Patrick M Kocovsky
I am the Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager within the Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program in the Ecosystems Mission Area.
I administer the USGS’ national research program on Aquatic Invasive Species. Our research foci include risk assessment, early detection and rapid response, and developing and evaluating deterrents and control methods for aquatic invasive species.
Education and Certifications
BS in Fishery Biology, magna cum laude, Colorado State, 1993
MS in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Penn State, 1999
PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Penn State, 2004
Post-doc with USGS Northern Appalachian Research Lab on suitability of Susquehanna River tributaries for restoration of anadromous alosines and catadromous American Eel.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
Diets of Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana) in western Lake Erie, 2014
Diet and estimated ages of Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana) collected by the US Geological Survey in western Lake Erie in 2014 are presented. Fish were frozen in the field at -20 C and dissected in the lab. Ages were estimated by one experienced biologist who estimated ages twice, then reconciled age estimates when the two age estimates differed. Diet taxa were enumerated, dried individually
Filter Total Items: 50
Habitat characterization and species distribution model of the only large-lake population of the endangered Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844)
The endangered Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844) is native to North America and primarily riverine, with the only known large‐lake population in Lake Erie. Once a major component of the Lake Erie fish community, it declined and became nearly extirpated in the mid‐1900s. Recent collections in western Lake Erie suggest that Silver Chub may be able to recover, but their habitat and
Authors
James E. McKenna, Patrick Kočovský
Status of the major aquaculture carps of China in the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin
There is concern of economic and environmental damage occuring if any of the four major aquacultured carp species of China, black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus, bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, silver carp H. molitrix, or grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, were to establish in the Laurentian Great Lakes. All four are reproducing in the Mississippi River Basin. We review the status of these
Authors
Duane Chapman, Amy J. Benson, Holly S. Embke, Nicole R. King, Patrick Kočovský, Teresa D. Lewis, Nicholas E. Mandrak
Identifying sources and year classes contributing to invasive grass carp in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Relative contributions of aquaculture-origin and naturally-reproduced grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Laurentian Great Lakes have been unknown. We assessed occurrence and distribution of aquaculture-origin and wild grass carp in the Great Lakes using ploidy and otolith stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) data. We inferred natal river and dispersal from natal location for wild grass carp using
Authors
Gregory W. Whitledge, Duane Chapman, John Farver, Seth Herbst, Nicholas E. Mandrak, Jeffrey G. Miner, Kevin L. Pangle, Patrick Kočovský
Validation of the model-predicted spawning area of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella in the Sandusky River
Spawning of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, in the Great Lakes basin was verified when eight fertilized eggs were collected in the Sandusky River, a tributary to Lake Erie, in 2015. Using a fluvial drift model (FluEgg) and simulation modeling, researchers predicted the fertilization location for those eggs was 3.8 ± 1 km (95% credible interval, CI) downstream of Ballville Dam. In June 2018, s
Authors
Patrick Kočovský, Nicole R. King, Eric Weimer, Christine Mayer, Song S. Qian
Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2019
A comprehensive understanding of fish populations and their interactions is the cornerstone of modern fishery management and the basis for Fish Community Goals and Objectives for Lake Erie (Ryan et al. 2003). This report is responsive to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) obligations via Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Great Lakes Council of Lake Committees (CLC) to provide scientific inform
Authors
Kevin R. Keretz, Patrick Kočovský, Richard Kraus, Joseph Schmitt
Using decision analysis to collaboratively respond to invasive species threats: A case study of Lake Erie grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
Decisions about invasive species control and eradication can be difficult because of uncertainty in population demographics, movement ecology, and effectiveness of potential response actions. These decisions often include multiple stakeholders and management entities with potentially different objectives, management priorities, and jurisdictional authority. We provide a case study of using multi-p
Authors
Kelly F. Robinson, Mark R. DuFour, Michael Jones, Seth Herbst, Tammy Newcomb, James C. Boase, Travis O. Brenden, Duane Chapman, John M. Dettmers, James Francis, Travis Hartman, Patrick Kočovský, Brian Locke, Jeff Tyson, Christine Mayer
Ethical guidelines for publication of fisheries research
