tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89251481942612196302024-03-04T23:54:12.286-05:00TNACI Field NotesAnna George, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18115335146155836987noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-1714745702363904012016-03-22T09:58:00.000-04:002016-03-22T09:58:03.142-04:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
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World Water Day is March 22 - Your Drop Matters</div>
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By Dr. Anna George, Director of the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute</div>
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When you think of a drop of water, your mind may conjure an image of dew on morning grass, the first splashes of a summer rainstorm, or maybe spray on your face near a waterfall. Depending on your current challenges, you may instead think of unsafe driving conditions, a leaky faucet adding to your monthly bill, or the annoying sound of the water bottle rolling around in the backseat of your car. Fresh water means so many things to us – a necessity, a habitat, a playground, a resource, a challenge from nature – and it changes at different times. This year’s World Water Day calls us to be mindful of our impacts on fresh water and the impacts it has on us.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQkzOxR9ZRrZmDJNze98nx9TM5gPrcmSvWOa2SwraA2cjVmJD6uEJ1kyXnNIviEFzfQZtTNYf9Fe7GS0jbbHNcDlPKhWMqoDyDTg84jAZn6lwyVztKbPd6l4KoxM4x6r9-V5ZWr6urAY3/s1600/Striped+Necked+Musk+Turtle+-+Kevin+Calhoon.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQkzOxR9ZRrZmDJNze98nx9TM5gPrcmSvWOa2SwraA2cjVmJD6uEJ1kyXnNIviEFzfQZtTNYf9Fe7GS0jbbHNcDlPKhWMqoDyDTg84jAZn6lwyVztKbPd6l4KoxM4x6r9-V5ZWr6urAY3/s320/Striped+Necked+Musk+Turtle+-+Kevin+Calhoon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Nearly 70 percent of our blue planet is covered with water, yet only 2.5 percent of that is fresh water. Most of that fresh water, nearly two-thirds, is bound up in glaciers and ice caps, and another 30 percent remains hidden as groundwater. A mere 1/100th of a percent of the world’s water remains on the surface as rivers and lakes. To put that in perspective, imagine being restricted to 7 teaspoons of water per day, which is 1/100th of a percent of the 100 gallons used daily by the average American. <br />
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We complicate this tricky situation by often contaminating the scant fresh water we can use. While most people think of pollution as industrial waste, the Clean Water Act has regulated this problem effectively. Instead, the most common pollution in our rivers now comes from our everyday activities. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLakyUkWSYUnbwToYuOds1Hy2NqnW6WA664wXXlzzF8QzavIxKMdoLO7EVsxeJzTSn5aZhaVpfhAsLSjyOT9XYiQjt41xnAs6PxWgBcPSjW3wMMNy9jaQo7R5a6Z7qXMBilSemMOveGQ6/s1600/IMG_5685.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLakyUkWSYUnbwToYuOds1Hy2NqnW6WA664wXXlzzF8QzavIxKMdoLO7EVsxeJzTSn5aZhaVpfhAsLSjyOT9XYiQjt41xnAs6PxWgBcPSjW3wMMNy9jaQo7R5a6Z7qXMBilSemMOveGQ6/s320/IMG_5685.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Every time it rains, the water that falls on the ground picks up whatever it encounters as it makes its way through the watershed back to streams and rivers. In a landscape covered with healthy vegetation, water moves slowly across the surface, naturally filtered by the plant roots underground. But when the land is cleared of vegetation or paved, water carries with it loose dirt and everything else it encounters. When we add extra fertilizer to make our lawns green, or we position our gutters to send rainwater cascading down our driveway, water can pick up plenty of harmful substances. This nonpoint source pollution across our watershed is jeopardizing our freshwater systems. Thus, the drops of water that fall on a watershed carry a measure of the health of the land with them to the river.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwzQw3x7FtUS7xKGcUR5gjmEjZ-aXGV3qjVV4g6bX3iKdqgzN5FgQgoopUHdU1JAy6vPRDNQLxcFxpKE2ouXhR9f0xLW32B2LQLGDcLvZ8CIIaLcC3Pq3rnnpBSAo_GsC09gTNzSWwOhG/s1600/seining+big+creek+giles+co+tn.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwzQw3x7FtUS7xKGcUR5gjmEjZ-aXGV3qjVV4g6bX3iKdqgzN5FgQgoopUHdU1JAy6vPRDNQLxcFxpKE2ouXhR9f0xLW32B2LQLGDcLvZ8CIIaLcC3Pq3rnnpBSAo_GsC09gTNzSWwOhG/s320/seining+big+creek+giles+co+tn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Because nonpoint source pollution is so diffuse and widespread, there isn’t a simple answer or government regulation that will easily address what we need to do differently. Our river systems are the arteries that pulse with life across our landscape, and they are having heart attacks. We see the symptoms such as the drinking water crisis in Flint, Michigan, or that the extinction rates for freshwater animals remain much higher than what we see for land or marine animals. Like a patient recovering from a heart attack, we need a lifestyle change for fresh water. The specific changes you make may be different than anyone else’s, and they may seem small at first. But like our rivers rise from all the drops of water that have fallen in a rainstorm, together, our actions add up to something much bigger.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeRHCjJgRWrjdEHIfPuHUpk5hB-gvW4POuQKRXvTmy5PqP38ONJcVXSEmrUyG5YTM_eF-VkNVrL4TyRz86yb14DNlvxhdCBkNtNOW8Xd4pGHXayfsDdz2K0HU8_Kna15stifpuLWaphMA/s1600/red+salamander.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeRHCjJgRWrjdEHIfPuHUpk5hB-gvW4POuQKRXvTmy5PqP38ONJcVXSEmrUyG5YTM_eF-VkNVrL4TyRz86yb14DNlvxhdCBkNtNOW8Xd4pGHXayfsDdz2K0HU8_Kna15stifpuLWaphMA/s320/red+salamander.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Discover Your Connection. </b> Maybe your journey begins with noticing the water around you, like when you move to the right lane of the highway on bridges just so you can see what the river looks like today. Find out what watershed you’re in, including what cities upstream use the same water source and where water goes when it leaves your community. Learn the names of five different animals that live in a river near you. This will be easy if you’re in the southeastern United States, because we have an underwater rainforest in our rivers and streams— more freshwater biodiversity than almost anywhere else in the world.<br />
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<b>Reduce Your Impact.</b> These actions may start small—turn off the water when you brush your teeth. Bring a water bottle everywhere so you can refill it instead of buying it. Install a rain barrel to catch and reuse the water running off from your roof. Shop at a farmers’ market so you can ask the farmers how they use fertilizer. Take your old medicines back to pharmacies and police stations for disposal rather than flush them down the toilet into. You’ll help to improve the health of your watershed, which is greatly needed in places like the eastern U.S. where 80% of streams are rated in poor or fair biological condition.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sX2kt4SVm-U9V6LlTeo_PE1XFo_e90y5OwQR3yV8uRDzPz6e3nL7-u1si8kSQ9KS5SqwEMfcWjLKiBn8kNrU2aGiNoypo1TE-IpU3GCvBGlGAN12Ee2AfUVQ6qk3KMTwhuKVeM65iDz/s1600/underwater+photography.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5sX2kt4SVm-U9V6LlTeo_PE1XFo_e90y5OwQR3yV8uRDzPz6e3nL7-u1si8kSQ9KS5SqwEMfcWjLKiBn8kNrU2aGiNoypo1TE-IpU3GCvBGlGAN12Ee2AfUVQ6qk3KMTwhuKVeM65iDz/s320/underwater+photography.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<b>Offer to Help.</b> Our drops begin to build into a bigger river when we work together. Share information with friends and neighbors. Join your local watershed group. Write letters to your government representatives to let them know this is an issue you care about. For too long, we’ve viewed conservation as something that happens where humans aren’t, such as the scenic vistas captured in an Ansel Adams photograph. Instead, we need conservation to happen where we are - in our communities where we can join together for a bigger impact. <br />
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<b>Play and Enjoy. </b> Finally, one of the best things we can do for ourselves and our natural environment is simply spending time outside appreciating what we have. The—incredible natural treasures we have make the world a little more colorful, a little more beautiful, and a little more magical. Being in a beautiful river full of life matters as much to our health as it does to a turtle’s. <br />
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Fresh water magnifies our impacts, whether for good and bad. Consider your impact and make your drop magnify something good. <b>Make your drop matter.</b><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>The Aquarium Bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03865866386377182429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-38714423141566157972013-06-07T10:36:00.001-04:002013-06-07T11:50:49.083-04:00Guest Post: New Research in Big River Conservation<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s almost
always the largest fish that capture our attention. These ‘river monsters’ get
their own television shows, and their pictures and urban legends spread like wildfire through
social media. The new </span><a href="http://www.tnaqua.org/RiverGiants.aspx"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">River Giants exhibit</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> at the Tennessee Aquarium features some of these animals.</span> </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDw-YsSxyyrwGMYiZ0gI-eXW0TeGmt4QOkRJ7hlVCbtU74tVMj3s64FMlSEZjRGIN2aRHIO-Vt1Mi8ZQDEo4YKhWNIENSAbXvFW3qhwevmIGE__8WN2Nuy24DONwbC8u0jh9jAQMhkrsa/s1600/800px-Blue_catfish_tenn_aquarium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDw-YsSxyyrwGMYiZ0gI-eXW0TeGmt4QOkRJ7hlVCbtU74tVMj3s64FMlSEZjRGIN2aRHIO-Vt1Mi8ZQDEo4YKhWNIENSAbXvFW3qhwevmIGE__8WN2Nuy24DONwbC8u0jh9jAQMhkrsa/s320/800px-Blue_catfish_tenn_aquarium.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Above: A Blue Catfish – one of the large river
fishes prized by anglers and commercial fishermen. Photo from Wikimedia Commons.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yet these
charismatic river fishes are also some of the most endangered, both here at home
and around the world. Their habitat is fairly limited – there are only so many
very large rivers – and they are heavily targeted for commercial fishing because
of their large size. This is especially important in Africa, Asia, and South
America in large rivers like the Congo, Mekong, and Amazon where millions rely
on fish protein. Finally, big river fishes are threatened because we humans
have been changing large rivers for a long time. We’ve found a lot of
beneficial uses for large rivers: locks and hydroelectric dams provide us with
a relatively low-cost transportation and carbon-neutral energy. We’ve also found
it difficult to live with the sometimes-erratic flooding that large rivers send
our way – and so we’ve been trying to control rivers for many decades through
levees and floodway systems. These infrastructure projects have had major
impacts to large river fishes. Dams block migrating fishes, like Paddlefish,
and remove the cues that tell them when to move and breed. Levees block
movement onto floodplains where many fish breed and feed during floods. There
are certainly many benefits to locks, dams, levees, and floodways, but they’ve
also changed large river habitats that big fishes depend on.</span></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One bright spot
in big river conservation is the recent realization that some tributaries of
large rivers (smaller rivers that flow into them) can serve as a refuge from
changes to the main channel and allow threatened big river fishes to hang on. A
</span><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130522180342.htm?_sm_au_=iVV7T72nn1S731ts"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">new paper</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> by Wisconsin researchers has taken this idea and identified
Mississippi River tributaries that have the best chance of providing threatened
large-river fishes with a refuge. Brenda Pracheil at the University of Wisconsin
and her colleagues collected distribution records of large-river specialists in
tributaries throughout the Mississippi River Basin and looked at the discharge
(amount of flowing water) in each to determine at what size a tributary
contains the same big river fish as the main channel. The researchers then
mapped out tributaries of that size and greater to figure out which streams
should be the focus of conservation efforts (photo below). Adding information
on the length of stream without dams helps to identify tributary sections
important for big river fish like sturgeon that require a significant stretch
of un-dammed river for their larvae to drift downstream as they develop. The
Tennessee River, for instance, is large enough to contain big river specialists
but is dammed so that its connection to the larger Ohio River is limited. The
Wabash River in Illinois and Indiana also has high discharge that creates
habitat for large river fishes but, unlike the Tennessee, is not dammed.
Although large rivers like the Mississippi and Ohio are not completely without
hope for restoration of fish faunas, the large impacts we’ve had on them and
the high costs of reversing these impacts make big changes unlikely. Tributary
rivers identified in this paper can serve as remnant habitat that can be more
easily conserved or restored because they are managed by fewer agencies and
jurisdictions.</span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XVfRfawpi4sKwGeuEkf0xnbORSY4u35qquSroOhGBE9siFTS1RudUDFuhQ1MZ9bJxZWLtWwvsKXHjbfwyANx70_SLtEm9yHa3_Fee_bJiGi7gD9Ws4lUmzfJFnVsZg6126ycBR33s-yQ/s1600/bigriver_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5XVfRfawpi4sKwGeuEkf0xnbORSY4u35qquSroOhGBE9siFTS1RudUDFuhQ1MZ9bJxZWLtWwvsKXHjbfwyANx70_SLtEm9yHa3_Fee_bJiGi7gD9Ws4lUmzfJFnVsZg6126ycBR33s-yQ/s640/bigriver_map.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Above: Figure
from the featured article highlighting important tributaries in the Mississippi
River Valley (gray). Black lines show large mainstem rivers like the Ohio and
Mississippi. In green are tributaries that are large enough to support big
river fishes and have no dams. Yellow tributaries are large enough to support
big river fishes but have dams that disconnect them from the main river. Blue
sections may be too small to support big river fishes but do not have dams.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Research that
uses fish records, like the featured paper, as well as reintroduction and
monitoring programs like TNACI’s work with </span><a href="http://www.tnaci.org/LakeSturgeon.asp"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lake Sturgeon</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and development of
new tracking and monitoring technologies, as is happening at the </span><a href="http://fisheries.siu.edu/index.html?_sm_au_=iVV7T72nn1S731ts"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Center for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences at SIU</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, are critical for conserving these
important pieces of our big river ecosystems.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/120179">Pracheil, B.M., P.B McIntyre, and J.D Lyons. 2013. Enhancing conservation of large-river biodiversity by accounting for tributaries. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 11: 124–128.</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Post written by Micah Bennett. Micah is a Ph.D. student at SIUC currently examining the impacts of flow regime variability on fish life history and the implications of these relationships for community and ecosystem function.</em></span></span></span><br />
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</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Anna George, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18115335146155836987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-35188350254953200922013-05-09T16:33:00.000-04:002013-05-09T16:33:03.611-04:00Comment Period Reopened for Proposed Listing of the Spring Pygmy Sunfish as Threatened<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service (USFWS) has reopened the public comment period on the proposal
to list the Spring Pygmy Sunfish (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elassoma
alabamae</i>) as threatened with critical habitat designated. (</span><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-04-29/pdf/2013-09974.pdf"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-04-29/pdf/2013-09974.pdf</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">). Public comments were reopened primarily due
to 1) a slight reduction in proposed critical habitat (private property was
inadvertently included in first proposal) and 2) a draft economic analysis is now
available for review.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0JKEHAE7RVQKtsmqChES0x1OCu-5zg3q2i18_lg3XZliStRs1XU3SKRGctvc_8KRAAwNtBf1yvdNjGUJ7-LvkgMfY-v5LVXgjbh16wfIpNpZU3D2JUuv4yhr8ZO_TktT4Yd34tiW6jA/s1600/Spring+pygmy+sunfish+Beaverdam+Spring+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0JKEHAE7RVQKtsmqChES0x1OCu-5zg3q2i18_lg3XZliStRs1XU3SKRGctvc_8KRAAwNtBf1yvdNjGUJ7-LvkgMfY-v5LVXgjbh16wfIpNpZU3D2JUuv4yhr8ZO_TktT4Yd34tiW6jA/s640/Spring+pygmy+sunfish+Beaverdam+Spring+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Spring Pygmy
Sunfish (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Elassoma alabamae</i>). Photo by
Bernie Kuhajda.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Spring Pygmy Sunfish
are restricted to springs and spring-fed creeks along a five-mile length of
Beaverdam Creek in northern Alabama near Huntsville. This species was
historically known from two other spring systems in the Tennessee River
drainage in Alabama, but habitat destruction from dams, reservoirs, and
herbicides caused these populations to disappear. It only reaches 1 inch, lives
for a year, and needs clear spring water and dense submerged vegetation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spring Pygmy Sunfish are reliant on their
vision to find food and mates, so clear water is essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dense submerged vegetation is needed for
the eggs to be successfully laid, hatched, and for juveniles and adults to hide
from predators. These life history traits make the species vulnerable to
habitat disturbances that muddy the water, herbicides that reduce or kill
aquatic vegetation, and groundwater withdrawals. Lower water levels, together
with drought conditions, have caused springs in the system to go completely dry.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0zE9RtUlJYSwwFTMT6c91sMV_NTlFImIQhsy8FSBewKBBVk8JJLtt1jIVSZ044ZIH1Ff3y6TxsPiPhy8d4O9mRGpOrQ_oOeF2N7QjiZBW-225hZRyVpaJdZ-ky2s2m-5ZsP4nI3Qbj8/s1600/Beaverdam+Spring+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0zE9RtUlJYSwwFTMT6c91sMV_NTlFImIQhsy8FSBewKBBVk8JJLtt1jIVSZ044ZIH1Ff3y6TxsPiPhy8d4O9mRGpOrQ_oOeF2N7QjiZBW-225hZRyVpaJdZ-ky2s2m-5ZsP4nI3Qbj8/s640/Beaverdam+Spring+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Beaverdam Spring, ideal
habitat for the Spring Pygmy Sunfish. Photo by Bernie Kuhajda.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Spring Pygmy Sunfish
habitat in the Beaverdam Creek system is highly imperiled due to the rapid
growth of nearby Huntsville (</span><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.sasaki.com/project/227/huntsville-western-expansion-annexed-property-master-plan/"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.sasaki.com/project/227/huntsville-western-expansion-annexed-property-master-plan/</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">) and an increase in agricultural and municipal groundwater
pumping in the aquifer that feeds these springs. Construction projects with no
or improperly installed silt fences and an increase in impervious surfaces that
produces heavy stormwater runoff threaten water quality.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvXxbTrnzBCmSYsSVnYi6rdhrS15lssU9XczRfhKMu4a197ww3x5Or4CaSABHmr1ufkxwd9uLunJWvaDYdfe-RFe7WgL0akC53shALQ1ioneYisu_LgCm5-0AGKYs0NFDCYxnnKzdP-E/s1600/Fence+next+to+Moore+branch+(chocolate+milk).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvXxbTrnzBCmSYsSVnYi6rdhrS15lssU9XczRfhKMu4a197ww3x5Or4CaSABHmr1ufkxwd9uLunJWvaDYdfe-RFe7WgL0akC53shALQ1ioneYisu_LgCm5-0AGKYs0NFDCYxnnKzdP-E/s320/Fence+next+to+Moore+branch+(chocolate+milk).jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1pIoXcW6P9smcZVrEfhcj6VAMhhnmTYKCPfnzYiZL86yrhj5vRwp8-YV-yzuLBhHnpIye7aXjeVudBQ7xyIFBqJz3W8JDjEvi-WAAq923K8aooMUa7GkbJJ-z5zFXetO9aT-NmQKrFw/s1600/Former+riparian+zone+along+Beaverdam+Creek+and+Moore+Branch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1pIoXcW6P9smcZVrEfhcj6VAMhhnmTYKCPfnzYiZL86yrhj5vRwp8-YV-yzuLBhHnpIye7aXjeVudBQ7xyIFBqJz3W8JDjEvi-WAAq923K8aooMUa7GkbJJ-z5zFXetO9aT-NmQKrFw/s320/Former+riparian+zone+along+Beaverdam+Creek+and+Moore+Branch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ineffective silt
fences along Beaverdam Creek that contribute to the siltation of critical
habitat for the Spring Pygmy Sunfish. Photo by Mike Sandel.</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Impervious surfaces
also threaten water quantity by deflecting water that would normally recharge
the underlying aquifer. These are just some of the escalating threats that
Beaverdam Creek and the Spring Pygmy Sunfish are facing.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">USFWS had determined
that listing the Spring Pygmy Sunfish as threatened rather than endangered is
warranted primarily due to conservation measures in a candidate conservation
agreement with assurances (CCAA) between USFWS and Belle Mina Farm, Ltd. This
company owns Beaverdam Spring, by far the largest spring in the system. However
this CCAA gives no protection to the majority of the critical habitat and can
be terminated at any moment. The Spring Pygmy Sunfish is restricted to one
creek system, is totally reliant on groundwater, and there is an imminent
threat of urbanization/industrialization within the recharge area of the
aquifer. This led the Southeastern Fishes Council to consider the Spring Pygmy
Sunfish as one of the Desperate Dozen, one of the 12 most critically imperiled
fish species in the southeast (</span><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://www.sefishescouncil.org/proceedings/sfcpro51.pdf"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">http://www.sefishescouncil.org/proceedings/sfcpro51.pdf</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">). I personally think the Spring Pygmy Sunfish
should be listed as endangered based on the best available science.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Bernie Kuhajdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07633876762760570066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-69070145651144875342013-05-07T10:18:00.001-04:002013-05-07T10:18:51.162-04:00Pallid Sturgeon Draft Recovery Plan Available<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a draft revised recovery plan for the endangered Pallid Sturgeon <i>Scaphirhynchus albus</i> (</span><a href="http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/Pallid%20Sturgeon%20Draft%20Revised%20Recovery%20final%20draft%2003%2004%202013%20for%20web%20publication.pdf"><u><span style="color: yellow; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/Pallid%20Sturgeon%20Draft%20Revised%20Recovery%20final%20draft%2003%2004%202013%20for%20web%20publication.pdf</span></u></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). The species was listed as endangered in 1990, with the original recovery plan finalized in 1993. The Pallid Sturgeon is native to the Missouri and Mississippi rivers where it is restricted to the mainstem and lower reaches of larger tributaries.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApCXa-M28fIYqioCouO8y4BNu9oYwMd0ci_P7vcmBqbx01H4_AG9whvCGus16RUiwxUVbZ3t_7XSeLV5y_w5NIek21BAfQ6CMFEWd-LzjOn3YMNfYR4A2bHqirxFLWP9Y6U0kz7o8Kvo/s1600/pallid+sturgeon+Joe+Tom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApCXa-M28fIYqioCouO8y4BNu9oYwMd0ci_P7vcmBqbx01H4_AG9whvCGus16RUiwxUVbZ3t_7XSeLV5y_w5NIek21BAfQ6CMFEWd-LzjOn3YMNfYR4A2bHqirxFLWP9Y6U0kz7o8Kvo/s640/pallid+sturgeon+Joe+Tom.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Pallid Sturgeon <i>Scaphirhynchus albus</i>. Illustration by Joe Tomelleri.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This species is adapted to the pre-development conditions of free-flowing turbid warm water rivers with a variety of physical habitats that were in a constant state of change. Pallid Sturgeon reach 5.5 feet and 90 pounds and can live up to 41 years, with largest and oldest individuals being found in the upper Missouri River and smaller sizes in the lower Mississippi River. Males are not sexually mature until age 5 or later and females may not reproduce until age 15-20 years. They migrate upstream in the winter, spawning in the spring on hard surfaces with flowing water. Females can produce up to 170,000 eggs, but an individual female only spawns every 3-10 years; males spawn every 2-3 years. Upon hatching, larvae are photopositive (attracted to light) and drift in the water column for 11-17 days and 152-329 miles. Reservoirs below spawning grounds can result in total recruitment failure likely due to larvae settling to the bottom and dying. Pallid Sturgeon cruise along the river bottom to locate and eat invertebrates and small fishes with the aid of taste buds on their barbels and ampullary organs on the underside of their head, which use electroreception to detect the weak electrical fields emitted by prey.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3aJyhFNZzPgPud-n0KDtBwzrVZa6-sWvk7l9NYYz92KiuVyqJ6eByzfUINx3kPk-xwmj_u4GimDHjWw8fuL9_j1A4WHmO9pvmEjoFfw8PVN6r1yfYlprZPXmHYz8yw9iSauuMOWpI-g/s1600/Pallid+Sturgeon+specimens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx3aJyhFNZzPgPud-n0KDtBwzrVZa6-sWvk7l9NYYz92KiuVyqJ6eByzfUINx3kPk-xwmj_u4GimDHjWw8fuL9_j1A4WHmO9pvmEjoFfw8PVN6r1yfYlprZPXmHYz8yw9iSauuMOWpI-g/s640/Pallid+Sturgeon+specimens.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Two adult Pallid Sturgeon from different parts of their range, the larger specimen is from the upper Missouri River and the smaller southern specimen is from the lower Mississippi/Atchafalaya Rivers. Photo by Bernie Kuhajda.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span lang="">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br />
Current limiting factors for Pallid Sturgeon include (1) activities that affect connectivity and the natural form, function, and hydrologic processes of rivers; (2) illegal harvest, especially females for their eggs for caviar production; (3) impaired water quality and quantity; (4) entrainment in water diversion structures such as flood gates; and (5) life history attributes of the species (delayed sexual maturity, females not spawning every year, and larval drift requirements). The degree to which these factors affect the species varies among river reaches. The draft revised recovery plan focuses on a number of key issues: <br />
<ul>
<li>The need to better understand certain life history traits and the complex interactions between these traits and altered habitats in the contemporary Missouri and Mississippi River basins.</li>
<li>Threats abatement</li>
<ul>
<li>The listing of the Shovelnose Sturgeon (<i>S. platorynchus</i>) as threatened due to similarity of appearance within the range of the Pallid Sturgeon should decrease illegal harvest by eliminating caviar harvest.</li>
</ul>
<li>Population management using augmentation to conserve extant genetic variability and prevent localized extirpation.</li>
<li>Researching and implementing habitat improvement.</li>
<li>Monitoring habitat conditions.</li>
<li>Monitoring population status.</li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uDm6SVVGQL09lPX9mDBEF8QVyDFcBdOslS_v4Ebeyxq7g2WCRmCoqxwuioDJcOEe2-RxDPWmzkU5jCSYM3qDYPzj9hD2SkFBilWc-TC61l16ttQG4wFVkVlAWcao7UeAkdj2e6Q01-M/s1600/Pallid+Sturgeon+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5uDm6SVVGQL09lPX9mDBEF8QVyDFcBdOslS_v4Ebeyxq7g2WCRmCoqxwuioDJcOEe2-RxDPWmzkU5jCSYM3qDYPzj9hD2SkFBilWc-TC61l16ttQG4wFVkVlAWcao7UeAkdj2e6Q01-M/s640/Pallid+Sturgeon+map.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Map of current range
of Pallid Sturgeon, both wild and hatchery-reared fish. Data by National Pallid
Sturgeon Database, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bismarck, North Dakota.
