Matthew J Young, PhD
Matthew Young is a research fish biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, and has been with the California Water Science Center since 2016.
He received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Davis. His work research is focused on interactions of native and non-native fishes with their environment, including novel ecosystem elements such as altered hydrology and proliferating non-native habitat engineers such as submersed aquatic vegetation. Currently he works in a variety of systems exploring relationships between native fishes and changes to their environment. This includes the spread of non-native species and potential displacement/competition, habitat alteration and the loss of underlying ecosystem processes, and the potential for habitat restoration to provide key mechanistic benefits to native fishes and other aquatic organisms.
Science and Products
Aquatic Ecology Group
The California Water Science Center's Aquatic Ecology Group is making great strides in research and reporting.
Longfin Smelt Distribution in the Coastal Pacific Ocean
Longfin Smelt ( Spirinchus thaleichthys ) is a pelagic fish species found in waters along the Pacific coast, from Alaska to central California. Its complex life cycle makes it vulnerable to threats in both freshwater and at sea. Longfin Smelt is listed as a threatened species by the state of California.
Filter Total Items: 13
Abundance and Distribution of Fishes in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017-2023
Field data for fishes sampled using bottom and surface gill nets during daylight hours in Clear Lake, California, USA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters and fish taxa included in the analysis.
First posted - December 20, 2018 (available from author)
Revision - November 26, 2019 (available from author)
Revision - January 21, 2022 (available from author)
Revision - Oc
Fish distribution and tidal currents in the Upper San Francisco Estuary, 2022-2023 (ver. 2.0, March 2024)
This data release includes field data for fishes sampled through mid-water trawls and otter trawl methods from Suisun Bay, California to the mouth of the Sacramento River. These data were collected from the months of September through October in 2022 and 2023 as a part of a multi-year study of Suisun Dredging and Fish Distribution (SDFD). This data release includes quantitative data on collected f
Distribution and stomach contents of fishes in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, 2020-2022
This data set includes count, location, and ancillary habitat data for fishes sampled in adjacent reaches of Georgiana Slough, Sacramento River, and Steamboat Slough in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It also includes data on the stomach contents of selected individual black basses (Micropterus). Fishes were sampled by boat electrofishing from approximately January-May, 2020-2022, plus
Marine Observations of Longfin Smelt Spirinchus thaleichthys in the northeast Pacific Ocean
This dataset is a compilation of Longfin Smelt observations from multiple sources, including research institutions and museums, and local, state, and federal fisheries agencies.
Vertical Distribution of Longfin Smelt in the San Francisco Estuary (ver. 2.1, August 2020)
Field data for fishes sampled using mid-water trawls, otter trawls, and the SmeltCam during day and night in San Pablo Bay, CA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters and fish taxa included in the analysis.
Diets and Stable Isotopes of Fishes in Rodeo Lagoon, California, 2016-2017
This dataset includes lab data for fish, fish diets, and stable isotopes for fish tissue, vegetation, and invertebrates collected during daylight hours in the Rodeo Lagoon and Lake in Golden Gate National Recreation Area at the Pacific Coast, USA during 2016 and 2017. This data release includes all animal taxa, and isotope values included in the analysis.
Zooplankton Survey of the Northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, 2016-2018
This data set contains information on zooplankton and associated environmental parameters for sampling conducted in California's northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta between May 2016 and April 2018. Macrozooplankton were sampled with horizontal tows (water surface) of a 50 cm-diameter conical plankton net that was 150cm long with 102um mesh. Samples were preserved in the field in 10 percent forma
Little Holland Tract and Wildlands Flux Study; Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, and Larval Fish Taxonomic Data, 2017-2018
This data set includes taxonomic data for zooplankton, larval fish, and phytoplankton sampled in Little Holland Tract and Liberty Island Conservation Bank, in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California. Zooplankton and larval fish were collected with target specific trawl nets and phytoplankton was collected from water grabs. This data release includes all measured environmental p
Isotopic Analysis of Clear Lake Hitch collected from Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017
This dataset includes data from isotopic analysis of eye and muscle tissue from fish collected in Clear Lake, Lake County, California during June and July 2017. This data release includes all biological measurements and fish taxa included in the analysis.
Largemouth bass population assessment within flooded islands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Field and laboratory data collected for fishes sampled by boat electrofishing in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta, CA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters, body composition analyses, otoliths, and fish taxa included in the analysis.
