Craig P Paukert

United States Geological Survey | USGS · Cooperative Research Units Program

the United States Inland Creel and angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat) contains a national compilation of angler and creel survey data collected by natural resource management agencies across the United States (including Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico). these surveys are used to help inform the management of recreational fisheries, by collecting inf...

Recreational fisheries represent a socially, ecologically, and economically significant component of global fisheries. The U.S. Inland Creel and Angler Survey Catalog (CreelCat) database includes inland recreational fisheries survey data across the United States to facilitate large‐scale analyses. However, because survey methods differ, a statistic...

Rehabilitation of large Anthropocene rivers requires engagement of diverse stakeholders across a broad range of sociopolitical boundaries. Competing objectives often constrain options for ecological restoration of large rivers whereas fewer competing objectives may exist in a subset of tributaries. Further, tributaries contribute toward building a...

Grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella, is an herbivorous fish originally brought to North America from Asia in 1963 to control nuisance aquatic vegetation. Since their arrival, detrimental alterations to aquatic ecosystems have sometimes occurred in waterways where they were initially stocked and into which they have escaped. The movements of grass ca...

Climate change is expected to alter stream fish habitat potentially leading to changes in the composition and distribution of fish communities. In the Northeastern and Midwestern United States we identified the distribution and characteristics of those fish communities most and least at risk of experiencing changes in climate which deviate from the...

Floodplains of large rivers are exploited for agricultural production, industrial and municipal development, and transportation infrastructure. Recently, increased frequency of costly floods has prompted consideration of whether offsetting benefits might accrue from management of floodplains for ecosystem services. We employed a simple inundation m...

Unselective fishing involves activities that target the entire assemblage rather than specific fish species, size classes, or trophic levels. This common fishing approach has been in practice for decades in inland waters in China but its implications for biodiversity remain unclear. We addressed this issue by studying fish assemblages in freshwater...

Climate change will continue to be an important consideration for conservation practitioners. However, uncertainty in identifying appropriate management strategies, particularly for understudied species and regions, constrains the implementation of science‐based solutions and adaptation strategies. Here, we share a decision‐path approach to reduce...

Large-scale modeling and prediction provide insight into general influences of climate change on inland recreational fisheries; however, small-scale dynamics and local expertise will be key in developing explicit goals for managing recreational fisheries as the climate changes. The resist-accept-direct (RAD) framework encompasses the entire decisio...

Hydropower production is one of the greatest threats to fluvial ecosystems and freshwater biodiversity. Now that we have entered the Anthropocene, there is an opportunity to reflect on what might constitute a ‘sustainable’ Anthropocene in the context of hydropower and riverine fish populations. Considering elements of existing practices that promot...

Despite ongoing Lake Sturgeon recovery efforts, little is known about the role of stocking location on survival and dispersal to nursery habitats. We stocked age-0 Lake Sturgeon at four sites in two adjacent Missouri River tributaries and used telemetry to examine whether survival and dispersal differed among stocking sites and rivers. Survival est...

Inland fisheries make substantial contributions to food security and livelihoods locally, regionally, and globally but their conservation and management have been largely overlooked by policy makers. In an effort to remedy this limited recognition, a cross-sectoral community of scientists, practitioners, and policy makers from around the world conv...

Changing climatic conditions effect recreational fisheries in variable and uneven ways. These climate impacts will manifest themselves at different times in different waterbodies depending on the waterbody’s specific characteristics. Some systems may be strongly affected by climate in the near future while others may be resilient for decades before...

Inland recreational fishing, defined as primarily leisure‐driven fishing in freshwaters, is a popular pastime in the USA. State natural resource agencies endeavor to provide high‐quality and sustainable fishing opportunities for anglers. Managers often use creel and other angler survey data to inform state‐ and waterbody‐level management efforts. D...

Crayfish serve critical roles in aquatic ecosystems as engineers, omnivores, and prey. It is unclear how increasingly frequent extreme-flow events and warming air temperatures will affect crayfish populations, partly because there are few long-term crayfish monitoring datasets. Using a unique 10-y dataset, we asked 1) whether recruitment of crayfis...

Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella were introduced in North America to control aquatic vegetation in small, closed systems. However, when they escape into larger systems in which they can reproduce, they have the potential to cause significant declines and alterations in aquatic vegetation communities. These alterations can in turn affect native sp...