Figure from the draft revised recovery plan.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">USFWS requests your
assistance by reviewing the draft revised recovery plan and providing any
information that you may have on the Pallid Sturgeon that is not already
included.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Information must be submitted
on or before 14 May 2013 and can be submitted to the Project Leader, Northern
Rockies Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
2900 4th Avenue North, Room 301, Billings, MT 59101.</span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Bernie Kuhajdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07633876762760570066noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-45179364466621077632013-04-18T17:16:00.004-04:002013-04-19T11:39:44.100-04:00New Darter Species from Tennessee’s Caney Fork River<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">A new species of fish
only found in the state of Tennessee was scientifically described this month and
was named after a co-author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Fishes
of Tennessee</i> book. The new species was formerly considered an isolated
population of the Bloodfin Darter <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma
</i>(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nothonotus</i>)<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> sanguifluum</i>, which is otherwise widespread in medium-sized creeks throughout
the middle Cumberland River drainage in Kentucky and Tennessee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHzYwtabIG0dAhS0yCVxYSK5QRej8qllRQnaavzYn3aywlOS4M4tOdTVpKkZicDI-XuxgC3uW7xSQhqrKv9_4P6ou1-qix2rFC_m2ncrqlQHpm_HW8vFQsiLV_LGjRfONutm9ZtWgWhA/s1600/E.+sanguifluum+Keck+&+Near+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHzYwtabIG0dAhS0yCVxYSK5QRej8qllRQnaavzYn3aywlOS4M4tOdTVpKkZicDI-XuxgC3uW7xSQhqrKv9_4P6ou1-qix2rFC_m2ncrqlQHpm_HW8vFQsiLV_LGjRfONutm9ZtWgWhA/s400/E.+sanguifluum+Keck+&+Near+2013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Bloodfin Darter, Etheostoma sanguifluum (or Nothonotus sanguifluus, see below) from the middle Cumberland River drainage in Kentucky and Tennessee. C) male and D) female. From figure 3 in Keck and Near 2013.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Ben Keck at the
University of Tennessee and Tom Near at Yale University described the new
species based on differences in male nuptial coloration and scale counts. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new species is the Caney Fork Darter <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nothonotus starnesi</i>, restricted to the
Caney Fork River system above Great Falls in Grundy, Van Buren, Warren, and
White counties near McMinnville Tennessee. It is named after Wayne Starnes,
co-author of the Fishes of Tennessee and Curator of Fishes at the North
Carolina Museum of Natural History, for his contributions on the natural
history and biology of North American freshwater fishes.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vHOqmWJpNwzYmhvro4YhBidqAByyrKVTJ71RW1Mh_IwNnK2T43jJqjUP4zD98S-RWplVxQv-GVRLBtNtCgoxw4fFvjBKjd0w3c_BqP8QeuRgpxwF22-J9Wj4JoYuyBW8FHX-HXEqsQA/s1600/Etheostoma+starnesi+Neely+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vHOqmWJpNwzYmhvro4YhBidqAByyrKVTJ71RW1Mh_IwNnK2T43jJqjUP4zD98S-RWplVxQv-GVRLBtNtCgoxw4fFvjBKjd0w3c_BqP8QeuRgpxwF22-J9Wj4JoYuyBW8FHX-HXEqsQA/s400/Etheostoma+starnesi+Neely+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">The Caney Fork Darter, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nothonotus starnesi</i>, from the Caney Fork River system above Great Falls near McMinnville Tennessee Photo of nuptial male by Dave Neely.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The Caney Fork Darter,
like many other darters, displays sexual dimorphism which is most pronounced
during the breeding season (May-July), with males having bright red spots on
their sides and red and blue in their fins. The species occupies fast-flowing
riffles over large cobble and small boulders in medium to large streams. Most
populations appear stable, but the Caney Fork Darter’s restricted range,
impoundment of habitat by the Great Falls reservoir, and threats from intensive
silviculture, livestock production, urbanization, and invasive species put this
species at risk and may require future conservation efforts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZMVRi-ETGgOppu8e1x76maULMo_RgVgf5JxpP9Q7n0j7pXhFgGM4vZt_621hUzfaYjJB9MWta-rUsgDIim9PwjesgWI3UPueu0DlW03MFnxvS2LwCNiq1MVncI4zNMGbajgpWId3L5M/s1600/E+starnesi+Keck+&+Near+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmZMVRi-ETGgOppu8e1x76maULMo_RgVgf5JxpP9Q7n0j7pXhFgGM4vZt_621hUzfaYjJB9MWta-rUsgDIim9PwjesgWI3UPueu0DlW03MFnxvS2LwCNiq1MVncI4zNMGbajgpWId3L5M/s400/E+starnesi+Keck+&+Near+2013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">The Caney Fork Darter, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nothonotus starnesi</i>, from the Caney Fork River system above Great Falls near McMinnville Tennessee E) male and F) female. From figure 3 in Keck and Near 2013</span></td></tr>
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</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The taxonomy of the
scientific names of the Bloodfin and Caney Fork darters and their close
relatives is undergoing changes. These species, as well as some twenty other
species, were previously placed in the subgenus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nothonotus</i> within the genus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma
</i>(Etnier and Starnes 1993). Molecular studies based on a mitochondrial gene
indicated that the subgenus was more closely related to other darter genera,
leading Near and Keck (2005) to elevate <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nothonotus</i>
to the generic level, which changed the ending on the specific epithet of many
species to match the gender of the new genus (e.g. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sanguifluum</i> to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sanguifluus</i>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later molecular studies using nuclear genes
in combination with mitochondrial genes (Near et al. 2011) or nuclear genes alone (Near and Keck 2013) showed that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nothonotus</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma</i> are sister taxa, therefore some ichthyologists retain
the genus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma</i> for these
darters while others recognize <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nothonotus</i>
as a distinct genus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvC33X9CWle3uzndmAy3q6r0LWWSXgAGrwHE7EYWdoIir_NWC5KYRGCVwHselDrqk3jdgPe5xPpufX-1E9EN30GwQQh4qAmSJhoquMZ62lXQ86XbsGbT11PSn1IhhH0oIdD8yAPGYkpK8/s1600/Range+map+Keck+&+Near+2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvC33X9CWle3uzndmAy3q6r0LWWSXgAGrwHE7EYWdoIir_NWC5KYRGCVwHselDrqk3jdgPe5xPpufX-1E9EN30GwQQh4qAmSJhoquMZ62lXQ86XbsGbT11PSn1IhhH0oIdD8yAPGYkpK8/s400/Range+map+Keck+&+Near+2013.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Distribution of the Caney Fork Darter, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nothonotus starnesi</i>, and other closely-related species in the Cumberland River drainage in Kentucky and Tennessee From figure 2 in Keck and Near 2013.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Citation for species
description:<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Keck, B.P., and T.J.
Near. 2013. A new species of Nothonotus darter (Teleostei: Percidae) from the
Caney Fork in Tennessee, USA. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History
54:3-21.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Other citations:<o:p></o:p></strong></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Etnier, D.A., and
W.C. Starnes. 1993. The Fishes of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee Press,
Knoxville.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Near, T.J., C.M.
Bossu, G.S. Bradburd, R.L. Carlson, R.C. Harrington, P.R. Hollingsworth Jr.,
B.P. Keck, and D.A. Etnier. 2011. Phylogeny and temporal diversification of
darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae). Systematic Biology 60:565-595. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">Near, T.J., and B.P. Keck. 2013. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Free from
mitochondrial DNA: nuclear genes and the inference of species trees among
closely related darter lineages (Teleostei: Percidae: Etheostomatinae).
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 66:868-876.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Near, T.J., and B.P.
Keck. 2005. Dispersal, vicariance, and timing of diversification in Nothonotus
darters. Molecular Ecology 14: 3485-3496. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<u1:p></u1:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Bernie Kuhajdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07633876762760570066noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-70847153783174399692013-03-27T17:02:00.001-04:002013-03-28T15:18:57.634-04:00Study Predicts Climate Change Threatens Trout Habitat <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A </span><a href="http://troutheadwaters.com/clubecoblu/?p=2271"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">study</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> by researchers
from the U.S. Forest
Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State University, the University
of Washington and Trout Unlimited found that climate change will likely cause a
50% decrease in trout habitat by 2080 in the western United States. Warmer
temperatures as well as changes in stream flow and interactions with competing
species were all named as contributors to the decline. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cutthroat Trout (<em>Oncorhynchus clarkii</em>), the only trout species
native to much of the West, is projected to be the most drastically impacted.
The Westslope Cutthroat Trout (<em>Oncorhynchus
clarkii lewisi</em>), a subspecies, is the Montana state fish and has inspired
numerous conservation efforts.<o:p></o:p>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.5pt;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZj4_TnxAEj2KL5ia0EN8m67p56kwB-JzxggLJjPamGTXEi73MchOuWO1onhksutEzzpU-MwuJN_m8tuwDXqNpLgp4o_viXg5Ntyt9RQXJHn5_Spi9-kviz0IewLJyqIv6Tn3tL2ftg/s1600/cuuthroat+trout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyZj4_TnxAEj2KL5ia0EN8m67p56kwB-JzxggLJjPamGTXEi73MchOuWO1onhksutEzzpU-MwuJN_m8tuwDXqNpLgp4o_viXg5Ntyt9RQXJHn5_Spi9-kviz0IewLJyqIv6Tn3tL2ftg/s1600/cuuthroat+trout.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cutthroat Trout <span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">(</span><span class="st" style="line-height: 18px; text-align: start;"><i><span style="color: #22222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Oncorhynchus clarkii)</span></i></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TNACI
scientists share a similar focus on the Southern Appalachian Brook Trout (<i>Salvelinus fontinalis</i>) – the only trout
species native to Tennessee. Last October, TNACI began a propagation study of
the Brook Trout, funded by a </span><a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/11/tnaci-awarded-grant-for-new.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">grant</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
from the </span><a href="http://www.nfwf.org/Pages/default.aspx"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">National Fish
& Wildlife Federation</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Adult brood stock were collected
from Hampton Cove Creek and brought back to TNACI where gametes were stripped
and eggs were fertilized. The baby brook trout that hatched from the eggs are
currently growing strong and will be released in August back into the river
from which their parents were caught. This species is sensitive to increasing
water temperatures and has a maximum temperature tolerance of 55 degrees
Fahrenheit.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckQCNRr8YwEPIMZ2s5v1SbFlDaT04V63OVm-f5lKFc7nSMAM9JgvNkzUFdLyZ32CnqQgUz6ipLC3oJr7huhyw683Fk8jF_dg279JhEd8fETzr-R7jqrEIEhwNmmzvys3c8RWqsGW-Uw/s1600/Brook-Trout-0112-RT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjckQCNRr8YwEPIMZ2s5v1SbFlDaT04V63OVm-f5lKFc7nSMAM9JgvNkzUFdLyZ32CnqQgUz6ipLC3oJr7huhyw683Fk8jF_dg279JhEd8fETzr-R7jqrEIEhwNmmzvys3c8RWqsGW-Uw/s320/Brook-Trout-0112-RT.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Brook Trout (</span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">Salvelinus fontinalis</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;">)</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reviewers
of the climate change study note that Montana’s high elevation and northern
positioning may help to buffer some of the effects that may be magnified in
other regions. This is particularly significant to TNACI’s work which focuses
on conserving freshwater habitats in the Southeast - which may not experience
this buffering when it comes to climate change. <b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
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</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-84944300191499461122013-02-03T17:45:00.002-05:002013-03-28T12:55:46.986-04:00Fish Bowl Sunday!
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the
reasons we work in the southeastern United States is because of the amazing
aquatic biodiversity here—lots of crayfish, mussels, fish, turtles, and
salamanders to study! For many
nature nuts like us, this web of life is awesome simply because it exists. Sometimes we give other reasons on why
biodiversity matters, though. This
weekend, we have the perfect chance for one of our favorite analogies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Biodiversity
matters because the Big Game on Sunday would be pretty boring if all the players
on the field were in the same position.
Who would want to watch a bunch of quarterbacks throw balls when no one
was there to catch them? What’s
the fun of a touchdown when you didn’t have to race past the cornerback and
safety? And what’s the point of a
pass rush when there is no one passing?
