Long-term Monitoring Program Research Articles

Restoration of phosphate mined lands: literature review with insights from Morocco

Phosphate mining is essential for global agriculture but poses significant environmental challenges, particularly in landscape degradation. This study reviews the current state and trends of phosphate mining, highlighting economic importance, environmental impacts, and sustainability issues. It evaluates restoration techniques, focusing on the effectiveness of various plant species in restoring mined areas. Key factors influencing successful rehabilitation include topsoil management, physico-chemical site characteristics, nutrient bioavailability, topography, and water availability. The study advocates for integrated land management strategies that combine tailored nutrient management plans, erosion control, and water conservation, particularly in arid climates. Strengthening and enforcing regulatory frameworks is crucial to ensure accountability in land rehabilitation, with a focus on sustainability. Recent legal advancements in Morocco aim to modernize mining operations and enhance environmental accountability. The findings recommend increased investment in research to develop innovative rehabilitation techniques and long-term monitoring programs to ensure adaptive management and continuous improvement of restoration outcomes.

Community-based monitoring: shoreline change in Southwest Alaska

Arctic amplification of climate change has resulted in increased coastal hazards impacts to remote rural coastal communities in Alaska where conducting research can be difficult, requiring alternate methods for measuring change. The pilot program, Stakes for Stakeholders, was initially planned to be funded from 2016–2018. Upon project completion the work has shifted to individual community’s partnering with several agencies to continue the work. Stakes for Stakeholders was initially planned to be funded for three years and upon project completion the work has shifted to individual community’s partnering with several agencies and entities to continue the work. This research showcases a successful long-term community-based erosion monitoring program in two rural communities in Southwest Alaska. The resulting outputs from the workflow we developed were (1) locally prioritized data products, such as a hazard assessment report for Chignik Bay and (2) evaluation rubrics used to assess the suitability of future sites and the efficacy of the program. Our model of two-way communication, responsiveness to individual community needs, and attention to efficiency and effectiveness of the program workflow, can serve as a model for universities, for-profit, non-profit, Tribal, city, state, and federal research agencies and communities partnering to respond to global climate change.

Community-engaged research enhances the scientific quality and societal impact of a long-term avian monitoring program in northwest Ecuador

IntroductionThere has been a growing realization that a more inclusive approach to research can provide both ethical and practical benefits. Long-term avian monitoring programs, and indeed the academic and research community as a whole, are still learning how best to implement these methodologies effectively. MethodsThis paper provides information on a twenty-plus-year effort to conduct community-engaged avian monitoring in northwest Ecuador, with a focus on how this approach has impacted the quality and scope of the project’s science and broader societal impacts. We focus on three case studies that have been proceeding for varying lengths of time to highlight various stages of project development and maturity.ResultsA community-engaged approach has improved the quality of our scientific research by adding traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), technical capacity, and intellectual contributions to our monitoring efforts. Community-engaged research has also enhanced the breadth and quality of societal impacts, in terms of education, capacity building, and conservation, particularly in the formation of an ecological reserve that protects threatened species and habitat. We also discuss systemic and local challenges, and potential strategies to overcome these challengesDiscussionWe conclude that community-engaged research can improve the intellectual merit and broader societal impacts of long-term avian monitoring, and we advocate for continued investment, efforts, and careful reflection on best practices in this space.

MaxTemp: A Method to Maximise Precision of the Temporal Method for Estimating Ne in Genetic Monitoring Programs.

