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Pamela J Schofield, Ph.D.

Pam Schofield is a Research Fishery Biologist at the USGS Wetland and Aquatic Research Center. 

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Filter Total Items: 23
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Mayan cichlid, Mayaheros urophthalmus

Virtual Fish Slam - March 2021

In March 2021, USGS researchers and partners conducted the first-ever Virtual Fish Slam. The bi-annual Fish Slam event helps monitor new introductions and document range expansion of known non-native freshwater fishes.
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Virtual Fish Slam - March 2021

In March 2021, USGS researchers and partners conducted the first-ever Virtual Fish Slam. The bi-annual Fish Slam event helps monitor new introductions and document range expansion of known non-native freshwater fishes.
Learn More
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Blotched foxface rabbitfish (Siganus unimaculatus)

Early Detection and Rapid Response: Removal of Newly Introduced Non-native Marine Fishes to Prevent Invasions

USGS WARC works with partners on early detection and rapid response (ED/RR) efforts, rapidly removing newly introduced non-native marine fishes from Florida’s coastal waters to prevent invasions.
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Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Early Detection and Rapid Response: Removal of Newly Introduced Non-native Marine Fishes to Prevent Invasions

USGS WARC works with partners on early detection and rapid response (ED/RR) efforts, rapidly removing newly introduced non-native marine fishes from Florida’s coastal waters to prevent invasions.
Learn More
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Lionfish are spreading through the Western North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and the Gulf of Mexico

Non-native Marine Fishes: Tracking Distributions with the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

WARC scientists work with local partners to verify and document sightings of non-native marine fishes.
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Non-native Marine Fishes: Tracking Distributions with the USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

WARC scientists work with local partners to verify and document sightings of non-native marine fishes.
Learn More
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Lionfish on Looe Reef, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Non-native Marine Fishes Observed or Collected in Florida Waters

Below is a list of non-native marine fish species observed or collected in Florida. Each species is linked to a fact sheet with information on identification, biology and ecology. Maps indicate species occurrences linked to USGS-NAS data, which is available for download. Data may be downloaded directly from the map page of a particular species or you can contact Dr. Pam Schofield directly with your inquiry.

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Non-native Marine Fishes Observed or Collected in Florida Waters

Below is a list of non-native marine fish species observed or collected in Florida. Each species is linked to a fact sheet with information on identification, biology and ecology. Maps indicate species occurrences linked to USGS-NAS data, which is available for download. Data may be downloaded directly from the map page of a particular species or you can contact Dr. Pam Schofield directly with your inquiry.

Learn More
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Chocolate surgeonfish spotted in Florida waters

Non-native Marine Fishes in Florida - By Family

Below are families of non-native marine fish species observed or collected in Florida. Species within each family are linked to a fact sheet with information on identification, biology and ecology. Maps indicate species occurrences linked to USGS-NAS data, which is available for download. Data may be downloaded directly from the map page of a particular species or you can contact Dr. Pam Schofield directly with your inquiry.

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Non-native Marine Fishes in Florida - By Family

Below are families of non-native marine fish species observed or collected in Florida. Species within each family are linked to a fact sheet with information on identification, biology and ecology. Maps indicate species occurrences linked to USGS-NAS data, which is available for download. Data may be downloaded directly from the map page of a particular species or you can contact Dr. Pam Schofield directly with your inquiry.

Learn More
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Lionfish on Looe Reef, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Non-native Marine Fishes in Florida

Learn which non-native marine fish species have been observed or collected Florida waters. 

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Non-native Marine Fishes in Florida

Learn which non-native marine fish species have been observed or collected Florida waters. 

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Barton, Fair, Markovich, and Gestring

Fish Chat and Slam November 2019

Fifty fish biologists from 15 organizations participated in a three-day Fish Chat and Slam event in South Florida on November 5-7, 2019.
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Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Fish Chat and Slam November 2019

Fifty fish biologists from 15 organizations participated in a three-day Fish Chat and Slam event in South Florida on November 5-7, 2019.
Learn More
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Mayan cichlid

Treasure Coast and Central Florida Fish Slams- 2019

In March and June 2019, USGS researchers joined partners in Treasure Coast and Central Florida where they sampled freshwater bodies for non-native fishes. The bi-annual Fish Slam event helps monitor new introductions and document range expansion of known non-native fishes.
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Ecosystems, Invasive Species Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Treasure Coast and Central Florida Fish Slams- 2019

In March and June 2019, USGS researchers joined partners in Treasure Coast and Central Florida where they sampled freshwater bodies for non-native fishes. The bi-annual Fish Slam event helps monitor new introductions and document range expansion of known non-native fishes.
Learn More
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Color varieties of Midas cichlid, Amphilophus citrinellus