Physical and Biological Drivers of Fish Populations in the Sacramento Deep Water Shipping Channel, California, 2016-2018
This dataset includes field and lab data for fish, vegetation, zooplankton, phytoplankton, fish diets, and stable isotopes collected during daylight hours in the Sacramento Deep Water Shipping Channel in the Northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters, animal taxa, and isotope values included in the analysis.
Abundance and Distribution of Clear Lake Hitch in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017-2022 (ver. 4.0, December 2022)
Field data for fishes sampled using bottom and surface gill nets during daylight hours in Clear Lake, California, USA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters and fish taxa included in the analysis.
Filter Total Items: 23
Wetland geomorphology and tidal hydrodynamics drive fine-scale fish community composition and abundance
Effective restoration of tidal wetlands for fish communities requires clear goals and mechanistic understanding of the ecosystem drivers which affect fish distribution and abundance. We examined fish community responses to abiotic habitat features in two adjacent but dissimilar freshwater tidal wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA, USA, each of which represents a potential restoration
Authors
Justin Kinsey Clause, Mary Jade Farruggia, Frederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. Young
Physics to fish—Understanding the factors that create and sustain native fish habitat in the San Francisco Estuary
Executive SummaryThe Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) operates the Central Valley Project (CVP), one of the nation’s largest water projects. Reclamation has an ongoing need to improve the scientific basis for adaptive management of the CVP and, by extension, joint operations with California’s State Water Project. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works cooperatively with the Bureau of Reclamati
Authors
Larry R. Brown, David E. Ayers, Brian A. Bergamaschi, Jon R. Burau, Evan T. Dailey, Bryan D. Downing, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Frederick V. Feyrer, Brock M. Huntsman, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Tara Morgan, Jessica R. Lacy, Francis Parchaso, Catherine A. Ruhl, Elizabeth B. Stumpner, Paul Stumpner, Janet Thompson, Matthew J. Young
Etiology of a fish kill, Including the endangered Tidewater Goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi), in a northeastern pacific coastal lagoon
Ecological disturbances such as fish kills can negatively impact ecosystem processes in coastal lagoons. To gain an understanding of factors causing fish kills, we examined conditions associated with a summertime fish kill in a northeastern Pacific coastal lagoon (Rodeo Lagoon, CA, USA). Examination of available data indicated the fish kill was likely caused by hypoxia involving the following etio
Authors
Frederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. Young, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Elizabeth B. Stumpner, Darren Fong, Kurt D. Carpenter
Hydrodynamics structure plankton communities and interactions in a freshwater tidal estuary
Drivers of phytoplankton and zooplankton dynamics vary spatially and temporally in estuaries due to variation in hydrodynamic exchange and residence time, complicating efforts to understand controls on food web productivity. We conducted approximately monthly (2012–2019; n = 74) longitudinal sampling at 10 fixed stations along a freshwater tidal terminal channel in the San Francisco Estuary, Calif
Authors
Adrianne P Smits, Luke C. Loken, Erwin E Van Nieuwenhuyse, Matthew J. Young, Paul Stumpner, Leah Kammel, Jon R. Burau, Randy A Dahlgren, Tiffany Brown, April Hennessey, Steven Sadro
Ecology and ecosystem impacts of submerged and floating aquatic vegetation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Substantial increases in non-native aquatic vegetation have occurred in the upper San Francisco Estuary over the last 2 decades, largely from the explosive growth of a few submerged and floating aquatic plant species. Some of these species act as ecosystem engineers by creating conditions that favor their further growth and expansion as well as by modifying habitat for other organisms. Over the la
Authors
Mairgareth A. Christman, Shruti Khanna, Judith Z. Drexler, Matthew J. Young
Hydrodynamics and habitat interact to structure fish communities within terminal channels of a tidal freshwater delta
Terminal channels were historically a common feature of tidal delta ecosystems but have become increasingly rare as landscapes have been modified. Tidal hydrodynamics are a defining feature in tidal terminal channel ecosystems from which native aquatic communities have evolved. However, few studies have explored the relationship between fish community structure and hydrodynamics in these tidal ter
Authors
Brock Huntsman, Matthew J. Young, Frederick V. Feyrer, Paul Stumpner, Larry R. Brown, Jon R. Burau
Habitat-specific foraging by striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the San Francisco Estuary, California: Implications for tidal restoration
