James M. Long, PhD
Unit Leader - Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
Dr. Long grew up in the Ozarks of southwest Missouri and received a PhD from Oklahoma State University in 2000. Afterward, he went to South Carolina as a Fisheries Research Biologist investigating fish community structure in tidal freshwater wetlands. From 2002 to 2009, Dr. Long worked with the National Park Service as the Fishery Biologist for the southeast region. In 2009, Dr. Long moved back to Oklahoma as an Assistant Unit Leader and become Unit Leader in 2016. Dr. Long's research focuses on management-driven questions related to the process of fisheries management, social dimensions, early-life history of fishes, and effects of invasive species on aquatic communities. Over the past decade, Dr. Long has been particularly engaged in issues related to black bass diversity, highlighting the conservation needs of these endemic and iconic species. Dr. Long uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and side-scan sonar technology to address research needs in a wide variety of aquatic ecosystems. Dr. Long is also actively engaged in applying novel tools to better understand otolith morphology and composition to elucidate age, growth, and development in fishes. Dr. Long teaches a graduate level course in Social Dimensions in Aquatic Ecology.
Professional Experience
Unit Leader, Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2019-
Assistant Unit Leader, Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2009-2019
Education and Certifications
PhD, Oklahoma State University, 1996
MS, Missouri State University, 1993
BS, Missouri State University, 1987
Science and Products
Estimating spawning times of Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) in Lake Texoma, Oklahoma
Evaluating the use of side-scan sonar for detecting freshwater mussel beds in turbid river environments
Observational changes to the natural flow regime in Lee Creek in relation to altered precipitation patterns and its implication for fishes
Using hierarchical Bayesian multi-species mixture models to estimate tandem hoop-net based habitat associations and detection probabilities of fishes in reservoirs
Spatial structuring within a reservoir fish population: implications for management
Effect of bait and gear type on channel catfish catch and turtle bycatch in a reservoir
GIS-based rapid-assessment of bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (Richardson, 1845) suitability in reservoirs
Book review: Conservation, ecology, and management of catfish: The second international symposium
Documenting utility of paddlefish otoliths for quantification of metals using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Invasive zebra mussels (Driessena polymorpha) and Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) survive gut passage of migratory fish species: implications for dispersal
Importance of tributary streams for rainbow trout reproduction: insights from a small stream in Georgia and a bi-genomic approach
Precision of channel catfish catch estimates using hoop nets in larger Oklahoma reservoirs
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 81
Estimating spawning times of Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) in Lake Texoma, Oklahoma
In 2013, juvenile Alligator Gar were sampled in the reservoir-river interface of the Red River arm of Lake Texoma. The Red River, which flows 860 km along Oklahoma’s border with Texas, is the primary in-flow source of Lake Texoma, and is impounded by Denison Dam. Minifyke nets were deployed using an adaptive random cluster sampling design, which has been used to effectively sample rare species. LaAuthorsRichard A. Snow, James M. LongEvaluating the use of side-scan sonar for detecting freshwater mussel beds in turbid river environments
Side-scan sonar is a valuable tool for mapping habitat features in many aquatic systems suggesting it may also be useful for locating sedentary biota. The objective of this study was to determine if side-scan sonar could be used to identify freshwater mussel (unionid) beds and the required environmental conditions. We used side-scan sonar to develop a series of mussel-bed reference images by placiAuthorsJarrod Powers, Shannon K. Brewer, James M. Long, Thomas CampbellObservational changes to the natural flow regime in Lee Creek in relation to altered precipitation patterns and its implication for fishes
The natural flow regime is important for structuring streams and their resident ichthyofauna and alterations to this regime can have cascading consequences. We sought to determine if changes in hydrology could be attributed to changes in precipitation in a minimally altered watershed (Lee Creek). The stream flow regime was analyzed using Indicators of Hydrologic Alteration (IHA) software, and dataAuthorsMichael R. Gatlin, James M. Long, Donald J. TurtonUsing hierarchical Bayesian multi-species mixture models to estimate tandem hoop-net based habitat associations and detection probabilities of fishes in reservoirs
