Geology topics

Meredith L. Bartron

Publications and source records attributed to Meredith L. Bartron.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS2026

Status of round goby invasion fronts in New York and Quebec: Implications for Lake Champlain

Invasive round goby Neogobius melanostomus have advanced eastward through the state of New York and provinces of Ontario and Quebec over the past two decades and are approaching Lake Champlain, one of the largest lakes in North America. This manuscript describes international efforts to monitor round goby populations during 2021–2025 on (a) the southern approach to Lake Champlain via the Hudson River and Champlain Canal, and (b) the northern approach to Lake Champlain via the Saint Lawrence River and Richelieu River. Monitoring utilized environmental DNA (eDNA), backpack electrofishing, beach seining, benthic trawling, and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) testing. In the Champlain Canal, round goby were captured as far north as the downstream side of the C1 dam (97 kilometers [km] from Lake Champlain) while eDNA detections occurred as far north as the upstream side of the C2 dam (90 km from Lake Champlain). In the Richelieu River, round goby were captured as far south as Saint-Marc-sur-Richelieu (82 km from Lake Champlain) while the southern-most eDNA detections occurred near the Canadian side of the international border (4 km from Lake Champlain). Water temperature influenced habitat usage of round goby in the Champlain Canal, with catch rates in near-shore areas declining at < 10 °C. All VHSV test results were non-detections at the mouth of the Richelieu River, while one positive and two inconclusive results occurred along the Champlain Canal. Together, these data have informed multiple mitigation measures and have implications for management of aquatic invasive species across North America.

BioRxiv↗

USGS2025

How accurately does eDNA reflect the spatial distribution of cold-water fish? Field validation from a temperate lake

Applications of environmental DNA (eDNA) based detection technology to evaluate the distribution of aquatic organisms are increasing; yet field validations of eDNA are important to measure accuracy in study systems. To successfully apply this technology to species conservation, it is critical to understand how both species biology and environmental conditions affect the accuracy of inference from eDNA detection data. We implemented a field assessment of the accuracy and spatial resolution of eDNA-based species distributions for a native cold-water, schooling fish, cisco Coregonus artedi , that has been reintroduced to a deep temperate lake. We leveraged a combination of acoustic telemetry, providing known spatial locations of tagged fish, and lake-wide eDNA sampling to infer their distribution in Keuka Lake, New York, USA. Sub-surface (12 m and 18 m depths) eDNA samples were collected to accommodate the diel vertical migration behaviour of this fish species. The results of this study validated the accuracy of positive eDNA detections with the distribution of tagged fish to coarse spatial scales. Yet, several fine-scale locations revealed a mismatch between eDNA and acoustic telemetry detections; consistent with rapid transport of genetic material via lake currents. Empirical measurements of lake currents using drifters found cisco eDNA detections could deviate from specimens' source locations by as much as 3.3 km at 12 m depth or 1.5 km at 18 m depth over a 24 h transport period. Our study indicates that accurate species distributions estimated from eDNA sampling in lakes may require further understanding of transport mechanisms and persistence of environmental genetic material to relate point detections to source animal locations. Integrating eDNA sampling with additional data collection of species biology and environmental conditions will increase the spatial resolution of fish distribution assessments.

New York↗

USGS2023

Use of environmental DNA to assess American Eel distribution, abundance, and barriers in a river-canal system

Objective: The American Eel Anguilla rostrata historically was one of the most common fish species in Atlantic coast watersheds, but extensive dam construction and other factors caused a widespread population decline. One of the watersheds where American Eels have declined considerably is the Mohawk River in eastern and central New York. Recent attempts to characterize the distribution and abundance of American Eels in this watershed have been ineffective, and the extent to which a series of locks and dams on the Hudson River and lower Mohawk River limits use of the watershed is unclear. Methods: We developed a model between environmental DNA (eDNA) quantity and American Eel abundance in the Hudson River watershed in which the DNA concentration in water samples explained up to 65% of the variability in eel density and 56% of the variability in eel biomass. We then used this relationship to interpret eDNA data collected twice from 36 sites across the Mohawk River watershed in 2021 and make inferences about the distribution and abundance of American Eels. Result: American Eel DNA was detected almost exclusively in the downstream-most 4 km of the Mohawk River within a series of barriers. The concentration of DNA was reduced by approximately 80% across each successive upstream barrier before becoming too low to detect consistently. Our data suggest that eel population density was high in the Hudson River estuary and declined rapidly in the lower Mohawk River, and the species was nearly absent or undetectable in the Mohawk River and its tributaries upstream of the Crescent Dam and the Waterford Flight of Locks. Conclusion: Barriers appear to be largely restricting American Eels from using over 99% of the Mohawk River watershed. Therefore, improvements in fish passage at dams and hydroelectric facilities in the region could help the American Eel to regain access to this part of its native range.