Our rivers are just the same—we need a lot of different fishes swimming
around to keep things interesting!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because we are
fish AND sports nerds, we decided to create our fantasy Fish Bowl Sunday for
you… so without further ado, here are the starting line-ups! Representing the American Fishes Conference
is Benthic Bait, playing the Fantastic Fins from the National Fishes Conference. The Benthic Bait are coached by the Prickly Sculpin, while the Fantastic Fins are led by the </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">Redface Topminnow</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://calfish.ucdavis.edu/files/79508display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://calfish.ucdavis.edu/files/79508display.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prickly Sculpin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The game
starts with the Spangled Darter singing the national anthem. Officiating for this game are our refs,
a Striped Bass, Banded Pygmy Sunfish, Striped Shiner, and Striped Mullet. A Chainback Darter and a Chain Pickerel
will be keeping track of the first down markers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://gallery.nanfa.org/d/3264-4/darter_chainback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://gallery.nanfa.org/d/3264-4/darter_chainback.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chainback Darter. Photo by Todd Crail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">For the
Benthic Bait, a Flier kicks off with the Fantastic Fins receiving.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">The offensive line for the Fantastic
Fins is made up of Shield and Guardian Darters, protecting their quarterback,
the Pretty Shiner.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Split wide and
blazing down the field are Flame Chubs as wide receivers.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">The Southern Studfish receives short
passes as the tight end.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">When it’s
time for the running game, an American Eel slips through the gaps being cleared
for him by the Yellow Bullhead.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">They’re
hoping not to have to use their field goal kicker, the Crown Darter, who only
really earns his name if he makes that last-second game-winning kick.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.videodelivery.gov.on.ca/uploads/photos/928/slides/pIP7J0a_03_two_eels_in_water_slide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.videodelivery.gov.on.ca/uploads/photos/928/slides/pIP7J0a_03_two_eels_in_water_slide.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Eels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">On the
defense for the Benthic Bait we have the Robust Redhorse in the middle of the
line, flanked by two Bull Trout.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Pressuring the Pretty Shiner are the Rush Darters, eager to make a
sack.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Following every move of the
Flame Chubs are the cornerbacks, the Mirror Shiners.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Ready to stop the run or pass are the linebackers, Dirty and
Warrior Darters, with our safeties, the Bigeye and Slender Chubs.</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Due to injuries from this season, the
Wounded Darter, Cutlip Minnow, and Bleeding Shiner will be sitting this game
out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5145/5693072895_1108bfc51f_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5145/5693072895_1108bfc51f_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bleeding Shiner. Photo by Lance Merry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Of course,
no football game is complete without an audience (who had to pay a lot of
Dollar Sunfishes to get in).</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">The
stands are packed with fins—oops, we mean fans!</span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">We see a lot of Fantail Darters out there, as well as some
really enthusiastic supporters who came out in color... Tennessee Shiners, Saffron Shiners, and Warpaint Shiners.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/5837636278_b73f4c224d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/5837636278_b73f4c224d_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring in Tennessee! Photo by Lance Merry.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;">Hopefully,
unlike a lot of championship games, this one will be close to the end, keeping
those fans sitting on Pinfish and Needlefish!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Post co-authored by Bernie Kuhajda and Anna George.</span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Anna George, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18115335146155836987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-18216106049450016882012-12-11T08:44:00.003-05:002012-12-11T09:05:07.345-05:00Happy Darter Holidays from TNACI<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">T’was time for the holidays in
the state of Tennessee</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And everyone at TNACI was happy
as can be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We’re ready for some fun, some
food, and maybe snow</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And to feature some fishes we
love and we know.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If you tend to celebrate the
Christian way</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And have your winter holiday on
Christmas Day,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Then maybe you’ll find a new
friend and ally</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In a very special fish, <i>Etheostoma hopkinsi.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6E_VCadJ36nuyi2ndtGg0yyK3rOzdEXYw3qGU6iCMLceWfemN0Pj8XeHcNkbyCJwAtdj_2KggDEAkbkxjB8EEH80YeLSWyOta1dsZi78I_J-1MQ-BbyVXmsPMXdooqf_-KWt24y-NPTyj/s1600/E+hopkinsi+Dustin+Smith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6E_VCadJ36nuyi2ndtGg0yyK3rOzdEXYw3qGU6iCMLceWfemN0Pj8XeHcNkbyCJwAtdj_2KggDEAkbkxjB8EEH80YeLSWyOta1dsZi78I_J-1MQ-BbyVXmsPMXdooqf_-KWt24y-NPTyj/s320/E+hopkinsi+Dustin+Smith.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Darter (<i>E. hopkinsi)</i> photo by Dustin Smith</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And if Santa visits your house, tell your kids to be good<i></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Cuz they’ll want some sweets, that’s well understood.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So show them an image of some aquatic fun</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">With <i>E. osburni </i>and <i>E. neopterum.</i></span><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwIQmutXkbwzam_YYxTY7m5_8EmXmfhptc4Orkb6q1cwM4ikS_zstiOuAvdWmW-QxrwrNvmWZeBN0UN1AFTU4p0eFsbaSxP5GV9Spj-OYpmKMmay0AmBeQP2JVrks67eovKQkk84SjqHR/s1600/Etheostoma+osburni_24.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkwIQmutXkbwzam_YYxTY7m5_8EmXmfhptc4Orkb6q1cwM4ikS_zstiOuAvdWmW-QxrwrNvmWZeBN0UN1AFTU4p0eFsbaSxP5GV9Spj-OYpmKMmay0AmBeQP2JVrks67eovKQkk84SjqHR/s320/Etheostoma+osburni_24.1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 9.0pt;">Candy Darter (<i>E. osburni) </i>Photo by Cory Dunn</span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHBb31UUYUgqLHWT2jyp4iUg0C_MJm6Rp7mxstdqmRmI-byCYrU5PQkSXKlUvhgfpmZion-dCyR_T6YM3nqRLzM0fioC34w8v4ehhCkomDUUDqxOF3o2Ntz_nmHmFTzleaxvhBp8tSAwF/s1600/E.NEOPTERUM+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkHBb31UUYUgqLHWT2jyp4iUg0C_MJm6Rp7mxstdqmRmI-byCYrU5PQkSXKlUvhgfpmZion-dCyR_T6YM3nqRLzM0fioC34w8v4ehhCkomDUUDqxOF3o2Ntz_nmHmFTzleaxvhBp8tSAwF/s320/E.NEOPTERUM+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lollipop Darter (<i>E. neopturum) </i>illustration by Joe Tomelleri</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">But if you’ve been bad, you know
what will be</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">In your stocking that day or
under the tree.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">There’ll be no sweets, no
presents, nada,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Except maybe </span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>E. cinereum </i>or<i> Percina brevicauda.</i></span><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i></i><br />
<i></i></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzs9-ludr3xMB4WhkxQzaXV9Yq0XCn5J5NSskb2zF32xxJtyTAs6bMrJ629SRP4fuPpvnkXSdL4Xb91Ij7adUhuJ6SCOfNaSbgCV6RqCKSl9POw5XSyeP6GnT1iOQ1KKDP_z1ZY2zgYj1/s1600/E++CINEREUM.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzs9-ludr3xMB4WhkxQzaXV9Yq0XCn5J5NSskb2zF32xxJtyTAs6bMrJ629SRP4fuPpvnkXSdL4Xb91Ij7adUhuJ6SCOfNaSbgCV6RqCKSl9POw5XSyeP6GnT1iOQ1KKDP_z1ZY2zgYj1/s320/E++CINEREUM.tif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashy Darter (<i>E. cinereum) </i>illustration by Joe Tomelleri.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjtzZCK1JUj2o5jvk9lmzZOkxEJd6DIXSIBz337-Dr3FtW9L1A6KmkQJFC1G1hhrsTtgIKrbCnTpKB7XFWwYoIT4QPli19WN8rtr8NXBhws7rbpc22MMgZopXqWCana2lOSxNQUlV0RHT/s1600/Percina+brevicauda+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZjtzZCK1JUj2o5jvk9lmzZOkxEJd6DIXSIBz337-Dr3FtW9L1A6KmkQJFC1G1hhrsTtgIKrbCnTpKB7XFWwYoIT4QPli19WN8rtr8NXBhws7rbpc22MMgZopXqWCana2lOSxNQUlV0RHT/s320/Percina+brevicauda+small.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coal Darter (<i>Percina brevicauda) </i>illustration by Joe Tomelleri.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i></i><br />
<i></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We hope that you laughed due to
this little ditty.<i></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I really can’t lie, fish humor
makes us giddy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Instead of singing carols to you,
with flutes and a drum,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We will just say have a Happy </span><i><span style="font-size: large;">Etheostoma brevirostrum</span>.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<i><br /></i></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRxXT9mdNnsft-68X4gE404QnN66MnnXeu3B3uhdW0CZvxU1k2gsNBpKXnjxB5Puu0R2Rcqx8VGlpHC4eH1ASZc8B0zxWspy6N_zj6bT2hWvUs9vuBsjJW9MfceS8h9D1mqkJE0pc05La/s1600/E.+BREVIROSTRUM+small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRxXT9mdNnsft-68X4gE404QnN66MnnXeu3B3uhdW0CZvxU1k2gsNBpKXnjxB5Puu0R2Rcqx8VGlpHC4eH1ASZc8B0zxWspy6N_zj6bT2hWvUs9vuBsjJW9MfceS8h9D1mqkJE0pc05La/s400/E.+BREVIROSTRUM+small.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holiday Darter (<i>E. brevirostrum)</i> illustration by Joe Tomelleri.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i></i><br />
<i></i></div>
<i><o:p></o:p></i>
<br />
<br />
<br />
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</div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-48598397222817302512012-12-07T10:47:00.005-05:002012-12-07T10:56:07.781-05:00What are 303(d) Streams?<br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8925148194261219630" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8925148194261219630" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8925148194261219630" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8925148194261219630" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Freshwater is the most important resource on this
planet. Without it, humans cannot
live. However, with development and
industrialization has come the pollution of freshwater bodies on which we
rely. During the 20<sup>th</sup>
century, the USA reached a breaking point with its water bodies. Estimates state that about 65% of streams were polluted, but no one knew
for sure. Some rivers so polluted from
industry and development that they <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jxV6BbREfY">caught fire</a>. <br />
<h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUiWlgU4fLaX_c9xygzVz788SoR99Dtw2FHIVeHt3bKaPgroFSxT-3No7L-XJLxxkf5LyHJ3bS-AmyQWTpM_xaWhRza9tjdD0LB8PPgo5HD027bF1XugM3Q1NbuzSveNM4B33JDASctiQ/s1600/Cuyahoga+on+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUiWlgU4fLaX_c9xygzVz788SoR99Dtw2FHIVeHt3bKaPgroFSxT-3No7L-XJLxxkf5LyHJ3bS-AmyQWTpM_xaWhRza9tjdD0LB8PPgo5HD027bF1XugM3Q1NbuzSveNM4B33JDASctiQ/s1600/Cuyahoga+on+fire.jpg" height="248" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/images/11-3-52.jpg </div>
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To bring water pollution under control, Congress passed the <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-40th-birthday-clean-water-act.html">Clean
Water Act</a> (CWA) in 1972. This October was the 40th Anniversary of its passing! Under this act
the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/">EPA</a> must regulate how much pollution
industries discharge into rivers. Under
Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, states must compile a list of water
bodies that exceed federal limits of pollutants. Any stream on this list is called a
303(d) stream. Prior to the passing of the
CWA, there was no way for the public to know how many water bodies were impaired in
their communities or which streams were unsafe. Now, agencies must monitor pollutants in rivers and update the list of 303(d) streams every few years. Once a stream or river is on
this list, it is considered a priority for water quality improvement. This can be accomplished by strict permitting
and enforcement on industry, or preventative efforts to reduce runoff.</div>
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In Tennessee, the <a href="http://www.state.tn.us/environment/" target="_blank">Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation</a> (TDEC) is the agency that is responsible for listing 303(d) streams. For an updated list of impaired streams in Tennessee, click the link below. Here in Hamilton County there are about 30 impaired streams covering
approximately 200 miles.</div>
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<a href="http://www.tn.gov/environment/wpc/publications/pdf/2012_draft_303d_list.pdf">http://www.tn.gov/environment/wpc/publications/pdf/2012_draft_303d_list.pdf</a></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-184889174687008472012-11-19T11:59:00.001-05:002012-11-19T12:01:06.469-05:00Lake Sturgeon Sampling 2012<br />
<br />
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TNACI loves November, and not just for the Thanksgiving
holiday. November is the month for Lake
Sturgeon monitoring! For one week <a href="http://www.tnaci.org/">TNACI</a> and its partners in the Lake Sturgeon
reintroduction project (<a href="http://fwf.ag.utk.edu/">University of
Tennessee</a>, <a href="http://www.fws.gov/warmsprings/FishHatchery/species/lakesturgeon.html">US
Fish and Wildlife</a>, <a href="http://www.tn.gov/twra/">TWRA</a>, and <a href="http://www.tva.gov/">TVA</a>) intensely sample the upper Tennessee River
in an effort to capture sturgeon that have been <a href="http://www.wbir.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1939593648001">released</a>
there over the last 14 years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We actually kicked off our week of sturgeon in New Orleans
at the <a href="http://ichthyology.usm.edu/sfc/">Southeastern Fishes Council</a>
meeting where scientists from all over the Southeastern U.S. convened to share
their research. TNACI talked to this
group about the Lake Sturgeon project and how far it has come in the last
decade. After catching only 5 Lake Sturgeon over 10
years, the working group enlisted the help of commercial fishermen in <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2011/11/lake-sturgeon-sampling.html">November
2011</a>. This resulted in 34 sturgeon
caught over the sampling week! They
ranged from the 1999-2010 year class and the largest was 44 inches and 18
pounds. The scientists at SFC were
excited to hear about the beginning of recovery of Lake Sturgeon in the
Tennessee River, and TNACI was eager to hit the water and see what happened
this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The day after we got back from New Orleans, we met with the
Lake Sturgeon team near Knoxville to begin baiting hooks and determining where
to sample. Each day’s schedule was
basically the same: </div>
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1. Pull trotlines in the morning</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvzTsZgZvNNcjQQFe0UxE_qG1XR4ceHuf3IGzjkGUjJdiJkHnxdqGmknn3Z4yXrm2FYe6lK_jAeKmKnwU6DITAKe6xWmN-uTpZrJdBSPzDu8yXxUigkvNvW7lM518lHpZ0IQeSbbDuSyA/s1600/IMG_0253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVvzTsZgZvNNcjQQFe0UxE_qG1XR4ceHuf3IGzjkGUjJdiJkHnxdqGmknn3Z4yXrm2FYe6lK_jAeKmKnwU6DITAKe6xWmN-uTpZrJdBSPzDu8yXxUigkvNvW7lM518lHpZ0IQeSbbDuSyA/s320/IMG_0253.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathilna pulling in lines with TWRA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2. Re-bait</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxUvrngzkhutpLSfPCa0yEQL10pWllcBkCjqnaq8rmMU-2wFnvldHGMuWwmiWLNG6ohPwtUhMxwtjg_P08vUMR0Q__N0UXspr6qo4wuYiyZwbZ2la_aCWY2b4A1idfAAmYeXuaW_lVUZO/s1600/IMG_0403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitxUvrngzkhutpLSfPCa0yEQL10pWllcBkCjqnaq8rmMU-2wFnvldHGMuWwmiWLNG6ohPwtUhMxwtjg_P08vUMR0Q__N0UXspr6qo4wuYiyZwbZ2la_aCWY2b4A1idfAAmYeXuaW_lVUZO/s200/IMG_0403.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evan baiting trotlines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v9MIdEFr6s7dXfiT2DQwki7UYrfjUa6R5e-qx82N7pQdaNlZ-A02S36Ub-JVL11hUSubaBoIDQbO3UnDNCoY8r8GA0l8CjbC_A0tg4a1MGe_8AZnP7yVSQIDVxy8EADfM0Amle9W9p0c/s1600/IMG_0389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1v9MIdEFr6s7dXfiT2DQwki7UYrfjUa6R5e-qx82N7pQdaNlZ-A02S36Ub-JVL11hUSubaBoIDQbO3UnDNCoY8r8GA0l8CjbC_A0tg4a1MGe_8AZnP7yVSQIDVxy8EADfM0Amle9W9p0c/s200/IMG_0389.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashford chopping bait</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3. Setting trotlines in the evening</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH7bl91c3s6cj3baK980EtHelJgWZM3BvLZQZMfsY3AeGE0g9jc_Vvfk5CVwtYkCvVspKYY030VcbWOAuSb63jtIBJvLYVJiRw0RSRRB72Uk1em60opY3kjeuLXBWj08EPEQEGPmEeDLa/s1600/P1010480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvH7bl91c3s6cj3baK980EtHelJgWZM3BvLZQZMfsY3AeGE0g9jc_Vvfk5CVwtYkCvVspKYY030VcbWOAuSb63jtIBJvLYVJiRw0RSRRB72Uk1em60opY3kjeuLXBWj08EPEQEGPmEeDLa/s320/P1010480.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TWRA putting out trotlines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Trotlining is a very labor-intensive fishing method, as
lines must be coiled carefully within the box to ensure the lines go out
without getting caught on themselves. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_r5sqKpUMIcKF89xucsDrgIY0yozxNUCofMhixdKDApUgy_eDSo2h8OSTOM37a53wyhZFQA0XcVNwqjwDa1SebEPR2TmUgPP9zXqwyuR8lhr1ufRt9jlwFt4SymnfkA8w-_ug03p3rnPL/s1600/IMG_0356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_r5sqKpUMIcKF89xucsDrgIY0yozxNUCofMhixdKDApUgy_eDSo2h8OSTOM37a53wyhZFQA0XcVNwqjwDa1SebEPR2TmUgPP9zXqwyuR8lhr1ufRt9jlwFt4SymnfkA8w-_ug03p3rnPL/s200/IMG_0356.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ashford coiling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKQsNtKvLB1OoFXKOpOvIvbAvNp6DiWHKnrK1KT9_g-9bL-38p-CylDhS7S_o1Elm-KsFwrkksLxj7W86ODFlNVwcglmBxaELAesdT2q48akl7OMySltl0BT522Bw_rDBQYrvWyugl4UV/s1600/IMG_0296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVKQsNtKvLB1OoFXKOpOvIvbAvNp6DiWHKnrK1KT9_g-9bL-38p-CylDhS7S_o1Elm-KsFwrkksLxj7W86ODFlNVwcglmBxaELAesdT2q48akl7OMySltl0BT522Bw_rDBQYrvWyugl4UV/s200/IMG_0296.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at those beautiful coils!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqoh4AcwADd63q686tkhKj1IdUew7PLVECzGiplA_l2haj1ic5XXVo5iYmyujN18LElvyjmAlD_CoHs3zU9VspIPm-x5etaJrcntZXSA9oW8G7xeXhwUc6pEatExpgcDFZPD76dobX253/s1600/P1010463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqoh4AcwADd63q686tkhKj1IdUew7PLVECzGiplA_l2haj1ic5XXVo5iYmyujN18LElvyjmAlD_CoHs3zU9VspIPm-x5etaJrcntZXSA9oW8G7xeXhwUc6pEatExpgcDFZPD76dobX253/s320/P1010463.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trotlining gone wrong</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It was a cold week, with air temperatures in the 30’s most
mornings. The first evening we set
trotlines in the rain! Thankfully, this effort in bad weather was not wasted as
the team caught 17 <a href="http://tnaqua.org/OurAnimals/Fishes/LakeSturgeon.aspx">sturgeon</a> the
first day!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8uo6EMCApiGzxZbUUe8it64GS4kVMxgjnsGl1EczSUIiIGePOll28AU0m24S6P7lyDEX0YHTwAOWuVgyrwMPjK1A2OwQsonLkPsOcLQkdP24iI0Shyi_4xBbK6hbl5iKIFSdSi4w0D5D/s1600/IMG_0339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq8uo6EMCApiGzxZbUUe8it64GS4kVMxgjnsGl1EczSUIiIGePOll28AU0m24S6P7lyDEX0YHTwAOWuVgyrwMPjK1A2OwQsonLkPsOcLQkdP24iI0Shyi_4xBbK6hbl5iKIFSdSi4w0D5D/s400/IMG_0339.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kathlina with a Lake Sturgeon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Every Sturgeon was measured and weighed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmKPX7peYt-CfF7d4MHzKWL4az1Vsnufe7e2Rm5anFck6y37j5rjA1B5SYgEIwr0sBaP09qPBGzzWDMeafGGQt40uEUrfBQjOX7pAPkDC0DUSFo9uVXOQ81TPmU4hthCw5_CzRon8RjbZ/s1600/P1010441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTmKPX7peYt-CfF7d4MHzKWL4az1Vsnufe7e2Rm5anFck6y37j5rjA1B5SYgEIwr0sBaP09qPBGzzWDMeafGGQt40uEUrfBQjOX7pAPkDC0DUSFo9uVXOQ81TPmU4hthCw5_CzRon8RjbZ/s200/P1010441.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Matthews from TVA with a Lake Sturgeon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTThL3ZRFVE7FVP5Z8gCjARntiodgsB9D8IuF56gZM_lWXTBahI8MCZwxEMDx_TpSTsMOMS0fxap5xIHpSolw3-YN7Pe71KgU9um8Y4eQIJ5vITOp0lkTaSfMJ6DlL5nZPOaMfWIWbixF/s1600/P1010445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbTThL3ZRFVE7FVP5Z8gCjARntiodgsB9D8IuF56gZM_lWXTBahI8MCZwxEMDx_TpSTsMOMS0fxap5xIHpSolw3-YN7Pe71KgU9um8Y4eQIJ5vITOp0lkTaSfMJ6DlL5nZPOaMfWIWbixF/s200/P1010445.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measuring a Lake Sturgeon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
We also scanned each fish for a Passive Integrative
Transponder (PIT) tag. PIT tags are
basically like the microchips that are commonly used in pets. Each tag has a unique number that can be used
to identify an individual. If the fish
did not have a PIT tag, we injected one so that we can monitor recapture and
movement. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWK1dL3UbclJw33P6Y4M7hsf1tmS73-VVGveMxwYExIDZ7FGTD2kN-iMzGAXJEwlJYK35DMyGuV4PGMC3G6OaZBj4opfb-LTPsVrEBh8e6gciJ-TAMymd1ShfU77_u2m14Zc2_pud1wEx/s1600/P1010454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWK1dL3UbclJw33P6Y4M7hsf1tmS73-VVGveMxwYExIDZ7FGTD2kN-iMzGAXJEwlJYK35DMyGuV4PGMC3G6OaZBj4opfb-LTPsVrEBh8e6gciJ-TAMymd1ShfU77_u2m14Zc2_pud1wEx/s200/P1010454.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Injecting a PIT tag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE00E9ZlCXXR_1RkTzYdqAdDqQIAawJuxhnx-qtSiPIwT2Y8-lSYVKjhe0neTlDRQPowDhw8EZC_zYHKjuDBPPuOVpgG1XZseARp8v7OYLffgBJg9sIkfzbMZOJ7csUP6N1WJykXIIMJgV/s1600/P1010452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE00E9ZlCXXR_1RkTzYdqAdDqQIAawJuxhnx-qtSiPIwT2Y8-lSYVKjhe0neTlDRQPowDhw8EZC_zYHKjuDBPPuOVpgG1XZseARp8v7OYLffgBJg9sIkfzbMZOJ7csUP6N1WJykXIIMJgV/s200/P1010452.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scanning for a PIT tag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
We also checked to see which scutes were missing to
determine the age of the fish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ym5F_YeqZKSyaMNljk3f3vnOcSSnqC2cV1lOamAQMjh28CALWX5GUoDOyQt_S4_JLBGR4fdzO0Cd2EunfhZXREJ_5VSGwazgdaXS1JQeRT0TXMbj43_9w1Nb99OCBhjxHmAlGb2sz2WL/s1600/Kat+Wed+2b.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ym5F_YeqZKSyaMNljk3f3vnOcSSnqC2cV1lOamAQMjh28CALWX5GUoDOyQt_S4_JLBGR4fdzO0Cd2EunfhZXREJ_5VSGwazgdaXS1JQeRT0TXMbj43_9w1Nb99OCBhjxHmAlGb2sz2WL/s400/Kat+Wed+2b.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scutes 5 & 6 appear to be missing from this fish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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TVA began collecting data on the type of bottom where we
were catching sturgeon by collecting sediment with a PONAR grab dredge. The sediment composition through the sampling
area did not seem to change much, as it was mostly composed of clay and some
silt.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3vIGBOekEAqGehaS2Es2Gf9WJJVOgkq9fGavsXz9H_MoRP9hS54r66WspYl_icwTsq09yJTCdc6DcfmVWorqTLwwAPypNy-iBB7I2bzzP3T0aH9dwNS3wlovHdDlfETC1I2cgPJZRGe1/s1600/IMG_0383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3vIGBOekEAqGehaS2Es2Gf9WJJVOgkq9fGavsXz9H_MoRP9hS54r66WspYl_icwTsq09yJTCdc6DcfmVWorqTLwwAPypNy-iBB7I2bzzP3T0aH9dwNS3wlovHdDlfETC1I2cgPJZRGe1/s200/IMG_0383.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Depositing sediement</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyZYymBkoseWQGipEt16DmjXsrY2q8i2a0TEjDXWazEUuu1lzjDdcZLYVbQNka1TE2PkqIgChEOJgRK7EBsuTABljfF9xibXq2-QVV0Qm_7lkmTghBlBQ5uR3W17qSethQLFADRVvlKgy/s1600/IMG_0373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOyZYymBkoseWQGipEt16DmjXsrY2q8i2a0TEjDXWazEUuu1lzjDdcZLYVbQNka1TE2PkqIgChEOJgRK7EBsuTABljfF9xibXq2-QVV0Qm_7lkmTghBlBQ5uR3W17qSethQLFADRVvlKgy/s200/IMG_0373.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting out the PONAR grab dredge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9KPX-EO8bLklfPSdMVU7tj4k1wfZDlUKQ-vawyfMGSltFn6HyQ1XKfqlMCs5WjJcTS7EL4cDGbgAiSTOVy2tCJsrgWhZLlw1pWh-QfhBVgk6_19QFuN0jtLqvWyaXP359RlsD7T17Rho/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9KPX-EO8bLklfPSdMVU7tj4k1wfZDlUKQ-vawyfMGSltFn6HyQ1XKfqlMCs5WjJcTS7EL4cDGbgAiSTOVy2tCJsrgWhZLlw1pWh-QfhBVgk6_19QFuN0jtLqvWyaXP359RlsD7T17Rho/s200/IMG_0386.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mostly clay and silt sediment from Fort Loudoun Reservoir</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It was a successful week, with 52 Lake Sturgeon caught by
Friday. The biggest was nine years old,
49 inches and 17 pounds. This is the
most we have ever caught in a single sampling week and is almost double last
year’s catch. While this is a promising
sign, it is still too soon to determine if this will be a self sustaining
population. Lake Sturgeon do not
reproduce until they are in their teens, and the oldest fish in the Tennessee
River right now are 14 years old. We are
also not sure how much dams are affecting the movement of the fish. Some have been caught as far downstream as
Kentucky Lake, but it is still yet to be seen if the dams and reservoirs will
affect reproduction and recruitment. We
hope that one day there will be a healthy recreational fishery for this special
animal. But remember, it is still
illegal to keep a Lake Sturgeon, so if you catch one, please release it and report
it to <a href="http://tnfish.org/LakeSturgeonRestoration_TWRA/AcipenserFulvescensResorationTennessee_TWRA.htm">TWRA</a>;
you will receive a certificate of appreciation.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z54Rk0YFN4Iu9QO2LfPJCwMwG7yH9Ld24OCHMt2Cf4dKijyLpAtuE_MBbsDaqcnvQRJAgE2SQFM-IE4gFLxrInMlsSpmSCl2TxehJjrMvU4_C9s0eiH5KsKll1KRZTIW2EFwI0kuL8jM/s1600/IMG_0420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z54Rk0YFN4Iu9QO2LfPJCwMwG7yH9Ld24OCHMt2Cf4dKijyLpAtuE_MBbsDaqcnvQRJAgE2SQFM-IE4gFLxrInMlsSpmSCl2TxehJjrMvU4_C9s0eiH5KsKll1KRZTIW2EFwI0kuL8jM/s640/IMG_0420.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bernie with a Lake Sturgeon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-34327777199881726472012-11-05T10:22:00.000-05:002012-11-29T14:04:48.814-05:00New Fishes Named after U.S. Leaders, Three in Tennessee<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Five new fish species
were scientifically described last week, all after former or current U.S
leaders who have records of environmental leadership and commitment. Three
species are found in Tennessee, which already leads the nation in freshwater
fish diversity with 315 species. These new species were formerly considered isolated
populations of the wide-ranging Speckled Darter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma stigmaeum</i>) but are now recognized as distinct species
based on morphology and male breeding colors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2niaCzvr48Wn571TrTyeJVL72sGgOdMF8dNg3HNvEHM0xRJOh73CKknLnQypX1BEL_PpiPoqd5O3T9K3t0bQewdPi7xyjNWE-RAwFjwD0MIzOEHolA3WQHb23C3f5VszK5ZKVsQPWTM/s1600/Fig-4-wEtheostoma+stigmaeum+AR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2niaCzvr48Wn571TrTyeJVL72sGgOdMF8dNg3HNvEHM0xRJOh73CKknLnQypX1BEL_PpiPoqd5O3T9K3t0bQewdPi7xyjNWE-RAwFjwD0MIzOEHolA3WQHb23C3f5VszK5ZKVsQPWTM/s640/Fig-4-wEtheostoma+stigmaeum+AR.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Speckled Darter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma stigmaeum</i>) is less widely
distributed than previously thought but still occurs in Gulf of Mexico
drainages from Pensacola Bay in Florida and Alabama west to the Red, Atchafalaya,
and Saline rivers in Louisiana.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">These new species are
part of a group of darters (subgenus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doration</i>)
that are found throughout southeastern river drainages west of the
Appalachians. The new species, described by Steve Layman at Geosyntec
Consultants in Kennesaw GA and Rick Mayden at Saint Louis University MO, include
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma obama</i>, the Spangled
Darter, found entirely within Tennessee; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma
gore</i>, the Cumberland Darter and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma
jimmycarter</i>, the Bluegrass Darter, both found in Tennessee and Kentucky; <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma teddyroosevelt</i>, the Highland
Darter from the Ozark Plateau in Missouri, Arkansas, and the corners of Kansas
and Oklahoma; and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma clinton</i>,
the Beaded Darter from the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7pXA46f-6ENh1nCEqZBAW3iQocTgvWo8q0P_Rocr6-EUrt1RJtgLid1BUAfx8YcdQkzBWRBT2Y2a8nk1O48hC_ru3mHVSUKo4a7Qey__OQQ2oGIkHpy2rwdlWOCgI39qcG_0PwFMKDs/s1600/New+Darter+Species+and+Map-flattened.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="561" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7pXA46f-6ENh1nCEqZBAW3iQocTgvWo8q0P_Rocr6-EUrt1RJtgLid1BUAfx8YcdQkzBWRBT2Y2a8nk1O48hC_ru3mHVSUKo4a7Qey__OQQ2oGIkHpy2rwdlWOCgI39qcG_0PwFMKDs/s640/New+Darter+Species+and+Map-flattened.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Distribution of nine
darter species in the subgenus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doration</i>,
including five new species of darters named after U.S. presidents and vice
president (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma obama</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">E. gore</i>, E<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. teddyroosevelt</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">E.