We introduce a new software program, MaxTemp, that increases precision of the temporal method for estimating effective population size (Ne) in genetic monitoring programs, which are increasingly used to systematically track changes in global biodiversity. Scientists and managers are typically most interested in Ne for individual generations, either to match with single-generation estimates of census size (N) or to evaluate consequences of specific management actions or environmental events. Systematically sampling every generation produces a time series of single-generation estimates of temporal F ( , which can then be used to estimate Ne; however, these estimates have relatively low precision because each reflects just a single episode of genetic drift. Systematic sampling also produces an array of multigenerational temporal estimates that collectively contain a great deal of information about genetic drift that, however, can be difficult to interpret. Here, we show how additional information contained in multigenerational temporal estimates can be leveraged to increase precision of for individual generations. Using information from one additional generation before and after a target generation can reduce the standard deviation of ( ) by up to 50%, which not only tightens confidence intervals around but also reduces the incidence of extreme estimates, including infinite estimates of Ne. Practical application of MaxTemp is illustrated with data for a long-term genetic monitoring program for California delta smelt. A second feature of MaxTemp, which allows one to estimate Ne in an unsampled generation using a combination of temporal and single-sample estimates of Ne from sampled generations, is also described and evaluated.

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF A CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEM BASED UPON FORAMINIFERA

ABSTRACT The reef system is the main feature of the Recife de Fora Marine Park (RFMP) on the East Brazilian coast. High hydrodynamics introduce nutrients, sediment, and contaminants from rivers while promoting reef flat erosion. To identify threats to reef ecosystems, we employed a foraminifera-based assessment using the FoRAM Index and the FORAM Stress Index, combined with analyses of environmental variables. Results revealed instability/stress in part of the western backreef stations, near the Buranhém river output, and a general estuarine influence. Reef flat and backreef surroundings data are marked by health decline and instability/stress, while forereef data indicated equilibrium/stability. Active offshore processes partially compensated for coastal negative influences, helping the system to remain healthy by the active “cleansing” of waves and tides. The results established a baseline of ecosystem quality for low-cost biodiversity queries, representing an advance in assessment using foraminifera important in long-term monitoring programs.

Long-term monitoring data on Popilliajaponica (Newman, 1838) (Coleoptera, Rutelidae) across the Azorean Islands.

The Japanese Beetle, Popilliajaponica Newman, 1838 (Coleoptera, Rutelidae), is a univoltine agricultural pest that poses a serious threat to various agricultural crops. For more than 16 years, the Azorean official authorities have implemented a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) programme that is crucial for understanding the dynamics of insect pests, such as the Japanese Beetle, and their impacts on agricultural ecosystems. The significance of this long-term monitoring extends beyond understanding the pest's life cycle. By sharing this long-term monitoring data with the scientific community, we hope it allows for a more comprehensive assessment of P.japonica success and spread, enabling a deeper understanding of how this pest interacts and correlates with biotic and abiotic factors to uncover patterns and trends crucial for effective pest management.In the Azores Archipelago, P.japonica adults emerge from pupae at the end of May and peak in density by early July, persisting until October. Larvae develop through three instars, with the third instar grub pupating by early May. This lifecycle highlights the pest population's seasonal activity, including the timing of emergence, adult stages and larval stages. It reveals when and for how long the pest is active in each of its life stages and provides critical information for pest management strategies. Worldwide, this pest can cause damage to 414 plant species across 94 families, underscoring the potential for elevated crop damage. This information is invaluable for developing targeted intervention strategies and mitigating economic losses caused by P.japonica infestations. Therefore, establishing and maintaining long-term programmes for monitoring P.japonica populations are essential for scientific understanding and practical pest management efforts in the Azores Archipelago. The data presented here report the officials' records of a 16-year (from 2008 to 2023) long-term monitoring programme on P.japonica in the Azores Archipelago, undertaken by the Secretaria Regional da Agricultura e Alimentação operational services. Based on the last checklist of Azorean arthropods, the species is recorded for the first time for the Corvo, Graciosa and São Jorge Islands.

From cells to recapture rates: responses and recovery of a wild fish after an experimental exposure to a widely used herbicide.

