I'm a research fish biologist with interests in fish movement and passage, invasive species management and ecology, and freshwater food web dynamics.
Originally from the U.P. of Michigan, I've always been interested in fisheries and freshwater; however, my interests center around the impacts of invasive species on freshwater ecosystems. I have experience working on ecosystem models and aquatic food webs, particularly related to the impacts of invasive fishes. For the past five years, I've conducted research on the movement dynamics of invasive Asian carps, both with Southern Illinois University (postdoc) and with the USGS, here in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I joined the USGS in 2015 and am currently responsible for conducting research related to movement dynamics of invasive Asian carps in the Illinois River and conducting all studies related to the use of underwater sound to deter invasive fishes in collaboration with the USACE-ERDC, USGS-CERC, and University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 2012 North Carolina State University, Zoology
M.S. 2006 Eastern Illinois University, Biological Sciences
B.S. 2004 Central Michigan University, Biology
Science and Products
Database and web application for invasive carp telemetry data (FishTracks)
Invasive Carp Integrated Control and Containment: Acoustic Deterrents for Invasive Carp
Assessment of Acoustic Stimuli for Manipulating Movement of Bigheaded Carps
Assessment of newly developed acoustic stimuli for manipulating movement of bigheaded carps
Bioacoustic manipulation of invasive Bigheaded carp
Application of broadband sound for bigheaded carp deterrence
Data Release for Multimodal Invasive Carp Deterrent Study at Barkley Lock and Dam: Status Update through 2022
Data Release for Lock 19 Underwater Acoustic Deterrent System (UADS) Study: Interim Project Update
Native Species Response to 100 HP boat motor acoustic stimulus
Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) locations in earthen ponds with overhead structure
Carp Media Player
Multistate models of bigheaded carps in the Illinois River reveal spatial dynamics of invasive species: Data
Reexamining silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (H. nobilis) carp hearing: Data
Restoration versus invasive species: bigheaded carps use of a rehabilitated backwater: Data
Multimodal invasive carp deterrent study at Barkley Lock and Dam—Status update through 2022
Lock 19 underwater acoustic deterrent system study—Interim project update, through 2022
Incorporating metapopulation dynamics to inform invasive species management: Evaluating bighead and silver carp control strategies in the Illinois River
Behavioral responses of native and invasive fishes of the Upper Mississippi River to 100 hp boat motor acoustic stimulus
USGS Telemetry Project
Effects of shady environments on fish collective behavior
USGS invasive carp database management and integration support
Real-time telemetry and multi-state modeling
Emerging control strategies for integrated pest management of invasive carps
Demographic rate variability of Bighead and Silver Carps along an invasion gradient
Exploring how vessel activity influences the soundscape at a navigation lock on the Mississippi River
Lock operations influence upstream passages of invasive and native fishes at a Mississippi River high-head dam
Science and Products
- Science
Database and web application for invasive carp telemetry data (FishTracks)
Four types of invasive carp fish species, are currently found in the United States: black, grass, silver, and bighead carps. These species are fast growing, prolific feeders that out-compete native fish species and drastically alter the natural ecosystems they invade. To prevent the spread of invasive carp into the Great Lakes, the multi-agency Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC)...Invasive Carp Integrated Control and Containment: Acoustic Deterrents for Invasive Carp
The long-term goal of this project is to develop acoustic deterrents to prevent the upstream migration of Invasive carp to the Great Lakes.Assessment of Acoustic Stimuli for Manipulating Movement of Bigheaded Carps
Invasive Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, hereafter referred to as bigheaded carps, have displayed a negative phonotactic response when presented with a broadband acoustic stimulus. Additional study is needed to identify effective acoustic stimuli for manipulating bigheaded carp behavior, and to test bigheaded carp responses to those stimuli in...Assessment of newly developed acoustic stimuli for manipulating movement of bigheaded carps
Bigheaded carps, like other cyprinids, have specialized structures known as Weberian ossicles that increase their hearing range and sensitivity. Recent results from controlled laboratory studies have indicated that playback of a recording of an outboard boat motor was effective at altering silver and bighead carp behavior.Bioacoustic manipulation of invasive Bigheaded carp
Bigheaded carp, especially silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), are invasive fish species that have established breeding populations dominating large regions of the Mississippi Drainage in the 20 years following escape from aquaculture facilities in ArkansasApplication of broadband sound for bigheaded carp deterrence
Bigheaded carp, especially silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), are invasive fish species that have established breeding populations dominating large regions of the Mississippi Drainage in the 20 years following escape from aquaculture facilities in Arkansas. - Data
