, Jeremy P. Holden, Brian Weidel, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Ann J. Ropp, Marc Chalupnicki, James E. McKenna, Suresh A. Sethi
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Decision support for aquatic restoration based on species-specific responses to disturbance

Disturbances to aquatic habitats are not uniformly distributed within the Great Lakes and acute effects can be strongest in nearshore areas where both landscape and within lake effects can have strong influence. Furthermore, different fish species respond to disturbances in different ways. A means to identify and evaluate locations and extent of disturbances that affect fish is needed throughout t
Authors
James E. McKenna, Catherine Riseng, Kevin Wehrly
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Results of the collaborative Lake Ontario bloater restoration stocking and assessment, 2012–2020

Bloater, Coregonus hoyi, are deepwater planktivores native to the Laurentian Great Lakes and Lake Nipigon. Interpretations of commercial fishery time series suggest they were common in Lake Ontario through the early 1900s but by the 1950s were no longer captured by commercial fishers. Annual bottom trawl surveys that began in 1978 and sampled extensively across putative bloater habitat only yielde
Authors
Brian Weidel, Amanda Susanne Ackiss, Marc Chalupnicki, Michael Connerton, Steve Davis, John M. Dettmers, Timothy Drew, Aaron T. Fisk, Roger Gordon, S. Dale Hanson, Jeremy Holden, Mark E. Holey, James H. Johnson, Timothy B. Johnson, Colin Lake, Brian F. Lantry, Kevin Loftus, Gregg Mackey, James E. McKenna, Michael J. Millard, Scott P. Minihkeim, Brian O'Malley, Adam Rupnik, Andrew C. Todd, Steven Lapan
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Acoustic tag retention and tagging mortality of juvenile cisco Coregonus artedi

Release of hatchery-reared juvenile cisco (Coregonus artedi) is an important tool for recovering Great Lakes populations, but post-release survival is unknown. Telemetry using small acoustic tags provides opportunities to assess the efficacy of hatchery-reared fish releases. However, better understanding of the tolerance of juvenile cisco to acoustic tags is needed. Juvenile cisco mortality and ta
Authors
James E. McKenna, Suresh Sethi, Grant Marvin Scholten, Jeremy W. Kraus, Marc Chalupnicki
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Cooperative Research Units, Great Lakes Science Center

Composition and distribution of fish environmental DNA in an Adirondack watershed

BackgroundEnvironmental DNA (eDNA) surveys are appealing options for monitoring aquatic biodiversity. While factors affecting eDNA persistence, capture and amplification have been heavily studied, watershed-scale surveys of fish communities and our confidence in such need further exploration.MethodsWe characterized fish eDNA compositions using rapid, low-volume filtering with replicate and control
Authors
Robert S. Cornman, James E. McKenna, Jennifer A. Fike
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Fort Collins Science Center, Great Lakes Science Center

Habitat characterization and species distribution model of the only large-lake population of the endangered Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844)

The endangered Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844) is native to North America and primarily riverine, with the only known large‐lake population in Lake Erie. Once a major component of the Lake Erie fish community, it declined and became nearly extirpated in the mid‐1900s. Recent collections in western Lake Erie suggest that Silver Chub may be able to recover, but their habitat and
Authors
James E. McKenna, Patrick Kočovský
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Great Lakes Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

McKenna J.E.Jr. 1991. Trophic relationships of Antarctic demersal fish through gut content analysis. Fishery Bulletin. 89:643-654
McKenna J.E.Jr. 1993. Spatial structure and temporal continuity of the South Georgian Antarctic fish community. Fishery Bulletin 91:475-490
McKenna J.E.Jr., Saila S.B. 1989. Results of Fish Stock Assessment Survey, South Georgia, December 1987 - January 1988. Selected Publications of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, vol. II (SC-CAMLR-VII/BG/23).
McKenna J.E.Jr., Saila S.B. 1991. Application of an objective method for detecting changes in fish communities: Samar Sea, the Philippines. Asian Fisheries Science. 4:201-210.
McKenna J.E.Jr., Saila S.B. 1991. Shifts in the Antarctic demersal fish community of South Georgia. Fisheries Research. 12:109-124.

**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.

News about this scientist

GLSC Works with NY State DEC to Release and Study Cisco in Lake Erie

GLSC Works with NY State DEC to Release and Study Cisco in Lake Erie

Tunison Lab works with NYDEC to release acoustically tagged cisco in Lake Erie.

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McKenna, Dittman Present at New York AFS Annual Meeting

McKenna, Dittman Present at New York AFS Annual Meeting

Presentation to the New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

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McKenna Presents at Dynamic Environmental-Flow Endpoints Workshop

McKenna Presents at Dynamic Environmental-Flow Endpoints Workshop

Addressing drought and habitat modification

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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government

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