Category: Symposium

Natural resource agencies can connect with people through the diverse ways they experience fish and nature through transformational change and using a relevancy framework. To conserve fishes into the future, managers must account for shifts in the types of resource usage and the changing demographics of resource users. In this symposium, we will share foundational knowledge of relevancy necessary to engage in these future challenges, research that broadens our understanding of the values of a changing user-base, and case studies highlighting the successes and failures of relevancy in practice. The symposium will conclude with an open, facilitated discussion between presenters and the audience with a focus on the future of conservation and relevancy and how to overcome related challenges.

Supported by:

• Equal Opportunities Section
• Cooperative Research with Stakeholders Section
• International Fisheries Section

Organizers:

• Samantha Betances, USFWS, [email protected]
• Lian Guo, California Sea Grant
• Emily Dean, Michigan State University
• Chelsey Crandall, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
• Asha Ajmani, University of Massachusetts Amherst
• Lee Benaka, NOAA Fisheries Service

Lampreys are a unique and challenging group of fishes to manage and study, often overlooked as “primitive”. The distinct features that distinguish them from other fishes (e.g., reduced ability to detoxify lampricides or surmount low barriers) enable selective control of invasive Sea Lamprey in the Great Lakes, but they also mean that restoration efforts planned for other fishes may be insufficient. Furthermore, lampreys exhibit adaptive traits that continue to challenge Sea Lamprey control efforts but offer promise for the conservation of native lampreys. This session aims to review lamprey biology and management in our rapidly changing landscape and stimulate information exchange among researchers and managers globally. A key outcome is to review progress in three areas: Social Challenges, Methodological & Technological Advances, and Biology & Management, to determine what areas of lamprey biology and management are lacking, and stimulate discussion on how we could best address existing gaps.

Supported by:

• Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Organizers:

• John Hume, Michigan State University, [email protected]
• Nicholas Johnson, U.S. Geological Survey
• Margaret Docker, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba

Esocids are ecologically important predators that often support fisheries. Although numerous populations are thriving, stock depletion or extirpation in many waters have occurred due to overfishing, habitat alteration, and disease. Changes in angler attitudes over the last 30 years have shifted Muskellunge fisheries from catch and harvest towards catch and release, alleviating many problems associated with overfishing.  However, harvest of other esocids remains common, and overfishing is an issue for some populations. Historical challenges have been exacerbated by more recent environmental changes and unevaluated propagation practices—these issues must be addressed to successfully sustain or restore populations.  Unfortunately, esocids also can be ecologically disruptive when introduced outside their native ranges and may adversely affect native species. This symposium will provide a forum for AFS members and meeting participants to present up-to-date information on the biology, ecology, and management of esocids from throughout their native and introduced ranges.

Organizers:

• Derek Crane, Coastal Carolina University, [email protected]
• Kevin Kapuscinski, Lake Superior State University
• Jordan Weeks, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Citizen science has generated interest among fisheries researchers and managers in recent years. The ability of volunteers to cover large areas and help collect information on economically and ecologically important fish stocks represents an intriguing option to fill much needed data gaps. Citizen science as a field is growing rapidly but there are many questions surrounding its applicability and ability to feed into operational research and management enterprises. Statistical limitations may pose significant challenges when integrating citizen science data with other conventional fisheries data sources. Nonetheless, the opportunities posed by this volunteer-driven approach to help address data gaps represents a new frontier for exploration. The purpose of this symposium is to bring together researchers working in this area to discuss opportunities for integrating citizen science data, understanding where limitations exist and identifying where solutions can be found.

Supported by:

• Angler’s Atlas and MyCatch
• NOAA Fisheries
• South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council

Organizers:

• Sean Simmons, Angler’s Atlas, [email protected]
• Laura Oremland, NMFS
• Julia Byrd, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
• Mark Chandler, NOAA Fisheries

Many salmonid populations are federally threatened and endangered, or otherwise at-risk.  From the Pacific, the Rockies, Upper Midwest, and Atlantic, managers must contend with environmental and anthropogenic threats that yield uncertain outcomes.  To account for this uncertainty, managers have developed and implemented a variety of applied management strategies, tools, approaches, and frameworks to conserve salmonids and their habitats.  These strategies and tools can effectively assess the current condition of vulnerable species and their degrading habitats, analyze threats, and incorporate feedback in real-time into decision-making.  By understanding the successes, failures, and unintended outcomes of salmonid-focused management, managers may be inspired to develop new strategies and test drive new approaches in their own regions.  In this symposium, we will present research and case studies detailing these strategies and approaches implemented across North America and the aquatic systems in between, in hopes of learning from one another.