New York↗

USGS2023

Invasive Round Goby in the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers: What’s the latest?

The Round Goby ( Neogobius melanostomus ) is an invasive benthic fish indigenous to the Ponto-Caspian region of Eurasia. It recently colonized the Great Lakes and has expanded eastward through the New York State Canal System over the past decade. The species was first documented in the Mohawk River watershed in 2014 and was found in the Hudson River in 2021. Round Goby can adversely affect aquatic ecosystems in many ways such as outcompeting native benthic fishes, consuming the eggs of nest-building species such as Smallmouth Bass ( Micropterus dolomieu ), and transferring contaminants to higher trophic levels (e.g., desirable gamefish). They can also carry the viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) virus which has been linked to fish kills in New York and some evidence suggests Round Goby are an important vector in avian botulism outbreaks. However, the presence of Round Goby has also been linked to faster growth rate and larger maximum size of some predators such as Smallmouth Bass. ed watersheds of the northeastern United States.

New York↗

USGS2021

Understanding genetics for successful conservation and restoration of resilient Chesapeake Bay brook trout populations

Traditionally, fisheries management has focused on the abundance, distribution, and size structure of populations. Although these factors remain key aspects of management, a large and growing body of evidence highlights the importance of genetics in conserving wild populations, especially when populations are small and isolated (Frankham et al. 2017). Local adaptations are very common among fishes and help populations cope with specific conditions in their local environment (Fraser et al. 2011). The field of conservation genetics and genomics is highly technical and has advanced rapidly in recent years, offering a wealth of information to support brook trout conservation and restoration. A major impediment to successfully incorporating these advances into conservation outcomes is that most fisheries managers have only a basic understanding of fish genetics and its relevance to their management decisions.

Maryland, Virginia↗

USGS2021

Eastward expansion of Round Goby in New York: Assessment of detection methods and current range

The Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus has spread rapidly around the Great Lakes region since its introduction to North America in 1990. In 2014, a specimen was captured in the New York State Canal System west of Utica, prompting concerns that Round Goby would soon reach the ecologically and economically valuable watersheds of Lake Champlain and the Hudson River estuary. The establishment of Round Goby populations elsewhere has been linked to a number of negative ecological consequences, yet methods for monitoring the invasion front of this species remain limited. The objectives of this study were to assess the current distribution of Round Goby in central New York and to determine the most effective methods for monitoring the invasion front. This was achieved by concurrently using benthic trawling, seining, minnow traps, and environmental DNA (eDNA) twice annually from 2016 to 2019 at 12 sites on the canal system between Oneida Lake and the Hudson River. Of the three traditional gear types, benthic trawling was the most effective method and captured Round Goby as far east as Utica by 2019. This finding suggests only minimal eastward expansion of Round Goby occurred between 2014 and 2019. Round Goby DNA was detected in water samples during all surveys in which individuals were captured with trawling, and the estimated concentration of DNA explained 69% of the variability in trawl catch. At multiple study sites, Round Goby DNA was identified during consecutive surveys before Round Goby were first captured with trawling. This suggests that in lotic waters, eDNA has the potential to forecast or serve as a sentinel for the expansion of Round Goby to new locations. Our results demonstrate the importance of using eDNA in a repeated sampling framework and supplementing eDNA sampling with some level of effort with traditional sampling methods.

