How’d you like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island? To many of us during this time of year in the northern hemisphere, with our cold toes and grey skies, a warm tropical vacation is...
Oyster reefs are dense colonies made up of thousands of individual oysters attached to hard substrate (Figure 1). Because of their complex structures, oyster reefs provide important habitat for a variety of fish and...
Thousands of reservoirs have been constructed across the United States and Canada for water storage, flood control, generation of electricity, and recreation. Reservoirs are dammed rivers that have features (temperature, current, and habitat) that...
Calling all recreationists and outdoorspeople! It is the season of giving, so please consider ways to give back to your local fish habitat which provides drinking water, food, and recreational opportunities. While outdoors we...
Artificial reefs are intentionally placed man-made structures that are constructed to provide habitat for fish and invertebrates. They are made of dense, durable materials such as scuttled ships and barges, decommissioned military vehicles, rubble...
Fisheries and habitat scientists often focus on how vegetation and physical structures can create or enhance habitat for fish. But a recent article turned the tables by evaluating how salmon carcasses provide nutrients that...
Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus; Figure 1), with their distinctive sail-like dorsal fins, are members of the salmon family and have a native range that begins in Arctic Ocean drainage basins and formerly extended as...
When ecologists need to assess stream habitat to make sure it is healthy for a fish population, they often choose to quantify rather than qualify the characteristics of the habitat. Both quantitative and qualitative...
In many coldwater streams in North America, nonnative trout are replacing native trout populations through hybridization, competition, and predation. Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis; Figure 1) are a species native to eastern North America. Throughout...
Estuaries are found where a river meets the ocean. It is a place characterized by mixing water of different physical and chemical properties. Physical properties of estuarian habitats depend on their contour, aquatic vegetation,...
