Numbers of wild anadromous Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) have declined demonstrably throughout their native range. The current status of runs on rivers historically supporting salmon indicate widespread declines and extirpations in Europe and North America primarily in southern portions of the range. Many of these declines or extirpations can be attributed to the construction of mainstem dams, pollution (including acid rain), and total dewatering of streams. Purported effects on declines during the 1960s through the 1990s include overfishing, and more recently, changing ocean conditions, and intensive aquaculture. Most factors affecting salmon numbers do not act singly, but rather in concert, which masks the relative contribution of each factor. Salmon researchers and managers should not look for a single culprit in declining numbers of salmon, but rather, seek solutions through rigorous data gathering and testing of multiple effects integrated across space and time.

We examined the effects of low-head dams on aquatic biota, habitat, and water quality in a 171-km reach of a midwestern warmwater river that was fragmented by 15 dams into a series of free-flowing and impounded habitats. Dams impounded 55% of the river's surface area within the study reach and influenced distributions of 30 species of fish by restricting upstream movements. Values for the Illinois index of biotic integrity (IBI) were higher in free-flowing areas (mean IBI ϭ 46 out of a possible 60 at below-dam and midsegment free-flowing locations) than impounded areas (mean IBI Ͻ 31 for above-dam and midsegment impounded locations). Likewise, scores from a macroinvertebrate condition index (MCI) were higher at stations in free-flowing reaches (mean MCI Ͼ 415 out of a possible 700) than in nearshore areas of impounded reaches (mean MCI Ͻ 210). Ponar dredge samples taken only from open-water impounded areas showed an offshore invertebrate community that consisted almost entirely of tolerant oligochaetes and chironomid larvae. Qualitative habitat evaluation index (QHEI) scores indicated good-quality habitat in free-flowing areas (mean QHEI Ͼ 70 out of a possible 100) and severely degraded habitat at impounded sites (mean QHEI Ͻ 45). In impounded reaches, dissolved oxygen and pH showed wide daily fluctuations (2.5-18.0 mg/L and 7.0-9.4 units) and often failed to meet Illinois water quality standards. In free-flowing portions of river, fluctuations in these parameters were less extreme and water quality standards typically were met. We found little evidence of cumulative effects of dams; however, our data suggest that low-head dams adversely affect warmwater stream fish and macroinvertebrate communities by degrading habitat and water quality and fragmenting the river landscape. These results should aid river managers and stakeholders in determining appropriate restoration practices (i.e., dam removal versus fish passage structures) for warmwater rivers and streams that contain low-head dams.

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A major challenge in conservation biology is the need to broadly prioritize conservation efforts when demographic data are limited. One method to address this challenge is to use population genetic data to define groups of populations linked by migration and then use demographic information from monitored populations to draw inferences about the status of unmonitored populations within those groups. We applied this method to anadromous alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), species for which long-term demographic data are limited. Recent decades have seen dramatic declines in these species, which are an important ecological component of coastal ecosystems and once represented an important fishery resource. Results show that most populations comprise genetically distinguishable units, which are nested geographically within genetically distinct clusters or stocks. We identified three distinct stocks in alewife and four stocks in blueback herring. Analysis of available time series data for spawning adult abundance and body size indicate declines across the US ranges of both species, with the most severe declines having occurred for populations belonging to the Southern New England and the Mid-Atlantic Stocks. While all alewife and blueback herring populations deserve conservation attention, those belonging to these genetic stocks warrant the highest conservation prioritization.

The Connecticut River historically represented the southernmost extent of the North American range of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), but the native population was extirpated 200 years ago by dam construction. An extensive restoration effort has relied upon stock transfers from more northerly rivers, especially the Penobscot River (Maine). Recent work has shown differences in age structure between donor and derivative populations. Here we focus on a related life-history trait, the timing of the adult migration. We examined 23 years of migration timing data collected at two capture locations in the Connecticut River drainage. We found that both dates of first capture and median capture dates have shifted significantly earlier by about 0.5 days·year–1. To conclude whether this is a consequence of local adaptation or a coast-wide effect, we also quantified changes in migration timing of more northerly stocks (in Maine and Canada). We found that the changes in migration timing were not unique to the Connecticut River stock and instead observed coherent patterns in the shift towards earlier peak migration dates across systems. These consistent shifts are correlated with long-term changes in temperature and flow and may represent a response to global climate change.