Organizers:

• Samantha Betances, USFWS, [email protected]
• Molly Good, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• John Kocik, NOAA NEFSC
• Dan Dauwalter, Trout Unlimited

Climate change poses a major threat to fisheries around the world, but many fisheries managers/researchers lack the skills for effectively communicating this complex issue.  It is critical for fisheries managers to successfully promote audience buy-in toward sustainable actions. In this symposium, fisheries and aquatic professionals will demonstrate how they communicate the difficult topic of climate change to diverse audiences, ranging from politicians to anglers, using proven communication techniques and tools. Presentations will be followed by a workshop in where attendees will be trained on communication techniques. The workshop will be interactive where participants will have the opportunity to practice communication skills and receive input from peers.

Supported by:

• AFS Climate Change Committee
• AFS Science Communication Section
• AFS Climate Ambassadors Program

Organizers:

• Sam Day, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, [email protected]
• Karen Murchie, Shedd Aquarium

The historic linkage between urban centers and waterways has contributed to significant degradation of aquatic ecosystems due to factors like altered flow, loss of wetlands and floodplain connectivity, reduced channel sinuosity and habitat complexity, and increased pollution. While prior research has documented detrimental impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function, the spectrum of impacts is typically nuanced and varies by taxa and region. Urban aquatic systems provide important cultural value, ecosystem services, and biological corridors despite their degraded conditions. To improve such services, restoration efforts in urban aquatic ecosystems are increasingly common. Yet our understanding of mechanisms and time scales necessary to observe ecosystem change and achieve desired outcomes in these complex and highly altered systems lags behind. In this session, we broadly seek to understand how the unique characteristics, processes, and challenges of urban aquatic ecosystems influence fish, fisheries, and other aquatic organisms and highlight current research and approaches.

Organizers:

• Michael Booth, University of Cincinnati
• Susan Colvin, Arkansas Tech University – Department of Biological Sciences, [email protected]

This symposium will highlight Dr. Kirk Winemiller’s contribution to the ecology and conservation of freshwater ecosystems in tropical and temperate ecoregions. The symposium is organized by a large number of fisheries scientists who are mentees of Dr. Winemiller and continue to work in the field of fisheries ecology and conservation. The symposium will feature presentations ranging from ecology of fishes, food webs, environmental flows, and conservation of rivers and fisheries. Presenters will provide context on the early contributions of Dr. Winemiller, while also provide contemporary perspectives of those ideas as well as his contributions in current research to promote fisheries science and conservation worldwide.

Organizers:

• Carmen Montana, Stephen F. Austin State University, [email protected]
• David Hoeinghaus, University of North Texas
• Allison Pease, University of Missouri
• Luke Bower, USGS Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit
• Hernán López-Fernández, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan
• Nathan Lujan, Royal Ontario Museum
• Yasmin Quintana, Texas A&M University
• Steven Zeug, Cramer Fish Sciences
• Jose Montoya, Universidad de Las Américas – Ecuador
• Alphonse Adite, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Benin
• Caroline Arantes, WVU
• Albrey Arrington, Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District
• Clint Robertson, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Engaging youth through fisheries education experiences offers opportunities to advance goals of the fisheries science community. Youth engagement serves as a foundation for fostering the next generation of informed fishery stakeholders and future leaders. Education programs and practices can also meaningfully engage youth as fisheries science and stewardship partners today. This symposia will highlight fisheries education programs and practices that exemplify meaningful watershed education experiences and promising practices for engaging youth in fisheries science and stewardship. Exemplary education programs and practices may include youth fishing programs, classroom projects, summer camps, community science and career exploration programs, place-based or community-connected learning initiatives. These youth education engagements reflect critical intersections and opportunities to value and benefit from youth voice in our fisheries work both today and in the future. A thread of this session explores how the fisheries science community can support youth fisheries education opportunities as valued and mutually benefiting partners.

Supported by:

• Michigan State University
• Michigan Sea Grant
• Sea Grant Center for Great Lakes Literacy

Organizers:

• Brandon Schroeder, Michigan Sea Grant, Michigan State University Extension, [email protected]
• Heather Triezenberg, Michigan State University, MSU Extension, Michigan Sea Grant
• Meaghan Gass, Michigan State University Extension
• Chiara Zuccarino-Crowe, Michigan Sea Grant

Addressing the tension between improving aquatic connectivity for fishery restoration versus using dams and barriers for invasive species management (the connectivity conundrum) is one of the greatest issues facing fishery managers. Selective passage solutions for a mixed assemblage of fish requires an approach that accounts for variability of sortable attributes among assemblage members. Solutions must build on insights gained from past successes and failures from both traditional fish passage science and invasive species management techniques.  Efforts to improve passage of desirable fishes and blockage of undesirable fishes must also be tied to broader conservation and restoration goals. Long-term impacts of increased connectivity take years to be realized; therefore, it is critical to identify passage priorities and monitoring strategies early on.  Herein, we provide an overview of the science and innovative solutions developed for selective fish passage at the Great Lakes Fishery Commission’s FishPass project and other fish passage projects beyond.

Supported by:

• Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Organizers:

• Daniel Zielinski, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, [email protected]
• Andrew Muir, Great Lakes Fishery Commission