Fish Slam November 2018

In November 2018, USGS researchers joined partners in South Florida where they sampled freshwater bodies for non-native fishes. The bi-annual Fish Slam event helps monitor new introductions and document range expansion of known non-native fishes.
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Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Fish Slam November 2018

In November 2018, USGS researchers joined partners in South Florida where they sampled freshwater bodies for non-native fishes. The bi-annual Fish Slam event helps monitor new introductions and document range expansion of known non-native fishes.
Learn More
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An apple snail in the experimental mesocosm with individual markings

Effects of Native and Non-native Fishes on Native Apple Snail Population Dynamics

The Florida apple snail is a critical component of the state's wetland food webs. USGS scientists assess the effects of native and non-native fishes on the native snail populations.
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Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Effects of Native and Non-native Fishes on Native Apple Snail Population Dynamics

The Florida apple snail is a critical component of the state's wetland food webs. USGS scientists assess the effects of native and non-native fishes on the native snail populations.
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African Jewelfish (Hemichromis letourneuxi)

Development of a Quantitative Risk Assessment Tool to Predict Invasiveness of Non-native Freshwater Fishes in Everglades National Park

The introduction of non-native fishes is a problem across the United States, particularly in Florida. USGS scientists are developing a decision support tool to help natural resourece managers prioritize which species to focus prevention, detection, rapid response, and control efforts.
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Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Development of a Quantitative Risk Assessment Tool to Predict Invasiveness of Non-native Freshwater Fishes in Everglades National Park

The introduction of non-native fishes is a problem across the United States, particularly in Florida. USGS scientists are developing a decision support tool to help natural resourece managers prioritize which species to focus prevention, detection, rapid response, and control efforts.
Learn More
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Banded cichlid Heros severus from Snapper Creek Canal

Fish Slam - November 2017

The Hunt For The Southernmost Snakehead. Thirty-one fishery biologists from eleven agencies participated in a two-day Fish Slam event. Thirty-five sites in Broward and Miami-Dade counties were sampled for non-native fishes.
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Ecosystems, Invasive Species Program, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
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Fish Slam - November 2017

The Hunt For The Southernmost Snakehead. Thirty-one fishery biologists from eleven agencies participated in a two-day Fish Slam event. Thirty-five sites in Broward and Miami-Dade counties were sampled for non-native fishes.
Learn More
Filter Total Items: 14

Non-native Asian swamp eel, Monopterus albus/javanensis (Zuiew, 1973/Lacepede, 1800), responses to low temperatures

Asian swamp eel, Monopterus albus/javanensis [Zuiew, 1973/Lacepede, 1800], has been established in the southeastern USA since at least 1994, yet little is known about its ability to survive low winter temperatures. We use standard thermal methodologies to quantify low-temperature responses and provide a detailed description of swamp eel reactions to cold temperatures. When exposed to chronic tempe
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Trojan Y chromosome strategy for eradication of non-native species data

The Trojan Y Chromosome (TYC) strategy is a promising eradication method for biological control of non-native species. The strategy works by manipulating the sex ratio of a population through the introduction of supermales that guarantee male offspring.
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Non-native marine fishes in Florida: updated checklist, population status and early detection/rapid response data

It has been ten years since the last comprehensive assessment of non-native marine fishes in Florida. Herein, we report sightings of 41 species from Florida coastal waters since the earliest sighting in 1984.
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Bioblitzes facilitate non-native fish tracking and interagency partnerships data

Maintaining up-to-date information on non-native organisms' distributions and species composition can be difficult, especially when species cross jurisdictional boundaries that require interagency coordination. Herein I report on the use of tools that have been used in Florida over the past seven years to assist with tracking of non-native fishes. Ten Fish Slams, where professional biologists and
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Hemichromis collection data for genetic characterization in Florida

The African Jewelfish, Hemichromis letourneuxi, is an invasive, predatory cichlid fish introduced at least once to Florida. Its native range is in northeastern Africa. First encountered in Miami in the 1960s, it has since been found west and north within the state of Florida. It thrives in a wide range of aquatic habitats, including shallow, vegetated or rocky areas of canals, tidal creeks, rivers
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Bullseye snakehead environmental DNA data, and associated attributes, collected from southeast Florida, from 2015-2018

Bullseye snakehead, Channa marulius, was first detected in 2000 in the southern Florida town of Tamarac and has been expanding its geographic range. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a newly-developed technique used to non-invasively detect cryptic or low-density species, or those that are logistically difficult to study. Genetic material shed into the environment through tissue and body fluid
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Removing threats before they spread: Eradication of two non-native fishes in Miami, Florida (USA)

