Geology topics

Danielle Frechette

Publications and source records attributed to Danielle Frechette.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Agency approach to allocation of human capital and program composition for human-marine mammal interaction management in the United States

Introduction: Marine mammals have served important and diverse roles throughout human history. Once exploited to near extinction, many species in the United States (U.S.) have recovered dramatically under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has jurisdiction to administer the MMPA for cetaceans and most pinnipeds. While most take is now prohibited, NMFS still dedicates significant time and resources to protecting and conserving marine mammals. As human populations continue to grow and exploit marine environments, opportunities for human-marine mammal interactions (HMMI) have increased. Resources may fail to keep up with growing needs for conservation investments, so that many agencies struggle to adequately meet social and legal requirements. Methods: This study evaluated NMFS’ approach to addressing HMMI through a mixed-methods (semi-structured interviews, quantitative questionnaire, and facilitated workshops) expert elicitation analysis of resource allocation (i.e., staff time) and priorities of NMFS Science Center (SC) and Regional Office (RO) staff across five geographic regions to understand how employee time is allocated, the degree to which employee time allocation is aligned with self-reported job descriptions, and employee perceptions of actions or investments which would improve their ability to mitigate HMMI. Results and Discussion: SC staff reported spending more time on Biological and Administrative tasks , while RO staff allocated more time to Policy, Social science , and Outreach tasks . SC employees spent less time on Biological tasks than specified by their perceived job descriptions, suggesting resource constraints. Participants identified Biological research and monitoring as top priorities, followed by Policy tasks . Identified actions included increasing research capacity, enhancing enforcement, expanding social science expertise, and improving outreach programs. The study reveals mismatches between mandated activities and available resources, suggesting strategic reallocation or increased funding may benefit the agency in effectively addressing growing HMMI challenges.

Frontiers in Marine Science↗

USGS2026

Is new actually better? A structural comparison of collaborative governance structures for the management of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Maine

Collaborative governance structures (CGS) have been increasingly adopted to address joint-jurisdictional management challenges. While the establishment of CGSs has been widely studied, their practical development has remained a conspicuous gap. CGSs are variable systems with several developmental stages (activation, collectivity, and institutionalization) which eventually lead to stabilization, decline, re-creation, or re-orientation. CGSs in decline may need to revisit earlier developmental stages if members choose to re-create or re-orient the structure. The Atlantic Salmon Recovery Framework (ASRF) was the CGS responsible for managing the Gulf of Maine Distinct Population Segment of Atlantic Salmon ( Salmo salar ) from 2011 until 2019 when it was replaced by the Collaborative Management Strategy (CMS) pilot program. The CMS was designed to address concerns identified in the ASRF; 1. slow and ineffective decision-making, 2. confusion surrounding leadership, and 3. low adaptive capacity. Building upon a previous evaluation of the ASRF, we used a parallel design to compare the structural components and participant perceptions of the two structures using a comparative case study methodology. The changes that occurred between the ASRF and the CMS constitute a re-creation, providing a unique opportunity to study this developmental phase of a CGS. The issues observed in the CMS may result from a misalignment between participant expectations and the current developmental stage of the re-created CGS. The CMS reorganized ASRF members and created roles for participants without direct management jurisdiction. The implementation of the CMS addressed many concerns identified in the ASRF while others remained (i.e., high membership uncertainty and confusion surrounding decision-making procedures). Formal leadership roles have created more equal representation, but participants still reported uncertainty regarding status and formalization of non-leadership roles.

Maine↗

USGS2025

Postrelease movements of captive-reared adult Atlantic Salmon in two Maine rivers

Objective Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar remain at critically low levels in the United States, with the last remaining populations located in the state of Maine. In 2021, a pilot captive-rearing program, similar to a smolt-to-adult supplementation, was implemented to boost naturally spawning adults in support of recovery goals. Methods We conducted a 2-year acoustic telemetry study to track a subset of captive-reared salmon ( N = 270) that were released into the Penobscot and Machias rivers. We evaluated their postrelease movement patterns, dam passage, and site fidelity between the two rivers, years, and seasons. Results Atlantic Salmon that were released into the Penobscot River tended to overwinter, but their movement patterns varied between release years. In contrast, the Atlantic Salmon that were released into the Machias River were more likely to move directly downstream to the river exit. In addition, the fish that were released into the dammed Penobscot River frequently made multiple attempts to pass dams in both directions, often with passage delays and failures. Atlantic Salmon that were released during the summer displayed more exploratory movements than those that were released in the fall. Most Atlantic Salmon either left the river shortly after release (5–30 d) or the following spring (>120 d). Site fidelity was greater for the fall-released Atlantic Salmon (76%) than for the summer-released Atlantic Salmon (23%). Conclusions Overall, releasing salmon in the fall as sexually mature adults may increase site fidelity to the release reach, thereby enhancing the chances of successfully spawning in the wild.

Maine↗

USGS2023

Adult Sea Lamprey approach and passage at the Milford Dam fishway, Penobscot River, Maine, United States

Objective Sea Lamprey Petromyzon marinus provide important ecological services within their native range, such as nutrient cycling, and can also act as a prey source for other species. Adult Sea Lamprey must access freshwater rivers to spawn, and because of this they are susceptible to changes in river connectivity. Human-made structures, such as dams, can exclude them from usable habitat. Sea Lamprey dam passage has not been extensively studied in Maine, despite Maine being within the native range of this species. The goals of this study were to evaluate upstream passage efficiency at the Milford Dam on the Penobscot River, Maine, and to provide comprehensive information about adult Sea Lamprey passage at five other dams throughout the Penobscot River watershed. Methods In 2020–2021 we captured and tagged 150 Sea Lamprey at the Milford Dam, the lowest dam in the Penobscot River, Maine, and displaced them downstream to assess passage efficiency at this dam and five upstream dams. In 2020, 50 Sea Lamprey were released on the east shore of the river downstream of Milford Dam; in 2021, the east shore release was repeated with an additional 50 fish and another 50 fish were released on the west shore. Result Between 70–82% of Sea Lamprey were observed passing Milford Dam again after mean delay times of 9–11 days. The release location did not affect dam passage success or the amount of time that was required to locate and use the passage structures. Sea Lampreys from both release groups were equally likely to approach the entrance to the fishway upon returning to Milford Dam, despite the fishway being located against the eastern shore of the river. However, high flows shortly after release may have resulted in higher attraction to the fishway in 2020. Passage success at dams upstream of Milford was highly variable. All Sea Lamprey were able to successfully navigate past West Enfield Dam (100% passage, n = 63), whereas Brownsmill Dam apparently acted as a complete barrier to further migration (0% passage, n = 7). Fish from all years and release groups together had a median upstream migration distance of 38.8 km after fish had passed Milford Dam, and a maximum observed upstream travel distance of approximately 100 km, indicating that most tagged Sea Lamprey ended their migration in the vicinity of a dam. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that Sea Lamprey have high passage efficiency at the Milford Dam and highlight areas within the Penobscot River basin—such as the Brownsmill Dam—where passage facilities are currently inadequate for Sea Lamprey.

Maine↗