Non-native predatory fish strongly impact aquatic communities, and their impacts can be exacerbated by anthropogenic habitat alterations. Loss of natural habitat and restoration actions reversing habitat loss can modify relationships between non-native predators and prey. Predicting how these relationships will change is often difficult because insufficient information exists on the habitat-specif
Authors
Matthew J. Young, Frederick V. Feyrer, Collin Smith, Dennis A. Valentine
Gill-net selectivity for fifteen fish species of the upper San Francisco Estuary
Gill-net size selectivity for 15 fish species occurring in the upper San Francisco Estuary was estimated from a data set compiled from multiple studies which together contained 7,096 individual fish observations from 882 gill net sets. The gill nets considered in this study closely resembled the American Fisheries Society’s recommended standardized experimental gill nets for sampling inland waters
Authors
Marissa L. Wulff, Frederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. Young
Ocean connectivity drives trophic support for consumers in an intermittently closed coastal lagoon
Estuarine food webs are complex, as marine, freshwater, and terrestrial inputs combine and contribute variable amounts of organic material. Seasonal fluctuations in precipitation amplify the dynamism inherent to estuarine food webs, particularly in lagoonal estuaries, which can be seasonally closed and disconnected from the ocean in low-runoff periods (bar-built lagoons). Despite their abundance a
Authors
Matthew J. Young, Frederick V. Feyrer, Darren Fong, Rachel C. Johnson, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Veronica Larwood, Elizabeth B. Stumpner, Megan B. Young
Disentangling stationary and dynamic estuarine fish habitat to inform conservation: Species-specific responses to physical habitat and water quality in San Francisco Estuary
Estuaries represent critical aquatic habitat that connects surface water distributed between Earth’s landmasses and oceans. They are dynamic transitional ecosystems, which provide important habitat for fishes and other aquatic organisms. Effective conservation of species inhabiting estuaries requires knowledge of the habitat features that drive their abundance and distribution. We sought to elucid
Authors
Frederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. Young, Brock Huntsman, Larry R. Brown
Eye lenses reveal ontogenetic trophic and habitat shifts in an imperiled fish, Clear Lake hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi)
Stable isotopes recorded in fish eye lenses are an emerging tool to track dietary shifts coincident with use of diverse habitats over the lifetime of individuals. Eye lenses are metabolically inert, sequentially deposited, archival tissues that can open avenues to chronicle contaminant exposures, diet histories, trophic dynamics and migratory histories of individual fishes. In this study, we demon
Authors
Matthew J. Young, Veronica Larwood, Justin Kinsey Clause, Miranda Bell-Tilcock, George Whitman, Rachel C. Johnson, Frederick V. Feyrer
Use of the smeltCam as an efficient fish sampling alternative within the San Francisco Estuary
Resource managers often rely on long-term monitoring surveys to detect trends in biological data. However, no survey gear is 100% efficient, and many sources of bias can be responsible for detecting or not detecting biological trends. The SmeltCam is an imaging apparatus developed as a potential sampling alternative to long-term trawling gear surveys within the San Francisco Estuary, California, t
Authors
Brock Huntsman, Frederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. Young
Non-USGS Publications**
Ferrari, M.C.O., Ranåker, L., Weinersmith, K.L. et al. Effects of turbidity and an invasive waterweed on predation by introduced largemouth bass. Environ Biol Fish 97, 79–90 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-013-0125-7
Conrad, J.L., Bibian, A.J., Weinersmith, K.L., De Carion, D., Young, M.J., Crain, P., Hestir, E.L., Santos, M.J. and Sih, A., 2016. Novel species interactions in a highly modified estuary: association of Largemouth Bass with Brazilian waterweed Egeria densa. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 145(2), pp.249-263. https://doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2015.1114521
Schroeter, R. E, O'Rear, T. A, Young, M. J, & Moyle, P. B. (2015). The Aquatic Trophic Ecology of Suisun Marsh, San Francisco Estuary, California, During Autumn in a Wet Year. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 13(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2015v13iss3art6 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3w96c3dt
Young, M.J., Berridge, K.A., O’Rear, T. et al. Habitat partitioning by native and alien fishes and decapods in novel habitats of the upper San Francisco Estuary. Biol Invasions 19, 2693–2710 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1477-2
Mahardja B, Young MJ, Schreier B,
Sommer T. Understanding imperfect detection in a San
Francisco Estuary long-term larval and juvenile fish monitoring
programme. Fish Manag Ecol. 2017;24:488–503.
https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12257
Sommer T. Understanding imperfect detection in a San
Francisco Estuary long-term larval and juvenile fish monitoring
programme. Fish Manag Ecol. 2017;24:488–503.
