SFS Annual Meeting

5/24/2018  |   11:00 - 11:15   |  410 A

OF LIMPKINS AND APPLE SNAILS: INVASIVE SPECIES, NOVEL ECOSYSTEMS, AND AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE Lake Seminole, in southwestern Georgia, USA is a run-of-the-river reservoir completed in 1957 for hydropower and navigation. Lake Seminole lies at the base of a large watershed with one urbanized, highly regulated, and another free-flowing, mostly rural, tributary. Multiple invasive species are abundant in the reservoir including Hydrilla verticillata and Corbicula fluminea introduced in the 1960’s, and Pomacea maculata, recently introduced. We examined its’ development as a novel ecosystem. Hydrilla coverage ranged from 35-50% of reservoir area, varying with seasonal and annual hydrologic conditions. Corbicula abundance was 55 ± 29 per square meter, sufficient to filter the reservoir volume every 6-181 days, depending on temperature. Based on egg mass surveys, P. maculata populations are rapidly expanding, and displacing the native P. paludosa. Viewed in isolation, each invasive is undesirable, promoting adverse effects outside of their native range. However, viewed at a higher whole-lake or ecosystem scale, a somewhat different conceptual picture emerges. Lake Seminole contributes many ‘desirable’ ecosystem services within the river basin it occupies. Going forward, should we continue to focus on invasive extirpation or expand our management perspective to accept human-dominated novel ecosystems and the services they provide?

Stephen W. Golladay (Primary Presenter/Author), J.W.Jones Research Center, steve.golladay@jonesctr.org;


Matthew Waters (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Auburn University, mwaters@auburn.edu;


Chelsea R. Smith (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), The University of Alabama, crsmith5@crimson.ua.edu;


Nicholas Marzolf (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), J.W. Jones Ecological Research Center, nmarzolf@jonesctr.org;


Stephen Shivers (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), US EPA Office of Research and Development ORISE Fellow, Shivers.stephen@epa.gov;


Brian Clayton (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), J.W.Jones Research Center, bclayton@jonesctr.org;


Alan Covich (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, a.covich@gmail.com;


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5/24/2018  |   11:15 - 11:30   |  410 A

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT: ASIAN CARP BARRIERS MAY ALSO CONSTRAIN LONG-TERM DYNAMICS OF THE NATIVE FISH ASSEMBLAGE Preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species is often much more cost- and ecologically effective than trying to control them post-invasion. However, popular control methods such as the use of barriers can have their own ecological impacts. For instance, barriers proposed at Brandon Road Lock and Dam (BRLD) meant to keep silver and bighead carps from entering the Great Lakes would also prevent movement by native fishes. Indeed, surveys and assessments suggest upriver movement has allowed native fish to re-establish in recently improved reaches of the Illinois and Des Plaines Rivers. Our research aims to characterize the consequences of barriers that are anticipated to eliminate a migratory corridor for native fishes. By integrating available information into a conceptual model, we identify potential consequences of hydrologic separation affecting primarily fishes and mussels. We hypothesize that the loss of supplementary immigration of native fishes through BRLD will slow the rehabilitation of upriver fish communities and potentially limit freshwater mussel rehabilitation. We anticipate that our conceptual model will eventually guide both future research priorities and mitigation efforts aimed at minimizing any negative outcomes of a hydrologic separation on aquatic resources upriver of BRLD.

Matthew Altenritter (Primary Presenter/Author), Illinois Natural History Survey, mea5@illinois.edu;


Andrew Casper (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Illinois Natural History Survey, afcasper@illinois.edu;


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5/24/2018  |   11:30 - 11:45   |  410 A

EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY OF GREAT LAKES ALEWIVES (ALOSA PSEUDOHARENGUS): AN ANALYSIS OF PHENOTYPIC PATTERNS AND RATES OF CHANGES. Invasive species cause enormous environmental and economic tolls on aquatic ecosystems, particularly in the Great Lakes. However, invasive species also pose exciting opportunities for studying rates and patterns of evolutionary change. Alewives, Alosa pseudoharengus, are anadromous fishes native to the east coast of North America. Multiple native east coast populations have become landlocked in inland lakes within the past several thousand years. More recently, alewives have been introduced in the Great Lakes via shipping canals or stocking. In this study, we compared phenotypic traits of Great Lakes alewives to native anadromous and landlocked populations to determine the rate and patterns of phenotypic evolution. Our results show parallel evolution of phenotypic traits associated with swimming and trophic niche between Great Lakes and landlocked East Coast populations, including gill raker spacing, gape width, body shape and body size. We suggest that the cessation of migration can result in rapid local adaptation, and that Great Lakes landlocked alewife populations are an excellent opportunity to study rates of adaptation to a novel environment.

Eric Palkovacs (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), University of California - Santa Cruz, epalkova@ucsc.edu;


Devin Bloom (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Western Michigan University, devin.bloom@wmich.edu;


Shelby Smith (Primary Presenter/Author), Western Michigan University, EckSmithSe@gmail.com;


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5/24/2018  |   11:45 - 12:00   |  

MANAGING INVASIVE RED SWAMP CRAYFISH TO RESTORE STREAM HABITAT IN THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS, LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CA. For over 35 years, Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT), a public benefit 501(c)(3) land trust, has been conserving the natural and cultural resources of the Malibu Creek Watershed located in the Santa Monica Mountains. The presence of the invasive red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is thought to have contributed to the local extirpation of the federally endangered California red-legged frog (Rana draytonii, CLRF) and reduction of Baja California tree frog (Pseudacris hypochondriaca) populations. MRT’s crayfish control strategy consists of three major components: management, research, and outreach/education. For management, MRT staff conducts daily trapping in target streams. For research, MRT has conducted benthic macroinvertebrate assessments and trap comparison studies to identify the most effective method for catching crayfish while limiting bycatch such as native fish, frogs and tadpoles. Finally, our education/outreach methods include facilitating volunteer participation in removal efforts and education via social media. This presentation will show case some interesting results from implementing MRT’s AIS strategy, including recent observations of CRLF in a crayfish-managed stream, suggesting that native species recovery is possible with a comprehensive AIS strategy.

Angela De Palma-Dow (Primary Presenter/Author), Lake County Water Resources Department, Adepalmadow@gmail.com;


Joseph Curti (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Mountains Restoration Trust, jcurti@mountainstrust.org;


Debra Sharpton (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Mountains Restoration Trust, dsharpton@mountainstrust.org;


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5/24/2018  |   12:00 - 12:15   |  

RESPONSE TO THE NEW ZEALAND MUDSNAIL DISCOVERY IN WISCONSIN The first discovery of New Zealand mudsnails (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) (NZMS) in the inland Upper Midwest was in benthic samples collected from Black Earth Creek, Dane County in 2011. Following the discovery, a comprehensive monitoring and prevention project was implemented, including statewide winter benthic sampling and an environmental DNA (eDNA) pilot project. While benthic sampling did not detect new populations, the pilot project informed the design of a multistate eDNA surveillance effort where 45 sites in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin were monitored for NZMS. The results provide a baseline understanding of NZMS distribution in the Midwest. Meanwhile, prevention efforts included partnering with the River Alliance of Wisconsin and Trout Unlimited to engage in wading angler outreach, constructing wader wash stations at known NZMS access points, and posting signs on other popular trout streams. This presentation will discuss monitoring and outreach efforts, their results, and future plans.

Laura MacFarland (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), lauramacfarland@gmail.com, lauramacfarland@gmail.com;


Christopher Merkes (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), USGS, cmerkes@usgs.gov;


David Rowe (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, david.rowe@wisconsin.gov;


Jeanne Scherer (Co-Presenter/Co-Author), Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 4Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources;


Maureen Ferry (Primary Presenter/Author,Co-Presenter/Co-Author), WI Department of Natural Resources, maureen.ferry@wisconsin.gov;


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