Scott Bonar, PhD
Unit Leader - Arizona CRU. Scott's areas of expertise are desert fish management and biology, fisheries sampling methods, communications in natural resources, invasive species, habitat use and instream flow requirements for fishes. Scott served as President of the American Fisheries Society in 2019-2020; and is Past-President of the Western Division of the American Fisheries Society.
Research and Teaching Interests
- Desert fish management and biology
- Fisheries sampling methods
- Communication in natural resources
- Management of introduced species
- Fisheries Biology and Management
- Communication in Natural Resources
Scott is the lead editor and author on three books, one a North American standard fish sampling program for freshwater fishes involving hundreds of authors, data providers and sponsors from across North America and another that is the 2nd edition. Scott also authored a book on skills for working with people for natural resources professionals that the journal Ecology called a "must read." Scott presented and authored numerous presentations and publications. In 2022, he won the Award of Excellence from the Fish Management Section of the American Fisheries Society. Scott enjoys working with fish managers and administrators on practical problems in fisheries management or human dimensions.
Scott is originally from Mt. Vernon Indiana, attended University of Evansville in Indiana and University of Washington in Seattle. Scott managed the inland fish research program at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for almost 10 years before coming to the USGS Arizona CRU.
Professional Experience
Unit Leader, Arizona Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 2000- current
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fisheries program
Education and Certifications
Ph D University of Washington 1990
BS University of Evansville 1983
Honors and Awards
Award of Excellence, Fisheries Management Section, American Fisheries Society
Science and Products
The impact of COVID-19 on freshwater fisheries fieldwork and data collection
Development of aquaculture protocols and gonadal differentiation of green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
Development of aquaculture protocols and gonadal differentiation of red shiner
Southwestern fish and aquatic systems: The climate challenge
Development and evaluation of habitat suitability criteria for native fishes in three Arizona streams
Inexpensive, underwater filming of rare fishes in high definition
Use of underwater videography to quantify conditions utilized by endangered Moapa Dace While spawning
Using a mechanistic model to develop management strategies to cool Apache Trout streams under the threat of climate change
Propagation of endangered moapa dace
Effectiveness of ultrasonic imaging for evaluating presence and maturity of eggs in fishes in remote field locations
Enhancing hatch rate and survival in laboratory-reared hybrid Devils Hole Pupfish through application of antibiotics to eggs and larvae
Comparing efficiency of American Fisheries Society standard snorkeling techniques to environmental DNA sampling techniques
Science and Products
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 48
The impact of COVID-19 on freshwater fisheries fieldwork and data collection
COVID-19 has affected almost every aspect of society including freshwater fisheries fieldwork. Our study quantified the effects of the pandemic on fisheries fieldwork in the United States. We administered a survey to fisheries chiefs in all 50 states to assess the pandemic’s impact on fisheries fieldwork. Of the 37 participants, 91% reported the pandemic affected their fieldwork and 92% adapted thAuthorsE. E Tracy, Chad N. Teal, Steven J. Ingram, Christopher J. Jenney, Joshua D. Grant, Scott A. BonarDevelopment of aquaculture protocols and gonadal differentiation of green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
We provide detailed rearing methods and describe green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) gonadal development and histological differentiation for both sexes. Developing in-depth aquaculture protocols and describing the gonadal differentiation of green sunfish could facilitate strategies to control nuisance populations, enhance stocking programs, and provide information for this species' use in bioassayAuthorsChad N. Teal, Daniel J. Schill, Susan B. Fogelson, Colby M. Roberts, Kevin Fitzsimmons, Scott A. BonarDevelopment of aquaculture protocols and gonadal differentiation of red shiner
Developing detailed rearing methods and describing the onset of gonadal differentiation in Red Shiners Cyprinella lutrensis could facilitate the development of novel techniques to control or enhance populations, enable toxicology studies, and help construct bioassays. In this study, we develop and report aquaculture practices for Red Shiner that ensure consistent year-round production in laboratorAuthorsChad N. Teal, Daniel J. Schill, Susan B. Fogelson, Scott A. BonarSouthwestern fish and aquatic systems: The climate challenge
