Fish use different habitats based on habitat characteristics, such as vegetation type or bottom composition. Ecologists have long believed that these habitat characteristics determine the makeup of a fish community. Therefore, our idea of...
Ever wonder how scientists figure out what fish eat – or why they are even curious about fish diets? One answer to these questions comes from a popular sport fishery in Lake Ontario for...
Giant catfish (Genus Brachyplatystoma) in the Amazon River basin have a reputation for long distance migrations (up to 5800 km or 3600 miles), so hydropower dam projects present potential barriers to their life history....
Alewives (Alosa pseudoharengus) are small, silvery forage fish in the family Clupeidae (Figure 1). Their native range spans the eastern seaboard of North America from South Carolina to Newfoundland. Historically, alewives have supported important...
Salmon and trout (the salmonids) across the Pacific Northwest are known for their table fare and prodigious sport fishing. In addition, many salmonids are declining because of overfishing and/or lack of adequate spawning habitat,...
Do you ever wonder how scientists get information about the habitat preferences, spawning periods, and migration of fish? There are two methods by which we can observed fish: direct and indirect. An example of...
Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic that result from the breakdown of consumer and industrial products (Figure 1) such as Styrofoam coffee cups, plastic grocery bags, exfoliants and clothing. These particles accumulate in waterbodies...
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) are overabundant colonies of algae (simple aquatic plants) that have negative impacts on fisheries and humans. Algae thrive in warm, stagnant conditions with high nutrient availability (particularly phosphorus), so HABs...
Snorkellers and divers exploring warm tropical waters often encounter a mesmerizing fish species known as a lionfish (Pterois spp., Figure 1). They may look beautiful with their feathery fins and striped pattern, but lionfish...
The Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) is a small, silvery creature. It smells like peeled cucumbers and has a lifespan of about a year. This unassuming fish has been at the center of California’s water...
