on life-history strategies and seasonal patterns of reproduction is essential to management of wild fisheries. In this study, we documented temporal trends in shell metrics (total shell height, height of the single annual growth ring, shell growth after the first winter) and other biological parameters (adductor muscle weight, incidence of parasitic pea crabs, percentage of scallops that were reproductively mature) for adult (1+ yr) Argopecten irradians irradians (Bay Scallop) harvested in the Peconic Bays, NY, over a 30-year period. Of 10,620 scallops examined, <1% were 2+ years of age. For scallops 1+ yr of age, the product of fall spawns the prior year, 21.4% had annual growth rings <= 20 mm. These fall-spawned scallops are of particular interest because they may survive to spawn in a second year; extended reproduction of a given year class beyond the usual 1 year may serve to buffer dramatic annual fluctuations in recruitment. Temporal trends in the prevalence of fall-spawned adults were not correlated with mean water temperatures or their degree of change during the prior year. The relationship between scallop shell growth after the first winter versus annual growth-ring size was inverse and highly significant, confirming prior work that demonstrated compensatory growth in this species. Average scallop meat weight increased during 2 time periods with different opening dates for the harvest season (1990-2004, 2005-2019), perhaps due to rising temperatures. There were no obvious trends in the prevalence of Tumidotheres maculatus (Squatter Pea Crab) throughout the time series despite the observed increase in average water temperature. Reasons for spatial and temporal variability in prevalence of fall-spawned scallops (0-100%) are not yet clear, but further study is warranted given their importance to the sustainability and growth of Bay Scallop populations.
Martes americana (American Marten, hereinafter Marten) formerly occupied much of the northeastern US, but their range has contracted dramatically since European colonization due to exploitation, habitat destruction, and climate change. Future reintroductions of the Marten could restore them to sections of their former distribution, but research is needed to determine which parts of their former range are still suitable given current climatic and vegetative conditions. To determine the species' current habitat suitability in the northeastern US, we created habitat-suitability models using variables and suitability scores derived from a literature review. We also used presence-only data to evaluate the models using Boyce indices and determine threshold values for habitat suitability. We found that predicted habitat extends across much of the Marten's former range, including north-central Pennsylvania, the Catskills of New York, western Massachusetts, and West Virginia. Many areas of predicted habitat are poorly connected to areas with current Marten populations, complicating natural recolonization. We discuss potential strategies for recolonization, including manual reintroductions, improving landscape connectivity, and enhancing habitat quality by conducting forest management.
Lepomis peltastes (Northern Sunfish) is a small non-game fish of the Centrarchidae family that was recognized as a separate species from L. megalotis (Longear Sunfish) by the American Fisheries Society in 2013 (genetically supported in 2022). Post species designation, the Northern Sunfish was documented in 14 basins in eastern Illinois based on historical collections, yet its distribution and population status has not been documented in the Illinois Waterway (IWW). We used data from the standardized Multi-Agency Monitoring program, which spans 8 navigation pools and >500 rkm of the IWW, to report spatial distribution, length-frequency distribution, relative abundance, and detection frequency of the Northern Sunfish from 2019 to 2024. In this study, the Northern Sunfish was collected in 5 of 8 IWW navigation pools from Brandon Road Pool downstream through Peoria Pool, expanding its known range within the IWW downstream of Ottawa, IL. Estimates of relative abundance from boat electrofishing and mini-fyke net sets were the highest in Dresden Island through Starved Rock pools and generally increased from 2019 to 2024 in all pools (as much as 14-fold in boat electrofishing catch per unit effort). Pool-specific detection frequency increased or remained the same over time. Similar increases in Northern Sunfish relative abundance and detection frequency have not been documented in other known monitoring datasets of Illinois rivers. We were unable to explain the increases in relative abundance and detection frequency of Northern Sunfish through time after looking for similar increases in the relative abundance of other sunfish species or changes in environmental covariates such as the presence of aquatic vegetation. Continued species-identification education and monitoring of Northern Sunfish is needed to track changes in the IWW population and connected tributaries, inform their population status, apprise fish biologists of their current ranges, and aid in classification where Northern Sunfish and Longear Sunfish ranges could overlap in Illinois.
Sunstanitial decreases in fish stocks have been attributed in part to seabird predation. In many parts of the world, cormorant populations have been increasing since the end of the 1970s, as colonies recover from the effects of human exploitation and impacts of environmental contaminants. In coastal regions of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Nannopterum auritum (Double-crested Cormorant, hereinafter "Cormorant") are now abundant. To reach the ocean, Salmo salar (Atlantic Salmon) smolts originating from the Restigouche River watershed must migrate past a colony of breeding Cormorants located at the mouth of the river on Wisugunetg (Bon Ami Rocks). Cormorants were absent from this rocky islet as late as the end of the 20th century. We estimated the number of breeding pairs and assessed diet composition of Cormorants using this colony during the smolt-emigration period to assess the predation risk posed to Restigouche River smolts by Cormorants. We counted Cormorant nests from aerial-imaging surveys via fixed wing aircraft and a drone (2013-2015). We identified and enumerated prey items using otoliths extracted from Cormorant pellets collected during smolt emigration in 2014 and 2015. The Wisugunetg colony increased from 554 pairs in 2013 to 1147 pairs in 2015. We identified only 3 Atlantic Salmon smolts from 874 sampled pellets. The most prevalent prey species were Osmerus mordax (Rainbow Smelt), Lumpenus lampretaeformis (Snakeblenny), Microgadus tomcod (Atlantic Tomcod), and Pseudopleuronectes americanus (Winter Flounder). Cormorant diet reflected seasonality in prey abundance, with Rainbow Smelt dominating diet in May, and Winter Flounder becoming more dominant in June. These results indicate that Restigouche smolts contribute minimally to the diet of Cormorants nesting at Wisugunetg. Rather, the abundance of diverse, alternative prey near the breeding colony appears to provide a buffer that protects Atlantic Salmon smolts from predation by Cormorants. This natural buffer highlights the role of biodiversity in predator-prey relationships and underscores the importance of multi-species management strategies in effective stewardship.
Moths are declining globally, including in the Northeast US. Pine barrens, sandplain grasslands, and other xeric habitats in this region provide vital habitats for many specialized, rare, and declining moth species. This study contributes to knowledge about regional patterns of moth abundance, distribution, diversity, and species composition in these uncommon xeric habitats that occur in a landscape dominated by closed, mesic forests. We sampled moth species over 2 years in 17 preserves, spanning much of the Northeast. We collected >52,000 moths representing 1152 species. Moth abundance, species richness, and species composition varied significantly across preserves, ecoregions, and vegetation types, and differed between years. We documented 19 moth species from the Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need database, 71 species found previously in xeric habitats in the Northeast, new records for some preserves and states, and nearly 300 species not previously captured at Albany Pine Bush and Concord Pine Barrens preserves, sites with extensive past sampling. Our survey reinforces the importance of these xeric habitats for the conservation of moth species diversity in the Northeast and the foundational role of monitoring in the conservation of moths.