No abstract available.AuthorsJonathan T. Overpeck, Scott A. BonarDevelopment and evaluation of habitat suitability criteria for native fishes in three Arizona streams
Habitat loss is a main contributor to fish fauna declines in the southwestern USA. Several studies have defined stream-specific habitat conditions that support the growth and survival of native fish in Arizona to inform stream restoration efforts, yet general habitat use of most individual species across the region is not established. Therefore, we evaluated habitat use of four native fishes, SpecAuthorsZach C. Nemec, Larissa N. Lee, Scott A. BonarInexpensive, underwater filming of rare fishes in high definition
Generating public interest in fish and their biology is often challenging. Many aquatic species are cryptic and largely invisible to the public. Therefore, increasing public awareness of cryptic fishes and elevating their visibility to broad audiences requires innovation. Inexpensive technological advancements now provide fisheries biologists, managers, and researchers with means never before possAuthorsScott A. Bonar, Taylor UlrichUse of underwater videography to quantify conditions utilized by endangered Moapa Dace While spawning
Advances in underwater camera technology provide an affordable means to quantify the environmental conditions under which fish spawn. This information is important for investigating spawning ecology, managing habitat, or providing information for captive breeding programs. We deployed 12 modified security cameras underwater to identify environmental conditions related to the spawning behavior of tAuthorsJack E. Ruggirello, Scott A. Bonar, Olin G. Feuerbacher, Lee H. SimonsUsing a mechanistic model to develop management strategies to cool Apache Trout streams under the threat of climate change
User‐friendly stream temperature models populated with on‐site data may help in developing strategies to manage temperatures of individual stream reaches that are subject to climate change. We used the field‐tested Stream Segment Temperature model (U.S. Geological Survey) to simulate how altering discharge, groundwater input, channel wetted width, and shade prevents the temperatures of White MountAuthorsJoy Price Baker, Scott A. BonarPropagation of endangered moapa dace
We report successful captive spawning and rearing of the highly endangered Moapa Dace, Moapa coriacea (approximately 650 individual fish in existence at time of this study). We simulated conditions under which this stream-dwelling southern Nevada cyprinid and similar species spawned and reared in the wild by varying temperature, photoperiod, flow, and substrate in 14 different spawning and rearingAuthorsJack E. Ruggirello, Scott A. Bonar, Olin G. Feuerbacher, Lee H. Simons, Chelsea PowersEffectiveness of ultrasonic imaging for evaluating presence and maturity of eggs in fishes in remote field locations
Ultrasonic imaging is an effective, nonlethal method used to determine sex and maturity in a variety of fishes. However, many previous studies of this technique have been performed in laboratory environments. Using Common Carp Cyprinus carpio, we developed a standardized method for ultrasonically scanning cyprinids, and we accurately sexed 78% (N = 58) of those individuals. We then applied this meAuthorsMorgan E. Brizendine, David Ward, Scott A. BonarEnhancing hatch rate and survival in laboratory-reared hybrid Devils Hole Pupfish through application of antibiotics to eggs and larvae
We evaluated the effectiveness of four antibiotics in enhancing the hatch rate, larval survival, and adult survival of hybrid Devils Hole Pupfish Cyprinodon diabolis (hybridized with Ash Meadows Amargosa Pupfish C. nevadensis mionectes). Cephalexin (CEX; concentration = 6.6 mg/L of water), chloramphenicol (CAM; 50 mg/L), erythromycin (ERY; 12.5 mg/L), and trimethoprim sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX; 25AuthorsOlin Feuerbacher, Scott A. Bonar, Paul J. BarrettComparing efficiency of American Fisheries Society standard snorkeling techniques to environmental DNA sampling techniques
Analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) is an emerging technique used to detect aquatic species through water sampling and the extraction of biological material for amplification. Our study compared the efficacy of eDNA methodology to American Fisheries Society (AFS) standard snorkeling surveys with regard to detecting the presence of rare fish species. Knowing which method is more efficient at detecAuthorsRoy M. Ulibarri, Scott A. Bonar, Christopher B. Rees, Jon J. Amberg, Bridget Ladell, Craig Jackson