Application of a Depletion-Based Stock Reduction Analysis (DB-SRA) to lake sturgeon in Lake Erie

Sweka, John A.; Neuenhoff, Rachel; Withers, Jonah L.; Davis, L. C.

doi:10.1016/j.jglr.2018.01.002

Cited by 15 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Lake Sturgeon populations have demonstrated abrupt declines and slow recovery rates throughout the Great Lakes basin in the last 200 y (Pollock et al 2015). Sweka et al (2018) demonstrated that given the length of time since the Lake Erie commercial Lake Sturgeon fishery collapse in the late 1800s, Lake Sturgeon populations should have recovered to sustainable abundances (i.e., biomass at maximum sustainable yield), yet researchers have been unable to quantitatively show these recovery signals. Significant data deficiencies in the life history information further complicate the situation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovery of an Undocumented Lake Sturgeon Spawning Site in the Headwaters of the Niagara River

Neuenhoff

Withers

Davis

et al. 2018

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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Information about spawning fish is important to stock-assessment data needs (i.e., recruitment and fecundity) and management (i.e., habitat connectivity and protection). In Lake Erie, information about Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens early-life history is available for the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair system in the western basin, but fisheries biologists know comparatively little about Lake Sturgeon in the eastern basin. Although researchers have summarized historical spawning areas, no known natural Lake Sturgeon spawning site is described in Lake Erie proper. Researchers documented a remnant population of reproductively mature Lake Sturgeon near the headwaters of the Niagara River in eastern Lake Erie in 2011. Researchers hypothesized that a spawning site was likely in the immediate vicinity of the Niagara River headwaters near Buffalo Harbor, New York; however, its exact location was unknown. We attempted to locate spawning sites near the confluence of the Niagara River using egg traps at three potential spawning sites. We identified Lake Sturgeon eggs at one of these sites using morphological and genetic techniques. Lake Sturgeon eggs collected on one sampling trip began to emerge when placed in preservative, confirming that eggs deposited at this site are fertilized and viable, and that the area supports viable embryos. This discovery fills data gaps in the early-life history for this population, which has domestic and international management implications with respect to proposed recovery targets, stock assessment models, habitat remediation efforts, and status determinations of a protected species in a geographic region designated as an Area of Concern by the International Joint Commission.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discovery of an Undocumented Lake Sturgeon Spawning Site in the Headwaters of the Niagara River

Neuenhoff

Withers

Davis

et al. 2018

Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management

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“…Lake Erie historically supported the largest lake sturgeon commercial shery, with reported harvests reaching nearly 5.2 million pounds in 1885; over 3.7 million pounds of which was harvested out of New York State waters (Baldwin et al 1979). Despite the closure of the shery and listing of the species as threatened or endangered in state, provincial, and federal waters in the late 1900s (Pikitch et al 2005;COSEWIC 2006), lake sturgeon populations within Lake Erie have demonstrated slow recovery rates (Haxton et al 2014;Sweka et al 2018). At least a portion of this slow recovery can be attributed to aspects of lake sturgeon life history.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large- and small- scale movement and distribution of acoustically tagged lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in eastern Lake Erie

Withers

Takade-Heumacher

Davis

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Background Defining the spatial distribution, home range, and movement patterns of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) is important to managers and decision makers given the large migration potential and potamodromous behavior exhibited by the species. A remnant population of lake sturgeon remains in the far eastern basin of Lake Erie and although recent efforts have estimated the population size, described the age distribution, and identified a primary spawning site no study to date has examined the spatial distribution or movements of individuals within this population. Between 2014 and 2018 we acoustically tagged 59 adult lake sturgeon, captured near the headwaters of the Niagara River, and monitored their large-scale movements throughout Lake Erie with the Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry System and small-scale movements with a Vemco Positioning System near the headwaters of the Niagara River. After dividing Lake Erie into seven sections, we ran a multi-state mark recapture model to examine the movement rates into and out of the eastern most section of the lake. Within a heavily utilized lake section, near the headwaters of the Niagara River, we identified home ranges with our Vemco Positioning System for each season and year using averaged Brownian bridge movement models.Results Although some sturgeon demonstrated large-scale movements, traversing the entirety of Lake Erie, the majority of individuals spent their time in the eastern basin of the lake. Home ranges appeared to vary among seasons but were consistent across years with lake sturgeon selecting the northeastern, rocky, and shallow area of our array during pre-spawning and spawning seasons and leaving our array, or selecting a trough running along the northwestern portion of our array comprised of sand and bedrock, in the summer and fall seasons. Conclusions Documenting these large-scale movements aligns with previous findings that lake sturgeon on either end of the lake are genetically similar and demonstrates lake sturgeon in the eastern basin exhibit strong philopatry. Our small-scale movement models provide managers with spatial reference points, in the form of utilization distributions, which are heavily used by lake sturgeon within seasons. Future studies should examine what parameters are driving site selection in these areas.

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“…Lake sturgeon were once distributed across rivers and lakes of the midwestern United States and Canada, including within the Laurentian Great Lakes basin, but many populations are currently classified as threatened or locally extirpated (Auer 1996, Peterson et al 2007). Loss of habitat and fishing pressure, both targeted commercial fishing and bycatch, have been identified as variables contributing to the decline and limited recovery of lake sturgeon populations (Peterson et al 2007, Sweka et al 2018.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sequence analysis and acoustic tracking of individual lake sturgeon identify multiple patterns of river–lake habitat use

et al. 2019

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Understanding the spatial ecology of sturgeon (Acipenseridae) has proven to be a challenge due to the life history characteristics of these fish, especially their long life span, intermittent spawning, and long‐distance migrations. Within the Huron‐Erie Corridor (HEC) of the Laurentian Great Lakes, habitat use of 247 lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) was monitored over a three‐year period (2015–2017) with acoustic transmitters. Extensive spatial coverage of receivers throughout the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, and Detroit River between Lake Huron and Lake Erie (~150 km) allowed for continuous monitoring of the movements of acoustic‐tagged individuals. Sequence analysis of individual detection histories was used to describe lake sturgeon habitat use and to determine (1) whether distinct habitat‐use patterns occurred within the HEC; (2) whether the range of habitats occupied varied across seasons among sturgeon grouped by common patterns; and (3) whether variation identified was related to tagging sites in the two rivers or sex. Lake sturgeon were active throughout the HEC, but five distinct habitat‐use patterns were identified. River residents were not broadly distributed across entire rivers, but rather associated with particular segments (middle Detroit River, St. Clair River delta). Variations in habitat‐use sequences were in part related to three river tagging sites, but not sex, and did not produce groups with sequences that reflected all five habitat‐use patterns derived from cluster analysis. Lake sturgeon distribution was reduced to fewer habitat segments during winter and expanded to the maximum extent during the spring and summer. Conservation planning that incorporates behavioral diversity of habitat use is relatively rare due to a lack of observations on movements of individuals at biologically relevant spatial and temporal scales, but using telemetry and sequence analysis methods may promote the success of conservation and restoration efforts.

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Application of a Depletion-Based Stock Reduction Analysis (DB-SRA) to lake sturgeon in Lake Erie

Cited by 15 publications

References 18 publications

Discovery of an Undocumented Lake Sturgeon Spawning Site in the Headwaters of the Niagara River

Discovery of an Undocumented Lake Sturgeon Spawning Site in the Headwaters of the Niagara River

Large- and small- scale movement and distribution of acoustically tagged lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) in eastern Lake Erie

Sequence analysis and acoustic tracking of individual lake sturgeon identify multiple patterns of river–lake habitat use

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