Climate change is a global persistent threat to fish and fish habitats throughout North America. Climate‐induced modification of environmental regimes, including changes in streamflow, water temperature, salinity, storm surges, and habitat connectivity can change fish physiology, disrupt spawning cues, cause fish extinctions and invasions, and alte...

Abstract Conservation practitioners increasingly recognize the conservation value of tributaries for supporting mainstem, large‐river specialist fishes. A tributary’s discharge at its mouth is a coarse indicator of the richness of large‐river specialists found within the tributary, but the relative influences of regional dispersal and local habitat...

Resources for addressing stream fish conservation issues are often limited and the stressors impacting fish continue to increase, so decision makers often rely on tools to prioritize locations for conservation actions. Because conservation networks already exist in many areas, incorporating these into the planning process can increase the ability o...

Policies that mandate environmental flows (e-flows) can be powerful tools for freshwater conservation, but implementation of these policies faces many hurdles. To better understand these challenges, we explored two key questions: (1) What additional data are needed to implement e-flows? and (2) What are the major socio-political barriers to impleme...

Inland fishes provide important ecosystem services to communities worldwide and are especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Fish respond to climate change in diverse and nuanced ways, which creates challenges for practitioners of fish conservation, climate change adaptation, and management. Although climate change is known to affect...

Inland fishes and fisheries make substantial contributions to individuals, society, and the environment in a changing global landscape that includes climate, water allocations, and societal changes. However, current limitations to valuing the services provided by inland fish and their fisheries often leaves them out of key decision‐making discussio...

Efforts to quantify disturbances to aquatic systems often use landscape-level metrics, presumably linked to ecological integrity, but fewer studies have directly linked ecological integrity to instream habitat, and applied these results to unsampled stream reaches throughout a landscape. We developed a flexible, quantitative approach that character...

Riverine fish populations depend on habitats supporting their resource and life history needs. Dynamic streamflow caused by river regulation or natural events influences the distribution of downstream habitat characteristics. Through studying habitat selection, we can identify the most utilized and valuable habitats for the success of native fishes...

The Jinsha River, the upper reach of the Yangtze River, has some of the highest freshwater fish biodiversity and endemism in China but was rarely quantitatively evaluated at the basin scale. We used fish presence and absence data collected from the entire Jinsha River Basin (JRB) from 1964 to 2017 to determine patterns in fish biodiversity. A total...

Remote temperature loggers are often used to measure water temperatures for ecological studies and by regulatory agencies to determine whether water quality standards are being maintained. Equipment specifications are often given a cursory review in the methods; however, the effect of temperature logger model is rarely addressed in the discussion....

We designed a flexible protocol for monitoring fish species richness in nonwadeable rivers. Nine sites were sampled seasonally with six gears in two physiographic regions in Missouri (USA). Using resampling procedures and mixed-effects modeling, we quantified richness and compositional overlap among gears, identified efficient gear combinations, an...

Climate change has unprecedented effects on inland glacial lake fisheries in the upper Midwest of the United States, presenting a complex challenge for managers. Here, we provide a regional perspective on managing for climate change to guide management of heterogeneous and interdependent fishery resources. We identify approaches that may promote th...

Tingley RW III, Paukert CP, Sass GG, Jacobson PC, Hansen GJA, Lynch AJ, Shannon PD. 2019. Adapting to climate change: Guidance for the management of inland glacial lake fisheries. Lake Reserv Manage. XX:XXX–XXX. Climate change is altering glacial lake fisheries in the United States, presenting a complex challenge for fisheries managers. Here we pro...

Grass Carp Ctenopharyngodon idella were first introduced into the United States in 1963 to aid in the control of aquatic vegetation in aquaculture. They have since escaped into numerous waterways, posing an ecological risk. The extent of their invasion in the Great Lakes is unclear but with confirmation of reproducing populations on two tributaries...

Migration is a widespread but highly diverse component of many animal life histories. Fish migrate throughout the world's oceans, within lakes and rivers, and between the two realms, transporting matter, energy, and other species (e.g., microbes) across boundaries. Migration is therefore a process responsible for myriad ecosystem services. Many hum...

Understanding drivers of freshwater fish assemblages is critically important for biodiversity conservation strategies, especially in rapidly developing countries, which often have environmental protections lagging behind economic development. The influences of natural and human factors in structuring fish assemblages and their relative contribution...

