Publications

Prior to European settlement, cisco (Coregonus artedi) were likely one of Lake Ontario’s most abundant fishes but currently represent a small portion of the fish community. To understand how the population has changed over the past 70 years we compared trends in annual catch rates from gillnet and bottom trawl surveys and commercial fishery landings. In surveys, cisco were generally rare, and repr

Scholars have identified a ‘usability gap’ between science and its ability to inform real-world decisions as well as a range of factors that facilitate or impede attempts to span the usability gap with information products. However, most attention has focused on barriers related to information users; much less research focuses on the unique institutional and organizational barriers experienced by

Guided by the six elements of Translational Ecology (TE; i.e., decision-framing, collaboration, engagement, commitment, process, and communication), we showcase the first explicit example of a Translational Science Education (TSE) effort in the coastal redwood ecosystem of Humboldt County, CA. Using iNaturalist, a flexible and free citizen science/crowdsourcing app, we worked with students from gr

Long distance, post-release movements of translocated wildlife can be a key factor limiting translocation success.  Yet, for many species, we have little or no understanding of factors that influence post-release movements.  Translocations have been important for recovering fisher Pekania pennanti populations across the southern portion of their North American range.  However, little is known abou

Understanding the population structure of invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) in the Great Lakes basin is essential for an effective control program. We review knowledge of lake connectivity, dispersal during the parasitic stage, and results from phenotypic, demographic, and genetic studies to evaluate how sea lamprey populations are structured. There is no evidence for contemporary movement

The periodic application of chemical lampricides that selectively kill larval sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) in their nursery habitats remains a primary component of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s (GLFC) Sea Lamprey Control Program in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Lampricides include 3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol (TFM) and niclosamide, the 2-aminoethanol salt of 2′, 5-dichloro-4′-nitrosal

Survival of adult fishes is critical to the conservation and management of wild populations, particularly for long-lived, slow to reproduce species. Most sturgeon species are of conservation concern, but their long lifespans and large ranges have made estimation of adult survival rates challenging. In this study, acoustic telemetry was used to track 205 lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) tagged

The collapse of Diporeia spp. and invasions of dreissenid mussels (zebra, Dreissena polymorpha; quagga, D. bugensis) and round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) have been associated with declines in abundance of native benthic fishes in the Great Lakes, including historically abundant slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus). We hypothesized that as round goby colonized deeper habitat, slimy sculpin avoided ha

Animals exhibit varied life-history traits that reflect adaptive responses to their environments. For Arctic-breeding birds, traits related to diet, egg nutrient allocation, clutch size, and chick growth are predicted to be under increasing selection pressure due to rapid climate change and increasing environmental variability across high-latitude regions. We compared four migratory birds (black b

Lampreys (order: Petromyzontiformes) represent one of two extant groups of jawless fishes, also called cyclostomes. Lampreys have a variety of unique features that distinguish them from other fishes. Here we review the physiological features of lampreys that have contributed to their evolutionary and ecological success. The term physiology is used broadly to also include traits involving multiple

The lampricides TFM and niclosamide are added to streams to control invasive larval sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) populations in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Lampricide effectiveness depends upon TFM and niclosamide bioavailability which is influenced by both abiotic and biotic factors. For example, at lower pH, TFM bioavailability is higher because a greater proportion exists as un-ionized TFM

Lake Ontario boasts a diverse fish community comprised of native and introduced species that support vibrant recreational, commercial and Indigenous fisheries. The effective delivery of a program to assess and control the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) is crucial to achievement of Lake Ontario Fish Community Objectives of rehabilitating native fish stocks while protecting and maintaining the abu