Jason Barnucz

Fisheries and Oceans Canada | DFO · Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (GLLFAS)

Targeted sampling for Eastern Sand Darter (Ammocrypta pellucida), a Threatened species under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA), was undertaken in the Thames River, Ontario in 2020. Sampling was conducted to carry out streamside experiments on the physiological tolerances of Eastern Sand Darter. This data report summarizes field collections of Eas...

ABSTRACT: The Eastern Sand Darter (Ammocrypta pellucida) is listed as Threatened (Ontario Designatable Unit) under Canada’s Species at Risk Act and was last observed in Big Otter Creek, a tributary of Lake Erie, in 1955. In 2020, Fisheries and Oceans Canada sampled Big Otter Creek to determine the suitability of aquatic habitat for a possible Easte...

Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus) is listed as Endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act owing to a limited Canadian distribution and numerous threats related to the removal or degradation of aquatic vegetation. Limited information is available regarding the early life history and habitat associations of larval Spotted Gar. Using information f...

ABSTRACT Gáspárdy, R.C., Barnucz, J., Colm, J.E., and Drake, D.A.R. 2021. Targeted Sampling for Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus) in Gully Creek and Unknown Stan J, Huron County, Ontario, 2020. Can. Data Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 1344: vi + 77 p. Targeted sampling for Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus), a species listed as Endangered under Canada...

Abstract: Point Pelee National Park (PPNP) contains several fish species listed under the Species at Risk Act (Lake Chubsucker [Erimyzon succetta]; Grass Pickerel [Esox americanus vermiculatus]; Spotted Gar [Lepisosteus oculatus]; Warmouth [Lepomis gulosus]; Channel Darter [Percina copelandi]), but the fish community has been sampled infrequently a...

Abstract: Targeted sampling for Pugnose Minnow (Opsopoeodus emiliae), a species listed as Threatened under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, was conducted in the East Sydenham River, North Sydenham River, lower Sydenham River, Chenail Ecarte, Little Bear Creek, and Maxwell Creek in Southwestern Ontario between July 30th and August 22 nd 2019. Sampling...

Abstract: Northern Madtom (Noturus stigmosus), a species listed as ‘endangered’ under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, exhibits a limited geographic distribution in southwestern Ontario, with extant populations in the Detroit River, St. Clair River, Thames River, and Lake St. Clair. Northern Madtom was known known to occur in the Sydenham River near F...

Abstract: The St. Clair National Wildlife Area (NWA) is a wetland complex located along the eastern shore of Lake St. Clair in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Water levels in two wetlands (East and West Cell) are managed through a series of water control structures. Lake Chubsucker [Erimyzon sucetta; Species at Risk Act (SARA) Endangere...

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA) provided the basis to identify 43 areas within the Great Lakes basin and international portion of the St. Lawrence River as Areas of Concern (AOC). The Detroit and St. Clair rivers, the riverine portion of the Huron-Erie Corridor (HEC), were designated as AOCs due to the degradation of ecological comm...

Abstract: Targeted sampling for Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus), a species listed as Endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, was undertaken in Irvine Creek (Lake Erie drainage) and Spencer Creek (Lake Ontario drainage), Ontario. Redside Dace was last detected in Irvine Creek in 2005 and in Spencer Creek in 1998. Seventeen sites (consist...

Abstract Targeted sampling for Eastern Sand Darter (Ammocrypta pellucida), a species listed as Threatened under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, was undertaken in Ontario drainages of the Great Lakes that historically supported the species. Drainages sampled in 2018 included the Ausable River, a tributary of Lake Huron (last known detection of Eastern...

Quantifying habitat associations and threats to the persistence of imperilled species is a fundamental step for initiating species recovery efforts, but the traits associated with species imperillment (e.g. rarity and vulnerability to stressors) also limit the ability to empirically inform recovery strategies. Novel sampling designs and modelling a...

Seine-based inventories of Laurentian Great Lakes (Erie, Huron and Ontario) beaches for Channel Darter (Percina copelandi) and Eastern Sand Darter (Ammocrypta pellucida) were undertaken between 2009 and 2018. Inventories were done to update distribution records, inform critical habitat descriptions, and document the occurrence of the invasive Round...

ABSTRACT Southwestern Ontario has the highest freshwater fish species richness of any region in Canada. During September 2003, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans conducted a targeted sampling survey of several southwestern Ontario drainages to investigate the current distribution of several fish species at risk (SAR). Targeted sampling refers t...

The purpose of this research is to determine if the restoration of Long Point Crown Marsh, Lake Erie was beneficial for fishes and supported local fish recovery efforts as there are five fish species at risk found in this region. Crown Marsh has been invaded by the invasive common reed (Phragmites australis). To restore the habitat and provide more...

