List of Sessions

The MacGyvers are back by popular demand! Fisheries scientists are often successful in “MacGyvering” innovative solutions to a question or problem. They do this by inventing, building, or repurposing technology or analytical tools, especially when resources or tools are limited or absent. Over time, these innovative solutions created important breakthroughs

Natural resource agencies often collect human dimensions data, but staff may not realize how to maximize their potential and practical application in fishery management. Using a combination of traditional symposium and workshop-style sessions, this unique event will demonstrate how to identify and use these data to improve fisheries management and

Advancements in electronic tagging technology (e.g., telemetry, PIT tags) have expanded the ability of fisheries scientists and managers to study the ecology of fish populations. In particular, acoustic telemetry has facilitated the monitoring of fish movements from some of the largest freshwater systems in the world, allowing for better integration

State-of-the-art fisheries stock assessment models integrate diverse datasets to make predictions about fish populations and can be used to explore the responses of fish populations to alternative management actions. Increasingly, stock assessments are being challenged to represent population responses to changing environmental conditions.  Research on incorporating the range of expected

Hatchery programs have long been pursued for fisheries enhancement and conservation and are receiving renewed attention in the context of adaptation to global environmental change. While some hatchery programs bolster fisheries management and conservation goals, others are ineffective, damaging, or go unevaluated. Additionally, the objectives of some hatchery programs are

With changes to climate, shrinking refugia, and other factors the importance of captive rearing and supplementation of Arctic Grayling (Thymallus arcticus) is becoming more relevant.  Augmented management objectives for Grayling supplementation calls for advancements in rearing techniques –  including efforts to target fitness or adaptive variation in captive breeding programs,

Beavers play a complex role in the dynamics of low-gradient streams of the Upper Midwest, especially where dams alter important habitat for trout. Beaver control to maintain free-flowing conditions in select coldwater streams has been a core part of Brook Trout and Brown Trout management in many Upper Midwest streams.

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

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

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

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

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,

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 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

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.

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.

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

“Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.” If this quote doesn’t sum up fisheries science, I don’t know what does. Traditionally the scientific method tells us to test our hypothesis and communicate the results regardless of the outcome. This can be easier said than done

Since the environment for aquatic species raised in commercial production can be significantly different from the conditions needed for rearing conservation species with regard to water temperatures, food/feeding rates and rearing situation, research with a focus on conservation is being done. Factors that are critical for the species in conservation

This symposium highlights research and management activities in Great Lakes connecting waters. Presentations will provide an update on the status of aquatic and riparian ecology and management or highlight any emerging concerns within each connecting system. Inter-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary approaches should be emphasized in research and management updates. Supported by:

Anglers play an important role in providing scientists and managers with valuable data about the state of our fisheries. As new forms of electronic reporting come online, providing high resolution data that could barely have been imagined just a few decades ago, anglers are becoming ever more important to fisheries

Lake Michigan is a spatially diverse system of habitat types supporting food webs, fish assemblages and fisheries. Habitat differences in abiotic conditions, productivity and prey availability may strongly influence community and population dynamics. Moreover, movement of organisms and connectivity among habitats can influence the performance of fish populations and the

Conservation genetics-genomics is a burgeoning field due to its rapid evolution and recent advancements of ‘omics’ technologies.” The use of next generation sequencing methods is changing not only what we can ask but how we ask it. This symposium highlights the cutting edge of genetics-genomics research in fisheries and aquatic

Advances in the conservation and management of the nation’s living marine resources, and protection and restoration of healthy ecosystems are dependent upon research approaches that are innovative and integrative. Core to the mission of the Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) is its cooperative approach to fisheries science and

Across many levels of AFS, DEIJA initiatives are discussed and implemented to various degrees. However, the hurdle of setting a tangible goal and even the basics of where to begin to incorporate DEIJA activities can feel overwhelming and impede implementation. If you are interested in incorporating sustainable DEIJA initiatives but

Methods for surveying fisheries resources are consistently advancing in order to provide the data needed for improving our understanding of aquatic ecosystems and for incorporation into stock assessments and fisheries management. These surveying advances have included the development and application of baited remote underwater videos (BRUV’s) as a non-extractive, minimally

Decisions related to the development and implementation of management strategies for data limited endangered and invasive species can be hampered by critical uncertainties (i.e., those that limit decision-making), including a lack of information about distribution, population dynamics and species interactions. Structured decision making and adaptive management approaches that develop and

