Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Objectives for this meeting included reconnecting members with one another and learning more about the diverse expertise and skills of group members along with the various projects that people have been working on.  We also reviewed our project objectives and timeline and spent substantial time discussing preliminary feedback provided through a pilot group on our survey intendend to better understand how fishery professionals understand fisheries as coupled human and natural systems (CHANS).  Because we spent most of the meeting working on the survey, our meeting notes are limited.  Our meeting occurred a few days before the beginning of the Annual Meeting of the American Fishery Society (AFS), and we were working to roll out the final version of the survey at a session organized to explore fisheries as CHANS during AFS.  We discussed other professional societies and networks that we would engage to ensure that more diverse perspectives were included in the survey (e.g., Society for Freshwater Science, InFish network).  We also discussed some ideas that could build on the survey once it was complete, including organzing focus groups, and we discussed the logistics of project management for the coming year including report writing and future meeting planning.

I. Short-term Outcomes

 The most relevant short term outcome generated from this project is the growing understanding of fisheries as coupled human and natural systems (CHANS).  This is important because this framework formally acknowledges the links between fisheries and their habitats with society.  This has been occurring through regular engagement of team members with each other through our monthly meetings, engagement with our peer community through the session organized at the American Fisheries Society Annual meeting in September 2024, and through the survey that we shared across our professional networks through 2024 (and into 2025).  Results of the survey are being analyzed currently, and preliminary results lend support to this outcome.

II. Outputs and Activities (Identified in our Research Proposal)

 This section describes both outputs and activities organized by the objectives in our research proposal.

1. Research framework: A collaborative, coupled human and natural systems research framework for investigating interactions between invasive species, climate change, and inland and marine fisheries and aquatic resources.

 Our team has developed a survey that presents fisheries as CHANS, and we have distributed the survey throughout our professional community.  This survey will assess respondents' understanding of fisheries as CHANS, and, based on responses, we expect that it will expand our own understanding.

2. Best practices: A description of best practices for how the above framework can be applied for different fisheries.

 We have one example of best practices informed by the CHANS framework so far.  This has been achieved by colleagues from Cornell.  We have evaluated the climate resilience traits, growth rates, and survival rates of six strains of brook trout that are stocked into New York waters and are using the results to advise NYSDEC and private hatcheries on how strain selection could be used to adapt stocking practices to support self-sustaining cold-water fisheries.  We have now submitted a manuscript describing the differences in performance among strains (Detmer et al. in review), and we are sharing those results with our state partners. We also leveraged the Multistate project network and federal agency colleagues to gather brook trout tissue samples to sequence the whole mitochondrial genome of wild and stocked strains of brook trout throughout their range, which could inform future surveys of the outcomes of stocking programs using eDNA.

3. Database: A database that integrates biological, ecological, and socio-economic data to facilitate analyses. To the extent practical, individual datasets comprising the database will be linked to a common spatial and/or analytical framework.

 Stream fish data have been acquired from state agencies across the US.  These data have been integrated into an existing dataset to characterize assemblages sampled in a consistent manner at tens of thousands of locations in the US.  Additionally, we have updated a database describing natural and anthropogenic influences on stream fishes and their habitats.  These data will be made publicly available in the coming year, but nearly all of the fish data and all of the environmental variables are available to the project team.

4. Data needs: A prioritized list of data requirements for interdisciplinary questions that cannot be answered yet due to a lack of data.

•  Colleagues from Cornell have identified a lack of data on how climate change is altering the nutritional value of inland fishes for human consumption, and we conducted an initial survey of omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and mercury in brook trout across lakes representing a range of climate-induced oxythermal stress. We found a surprisingly wide range of concentrations of all three analytes, and both selenium and mercury were linked to oxythermal conditions. We infer that climate change can strongly mediate the nutritional value of fish, but in complex ways.

• Colleagues from Michigan State University have attempted to model locations of reefs throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes. Presently, locations of reefs were compiled through anecdotal descriptions, but not comprehensive attempt to identify reefs has ever occurred limiting manager’s ability to strategical restore degraded reefs or monitor fish spawning activity.

• We anticipate generating a more comprehensive list of data based on information provided through our survey as well through a national-scale assessment of stream fish habitat.

5. Assessment: An updated assessment of ecological and socioeconomic effects of climate change and invasive species on inland and marine fisheries. This assessment will integrate data across disciplines to gain robust insights into climate change and invasive species problems in order to make specific interdisciplinary management recommendations for mitigating detrimental effects on fisheries.

•  Using information on characteristics of locations where aquatic invasive species have established previously across the US, we have modeled the likelihood of invasions by a set of new species to aid in developing watch lists for state and federal agencies.