jimmycarter</i>, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">E. clinton</i>).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma obama</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, the Spangled Darter is named after President
Barack Obama for his policies on promoting clean energy, energy efficiency,
environmental protection, and humanitarian effort during challenging economic
times. This species is restricted to the Duck and Buffalo rivers in the
Tennessee River drainage, Tennessee.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzkaiK16272xPMtiR6OMP2W8EDJclL6GsR61pSnpxO_D6d9jO7Lsg7CJs_bULi-n2rAv6dHw6f7afYpGe-DXUJFedIVJWBL3v_NH8C3XlIZjkzySEZbE6yxX79YL8jCWqb65XVTYFKwY/s1600/Fig-10-wEtheostoma-obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzkaiK16272xPMtiR6OMP2W8EDJclL6GsR61pSnpxO_D6d9jO7Lsg7CJs_bULi-n2rAv6dHw6f7afYpGe-DXUJFedIVJWBL3v_NH8C3XlIZjkzySEZbE6yxX79YL8jCWqb65XVTYFKwY/s640/Fig-10-wEtheostoma-obama.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma obama</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, the Spangled Darter.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma gore</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> is named after former
Vice President Al Gore for his environmental vision during decades of public
service and raising awareness on the issue of global climate change. In the description the common name was the Cumberland Darter, but that name is already applied to another darter, <em>Etheostoma susanae</em>. The new common name is the Warioto Darter; Warioto is the Shawnee name for the Cumberland River. This
species is restricted to the Cumberland River drainage below Cumberland Falls
in Tennessee and Kentucky, excluding the upper Caney Fork drainage.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyEwD1wojH4_m0SdcmPzceVzniKpfSZZC3nK47UXl_JoFsNKqIgNccZXFmqrxB00mEKTgM7aiC7Tx3H-FkxAVvxRCWCQByTiVCEtGOwVVR7AY2hr-AkOSwHiZTYoufXmSQScf88xCu6c/s1600/Fig-12-wEtheostoma-gore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyEwD1wojH4_m0SdcmPzceVzniKpfSZZC3nK47UXl_JoFsNKqIgNccZXFmqrxB00mEKTgM7aiC7Tx3H-FkxAVvxRCWCQByTiVCEtGOwVVR7AY2hr-AkOSwHiZTYoufXmSQScf88xCu6c/s640/Fig-12-wEtheostoma-gore.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma gore</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, the Warioto Darter.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma jimmycarter</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, the Bluegrass Darter is named after former
President Jimmy Carter for his environmental leadership in national energy
policy and wilderness protection, and his life-long commitment to global social
justice and human rights. This species is restricted to the Green River system
in Tennessee and Kentucky.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma jimmycarter</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, the Bluegrass Darter.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma teddyroosevelt</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, the Highland Darter is named after former
President Theodore Roosevelt for his enduring environmental conservation legacy
by the designation of national forests, wildlife refuges, national monuments,
and national parks, as well as his efforts to establish the American Museum of
Natural History in New York. This species is found in the Arkansas and upper
White River drainages on the Ozark Plateau in Missouri, Arkansas, and the
corners of Kansas and Oklahoma.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma teddyroosevelt</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, the Highland Darter.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma clinton</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, the Beaded Darter is named after former
President Bill Clinton for his environmental leadership in expanding national
monuments and preserving large expanses of wilderness areas and his continued
commitment to global humanitarian issues. This species is restricted to the
upper Caddo and upper Ouachita River drainages in the Ouachita Mountains in
Arkansas.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee95PfM6iK5MLwDIK4-FsN4_VhZ5G5LGhj65vKjfyotIUbse0ds8K5BJmIPFpMRiy69fNfOUGD3e8pAatxJ1JdAqmxaKj4_U-elUETcYXvYwTqtkXpEkRbZrd4eVT6Qq9WSzb76Q5fGQ/s1600/Fig-18+Etheostoma+clinton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhee95PfM6iK5MLwDIK4-FsN4_VhZ5G5LGhj65vKjfyotIUbse0ds8K5BJmIPFpMRiy69fNfOUGD3e8pAatxJ1JdAqmxaKj4_U-elUETcYXvYwTqtkXpEkRbZrd4eVT6Qq9WSzb76Q5fGQ/s640/Fig-18+Etheostoma+clinton.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><em>Etheostoma clinton</em></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">, the Beaded Darter.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">All darter illustration by Joe Tomelleri.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Citation: Layman,
Steven R., and Richard L. Mayden. 2012. Morphological diversity and
phylogenetics of the darter subgenus <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doration</i>
(Percidae: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma</i>), with
descriptions of five new species. Bulletin of the Alabama Museum of Natural
History Number 30:1-83.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
This blog was undated on 29 November 2012 to reflect the new common name for <em>Etheostoma gore</em>.<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Bernie Kuhajdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07633876762760570066noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-51574189797145444902012-11-01T13:20:00.001-04:002012-11-02T19:26:11.006-04:00TNACI Awarded Grant for a New Conservation Program<div class="MsoNormal">
For the last 14 years, the <a href="http://www.tnaci.org/">Tennessee
Aquarium Conservation Institute</a> and its partners have been working
diligently to rear <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-lake-sturgeon-sampling-2012.html">Lake
Sturgeon</a> in captivity and reintroduce them into the <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2011/04/earth-day-sturgeon-release.html">Tennessee
River</a>. For the last three years, we
have worked with <a href="http://www.conservationfisheries.org/">Conservation
Fisheries Incorporated</a> to breed endangered <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2011/03/big-news-from-our-conservation-partners.html">Conasauga
Logperch</a> in captivity and <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/04/field-notes-week-2-on-conasauga-river.html">augment</a>
their populations in Tennessee and Georgia.
This year, TNACI was awarded a grant from the <a href="http://www.nfwf.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home">National Fish and
Wildlife Foundation</a> to create a new propagation program.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajWOhqzOUbUmyIBZT3kERVjW3O5Q6BWLNqQKQloHP4QJbcsCdQnyJJuXFX2_itqAsm7GsYGRMEtnvOQp3Ou3Ze84g0425GPUgiaxPtxy3moUjD_H6XigF6WOdGijUaj3GJFKUCT_nmtNZ/s1600/FIBrook+Trout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgajWOhqzOUbUmyIBZT3kERVjW3O5Q6BWLNqQKQloHP4QJbcsCdQnyJJuXFX2_itqAsm7GsYGRMEtnvOQp3Ou3Ze84g0425GPUgiaxPtxy3moUjD_H6XigF6WOdGijUaj3GJFKUCT_nmtNZ/s400/FIBrook+Trout.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
Photo of a Southern
Appalachian Brook Trout in its natural environment. Photograph by Dave Herasimtschuk. <o:p></o:p></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://twra4streams.homestead.com/abstract2.html">Southern
Appalachian Brook Trout</a> (SABT) in
Tennessee and North Carolina are distinct from the Brook Trout found elsewhere
in the United States because they have been geographically isolated from their northern relatives for thousands of years. They are
under threat from habitat degradation and invasive species introduction. Historically, they lived in cool, fast
flowing streams in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Logging
and agricultural practices, however, have decimated Appalachian forests, which
in turn harm the waters where brook trout live. When surrounding forests are lost from creeks,
water temperature rises, oxygen levels drop, and siltation from erosion
increases, all resulting in streams that can no longer support brook
trout. In addition, introduced
populations of rainbow trout, brown trout, and even northern brook trout
compete with native SABT for the most high quality habitat. In the Southeast, only 3% of historic
watersheds support SABT populations. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSYGSgYq7N8il5jru3ScSr-uOYXgTcH24OnX4Cs1izVgpx_R19V3sHycRhMByMxqEYIC0hGRUaMUd-OKkq31gposezLa5uj6Wh-xgx6EE6jCubIVXnWggfLr19RM59TuUv94u8jV3T6Hp/s1600/IMGP2875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYSYGSgYq7N8il5jru3ScSr-uOYXgTcH24OnX4Cs1izVgpx_R19V3sHycRhMByMxqEYIC0hGRUaMUd-OKkq31gposezLa5uj6Wh-xgx6EE6jCubIVXnWggfLr19RM59TuUv94u8jV3T6Hp/s320/IMGP2875.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Conservation measures for this fish have been underway over
the last few years at other <a href="http://brooktrouthatchery.wordpress.com/">hatcheries</a>
in the Southeast. However, we at TNACI
are attempting to take a different approach.
In general, trout hatcheries (and hatcheries for other fish) operate on flow-through systems. When TNACI was
located in Cohutta, GA, our Lake Sturgeon were in a flow-though system. While this is energy efficient and has the
potential for housing large numbers of fish, disease transfer and escapees can
be a problem. This grant will help TNACI develop
techniques for rearing SABT in recirculating systems that drastically reduce disease
transfer and escape concerns. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With assistance from our partners (<a href="http://www.tn.gov/twra/">Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency</a>, the <a href="http://www.fws.gov/southeast/director/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a>, and the <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/">U.S. Forest Service</a>)
we have collected 50 Brook Trout for brood stock. This is a beautiful fish, especially during
the fall when they spawn. All year, the
fish have red spots along their sides, and their pectoral, pelvic and anal fins
are red with a white leading edge. But
when spawning season arrives, the red coloring becomes much more
pronounced. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6F8UmMdEMdz_1q0CudUtZZXUd-bE77GkTQU0PZxfDE3rsgDpllsX4_LRgjqr-AjgFO_1tLltYh9vMuaVGnd8Kgnhomq7AzsQsyrTXF1cn7_njPiP0WnmfGhTpVriimMrYmUJiXP5XFAkd/s1600/IMGP2880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6F8UmMdEMdz_1q0CudUtZZXUd-bE77GkTQU0PZxfDE3rsgDpllsX4_LRgjqr-AjgFO_1tLltYh9vMuaVGnd8Kgnhomq7AzsQsyrTXF1cn7_njPiP0WnmfGhTpVriimMrYmUJiXP5XFAkd/s200/IMGP2880.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SABT in July</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YLTc2zpB0uQxVnZ7lW2TOOm4EajSxg76E45YztJnw8Tb3h1hFavoAZXR4X8Inuy7xMJBjBZTpshqh-9vm_r2Xl2V7FnB6iCdjq4hGXCAM65idacII8Femy1Y7kV3W2m89HYlQ8wPo4mH/s1600/IMG_4004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5YLTc2zpB0uQxVnZ7lW2TOOm4EajSxg76E45YztJnw8Tb3h1hFavoAZXR4X8Inuy7xMJBjBZTpshqh-9vm_r2Xl2V7FnB6iCdjq4hGXCAM65idacII8Femy1Y7kV3W2m89HYlQ8wPo4mH/s200/IMG_4004.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SABT in October</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6F8UmMdEMdz_1q0CudUtZZXUd-bE77GkTQU0PZxfDE3rsgDpllsX4_LRgjqr-AjgFO_1tLltYh9vMuaVGnd8Kgnhomq7AzsQsyrTXF1cn7_njPiP0WnmfGhTpVriimMrYmUJiXP5XFAkd/s1600/IMGP2880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<br />
We have already stripped some of our SABT of their gametes
(eggs and sperm). It is a delicate
process that involved gently squeezing the trout. Once fish were stripped, 1% saline was added
to the eggs and sperm and the solution stirred with a turkey feather. The turkey feather is an old tradition that
has been used for decades in fish hatcheries.
Now that the eggs have been fertilized they are being held at TNACI
until they hatch, which takes about two weeks.
We should have babies (larval SABT) very soon!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYEGZQUUFW9KcbWC1kP_7Z73IEKYLum_A-Qnj8tCbz6uDu_PueXvWDTztdHW8AHQ1ma0UabkMz6sULBIQHRn1CV-bKRXwAjkM-QP8YYsRGdNBFC_3_0BgvYKJdRFulSZQCvgPT9aE1if6/s1600/P1010407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYEGZQUUFW9KcbWC1kP_7Z73IEKYLum_A-Qnj8tCbz6uDu_PueXvWDTztdHW8AHQ1ma0UabkMz6sULBIQHRn1CV-bKRXwAjkM-QP8YYsRGdNBFC_3_0BgvYKJdRFulSZQCvgPT9aE1if6/s320/P1010407.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stripping a SABT and taking a fin clipping</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SiSQ39d-Lsqx5jGhTxf6eHfDy1IgjmCKCroR0dY8rYLlwdkpfAQeG8e_WYRJyfzq5OHdJ0_K1kiATQM9HLklMXACe2H2wMDpTF5pg2JUkWkYXBsJYGXSRe5XyZXoncPhJO2ovXFKPeNM/s1600/P1010417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5SiSQ39d-Lsqx5jGhTxf6eHfDy1IgjmCKCroR0dY8rYLlwdkpfAQeG8e_WYRJyfzq5OHdJ0_K1kiATQM9HLklMXACe2H2wMDpTF5pg2JUkWkYXBsJYGXSRe5XyZXoncPhJO2ovXFKPeNM/s320/P1010417.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fertilized trout eggs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-14918133439027697142012-10-23T15:36:00.000-04:002012-10-23T15:38:54.606-04:00Happy 40th Birthday National Marine Sanctuaries Act!<br />
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True or
False? The oceans are vast and inexhaustible in resources. While not too long ago scientists believed
this to be true, it is resoundingly false.
While the oceans are vast, the resources they provide the planet must be
managed effectively to ensure a healthy planet and healthy people. No matter where we live, whether it is on the
coast or hundreds of miles inland, the ocean affects our everyday life. The ocean provides much of the oxygen for planet
Earth through the <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/06/0607_040607_phytoplankton.html">photosynthesis of phytoplankton,</a> algae, and other aquatic
plants; the ocean regulates the planet’s
<a href="http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/oceans_weather_climate/welcome.html">weather and climate</a>; we rely on the ocean for
transportation of goods; the ocean provides us with <a href="http://www.tnaqua.org/sustainableseafood.aspx">food</a>;
the ocean floor provides us with natural resources including oil and natural
gas; the ocean provides other <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/1107-cancer_killer_found_in_the_ocean.htm">resources</a> that are used in <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/1107-cancer_killer_found_in_the_ocean.htm">medicine</a>. If the ocean is not healthy, we are not
healthy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From
</span><a href="http://geology.com/articles/what-is-earth-science/earth-science.jpg"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://geology.com/articles/what-is-earth-science/earth-science.jpg</span></a><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Over
the last two centuries, the human population has exploded and technology has
advanced at breakneck speed. This made
areas once remote and inaccessible to people within reach. Coastal development contributed to pollution
of estuaries and near shore areas. The
need for food caused a gold rush of sorts to the coast where fishers exhausted
fisheries to the point of collapse.
Something needed to change, and proactive measures needed to be taken to
ensure that our ocean resources could endure for generations.</div>
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1972
was a good year for environmental legislation.
The <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-40th-birthday-clean-water-act.html">Clean Water Act</a> (CWA) and the <a href="http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/mmpa/">Marine Mammal Protection Act</a> (MMPA) are two well known
pieces of legislation that passed into law in 1972. They were landmarks for conservation, giving
agencies the obligation to regulate clean water and punish individuals or
organizations that harm marine mammals, many of which are threatened or
endangered. However, another act was
also passed that same year. It is just as
important as the CWA or MMPA. It
addresses some of the challenges described above and the goal of this act is to
ensure that future generations can enjoy the cultural, economic, and ecological
benefits of the marine environment: <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/legislation/">The National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA).</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mqgSmQVfMB6BALt7wNgihsZeRt8NktcYWKmzZO9DfgUtBSQaObd0YgkMo7XP9GEKuqxuiVcPDYPiTu1ApVGM7lSTd2x5GpJqjo19QGTYS_-nDj0VfKIPYtWMQvnYu8MNI9hn3OkfJ6Sk/s1600/nms.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mqgSmQVfMB6BALt7wNgihsZeRt8NktcYWKmzZO9DfgUtBSQaObd0YgkMo7XP9GEKuqxuiVcPDYPiTu1ApVGM7lSTd2x5GpJqjo19QGTYS_-nDj0VfKIPYtWMQvnYu8MNI9hn3OkfJ6Sk/s320/nms.bmp" width="271" /></a></div>
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The NMSA
gives authority to the Secretary of Commerce to
designate areas of the marine environment as <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/08/marine-protected-areas-national-forests.html">national marine sanctuaries</a>. These areas may be selected based on conservation
needs, economic or ecological benefits they provide, or their cultural archaeological
or educational qualities they possess. Currently,
there are <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/welcome.html">14</a> National Marine
Sanctuaries in U.S. waters, and each protects a precious resource for us and
for future generations. Sanctuaries may
protect a significant archaeological site from degradation, nursery areas for
commercially important fish, breeding grounds for fish and marine mammals, or
may have a high diversity of organisms in that area.</div>
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Currently the NMSA is under <a href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/management/reauthorization.html">reauthorization</a>. This means that the Act may be updated so that it can adapt to current management regimes for marine resources, In addition, it may also allow for more sanctuaries to be added to the national system. More sanctuaries means more areas where fish and other marine animals can escape from intense pressures from people. More marine sanctuaries means healthier oceans: future harvest for fishers, scenic places for divers and snorkelers to enjoy, and refuges for marine animals. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwttm8StWAJXu4pYNI46MPbCBluihw5Fib9Ms1vqLl5yCyxVXGTjfSEwsEUwy9F7WKE-h6rlW1lXP9Q9Ur51J5C3LlanhBS05WpGlBOH76rlArzApIn7KO9iD-zhTmlhuPcpLSjm6-8Nh/s1600/marine+sanctuary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwttm8StWAJXu4pYNI46MPbCBluihw5Fib9Ms1vqLl5yCyxVXGTjfSEwsEUwy9F7WKE-h6rlW1lXP9Q9Ur51J5C3LlanhBS05WpGlBOH76rlArzApIn7KO9iD-zhTmlhuPcpLSjm6-8Nh/s320/marine+sanctuary.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">Yellowtail Snapper on a coral reef. From </span><a href="http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/magazine/coral_spills/sanc0201_650.jpg"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/magazine/coral_spills/sanc0201_650.jpg</span></a><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-28397409409778389482012-10-19T16:04:00.001-04:002012-10-19T16:09:10.451-04:00Critical Habitat Designated for Five Endangered Southeastern Fishes<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The
</span><a href="http://www.fws.gov/endangered/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> has designated 229
miles of rivers and creeks and 29 acres of springs and wetlands as </span><a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-10-16/pdf/2012-24468.pdf"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">critical habitat
for five endangered fishes</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> in the southeastern U.S. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Critical habitat is the area important to the
survival of an imperiled species at the time of its listing. Some of these critical
habitats may need special management or protection to ensure the survival of
the endangered fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the habitat
for these fishes has been degraded due to fragmentation, channel modification,
sedimentation, and altered flows of these river and creek systems.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Critical
habitat for the Rush Darter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma
phytophilum</i>) is three isolated area in north-central Alabama including
tributaries and spring systems of the Turkey Creek (Jefferson County), Clear
Creek (Winston County), and Little Cove- Bristow Creek watersheds (Etowah County).