In 2000, the Governing Board of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) approved the first Guidelines for Authorship (GFA) in AFS publications, developed by the AFS Publications Overview Committee (POC) chaired by Mary Fabrizio. This version of the GFA document provided guidance for fisheries science publications for nearly two decades. The 2015 AFS President Donna Parish charged the POC to revise th
Authors
Patrick Kočovský, Patricia S Gaunt, Brandon K. Peoples, Emmanuel A Frimpong
Optimum electrofishing waveforms and parameters to induce a capture-prone response in juvenile Grass Carp
Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) are a non-native species to North America that were first introduced for vegetation control in the 1960s. However, wild-reproducing Grass Carp can negatively impact aquatic habitats and aquatic communities by consuming substantial amounts of aquatic vegetation and increasing turbidity. Numerous fisheries techniques have been used in an attempt to control or e
Authors
Andrew S Briggs, Jan C. Dean, James C. Boase, Patrick Kočovský, James A. Luoma
Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2017
This report presents biomass-based summaries of fish communities in western Lake Erie derived from USGS bottom trawl surveys from 2013 to 2017 during June and September. The survey design provided temporal and spatial coverage that does not exist in the interagency trawl database, and thus complemented the August Ohio-Ontario effort to reinforce stock assessments with more robust data. Analyses he
Authors
Kevin R. Keretz, Patrick Kočovský, Richard T. Kraus, Christopher Vandergoot
A spatially discrete, integral projection model and its application to invasive carp
Natural resource managers and ecologists often desire an understanding of spatial dynamics such as migration, dispersion, and meta-population dynamics. Network-node models can capture these salient features. Additionally, the state-variable used with many species may be appropriately modeled as a continuous variable (e.g., length) and management activities sometimes can only target individuals of
Authors
Richard A. Erickson, Eric E. Eager, Patrick Kočovský, David C. Glover, Jahn L. Kallis, K. R. Long
What it is to be established: policy and management implications for non-native and invasive species
Management of invasive species, whether prevention, population reduction, or eradication, requires assessment of the invasive species’ population status and an assessment of the probability of success of management options. Perceptions of a species’ permanence in an environment or lack thereof frequently drives how limited time, financial, and personnel resources are allocated to such efforts. Lan
Authors
Patrick Kočovský, Rochelle Sturtevant, James Schardt
“Asian carp” is societally and scientifically problematic. Let's replace it
Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus, Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, and Silver Carp H. molitrix are considered invasive species in North America and Europe. In North America, they are typically referred to collectively as “Asian carp”, a reference to their native range. The category “Asian carp” fails to acknowledge the cultural value and the ecological
Authors
Patrick Kočovský, Duane Chapman, Song S. Qian
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 13
Diets of Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana) in western Lake Erie, 2014
Diet and estimated ages of Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana) collected by the US Geological Survey in western Lake Erie in 2014 are presented. Fish were frozen in the field at -20 C and dissected in the lab. Ages were estimated by one experienced biologist who estimated ages twice, then reconciled age estimates when the two age estimates differed. Diet taxa were enumerated, dried individually
Filter Total Items: 50
Habitat characterization and species distribution model of the only large-lake population of the endangered Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844)
The endangered Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis storeriana, Kirtland 1844) is native to North America and primarily riverine, with the only known large‐lake population in Lake Erie. Once a major component of the Lake Erie fish community, it declined and became nearly extirpated in the mid‐1900s. Recent collections in western Lake Erie suggest that Silver Chub may be able to recover, but their habitat and
Authors
James E. McKenna, Patrick Kočovský
Status of the major aquaculture carps of China in the Laurentian Great Lakes Basin
There is concern of economic and environmental damage occuring if any of the four major aquacultured carp species of China, black carp Mylopharyngodon piceus, bighead carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, silver carp H. molitrix, or grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, were to establish in the Laurentian Great Lakes. All four are reproducing in the Mississippi River Basin. We review the status of these
Authors
Duane Chapman, Amy J. Benson, Holly S. Embke, Nicole R. King, Patrick Kočovský, Teresa D. Lewis, Nicholas E. Mandrak
Identifying sources and year classes contributing to invasive grass carp in the Laurentian Great Lakes
Relative contributions of aquaculture-origin and naturally-reproduced grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) in the Laurentian Great Lakes have been unknown. We assessed occurrence and distribution of aquaculture-origin and wild grass carp in the Great Lakes using ploidy and otolith stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) data. We inferred natal river and dispersal from natal location for wild grass carp using