Little Bear Creek, a tributary of Lake St. Clair, is classified as an agricultural drain and has been identified for maintenance. The creek supports six fish species at risk including Pugnose Shiner, Lake Chubsucker, Grass Pickerel, Blackstripe Topminnow, Spotted Sucker, and Pugnose Minnow. Project staging, fish exclusion methods, and timing window...

Silver Shiner (Notropis photogenis), a species at risk in Canada, is listed as Special Concern under Schedule 3 of the Species at Risk Act and is assessed as Threatened by COSEWIC. The species is relatively understudied in Canada but is known to occur in four watersheds in southern Ontario: Sixteen Mile Creek; Bronte Creek; Grand River; and, Thames...

This research document aims to provide recommendations and to inform management decisions related to the permitting of dredging activities in the waters of Lake St. Clair, Ontario. In addition, it aims to evaluate the potential impacts of maintenance dredging activities as it relates to fish species at risk. To evaluate the impacts of maintenance d...

The Silver Shiner (Notropis photogenis) is a small riverine fish currently listed as Special Concern by the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) under Schedule 3. In 2011, COSEWIC recommended that the status of this species be increased to Threatened due to its limited population and susceptibility to habitat loss and degradation. Little is known re...

A number of Great Lakes wetland complexes have been inundated with invasive plant species (e.g. Common Reed - Phragmites). It has resulted in large expanses of monoculture wetland habitat that no longer support aquatic and terrestrial biota historically present. In response, efforts are underway by municipal, provincial, and non-government organiza...

Finding novel techniques to sample species that are uncommon, small, or secretive are essential to collect genetic diversity and distribution information with minimal impact on habitat or harm to the species (e.g. stress). Environmental DNA (eDNA) was extracted from water samples from two major river systems in Southwest Ontario, Canada: Grand Rive...

Confidently aging fish species at risk using non-lethal sampling techniques is critical to the understanding and management of these species. Knowledge of population age structure can be used in the determination of population extinction risk, and can inform decisions on allowable harm. Age interpretations results from various aging structures can...

This report examines species-specific detection probabilities to complement the general guidance on sampling effort to detect Ontario fish species at risk developed in 2008. Thirty six occupancy model candidate sets were analyzed for six fish species at risk (Silver Shiner, Pugnose Shiner, Lake Chubsucker, Northern Madtom, Eastern Sand Darter, and...

In 2005, with permission from three First Nations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) conducted a survey of the fish communities in the waters of the Thames River adjoining First Nations land. Sampling for fishes was conducted using an 8.5 m bag seine with 6.35 mm mesh. A total of 13 sites were sampled, resulting in the capture of 3356 fishes repres...

In 2003, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) conducted targeted sampling of fish species at risk (SAR) in the Grand River watershed. Targeted sampling refers to the non-random sampling of habitats thought to contain “target species” based on previous sampling, using gears most likely to capture “target species”. Targeted sampling for the Redside Dace...

Marson, D., J. Barnucz, and N.E. Mandrak. 2010. Fish community sampling in National Wildlife Areas in southwestern Ontario, 2002-2005. Can. Manuscr. Rep. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 2918: v + 47 p. From 2002-2005, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) sampled the Big Creek, Long Point and St. Clair National Wildlife Areas (NWA). Boat electrofishing, fyke netting...

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources conducted a survey of the fish communities in Rondeau Bay in 2004 and 2005. The objectives of the 2004 survey were: 1) to conduct a comprehensive fish community survey of Rondeau Bay utilizing a systematic approach consisting of fyke netting and boat electrofishing sampling m...

Surveys for black redhorse (Moxostoma duquesnei) and spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus), both Threatened fish species, were undertaken by Fisheries and Oceans Canada during the summer of 2002 to determine their current status at sites where they had been historically present. Boat electrofishing, backpack electrofishing, fyke netting and trap netti...

Fisheries and Oceans Canada conducted a boat electrofishing survey in the St. Clair River Area of Concern (AOC) in 2004. Sampling replicated, in part, a 1994 Remedial Action Plan (RAP) survey by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. The 2004 survey was conducted primarily to assess changes in fish assemblages and associated Indices of Biotic I...

In 2005, a survey of fish assemblages in portions of the St. Lawrence Islands National Park, and the Rideau Waterway was conducted by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and members of the park staff. A total of 19 sites in the St. Lawrence River and Big Rideau Lake were sampled using boat electrofishing, bag seining, fyke netting and minnow traps. A...