Management of introduced and invasive species continually adapts to minimize ecological impacts and economic losses. The Introduced and Invasive Species Section welcomes submissions on a broad range of topics related to introduced, non-native, and invasive species management. Talks in this symposium will explore new techniques and examine strategies related to

This symposium provides a forum to share research across geographical regions related to control of the four invasive carp species. Of particular interest is work that can be applied in different geographic regions to combat the spread of these fishes. This includes field control strategies, barriers, modeling and any other

The waters of the Mississippi River Basin (Basin) annually provide more than $19 billion of recreational fishing value. This economic value derives in part from species that require Basin habitats managed by two or more government agencies, including tribal governments. These “interjurisdictional fishes” require cooperation at multiple levels of government

The Clean Water Act supports a variety of designated uses, fisheries are one of the most pronounced in terms of their ecological and socio-economic value.  Therefore, administrators of the Clean Water Act have an interest in enumerating linkages necessary to mend water quality habitat models (e.g. TMDLs) with commercial, recreational,

The  important of the rivers in respect to fishing farming and how it benefits the community, innovative ways of preservation of the fish. Supported by: Talent Upgrade Global Concept Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation Organizers: Michael Oke, Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, [email protected]

For generations, management practices prioritizing game fisheries have been detrimental to native, traditionally-nongame fishes in the United States. The expansion of new fishing techniques such as bowfishing and others in addition to new life history research on native fishes warrants a reappraisal for sustainability. Fundamental challenges to sustainability include lack

Sturgeon and Paddlefish possess life history characteristics that pose both challenges and advantages to management in the face of anthropogenically-mediated ecosystem perturbations. These species are iteroparous and highly fecund, but exhibit delayed sexual maturity and long generation lengths which effectively slow the rate of genetic adaptation in response to changed

U.S. offshore wind development is expected to create 30 gigawatts of generation capacity by 2030, requiring more than 2,000 turbines on fixed or floating foundations. Commercial-scale leasing activity in U.S. waters has included 23 lease areas in the Atlantic and five in the Pacific, with two projects currently under construction.

The NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (Fisheries) National Program Office for EEO and Diversity, is honored to bring back the Ready, Set, Hire Symposium.  This session is an open forum for students and professionals to engage with NOAA professionals about obtaining employment within the fisheries and wildlife traditional and non-traditional

Walleye Sander vitreus is one of the most sought after game fishes in North America. Walleye management goals differ dramatically among waterbodies and regions, from restoration efforts in its native range to support of put-and-take recreational fisheries and invasive species control elsewhere. This session will focus on research that is

Natural Resource agencies across North America are driven by mission statements to conserve, protect, and manage natural and cultural resources for current and future generations, but it’s not uncommon to own infrastructure, like dams, that may conflict with that mission. While the original intents for these dams may have included

This symposium provides an overview of soft skills and navigating the early career ladder that improve young professionals’ ability to establish themselves in the fisheries field. Presentations on how-tos, tips and tricks, and personal experiences will be given by fisheries professionals. These presentations may include networking, time management, public speaking,

Variability in abiotic conditions such as light, nutrients, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and precipitation drive differences in resource availability in time and space. Seasonality is a common temporal driver of food-web structure and function, while habitat heterogeneity influences food-webs by creating spatial resource asynchronies. At larger time scales, important interannual variation

Recruitment and retention of new fisheries professionals is an issue affecting all levels and units of AFS. This symposium was created by Students and Early Career Professionals (S&ECP) with the goal of creating a space where S&ECP individuals may feel comfortable and open to exercise their voices. This symposium has

While otolith techniques are well-accepted and broadly used in fisheries studies, less is known about the causes of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystallographic diversity in otoliths and how this diversity can impact results and data interpretation. These forms of CaCO3 have different crystal structures, that is, the chemical formula for all

Fisheries are as essential to the African American/Black experience as they are to, Indigenous; Asian; European; Hispanic; Latin and other Americans. ‘We Are Not Adjacent to Nature We Are Part of It’ – will explore fisheries in the context of African American/Black experiences, worldviews, perspectives, relationships, and narratives of survival,

Every US state receives federal funding for fisheries management in the form of Sportfish Restoration Act money and these funds must be used for fisheries management activities that are limited in scope by being only focused on sportfish. This often leaves the understanding of the entire community or other non-game