https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12257
Weinersmith, K. L, Colombano, D. D, Bibian, A. J, Young, M. J, Sih, A., & Conrad, J. L. (2019). Diets of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 17(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2019v17iss1art3 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9mn0v9qb
**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
Aquatic Ecology Group
The California Water Science Center's Aquatic Ecology Group is making great strides in research and reporting.Longfin Smelt Distribution in the Coastal Pacific Ocean
Longfin Smelt ( Spirinchus thaleichthys ) is a pelagic fish species found in waters along the Pacific coast, from Alaska to central California. Its complex life cycle makes it vulnerable to threats in both freshwater and at sea. Longfin Smelt is listed as a threatened species by the state of California. - Data
Filter Total Items: 13
Abundance and Distribution of Fishes in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017-2023
Field data for fishes sampled using bottom and surface gill nets during daylight hours in Clear Lake, California, USA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters and fish taxa included in the analysis. First posted - December 20, 2018 (available from author) Revision - November 26, 2019 (available from author) Revision - January 21, 2022 (available from author) Revision - OcFish distribution and tidal currents in the Upper San Francisco Estuary, 2022-2023 (ver. 2.0, March 2024)
This data release includes field data for fishes sampled through mid-water trawls and otter trawl methods from Suisun Bay, California to the mouth of the Sacramento River. These data were collected from the months of September through October in 2022 and 2023 as a part of a multi-year study of Suisun Dredging and Fish Distribution (SDFD). This data release includes quantitative data on collected fDistribution and stomach contents of fishes in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, 2020-2022
This data set includes count, location, and ancillary habitat data for fishes sampled in adjacent reaches of Georgiana Slough, Sacramento River, and Steamboat Slough in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. It also includes data on the stomach contents of selected individual black basses (Micropterus). Fishes were sampled by boat electrofishing from approximately January-May, 2020-2022, plusMarine Observations of Longfin Smelt Spirinchus thaleichthys in the northeast Pacific Ocean
This dataset is a compilation of Longfin Smelt observations from multiple sources, including research institutions and museums, and local, state, and federal fisheries agencies.Vertical Distribution of Longfin Smelt in the San Francisco Estuary (ver. 2.1, August 2020)
Field data for fishes sampled using mid-water trawls, otter trawls, and the SmeltCam during day and night in San Pablo Bay, CA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters and fish taxa included in the analysis.Diets and Stable Isotopes of Fishes in Rodeo Lagoon, California, 2016-2017
This dataset includes lab data for fish, fish diets, and stable isotopes for fish tissue, vegetation, and invertebrates collected during daylight hours in the Rodeo Lagoon and Lake in Golden Gate National Recreation Area at the Pacific Coast, USA during 2016 and 2017. This data release includes all animal taxa, and isotope values included in the analysis.Zooplankton Survey of the Northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, 2016-2018
This data set contains information on zooplankton and associated environmental parameters for sampling conducted in California's northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta between May 2016 and April 2018. Macrozooplankton were sampled with horizontal tows (water surface) of a 50 cm-diameter conical plankton net that was 150cm long with 102um mesh. Samples were preserved in the field in 10 percent formaLittle Holland Tract and Wildlands Flux Study; Zooplankton, Phytoplankton, and Larval Fish Taxonomic Data, 2017-2018
This data set includes taxonomic data for zooplankton, larval fish, and phytoplankton sampled in Little Holland Tract and Liberty Island Conservation Bank, in the northern Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, California. Zooplankton and larval fish were collected with target specific trawl nets and phytoplankton was collected from water grabs. This data release includes all measured environmental pIsotopic Analysis of Clear Lake Hitch collected from Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017
This dataset includes data from isotopic analysis of eye and muscle tissue from fish collected in Clear Lake, Lake County, California during June and July 2017. This data release includes all biological measurements and fish taxa included in the analysis.Largemouth bass population assessment within flooded islands of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Field and laboratory data collected for fishes sampled by boat electrofishing in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta, CA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters, body composition analyses, otoliths, and fish taxa included in the analysis.Physical and Biological Drivers of Fish Populations in the Sacramento Deep Water Shipping Channel, California, 2016-2018