The Rush Darter relies on aquatic vegetation associated with groundwater to
feed, hide, and reproduce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFzffq_MacvS1ZId251pCyTUy87kH_K1gdZoMr6KEFJlZJGogPeYGkwC568vSfL3relXKoLE8sqwVfztVhg75yX58af8ViPUHdIGrYoQ4fnyfWHmrjWN3gR0pvnAzoH0PxfpVixnMPL0/s1600/Rush+Darters+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFzffq_MacvS1ZId251pCyTUy87kH_K1gdZoMr6KEFJlZJGogPeYGkwC568vSfL3relXKoLE8sqwVfztVhg75yX58af8ViPUHdIGrYoQ4fnyfWHmrjWN3gR0pvnAzoH0PxfpVixnMPL0/s640/Rush+Darters+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Endangered Rush
Darters (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma phytophilum</i>) from
a spring in north-central Alabama. Photo by Bernie Kuhajda.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDWycZtZtfimwOIa5M_miUZhWrul24EwYysYuOwQ0ieEdL-muABZR-mPBW8mlbBthW-xUOALQHu3fFdzfI_mg-R_oflLvWCMG0vlgouie3mZ3OE7B6JyhUinY0pIP2NUms7j8RclPpn4/s1600/E.+phytophilum+type+locality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFDWycZtZtfimwOIa5M_miUZhWrul24EwYysYuOwQ0ieEdL-muABZR-mPBW8mlbBthW-xUOALQHu3fFdzfI_mg-R_oflLvWCMG0vlgouie3mZ3OE7B6JyhUinY0pIP2NUms7j8RclPpn4/s400/E.+phytophilum+type+locality.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Unnamed spring along
a state highway in north-central Alabama, critical habitat for the endangered
Rush Darter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma phytophilum</i>).
Photo by Bernie Kuhajda.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Laurel Dace (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chrosomus saylori</i>) is right in our
backyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a colorful minnow found
only on the top of Walden Ridge outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Its critical habitat is only six small creeks
in Bledsoe, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv12cKRspkn2y7enDPdWjgnUNP0uAyYJZEZ98YazVhQQStFl8tl_hyu_eCdBOlCoI-Cj-lY-YcRowYHGE7j_21aa-OyJ77NMKO9mhkR3zg2oy5tizm2N1BfWIspcHzRuXDNM7LziyzgQM/s1600/C.+saylori+male+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv12cKRspkn2y7enDPdWjgnUNP0uAyYJZEZ98YazVhQQStFl8tl_hyu_eCdBOlCoI-Cj-lY-YcRowYHGE7j_21aa-OyJ77NMKO9mhkR3zg2oy5tizm2N1BfWIspcHzRuXDNM7LziyzgQM/s640/C.+saylori+male+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Endangered Laurel
Dace (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chrosomus saylori</i>) found in
creeks on Walden Ridge near Chattanooga. Photo by Dave Neely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Chucky Madtom (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Noturus crypticus</i>) is a small catfish <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only</i> known from Little Chucky Creek, a small
tributary to the Nolichucky River in east-central Tennessee, Greene County. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such a small range makes the protection of
the critical habitat extremely important, especially since this is an extremely
rare and endangered fish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only a couple
of specimens have been collected in the last 20 years!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3ti44vdu0nZIa-1mU8SLv2JpOluaKP8Gsqz2qN6upb4eLDb_UdY3vRgcPgpAFz0FLmCBvt85qAuc1uP_JDGvPNtavSYcbbNxmyG5op8S4aiPy8qgByD2mTALFnD_YRRTmAs1j29elpI/s1600/chucky+madtom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3ti44vdu0nZIa-1mU8SLv2JpOluaKP8Gsqz2qN6upb4eLDb_UdY3vRgcPgpAFz0FLmCBvt85qAuc1uP_JDGvPNtavSYcbbNxmyG5op8S4aiPy8qgByD2mTALFnD_YRRTmAs1j29elpI/s640/chucky+madtom.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Endangered Chucky
Madtom (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Noturus crypticus</i>) only found
in a single small creek in east-central Tennessee. Illustration by Joe
Tomelleri.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Cumberland Darter
(<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma susanae</i>) is restricted to
the upper Cumberland River system in Tennessee and Kentucky. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Critical habitat includes 15 creeks systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coal mining is one of the main human actions
that has threatened this fish and its habitat.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWYswBkq442s7d4bU4-Yj8eMj1gI0yQG58iRX_s1RSVEkS32uDIg38KejMNqsQ3mymUmVze-_qjGZz4ri8wBTEcIpkw6ZBOLeugOirDW5uSSnbcIXeQIwLvRuF_WEAxaqZlI-2Hprhcg/s1600/Cumberland+Darter+CFI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWYswBkq442s7d4bU4-Yj8eMj1gI0yQG58iRX_s1RSVEkS32uDIg38KejMNqsQ3mymUmVze-_qjGZz4ri8wBTEcIpkw6ZBOLeugOirDW5uSSnbcIXeQIwLvRuF_WEAxaqZlI-2Hprhcg/s640/Cumberland+Darter+CFI.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Endangered Cumberland
Darter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma susanae</i>) found in
creeks of the upper Cumberland River system in Tennessee and Kentucky. Photo
from </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://conservationfisheries.org/index.php/species/all-species/etheostoma-susanae-cumberland-darter/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://conservationfisheries.org/index.php/species/all-species/etheostoma-susanae-cumberland-darter/</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The Yellowcheek
Darter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma moorei</i>) is a found
in the Ozark Highlands in north-central Arkansas. Critical Habitat includes the
Devil’s, Middle, South, and Archey forks of the Little Red River in Cleburne,
Searcy, Stone, and Van Buren counties.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSFhbwUwzmVpsJgwI1OutgaPoo5BGK-5uATrr76k62ciTcr0thVVW_aXCgFpCylJVbeFstihnc4nYVkPjtn8v0uBNcVerDqOSGO0G1wFuvyPwL2pURxPlsRrh2ffHIYPCwj9xQdJgwIg/s1600/Yellowcheek+Darter+CFI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSFhbwUwzmVpsJgwI1OutgaPoo5BGK-5uATrr76k62ciTcr0thVVW_aXCgFpCylJVbeFstihnc4nYVkPjtn8v0uBNcVerDqOSGO0G1wFuvyPwL2pURxPlsRrh2ffHIYPCwj9xQdJgwIg/s640/Yellowcheek+Darter+CFI.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Endangered
Yellowcheek Darter (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Etheostoma moorei</i>)
found in the Little Red River drainage in north-central Arkansas. Photo from </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><a href="http://conservationfisheries.org/index.php/species/all-species/etheostoma-moorei-yellowcheek-darter/"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://conservationfisheries.org/index.php/species/all-species/etheostoma-moorei-yellowcheek-darter/</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hopefully now that
the critical habitat has been designated for these endangered fishes, active
conservation plans can be made or implemented to prevent these animals from
going extinct.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Bernie Kuhajdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07633876762760570066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-79817726523462335442012-10-18T08:04:00.000-04:002012-10-19T16:07:45.138-04:00Happy 40th Birthday Clean Water Act!<br />
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<a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/09/where-is-your-watershed.html" target="_blank">We all live downstream</a>.
No matter where our home is, from the highest mountains in the Appalachians to the shores of the <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/06/importance-of-local-seafood.html" target="_blank">Gulf of Mexico</a>, we are dependent on our
community for a healthy water supply. In
the Southeast, water is a relatively abundant resource. Not only do we have a network of rivers that
have stimulated the growth of the region, we also have more species of fishes,
turtles, crayfishes, salamanders, and other aquatic animals than any other part
of the United States. These species give
us many benefits, from providing popular sport fishing to filtering and
cleaning our water. Whether we are
conscious of it or not, the rich aquatic biodiversity and water resources of
the Southeast enhance our quality of life.</div>
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We haven’t always been good stewards of these rivers that
provide for our economy and our environment.
Before we began to grapple with regulating water quality, some rivers were
so polluted that their waters could burn from containing oil and other contaminants. The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jxV6BbREfY" target="_blank">Cuyahoga River</a> in Ohio caught fire more
than a dozen times from the 1860s to the 1960s.
Something was wrong—water was not providing life—it was killing it.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXjVoqIjLFpvrv-i2V9L4s_kGmg7uw-hd_Jgg9pedJ4BpqJ5FAd44lLTZHu5-DQf4jHACXOGMTNLtfmkV44hJi2dWPQymBoveydwKCVpnFQV5lJ1fwgylARSQmE87BqEdKNOqBrTPkSud/s1600/Cuyahoga+on+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXjVoqIjLFpvrv-i2V9L4s_kGmg7uw-hd_Jgg9pedJ4BpqJ5FAd44lLTZHu5-DQf4jHACXOGMTNLtfmkV44hJi2dWPQymBoveydwKCVpnFQV5lJ1fwgylARSQmE87BqEdKNOqBrTPkSud/s320/Cuyahoga+on+fire.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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The Cuyohoga River on fire in 1969. From <a href="http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/images/11-3-52.jpg">http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/images/11-3-52.jpg</a></div>
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Pollution in our waters comes in many forms and from many
sources. Discharge from industrial
plants, as well as runoff from our streets and backyards can have a negative
impact on our water. Pollution in the
U.S. is comprehensive. It ranges from
very simple substances, like dirt, to very complex molecules, like
estrogen-mimicking compounds that aren't currently removed from wastewater
treatment processes. <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2011/10/fall-in-spring.html">Siltation</a> is also
major pollutant in many southeastern streams and springs. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3onNPVOfnjKtLg-wJWJq3hrv6pfP6gVNMCVmwWfNADlL2_XMojbwYW-CInOADOh3yiMEst7V6TGtMlLadzvWiDnnBSzj-Jtl50TRTvSsXBa5twIL2Beruj0vhUBbTPYLNExmZRMB6bMV/s1600/Conasauga+siltation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF3onNPVOfnjKtLg-wJWJq3hrv6pfP6gVNMCVmwWfNADlL2_XMojbwYW-CInOADOh3yiMEst7V6TGtMlLadzvWiDnnBSzj-Jtl50TRTvSsXBa5twIL2Beruj0vhUBbTPYLNExmZRMB6bMV/s320/Conasauga+siltation.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Siltation in the Conasauga River. Photo by Todd Crail.</td></tr>
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In order to regulate water pollution, Congress passed the <a href="http://www.epa.gov/regulations/laws/cwa.html">Clean Water Act</a> 40 years
ago today. It has dramatically
transformed how we prevent and regulate water pollution in our country, and
many of our rivers are recovering as a result.
Under the Clean Water Act, the <a href="http://epa.gov/">Environmental
Protection Agency</a> sets standards for industries and how, when, and how much
pollution they discharge into the water. </div>
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Prior to the Clean Water Act, only one third of the nation’s
rivers, lakes, and estuaries were safe for fishing and recreation. In 40 years, we have doubled that number, and
now 60% of our waters are safe. This is
not only beneficial to human health, but to wildlife as well. Aquatic organisms have recolonized areas that
were severely degraded prior to the passing of the Clean Water Act. This piece of legislation is one of the many
reasons <a href="http://www.tnaci.org/" target="_blank">TNACI</a> is able to reintroduce <a href="http://www.tnaqua.org/OurAnimals/Fishes/LakeSturgeon.aspx" target="_blank">Lake Sturgeon</a> into the Tennessee and
Cumberland Rivers. In addition, we can now
easily catch fishes in the <a href="http://www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/where/rivers/cahaba/">Cahaba
River</a> in Alabama that we rarely saw twenty years ago—like Coal Darters and <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/06/goldline-darters-in-alabama.html">Goldline
Darters</a>. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLoB3HEuTiw8INCMg09HZ9yq28-ArgI4fFGwKdMXlkcRN4lgQyqCv0KoIdt6UVZl9VIvIE90l4mgEHrLtXP9bv_jFgOGYmYN_gfIiqcRkOMOkL8ahHR-NBfwCY84TI1K5c0NER2bVcqeT/s1600/goldline+darters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLoB3HEuTiw8INCMg09HZ9yq28-ArgI4fFGwKdMXlkcRN4lgQyqCv0KoIdt6UVZl9VIvIE90l4mgEHrLtXP9bv_jFgOGYmYN_gfIiqcRkOMOkL8ahHR-NBfwCY84TI1K5c0NER2bVcqeT/s320/goldline+darters.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goldline Darters (<i>Percina aurolineata). </i>Photo by Dr. Bernard Kuhajda</td></tr>
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While the Clean Water Act has significantly improved water
quality in rivers, lakes, and streams of the U.S., 40% of our waters are
considered unsafe and are still facing challenges. Treatment of industry discharge can <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090123-coal-ash.html" target="_blank">fail </a>or <a href="http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/06/alabama_streams_recovering_fro.html" target="_blank">lapse</a>,
almost instantly increasing pollution in rivers exponentially. Non-point-source pollution in the form of
siltation from erosion and nutrients from yards and agriculture can degrade
water quality to the point where aquatic organisms cannot survive. While the Clean Water Act has the authority
to regulate non-point source pollution, it is much more difficult to
control. The construction industry must
provide silt barriers when completing projects near any water body or ditch
leading to water, but these are ineffective if improperly installed or not
maintained. Much of the non-point source
pollution affecting our rivers comes from individual practices, and it is
changes in our daily actions that can make a difference.</div>
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Even in areas with abundant water supply, like the
Southeastern U.S., we all need to think about decreasing our individual
consumption to sustain the supply because <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/video/2012/sep/24/us-drought-underground-water-video" target="_blank">droughts </a>are unpredictable and
widespread. What long-term strategies
can ensure that we will continue to have water for our personal use and that we
will have an environment our children can enjoy through fishing, swimming, and
boating?</div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Regulate development.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">With effective land-use planning we can
continue to grow while not threatening the availability of water for humans and
animals.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Increase the amount of permeable surfaces and
retention ponds in our cities and suburbs so that rain does not run-off gutters
and streets directly into our rivers but instead recharges groundwater storage.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Protect forested banks along rivers, called
riparian zones, which keep sediments and pollutants from directly entering our
streams and degrading water quality.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Protect imperiled animals, such as mussels,
which not only filter and clean our water for free, but also are pillars of
some fishing industries.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Reduce use of nutrients on yards and
agricultural fields.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">In addition, we
affect the quantity and quality of water available to our downstream
neighbors.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Out of the 31 states that
make up the Mississippi River drainage, Tennessee is one of nine that are
contributing 75% of the nutrient pollution that is creating a dead zone in the
Gulf of Mexico.</span></li>
</ul>
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As <a href="http://www.alexandracousteau.org/expeditions/tennessee-valley/clean-coal">Alexandra
Cousteau</a> said when she visited the Tennessee Aquarium last month, we are
our <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/09/where-is-your-watershed.html">watershed</a>. I am part of the Tennessee River. The Clean Water Act is a major player in
keeping my river clean, but there are things that I, and that we all must do to
keep it that way. Keeping the Tennessee
River healthy is part of keeping myself healthy. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmQd-k67HtjWXROkg4kMiNGYDZs43PocrMrpz63utfQBpVqHsYOhQ3ddgFLeatPoH3N6dyBcgIM8_N2mpNeSPKBHzLXSLSMScvRsJnmFVCE5SJe72GgeWKF9QXb2OslTdvR2Fgu9BzzZB/s1600/IMG_3495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfmQd-k67HtjWXROkg4kMiNGYDZs43PocrMrpz63utfQBpVqHsYOhQ3ddgFLeatPoH3N6dyBcgIM8_N2mpNeSPKBHzLXSLSMScvRsJnmFVCE5SJe72GgeWKF9QXb2OslTdvR2Fgu9BzzZB/s400/IMG_3495.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Co-Authors: Anna L. George and Ashford S. Rosenberg</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-8812561648886033622012-10-03T14:15:00.001-04:002012-10-19T16:17:40.694-04:00Proposed Listing of the Spring Pygmy Sunfish as Threatened<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxqPfXh-wwCbA9i2Ytq0pgsU-dgL8PdKOxxkt9mCe0drdxrX77aTDT7L3OGQFKVcZ9zdZfHkmfMlU7A2Ki7VIwzXjBgQz_tFsAlOkoasz4KncHS88w1riIrUoslkfZj3fG0XVg_Q80Ok/s1600/Spring+pygmy+sunfish+Beaverdam+Spring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxqPfXh-wwCbA9i2Ytq0pgsU-dgL8PdKOxxkt9mCe0drdxrX77aTDT7L3OGQFKVcZ9zdZfHkmfMlU7A2Ki7VIwzXjBgQz_tFsAlOkoasz4KncHS88w1riIrUoslkfZj3fG0XVg_Q80Ok/s640/Spring+pygmy+sunfish+Beaverdam+Spring.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Spring Pygmy Sunfish <em>Elassoma alabamae</em></span></span></div>
<em></em><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">The imperiled Spring
Pygmy Sunfish (<em>Elassoma alabamae</em>),
which is restricted to springs and spring-fed creeks along a five-mile length
of Beaverdam Creek in northern Alabama, was <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/search/pagedetails.action?granuleId=2012-23854&packageId=FR-2012-10-02&acCode=FR">proposed for federal listing as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on 2 October 2012</a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">. <span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Critical habitat for
the species is also designated. </span>This species was historically known from two
other spring systems in the Tennessee River drainage in Alabama, but habitat
destruction from dams, reservoirs, and herbicides caused these populations to
disappear.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoalr_k543NC9syTZ6VAim8WrAMuaT-iMnETaGvsGqOp-NoV0ON7dWsP-u6V2BP619HgeK4g4cGpVt7xuus4Om6_vfFwerYDuJIIyzR0vVNyirx7U5MriSjzbFcKGwmXWDdWmGHSu8XM/s1600/Beaverdam+Spring+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoalr_k543NC9syTZ6VAim8WrAMuaT-iMnETaGvsGqOp-NoV0ON7dWsP-u6V2BP619HgeK4g4cGpVt7xuus4Om6_vfFwerYDuJIIyzR0vVNyirx7U5MriSjzbFcKGwmXWDdWmGHSu8XM/s640/Beaverdam+Spring+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Beaverdam Spring, ideal
habitat for the Spring Pygmy Sunfish</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Spring Pygmy
Sunfish only reaches 1 inch, only lives for a year, and needs clear spring
water and dense submerged vegetation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They are reliant on their vision to find food and mates, so clear water
is essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dense submerged
vegetation is needed for the eggs to be successfully laid, hatch, and for
juveniles and adults to hide from predators. These life history traits make the
species vulnerable to habitat disturbances that muddy the water, herbicides
that reduce or kill aquatic vegetation, and groundwater withdrawals that lower
water levels and together with drought conditions have caused springs in the
system to go completely dry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Spring Pygmy Sunfish habitat in the Beaverdam
Creek system is highly imperiled due to the <a href="http://www.sasaki.com/project/227/huntsville-western-expansion-annexed-property-master-plan/">rapid growth of nearby Huntsville</a></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> and an increase in agricultural and municipal groundwater
pumping in the aquifer that feeds these springs. Construction projects with no
or improperly installed silt fences and an increase in impervious surfaces that
produces heavy stormwater runoff threaten water quality.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyDdNHnFdGAWxIDGFKNovBm2lDW9SqouPGXqFxr2u9Wjz5JIwsSHaX3Ee_NvnPnlfWuf9eotqbv3cqzKKV6js067i2Kvw-VxyvEtxZoy4VYc1lRvIqscJarqp19bI4oAmfk4TqvQJweA/s1600/Fence+next+to+Moore+branch+%2528chocolate+milk%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyDdNHnFdGAWxIDGFKNovBm2lDW9SqouPGXqFxr2u9Wjz5JIwsSHaX3Ee_NvnPnlfWuf9eotqbv3cqzKKV6js067i2Kvw-VxyvEtxZoy4VYc1lRvIqscJarqp19bI4oAmfk4TqvQJweA/s320/Fence+next+to+Moore+branch+%2528chocolate+milk%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIQemXSsET9SP_SokqKEsIUU-2up0glyH7Q2P2V8h46eRFGmqOA7CBkOT6lDX_7jsncJGH9cgOs7Ajj3T3c1FdNQQECKnpJiJggK8e4WV5LpVpWeJp4kLO6MK1gUxbsg7yp_Fc9R7vuQ/s1600/Former+riparian+zone+along+Beaverdam+Creek+and+Moore+Branch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIQemXSsET9SP_SokqKEsIUU-2up0glyH7Q2P2V8h46eRFGmqOA7CBkOT6lDX_7jsncJGH9cgOs7Ajj3T3c1FdNQQECKnpJiJggK8e4WV5LpVpWeJp4kLO6MK1gUxbsg7yp_Fc9R7vuQ/s320/Former+riparian+zone+along+Beaverdam+Creek+and+Moore+Branch.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Ineffective silt
fences along Beaverdam Creek that contribute to the siltation of critical
habitat</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Impervious surfaces
also threaten water quantity by deflecting water that would normally recharge
the underlying aquifer. These are just some of the escalating threats that
Beaverdam Creek and the Spring Pygmy Sunfish are facing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Bernie Kuhajdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07633876762760570066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-33056270733834790502012-09-28T10:29:00.000-04:002012-09-28T10:44:35.598-04:00Where is your Watershed?<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Freshwater is the most precious resource on our planet. Though approximately 75% of the Earth is
covered in water, only 3% of that is freshwater. Less than 1% of that is accessible to humans;
the rest is either frozen, underground, or otherwise out or reach. When you think about it, that’s not much
water to share between 7 billion people and all the animals that call our
rivers, streams, and lakes home. In
order to ensure there is enough clean water to go around, we need to be good
stewards of our watershed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtQ2YiDCRP2tzWI1Znuk7YliWULy7o5OWpMjnnU7OQ8s5MIZ9MpUmh72GwAas3wOUYYu-LiRzbnGjQ4cA1CAk6X12E4ZFxA4g4_d7t3Ah4TqNtzXrs68PUlTYQ6j5FKKXxHlvB1ifLHqg/s1600/water-infographic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPtQ2YiDCRP2tzWI1Znuk7YliWULy7o5OWpMjnnU7OQ8s5MIZ9MpUmh72GwAas3wOUYYu-LiRzbnGjQ4cA1CAk6X12E4ZFxA4g4_d7t3Ah4TqNtzXrs68PUlTYQ6j5FKKXxHlvB1ifLHqg/s400/water-infographic.png" width="303" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">From <a href="http://thesocietypages.org/graphicsociology/2012/03/">http://thesocietypages.org/graphicsociology/2012/03/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is a <a href="http://water.epa.gov/type/watersheds/whatis.cfm">watershed</a>? It is an area of land where all the water within
it drains to the same place. Watersheds
can vary in size, and there can be watersheds within watersheds. For example, a drop of water from a rainstorm
may hit the ground in the watershed of a smaller river, like the <a href="http://www.conasaugariver.org/">Conasauga</a>. That water in the Conasauga watershed runs
into the Coosa River, making it part of the <a href="http://coosa.org/">Coosa
Watershed</a>. The Coosa then flows into the Alabama River, which ultimately
flows into Mobile Bay. These watersheds
are all connected, and how we take care of our watershed not only directly
affects us, but also impacts our neighbors downstream. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveFInmgHnVhtg6-dH6bEnlBJnVmiVksDGZxaun3mNcWIOrtgLhEuUQ9yf043IL8cnRr6TSjMbbbqEXxOMbgJ-eAHi7wH_kkzgiZo4WeAe-8dLiSOFFAg-wBUYzEW91g5b-y2n-IKn-Rd7/s1600/Mobile+Bay+Watershed.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhveFInmgHnVhtg6-dH6bEnlBJnVmiVksDGZxaun3mNcWIOrtgLhEuUQ9yf043IL8cnRr6TSjMbbbqEXxOMbgJ-eAHi7wH_kkzgiZo4WeAe-8dLiSOFFAg-wBUYzEW91g5b-y2n-IKn-Rd7/s640/Mobile+Bay+Watershed.bmp" width="464" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are many impaired watersheds in the United States, including
the Southeast. Mobile Bay, one of the largest watersheds in the U.S., has
some rivers that run through highly urban, industrial, and agricultural areas. Therefore, pollution is a big problem in the
form of fertilizers, chemicals, and sediment.
