Geology topics

Mark W. Rogers

Publications and source records attributed to Mark W. Rogers.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2025

Silver Carp passage at three locks and dams on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers from 2016–2019

Bigheaded carps (i.e., Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Bighead Carp H. nobilis ) are non-native species that continue to expand their ranges throughout North American river systems, including the Tennessee and Cumberland river systems in the southeastern United States. These species are known to have deleterious effects on native fishes. Management efforts have focused on reducing upstream passage at dams coupled with intensive removal of individuals occupying upstream reaches. Understanding mechanisms affecting the success of upstream fish passage through lock chambers is critical to determining immigration rates into upstream habitats, the likelihood of success for upstream removal efforts, and potential effects of upstream passage reduction using deterrents. We used acoustic telemetry to examine the timing of Silver Carp upstream and downstream dam passages, patterns of fish movement throughout the river systems, and the relationship between fish size and upstream passage through the lock chamber. During 2016–2019, 465 Silver Carp were surgically implanted with transmitters within the two river systems. We documented 37 upstream passages and 57 downstream passages of Barkley, Kentucky, and Pickwick dams. During the two years in which dam passages were observed, most upstream dam passages (89%) occurred during April–August when water temperature ranged from 12–31°C. Most downstream passages (89%) occurred from late-February through July. The relatively small portion of Silver Carp tagged in Pickwick Lake (11% of total tagged), the uppermost reach of the study area, accounted for nearly two-thirds of all dam passages. Our findings may help managers model Silver Carp populations and inform decisions regarding fish deterrent placement and operation.

Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi↗

USGS2025

Looking for Lazarus: Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance of the federally threatened Slender Chub (Erimystax cahini) in the Clinch and Powell Rivers

Erimystax cahni (Slender Chub) is a federally threatened fish native to the Powell, Clinch, and lower Holston rivers of Tennessee and Virginia. No individuals have been captured or reported for over 2 decades. We developed a species-specific environmental DNA (eDNA) assay to survey for its presence throughout its native distribution in new and historical sites. We detected Slender Chub eDNA in both the Powell and Clinch rivers in 3 of 43 sites sampled during summer 2022. The presence of live individuals could not be confirmed, and the detection of positive eDNA matches could result from pure individuals or hybrids. Note that positive eDNA matches do not preclude the presence of hybrid individuals; however, they can help guide managers to intensively sample areas with conventional methods (e.g., snorkeling and seining), which could improve the probability of capture of living individuals.

Kentucky, Tennessee↗

USGS2024

Environmental DNA reveals invasion of Puerto Rican waterways by non-native Clarias catfish

The Sharptooth walking catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ) is native to parts of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa but is one of the world's most invasive freshwater fish species. The species’ ability to invade is partly due to its ability to breathe atmospheric oxygen, thereby avoiding hypoxia or poor water quality in receiving waterbodies; further, it can crawl over moist land to disperse to new systems. In 2018, two individuals purported to be Sharptooth walking catfish were collected and identified within the Canal de Patillas, a canal in the Guayama municipality in southeastern Puerto Rico. Several other specimens were also collected the following year. Given that this invasion was in its infancy, environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance was employed as a rapid and efficient surveillance tool to help delineate the extent of this invasion. Water samples were collected and analyzed for Clarias eDNA from 66 sites encompassing a wide range of habitats in canals, lakes, and a river surrounding the area where they were first reported. Using eDNA-metabarcoding, we detected Clarias eDNA at 40 of the 63 sites throughout the sampled waterbodies. Furthermore, our molecular analysis indicated that the Whitespotted Clarias ( C. fuscus ) is the likely invader, and the original specimens, classified as C. gariepinus , were misidentified based on the use of morphological rather than genetic features for species classification. Environmental DNA surveillance indicated that the distribution of Clarias catfish in this system is substantially more extensive than previously documented. These findings suggest that additional survey efforts could help determine the invasion's full spatial extent and leading edge to inform the scope and scale of any potential management responses.