Species distribution models are useful tools to evaluate habitat relationships of fishes. We used hierarchical Bayesian multispecies mixture models to evaluate the relationships of both detection and abundance with habitat of reservoir fishes caught using tandem hoop nets. A total of 7,212 fish from 12 species were captured, and the majority of the catch was composed of Channel Catfish Ictalurus pAuthorsDavid R. Stewart, James M. LongSpatial structuring within a reservoir fish population: implications for management
Spatial structuring in reservoir fish populations can exist because of environmental gradients, species-specific behaviour, or even localised fishing effort. The present study investigated whether white crappie exhibited evidence of improved population structure where the northern more productive half of a lake is closed to fishing to provide waterfowl hunting opportunities. Population response toAuthorsDavid R. Stewart, James M. Long, Daniel E. ShoupEffect of bait and gear type on channel catfish catch and turtle bycatch in a reservoir
Hoop nets have become the preferred gear choice to sample channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus but the degree of bycatch can be high, especially due to the incidental capture of aquatic turtles. While exclusion and escapement devices have been developed and evaluated, few have examined bait choice as a method to reduce turtle bycatch. The use of Zote™ soap has shown considerable promise to reduce bAuthorsEvan C. Cartabiano, David R. Stewart, James M. LongGIS-based rapid-assessment of bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (Richardson, 1845) suitability in reservoirs
Broad-scale niche models are good for examining the potential for invasive species occurrences, but can fall short in providing managers with site-specific locations for monitoring. Using Oklahoma as an example, where invasive bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) are established in certain reservoirs, but predicted to be widely distributed based on broad-scale niche models, we cast bighead caAuthorsJames M. Long, Yu Liang, Daniel E. Shoup, Andrew R. Dzialowski, Joseph R. BidwellBook review: Conservation, ecology, and management of catfish: The second international symposium
This is the second publication in a series published by the American Fisheries Society devoted to catfish research, biology, and management, which was organized as a symposium held in St. Louis Missouri, in 2010 and builds upon the first symposium that was held in Davenport, Iowa, in 1998 (Irwin et al. 1999). The organizations of the second symposium stated that this was to "serve as an addendumAuthorsJames M. LongDocumenting utility of paddlefish otoliths for quantification of metals using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
RATIONALE The otoliths of the inner ear of fishes record the environment of their surrounding water throughout their life. For paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), otoliths have not been routinely used by scientists since their detriments were outlined in the early 1940s. We sought to determine if paddlefish otoliths were useful for resolving elemental information contained within. METHODS AdultAuthorsJames M. Long, James J. SchafflerInvasive zebra mussels (Driessena polymorpha) and Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) survive gut passage of migratory fish species: implications for dispersal
The introduction and spread of invasive species is of great concern to natural resource managers in the United States. To effectively control the spread of these species, managers must be aware of the multitude of dispersal methods used by the organisms. We investigated the potential for survival through the gut of a migrating fish (blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus) as a dispersal mechanism for twAuthorsMichael R. Gatlin, Daniel E. Shoup, James M. LongImportance of tributary streams for rainbow trout reproduction: insights from a small stream in Georgia and a bi-genomic approach
Tributaries of tailwater fisheries in the southeastern USA have been used for spawning by stocked rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), but their importance may have been underestimated using traditional fish survey methods such as electrofishing and redd counts. We used a bi-genomic approach, mitochondrial DNA sequences and nuclear microsatellite loci, to estimate the number of spawning adults inAuthorsD. Lee, Justin B. Lack, Ronald A. Van Den Bussche, James M. LongPrecision of channel catfish catch estimates using hoop nets in larger Oklahoma reservoirs
Hoop nets are rapidly becoming the preferred gear type used to sample channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, and many managers have reported that hoop nets effectively sample channel catfish in small impoundments (<200 ha). However, the utility and precision of this approach in larger impoundments have not been tested. We sought to determine how the number of tandem hoop net series affected the catcAuthorsDavid R. Stewart, James M. Long - Data