In Chattanooga, Citico Creek is highly polluted because damaged septic
tanks and sewer lines discharge their effluent into the creek. That pollution flows into the Tennessee River,
where Chattanoogans get their drinking water.
While our <a href="http://www.amwater.com/tnaw/">local water company</a>
does a very good job ensuring that water is safe for us to drink, the pollution
stays in the river and affects the fish, mussels, other animals, and even
recreational users who call the Tennessee River home. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<strong>What is your watershed? </strong><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Visit the </span><a href="http://cfpub.epa.gov/surf/locate/index.cfm" style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Environmental Protection Agency’s</a><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
(EPA) website. You can search by zip code or city to see were all the water in
your region goes. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -24px;"></span></span> </div>
<strong>What can you do to protect your watershed?</strong><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><u style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Find your local watershed group and volunteer</u><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">.</span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Once you have found which watershed is yours,
the EPA provides a list of groups that work to protect that watershed.</span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><a href="http://water.epa.gov/action/adopt/index.cfm" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Adopt your watershed</a><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">. If
your watershed doesn’t already have a citizen-based group, you can use EPA’s </span><a href="http://water.epa.gov/action/adopt/index.cfm?_sm_au_=iVVS2HWWgS5vHN0f#toolkit" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Watershed
Stewardship Toolkit</a><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"> to start one.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><u style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Practice responsible water consumption.</u><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Decreasing the amount of water you use each
day ensures there is more in the watershed for plants and animals, and will
lower your water bill.</span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><u style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Be as organic as possible</u><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"> with your lawn,
reducing fertilizer and pesticide use.</span></li>
<li><u style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Find your nearest </u><a href="http://waterkeeper.org/" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Waterkeeper</a><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">. These people devote their time
to making sure their river is free from pollution or other harmful
activities.</span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">Support them with your time
or money so they can make sure you have a safe river to use.</span><span style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
</ul>
If you are in Chattanooga, October 6th is the next <a href="http://www.tennesseeriverrescue.com/">Tennessee River Rescue</a>. Find your nearest zone and spend some time cleaning the Tennessee River. It’s our river, so let’s make sure it is safe for all the people, plants, and animals that rely on it. We hope to see you there!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-41620341768548653402012-09-20T18:26:00.001-04:002012-09-21T08:09:21.720-04:00Lake Sturgeon Goes to Help Teach 5th Grade!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5RwjWstBdxkZcsF0umE7xrC_qmPqkxz1LIlJdkh755j91K2QGkEutK8HSre97wd_MxRn2M2trBSnSmniZW_0DCyviSfvm-FGaXD64wJ8vT4MdkoqxThP1PCpTljl_hVobW2VhRK3sQ/s1600/gap+creek+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI5RwjWstBdxkZcsF0umE7xrC_qmPqkxz1LIlJdkh755j91K2QGkEutK8HSre97wd_MxRn2M2trBSnSmniZW_0DCyviSfvm-FGaXD64wJ8vT4MdkoqxThP1PCpTljl_hVobW2VhRK3sQ/s400/gap+creek+crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A few weeks ago we had the opportunity to continue a partnership with </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://gapcreekes.knoxschools.org/" target="_blank">Gap Creek Elementary School</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in Knoxville. Each year the 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> grade class at Gap Creek adopts a </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://tnaqua.org/OurAnimals/Fishes/LakeSturgeon.aspx" target="_blank">Lake Sturgeon</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://tnaqua.org/OurAnimals/Fishes/LakeSturgeon.aspx" target="_blank"> </a></span>to keep in their classroom. This year “Spike”, as the students quickly named him, is living in Ms. Kelly Clemmer’s classroom and will help her teach the students about water chemistry, endangered species, conservation, biology and general responsibility. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivb1BdqfbzVcNeLtRWHeQHGTmVp2cxFhY7uFoUPJQF84bOwB7J6XW5wU3hmRuNN3mi9QX-stlLe1Pw9KJRdyuGvlv5jImASMr06P8Wspa40uXiSWnqb_L25W5bk3cZ0D0dLc-RgDl0EA/s1600/spikecropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivb1BdqfbzVcNeLtRWHeQHGTmVp2cxFhY7uFoUPJQF84bOwB7J6XW5wU3hmRuNN3mi9QX-stlLe1Pw9KJRdyuGvlv5jImASMr06P8Wspa40uXiSWnqb_L25W5bk3cZ0D0dLc-RgDl0EA/s400/spikecropped.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
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</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Spike" the Lake Sturgeon was 23 cm long when he moved into the classroom.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kathlina and Greg, the TNACI fall intern,
delivered Spike to the classroom and set him up in his new tank. They led a
classroom discussion about how to take care of a Lake Sturgeon and why </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://tnaqua.org/Conservation/SavingTheSturgeon.aspx" target="_blank">TNACI is involved in this project</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Each day the students will record data about the fish
including feedings, tank maintenance, water temperature, pH, ammonia levels,
fish length and behavioral observations. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1J_6FdnkrsqxODzzjLawHIjqbZloTX9pkxkQBP88SoVptq6wcYGab-rwo5jtK_ndEgovpomXuZR0FSwy90NLdvTfmqN6IeTSwzBW9EfhifVQsqPDUY6dzO_ECOn9MLcemOoE0mlzAw/s1600/gap+creek+teach+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1J_6FdnkrsqxODzzjLawHIjqbZloTX9pkxkQBP88SoVptq6wcYGab-rwo5jtK_ndEgovpomXuZR0FSwy90NLdvTfmqN6IeTSwzBW9EfhifVQsqPDUY6dzO_ECOn9MLcemOoE0mlzAw/s1600/gap+creek+teach+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1J_6FdnkrsqxODzzjLawHIjqbZloTX9pkxkQBP88SoVptq6wcYGab-rwo5jtK_ndEgovpomXuZR0FSwy90NLdvTfmqN6IeTSwzBW9EfhifVQsqPDUY6dzO_ECOn9MLcemOoE0mlzAw/s400/gap+creek+teach+crop.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ms. Clemmer also does a stream lab during the year where students visit a creek and test water quality as well as aquatic insect populations. Taking care of Spike will get them ready to do field work in the spring and will hopefully help them make the connections between fish health, human health and water quality. In November, these students will assist us with the </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/05/lake-sturgeon-release-in-nashville.html">release</a></span> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of our 2012 year class Lake Sturgeon into the </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Broad_River">French Broad River</a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which runs right by their school. Their close proximity to the release site is what made this school such a perfect match for this type of partnership. With permission from TWRA we have been able to supply Gap Creek Elementary with a classroom Lake Sturgeon for several years now. Though Spike will never be released into the wild, this fish will return to the Tennessee Aquarium in the spring and be an ambassador for the species in our sturgeon touch tank in Discovery Hall. This unique partnership is a great outreach opportunity for TNACI and an incredible experience for the students. We look forward to working with them throughout the year!</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-11421308872259304002012-09-17T16:05:00.000-04:002012-09-17T16:08:30.702-04:00Tennessee's Most Unwanted<br />
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It’s been a long journey, but we are happy to report that
two snakeheads are now in the new Invasive Species exhibit at the <a href="http://tnaqua.org/">Tennessee Aquarium</a>. This tank calls attention to one of the most
serious threats to our native animals: species that have been accidentally or
purposefully released outside their native range. As you study this tank full of “unwanted”
animals, you will see the shells of <a href="http://anstaskforce.gov/spoc/zebra_mussels.php">Zebra Mussels</a> (<i>Dreissena polymorpha), </i>and <a href="http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/asianclam.shtml#.UFOIJLJmQtE">Asian
Clams</a> (<i>Corbicula fluminea)</i>, in
addition to <a href="http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=820">Yellow Perch</a> (<i>Perca flavescens)</i>, Redbreast Sunfish (<i>Lepomis
auritus)</i>, Grass Carp <i>(Ctenopharyngodon idella)</i>, and <a href="http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/snakehead/overview.php">Northern Snakeheads</a>
<i>(Chana argus)</i>. Each of these species has an impact on the
ecosystem it has been introduced into, some more drastic than others. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Zebra Mussels and Snakeheads have been two of the most
expensive invasive species our country is battling. Zebra mussels are native to Eurasia and were
first found in the Great Lakes in the 1980s.
They were most likely introduced by ballast water from barges as they
entered harbors and waterways. Since
then, Zebra Mussels have spread rapidly, densely colonizing virtually any
surface, including other aquatic animals!
They outcompete native mussels for food and habitat, and millions of
dollars are spent each year de-fouling industrial pipes clogged with zebra
mussels. <o:p></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifo2i2KYBxy0xo9kXX-dQAeZU8QBLM6B8ZcoMp9M5JmEdA7nGD93uHWD8XGdByDSGm1KcM4efrH-eDSSm_TIQpFuGnWP-yyGOlihMb387fBIrsOIQ6LEhbn7Vv2JHC2a7qPE3_aJRCotgk/s1600/zebra+mussels+on+crayfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifo2i2KYBxy0xo9kXX-dQAeZU8QBLM6B8ZcoMp9M5JmEdA7nGD93uHWD8XGdByDSGm1KcM4efrH-eDSSm_TIQpFuGnWP-yyGOlihMb387fBIrsOIQ6LEhbn7Vv2JHC2a7qPE3_aJRCotgk/s1600/zebra+mussels+on+crayfish.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">Zebra mussels growing on a crayfish</span><span style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 115%;">From: </span><a href="http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/invert/zebramussel.htm"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%;">http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/invert/zebramussel.htm</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SBMPelVc0mcHvTzutGnEqJlJ759SDWTBEGxcjUxC9sEQznMiNF3E5cM1BxZeIx8wsv9gsaGlN4__xm7X8sUeDcvMITbp8jCG5rm8qtgBjg3aT50XnDA9PQd5BYAdjCN90gL6Mvi9f1kx/s1600/zebra+mussels+pipe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-SBMPelVc0mcHvTzutGnEqJlJ759SDWTBEGxcjUxC9sEQznMiNF3E5cM1BxZeIx8wsv9gsaGlN4__xm7X8sUeDcvMITbp8jCG5rm8qtgBjg3aT50XnDA9PQd5BYAdjCN90gL6Mvi9f1kx/s320/zebra+mussels+pipe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">Pipe
clogged with zebra mussels<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">From: </span><a href="http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/PW/NacWP/Quagga-Zebra_Mussel_Info.htm"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;">http://www.slocounty.ca.gov/PW/NacWP/Quagga-Zebra_Mussel_Info.htm</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Snakeheads are another invasive species that has gotten a
lot of attention lately. Due to their
snake-like appearance, mouth full of sharp teeth, and ability to breathe air
and “crawl” over land, the media has dubbed this animal “Frankenfish.” While this name may be a bit harsh, there is
no doubt that snakeheads have the potential to severely degrade an area where
they are introduced. They are voracious
predators and highly territorial; therefore they can outcompete popular
sportfish, like bass, for food. They are
also aggressive, especially during breeding season as they guard their eggs and
larvae. There are no established
populations in Tennessee right now, though one snakehead was caught near <a href="http://www.chattanoogan.com/2006/1/12/78560/Snakeheads-Arrive-in-Tennessee.aspx">Memphis
in 2006</a>. There are established populations
in Virginia, Florida, and Arkansas, however.
The largest eradication attempt in the U.S. was performed over 110
square miles in the Piney Creek drainage in Arkansas. Biologists attempted to poison what they
thought was a contained population. This
massive project was successful in diminishing the snakehead population, but was
unsuccessful in eradicating the river of
them. It is illegal to possess a
snakehead in the state of Tennessee. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cTdGHwD1TuTYG_UOmd8fTSbaJreGLufl6d-2Bbp5umUpGbOP27OG1O3EOSfdwxRLB0z5W1JbodiBaO4M19HZLy3Fg5o5FZHe_dKubreRmrEMctH-ExLwyfPffmkbhwgtvH9J4PyS8y6J/s1600/snakehead.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2cTdGHwD1TuTYG_UOmd8fTSbaJreGLufl6d-2Bbp5umUpGbOP27OG1O3EOSfdwxRLB0z5W1JbodiBaO4M19HZLy3Fg5o5FZHe_dKubreRmrEMctH-ExLwyfPffmkbhwgtvH9J4PyS8y6J/s320/snakehead.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
Northern Snakehead at
the Tennessee Aquarium<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are able to display these species thanks to funding from
the <a href="http://www.tn.gov/twra/">Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency</a>. Come visit the Aquarium to see our new
exhibit in the Tennessee River Gallery of the River Journey building. And remember--you can help prevent the spread
of invasive species. After being on the
water, check your boat and equipment for aquatic hitchhikers, clean thoroughly
after each use, and dry before use in a different waterbody.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-45686029490930483782012-09-11T17:20:00.000-04:002012-09-12T09:44:16.249-04:00Snorkeling with Alexandra Cousteau<br />
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In 2009 the Tennessee Aquarium was awarded a grant from the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>
to increase inland residents’ awareness of their connection to the ocean. One part of this ambitious project is the
“Our Blue Planet” lecture series that has brought leaders in ocean research and
conservation to the Tennessee Aquarium.
Last week, the last speaker of the series is part of a family whose name
is synonymous with ocean exploration: <a href="http://www.alexandracousteau.org/">Alexandra Cousteau</a>.</div>
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Like her grandfather, Alexandra is a passionate
environmentalist. She is an advocate for
sustainable management of our water resources.
She has traveled the globe to locations where watersheds have been
negatively impacted by water misuse, but also to places where sustainable
management of water has been successful.
Her mission is to "engage individuals around the world through telling the story of our water planet."<br />
<br />
She accomplished this mission as she spoke to <a href="http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/sep/07/alexandra-cousteau-global-water-crisis/?print" target="_blank">high school</a> students in the morning, then to a full house in our IMAX theater that evening. She showed some of the short documentaries she has filmed all over the world, but focused on some of the imperiled watersheds in North America, including the <a href="http://www.alexandracousteau.org/blog" target="_blank">Emory River</a>, the <a href="http://www.alexandracousteau.org/expedition-blue-planet-2010/colorado-river/death-of-a-river" target="_blank">Colorado River,</a> the <a href="http://www.alexandracousteau.org/expedition-blue-planet-2010/great-lakes-and-chesapeake-bay/our-nations-river" target="_blank">Potomac River</a>, and <a href="http://www.alexandracousteau.org/expedition-blue-planet-2010/gulf-states/indicator-species" target="_blank">Mobile Bay</a>. These videos, as well as her no-nonsense presentation style, were successful at motivating citizens of all age groups. She encouraged all of us to be conscious of our water use, and to be advocates for our watersheds. Everyone has the right to <a href="http://www.nooga.com/157177/explorer-filmmaker-alexandra-cousteau-a-voice-for-clean-water/" target="_blank">clean water</a>.<br />
<br />
We decided to take Alexandra to the Hiwassee River and show her some of the aquatic wildlife that makes the Southeastern U.S. so unique. We were joined by two Waterkeepers: Donna Lisenby the <a href="http://www.waterkeeper.org/ht/d/OrganizationDetails/i/669/pid/210" target="_blank">Watauga Riverkeeper</a>, and David Whiteside the<a href="http://www.waterkeeper.org/ht/d/OrganizationDetails/i/12695" target="_blank"> Tennessee Riverkeeper</a>. We had a brief, but eventful, time on the Hiwassee. Our catches included three Hellbenders, a Tangerine Darter (<i>Percina aurantiaca), </i>and one of the most controversial fish in history, the <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/05/endangered-species-day.html" target="_blank">Snail Darter</a> (<i>Percina tanasi).</i> It was a great day on the river and everyone had a good time. We hope Alexandra will come back. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3m-A6sOIzdgyHtVNRfLDM6iyb0q_MR4p2sfJyl7DkQs8DLebr5ZOdgc4-ynaBsxu2rCkqazgr19qlWO6IKN3JlbDoq8y4eH-KIR5RJXvJ1f37UhJtZQARBOo-nAchdGze9ZZqXACWBMm/s1600/P1010348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3m-A6sOIzdgyHtVNRfLDM6iyb0q_MR4p2sfJyl7DkQs8DLebr5ZOdgc4-ynaBsxu2rCkqazgr19qlWO6IKN3JlbDoq8y4eH-KIR5RJXvJ1f37UhJtZQARBOo-nAchdGze9ZZqXACWBMm/s200/P1010348.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donna Lisenby and Alexandra Cousteau with a Hellbender</td></tr>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjGVEuboLzwQSPvOS5CUcp8ariemkzJXylzbGV_lBKRXGAsg4hmer_ZSYyo_0UXDXoJyhuQipB86U8Sd6BpFGY1kvvrNAcRtlnuTkr6eNrjF3CWhhp5vjACH_zlpi382RutIDq6T918OV/s1600/IMG_3767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjGVEuboLzwQSPvOS5CUcp8ariemkzJXylzbGV_lBKRXGAsg4hmer_ZSYyo_0UXDXoJyhuQipB86U8Sd6BpFGY1kvvrNAcRtlnuTkr6eNrjF3CWhhp5vjACH_zlpi382RutIDq6T918OV/s200/IMG_3767.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangerine Darter <i>(Percina aurantiaca)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNAHX__4gkCYZtwp8ERaJv62UQmeZuMGMUME0UTnq1IL3Vc5Qsrf-c9HDuCVpWQ63Dn6f-XoOHjpH_63F7Dz_vVGdG_1ju0tLsxstmQcLOIiFrFqUDbPNQtZUjSETPZjYWLQOpasGMBGw/s1600/IMG_3906.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNAHX__4gkCYZtwp8ERaJv62UQmeZuMGMUME0UTnq1IL3Vc5Qsrf-c9HDuCVpWQ63Dn6f-XoOHjpH_63F7Dz_vVGdG_1ju0tLsxstmQcLOIiFrFqUDbPNQtZUjSETPZjYWLQOpasGMBGw/s200/IMG_3906.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snail Darter <i>(Percina tanasi)</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHkCKO2udX7OfBPQDdEmD2z2sO3J-UZR6tQgnhKqW4yY3t9Gh_kGnEIHxbFZJZqmv4PCLFnP5JpL-P4EvL4JB5mNswBJ9bSswY_ZxjZ_V0XmmeB0kD0BpWQoLe5LmY21q0BzZI6AMlt3i/s1600/IMG_3899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVHkCKO2udX7OfBPQDdEmD2z2sO3J-UZR6tQgnhKqW4yY3t9Gh_kGnEIHxbFZJZqmv4PCLFnP5JpL-P4EvL4JB5mNswBJ9bSswY_ZxjZ_V0XmmeB0kD0BpWQoLe5LmY21q0BzZI6AMlt3i/s320/IMG_3899.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TNACI with a <i>tanasi!</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxRCsoXJupQePusWfJ6Awac0gMs0_IdHXpNnTKZgn9gCBAe_TKBo-hTSxub9FCRxgSDGj3fdlA5QOt2zh_ddQtaqMyFy9Jb0J62asrBPdgwWGFsRCmQX_oQsp8H3rjPXrPOTm9sR7ClSY/s1600/IMG_3746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxRCsoXJupQePusWfJ6Awac0gMs0_IdHXpNnTKZgn9gCBAe_TKBo-hTSxub9FCRxgSDGj3fdlA5QOt2zh_ddQtaqMyFy9Jb0J62asrBPdgwWGFsRCmQX_oQsp8H3rjPXrPOTm9sR7ClSY/s320/IMG_3746.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna and Alexandra with a Hellbender</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">All photos taken by Andree Herbert.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: start;">Here's a great video about the day from our friend, Donna Lisenby.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span>
</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ww8Yj7WiApo" width="640"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-25256276737705496492012-08-30T08:46:00.000-04:002012-10-23T08:59:47.166-04:00Marine Sanctuaries, the National Forests of the Oceans<br />
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As little as 150 years ago, some scientists believed that
there was no way that humans could significantly impact the ocean. Fish stocks appeared so healthy that they
believed there would always be enough fish in the sea. However, by the time Huxley uttered his
famous quote in the 1890s <a href="http://aleph0.clarku.edu/huxley/SM5/fish.html">(“I believe...all the great sea fisheries are inexhaustible")</a>, some fisheries had already
collapsed and industries were beginning to boom and pollute waterways. Advances in technology resulted in bottom
trawls and dredges to catch mussels and bottom dwelling organisms. In 1993, the cod fishery in New England
collapsed, one of the fisheries Huxley considered immune. In addition, as the
demand for fuel and natural gas rose, so did the exploitation of the ocean, with <a href="http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06mexico/background/oil/media/platform_600.html">4,000
oil platforms</a> currently in the Gulf of Mexico alone (see figure). The <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18560_162-6490197.html">Deepwater Horizon</a>
spill of 2010 had major environmental impacts and brought to the limelight to
potential harmful effects of these oil platforms on the ocean and coastal
environment.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLJmJekc9HEFoGhLVJQC8AGX1G9Uc8755tYKUZozK6fLUF0QmUZ6R6mR2ux1b8T1tbn8uFpQJpO2oXB_rh-CzucrduOJkWaNWEt7mURhDQj0nFzZHVY2BpfDYq6vB3vtN8RzpQptU_pUz/s1600/GOM_oil_platforms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLJmJekc9HEFoGhLVJQC8AGX1G9Uc8755tYKUZozK6fLUF0QmUZ6R6mR2ux1b8T1tbn8uFpQJpO2oXB_rh-CzucrduOJkWaNWEt7mURhDQj0nFzZHVY2BpfDYq6vB3vtN8RzpQptU_pUz/s400/GOM_oil_platforms.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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From <a href="http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06mexico/background/oil/media/platform_600.html">http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/06mexico/background/oil/media/platform_600.html</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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However, nestled in these platforms is the <a href="http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/">Flower Garden Banks National Marine
Sanctuary</a> off the coast of Texas. National
marine sanctuaries are the crown jewel of America’s marine conservation efforts. Similar
to the goal of National Forests’ to preserve wilderness for multiple uses, marine
sanctuaries were created to ensure that future generations can enjoy the ecological
and cultural resources our ocean provides.