The proliferation of non-native fishes in Florida is a serious problem, and new species continue to be introduced to the State. Herein we report the eradication of two species of non-native fishes in Miami, Florida (Giant Cichlid Petenia splendida and Blue Mbuna Labeotropheus fuelleborni; both Family: Cichlidae). We removed these fishes before they were observed in the extensive, interconnected ca
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Observations of bullseye snakehead (Channa marulius) in Florida

This dataset contains information on the Bullseye Snakehead fish found only in southeastern Florida. It is a subset of a larger database, the Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database (NAS). This information resource is an established central repository for spatially referenced biogeographic accounts of introduced aquatic species. The NAS website provides scientific reports, online/real-time queries,
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Salinity tolerance among three freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from Gulf Coastal Plain drainages

An important physiological constraint influencing distributions of coastal freshwater organisms is their tolerance for saline conditions. We experimentally evaluated salinity tolerance for three freshwater mussel species (Utterbackia imbecillis, Elliptio jayensis, and Glebula rotundata). Mussels were transferred abruptly from well water to one of five treatments (0 [control], 6, 12, 18 or 24 parts
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Review of low-temperature tolerance data for 17 species of non-native fishes that have been observed in Everglades National Park

Temperature is an important factor in understanding biogeography and species composition. In south Florida, non-native fishes' tolerance to low temperatures is a critical factor in delineating their geographic spread. We provide a literature review summarizing the current state of knowledge of low-temperature tolerances for all seventeen non-native fishes that have been found in Everglades Nationa
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Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Non-native fishes of the central Indian River Lagoon

We provide a comprehensive review of the status of non-native fishes in the central Indian River Lagoon (from Cape Canaveral to Grant-Valkaria, east of I-95) through literature review and field surveys. Historical records exist for 17 taxa (15 species, one hybrid, one species complex). We found historical records for one additional species and collected one species in our field survey that had nev
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Salinity tolerance of non-native suckermouth armoured catfish (Loricariidae: Pterygoplichthys sp.) from Kerala, India

Loricariid catfish of the genus Pterygoplichthys have been introduced in many localities around the world. They are freshwater fishes, but may also use low-salinity habitats such as estuaries for feeding or dispersal. Here we report results of a field survey and salinity-tolerance trials for a population of Pterygoplichthys sp. collected in Kerala, India. In both chronic and acute salinity-toleran
By
Wetland and Aquatic Research Center
Filter Total Items: 55

Non-native Asian swamp eel, Monopterus albus/javanensis (Zuiew, 1973/Lacepede, 1800), responses to low temperatures

Asian swamp eel, Monopterus albus/javanensis [Zuiew, 1973/Lacepede 1800], has been established in the southeastern USA since at least 1994, yet little is known about its ability to survive low winter temperatures. We use standard thermal methodologies to quantify low temperature responses and provide a detailed description of swamp eel reactions to cold temperatures. When exposed to chronic temper
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Expert bioblitzes facilitate non-native fish tracking and interagency partnerships

Documenting the distribution and composition of non-native species populations can be challenging, especially when species cross jurisdictional boundaries that require interagency coordination. Herein I report the development of three tools that have been used in Florida over the past seven years to assist with tracking of non-native fishes: 1) an overarching organization to increase coordination
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

A comparison of the Trojan Y Chromosome strategy to harvesting models for eradication of nonnative species

The Trojan Y Chromosome strategy (TYC) is a promising eradication method for biological control of nonnative species. The strategy works by manipulating the sex ratio of a population through the introduction of supermales that guarantee male offspring. In the current study, we compare the TYC method with a pure harvesting strategy. We also analyze a hybrid harvesting model that mirrors the TYC str
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Genetic Characterization of Non-Native African Jewelfish, Hemichromis letourneuxi Sauvage 1880, in Florida

The African Jewelfish, Hemichromis letourneuxi, is an invasive, predatory cichlid fish introduced at least once to Florida. Its native range is in northern Africa. First encountered in Miami in the 1960s, it has since been found west and north within the State of Florida. It thrives in a wide range of aquatic habitats, including shallow, vegetated or rocky areas of canals, tidal creeks, rivers, an
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection of nonnative bullseye snakehead in southern Florida

Bullseye Snakehead Channa marulius (Hamilton 1822) was first detected in the southern Florida town of Tamarac in 2000 and has been expanding its geographic range since. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a newly-developed technique used to noninvasively detect cryptic or low-density species or those that are logistically difficult-to-study. Genetic material shed into the environment through tis
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Non-native marine fishes in Florida: Updated checklist, population status and early detection/rapid response