Puerto Rico↗

USGS2024

Environmental DNA (eDNA) surveillance of the federally threatened Slender Chub (Erimystax cahni) in the Clinch River and Powell River

The slender chub ( Erimystax cahni ) is a federally threatened fish native to and geographically restricted to eastern North America. More specifically, the Powell, Clinch, and lower Holston Rivers in Tennessee were historical collection areas. Habitat degradation from multiple sources, including surface mining, agriculture, dams, and urbanization, is associated with the decline of this species - an obligate inhabitant of gravel shoals in large rivers. As of 1964, only 15 voucher specimens were known and no living specimens were documented for decades. A federal recovery plan and Species Status Assessment were developed to determine if slender chub still exists and could be restored. Given the lack of recent observations using conventional sampling to search for its presence, we used environmental DNA sampling to determine their potential presence. Our specific objectives were to (1) develop a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay aimed at species-specific detection and (2) sample historically known areas of collection. We sampled 43 sites in the Clinch and Powell Rivers. For the first time in almost two decades, we provide evidence for the continued existence of a putatively extinct species. We detected evidence of E. cahni in both the Clinch and Powell Rivers, but only at a few sites. We cannot confirm the presence of E. cahni , and positive eDNA matches could be attributed to amplification from a hybrid. Our results do indicate slender chub DNA perseveres in the Clinch and Powell Rivers and can inform resource agencies of localities to pursue on-the-ground searches for the slender chub with conventional methods (e.g., snorkeling) and potential restoration and recovery sites.

Tennessee, Virginia↗

USGS2022

Bright spots for inland fish and fisheries to guide future hydropower development

Hydropower production is one of the greatest threats to fluvial ecosystems and freshwater biodiversity. Now that we have entered the Anthropocene , there is an opportunity to reflect on what might constitute a ‘sustainable’ Anthropocene in the context of hydropower and riverine fish populations. Considering elements of existing practices that promote favorable social-ecological outcomes (i.e., ‘bright spots’) is timely given that there are plans to expand hydropower capacity in previously undammed rivers, intensify dam development in some of the world's largest river systems, and re-license existing facilities. We approach this from a pragmatic perspective: for the foreseeable future, hydropower will likely remain an important source of renewable electricity. To offer support for moving toward a more ‘sustainable’ Anthropocene, we provide syntheses of best practices during the siting, design, construction, operation, and compensation phases of hydropower development to minimize impacts on inland fish. For each phase, we offer positive examples (or what might be considered ‘bright spots’) pertaining to some of the approaches described within our syntheses, acknowledging that these projects may not be viewed as without ecological and (or) societal detriment by all stakeholders. Our findings underscore the importance of protecting critical habitat and free-flowing river reaches through careful site selection and basin-scale planning, infrastructure designs that minimize reservoir effects and facilitate safe passage of fish, construction of hydropower plants using best practices that minimize long-term damage, operating guidelines that mimic natural flow conditions, and compensation that is lasting, effective, inclusive, and locally relevant. Learning from these ‘bright spots’ may require engagement of diverse stakeholders, professionals, and governments at scales that extend well beyond a given site, river, or even basin. Indeed, environmental planning that integrates hydropower development into broader discussions of conserving regional biodiversity and ecosystem services will be of utmost importance.

Water Biology and Security↗

USGS2021

The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat): Development, applications, and opportunities

Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure-driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular pastime in the USA. State natural resource agencies endeavor to provide high-quality and sustainable fishing opportunities for anglers. Managers often use creel and other angler survey data to inform state- and waterbody-level management efforts. Despite the broad implementation of angler surveys and their importance to fisheries management at state scales, regional and national coordination among these activities is minimal, limiting data applicability for larger-scale management practices and research. Here, we introduce the U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat), a first-of-its-kind, publicly available national database of angler survey data that establishes a baseline of national inland recreational fishing metrics. We highlight research and management applications to help support sustainable inland recreational fishing practices, consider cautions, and make recommendations for implementation.

Fisheries Magazine↗

USGS2021

Decision analysis of barrier placement and targeted removal to control invasive carp in the Tennessee River Basin

Controlling range expansion of invasive carp (specifically Hypophthalmichthys spp.) on the Tennessee River is important to conserve the ecological and economic benefits provided by the river. We collaborated with State and Federal agencies (the stakeholder group) to develop a decision framework and decision support model to evaluate strategies to control carp expansion in the Tennessee River. Using this decision framework, we assessed the efficacy of various barrier strategies (technologies and locations) on reducing bigheaded carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis [bighead carp] and Hypophthalmichthys molitrix [silver carp]) relative abundance under different patterns and magnitudes of population growth and movement. We also assessed whether or not these strategies induced tradeoffs between reducing bigheaded carp relative abundance and other considerations for public satisfaction, effects on lock operation, and native species. For the purpose of comparing options to control carp in a quantitative framework, we codeveloped a carp population dynamics model with the stakeholder group. We then used the model to compare invasive carp management options within the Tennessee River system. The actions we considered included barrier placement at lock and dam systems and targeted removal through harvest, which were believed to impede upstream carp spread and establishment. To account for the uncertainty in carp population growth and movement rates, the group developed four population models that varied in the underlying population dynamics and population growth rates. The models affected population growth through either the stock-recruitment relation or intrinsic density-dependent growth rate. We then tasked the stakeholder group to test various strategies using the model. We then developed a more formal optimization framework and solved for strategies that performed well under scenarios of barrier effectiveness, movement rate, recruitment frequency, fishing mortality, and variation in population growth rate. The results of our qualitative and quantitative analyses indicated that strategies designed to first protect reservoirs just above the leading edge of carp invasion by installing barriers and removing fish below that point would perform best; however, this depended on barrier effectiveness. When barrier effectiveness was high, simply cutting off the presumed source of carp and blocking the leading the edge was enough to stop carp invasion; however, lower effectiveness meant that more barriers would be needed to slow, but not completely stop, carp invasion. We discuss what these findings mean in terms of future monitoring and management efforts to reduce the potential for expanding carp invasion.