This dataset includes field and lab data for fish, vegetation, zooplankton, phytoplankton, fish diets, and stable isotopes collected during daylight hours in the Sacramento Deep Water Shipping Channel in the Northern Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, California, USA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters, animal taxa, and isotope values included in the analysis.Abundance and Distribution of Clear Lake Hitch in Clear Lake, Lake County, California, 2017-2022 (ver. 4.0, December 2022)
Field data for fishes sampled using bottom and surface gill nets during daylight hours in Clear Lake, California, USA. This data release includes all measured environmental parameters and fish taxa included in the analysis. - Multimedia
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- Publications
Filter Total Items: 23
Wetland geomorphology and tidal hydrodynamics drive fine-scale fish community composition and abundance
Effective restoration of tidal wetlands for fish communities requires clear goals and mechanistic understanding of the ecosystem drivers which affect fish distribution and abundance. We examined fish community responses to abiotic habitat features in two adjacent but dissimilar freshwater tidal wetlands in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, CA, USA, each of which represents a potential restorationAuthorsJustin Kinsey Clause, Mary Jade Farruggia, Frederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. YoungPhysics to fish—Understanding the factors that create and sustain native fish habitat in the San Francisco Estuary
Executive SummaryThe Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) operates the Central Valley Project (CVP), one of the nation’s largest water projects. Reclamation has an ongoing need to improve the scientific basis for adaptive management of the CVP and, by extension, joint operations with California’s State Water Project. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works cooperatively with the Bureau of ReclamatiAuthorsLarry R. Brown, David E. Ayers, Brian A. Bergamaschi, Jon R. Burau, Evan T. Dailey, Bryan D. Downing, Maureen A. Downing-Kunz, Frederick V. Feyrer, Brock M. Huntsman, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Tara Morgan, Jessica R. Lacy, Francis Parchaso, Catherine A. Ruhl, Elizabeth B. Stumpner, Paul Stumpner, Janet Thompson, Matthew J. YoungEtiology of a fish kill, Including the endangered Tidewater Goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi), in a northeastern pacific coastal lagoon
Ecological disturbances such as fish kills can negatively impact ecosystem processes in coastal lagoons. To gain an understanding of factors causing fish kills, we examined conditions associated with a summertime fish kill in a northeastern Pacific coastal lagoon (Rodeo Lagoon, CA, USA). Examination of available data indicated the fish kill was likely caused by hypoxia involving the following etioAuthorsFrederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. Young, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Elizabeth B. Stumpner, Darren Fong, Kurt D. CarpenterHydrodynamics structure plankton communities and interactions in a freshwater tidal estuary
Drivers of phytoplankton and zooplankton dynamics vary spatially and temporally in estuaries due to variation in hydrodynamic exchange and residence time, complicating efforts to understand controls on food web productivity. We conducted approximately monthly (2012–2019; n = 74) longitudinal sampling at 10 fixed stations along a freshwater tidal terminal channel in the San Francisco Estuary, CalifAuthorsAdrianne P Smits, Luke C. Loken, Erwin E Van Nieuwenhuyse, Matthew J. Young, Paul Stumpner, Leah Kammel, Jon R. Burau, Randy A Dahlgren, Tiffany Brown, April Hennessey, Steven SadroEcology and ecosystem impacts of submerged and floating aquatic vegetation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
Substantial increases in non-native aquatic vegetation have occurred in the upper San Francisco Estuary over the last 2 decades, largely from the explosive growth of a few submerged and floating aquatic plant species. Some of these species act as ecosystem engineers by creating conditions that favor their further growth and expansion as well as by modifying habitat for other organisms. Over the laAuthorsMairgareth A. Christman, Shruti Khanna, Judith Z. Drexler, Matthew J. YoungHydrodynamics and habitat interact to structure fish communities within terminal channels of a tidal freshwater delta
Terminal channels were historically a common feature of tidal delta ecosystems but have become increasingly rare as landscapes have been modified. Tidal hydrodynamics are a defining feature in tidal terminal channel ecosystems from which native aquatic communities have evolved. However, few studies have explored the relationship between fish community structure and hydrodynamics in these tidal terAuthorsBrock Huntsman, Matthew J. Young, Frederick V. Feyrer, Paul Stumpner, Larry R. Brown, Jon R. BurauHabitat-specific foraging by striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the San Francisco Estuary, California: Implications for tidal restoration