Freshwater environments are biodiversity hotspots under multiple pressures, including pesticide exposure. S-metolachlor, a widely used herbicide, can induce genotoxic, cytotoxic and physiological effects in captive fish, but we have a limited understanding of the effects of exposure to S-metolachlor in free-living vertebrates. We carried out an original field experiment using integrative approaches across biological levels and temporal scales. The implantation of slow-release implants, an approach to mimic increasing exposure to S-metolachlor of wildlife in realistic multistress conditions, was coupled to a capture-mark-recapture monitoring of bullheads (Cottus perifretum) living in an agriculturally impacted stream. Thanks to our long-term monitoring programme, we evidenced high levels of metolachlor and its metabolites (metolachlor ESA and metolachlor OXA) in water bodies with strong monthly variations. S-metolachlor levels did not differ between treated and control fish and were moderate in bullhead tissues, likely because of xenobiotic metabolism and excretion. S-metolachlor exposure increased erythrocyte abnormalities and the neutrophil/lymphocyte (N/L) ratios. These cellular and physiological damages were observed at 2weeks, but not at 3months after the manipulation. This suggests a recovery, likely owing to cell turnover. We also found an increase of body mass of treated fish compared to control fish, and this mass gain persisted at 3months, suggesting obesogenic effects of S-metolachlor. Antioxidant levels, telomere length and recapture rate were not affected by the experimental treatment. In conclusion, we provide evidence for transient and specific cellular alterations induced by low concentrations of S-metolachlor and long-term mass gain in a wild vertebrate. This study paves the way for integrative field experiments to better understand the impacts of pollutants on fish populations.

Spatio-temporal analysis of potential factors explaining fluctuations in population size of Spisula subtruncata in the Dutch North Sea

Bivalves play a key role in coastal ecosystems by supporting food web, modifying habitats, and their economic value for fisheries. Many bivalve species are under pressure, showing large variations in population sizes and distributions, with climate change and human activities considered as important drivers. The Dutch North Sea hosts high densities of bivalve species, dominated by the cut trough shell Spisula subtruncata, with strong interannual variations and a patchy distribution. To explore the causes of this variation, data of an extensive long-term spatial benthic monitoring program (1995-2021) was analysed using a Bayesian spatio-temporal hurdle model. We considered indicators related to human activities, biological processes, climate change and habitat preference as explanatory variables for the observed long-term temporal and spatial variations. Results revealed that medium sediment grain size was key determinant of S. subtruncata occurrence and density. Increasing sea water temperatures during winter and the post-settlement phase positively affected annual population densities, while strong north-westerly winds led to lower densities. These climate change related factors had an overall positive effect on this species in the region. Human activities like shellfish dredging and sand nourishment had no measurable impact. However, shrimp and flatfish beam trawling overlapped with S. subtruncata occurrence and were negatively related to densities, suggesting higher beam trawling intensity in these areas may negatively impacts densities. Overall, the effects were stronger at medium to finer sediments where the highest densities occurred, indicating a strong habitat-dependent effect. Despite identifying multiple drivers, unexplained annual variation suggests other not included factors like predation pressure, also play a role. More detailed studies on the combined effects of climate change-driven environmental stressors and human activities are needed to fully understand the population dynamics. This knowledge is essential for developing more adequate fisheries and coastal management strategies to sustain biodiversity.

Synthesis of a hydrological, water chemistry, and contaminants research program in the Peace-Athabasca Delta (Canada) to inform long-term monitoring of shallow lakes