The first sanctuary created was <a href="http://monitor.noaa.gov/welcome.html">Monitor</a> off Cape Hatteras in
North Carolina in 1975. Protection at
each sanctuary varies and is regulated by the Sanctuary staff and the Advisory
Council. At some sanctuaries, boats are
prohibited from anchoring, while at others, diving and some recreational
fishing may be allowed. Sanctuaries are
crucial, not just for protecting marine habitat, but for our commercial
fisheries as well because they serve as spawning grounds for commercially
important species like tuna or swordfish; closing North Atlantic Swordfish
spawning grounds was one of the keys to the population’s recovery in the late
1990s after catches had decreased by 50%.</div>
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Sanctuaries are also a great place to go diving and see relatively pristine habitat. Despite being surrounded by oil platforms, Flower Garden Banks is one of the healthiest reefs in the world and diving is very popular. Sea turtles, large grouper, sharks, and a high diversity of colorful reef fish live with a significantly diminished threat from fishermen.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDLgQjIXFsmwu47al0szPGr7G6Mtk4gSHvDWx3hA_uDf83KHw-EcCOpS66UM2H2HrgU8tVVmR-JylhnilNK0RV7EfE1WwXP6ft0vTUNXTEy_miiXJxOGTfzHi1woXAJnsw4nf8Mi2i2zN/s1600/butterfly+fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJDLgQjIXFsmwu47al0szPGr7G6Mtk4gSHvDWx3hA_uDf83KHw-EcCOpS66UM2H2HrgU8tVVmR-JylhnilNK0RV7EfE1WwXP6ft0vTUNXTEy_miiXJxOGTfzHi1woXAJnsw4nf8Mi2i2zN/s200/butterfly+fish.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6-d5ROif-PBU2lpxuhU1Cp_c5IHeO-gjRo4-wre0fLeChh3v2iePx1FMwukv_v7vo-qzVxz5HwbewJgt5ZF2SE96difIloDvEnEvp4sjOALotvigL77XmBqAZxjXNe6d8dhGUcMvPMqD/s1600/grouper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6-d5ROif-PBU2lpxuhU1Cp_c5IHeO-gjRo4-wre0fLeChh3v2iePx1FMwukv_v7vo-qzVxz5HwbewJgt5ZF2SE96difIloDvEnEvp4sjOALotvigL77XmBqAZxjXNe6d8dhGUcMvPMqD/s200/grouper.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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You may have been to a Marine Sanctuary and not even have
known it! The Florida Keys are all in
the <a href="http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/">Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary</a> which protects 3,000 nautical miles extending from Miami to the
Tortugas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdelVDWe-bSV7D-1TljxJJGOt_Ei4yBbgx1Kue-GfWDtCo81CSxN930-sWOSnrYUW8vf7z045dHsyDgpeJaIgHEtuo6lbEJKroLuWYq3IfN5-A9KiC8iMQfbZbzSbNabgf5VQym9e_LW7/s1600/FL+keys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdelVDWe-bSV7D-1TljxJJGOt_Ei4yBbgx1Kue-GfWDtCo81CSxN930-sWOSnrYUW8vf7z045dHsyDgpeJaIgHEtuo6lbEJKroLuWYq3IfN5-A9KiC8iMQfbZbzSbNabgf5VQym9e_LW7/s400/FL+keys.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Marine sanctuaries receive recommendations for their management by advisory councils made up of
people from different backgrounds, including government agencies, fishermen,
and academics. Our director at TNACI, Anna
George, is currently serving on the council <a href="http://graysreef.noaa.gov/welcome.html">for Gray's Reef National Marine
Sanctuary</a> as a conservation representative.
This is one of the largest near shore live reefs in the southeastern
U.S. and is located 16 miles off the coast of Georgia. Part of the sanctuary is accessible to divers
and recreational fishermen, but a portion of it is closed for research
only. This ensures that scientists can
monitor the health of the reef and the animals that call it home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you know where your nearest marine sanctuary is? Go to <a href="http://www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/">www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov</a> to find
out!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-63907599637456452232012-08-28T09:21:00.001-04:002012-08-28T09:25:15.395-04:00South Chickamauga Canoe TripOn Sunday I helped lead a canoe trip on South Chickamauga Creek sponsored by <a href="http://www.outdoorchattanooga.com/">Outdoor Chattanooga</a> and the <a href="http://www.tnaqua.org/">Tennessee Aquarium</a>. Ten folks and I met at the relatively new Sterchi Farm Greenway Boat Ramp, part of <a href="http://www.outdoorchattanooga.com/199.htm">the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway</a> Trail. Our trip took us about one mile upstream, where we were paddling with the current (instead of against it) as <a href="http://www.tva.gov/">TVA</a> hydroelectric releases from <a href="http://www.tva.com/sites/chickamauga.htm">Chickamauga Dam</a> caused the creek to flow backwards, eventually raising the water level several feet! The banks of the creek were lined with large hardwoods and several flowering semi-aquatic plants, including Hibiscus and Cardinal Flowers.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBJmOxFBX2lRinbDoXCFHlJVRXVUWySCFUcGFzKD8ZAvFMp0ehsT76gZ_LRCM9blG_COypIxJR_uJt2l9msfvr5FBQeLkkaLEc9nTx74lnxCffvHtP2dEZd056RFyb_S_cEUQTFYxJao/s1600/IMG_3602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIBJmOxFBX2lRinbDoXCFHlJVRXVUWySCFUcGFzKD8ZAvFMp0ehsT76gZ_LRCM9blG_COypIxJR_uJt2l9msfvr5FBQeLkkaLEc9nTx74lnxCffvHtP2dEZd056RFyb_S_cEUQTFYxJao/s200/IMG_3602.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaoz1xlH1v8Ve732I0TDGECsZHNRyvKDcco3RDReFRVkcwmo2ypJPvSl2YitVFCXEcR6AdeSxjulsKvyr-3swW9puFjl4BDt4g27ol_7DDdBUJ00BplfAakfjPrUL7Kvc0dUn4TE8DiU/s1600/IMGP0052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaoz1xlH1v8Ve732I0TDGECsZHNRyvKDcco3RDReFRVkcwmo2ypJPvSl2YitVFCXEcR6AdeSxjulsKvyr-3swW9puFjl4BDt4g27ol_7DDdBUJ00BplfAakfjPrUL7Kvc0dUn4TE8DiU/s200/IMGP0052.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Bluffs appeared at several sites on the creek with the Greenway Trail elevating over them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ufxCbPaBtystO7w4BCj0UEEdJOdunwdLiC6vJuyI6GYmTpUf9POI1IjU6zzyY9lQ4dtJzUpCqEL4TaJDtORTg4p9NeIDWe3c7rlObLBo_1jRbwI__QnjoEks8YAPVYjWgktbLkGXUnU/s1600/IMGP0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ufxCbPaBtystO7w4BCj0UEEdJOdunwdLiC6vJuyI6GYmTpUf9POI1IjU6zzyY9lQ4dtJzUpCqEL4TaJDtORTg4p9NeIDWe3c7rlObLBo_1jRbwI__QnjoEks8YAPVYjWgktbLkGXUnU/s320/IMGP0050.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We collected several species of fishes, including the very transparent Inland Silverside (<i>Menidia beryllina</i>) and the snubnosed Tennessee Darter (<i>Etheostoma tenneseense</i>).
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnD36YXVIZiqFqOXJ4O_w_FShAshFBeuiXbRHLHeCaT4svtvzvBF4avL9aDxOgblUpU0DDp75DM5U77U3weuYh7N6pJBmxa6OdHWQL7K3DN3Ih0iUy_qp5LrtliJVqr7IXLwQlbw-lIk/s1600/IMGP0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnD36YXVIZiqFqOXJ4O_w_FShAshFBeuiXbRHLHeCaT4svtvzvBF4avL9aDxOgblUpU0DDp75DM5U77U3weuYh7N6pJBmxa6OdHWQL7K3DN3Ih0iUy_qp5LrtliJVqr7IXLwQlbw-lIk/s320/IMGP0046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvofEFJetbj8HZZPuimXk2zySqsCa9Vy8V1IYQPbBsKzkF-GHktGgVnKtbzB0tfogzgl32M91iOjVFbM2hBuKvFad2tvwi0gcXCkdrzrN576-ZRkE1Lq-4kNvNH3iC8gEKOr18FIcFn0/s1600/IMGP0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEvofEFJetbj8HZZPuimXk2zySqsCa9Vy8V1IYQPbBsKzkF-GHktGgVnKtbzB0tfogzgl32M91iOjVFbM2hBuKvFad2tvwi0gcXCkdrzrN576-ZRkE1Lq-4kNvNH3iC8gEKOr18FIcFn0/s320/IMGP0047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We also saw a Great Blue Heron (<i><span lang="EN">Ardea herodias</span></i><span lang="EN">), water snakes, crayfish, basses and bream sunfishes. It was great weather and a great time! Look for more outdoor activities in the Tennessee Aquarium’s <a href="http://www.tnaqua.org/membership/Riverwatch.aspx">Riverwatch</a> magazine and on the <a href="http://tnaqua.org/Events/Events.aspx">Events Page</a>.</span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Bernie Kuhajdahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07633876762760570066noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-6620387044732434642012-08-14T12:09:00.001-04:002012-09-12T11:03:05.254-04:00Conservation Leadership in Action Week<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Guest Blogger: Louise McCallie</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">What
do you get when you have twenty high schoolers and a week of outdoor
adventures, then add three days of unexpected, non-stop rain? Apparently those
are the ingredients for the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute's
up-and-coming summer camp, <a href="http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/jul/15/tennessee-aquarium-hopes-to-grow-new-environmental/" target="_blank">Conservation Leadership in Action Week</a> (CLAW). Led
by <a href="http://www.tnaci.org/about.asp" target="_blank">Dr. Anna George and Ashford Rosenberg</a>, the campers were exposed to a variety
of local conservation issues, then were challenged to form their own plans for
creating change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">I've
been a summer camp counselor before, but never for high school kids. I wasn't
exactly sure what to expect. But after CLAW 2012, I can say with full certainty
that our kids were a fabulous first class. Our twenty campers were from fifteen
different high schools, some coming from as far away as Memphis, Georgia, and
Newport News, VA. It was an adventure waiting to happen, and the kids
delivered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">CLAW
2012 was a residential camp, with our home base on <a href="http://www.baylorschool.org/" target="_blank">Baylor School's </a>campus, and
once we got everyone registered and moved in, we kicked off the week with a
trip to the <a href="http://www.tnaqua.org/" target="_blank">Tennessee Aquarium</a>. Several of our campers are youth volunteers at
the Aquarium, but they too enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at the exhibits,
as well as the private tour. Our aquatic adventure ended in a <a href="http://tnaqua.org/PlanYourVisit/SleepInTheDeep.aspx" target="_blank">sleepover</a> in
Ocean Journey's Undersea Caverns, where the campers snuggled into their
sleeping bags while sandbar sharks and brightly-colored fish swam by overhead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Monday's
theme was "water," so we were up bright and early before heading over
to <a href="http://www.chattanooga.gov/parks-and-recreation/parks/directory-of-park-facilities/" target="_blank">Renaissance Park</a> to discuss water quality testing. Our next destination was the
Hiwassee River, where we took more water quality samples and met up with some
more TNACI scientists to see what they'd caught in the crystal-clear waters.
The highlight of the afternoon was an eighteen-inch long hellbender, which the
kids stroked and posed with for pictures. We turned our campers loose on the
river to see what else the riffles had in store - and several of them even
hand-caught another hellbender! Talk about a victory lap.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LRYSw7ohBcciK85BEN4tTn4nKSncQ9jrPKVfPLYZapEadTMbjIZNesEyt6-JROkp0PHDOfScCaL5-SCewSLdhwnmSBdKJIVoZCnJiOQ2iJ_Kc62XJKbwQAK4LWxeTg7BAKosR34Gf8kt/s1600/IMG_0051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6LRYSw7ohBcciK85BEN4tTn4nKSncQ9jrPKVfPLYZapEadTMbjIZNesEyt6-JROkp0PHDOfScCaL5-SCewSLdhwnmSBdKJIVoZCnJiOQ2iJ_Kc62XJKbwQAK4LWxeTg7BAKosR34Gf8kt/s320/IMG_0051.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting to touch the Hellbender</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
then bid adieu to our fishy friends and shifted gears for our next activity:</span><a href="http://www.hiwasseeoutfitters.com/" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">white-water rafting</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">! It was a cool, foggy afternoon that certainly beat the
100-degree heat we'd been having, and we all made it down the river without too
much trouble.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigh2eSeOD0A0H5LX4Kd-fES4olCaen2JeYDS6TceFeFhK-5ENXJKdWPq78eZ0wg1i2i6YVA2zpwYmfdkZtjcvr1UEzfwONiKJGYKz-jkiBGeI-UzTkcG9QsV1W2ypwsFFIe6YsUXqyJi9l/s1600/P1000978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigh2eSeOD0A0H5LX4Kd-fES4olCaen2JeYDS6TceFeFhK-5ENXJKdWPq78eZ0wg1i2i6YVA2zpwYmfdkZtjcvr1UEzfwONiKJGYKz-jkiBGeI-UzTkcG9QsV1W2ypwsFFIe6YsUXqyJi9l/s320/P1000978.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lauren and Kevin on the duckie.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">After
rafting, we headed back to Baylor to discuss and create rain barrels, provided
by </span><a href="http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/dynamic/press_center/2012/04/water-stewardship-awareness-for-earth-day.html" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Coca-Cola</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and Ace Hardware. We tied off our day with a talk from </span><a href="http://www.tn.gov/environment/efo/chattanooga.shtml" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Dr. Richard Urban</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> from the </span><a href="http://www.tn.gov/environment/" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">, where we
learned about the legal aspect of water conservation. Definitely interesting
for all our up-and-coming policy makers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Whew!
You'd think we'd be all out of things to do after Monday's busy schedule. But
the fun had barely started! Tuesday was "Food Day," which we began
with a trip to <a href="http://crabtreefarms.org/" target="_blank">Crabtree Farms</a>. Crabtree gave the campers a hands-on experience
with local food, as they smeared themselves with dirt picking beets in the
fields. They were pretty "beat" after that adventure, but our next
stop was the Southside for a trip to <a href="http://linkfortyone.com/" target="_blank">Link 41</a> and <a href="http://niedlovs.com/" target="_blank">Niedlov's</a>. Then it was back to
Baylor for a lesson in cheesemaking from TNACI's <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-addition-to-tnaci-team.html" target="_blank">Kathlina Alford</a>, who walked
the kids through batches of mozzarella and feta. The highlight of "food
day" was our evening meal - Executive Chef Charlie Loomis from <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/" target="_blank">Greenlife Grocery</a> came to Baylor and prepared a variety of delicacies crafted from the
local food we'd picked up during the day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuvGVYBa5cdzXv-b5Q8ccKyQY7Ia6swPpIeNmhmjeYCSRSQrdhA_bbDQ7Z4xBi_WJW2h9Rn2BbWyqhxSxX-QUJab6eVz4BDXbDS-d1Il5i_qPBj5h_Ij8vNXV45x1r3U-FwJN2jT_y-ta/s1600/IMGP0022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuvGVYBa5cdzXv-b5Q8ccKyQY7Ia6swPpIeNmhmjeYCSRSQrdhA_bbDQ7Z4xBi_WJW2h9Rn2BbWyqhxSxX-QUJab6eVz4BDXbDS-d1Il5i_qPBj5h_Ij8vNXV45x1r3U-FwJN2jT_y-ta/s320/IMGP0022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole group with our fine selection of beets</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wednesday was "Waste Treatment Day," and even though a large, literal raincloud had settled over Chattanooga, the campers were still energetic and ready to learn. Our morning consisted of a trip to</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.chattanooga.gov/public-works/waste-resources/interceptor-sewer/wastewater-plant" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Facility</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">, where we split into two groups to tour the plant and learn about the process of wastewater treatment. Though the campers were holding their noses and making faces over the smell, they later proclaimed that the trip to Moccasin Bend was one of the highlights of the week. Later that afternoon, we visited the</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.amwater.com/tnaw/" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Tennessee American Water Company</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (who awarded TNACI a $1,000</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.amwater.com/corporate-responsibility/environmental-sustainability/environmental-stewardship-and-innovation/environmental-grant-program.html#Tennessee" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">grant </a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">to help fund camp) for a tour of their facility and a brief discussion of the other side of water treatment. Wednesday evening,</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.southernenvironment.org/about/staff/nathan_moore/" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Nathan Moore</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">from the</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.southernenvironment.org/" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Southern Environmental Law Center</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">spoke to us about the importance of policy in conservation efforts.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lily thinks it's stinky at Moccasin Bend</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwvh7mpGn-rBrnepKcBPre2xOU6H3-miW5T2pKMv1nyyq2kh8IkLYQb0kJifiXhLmqpWozMQyhghI6_t4lXOhdZ7CryqGsuDj5x-dfn0Tf4lPHK1Kb6odl_EUZsOgSJfLiTrxyN0tzEFZ/s1600/IMG_3438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwvh7mpGn-rBrnepKcBPre2xOU6H3-miW5T2pKMv1nyyq2kh8IkLYQb0kJifiXhLmqpWozMQyhghI6_t4lXOhdZ7CryqGsuDj5x-dfn0Tf4lPHK1Kb6odl_EUZsOgSJfLiTrxyN0tzEFZ/s320/IMG_3438.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLAW with our fabulous tour guide, Matt Snyder.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">By
Thursday, the rain had not let up, which quashed our plans of canoeing.