Authors
Gregory W. Whitledge, Duane Chapman, John Farver, Seth Herbst, Nicholas E. Mandrak, Jeffrey G. Miner, Kevin L. Pangle, Patrick Kočovský
Validation of the model-predicted spawning area of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella in the Sandusky River
Spawning of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella, in the Great Lakes basin was verified when eight fertilized eggs were collected in the Sandusky River, a tributary to Lake Erie, in 2015. Using a fluvial drift model (FluEgg) and simulation modeling, researchers predicted the fertilization location for those eggs was 3.8 ± 1 km (95% credible interval, CI) downstream of Ballville Dam. In June 2018, s
Authors
Patrick Kočovský, Nicole R. King, Eric Weimer, Christine Mayer, Song S. Qian
Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2019
A comprehensive understanding of fish populations and their interactions is the cornerstone of modern fishery management and the basis for Fish Community Goals and Objectives for Lake Erie (Ryan et al. 2003). This report is responsive to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) obligations via Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Great Lakes Council of Lake Committees (CLC) to provide scientific inform
Authors
Kevin R. Keretz, Patrick Kočovský, Richard Kraus, Joseph Schmitt
Using decision analysis to collaboratively respond to invasive species threats: A case study of Lake Erie grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
Decisions about invasive species control and eradication can be difficult because of uncertainty in population demographics, movement ecology, and effectiveness of potential response actions. These decisions often include multiple stakeholders and management entities with potentially different objectives, management priorities, and jurisdictional authority. We provide a case study of using multi-p
Authors
Kelly F. Robinson, Mark R. DuFour, Michael Jones, Seth Herbst, Tammy Newcomb, James C. Boase, Travis O. Brenden, Duane Chapman, John M. Dettmers, James Francis, Travis Hartman, Patrick Kočovský, Brian Locke, Jeff Tyson, Christine Mayer
Ethical guidelines for publication of fisheries research
In 2000, the Governing Board of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) approved the first Guidelines for Authorship (GFA) in AFS publications, developed by the AFS Publications Overview Committee (POC) chaired by Mary Fabrizio. This version of the GFA document provided guidance for fisheries science publications for nearly two decades. The 2015 AFS President Donna Parish charged the POC to revise th
Authors
Patrick Kočovský, Patricia S Gaunt, Brandon K. Peoples, Emmanuel A Frimpong
Optimum electrofishing waveforms and parameters to induce a capture-prone response in juvenile Grass Carp
Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) are a non-native species to North America that were first introduced for vegetation control in the 1960s. However, wild-reproducing Grass Carp can negatively impact aquatic habitats and aquatic communities by consuming substantial amounts of aquatic vegetation and increasing turbidity. Numerous fisheries techniques have been used in an attempt to control or e
Authors
Andrew S Briggs, Jan C. Dean, James C. Boase, Patrick Kočovský, James A. Luoma
Fisheries research and monitoring activities of the Lake Erie Biological Station, 2017
This report presents biomass-based summaries of fish communities in western Lake Erie derived from USGS bottom trawl surveys from 2013 to 2017 during June and September. The survey design provided temporal and spatial coverage that does not exist in the interagency trawl database, and thus complemented the August Ohio-Ontario effort to reinforce stock assessments with more robust data. Analyses he
Authors
Kevin R. Keretz, Patrick Kočovský, Richard T. Kraus, Christopher Vandergoot
A spatially discrete, integral projection model and its application to invasive carp
Natural resource managers and ecologists often desire an understanding of spatial dynamics such as migration, dispersion, and meta-population dynamics. Network-node models can capture these salient features. Additionally, the state-variable used with many species may be appropriately modeled as a continuous variable (e.g., length) and management activities sometimes can only target individuals of
Authors
Richard A. Erickson, Eric E. Eager, Patrick Kočovský, David C. Glover, Jahn L. Kallis, K. R. Long
What it is to be established: policy and management implications for non-native and invasive species
Management of invasive species, whether prevention, population reduction, or eradication, requires assessment of the invasive species’ population status and an assessment of the probability of success of management options. Perceptions of a species’ permanence in an environment or lack thereof frequently drives how limited time, financial, and personnel resources are allocated to such efforts. Lan
Authors
Patrick Kočovský, Rochelle Sturtevant, James Schardt
“Asian carp” is societally and scientifically problematic. Let's replace it
Bighead Carp Hypophthalmichthys nobilis, Black Carp Mylopharyngodon piceus, Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, and Silver Carp H. molitrix are considered invasive species in North America and Europe. In North America, they are typically referred to collectively as “Asian carp”, a reference to their native range. The category “Asian carp” fails to acknowledge the cultural value and the ecological
Authors
Patrick Kočovský, Duane Chapman, Song S. Qian