In a multistressor world, evidence-based stewardship of aquatic ecosystems requires long-term monitoring data to understand the timing and magnitude of environmental change and potential causes. At the Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD; northeastern Alberta, Canada), concern for aquatic ecosystem degradation has triggered renewed and urgent calls by Indigenous, national, and international governance bodies for implementation of a long-term lake monitoring program capable of tracking changes in hydrological conditions and contaminant deposition attributable to major energy projects located upstream, climate change, and other unnatural and natural processes. Challenges imposed by the delta's size, hydrological complexity, inaccessibility of lakes, and other factors, however, have long impeded implementation of a delta-wide lake monitoring program. To address this pressing need, here we review and synthesize results obtained during 7 years (2015–2021) of intensive, multifaceted research at 60 shallow lakes spanning the delta's broad hydroecological gradients to inform an integrated hydrology, water chemistry, and contaminants monitoring program. The research involved systematic, repeated measurements of water isotope composition, water depth variation, water chemistry and turbidity, and metal(loid) concentrations in lake surface sediment and periphytic biofilm. Results reveal marked spatial and temporal variation of hydrological processes and their affects on lake water balance and depth, strong association between hydrological processes and lake water chemistry, and that concentrations of nickel and vanadium (key oil sands indicators) remain within the range of natural variation. Correspondence of generalized additive model trendlines for isotope-derived lake evaporation-to-inflow ratios and water chemistry with climate indices (Pacific Decadal Oscillation, Oceanic Niño Index) demonstrates the sensitivity, and predictability, of lake ecosystem processes in the delta to large-scale climatic patterns. We provide recommendations for field sampling, sample analysis, data display, and integration of information for ongoing monitoring at the PAD. These approaches are readily transferable to other complex landscapes with abundant shallow waterbodies threatened by multiple stressors that may alter hydrological regimes and contaminant delivery.

Assessment of drinking-water quality in Indigenous Communities of Santa Victoria Este, Argentina

Santa Victoria Este is in the north-east region of Argentina. Historically, socio-economic marginalization and poor governmental assistance have resulted in one of the poorest regions of the country. Over 60% of its population is estimated to belong to indigenous communities. Access to water is mainly through community wells, often lacking adequate infrastructure. With the main objective of empowering indigenous communities in relation to access to safe water, we: 1) established a local laboratory with capacity to analyze microbiological and physical and chemical parameters of water and transfer capabilities to the local community to ensure long-term monitoring; 2) assessed the water quality in 34 communal wells. Results (physical, chemical, metals, and microbiological parameters) show that 70.6% of the groundwater supplies are not safe for human consumption as they exceed the limits established by Argentinian regulation. Microbiological contamination was consistently found in water storage systems (tanks), highlighting the imperative need of water treatment and maintenance. A long-term monitoring program, which includes physicochemical and microbiological parameters, is crucial to ensure the quality of water in these communities and to take appropriate decisions and measures.

Crossing the Pacific: Genomics Reveals the Presence of Japanese Sardine (Sardinops melanosticta) in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem.

Recent increases in frequency and intensity of warm water anomalies and marine heatwaves have led to shifts in species ranges and assemblages. Genomic tools can be instrumental in detecting such shifts. In the early stages of a project assessing population genetic structure in Pacific Sardine (Sardinops sagax), we detected the presence of Japanese Sardine (Sardinops melanosticta) along the west coast of North America for the first time. We assembled a high quality, chromosome-scale reference genome of the Pacific Sardine and generated low coverage, whole genome sequence (lcWGS) data for 345 sardine collected in the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) in 2021 and 2022. Fifty individuals sampled in 2022 were identified as Japanese Sardine based on strong differentiation observed in lcWGS SNP and full mitogenome data. Although we detected a single case of mitochondrial introgression, we did not observe evidence for recent hybridization events. These findings change our understanding of Sardinops spp. distribution and dispersal in the Pacific and highlight the importance of long-term monitoring programs.

Evaluating Environmental Programs: Long-Term Monitoring of Crustacean Assemblages in a Polluted Estuary