Large tributaries may help sustain large-river fish populations by mitigating fish-habitat losses within the highly modified great rivers of the Mississippi River basin. These tributaries are likely most beneficial for fish species specializing on non-degraded large-river habitat for some portion of their life histories. Few great-river tributaries...

Successful climate adaptation for inland fisheries requires approaches that promote ecological resilience, support resilient management strategies, and establish or support long-term monitoring efforts. These broad concepts provide guidance to management agencies but are daunting tasks that are often difficult to implement given multiple barriers t...

The effects of climate change on inland recreational fisheries are often measured in changes in species distributions or biomass. However, the monetary costs associated with these ecological changes to recreational fisheries can be a valuable tool in conveying the ramifications of climate change to the public and assessing the overall value of mana...

Understanding trends in the diverse resources provided by large rivers will help balance tradeoffs among stakeholders and inform strategies to mitigate the effects of landscape scale stressors such as climate change and invasive species. Absent a cohesive coordinated effort to assess trends in important large river resources, a logical starting poi...

Common name, scientific name, river where species was present, and whether the fish species is native to the river (Y = yes; N = No) for fishes captured as part of monitoring efforts in the Colorado, Columbia, Illinois, Mississippi, and Tallapoosa rivers. (PDF)

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède) use of installed habitat structure was evaluated in a large Midwestern USA reservoir to determine whether or not these structures were used in similar proportion to natural habitats. Seventy largemouth bass (>380 mm total length) were surgically implanted with radio transmitters and a subset was relo...

We report the age and distance moved for an individual paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) that was tagged March 1998 in the Cimarron River Arm of Keystone Lake, Oklahoma, and snagged by an angler in April 2016 downstream of Eufaula Dam, Oklahoma. The fish was part of a cohort spawned in 1995. At the time of initial capture, the fish measured 795 mm eye...

Although climate change is an important factor affecting inland fishes globally, a comprehensive review of how climate change has impacted and will continue to impact inland fishes worldwide does not currently exist. We conducted an extensive, systematic primary literature review to identify English-language, peer-reviewed journal publications with...

Climate change is poised to alter the distributional limits, center, and size of many species. Traits may influence different aspects of range shifts, with trophic generality facilitating shifts at the leading edge, and greater thermal tolerance limiting contractions at the trailing edge. The generality of relationships between traits and range shi...

To date, there are few comprehensive assessments of how climate change affects inland finfish, fisheries, and aquaculture at a global scale, but one is necessary to identify research needs and commonalities across regions and to help guide decision making and funding priorities. Broadly, the consequences of climate change on inland fishes will impa...

We used bioenergetic simulations combined with satellite-measured water temperature and estimates of algal food availability to predict the habitat suitability of Lake Michigan for adult silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis). Depending on water temperature, we found that bigheaded carp require ambient algal concent...

Changes in river water temperatures are anticipated to have direct effects on thermal habitat and fish population vital rates, and therefore, understanding temporal trends in water temperatures may be necessary for predicting changes in thermal habitat and how species might respond to such changes. However, many investigations into trends in water...

Environmental filtering and competitive exclusion are hypotheses frequently invoked in explaining species' environmental niches (i.e., geographic distributions). A key assumption in both hypotheses is that the functional niche (i.e., species traits) governs the environmental niche, but few studies have rigorously evaluated this assumption. Furtherm...

Middle-out effects or a combination of top-down and bottom-up processes create many theoretical and empirical challenges in the realm of trophic ecology. We propose using specific autecology or species trait (i.e. behavioural) information to help explain and understand trophic dynamics that may involve complicated and non-unidirectional trophic int...

Floodplains pose challenges to managers of conservation lands because of constantly changing interactions with their rivers. Although scientific knowledge and understanding of the dynamics and drivers of river-floodplain systems can provide guidance to floodplain managers, the scientific process often occurs in isolation from management. Further, c...

Managing inland fisheries in the 21st century presents several obstacles, including the need to view fisheries from multiple spatial and temporal scales, which usually involves populations and resources spanning sociopolitical boundaries. Though collaboration is not new to fisheries science, inland aquatic systems have historically been managed at...

Understanding the future impacts of climate and land use change are critical for long-term biodiversity conservation. We developed and compared two indices to assess the vulnerability of stream fish in Missouri, USA based on species environmental tolerances, rarity, range size, dispersal ability and on the average connectivity of the streams occupi...