Kentucky↗

USGS2020

Trends in inland commercial fisheries in the United States

Inland fisheries, defined as finfish caught in lakes, rivers, and other water bodies, provide economic value and a source of protein at local and international levels. However, no comprehensive compilation of U.S. inland commercial fisheries exists. We sought to obtain data across all 50 states during 1990–2015 and noted a small, but significant, decline in harvest. The minimum harvest averaged 41,427 tonnes during 2009–2015 and peaked in 1995 with a minimum harvest of 49,951 tonnes. During 2009–2015, harvest and taxonomic composition varied regionally: eastern interior (the highest regional harvest, dominated by coregonines and carp), western interior (carp and Clupeidae), Gulf (catfish and Clupeidae), Pacific (salmonines), and Atlantic (the lowest regional harvest, dominated by catfish and Clupeidae). Our data compilation of commercial landings was more than double the current limited national inland harvest statistics, which might be indicative of an under appreciation for the value of inland fisheries that can have consequences when policy decisions are made regarding competing sectors for water usage.

Fisheries Magazine↗

USGS2020

Effects of climate and land-use changes on fish catches across lakes at a global scale

Globally, our knowledge on lake fisheries is still limited despite their importance to food security and livelihoods. Here we show that fish catches can respond either positively or negatively to climate and land-use changes, by analyzing time-series data (1970–2014) for 31 lakes across five continents. We find that effects of a climate or land-use driver (e.g., air temperature) on lake environment could be relatively consistent in directions, but consequential changes in a lake-environmental factor (e.g., water temperature) could result in either increases or decreases in fish catch in a given lake. A subsequent correlation analysis indicates that reductions in fish catch was less likely to occur in response to potential climate and land-use changes if a lake is located in a region with greater access to clean water. This finding suggests that adequate investments for water-quality protection and water-use efficiency can provide additional benefits to lake fisheries and food security.

Nature Communications↗

USGS2020

InFish: A professional network to promote global conservation and responsible use of inland fish

Inland fishes and fisheries make substantial contributions to individuals, society, and the environment in a changing global landscape that includes climate, water allocations, and societal changes. However, current limitations to valuing the services provided by inland fish and their fisheries often leaves them out of key decision‐making discussions. InFish is a voluntary professional network with over 120 members from over 50 organizations in over 20 countries that seeks to address challenges facing inland fish through novel approaches and international collaborations. InFish fosters opportunities to share knowledge, pursue proposals, publications, and conference‐related events focused on inland fisheries. InFish has become a source of inland fisheries expertise, working collectively towards global conservation and sustainable use of inland fish through informing scientifically sound management practices. As such, InFish may serve as a model network for other natural resource challenges now and into the future.

Fisheries Magazine↗

USGS2020

The geometry of reaction norms yields insights on classical fitness functions for Great Lakes salmon

Life history theory examines how characteristics of organisms, such as age and size at maturity, may vary through natural selection as evolutionary responses that optimize fitness. Here we ask how predictions of age and size at maturity differ for the three classical fitness functions–intrinsic rate of natural increase r , net reproductive rate R 0 , and reproductive value V x −for semelparous species. We show that different choices of fitness functions can lead to very different predictions of species behavior. In one’s efforts to understand an organism’s behavior and to develop effective conservation and management policies, the choice of fitness function matters. The central ingredient of our approach is the maturation reaction norm (MRN), which describes how optimal age and size at maturation vary with growth rate or mortality rate. We develop a practical geometric construction of MRNs that allows us to include different growth functions (linear growth and nonlinear von Bertalanffy growth in length) and develop two-dimensional MRNs useful for quantifying growth-mortality trade-offs. We relate our approach to Beverton-Holt life history invariants and to the Stearns-Koella categorization of MRNs. We conclude with a detailed discussion of life history parameters for Great Lakes Chinook Salmon and demonstrate that age and size at maturity are consistent with predictions using R 0 (but not r or V x ) as the underlying fitness function.

