Estimating Occupancy of Rare Fishes using Visual Surveys, with a Comparison to Backpack Electrofishing

Albanese, Brett; Owers, Katharine A.; Weiler, Deborah A.; Pruitt, William Austin

doi:10.1656/058.010.0304

Cited by 20 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…As reported in other studies (Albanese et al., ; Dextrase et al., ; Peoples & Frimpong, ; Pregler, Vokoun, Jensen, & Hagstrom, ; Rodtka et al., ), detection of Ontario riverine fishes by backpack electrofishing was imperfect. Species detection probability and occupancy estimates varied among species and increased with sampling effort.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…We did not interpret the modest number of sites sampled as being sufficiently robust to support modelling with covariates. Regardless, detectability estimates based on the simplifying assumption that it is constant across sites still provide a useful approximation for planning future sampling (Albanese et al., ). It is recommended that future monitoring programs be designed to characterize habitat at sites and to include a large number of sites, so that the influence of uncontrollable factors (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…removal‐sampling or mark‐recapture methods) (Gibbs, Droege, & Eagle, ). However, species detection at sampling sites is imperfect (Kéry & Schmidt, ; MacKenzie et al., ) and influenced by factors such as gear choice, sampling effort, timing of sampling, and habitat conditions (Albanese, Owers, Weiler, & Pruitt, ; Rodtka, Judd, Aku, & Fitzsimmons, ; Schloesser, Paukert, Doyle, Hill, & Steffensen, ). Increased sampling effort is generally assumed to provide more precise and accurate species information, although these improvements often incur substantial cost increases (Hughes & Peck, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Backpack electrofishing effort and imperfect detection: Influence on riverine fish inventories and monitoring

Reid

Haxton

2017

J Appl Ichthyol

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Summary An increased electrofishing sampling effort will increase detection probabilities of riverine fishes. In this study, a repeat‐sampling approach was used in small to medium‐sized Ontario (Canada) rivers to estimate: (i) species‐specific detection probabilities of freshwater fishes, (ii) the number of sampling events required to confidently detect species, and (iii) the power of timed‐search surveys to detect future distribution (or occupancy) declines. Wadeable habitats at 36 sites were sampled with a backpack electrofisher on four separate dates during the summer low‐flow period in 2013 and 2014. Forty‐two species were collected, including three species of conservation concern (American eel Anguilla rostrata Lacépède, 1802, channel darter Percina copelandi Jordan, 1877, northern sunfish Lepomis peltastes Cope, 1870), and two recreationally important species (largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides Lacépède, 1802 and smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu Lacépède, 1802). A hierarchical Bayesian modelling approach was used to estimate detection probabilities and site occupancy for 18 species at four levels of effort: 250, 500, 750 and 1,000 s. In all cases, species detection was imperfect. Search effort had a positive effect on estimates of detection probability and site occupancy and the power to detect declines in future distribution. Detection probabilities ranged from 0.11 to 0.66 with an effort of 250 s, and 0.27 to 0.92 with an effort of 1,000 s. For 13 species, detection and power to detect changes in distribution were significantly improved by increasing sampling effort from 250 to 750 s or 1,000 s. For the channel darter and northern sunfish, three replicate sampling visits (of 750 or 1,000 s duration) are recommended for confident detection.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Backpack electrofishing effort and imperfect detection: Influence on riverine fish inventories and monitoring

Reid

Haxton

2017

J Appl Ichthyol

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“…Following the approach used by Albanese et al (2011), sites were sampled using systematic sampling with a random start. We first estimated the downstream boundary of the riffle-run unit and then paced 0-9 randomly determined metres upstream to our first sampling transect.…”

Section: Recent Surveymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, it may be difficult to detect species during surveys, which can result in underestimating the proportion of sites occupied (Bayley & Peterson 2001;MacKenzie et al 2002). Visual sampling methods (e.g., Ensign et al 1995;Jordan et al 2008;Albanese et al 2011) minimise this problem, but poor water clarity in streams where goldline darters occur makes electrofishing a more effective method. The risk of handling stress and mortality is also a significant issue for monitoring legally protected fishes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using occupancy and species distribution models to assess the conservation status and habitat use of the goldline darter (Percina aurolineata) in Georgia, USA

