Matthew Acre
Dr. Matthew Acre is a Research Fisheries Biologist at the Columbia Environmental Research Center.
Matthew joined the USGS research team in May 2020 at the Columbia Environmental Research Center in Missouri. He has worked on many species in many ecosystems across the United States and internationally. Matthew brings a specialty in population dynamics, behavioral ecology, and biostatistics.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D., Texas Tech University, 2019
M.S., Texas Tech University, 2015
B.S., Texas A&M University, 2009
Science and Products
Assessment of a Bait to Increase Removal of Invasive Grass Carp from the Mississippi River
Use of terrestrial plant-based bait and algae attractant to improve capture efficiency of Grass Carp in Lake Erie tributaries
Laboratory evaluation of bait preference for Grass Carp
Telemetry evaluation of invasive carp herding in Jonathan Creek Embayment, Kentucky Lake, Kentucky
Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) locations in earthen ponds with overhead structure
Starved Rock navigation lock fish clearing hydroacoustic data, Illinois River (2020)
A multiscale perspective for improving conservation of Conchos pupfish
Scale-dependent tradeoffs between habitat and time in explaining Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) movement
Silver carp herding: A telemetry evaluation of efficacy and implications for design and application
Application of electricity and underwater acoustics to clear fish from a navigation lock during maintenance
Flow–recruitment relationships for Shoal Chub and implications for managing environmental flows
Mismatch between temperature and discharge disrupts spawning cues in a fluvial specialist, blue sucker Cycleptus elongatus
Effects of shady environments on fish collective behavior
Blue sucker habitat use in a regulated Texas river: Implications for conservation and restoration
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.
Science and Products
- Science
Assessment of a Bait to Increase Removal of Invasive Grass Carp from the Mississippi River
Grass Carp ( Ctenopharyngodon idella ), an invasive carp in the Mississippi River and Lake Erie basins, are opportunistic and feed heavily on aquatic vegetation. This over grazing can disrupt food webs, increase shoreline erosion, and intensify harmful algae blooms. Removal of Grass Carp has become a high priority of management agencies, but Grass Carp are challenging to remove using traditional...Use of terrestrial plant-based bait and algae attractant to improve capture efficiency of Grass Carp in Lake Erie tributaries
A team of USGS scientists is currently working with the MDNR, ODNR, USFWS, and academic institutions to evaluate the use of grass carp baits and attractants as a tool for resource managers. The science team aims to integrate the use of baits and attractants to increase aggregation of grass carp near targeted capture sites to enhance the multi-jurisdictional removal program associated with the Lake...Laboratory evaluation of bait preference for Grass Carp
Michigan and Ohio Department of Natural Resources along with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) and USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Science Center (UMESC) are planning field studies to attract Grass Carp using formulated baits and algae attractants. These baits are intended to increase the density of Grass Carp in specified areas for capture and... - Data
Telemetry evaluation of invasive carp herding in Jonathan Creek Embayment, Kentucky Lake, Kentucky
Data tables represents a telemetry study assessing the efficacy of sound and electricity used to herd Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix). The study occurred in Jonathan Creek Embayment of Kentucky Lake, Kentucky using 10 telemetered Silver Carp and 46 passive acoustic receivers. Two herding boats traveled at 2.22 meters per second along bank-to-bank transects through the study area (longituSilver 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, UStarved Rock navigation lock fish clearing hydroacoustic data, Illinois River (2020)
These datasets (e.g., 'Starved Rock fish clearing_multi-beam imaging sonar fish data_Pre-clearing_Sonar-s1.csv') include exported information (e.g., fish detection counts) from processed fixed-location multi-beam imaging sonar and mobile side-scan sonar data. Fish abundance in the navigation lock was determined using mobile side-scan surveys, while multi-beam imaging sonars were used to determine - Multimedia
- Publications
A multiscale perspective for improving conservation of Conchos pupfish
Desert spring systems of the American southwest hold high local fish endemism and are ranked among the most threatened ecosystems in the world. The prioritization of conservation resources to protect species living within these arid landscapes requires knowledge of species abundance and distribution. The plight of Conchos pupfish (Cyprinodon eximius) is representative of freshwater fishes the worlAuthorsLindsey C. Elkins, Matthew Ross Acre, Megan G. Bean, Sarah M. Robertson, Ryan Smith, Joshuah S. PerkinScale-dependent tradeoffs between habitat and time in explaining Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) movement
