Geology topics

Matthew E. Altenritter

Publications and source records attributed to Matthew E. Altenritter.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2025

Movement characterizations of stocked juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) within the Genesee River, NY

Knowledge of the movements of post-stocked juvenile lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ) within and beyond the Genesee River of New York is limited. Describing lake sturgeon post-stocking movements could further the understanding of population structure and the delineation of nursery habitat. This project aimed to characterize the movements of juvenile sturgeon by tagging and tracking 69 age-0 + and 30 sub-adult lake sturgeon with acoustic transmitters from 2019 to 2021. Habitat use was disproportionate between the two life stages of juvenile sturgeon; age-0 + lake sturgeon primarily inhabited the upper reaches of the Genesee River, while sub-adults primarily utilized the lower dredged reaches of the Genesee River and the embayment outside of the river. A lower proportion of age-0 + lake sturgeon left the Genesee River relative to sub-adults, with seven sub-adult sturgeon (23.3 % of all tagged) moving to new habitats over 100 km away. Water temperature, discharge, and dissolved oxygen concentrations best predicted lake sturgeon movement within the river. These results indicate that the Genesee River is serving as a nursery habitat for juvenile lake sturgeon and that connectivity exists among the river, nearshore Lake Ontario habitats, and other tributaries. Such information is important when considering that management efforts for this species are commonly uniform across a system, while our results suggest a broader metapopulation framework may be relevant.

New York↗

USGS2025

Using complementary biomarkers to unravel fish lifetime exposure to hypoxia and mercury

Aquatic ecosystems are losing oxygen due to climate change. This deoxygenation can favor microbial methylation of mercury (Hg). To understand the dynamics of Hg under increasing deoxygenation, we simultaneously quantified both Hg and hypoxia (< 2 mg O2/L) lifetime chronologies in fishes. We used a novel combination of chemical biomarkers in ear stones and eye lenses. We compared these markers in two species with different life histories, benthic Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) and semi-demersal Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens), from two connected ecosystems with different levels of hypoxia: the Central Basin of Lake Erie and the less hypoxic but more polluted Western Basin. Overall, Central Basin Round Goby were exposed to hypoxia throughout their lifetime and exhibited significantly elevated eye lens Hg concentrations ([Hg]) compared to their Western Basin counterparts. In contrast, the Central Basin Yellow Perch were exposed to hypoxia only at their juvenile stage. Central Basin Yellow Perch exhibited significantly lower eye lens [Hg] compared to their Western Basin counterparts. Patterns revealed by eye lens [Hg] were not detectable in muscle tissue [Hg]. Findings show that exposure to hypoxia can alter fish lifetime Hg accumulation patterns, with species-specific outcomes.

central and western basins of Lake Erie↗

USGS2025

Emigration probabilities and survival estimates of stocked juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) within the Genesee River, NY

Knowledge of juvenile lake sturgeon ( Acipenser fulvescens ) survival is important both to understanding changes in population abundance and for assessing the efficacy of management practices like stocking. High mortality rates of juvenile fish are partially mitigated by stocking hatchery-raised individuals; however, survival of post-stocked lake sturgeon remains lower compared to survival at older life stages. In this study, acoustic telemetry data from 69 age-0+ (weight: = 29 g, range = 2–41 g; length: = 198 mm, range = 176–223 mm) and 30 sub-adults (weight: = 2144 g, range = 1100–7020 g; length: = 751 mm, range = 605–1020 mm) tagged in the fall of 2019 and 2020 were utilized to construct a multi-state model used to estimate both survival and spatial transitions between the Genesee River and Lake Ontario. Sub-adults (approximate ages: 4–7 years) had estimated survival rates exceeding 88 % in both the Genesee River and Lake Ontario. Age-0+ lake sturgeon displayed much lower survival rates that ranged between 31 % (Lake Ontario) and 77 % (Genesee River). Both age-0+ and sub-adults lake sturgeon were most likely to leave the Genesee River in the fall and winter months, while being most likely to return in the spring and summer months. The approach used in this study to estimate survival is hypothesized to have led to higher survival estimates than traditional Capture-Mark-Recapture (CMR) derived estimates as a result of accounting for emigration from the Genesee River.

New York↗

USGS2018

Understanding the basis of shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) partial migration in the Gulf of Maine

Movement of shortnose sturgeon ( Acipenser brevirostrum ) among major river systems in the Gulf of Maine is common and has implications for the management of this endangered species. Directed movements of 61 telemetered individuals monitored between 2010 and 2013 were associated with the river of tagging and individual characteristics. While a small proportion of fish tagged in the Kennebec River moved to the Penobscot River (5%), a much higher proportion of fish tagged in the Penobscot River moved to the Kennebec River (66%), during probable spawning windows. This suggests that Penobscot River fish derive from a migratory contingent within a larger Kennebec River population. Despite this connectivity, fish captured in the Penobscot River were larger (∼100 mm fork length) and had higher condition factors (median Fulton’s K : 0.76) than those captured in the Kennebec River (median Fulton’s K : 0.61). Increased abundance and resource limitation in the Kennebec River may be constraining growth and promoting migration to the Penobscot River by individuals with sufficient initial size and condition. Migrants could experience an adaptive reproductive advantage relative to nonmigratory individuals.

Maine↗

USGS2015

Assessing dorsal scute microchemistry for reconstruction of shortnose sturgeon life histories

The imperiled status of sturgeons worldwide places priority on the identification and protection of critical habitats. We assessed the micro-structural and micro-chemical scope for a novel calcified structure, dorsal scutes, to be used for reconstruction of past habitat use and group separation in shortnose sturgeon ( Acipenser brevirostrum ). Dorsal scutes contained a dual-layered structure composed of a thin multi-layered translucent zone lying dorsally above a thicker multi-layered zone. Banding in the thick multi-layered zone correlated strongly with pectoral fin spine annuli supporting the presence of chronological structuring that could contain a chemical record of past environmental exposure. Trace element profiles (Sr:Ca), collected using both wavelength dispersive electron microprobe analysis and laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry, suggest scutes record elemental information useful for tracing transitions between freshwater and marine environments. Moreover, mirror-image like Sr:Ca profiles were observed across the dual-zone structuring of the scute that may indicate duplication of the microchemical profile in a single structure. Additional element:calcium ratios measured in natal regions of dorsal scutes (Ba:Ca, Mg:Ca) suggest the potential for further refinement of techniques for identification of river systems of natal origin. In combination, our results provide proof of concept that dorsal scutes possess the necessary properties to be used as structures for reconstructions of past habitat use in sturgeons. Importantly, scutes may be collected non-lethally and with less injury than current structures, like otoliths and fin spines, affording an opportunity for broader application of microchemical techniques.

Environmental Biology of Fishes↗