Albanese

Litts

Camp

et al. 2013

Ecology of Freshwater Fish

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The goldline darter (Percina aurolineata) is threatened by recent increases in urbanisation in the Coosawattee River watershed, but no studies have addressed their current status. Similarly, limited data on habitat use make it difficult to understand factors that may impact this species. We compared occurrence data before (1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000) and after (2009-2011) a period of rapid development and population growth within the watershed. Single-season occupancy models were built to account for imperfect species detection and to identify habitat covariates. MaxEnt was used to identify important stream reaches for conservation and to understand landscape scale factors correlated with the distribution of goldline darters. Our results indicate a high proportion of sites occupied upstream of Carters Lake during the historic and recent time periods, with no evidence of decline. However, occurrences of goldline darters for sites in Talking Rock Creek and the lower Coosawattee River were sparse in the historic period and absent during the recent period. The probability of detecting goldline darters is low and was positively associated with the occurrence of small substrate. Species distribution models were strongly influenced by watershed area and elevation and indicated a high probability of suitable habitat within the Coosawattee River and large tributaries upstream of Carters Lake. While goldline darter occupancy is currently stable upstream of Carters Lake, continued urbanisation is a threat to long-term persistence. We recommend additional monitoring and describe a protocol that allows for precise estimates of species occupancy while minimising the risk of sampling-related mortality.

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The context dependency of fish‐habitat associations in separated karst ecoregions

Swedberg,

Mollenhauer,

Brewer

2023

Ecology and Evolution

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Fish populations may be isolated via natural conditions in geographically separated ecoregions. Although reconnecting these populations is not a management goal, we need to understand how these populations persist across landscapes to develop meaningful conservation actions, particularly for species occupying sensitive karst ecosystems. Our study objective was to determine the physicochemical factors related to the occurrence of four spring‐associated fishes. Arbuckle Uplift and Ozark Highlands ecoregions, USA. We used a hierarchical approach to identify habitat relationships at multiple spatial scales. We collected detection data using snorkeling and seining. We examined the physicochemical relationships related to the detection and occurrence of four spring‐associated fishes using occupancy modeling in a Bayesian framework. We found physicochemical relationships that differed and were similar between ecoregions for several fishes. For three species, we found different water temperature relationships between ecoregions. Smallmouth bass were ubiquitous in their use of drainage areas in the Ozark Highlands but only associated with the lower network of the Arbuckle Uplift. There were several mirrored relationships between ecoregions, including an interaction between residual pool depth and water temperature, where sites with deeper pools were more likely to be occupied during warmer water temperatures. There were single‐species occurrence relationships with percent vegetation and percent agriculture. Lastly, snorkeling was a more efficient sampling method compared to seining for all fishes. Our results indicate stream temperature mitigation may be possible via the maintenance of key channel morphologies, and we identify shared stressors between ecoregions. Channel mitigation to maintain reaches with deeper pools may be an important strategy for maintaining thermal refugia, particularly when considering climate change. Identifying the mechanistic underpinning of other multiscale ecological relationships would be helpful to discern if some of the different ecoregion relationships represent warning signals or interactions with unmeasured biotic or abiotic factors.

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Estimating Occupancy of Rare Fishes using Visual Surveys, with a Comparison to Backpack Electrofishing

Cited by 20 publications

References 26 publications

Backpack electrofishing effort and imperfect detection: Influence on riverine fish inventories and monitoring

Backpack electrofishing effort and imperfect detection: Influence on riverine fish inventories and monitoring

Using occupancy and species distribution models to assess the conservation status and habitat use of the goldline darter (Percina aurolineata) in Georgia, USA

The context dependency of fish‐habitat associations in separated karst ecoregions

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