Great Lakes↗

USGS2019

Quantifying contributions to tournament catches among resident, stocked, and hybrid black basses (Micropterus spp.)

Millions of Florida bass, Micropterus floridanus Lesueur, are stocked annually into populations of largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides Lacepède, to increase trophy fish abundance. However, little effort has related the role that resultant hybrids make to angler catches. Largemouth bass were sampled from an important recreational fishery subject to extensive Florida bass stocking to address the hypothesis that anglers capture Florida bass, largemouth bass and hybrids at rates equivalent to their overall abundance in the population. Fin clips obtained from tournament angling events ( n = 348) and boat-mounted electrofishing sampling ( n = 219) were screened at 38 species-diagnostic markers and individuals were assigned to genealogical classes using Bayesian clustering algorithms. No significant differences were identified between angler and electrofishing catches providing evidence that hybridised individuals stemming from a long-term stocking programme may constitute an important contribution to tournament angling catch.

Tennessee↗

USGS2019

A statewide evaluation of Florida Bass genetic introgression in Tennessee

Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) are one of the most popular freshwater sport fish in the United States and managers in southeastern states have stocked the Florida Bass (M. s. floridanus) subspecies outside of its natural range to increase size structure of existing Largemouth Bass populations. In Tennessee, fisheries for Largemouth Bass are concentrated in reservoirs of the Cumberland and Tennessee River systems; however, Florida Bass stockings have to date been restricted to two reservoirs of the Tennessee River and have varied significantly in extent and duration. We quantified levels of genetic admixture between Florida Bass and Largemouth Bass using 38 species-diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms for 979 fish sampled from 14 reservoirs from the Cumberland and Tennessee River systems. We tested for differences in genetic admixture across river systems and evaluated the relative importance of fish stockings in explaining observed levels of genetic admixture. Levels of genetic admixture and associated variation was higher in reservoirs of the Tennessee River (range = 6.3 – 30.4 average percent Florida Bass alleles) relative to the Cumberland River (range = 5.7 – 13.4 %), but admixture was not solely related to stocking rates. The highest levels of Florida Bass introgression were detected in Chickamauga Reservoir, the most extensively stocked reservoir in the state. Linear models identified fish stocked as a significant overall predictor of admixture, but we also observed stocked and unstocked reservoirs with similar levels of admixture, suggesting factors other than stocking influence population genetics. Our statewide assessment of reservoir-level patterns of hybridization among black bass was performed prior to the recent expansion of Florida Bass stocking efforts in Tennessee, and thus, represents a baseline for evaluating future stocking.

Tennessee↗

USGS2019

Seasonal trophic variation of yellow perch exceeds spatial variation in a large lake basin

Trophic structuring of complex food webs may vary at multiple spatial and temporal scales, both in terms of direct trophic connections and underlying energy pathways that support production. In large freshwater systems, the prey and primary producers that support individual higher-order consumers may vary across seasons and habitats due to differences in food availability, predator consumption patterns, seasonal succession of organisms at lower trophic levels, and heterogeneous nutrient inputs. We examined spatial and temporal variation in stomach contents, fatty acids, and stable isotopes of yellow perch ( Perca flavescens ) across seasons and across sites spanning approximately 200 km in Lake Erie's Central Basin (LECB). Stomach contents provided a short-term index of trophic patterns, while biochemical markers (fatty acids and stable isotopes) provided a more temporally integrated description of underlying energy pathways and trophic links. We found limited spatial variation of biochemical indicators and documented seasonal variation for all three trophic indicators, especially fatty acid profiles. Differences in stomach contents were driven by relative chironomid consumption, the most abundant prey resource, while fatty acid profiles were predominantly influenced by seasonal fluctuations in C22:6n-3 (DHA). Seasonal trends were evident in δ 13 C and δ 15 N; however, they varied within a narrow range of values. Our findings suggest that adult yellow perch in LECB showed little differentiation in resource use across space in 2014, but their diets and biochemical compositions varied seasonally.