We assessed the environmental quality of the Odiel-Tinto estuary, one of the most polluted in the world, by analysing the spatial variation of subtidal soft-bottom crustacean assemblages from 2000 to 2016. Our primary goal was to evaluate whether corrective measures implemented since 1986 have resulted in significant ecological improvement. The assemblages were structured according to the natural gradient from the estuary to the marine environment. Throughout the study, the assemblages exhibited low species richness and abundance (e.g., over 3 species and 180 individuals/m2 in the inner areas; 19 species and 510 individuals/m2 in the mouth zone). However, 2016 saw an increase in both species number and total abundance (e.g., over 5 and 24 species in the inner and mouth areas, respectively). Despite these observations, the Odiel-Tinto system harboured fewer species (24 species) compared to nearby estuaries like the Guadiana and Guadalquivir (over 50 species). Although there were signs of changes in the estuary over the sampling periods (e.g., a slight increase in richness and diversity in 2016 compared to 2002 and 2004), these fluctuations are likely characteristic of a highly dynamic environment rather than indications of genuine ecological recovery. These findings highlight the need for a long-term monitoring program, which should also encompass intertidal mudflats due to their higher density and biomass, easy accessibility, and reduced exposure to the impacts of recurrent maintenance dredging of the navigation channel.

Mining and urbanization affect river chemical water quality and macroinvertebrate communities in the upper Selenga River basin, Mongolia (revised version)

Mongolia is a country with a quickly growing economy mainly based on the mining of gold, copper, coal, and other minerals. Mining, urbanization, and agriculture impact the water quality in the upper Selenga River basin in northern Mongolia, which is the center of the Mongolian economy. Previous measurements of pollution loads were alarming, but restricted to chemical measurements. Here, for the first time, we combine freshwater biomonitoring and laboratory water quality data across a broad gradient of water quality and land use intensity. We track the effects of different types of pollution on aquatic invertebrates and test their use as bioindicators. We collected water samples, environmental parameters, and macroinvertebrates at 36 sampling sites at the rivers of Tuul, Kharaa, and Orkhon and their tributaries Sugnugur, Boroo, Sharyn Gol, Gatsuurt, and Yeröö. PCA of catchment water quality distinguished three groups of pollutants prevalent at the sites, (1) nutrients, (2) salt ions (Cl−, Na+, Mg2+, So42−, Ca2+) and mining by-products (B, Sr, U, Mo), and (3) (heavy) metals, which often exceeded regulatory standards. We recorded a total of 59 macroinvertebrate taxa belonging to 31 families in seven insect orders plus Amphipoda and Gastropoda. Species diversity declined with higher impact. Five environmental factors structured macroinvertebrate community composition in RDA: elevation of sample location, site total nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, and water chemistry. We conclude that macroinvertebrate communities are an appropriate and inexpensive tool for monitoring water quality in Mongolia and suggest government action to establish a long-term monitoring program.

The Neotropical Biodiversity Mapping Initiative: Transforming Venezuelan biodiversity monitoring and capacity building

Tropical Latin America is home to an enormous share of the world's biodiversity. Despite its immense natural wealth, the region faces a significant deficit of reliable biodiversity data and lacks the local capacity necessary to collect such data. The Neotropical Biodiversity Mapping Initiative (NeoMaps or NeoMapas) is a long-term biodiversity monitoring program. NeoMaps has not only addressed these gaps in biodiversity data in one of the megadiverse tropical countries, Venezuela, but has also emerged as a model for efficiently surveying biodiversity while strengthening the local capacity needed to conduct these surveys. After three nationwide systematic surveys and international field courses in 2006, 2009, and 2010, NeoMaps assembled an invertebrate collection and biodiversity database with over 170,000 records of occurrence and abundance for birds, dung beetles, and butterflies. NeoMaps activities lead to direct outcomes by reducing biodiversity knowledge gaps for three taxonomic groups and training more than 60 conservationists from Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, and Spain. NeoMaps had a broader impact on national capacity building programs, and made important contributions for improving, sharing and applying national biodiversity knowledge.