Great Lakes↗

USGS2021

Evidence of successful river spawning by lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in the lower Niagara River, Lake Ontario

Restoration of a wild-produced lake trout Salvelinus namaycush population in Lake Ontario has not been successful despite the adult population often meeting or exceeding restoration targets. Lack of high-quality spawning habitat in Lake Ontario is suggested as one impediment to recruitment of wild lake trout, although the quantity and location of spawning habitat is poorly understood. If high-quality spawning habitat is limited in Lake Ontario, lake trout may be using uncommon spawning locations such as rivers. Anecdotal angler accounts point to the Niagara River as a lake trout spawning location. To better understand the potential of the Niagara River as a spawning location, egg and juvenile fish collections were conducted 12–14 river kilometers from the mouth of the Niagara River from 2010 to 2012; and mature female lake trout with surgically implanted acoustic tags were monitored from 2015 to 2019. Genetic analyses confirmed 60% of collected eggs and 93% of collected post-hatch juvenile fish in the Niagara River were lake trout. Tagged female lake trout returned to the Niagara River over consecutive years during the spawning season. The short duration of lake trout presence in the river (mean = 56 days/year) suggests female lake trout use the Niagara River primarily for spawning. Diversity in spawning locations may provide lake trout population’s resilience against environmental variability through a portfolio effect. Improved identification of riverine spawning locations, including their overall contribution to wild recruitment, may be a useful tool for managers to restore a wild-produced population of lake trout in Lake Ontario.

New York, Ontario↗

USGS2019

Evidence of limited recruitment of Pallid Sturgeon in the Lower Missouri River

Pallid Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus are endemic to the Missouri and Mississippi river basins and are rare throughout their range. The species was listed as federally endangered with little to no evidence of natural recruitment. Since population augmentation was initiated as a recovery objective in the early 1990s, thousands of hatchery-origin Pallid Sturgeon have been stocked in the lower Missouri River (Gavins Point Dam [river kilometer 1,305.1] to the confluence of the Mississippi River [river kilometer 0.0]). Efforts to discriminate natural reproduction and recruitment of wild-origin Pallid Sturgeon from hatchery-origin fish has been hampered by tag loss in hatchery-origin sturgeon, inconsistent documentation of hatchery parental crosses, and the failure to collect tissue samples for genotyping all broodstock. However, the recent reconstruction of missing parental genotypes from known hatchery-origin progeny and from cryopreserved milt made it possible to examine Pallid Sturgeon recruitment. Therefore, our objectives were to 1) determine the likelihood that unmarked Pallid Sturgeon captured from the lower Missouri River were the result of natural recruitment and 2) examine the length distribution of wild- and hatchery-origin fish to determine if a difference exists by origin and examine the life-stage distribution. Genetic analysis showed that from 2003 to 2015, 358 “presumptive wild-origin” Pallid Sturgeon were captured in the lower Missouri River and the comparison between the length distributions of wild- and hatchery-origin fish did not provide any additional clarification into potential wild-origin fish. Low recruitment may be due to a small breeding population, high mortality of early life stages, hybridization with Shovelnose Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus , or transport of drifting free embryos or larvae into inhospitable habitats. Determining what factors are limiting recruitment is the important next step for the recovery of Pallid Sturgeon in the lower Missouri River.

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota↗

USGS2018

Limited hatchery introgression into wild brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations despite reoccurring stocking

Due to increased anthropogenic pressures on many fish populations, supplementing wild populations with captive‐raised individuals has become an increasingly common management practice. Stocking programs can be controversial due to uncertainty about the long‐term fitness effects of genetic introgression on wild populations. In particular, introgression between hatchery and wild individuals can cause declines in wild population fitness, resiliency, and adaptive potential, and contribute to local population extirpation. However, low survival and fitness of captive‐raised individuals can minimize the long‐term genetic consequences of stocking in wild populations, and to date the prevalence of introgression in actively stocked ecosystems has not been rigorously evaluated. We quantified the extent of introgression in 30 populations of wild brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ) in a Pennsylvania watershed, and examined the correlation between introgression and 11 environmental covariates. Genetic assignment tests were used to determine the origin (wild vs. captive‐raised) for 1742 wild‐caught and 300 hatchery brook trout. To avoid assignment biases, individuals were assigned to two simulated populations that represented the average allele frequencies in wild and hatchery groups. Fish with intermediate probabilities of wild ancestry were classified as introgressed, with threshold values determined through simulation. Even with reoccurring stocking at most sites, over 93% of wild‐caught individuals probabilistically assigned to wild origin, and only 5.6% of wild‐caught fish assigned to introgressed. Models examining environmental drivers of introgression explained less than 3% of the among‐population variability, and all estimated effects were highly uncertain. This was not surprising given overall low introgression observed in this study. Our results suggest that introgression of hatchery‐derived genotypes can occur at low rates, even in actively stocked ecosystems and across a range of habitats. However, a cautious approach to stocking may still be warranted, as the potential effects of stocking on wild population fitness and the mechanisms limiting introgression are not known.