Data Release for Multimodal Invasive Carp Deterrent Study at Barkley Lock and Dam: Status Update through 2022
The BioAcoustic Fish Fence (BAFF; Fish Guidance Systems Ltd.) is a multi-modal deterrent that utilizes a combination of lights, sound, and bubbles to guide fish away from a location. An experimental deployment of a BAFF is currently ongoing at Barkley Lock and Dam on the Cumberland River near Grand Rivers, KY. This dataset includes information derived from two telemetry arrays (i.e., VEMCO and HTIData Release for Lock 19 Underwater Acoustic Deterrent System (UADS) Study: Interim Project Update
The Underwater Acoustic Deterrent System is an experimental deterrent that utilizes underwater sounds to deter invasive carps. An experimental deployment and evaluation of a UADS is currently being conducted at Lock 19 on the Mississippi River, near Keokuk, Iowa. This dataset includes information derived from two telemetry arrays (i.e., 307 kHz HTI and 69 kHz VEMCO) deployed at and around Lock 19Native Species Response to 100 HP boat motor acoustic stimulus
This dataset includes the behavioral fish data needed to assess the responses of Upper Mississippi River fishes to an acoustic stimulus (i.e., playback of a 100 hp boat motor). Native ostariophysians (bigmouth buffalo Ictiobus cyprinellus, channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus, and fathead minnow Pimephales promelas), invasive ostariophysians (bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, common carp CypSilver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) locations in earthen ponds with overhead structure
Data consists of acoustic telemetry positions for silver carp (345:2 plus or minus 17:5 millimeters total length and 377 plus or minus 64:7 grams weight) tagged with 795-LD transmitters (Innovasea Systems Inc., Boston, MA; formerly Hydroacoustic Technology Inc.) in four earthen ponds (dimensions 40 meters X 25 meters; depth 1-2 meters) at the Columbia Environmental Research Center, Columbia, MO, UCarp Media Player
This product is a media player application and user guide. The application generates set-interval and random-interval media play schedules. When the application is used to execute the play schedule, it creates its own metadata documentation. The Carp Media Player documents the intended play schedule, generates a real-time log of the media played, and documents if there were any interruptions. ThisMultistate models of bigheaded carps in the Illinois River reveal spatial dynamics of invasive species: Data
This dataset was used to evaluate bigheaded carp movement (net and total) between the upper and lower Illinois River and to create a multistate model in Program MARK to estimate movement probabilities among river pools.Reexamining silver (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead (H. nobilis) carp hearing: Data
Silver and bighead carp frequency detection was evaluated in response to 100 Hz to 9 kHz using auditory evoked potentials (AEPs). AEPs, consisting of measured minimum Sound Pressure Levels (SPL; dB re 1 ms-2) and Particle Acceleration Thresholds (PAT; dB re 1 ms-2). SPL and PAT were recorded every 100 Hz from 100 Hz to 1000 Hz plus 1500, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 Hz for five individual Silver CarRestoration versus invasive species: bigheaded carps use of a rehabilitated backwater: Data
To evaluate how bigheaded carps use a restored backwater habitat, their passages into and out of and residency within a backwater was monitored using acoustic telemetry. This dataset describes the results of this study and was used to compare activity of bigheaded carps between species, at a diel scale, among seasons, and how activity related of environmental conditions. Calculation of passages - Publications
Filter Total Items: 25
Multimodal invasive carp deterrent study at Barkley Lock and Dam—Status update through 2022
Invasive carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis [Bighead Carp], Mylopharyngodon piceus [Black Carp], Ctenopharyngodon idella [Grass Carp], and H. molitrix [Silver Carp]) continue to spread in the United States and deterrents at river navigation locks are one emerging control strategy for slowing the spread. High-head navigation dams on large rivers serve as impediments to the upstream spread of these poAuthorsAndrea K. Fritts, Daniel Gibson-Reinemer, Jessica C. Stanton, Kyle Mosel, Marybeth K. Brey, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Douglas Appel, Jacob Faulkner, Joshua Tompkins, Theodore Castro-Santos, Matthew Sholtis, Andy Turnpenny, Peter Sorensen, Rob SimmondsLock 19 underwater acoustic deterrent system study—Interim project update, through 2022
Invasive carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis [Richardson, 1845; Bighead Carp], H. molitrix [Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; Silver Carp], Ctenopharyngodon idella [Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1844; Grass Carp], and Mylopharyngodon piceus [Richardson, 1846; Black Carp]) expansion threatens the Laurentian Great Lakes and other major waterways. Numerous tools and techniques arAuthorsMarybeth K. Brey, Christa M. Woodley, Jessica C. Stanton, Andrea K. Fritts, Matthew Sholtis, Theodore Castro-Santos, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Janice L. AlbersIncorporating metapopulation dynamics to inform invasive species management: Evaluating bighead and silver carp control strategies in the Illinois River