However, the campers still had projects to work on: creating a program to bring
back to their high schools and communities, inspired by the issues we'd touched
on during the week. Thursday afternoon, we toured the <a href="http://www.rocktenn.com/products/recycling/At-A-Glance.htm" target="_blank">RockTenn</a> recycling
facility. All geared up in hard hats and safety vests, the kids got a closer
look at where our recycling goes after we put it out on the curb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEf4WpjELwKO_1S6XMS3CJZEJk51UemeaH6CaqY7UXlcm87kXffulfUli0eedHeVsKi6HswmIeIByLZbZc28q-XvsjPmfWxlkUtqan1D95B0yEG4MY_udC_M-FYVcEPv_-orVOxdkPOE_/s1600/100_0058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEf4WpjELwKO_1S6XMS3CJZEJk51UemeaH6CaqY7UXlcm87kXffulfUli0eedHeVsKi6HswmIeIByLZbZc28q-XvsjPmfWxlkUtqan1D95B0yEG4MY_udC_M-FYVcEPv_-orVOxdkPOE_/s320/100_0058.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Justice in her hard hat ready to go!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Later
that evening was "networking night." Dr. George invited a wide
variety of community leaders, from Aquarium employees to professors, to listen
to the presentations our campers had been working on. This event gave the
students invaluable experience with public speaking and presenting, along with
giving them the chance to further hone their projects. Many of the campers even
swapped contact information with guests. I for one was glowing with pride,
watching our campers have passionate, one-on-one conversations about their
projects with complete strangers. It was a little different than the rapid pace
of our other activities, but networking night was incredibly effective and will
certainly be repeated in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Groups talking to various experts about their projects.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vega talking with a Sewanee professor.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friday - our last full day - was another day out on the water, but this time we ventured up to the </span><a href="http://www.conasaugariver.org/?page=home" style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Conasauga River</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif;"> for a snorkeling expedition - wetsuits and all! Scientists from TNACI took some campers upriver for some more experience with seine netting, then showed off their catches in little clear photo tanks. After lunch we split into two groups again: one group of campers stayed by the river to continue snorkeling, while the others went on a bird walk through the surrounding wilderness.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only way to see fish is getting your face in the water!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3chb3ShYgPCjzkDJsoA_w7CDemdQyVbLrFCxYAr8Y94lIHyVb0f_3T6-yz84P3baMu-3mH0xd3t3YmG6vcoRzWC9KDccw9QV46NrrDqLSJGesygoF8LSElJtkGSkIiUMvwajsMGKcimah/s1600/IMG_3527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3chb3ShYgPCjzkDJsoA_w7CDemdQyVbLrFCxYAr8Y94lIHyVb0f_3T6-yz84P3baMu-3mH0xd3t3YmG6vcoRzWC9KDccw9QV46NrrDqLSJGesygoF8LSElJtkGSkIiUMvwajsMGKcimah/s320/IMG_3527.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking for some birds</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think Thaddeus sees a fish!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">Friday
night was another big event - one of our campers was chosen to give her
presentation at <a href="http://www.pecha-kucha.org/night/chattanooga/" target="_blank">PechaKucha</a>, a low-key style of presenting where the topics
ranged from unsanctioned racing to nature poetry. Our student, Justice Graves,
stood her ground in front of a crowd of more than a hundred and spoke
passionately about the importance of preserving the environment. She even
worked in some of our pictures from the week, discussing how our activities had
inspired her and pushed her to think on a larger scale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">And
then Saturday morning rolled around, when the parents arrived to see what we'd
been doing with their kids all week. Our campers gave their presentations in
groups of four or five, using KeyNote and some shared iPads to turn their ideas
into something visual. The presentations passed in a flash, and before we knew
it, we were waving goodbye and hauling our own gear down to our cars. I'm sure
I wasn't the only one who slept well that night!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif";">I was
honored to be a part of such a successful inaugural experience. And a big thanks to Thaddeus Taylor, Larry Roberts, and Ben Nelson who were with us all week on our adventures. The program has
an incredibly solid base, and I'm thrilled to see how it will grow and change
as the years go by. So here's to CLAW, and here's to many more years of adventure
and discovery!</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-60410238849634899772012-08-05T17:42:00.001-04:002012-08-05T17:42:58.691-04:00Summary of Summer!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phew! Now that we are into August, summer is drawing to a close for </span><a href="http://www.tnaci.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TNACI</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. While we have tried to keep the blog updated, between conferences, summer camps, and meetings, we have not always been the most current. So it's time to catch you up!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/05/start-of-sturgeon-season-2012.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Lake Sturgeon</strong></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> In May, Kathlina and our new group of </span><a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/06/intern-update-feeding-cleaning-and.html"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">interns</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Jessica, Stephen, Louise, and Josh) picked up 2,000 baby sturgeon from </span><a href="http://www.fws.gov/warmspringshatchery/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. This is the second year we have raised Lake Sturgeon in a recirculating system and they have done well. We anticipate releasing these fish in a month or two. </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kathlina and Louise measuring fish.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9tsWG74Q3aUZu_BTmVytxe6L2OkmOmSmUqOLDEFD1JbSMcOKviZYvUHYmIJMSJ8ikIv5E5saEYaonlBE2a2g_4i124xdKCeTDd5AcThcRXpR21O8gT_dBklGpmOiOVqnRiQbEjH5Kon_/s320/7.5+cm+sturgeon+june+5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Our baby </span><a href="http://www.tnaqua.org/RiverGiants.aspx"><span style="font-family: Arial;">river giant</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial;">!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><strong></strong><a href="http://tnaqua.org/SustainableSeafood/SustainableSeafood.aspx"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Serve and Protect: Supporting Sustainable Seafood</strong></span></a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlHkj6DOzWfgxrTgNhRrAo9mYff-Xspw8DBZtko9jEgNrNoYGYoqeZtQ9cmrueA6Shrv0TfP9EzMr06VOlCHckicIUKlIJ5qS22F1YYRJQfYi7bd5O1SGKKOzpxHUr-Scuh3gYStuwJNY6/s320/P1000013.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Part of our delicious meal at Greenlife Grocery!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ashford continues Serve and Protect outreach for both high school students and restaurant partners. We have co-hosted sustainable seafood dinners with three of our partner restaurants (</span><a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greenlife Grocery</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.chattanooganhotel.com/dining/broad_street_grille/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Broad Street Grille</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://www.bluewaterchattanooga.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bluewater Grille</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). These have been very successful and we enjoyed amazing food at each event. We have seafood dinners every month, and you can </span><a href="http://tnaqua.org/Events/Events.aspx"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">register online</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to attend. We are also very excited that </span><a href="http://altonbrown.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alton Brown</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is coming back this year for the Tennessee Aquarium’s annual fundraiser. There is a </span><a href="https://community.tnaqua.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=638"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">lunch event</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> in addition to the dinner, so come one down on your lunch break and enjoy a presentation from Alton Brown. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Outreach and Education</strong><br />Both Bernie and I taught at universities this summer. I got to spend a few weeks at the </span><a href="http://mlbs.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mountain Lake Biological Station</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (MLBS) in Virginia teaching a field-intensive class on biology and conservation of fishes. While the class was a ton of fun, we had an interesting time, as the station was one of the many locations affected by the </span><a href="http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/deadly-super-derecho-strikes-m/67383"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">derecho storm</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> that caused millions to lose power in that portion of the country. Bernie taught an Aquatic Biodiversity class at the </span><a href="http://web.as.ua.edu/home/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">University of Alabama</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. This was a short course for teachers that included some field work. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji48olMhj8Zf2b4XDVzCZXmAqmF0i-ZOb5U1RXHQyp9YWAcUYsg9FTeltQRCONmryvHoLyhiJz-KYrpM9zYbeGIUCQdzKr8tYoF3IhTboyzOIr4TyaE-_aVWWOtYpKcQdOAiZ-4SdPTIY8/s320/MLBS-students.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of my MLBS students in the New River drainage</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>CLAW</strong><br /> One of the most exciting things that happened at TNACI this summer was kicking off our new residential summer camp, the </span><a href="http://nooga.com/156186/new-camp-fosters-next-generation-of-conservation-leaders/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conservation Leadership in Action Week</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. In July, twenty high school students joined TNACI staff for a week at </span><a href="http://www.baylorschool.org/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baylor School</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> to learn more about environmental leadership. These passionate students came from fifteen different schools in ten different towns in three different states. They spent the week learning about local conservation work and designing their own project to tackle a problem in their community. We kept these kids (and ourselves!) busy. They sampled the Hiwassee River with Bernie, Evan, and Dave, worked on a local organic farm, made cheese with Kathlina, cooked dinner with Greenlife Grocery, toured our sewage treatment plant, and snorkeled the Conasauga River. There were some impressive conservation projects at the end of this week, and we can’t wait to see these students take these projects to their homes and schools and start making a difference. I'm very grateful to have received support for this camp by being selected as an Audubon and Toyota </span><a href="http://www.togethergreen.org/fellows/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TogetherGreen Fellow</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and from </span><a href="http://www.amwater.com/corporate-responsibility/environmental-sustainability/environmental-stewardship-and-innovation/environmental-grant-program.html#Tennessee"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tennessee American Water</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWq7Zm31v9nH_fnKCBy2X360RZLK7zqHF4piJcz5xbk0mQz8lK3NgFtdlybD7tKO_kXDtejtmMxr3HBIOJMVNcRVOSxlfI1w04Muyh-ZdOERSajM0qZHHjbNyk7TSw29d3akjdtWCSy5CX/s320/P1000970.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">CLAW campers before we paddle the Hiwassee River!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whew, now that the big updates are out of the way, we'll try to get back to more regular postings!</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">Like what you just read? Have any questions? Please leave us a comment!</div>Anna George, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18115335146155836987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8925148194261219630.post-61193409113456628472012-07-25T14:31:00.001-04:002012-09-12T11:04:11.114-04:00Trawls, longlines, and fishing poles, oh my!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am always eager to learn more
about seafood and the state of our country’s<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/">fisheries</a>.
Last week, thanks to the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.masgc.org/page.asp?id=3">Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant
Consortium</a>, I was able to attend a week-long
course titled<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Fins, Fishes,
and Fisheries</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.disl.org/">Dauphin
Island Sea Laboratory</a>. One of the focuses
of the week was different fishing methods commonly used in commercial
fisheries. Myself and 18 other educators were able to go out on a
research vessel and use the three most common fishing gears used in the Gulf of
Mexico (trawls, longlines, and fishing poles) and discuss the sustainability of
each gear type. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Otter trawls and longlines are the most commonly used
fishing gear in commercial fisheries.
Trawls are large nets dragged behind boats. They have large wooden doors and a “tickle
chain;” the doors help keep the net weighed down while the chain skips along
the ocean bottom, scaring up creatures into the net. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Our Research vessel </span></td></tr>
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Pulling in the trawl.
Photo by Cindy Peden</div>
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In the <a href="http://www.gulfcouncil.org/" target="_blank">Gulf of Mexico</a>, otter trawls are used in the shrimp
fishery. One of the biggest issues with
bottom trawls is <a href="http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/by_catch/bycatch_whatis.htm" target="_blank">bycatch</a>, or anything caught other than the target species.
Below is a photo of everything our trawl caught.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_uBO68SYPiHIR9cBq_c0mwkAqaF9-E0UVTHXSTJH6ZvFBnunAU6pCk2fZkL2cyRedUQpVMK7ghqgPX8WngV52e9Kekie8-BdYXXqzUWjLQjVmNZPTwesNA4h1JggQ1h321NM7PJDpC2Y/s1600/Cindy+Peden+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_uBO68SYPiHIR9cBq_c0mwkAqaF9-E0UVTHXSTJH6ZvFBnunAU6pCk2fZkL2cyRedUQpVMK7ghqgPX8WngV52e9Kekie8-BdYXXqzUWjLQjVmNZPTwesNA4h1JggQ1h321NM7PJDpC2Y/s320/Cindy+Peden+3.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Cindy Peden</td></tr>
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Out of all those fish, we only caught a pound or two of
shrimp. As you can see in the picture
below, it isn’t very much compared to the hundreds of pounds of fish the trawl
pulled in.</div>
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We did get to see some interesting animals pulled in by the
trawl, including Bay Squid, Atlantic Croaker, Spot, Spanish Mackerel, a gravid
Blue Crab, and a Butterfly Ray.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTO3fraH2vPMuW8UGnozvd9FWZ-783rsozvy2cJb0fMrZMkWm_i7rD8YlKBhR7VDkxa6ogdo9wrRrkTX2pCm0xni7hiv1rXNp2WO7KEGYYA64NTX7IIzEwrSKBgoeAT0HGrYZpFvXePZi6/s1600/100_0240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTO3fraH2vPMuW8UGnozvd9FWZ-783rsozvy2cJb0fMrZMkWm_i7rD8YlKBhR7VDkxa6ogdo9wrRrkTX2pCm0xni7hiv1rXNp2WO7KEGYYA64NTX7IIzEwrSKBgoeAT0HGrYZpFvXePZi6/s320/100_0240.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bay Squid</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju98XLFoBj3oqpSsrkYJmLf-xytSHBCXp6t8w34asH05GybeihQyK5Bm33rEDvgKkxUKCUznyGiPODWypp4hpO4DDdjssM965DZl_N8EtVFXYypKsBL2Ddymc5qtdFA55xMX6qLVi-EwR9/s1600/Gravid+Blue+Crab.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju98XLFoBj3oqpSsrkYJmLf-xytSHBCXp6t8w34asH05GybeihQyK5Bm33rEDvgKkxUKCUznyGiPODWypp4hpO4DDdjssM965DZl_N8EtVFXYypKsBL2Ddymc5qtdFA55xMX6qLVi-EwR9/s320/Gravid+Blue+Crab.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gravid Blue Crab</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butterfly Ray</td></tr>
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We even caught a remora, or a shark sucker. I couldn’t resist trying to get this little
fish to attach to my arm. It felt a little like a rubber suction cup.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zDw5hwA7d2SJ3Up0WpKKCSh268MI3ehG4Q-NfYJrYdXIVsou60w7y3qjbh8HMxWIzFpT9dUPTB6cotSjHTD099t3OvXI2ln2Ar7Sxe3ZcFRSR4R9IR_Pzfk52ilx2albc6Iz2pPPdHlX/s1600/Susan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zDw5hwA7d2SJ3Up0WpKKCSh268MI3ehG4Q-NfYJrYdXIVsou60w7y3qjbh8HMxWIzFpT9dUPTB6cotSjHTD099t3OvXI2ln2Ar7Sxe3ZcFRSR4R9IR_Pzfk52ilx2albc6Iz2pPPdHlX/s320/Susan.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Susan Howell</td></tr>
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Thanks to the quick sorting by the Dauphin Island research staff,
some of the bycatch was able to go back into the water alive. However, most of it died, and unfortunately that
is the norm. The Food and Agriculture
Organization <a href="http://www.fao.org/">(FAO)</a> estimates that
approximately <i>19 million pounds</i> of
bycatch is discarded as dead or dying, each year worldwide. </div>
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After trawling, we put out the longlines, a central line
that has hundreds of hooks hanging in the water column. It is very similar to the <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2011_11_01_archive.html">trotlining</a> <a href="http://www.tnaci.org/">TNACI</a> does for <a href="http://tnaqua.org/OurAnimals/Fishes/LakeSturgeon.aspx">Lake Sturgeon</a> <a href="http://tnaci.blogspot.com/2012/04/spring-lake-sturgeon-sampling-2012.html">monitoring</a>.
Longlines are commonly used for large
pelagic species of fish, such as tuna, mahi mahi, and swordfish.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVWIcQqwZdJRnk-Jixt6YBmQUF_gtkGslySZKJPjQVZhhRiw9i-9RKmOzIy4OKmbAAfMwTNEb2GP54T1fKrcS67pNG7tqy0ao8LzU9byxL6_ZX1u27HJdQQCMwIikzSn_VzD9BawAgXyk/s1600/Longline.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVWIcQqwZdJRnk-Jixt6YBmQUF_gtkGslySZKJPjQVZhhRiw9i-9RKmOzIy4OKmbAAfMwTNEb2GP54T1fKrcS67pNG7tqy0ao8LzU9byxL6_ZX1u27HJdQQCMwIikzSn_VzD9BawAgXyk/s320/Longline.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Longlines</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKINIFE3HZJwQ7t_KnBXr5MRxfHDLuNn52YPZ6s9Eeu1l7yMA16fvBTPaZ1kc5dzC0xNZ3_s2pAF8_vCeBHV9-lya9bTDXBrZ986jR1BUmYfS5xjmyUQWyhRTqYEVQcfl0UCv_ws3NIufD/s1600/100_0258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKINIFE3HZJwQ7t_KnBXr5MRxfHDLuNn52YPZ6s9Eeu1l7yMA16fvBTPaZ1kc5dzC0xNZ3_s2pAF8_vCeBHV9-lya9bTDXBrZ986jR1BUmYfS5xjmyUQWyhRTqYEVQcfl0UCv_ws3NIufD/s320/100_0258.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mackerel Heads</td></tr>
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We baited the longlines with mackerel heads and Atlantic
Croaker and put out one mile of 1,000 pound test line with hooks at 60 foot
intervals. Commercial fishermen often
deploy over 60 miles of hooks.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUDmYr8ToFpfJjzPLdfOOqJwOgQbC3RlRYDWOoRC5LWRuCDzLNR5SS8CYdr6zXGSye3EoS37MmQDtUl2Trhpso61KkIdh8EjPr1V93wKAZmbdM112sEzAOVdV2AhhJpRoo1nWbVMB4Mfa/s1600/100_0262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUDmYr8ToFpfJjzPLdfOOqJwOgQbC3RlRYDWOoRC5LWRuCDzLNR5SS8CYdr6zXGSye3EoS37MmQDtUl2Trhpso61KkIdh8EjPr1V93wKAZmbdM112sEzAOVdV2AhhJpRoo1nWbVMB4Mfa/s320/100_0262.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spool of 1,000 pound test line.</td></tr>
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Bycatch is also a problem with longline fishing. While fishermen may be going after tuna or
swordfish, sharks are commonly caught.
On the R/V Alabama Discover, we were actually targeting sharks to assist
in research. We caught two species, a
Blacknose Shark and a seven foot Hammerhead Shark. We tagged the Blacknose Shark, but the Hammerhead got away before we could tag it. When a seven foot long fish that has lots of teeth starts struggling, you let it go!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4zaQt6Q3zeDiX3z1LlrS4k2N_m6bLh9l4-fIjEXVdl7qkekt4dy4cN4K7r67beL1bALl54GzcqPLlxn0ZtQqQ97Resln4TFrD4w70UM4suHKdCIlVV2omV397Xlt2Jzv8vEgE8WQYCQq/s1600/New+Image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4zaQt6Q3zeDiX3z1LlrS4k2N_m6bLh9l4-fIjEXVdl7qkekt4dy4cN4K7r67beL1bALl54GzcqPLlxn0ZtQqQ97Resln4TFrD4w70UM4suHKdCIlVV2omV397Xlt2Jzv8vEgE8WQYCQq/s320/New+Image.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blacknose Shark</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDY8TJ1COp9YMeXpXNZZoA5maxyVse2GYCWIwXxANyMexMoYWsiTnY_qaRw_Wn97_4gAeWLF1YyajQFvYHgXgN6KHgRbHUTbhK7XO1u3_RdS9MH-dS0PYzd4W_jhxXiWpqs3t8KLQX8Z4T/s1600/IMG_3460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDY8TJ1COp9YMeXpXNZZoA5maxyVse2GYCWIwXxANyMexMoYWsiTnY_qaRw_Wn97_4gAeWLF1YyajQFvYHgXgN6KHgRbHUTbhK7XO1u3_RdS9MH-dS0PYzd4W_jhxXiWpqs3t8KLQX8Z4T/s320/IMG_3460.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hammerhead Shark. Photo by Connie Gusmus.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwTKFQV-dRyvVsS6NLGvv25pi_DtQAzkyuDAnFDkBkCsmCmyMXLK-H6s6vF9UxyiWXW8F2pufK6VQKHb3xN3EmaB44RYf1xMVyg3qazKEkbxFda9kd2xnCkNtgp2vhTQqnmMQ0-92myyC/s1600/Mary.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwTKFQV-dRyvVsS6NLGvv25pi_DtQAzkyuDAnFDkBkCsmCmyMXLK-H6s6vF9UxyiWXW8F2pufK6VQKHb3xN3EmaB44RYf1xMVyg3qazKEkbxFda9kd2xnCkNtgp2vhTQqnmMQ0-92myyC/s320/Mary.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Measuring the Hammerhead. Photo by Lauren Morin</td></tr>
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Lastly, we got to partake in one of the oldest fishing methods, pole and line fishing. Not only is this an ancient way to fish, it is also the most sustainable. Only one or two fish can be caught at a time, and any bycatch can usually be returned to the water alive. Since this was the last day of Red Snapper season, that's what we were going for.</div>
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<tr><td><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhilcwux9mp8u3z_YCW4dRdv5uCVsFq6LLZ2ojBQ7gp1pmH9ub6qqJjhxyrrQyzBFFgDQwmcVY3ZKQYAMQfnIpTpCX5Djbfuw4TCGwLLbdgNQGIG_FvIToru0KwkYMvlpWUJzppVyrS09je/s320/New+Image.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Susan Howell, a mathematics professor from University of Southern Mississippi with a Red Snapper.</td></tr>
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While in Alabama, it was sobering to see some of the
challenges facing fisheries management.
Communities on the Gulf are very reliant on fisheries for their
income. If this resource is not managed
effectively, then many people will lose their jobs and livelihoods. Currently, fisheries are very species
specific, with fishermen only going after one species of fish on their
boat. Many of the species that are
caught as bycatch in the shrimp fishery are important in other commercial
fisheries, including Atlantic Croaker, Sardines, and Anchovies. While we did not catch a sea turtle, we did
see a few near our fishing areas. Sea
turtles are often caught by bottom trawls as the graze for food. In the U.S., fishermen must use <a href="http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/teds.htm" target="_blank">Turtle Exclusion Devices</a> (TEDs). Some fishermen also use <a href="http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sf/pdfs/Composite%20BRD%20Instructions.pdf" target="_blank">Bycatch Reduction Devices</a> (BRDs) to minimize finfish
bycatch. The takeaway message is that it is essential that we support U.S. fisheries due to the management
regimes in place and to support our local fishermen. However, continued research is necessary to
ensure that the stocks we exploit for food are around for our grandchildren to
enjoy. </div>
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