Expansion of Halophila stipulacea in parallel with declines of native seagrasses in the eastern Mediterranean Sea

Seagrasses native to the Mediterranean Sea are anticipated to be adversely affected by climate warming, while the invasive tropical seagrass species Halophila stipulacea is projected to proliferate and alter the region's underwater seascape. Despite the significant implications of this transition, it is surprisingly rare to include H. stipulacea in long-term monitoring programs across the Mediterranean. In July 2023, we conducted a follow-up study at a seagrass meadow in Limassol, Cyprus, which in 2017 was home to two native seagrass species, Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica, alongside the invasive H. stipulacea. We assessed the seagrass cover of all present species and examined the characteristics of the H. stipulacea meadow, comparing our findings with data from 2017. Our results indicated a total loss of both native seagrass species, while H. stipulacea nearly doubled its coverage and exhibited substantial increases in shoot density, as well as above- and below-ground biomasses. Although our study is limited in scope, it supports earlier predictions regarding the anticipated transformations in the eastern Mediterranean's underwater landscape. This study highlights the urgent need to incorporate H. stipulacea into long-term seagrass monitoring efforts in the Mediterranean.

Discovery of a novel Mediterranean Haemaphysalis (Ornithophysalis) doenitzi group tick species infesting Falco eleonorae on Antikythira Island, Greece.

Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae Géné, 1839) is a well-known long-distance migrant of the Afro-Palaearctic flyway, a summer breeder of the Mediterranean region and North-west Africa and a winter resident of Madagascar and surrounding areas, thus characterized as a double endemic. Within the context of a long-term monitoring and conservation programme on Antikythira Island, Greece, which accommodates one of the largest concentrations of breeding pairs of Eleonora's falcons globally, birds were subjected to regular inspections for the presence of ticks from 2017 to 2023. In total, 104 adults and 149 nymphs (all belonging to Haemaphysalis genus) were collected. All ticks, apart from 2 nymphs, exhibited broadly salient palpi and did not possess the pronounced palpal segment 2 spurs or spur-like angles that are characteristic of adults, nymphs and most larvae of Rhipistoma, thus placed them in the Ornithophysalis subgenus. Following comprehensive morphological assessment and genetic analysis of the mitochondrial genome by means of next-generation sequencing of both adult and nymphal stages of the ticks, our empirical findings substantiate the delineation of a previously unclassified species. This taxonomic assignment situates the newly described species within the Ornithophysalis subgenus and the Haemaphysalis doenitzi group, marking its presence for the first time within the Western Palaearctic region.

Anthropogenic double jeopardy: Urban noise and artificial light at night interact synergistically to influence abundance

Artificial light at night (ALAN) and urban noise are increasing globally and can have a range of impacts on wildlife. While ALAN and noise often co-occur and can affect wildlife in similar ways, their impacts have generally been studied in isolation. Information about possible interactive impacts, which can be more serious, is critical to guide conservation.We studied how noise and ALAN impact a common urban waterbird (Eurasian coot Fulica atra) around the city of Melbourne in south-eastern Australia. We aimed to examine: (1) the individual and (2) interactive impacts of noise and ALAN on abundance, and (3) the relative influence of these stressors and other environmental predictors. To do so, we used data from a large-scale (1,463 surveys across an area of 9,250 km2 with significant heterogeneity in noise and ALAN conditions), long-term (2008–2018) monitoring program, overlaid with georeferenced noise and light data. We used generalized linear mixed effects models and boosted regression trees to model individual and interactive effects of ALAN and noise on abundance.Abundance was negatively correlated with noise and ALAN individually. Furthermore, the two stressors had a negative synergistic effect, ultimately resulting in the absence of coots at the highest observed ALAN and noise levels. We also estimate that the combined influence of the two stressors on abundance was larger than that of other examined environmental factors.Our findings that noise and ALAN have detrimental interactive impacts is worrying for two reasons. First, Eurasian coots are thought to be tolerant to urbanisation, so impacts may be more severe for less tolerant species. Second, noise and ALAN commonly co-occur around cities, so similar impacts are likely elsewhere. By adopting more biologically and ecologically realistic analytical frameworks, future studies can better estimate the cumulative impacts of multiple stressors to facilitate improved conservation and management.