Ecological theory predicts that movement by riverine fishes at the population level is characterized by both stationary and mobile individuals together creating a leptokurtic distribution of movement distances. However, studies testing this theory typically ignore spatial heterogeneity in riverscapes, and the theory has not been tested using Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula), a species of growiAuthorsJohnathan K. Ellard, Hayden C. Roberts, Daniel J. Daugherty, Paul B. Fleming, Matthew Ross Acre, Joshuah S. PerkinSilver carp herding: A telemetry evaluation of efficacy and implications for design and application
Removal of invasive Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix is a primary control action in North America. Strong avoidance responses to underwater sound and electricity have been shown to facilitate herding and mass removal of these fish. We conducted a telemetry study on a closed population of Silver Carp (i.e., 10 telemetered fish) to assess fine-scale movement responses to herding stimuli. TwoAuthorsJosey Lee Ridgway, Matthew Ross Acre, Tyler Michael Hessler, Dustin Broaddus, Jessica Morris, Robin CalfeeApplication of electricity and underwater acoustics to clear fish from a navigation lock during maintenance
The presence of fish within navigation locks can introduce an environmental challenge for construction crews when maintenance is required. This study examined the effectiveness of a dual-deterrent fish herding technique using electricity and acoustic stimuli to reduce the abundance of fish within a navigation lock before a scheduled dewatering for maintenance. Fixed-location multi-beam imaging soAuthorsJose Rivera, Aaron R. Cupp, Josey Lee Ridgway, Duane Chapman, Bethany E Hoster, Matthew Ross Acre, Robin Calfee, Jesse Robert Fischer, James J. DunckerFlow–recruitment relationships for Shoal Chub and implications for managing environmental flows
ObjectiveRegulation of river flow regimes by dams and diversions impacts aquatic biota and ecosystems globally. However, our understanding of the ecological consequences of flow alteration and ecological benefits of flow restoration lags behind our ability to manipulate flows, and there is a need for broader development of flow–ecology relationships. Approaches for establishing flow–ecology relatiAuthorsJoshuah S. Perkin, Matthew Ross Acre, Johnathan K. Ellard, Anthony W. Rodger, Joe Trungale, Kirk O. Winemiller, Lauren E. YancyMismatch between temperature and discharge disrupts spawning cues in a fluvial specialist, blue sucker Cycleptus elongatus
Seasonal movements cued by environmental variables are a critical component of riverine fish life history. Life-history events for species such as blue sucker Cycleptus elongatus are likely cued by discharge and temperature and may be disrupted if those life-history events and environmental regimes are mismatched. However, this effect may be dependent upon the habitat occupied when environmental cAuthorsMatthew Ross Acre, Timothy B. Grabowski, Daniel J. Leavitt, Nathan G. Smith, Allison A. Pease, Preston T. Bean, Dakus GeeslinEffects 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 CalfeeBlue sucker habitat use in a regulated Texas river: Implications for conservation and restoration
Species conservation requires a clear understanding of habitat availability and subsequent use of those habitats. In cases where species declines have occurred and gone undetected by conservation managers, habitat alteration, fragmentation, and loss are often the largest contributors. River fragmentation often results in altered flow regimes, subsequently impacting the availability of riverine habAuthorsMatthew Ross Acre, Timothy B. Grabowski, Daniel J. Leavitt, Nathan G. Smith, Allison A. Pease, Jessica E. PeaseNon-USGS Publications**
Acre, M.R., Perkin, J.S., and Bean, M.G., Multiple survey methods reveal greater abundance of endangered pupfish in restored habitats: Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater EcosystemsPerkin, J.S., Acre, M.R., Graham, J., and Hoenke, K., 2020, An integrative conservation planning framework for aquatic landscapes fragmented by road-stream crossings: Landscape and Urban Planning, v. 202, p. 103860.Acre, M.R., Alejandrez, C., East, J., Massure, W.A., Miyazono, S., Pease, J.E., Roesler, E.L., Williams, H.M., and Grabowski, T.B., 2017, Comparison of the precision of age estimates generated from fin rays, scales, and otoliths of blue sucker: Southeastern Naturalist, v. 16, no. 2, p. 215-224, 210.
Acre, M.R., and Grabowski, T.B., 2015, Deployment of paired push nets from jet-propelled kayaks to sample ichthyoplankton: North American Journal of Fisheries Management, v. 35, no. 5, p. 925-929.
.D. J. Leavitt and M. R. Acre, 2014, Sceloporus arenicolus (Dunes Sagebrush Lizard). Activity patterns and foraging mode: Herpetological Review v. 45, no.4, p. 699-700.Acre, M.R., Leavitt, D.J., and Schalk, C.M., 2012, A patternless morph of the marbled whiptail (Aspidoscelis marmorata; Squamata: Teiidae) in New Mexico: The Southwestern Naturalist, v. 57, no. 2, p. 206-207.
López-Suárez, P., Oujo, C., Acre, M., and Hazevoet, C.J., 2012, A stranding of pygmy killer whale Feresa attenuata Gray, 1874 on Boavista during February 2012: First record for the Cape Verde Islands: Zoologia Caboverdiana v. 3, no. 1, p. 52-55.
**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.