• We have used angler self-reporting to assess how both angling efforts and catch rates have changed over the last 40 years in terms of choice of lake and effort timing, with the goal of understanding whether independent responses of anglers and fishes to changing environmental conditions are likely to enhance or constrain the sustainability of cold-water fisheries.

• Using data collected by the National Park Service Heartland Inventory and Monitoring network, we analyzed fish community data across Midwestern National Parks to investigate patterns of biotic homogenization, a phenomenon indicative of species introductions and loss of biodiversity. In this region, increased air and water temperatures and intensifying drought risk will likely accelerate the rate of native species decline, opportunistically favoring invasive species.

• Determined broad and fine scale drivers of fish assemblages in the Prairie Pothole region and identified environmental cut-offs for changes in species assemblages. Environmental cut-offs such as overwinter temperature and amount of natural land in watersheds were most predictive of fish assemblage. Changing water levels in the Prairie Pothole can also cascade from impacts on fish to impacts on humans. An analysis of Devil’s Lake, a large lake in North Dakota that has dramatically risen in water levels, revealed that higher waters were related to increased angler efforts. We are also using fish bioenergetics to examine changes in fish scope for growth over 40 years. These modeling efforts are currently in progress, but analyses completed thus far reveal spatial clusters of increasing habitat quality for cool-water fishes in locations such as the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Habitat quality appears to be declining for many cool-water species along the East Coast.

• We have investigated movement ecology and survival of invasive carp and native sportfishes in relation to key environmental variables (temperature, discharge) to assess factors associated with population connectivity and sustainability. These results will help guide efforts for controlling invasive fishes while promoting the existence of sport fisheries.

• Multiple projects focused on understanding CHANS at various geographic scales. These include (1) understanding restoration impacts on hybridization with non-native species under different restoration scenarios and (2) climate change resiliency and adaptive capacity of inland fishes. (1) Is mostly related to a U.S. Forest Service grant which looks at comparative stream network connectivity across different species under different future scenarios that have been identified by stakeholders. This project is helping to build an overall model to understand the balance between increasing river habitat to improve populations while minimizing invasive species impacts. We collected environmental DNA in 2024 and worked with existing genetic samples across the basin of the grant to be paired with existing environmental data in the area. Adams et al. 2024 also used eDNA and traditional surveys to understand conservation outcomes at the aquatic community level, and although not included in the paper, three trout species were surveyed. (2) Captures two projects. The first is using genetics and environmental data to look for associations between the two to understand how local adaptation may be accounted for within our walleye hatcheries. These data will also be used to project how hatchery practices may need to change. The second is focused on local adaptation and land use management practices for the conservation of Yellowstone cutthroat trout, which uses individual-based models that incorporate demography, genetics, and climate change with the presence of three non-native trout species.

6. Synthesis Comments: A synthesis of existing work that reveals how individual and organizational responses to invasive species and climate change affect inland fisheries and aquatic resources.

•  We have analyzed the ecological outcomes of a two-decade project to control smallmouth bass invasions, and demonstrated that bass life history has evolved in response to intensive selection from our management practices. Nonetheless, we find positive responses of many native species to the suppression of predatory bass, though some community members required >15 years to show a measurable demographic response.

• Surveyed existing preventative actions (Regulation, Education, Inspections) across the United States related to Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) in the live bait trade. We found that in some regions of the United States, high values fisheries that do not rely on live bait (e.g., trout fishing with flys) have allowed states to heavily regulate the live bait trade. In other regions such as the SouthEast where aquaculture is a leading economic driver, regulation of the live bait trade is less frequent. Education and inspections are heavily used for prevention in the Great Lakes region.

• Also completed review of the drivers of introduced fishes in prairie streams wherein we overview impacts of introduced species, how climate change is likely to influence future introductions, and suggest management actions and future research directions.

• Currently three review/synthesis papers are in prep. The first two are focused on adaptive capacity, with both papers providing context and recommendations related to the social system and have direct management implications. The third paper is a review of the integration of genetics into species action plans in the U.S. and Canada, and includes a review of the organizations involved in management decision making.

7. Meetings and workshops: Meetings and workshops that convey information on how to influence individual behavior and organizational responses to invasive species and climate change in ways that benefit the management of inland fisheries and aquatic resources.

We have met virtually nearly every month since our project was initiated.  Additionally, we organized a symposium at the American Fisheries Society 2024 annual meeting to highlight work showcasing fisheries as CHANS. We also hosted an annual NC1189 meeting where we discussed project objectives and progress towards meeting them.

8. Publications and presentations: Peer-reviewed publications, research reports, and professional presentations communicating the results of this project.

Peer-reviewed publications

Adams, A. J., C. Kamoroff x, R. L. Grasso, B. Halstead, P. Kleeman, K. Powelson, T. Seaborn, C. Mengelt, and C. S. Goldberg. 2024. From eDNA to Decisions: A multi-method approach to restoration planning in streams. Scientific Reports, Special Issue: (102) Ecological Restoration and Rewilding, 14.