COVID-19 Pandemic Effects on Angler Effort and a Brown Trout Population in a Driftless Area Stream in Southeast Minnesota

Abstract Early opinions of the COVID-19 pandemic included equivocal notions of whether the pandemic would result in more or less angler effort and harvest in recreational fisheries. Early papers also suggested using changes in angling license sales to infer changes in angler effort but expressed concern about adequate assessment of pandemic effects on fisheries because of interruptions to routine assessment programs. To assess pandemic effects on angler effort at a stream trout fishery, a trail camera was installed, immediately prior to implementation of a statewide stay-at-home order, at a representative stream trout angling site that is part of a long-term fish monitoring program. The trail camera was deployed through the trout harvest angling season from the peak pandemic year of 2020 through cessation of most restrictions in 2022. Statewide sales of angling licenses and trout stamps were assessed through this time to compare with angler effort measured with the trail camera. Annual trout population assessments were examined for pandemic effects in conjunction with angler effort. Anglers were present on 84% of days in 2020, 66% in 2021 and 69% in 2022. Following the pandemic peak of 603 angler-hours in 2020, angler-hours declined by -23% between 2020 and 2021, and by -16% between 2020 and 2022; whereas statewide sales of licenses and trout stamps only declined by -4% between 2020 and 2021 and -11% between 2020 and 2022, suggesting more angler pressure at the study site than could be inferred by changes in license or trout stamp sales. Higher pressure during the pandemic was due in part to more anglers younger than 20 years old. Despite higher angler pressure in 2020, there was no long-term effect on the Brown Trout population, as adult abundance in 2021 and 2022 exceeded abundance in every year from 2017 to 2020. These data add to a limited number of similar field-based pandemic studies coupling changes in angler use with fish population responses and should provide further insight into the broader assessment of COVID-19 pandemic effects.

In-season monitoring of harvest and effort from a large-scale subsistence salmon fishery in western Alaska

In-season management of salmon harvest requires real-time data. Specifically, following a brief period of open fishing, knowledge of harvest outcomes is useful when deciding the nature of subsequent fishing periods. This in-season management strategy is relatively new to the lower Kuskokwim River of western Alaska, where depressed salmon runs have caused restrictions to the subsistence fishery. We have developed an in-season monitoring program to rapidly inform managers about fishery outcomes from short-duration (6-24 hours) fishery openings. Completed trip information and one or more aerial surveys are combined to estimate daily effort and harvest from drift gillnet fishers spanning 11 communities and ~130 river kilometers. We present a re-analysis of the 40 monitored openers in June-July 2016-2023, and validate harvest estimates of Chinook, chum, and sockeye salmon by comparing them to post-season estimates derived from an independent long-term monitoring program. Our results indicate that the program has produced estimates of sufficient quality to inform in-season managers, although it will likely need alterations to be successful in years with less restricted fishing.

A probabilistic hazard assessment for cyanobacterial toxins accounting for regional geography and water body trophic status

Under climate change scenarios freshwater eutrophication is expected to increase, and with it the occurrence of cyanobacterial toxin-producing harmful algal blooms. In the current study, microcystin toxin occurrence data from literature sources and a long-term provincial monitoring program were used to conduct a probabilistic hazard assessment for Alberta, Canada. The large temporal and spatial range of data makes Alberta a model system for identifying regional geography and water body trophic status factors driving toxin concentrations. Environmental exposure distributions of microcystin concentrations were plotted and used to identify the likelihood of a given sample exceeding water guideline values as a function of regional geography, total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentration. This process identified regions with intensive cultivation and those most prone to water deficits associated with climate change to be most associated with exceedances of regulatory guideline values. Elevated phosphorus and chlorophyll-a concentrations were also drivers of toxin occurrence. This assessment can be used to identify water bodies of greatest risk to human and animal populations from cyanotoxins and thereby inform regulators as to most effective monitoring strategies.