1. Invasive species management can benefit from predictive models that incorporate spatially explicit demographics and dispersal to guide resource allocation decisions. 2. We used invasive bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys spp.) in the Illinois River, USA as a case study to create a spatially explicit model to evaluate the allocation of future management efforts. Specifically, we compared additiAuthorsJahn Kallis, Richard A. Erickson, David P. Coulter, Alison A. Coulter, Marybeth K. Brey, Matt Catalano, John M. Dettmers, James E. Garvey, Kevin Irons, Elizabeth A. Marschall, Kenneth A Rose, Mark L. Wildhaber, David C. GloverBehavioral responses of native and invasive fishes of the Upper Mississippi River to 100 hp boat motor acoustic stimulus
Acoustic deterrents are currently being considered for deployment at strategic bottlenecks, such as lock and dams of major rivers, to deter upstream movement of invasive carp. Previous studies have demonstrated that bighead and silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and H. molitrix, respectively) display negative phonotaxis to playbacks of broadband sound recordings produced from a 100 hp outboarAuthorsKelsie A. Murchy, Brooke J Vetter, Marybeth K. Brey, Allen F. MensingerUSGS Telemetry Project
No abstract available.AuthorsMarybeth K. Brey, Brent C. Knights, Jessica Stanton, Sean Bailey, Travis J. Harrison, Douglas Appel, Andrea K. Fritts, James J. Duncker, P. Ryan JacksonEffects of shady environments on fish collective behavior
Despite significant efforts devoted to understanding the underlying complexity and emergence of collective movement in animal groups, the role of different external settings on this type of movement remains largely unexplored. Here, by combining time series analysis and complex network tools, we present an extensive investigation of the effects of shady environments on the behavior of a fish speciAuthorsHaroldo V. Ribeiro, Matthew Ross Acre, Jacob Faulkner, Leonardo R. da Cunha, Katelyn M. Lawson, James J. Wamboldt, Marybeth K. Brey, Christa M. Woodley, Robin CalfeeUSGS invasive carp database management and integration support
Bigheaded carps (Bighead Carp and Silver Carp) tracking, monitoring, and contracted removal will continue throughout the Illinois River and Upper Mississippi River as part of an adaptive management effort to mitigate, control, and contain bigheaded carps. Other fish will also be tracked to maintain a holistic view of the transmitter distribution in the Upper Illinois River Waterway. To facilitateAuthorsTravis J. Harrison, Marybeth K. Brey, Jayme M. StrangeReal-time telemetry and multi-state modeling
This project will result in real-time data and other invasive carp movement information to inform realtime management decisions and refine the SEICarP model. FY 2022 funding will produce final transition probability estimates from the newly-developed Bayesian multi-state model, continue the maintenance of real-time telemetry to inform contingency actions, and produce a study plan to refine fishingAuthorsMarybeth K. Brey, Brent C. Knights, P. Ryan Jackson, Jessica C. Stanton, Douglas Appel, James J. Duncker, Andrea K. FrittsEmerging control strategies for integrated pest management of invasive carps
Invasive carps are ecologically and economically problematic fish species in many large river basins in the United States and pose a threat to aquatic ecosystems throughout much of North America. Four species of invasive carps: black carp (Mylopharyngodon piceus), grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), are partAuthorsAaron R. Cupp, Marybeth K. Brey, Robin Calfee, Duane Chapman, Richard A. Erickson, Jesse Robert Fischer, Andrea K. Fritts, Amy E. George, P. Ryan Jackson, Brent C. Knights, Gavin Nicholas Saari, Patrick KočovskýDemographic rate variability of Bighead and Silver Carps along an invasion gradient
Invasive Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis and Silver Carp H. molitrix have infested and caused largescale ecological and economic damage to the Illinois, Mississippi, and Ohio rivers. We compiled demographic data from 42,995 fish from 23 pools in the Illinois, Mississippi, and Ohio rivers, which universities and management agencies previously collected as part of management, monitoring, andAuthorsRichard A. Erickson, Jahn L. Kallis, Alison A. Coulter, David P. Coulter, Ruairi MacNamara, James T. Lamer, Wesley W. Bouska, Kevin S. Irons, Levi Solomon, Andrew J. Stump, Michael J. Weber, Marybeth K. Brey, Christopher J. Sullivan, Greg G. Sass, James E. Garvey, David C. GloverExploring how vessel activity influences the soundscape at a navigation lock on the Mississippi River
Vessel sound is now globally recognized as a significant and pervasive pollutant to aquatic life. However, compared to marine environments, there is a paucity of data on sound emitted by vessel activity in freshwater habitats. The Upper Mississippi River (UMR) is home to a diverse array of aquatic life as well as being a key route for barge transportation with 29 locks and dams. In this study, pasAuthorsRosalyn L Putland, Marybeth K. Brey, Allen F. MensingerLock operations influence upstream passages of invasive and native fishes at a Mississippi River high-head dam
Asian carps continue to expand their range in North America, necessitating efforts to limit the spread and establishment of reproducing populations. Mississippi River Lock and Dam 19 is a high-head dam that represents a population ‘pinch-point’ as passage through the lock chamber is the only means by which fishes can complete upstream movement. As such, this location could be a pivotal control poiAuthorsAndrea K. Fritts, Brent C. Knights, Jessica C. Stanton, Amanda S. Milde, Jonathan M. Vallazza, Marybeth K. Brey, Sara J. Tripp, Thomas E. Devine, Wesley Sleeper, James T. Lamer, Kyle J. Mosel