Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2015 - 53

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Biologists

Working to Advance Fisheries Science
by Leroy M. Young Jr.

Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
Director, Bureau of Fisheries
In the January/February 2014 issue of Pennsylvania Angler &
Boater magazine, an article appeared called "The Pennsylvania
Fish & Boat Commission's Fisheries Biologists: Who are they
and what do they do." In that article, I explained the general
nature of our biologists' work. Here, I provide a summary of the
publications our biologists have either authored or co-authored
in the scientific literature in the recent past, either in pursuit
of a graduate degree or as part of their everyday work with
the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC). These
peer-reviewed articles are examples of the broad extent of the
work of our staff in advancing the science of fisheries not only
in Pennsylvania but also to the broad spectrum of biologists
beyond the borders of the Commonwealth.

In press

* Smith, Geoffrey D., V.S. Blazer, H.L. Walsh, L.R.
Iwanowicz, C. Starliper and A.J. Sperry. The effects of diseaserelated mortality of young-of-year Smallmouth Bass Micropterus
dolomieu on population characteristics in the Susquehanna
River Basin, Pennsylvania and potential implications to
conservation of black bass Micropterus spp. diversity. In Tringali,
M. D., M. S. Allen, T. Birdsong and J. M. Long. 2014. Black
Bass Diversity: Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation.
Proceedings of the Symposium Black Bass Diversity:
Multidisciplinary Science for Conservation Held in Nashville,
Tennessee, February 8-10, 2013. American Fisheries Society,
Bethesda, Maryland.
Geoffrey D. Smith is PFBC's Susquehanna River Biologist.
This study demonstrated the effects that prolonged disease
related mortality of age-0 Smallmouth Bass has had on that
species' population characteristics in the Susquehanna River. The
study then assessed how a disease outbreak similar to this could
compromise the conservation status of bass in other waters.
* Detar, Jason E. and R. Carline. Contemporary role of
special regulations in wild trout management: evaluation of
biologist views in the eastern and Midwestern United States
Looking back and moving forward. Proceedings of the Wild
Trout XI symposium, West Yellowstone, MT.
Jason E. Detar is PFBC's Area Fisheries Manager
for northcentral Pennsylvania.
This study evaluated the current and future role of special
regulations in wild trout management by surveying 18 trout
biologists (16 states and two national parks) throughout the
eastern and Midwestern United States. Respondents indicated
that their biggest challenges were conducting rigorous
biological evaluations of special regulations and helping the
public understand what special regulations can and cannot do.
PFBC website: www.fishandboat.com

Whether implemented for social or biological reasons, the writers
concluded that special regulations are and will continue to be
an important option for managing wild trout in the eastern and
Midwestern United States. Nonetheless, considerable work is still
needed to better understand and communicate the role of special
regulations.

In review

* Blazer, V.S., D.D. Iwanowicz, H.L. Walsh, A.J. Sperry, L.R.
Iwanowicz, D.A. Alvarez, R.A. Brightbill, Geoffrey D. Smith,
W.T. Foreman and R. Manning. Reproductive health indicators
of fishes from Pennsylvania watersheds: Association with
chemicals of emerging concern. Environmental Monitoring
and Assessment.
This study assessed the reproductive endocrine disruption
of various fish species in different parts of Pennsylvania and the
factors that contributed to it. Some of the data reported includes
adult Smallmouth Bass that have been collected as part of the
on-going investigation of the Susquehanna River

2014

* Wnuk, Rob T., Factors influencing Walleye (Sander vitreus)
year class strength in the upper Susquehanna River. Journal of the
Pennsylvania Academy of Science.
Rob Wnuk is PFBC's Area Fisheries Manager for
northeastern Pennsylvania.
This article is about the successful development of a predictive
model that relates the river flows in May and June and the air
temperature in July to the year class strength of Walleye in the
upper Susquehanna River.
* Hosack, Michael A., J. Hansen and Ned J. Horner.
Dynamics of an introduced and unexploited Lake Whitefish
population in Lake Pend Orielle, Idaho. North American
Journal of Fisheries Management.
Michael A. Hosack is a Fisheries Biologist in the PFBC Lake
Erie office.
This study evaluated the biological potential of a commercial
fishery for a population of Lake Whitefish that was in an unfished
condition, which is rare for any fishery.
* Detar, Jason E., Dave Kristine, T. Wagner and T. Greene.
Evaluation of catch and release regulations on Brook Trout in
Pennsylvania streams. North American Journal of
Fisheries Management.
Dave Kristine is a Fisheries Biologist who works in the Area
Fisheries Management office in northcentral Pennsylvania.
Tom Greene is PFBC's Coldwater Unit Leader.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * January/February 2015

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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - January/February 2015

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