Natural resource decision makers are challenged to adapt management to a changing climate while balancing short-term management goals with long-term changes in aquatic systems. Adaptation will require developing resilient ecosystems and resilient management systems. Decision makers already have tools to develop or ensure resilient aquatic systems a...

Global climate change is altering freshwater ecosystems and affecting fish populations and communities. Underpinning changes in fish distribution and assemblage-level responses to climate change are individual-level physiological constraints. In this review, we synthesize the mechanistic effects of climate change on neuroendocrine, cardiorespirator...

Climate is a critical driver of many fish populations, assemblages, and aquatic communities. However, direct observational studies of climate change impacts on North American inland fishes are rare. In this synthesis, we (1) summarize climate trends that may influence North American inland fish populations and assemblages, (2) compile 31 peer-revie...

Fisheries and human dimensions literature suggests that climate change influences inland recreational fishers in North America through three major pathways. The most widely recognized pathway suggests that climate change impacts habitat and fish populations (e.g., water temperature impacting fish survival) and cascades to impact fishers. Climate ch...

The Missouri and Mississippi River systems have been invaded by two species of Asian bigheaded carps, the silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and the bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) and thus, efforts are currently focused on protecting the Great Lakes watershed from these invasive species. Environmental DNA (eDNA) technology can aid...

Much uncertainty exists around how fish communities in shallow lakes will respond to climate change. In this study, we modelled the effects of increased water temperatures on consumption and growth rates of two piscivores (northern pike [Esox lucius] and largemouth bass [Micropterus salmoides]) and examined relative effects of consumption by these...

Algal blooms in the Great Lakes are a potential food source for silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and bighead carp (H. nobilis; together bigheaded carps). Understanding these blooms thus plays an important role in understanding the invasion potential of bigheaded carps. We used remote sensing imagery, temperatures, and improved species spec...

The Humpback Chub Gila cypha, a large-bodied, endangered cyprinid endemic to the Colorado River basin, is in decline throughout most of its range due largely to anthropogenic factors. Translocation of Humpback Chub into tributaries of the Colorado River is one conservation activity that may contribute to the expansion of the species’ current range...

Climate change is predicted to increase water temperatures in many lotic systems, but little is known about how changes in air temperature affect lotic systems heavily influenced by groundwater. Our objectives were to document spatial variation in temperature for spring-fed Ozark streams in Southern Missouri USA, create a spatially explicit model o...

Smallmouth bass in thermally heterogeneous streams may behaviourally thermoregulate during the cold period (i.e., groundwater temperature greater than river water temperature) by inhabiting warm areas in the stream that result from high groundwater influence or springs. Our objectives were to determine movement of smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolom...

Nonnative fishes have been linked to the decline of native fishes and may affect aquatic food webs through direct and indirect pathways. These concerns have led to efforts to remove nonnative Brown and Rainbow Trout, which are abundant in tributaries of the Colorado River, to enhance native fish communities. We sampled fish, benthic, and drifting m...

Stream network topology has been predicted to influence stream fish communities, with mainstems predicted to serve as refugia leading to increases in stream fish species occurrence rates closer to mainstems. Alternatively, close proximity to mainstems may result in the displacement of stream species by riverine species reducing stream species occur...

Due to its high sensitivity, environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys hold promise as an early detection method for aquatic invasive species. Quantification of eDNA amounts may also provide data on species abundance, allowing managers the potential to successfully combat the spread of ecologically damaging species. To better understand the link between eDN...

Photoperiod, temperature, and discharge are cues for fish reproduction. Dams modify discharge and water temperature, potentially affecting fish reproduction. Our study determines whether two abundant fish species, spotted bass (Micropterus punctulatus) and golden redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum), have different spawning timeframes in the regulated O...

River regulation has altered flows and temperature which may affect native fish reproduction. We compared larval fish assemblages in a free flowing and regulated tributary of the Lower Missouri River. Drift net larval sampling was conducted weekly from March 20 to July 3, 2013 at one transect 14.5 river kilometers (rkm) from the Missouri River conf...

A shift in species distribution and displacement caused by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change may affect how agencies manage and conserve fish populations. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways, in southeast Missouri, USA, has populations of both Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu (SMB) and Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (LMB) with...