Non-native predatory fish strongly impact aquatic communities, and their impacts can be exacerbated by anthropogenic habitat alterations. Loss of natural habitat and restoration actions reversing habitat loss can modify relationships between non-native predators and prey. Predicting how these relationships will change is often difficult because insufficient information exists on the habitat-specifAuthorsMatthew J. Young, Frederick V. Feyrer, Collin Smith, Dennis A. ValentineGill-net selectivity for fifteen fish species of the upper San Francisco Estuary
Gill-net size selectivity for 15 fish species occurring in the upper San Francisco Estuary was estimated from a data set compiled from multiple studies which together contained 7,096 individual fish observations from 882 gill net sets. The gill nets considered in this study closely resembled the American Fisheries Society’s recommended standardized experimental gill nets for sampling inland watersAuthorsMarissa L. Wulff, Frederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. YoungOcean connectivity drives trophic support for consumers in an intermittently closed coastal lagoon
Estuarine food webs are complex, as marine, freshwater, and terrestrial inputs combine and contribute variable amounts of organic material. Seasonal fluctuations in precipitation amplify the dynamism inherent to estuarine food webs, particularly in lagoonal estuaries, which can be seasonally closed and disconnected from the ocean in low-runoff periods (bar-built lagoons). Despite their abundance aAuthorsMatthew J. Young, Frederick V. Feyrer, Darren Fong, Rachel C. Johnson, Tamara E. C. Kraus, Veronica Larwood, Elizabeth B. Stumpner, Megan B. YoungDisentangling stationary and dynamic estuarine fish habitat to inform conservation: Species-specific responses to physical habitat and water quality in San Francisco Estuary
Estuaries represent critical aquatic habitat that connects surface water distributed between Earth’s landmasses and oceans. They are dynamic transitional ecosystems, which provide important habitat for fishes and other aquatic organisms. Effective conservation of species inhabiting estuaries requires knowledge of the habitat features that drive their abundance and distribution. We sought to elucidAuthorsFrederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. Young, Brock Huntsman, Larry R. BrownEye lenses reveal ontogenetic trophic and habitat shifts in an imperiled fish, Clear Lake hitch (Lavinia exilicauda chi)
Stable isotopes recorded in fish eye lenses are an emerging tool to track dietary shifts coincident with use of diverse habitats over the lifetime of individuals. Eye lenses are metabolically inert, sequentially deposited, archival tissues that can open avenues to chronicle contaminant exposures, diet histories, trophic dynamics and migratory histories of individual fishes. In this study, we demonAuthorsMatthew J. Young, Veronica Larwood, Justin Kinsey Clause, Miranda Bell-Tilcock, George Whitman, Rachel C. Johnson, Frederick V. FeyrerUse of the smeltCam as an efficient fish sampling alternative within the San Francisco Estuary
Resource managers often rely on long-term monitoring surveys to detect trends in biological data. However, no survey gear is 100% efficient, and many sources of bias can be responsible for detecting or not detecting biological trends. The SmeltCam is an imaging apparatus developed as a potential sampling alternative to long-term trawling gear surveys within the San Francisco Estuary, California, tAuthorsBrock Huntsman, Frederick V. Feyrer, Matthew J. YoungNon-USGS Publications**
Ferrari, M.C.O., Ranåker, L., Weinersmith, K.L. et al. Effects of turbidity and an invasive waterweed on predation by introduced largemouth bass. Environ Biol Fish 97, 79–90 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-013-0125-7Conrad, J.L., Bibian, A.J., Weinersmith, K.L., De Carion, D., Young, M.J., Crain, P., Hestir, E.L., Santos, M.J. and Sih, A., 2016. Novel species interactions in a highly modified estuary: association of Largemouth Bass with Brazilian waterweed Egeria densa. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 145(2), pp.249-263. https://doi.org/10.1080/00028487.2015.1114521Schroeter, R. E, O'Rear, T. A, Young, M. J, & Moyle, P. B. (2015). The Aquatic Trophic Ecology of Suisun Marsh, San Francisco Estuary, California, During Autumn in a Wet Year. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 13(3). doi:https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2015v13iss3art6 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3w96c3dtYoung, M.J., Berridge, K.A., O’Rear, T. et al. Habitat partitioning by native and alien fishes and decapods in novel habitats of the upper San Francisco Estuary. Biol Invasions 19, 2693–2710 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-017-1477-2Mahardja B, Young MJ, Schreier B,
Sommer T. Understanding imperfect detection in a San
Francisco Estuary long-term larval and juvenile fish monitoring
programme. Fish Manag Ecol. 2017;24:488–503.
https://doi.org/10.1111/fme.12257Weinersmith, K. L, Colombano, D. D, Bibian, A. J, Young, M. J, Sih, A., & Conrad, J. L. (2019). Diets of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) in the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta. San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 17(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2019v17iss1art3 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9mn0v9qb**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.
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