Project Spotlight 1

How Climate and Landuse-changes Affecting Lake Fisheries

Despite their importance to livelihoods and food security, our knowledge on lake fisheries is still limited at a global scale. In this project, now published on Nature Communications, researchers from 19 countries sought for a better understanding on how climate and land-use changes might affect lake fisheries, by analyzing annual time-series data for 31 lakes across five continents, with about equal number of lakes in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe, between 1970 and 2014. The study found that fish catches could respond either positively or negatively to climate and land-use changes, but investments on water management may reduce the likelihood of substantial decrease in fish catch. To read more about the story behind this paper, together with a lot of nice photos provided by the authors, check out a post on Nature Research Ecology & Evolution community.

Photo credit: Paul van Zwieten, Michigan Sea Grant and Natasha Gownaris.

Project Spotlight 2

Developing Adaptation Strategies for Recreational and Tribal Fisheries in the Upper Midwest

Culturally, economically, and recreationally important glacial lake fisheries of the upper Midwest are projected to experience widespread change over the coming decades due to climate change.  In an effort to ensure value is retained for multiple user groups, researchers at the US Geological Survey (USGS) Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Missouri and the USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center are developing tools and identifying strategies that support the adaptation of fisheries management to climate change. To learn more, visit project website. Photo credit: Gretchen Hansen

Project Spotlight 3

Understanding the conditions to support self-sustaining recreational fisheries given global environmental change

Freshwater fisheries are increasingly affected by global environmental change, including harvest and community assemblage changes. As part of a multi-agency collaboration, we are quantifying the magnitude of recreational fisheries harvest to gain an understanding of the role recreational fisheries play as a source of food. Additionally, we are conducting a whole-lake experimental removal of multiple species to determine how species interactions affect populations. These studies will further our understanding of the conditions necessary to support culturally, ecologically, and economically valuable inland fish populations experiencing environmental change. Learn more at the project website (walleye-sos.weebly.com).

Project Spotlight 4

How does hydraulics influence Atlantic salmon downstream migration?

Atlantic salmon is a fascinating species which undergoes long migrations between the sea and the river during its life stages. Such travels are often hampered by the presence of anthropogenic barriers that can threat salmon populations sustainability. Understanding the factors that determine and influence smolts movement and concomitant migration patterns can help us to support future developing of engineering solutions for safe fish migration. In our project we tried to understand if and how the hydrodynamics of the flow influences the fine scale-movement of wild salmon during downstream migration. We combined 2D and 3D movements of wild Atlantic salmon in nature with 3D computational fluid dynamic models. We found that tri-dimensional swimming speed and swimming direction of Atlantic salmon smolt can be explained by adjustments of fish to flow motion, which are linked to fish swimming mode. To learn more read our paper and visit the website.  

Project Spotlight 5

IWISH for Fish

“Nothing about us, with us” – Phil Duncan

The IWISH for Fish (International Western and Indigenous Science Hub for Fish) network which pursues the exchange of cultural and traditional knowledge on fisheries and rivers between indigenous people and western scientists to improve fisheries management and conservation of aquatic systems. We plan to invite community leaders from around the globe to share and discuss their personal connections with fish and rivers. We will also organise meetings, workshops and academic programs to facilitate this dialogue.  For more information, please visit: https://www.nina.no/english/Fields-of-research/Projects/IWISH-for-fish

Project Spotlight 6

Impact of Cage Aquaculture in Lake Victoria

A new project led by InFish’s Sarah Glaser (of Secure Fisheries), a team of researchers from around the world are exploring the potential impact of cage aquaculture on the Lake Victoria’s wild fisheries. Follow their blog series “The Future of Lake Victoria” to learn more!