Evolutionary Applications↗

USGS2017

Evaluation of genetic population structure of smallmouth bass in the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania

The Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu was introduced into the Susquehanna River basin, Pennsylvania, nearly 150 years ago. Since introduction, it has become an economically and ecologically important species that supports popular recreational fisheries. It is also one of the most abundant top predators in the system. Currently, there is no information on the level of genetic diversity or genetic structuring that may have occurred since introduction. An understanding of genetic diversity is important for the delineation of management units and investigation of gene flow at various management scales. The goals of this research were to investigate population genetic structure of Smallmouth Bass at sites within the Susquehanna River basin and to assess genetic differentiation relative to Smallmouth Bass at an out-of-basin site (Allegheny River, Pennsylvania) located within the species’ native range. During spring 2015, fin clips ( n = 1,034) were collected from adults at 11 river sites and 13 tributary sites in the Susquehanna River basin and at one site on the Allegheny River. Fin clips were genotyped at 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Based on our results, adults sampled throughout the Susquehanna River basin did not represent separate genetic populations. There were only subtle differences in genetic diversity among sites (mean pairwise genetic differentiation index F ST = 0.012), and there was an overall lack of population differentiation ( K = 3 admixed populations). The greatest genetic differentiation was observed between fish collected from the out-of-basin site and those from the Susquehanna River basin sites. Knowledge that separate genetic populations of Smallmouth Bass do not exist in the Susquehanna River basin is valuable information for fisheries management in addition to providing baseline genetic data on an introduced sport fish population.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS2015

Environmental DNA calibration study interim technical review report December 2014

The Environmental DNA Calibration Study (ECALS) is a multi-year study to improve the understanding and interpretation of the detection of Asian carp DNA in environmental samples (eDNA) used in early detection monitoring. eDNA surveillance programs seek to detect the presence of genetic material (DNA in cells sloughed off in slime, feces, urine, etc.) extracted from water samples; the detection of genetic material is linked to the possible presence of Asian carp. The study involves collaboration between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ECALS addresses three major Action Items from the Asian Carp Regional Coordinating Committee (ACRCC) Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework, of which results to date are presented below. Initial ECALS efforts focused on eDNA vectors whereas marker development and calibration experiments received greater attention in 2013.

Report↗

USGS2014

Environmental DNA calibration study. Interim technical review report

Invasive aquatic nuisance species pose a major threat to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Invasive Asian carps, including bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and silver carp (H. molitrix) have been steadily dispersing upstream through the Mississippi, Illinois, and Des Plaines Rivers since the 1990s. To prevent further movement up the Illinois River into the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS, see Figures 1.1.1 to 1.1.3) and possibly Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes ecosystem, an electrical barrier has been operating near Lockport to deter the advance of Asian carp. Although one adult individual has been detected in Lockport pool of the Illinois Waterway, the leading edge of the invasion of bighead and silver carp is considered to be at RM 281.5 in Dresden Island Pool, 15 miles downstream from the barrier and 55 miles from Lake Michigan, and that front has not progressed upstream since 2006. Although spawning activity has been observed in Marseilles pool in 2012, verified capture of eggs and larvae remain downstream in Peoria pool, over 140 miles from Lake Michigan (Figure 1.1.1). Should a sustainable Asian carp population become established in the Great Lakes, native fish populations, as well as many threatened or endangered plant/animal species populations, could be impacted. In response to this threat, the Asian Carp Regional Control Committee (ACRCC) was formed in part to coordinate efforts to understand and organize against the Asian carp threat. The Asian Carp Control Strategy Framework (2012a) outlined major tasks to be completed for a better understanding of factors related to the advance of Asian carp populations towards the Great Lakes. In addition, the ACRCC formed the Monitoring and Rapid Response Workgroup to address Asian carp monitoring and removal (ACRCC 2012b).

Midwest waterways↗