Ohio↗

USGS2018

Assessing the influence of watershed characteristics on chlorophyll a in waterbodies at global and regional scales

Prediction of primary production of lentic water bodies (i.e., lakes and reservoirs) is valuable to researchers and resource managers alike, but is very rarely done at the global scale. With the development of remote sensing technologies, it is now feasible to gather large amounts of data across the world, including understudied and remote regions. To determine which factors were most important in explaining the variation of chlorophyll a (Chl- a ), an indicator of primary production in water bodies, at global and regional scales, we first developed a geospatial database of 227 water bodies and watersheds with corresponding Chl- a , nutrient, hydrogeomorphic, and climate data. Then we used a generalized additive modeling approach and developed model selection criteria to select models that most parsimoniously related Chl- a to predictor variables for all 227 water bodies and for 51 lakes in the Laurentian Great Lakes region in the data set. Our best global model contained two hydrogeomorphic variables (water body surface area and the ratio of watershed to water body surface area) and a climate variable (average temperature in the warmest model selection criteria to select models that most parsimoniously related Chl- a to predictor variables quarter) and explained ~ 30% of variation in Chl- a . Our regional model contained one hydrogeomorphic variable (flow accumulation) and the same climate variable, but explained substantially more variation (58%). Our results indicate that a regional approach to watershed modeling may be more informative to predicting Chl- a , and that nearly a third of global variability in Chl- a may be explained using hydrogeomorphic and climate variables.

Inland Waters↗

USGS2017

Evaluating stocking efficacy in an ecosystem undergoing oligotrophication

Oligotrophication has negatively affected fisheries production in many freshwater ecosystems and could conceivably reduce the efficacy of stockings used to enhance fisheries. In Lake Michigan, offshore oligotrophication has occurred since the 1970s, owing to reductions in total phosphorus (TP) inputs and nearshore sequestration of TP by nonindigenous dreissenid mussels. We evaluated simultaneous effects of stock enhancement and oligotrophication on salmonine species (Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha , lake trout Salvelinus namaycush , and steelhead O. mykiss ) that support valuable recreational fisheries. We employed a novel application of an Ecopath with Ecosim model by conducting a full factorial simulation experiment. Our design included multiple levels of salmonine stocking, consumption by invasive quagga mussels ( Dreissena bugensis ), and TP that were informed by manager interests. Under all levels of TP and quagga mussel consumption, our results showed that stock enhancement could still increase salmonine biomass, but positive responses were stronger for lake trout and steelhead than Chinook salmon. Simulations showed that quagga mussel consumption has deleterious effects on pelagic-oriented prey fishes and Chinook salmon, which feed almost exclusively on the pelagic-oriented alewife ( Alosa pseudoharengus ). In summary, results from our simulation experiment suggested that lake trout and steelhead are better suited to the current ecosystem than Chinook salmon, and therefore, stock enhancement provides the highest gains for these two species. Furthermore, simulated biomass of all recreational salmonine species increased with increasing TP, indicating the need for managers to consider how potential future oligotrophication will limit the carrying capacity of salmonine biomass in Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan↗

USGS2017

The contribution of lakes to global inland fisheries harvest

Freshwater ecosystems provide numerous services for communities worldwide, including irrigation, hydropower, and municipal water; however, the services provided by inland fisheries – nourishment, employment, and recreational opportunities – are often comparatively undervalued. We provide an independent estimate of global lake harvest to improve biological and socioeconomic assessments of inland fisheries. On the basis of satellite-derived estimates of chlorophyll concentration from 80,012 globally distributed lakes, lake-specific fishing effort based on human population, and output from a Bayesian hierarchical model, we estimated that the global lake fishery harvest in the year 2011 was 8.4 million tons (mt). Our calculations excluded harvests from highly productive rivers, wetlands, and very small lakes; therefore, the true cumulative global fishery harvest from all freshwater sources likely exceeded 11 mt as reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). This putative underestimate by the FAO could diminish the perceived importance of inland fisheries and perpetuate decisions that adversely affect these fisheries and millions of people.

Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment↗

USGS2017

Grand challenges in the management and conservation of North American inland fishes and fisheries

Even with long-standing management and extensive science support, North American inland fish and fisheries still face many conservation and management challenges. We used a grand challenges approach to identify critical roadblocks that if removed would help solve important problems in the management and long-term conservation of North American inland fish and fisheries. We identified seven grand challenges within three themes (valuation, governance, and externalities) and 34 research needs and management actions. The major themes identified are to (1) raise awareness of diverse values associated with inland fish and fisheries, (2) govern inland fish and fisheries to satisfy multiple use and conservation objectives, and (3) ensure productive inland fisheries given nonfishing sector externalities. Addressing these grand challenges will help the broader community understand the diverse values of inland fish and fisheries, promote open forums for engagement of diverse stakeholders in fisheries management, and better integrate the inland fish sector into the greater water and land use policy process.

Fisheries↗