Patricia M. Mazik

Microhabitat Use by Brook Trout Inhabiting Small Tributaries and a Large River Main Stem: Implications for Stream Habitat Restoration in the Central Appalachians

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) habitat restoration is needed across a range of stream sizes; however, studies quantifying brook trout habitat preferences in streams of differing sizes are rare. We used radio-telemetry to quantify adult brook trout microhabitat use in a central Appalachian watershed, the upper Shavers Fork of the Cheat River in eastern West Virginia. Our objectives were to: 1) quantify non-random microhabitat use by adult brook trout in the Shavers Fork main stem (drainage area = 32 km2) and an adjacent tributary, Rocky Run (drainage area = 7 km2); and 2) construct...

Predictive Modeling of Freshwater Mussel Distributions in the Appalachians

The eastern United States contains the greatest diversity and the most imperiled species of freshwater mussels in the world. Conservation efforts are underway, yet little information is available on current and historical distributions for most species. Current knowledge of freshwater mussel species distributions is limited to data available from museum collections, small-scale studies, and Natural Heritage surveys. The accuracy and precision of these data vary considerably. We obtained the best available information on the range of freshwater mussel species to model the distribution of...

Establishing Regional Restoration Priorities for Brook Trout Populations Based on Reach and Subwatershed-Scale Connectivity

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV) was formed to implement range-wide strategies that sustain healthy, fishable brook trout populations across the entire range of the eastern brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). In order to accomplish the goals of the EBTJV in West Virginia we set out to accomplish the following objectives: to assess brook trout populations where current data is lacking and to set restoration priorities for stream reaches within this area based on both reach and subwatershed scale connectivity. Our study area was Region 1 of West Virginia, the Upper Potomac...

Classification and Ordination of Freshwater Mussel Communities in the Appalachians

The Appalachian Region contains the greatest diversity of freshwater mussels in the world. Freshwater mussels are also the most endangered taxa in the United States. Although small-scale studies have identified threats to mussel fauna, few studies have examined patterns in decline at the watershed scale. Mussel community types are not widely used in the literature, making it difficult to propose appropriate sampling designs for large-scale research. Describing mussel communities provides a framework for extrapolating research findings from local studies to a regional scale and gives...

Brook Trout Habitat Use in the Upper Shavers Fork of the Cheat River, West Virginia

We quantified brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) microhabitat use in a central Appalachian watershed, the upper Shavers Fork of the Cheat River during spring/summer 2001 with telemetry. Our objectives were to: 1) quantify non-random microhabitat use by brook trout in the Shavers Fork main stem and Rocky Run (a major tributary), 2) quantify the effects of increasing water temperature on microhabitat use, and 3) construct habitat suitability curves for four important microhabitat variables. Trout used a subset of available habitats in both the main stem and Rocky Run. Specifically trout...

A GIS-based Landscape Model to Predict Brook Trout Distributions in West Virginia Watersheds

The Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (EBTJV) was formed to implement range wide strategies that sustain healthy, fishable brook trout populations. Hudy et al. (2005) recently completed a comprehensive analysis of eastern brook trout distributions representing a critical first step towards fully integrating brook trout conservation efforts in this region. The study identified a distinct gap in our knowledge of the status and distribution of brook trout in West Virginia. Using WVDNR data collected the past ten years, we developed a landscape scale predictive classification tree model for...

Influence of Water Hardness, Salts, and MS-222 on Survival of Phase I Striped Bass During and After Transport

Phase I striped bass hauled in varying levels of sodium chloride (NaCl) had significantly higher survival than fish hauled in varying levels of calcium chloride (CaCl2), regardless if the fish came from a hard water or soft water hatchery. The addition of MS-222 to the transport water did not have a beneficial effect on phase I striped bass survival.

Relation of Environmental Calcium and pH to the Stress Response of Striped Bass

Striped bass fingerlings (Morone saxatilis) acclimated to hard water (110 mg/liter as calcium carbonate, 41.0 mg/liter as calcium) were exposed for 96 hours at pH 7.7, 6.1, or 4.2 in hard water. In another experiment, striped bass fingerlings acclimated to soft water (32 mg/liter as calcium carbonate, 9.5 mg/liter as calcium) were exposed for 96 h at pH 7.7, 6.1, or 4.2 in soft water. No mortalities occurred during the experiments. The primary stress response and electrolyte disturbance were less severe in fish acclimated to hard water than in fish acclimated to soft water, suggesting that...

Influence of Sodium and Calcium Chloride on the Stress Response and Survival of Striped Bass During and After Transport from a Hard and Soft Water Hatchery

Survival and the stress response of striped bass Morone saxatilis during transport and for a 1-month recovery period after transport were evaluated in 2 studies. In the first study, fish from Carbon Hill National Fish Hatchery (CHNFH), a hard water hatchery (total hardness, 100 mg/liter as calcium carbonate), were transported and recovered for 1 month at the Southeastern Fish Cultural Laboratory (SFCL), a hard water facility (total hardness, 108 mg/liter as calicum carbonate). In the second study, fish from Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery (WSNFH), a soft water hatchery (total hardness...