Brumm, K. J., F. Xiong, Y. Chen, H. Yu, L. Wang, and D. M. Infante. 2024. Evaluating functional responses of fluvial fishes: A comparative study between the Upper Mississippi and Yangtze Rivers. Ecological Processes. DOI: 10.1016/j.watbs.2024.100291

Coulter, AA^X, MJ Moore^X, J Golcher-Benavides^X, FJ Rahel, AW Walters, SK Brewer, ML Wildhaber. 2024. A synthesis of the characteristics and drivers of introduced fishes in prairie streams: Can we manage introduced harmful fishes in these dynamic environments? Biological Invasions 26: 4011-4033. ^X Co-first authors

Cutler, LM, SR Chipps, BG Blackwell, AA Coulter. 2024. Importance of lake-wetland complex for a resilient walleye fishery. Wetlands 24: 69.

Detmer T, Airey M, Jirka K, Randall E, Zarri L, McIntyre PB & C Kraft. 2025. Community-wide transient dynamics of lake fish populations in response to two decades of suppressing an invasive predator. Journal of Applied Ecology, in press.

Jane SF, Heilpern SA, Brenna JT, Detmer TM, Driscoll CT, Eagles-Smith CA, Giri S, Glahn RP, Jirka KJ, Kim JG, Montesdeoca M, Olson CI, Park HG, Randall EA & PB McIntyre. 2025. Climate-driven deoxygenation of lakes alters the nutrient-toxin profile of a food fish. Environmental Science & Technology, in press.

Maldonado M, T Mahmood, DP Coulter, AA Coulter, M Siller, M Neal, A Saha, S Chipps, M Kaemingk. Water-level changes impact angler effort in a large lake: implications for climate change. Fisheries Research 279: 107156.

Rice, E. D., A. E. Bennett, M. Smith, L. S. O. Liverpool-Tasie, S. P. Katengeza, D. M. Infante, and D. L. Tschirley.  2024.  Price volatility in fish food systems: spatial arbitrage as an adaptive strategy for small-scale fish traders. Ecology and Society. DOI: 10.5751/ES-15076-290213

Tingley III, R. W., D. M. Infante, R. A. MacKenzie, A. M. Strauch, P. B. Foulk, and B. Roth. 2024. Anticipating effects of changing climate on tropical island stream ecosystems: Influences of stream flow on an endemic Hawaiian atyid shrimp. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2024.1182021

Research reports

NA

Professional presentations

Abood, S., D. M. Infante, A. Cooper, J. Ross, J. Tyson, L. Walter, and K. Wehrly. 2024. Great Lakes Aquatic Framework Data HUB. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 15-19, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Brumm, K., and D. M. Infante. Invited 2024. Characterizing human-nature interactions in aquatic systems: A survey of fisheries professionals. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 15-19, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Church, C.S. and A.A. Pease. 2024. Effects of extreme flows on recruitment in Lamine River fish assemblages. Missouri Natural Resources Conference, Osage Beach, MO.

Cooper, A., D. M. Infante, J. Tyson, M. Herbert, S. Marklevitz, C. Harris, 2024. Development of Great Lakes Priority Management Areas: Converting lists to spatial layers. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 15-19, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Haite, M., J. Ross, D. M. Infante, A. Cooper, H. Yu, J. Taylor, and C. Martorana. 2024. Enhancing national stream fish community data to support fish habitat condition assessments. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 15-19, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Infante, D. M., Invited 2024. Conserving stream fishes over large extents: Applications of a landscape approach. Karlstad University, April 24, 2024, Karlstad, Sweden.

Infante, D. M., E. Tracy, K. Brumm, H. Yu, A. R. Cooper, J. Ross, M. Haite, and S. Abood. Invited 2024. Resilience of freshwater habitats from a landscape perspective: Context for effective restoration. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 15-19, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Krogman, R., J. Bayer, A. Cooper, J. Kopaska, N. Leonard, J. Pritt, C. Roe, E. Tracy, P. Venturelli, D. Wieferich, and D. M. Infante. Invited 2024. Standard data management practices for more impactful fisheries management. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 15-19, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Maldonado, M, RT Melstrom, TH Mahmood, DP Coulter, AA Coulter, SR Chipps, M Siller, M Neal, A Saha, MA Kaemingk. 2024. Quantifying climate effects on the economic value of inland recreational fisheries. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Honolulu, HI.

Miller, J., J. Ross, H. Yu, K. Robinson, K. Gregory, and D. M. Infante. Invited 2024. Rivers as social-ecological systems: Managing stakeholder interest and ecology in changing climate. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 15-19, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Mulligan, H, M Kaemingk, AA Coulter. 2024. Regional variation in the risk of bait as an invasive species pathway. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Honolulu, HI.