It has been ten years since the last comprehensive assessment of non-native marine fishes in Florida. Herein, we report sightings of 41 species from Florida coastal waters since the earliest reported sighting in 1984. Information is provided on the population status of each species (e.g., established, eradicated, unknown), and our early detection/rapid response program to remove these fish is desc
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Eradication of two non-native cichlid fishes in Miami, Florida (USA)

The proliferation of non-native fishes in Florida is a serious problem, and new species continue to be introduced to the state. Fishes in the Family Cichlidae have been especially successful colonizers of south Florida freshwater habitats. Herein we report a multi-agency effort to eradicate two non-native cichlid fishes in Miami, Florida (Bay Snook Petenia splendida and Blue Mbuna Labeotropheus fu
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Introduction and dispersal of non-native bullseye snakehead Channa marulius (Hamilton, 1822) in the canal system of southeastern Florida, USA

An established population of bullseye snakehead (Channa marulius), a large predatory fish from southeastern Asia, was identified for the first time in North America from waters in southeastern Florida, USA, in the year 2000. Since then, it has dispersed throughout the extensive canal system in the area from West Palm Beach south to Miramar. Collection data were compiled to determine the extent of
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Salinity tolerance among three freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionidae) from Gulf Coastal Plain drainages

An important physiological constraint influencing distributions of coastal freshwater organisms is their tolerance for saline conditions. We experimentally evaluated salinity tolerance for three freshwater mussel species (Utterbackia imbecillis, Elliptio jayensis, and Glebula rotundata). Mussels were transferred abruptly from well water to one of five treatments (0 [control], 6, 12, 18 or 24 parts
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Lower lethal temperatures for nonnative freshwater fishes in Everglades National Park, Florida

Temperature is an important factor that shapes biogeography and species composition. In southern Florida, the tolerance of nonnative freshwater fishes to low temperatures is a critical factor in delineating their geographic spread. In this study, we provide empirical information on experimentally derived low-temperature tolerance limits of Banded Cichlid Heros severus and Spotfin Spiny Eel Macrogn
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Non-native fishes of the central Indian River Lagoon

We provide a comprehensive review of the status of non-native fishes in the central Indian River Lagoon (from Cape Canaveral to Grant-Valkaria, east of I-95) through literature review and field surveys. Historical records exist for 17 taxa (15 species, one hybrid, one species complex). We found historical records for one additional species, and collected one species in our field survey that had ne
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Salinity tolerance of non-native suckermouth armoured catfish (Loricariidae: Pterygoplichthys sp.) from Kerala, India

Loricariid catfishes of the genus Pterygoplichthys are native to South America and have been introduced in many localities around the world. They are freshwater fishes, but may also use low-salinity habitats such as estuaries for feeding or dispersal. Here we report results of a field survey and salinity-tolerance experiments for a population of Pterygoplichthys sp. collected in Kerala, India. In
By
Ecosystems, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

Pre-USGS Publications

Schofield, P.J. & D.H. Huge. 2011. Low-temperature tolerance of two non-native fishes (Hoplosternum littorale [Hancock 1828], Cichlasoma bimaculatum [Linnaeus 1758]) established in Florida. Florida Scientist 74: 73-83.
Schofield, P.J. & L.J. Chapman. 1999. Interactions between Nile perch, Lates niloticus, and other fishes in Lake Nabugabo, Uganda. Environmental Biology of Fishes 55(4): 343-358.
Schofield, P.J. & G.H. Burgess. 1997. Etmopterus robinsi: A new species of deep-water dogshark (Elasmobranchii, Etmopteridae) from the Caribbean and Western Atlantic with a redescription of E. hillianus. Bulletin of Marine Science 60(3): 1060-1073.
Kolar, C. and P. Schofield. 2009. Early detection and rapid response for nonnative marine fishes. Fisheries and Aquatic Bulletin (USGS) 9:7-9.
Schofield, P.J. 2003. Factors affecting the distribution and densities of two gobies (Microgobius gulosus and Gobiosoma robustum) in a lagoonal estuarine system (Florida Bay, USA). Doctoral dissertation, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern Mississippi.
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USGS and Partners Team Up to Track Down Nonnative and Invasive Fishes in South Florida

The Fish Slam event discovered two nonnative fish species never seen before in Big Cypress National Preserve.

 

 

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Blotched Foxface Fish Found in Florida Waters

Fish Marks 36th Non-Native Marine Fish Species Found in State

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Taming the Lion(fish)

Genetics and tracking helps USGS researchers learn where the invasive fish are now – and where they may go next.

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