Mulligan, H, BJ Schall, T Davis, A Gerber, M Kaemingk, AA Coulter. 2024. Hidden invaders: Invasive species in live bait. Department of Natural Resource Management Poster Session, Brookings, SD.

Seaborn, T., Z. Chen, J. Masingale, S. Narum x, A. Ringleman, E. Keeley, L. Huang, K. Andrews, T. Link, E. Du, K. Griswold, B. Kline, P. Hohenlohe, L. Waits, D. Pradhan, A. Wooding, B. Small, and C.C. Caudill. September 2024. Adaptive capacity across scales: from genomes to landscapes in rainbow. Invited to Symposium: Understanding the Adaptive Capacity of Fish: Resiliency in a Changing Climate. American Fisheries Society. Honolulu, HI. Talk.

Seaborn, T. and M. Kinnison. September 2024. Molecular metacoupling: applying genetic approaches to scale and connectivity challenges of fisheries CHANS. Symposium: Fisheries as Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS) to Improve Management. American Fisheries Society. Honolulu, HI. Talk.

Siller, M, DP Coulter, S Chipps, M Kaemingk, T Mahmood, M Maldonado, M Neal, A Saha, AA Coulter. 2024. Addressing the data need to manage future changes in fisheries. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, Honolulu, HI.

Yu, H., A. Cooper, J. Ross, and D. M. Infante. Invited 2024. Impacts of threshold choice on species distribution model prediction accuracy. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 15-19, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Yu, H., A. Cooper, J. Ross, W. M. Daniel, M. Haite, and D. M. Infante. Invited 2024. Predicting nonindigenous lake fish species invasion hotspots across the conterminous U.S. Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society, September 15-19, 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii.

• Milestones

Our key milestones that we are focusing on this year include 1) publishing the results of our survey conducted last year and 2) developing an approach for our next analysis.

Adams, A. J., C. Kamoroff x, R. L. Grasso, B. Halstead, P. Kleeman, K. Powelson, T. Seaborn, C. Mengelt, and C. S. Goldberg. 2024. From eDNA to Decisions: A multi-method approach to restoration planning in streams. Scientific Reports, Special Issue: (102) Ecological Restoration and Rewilding, 14.

Brumm, K. J., F. Xiong, Y. Chen, H. Yu, L. Wang, and D. M. Infante. 2024. Evaluating functional responses of fluvial fishes: A comparative study between the Upper Mississippi and Yangtze Rivers. Ecological Processes. DOI: 10.1016/j.watbs.2024.100291

Coulter, AA^X, MJ Moore^X, J Golcher-Benavides^X, FJ Rahel, AW Walters, SK Brewer, ML Wildhaber. 2024. A synthesis of the characteristics and drivers of introduced fishes in prairie streams: Can we manage introduced harmful fishes in these dynamic environments? Biological Invasions 26: 4011-4033. ^X Co-first authors

Cutler, LM, SR Chipps, BG Blackwell, AA Coulter. 2024. Importance of lake-wetland complex for a resilient walleye fishery. Wetlands 24: 69.

Detmer T, Airey M, Jirka K, Randall E, Zarri L, McIntyre PB & C Kraft. 2025. Community-wide transient dynamics of lake fish populations in response to two decades of suppressing an invasive predator. Journal of Applied Ecology, in press.

Jane SF, Heilpern SA, Brenna JT, Detmer TM, Driscoll CT, Eagles-Smith CA, Giri S, Glahn RP, Jirka KJ, Kim JG, Montesdeoca M, Olson CI, Park HG, Randall EA & PB McIntyre. 2025. Climate-driven deoxygenation of lakes alters the nutrient-toxin profile of a food fish. Environmental Science & Technology, in press.

Maldonado M, T Mahmood, DP Coulter, AA Coulter, M Siller, M Neal, A Saha, S Chipps, M Kaemingk. Water-level changes impact angler effort in a large lake: implications for climate change. Fisheries Research 279: 107156.

Rice, E. D., A. E. Bennett, M. Smith, L. S. O. Liverpool-Tasie, S. P. Katengeza, D. M. Infante, and D. L. Tschirley.  2024.  Price volatility in fish food systems: spatial arbitrage as an adaptive strategy for small-scale fish traders. Ecology and Society. DOI: 10.5751/ES-15076-290213

Tingley III, R. W., D. M. Infante, R. A. MacKenzie, A. M. Strauch, P. B. Foulk, and B. Roth. 2024. Anticipating effects of changing climate on tropical island stream ecosystems: Influences of stream flow on an endemic Hawaiian atyid shrimp. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2024.1182021