Welcome to the interactive web schedule for the 2019 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference! Please note, this event has passed. To return to the main Conference website, go to: www.midwestfw.org.
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CONFERENCE SCHEDULE UPDATES & CHANGES: As a result of the prolonged government shutdown, we experienced a number of cancellations and changes to the schedule. Cancellations and changes are listed here (as of January 26, 2019).
AUTHORS: Dakota Radford, Cassi Moody-Carpenter, Robert Colombo – Eastern Illinois University
ABSTRACT: Blue Suckers, Cycleptus elongatus, in the Wabash River bounding southern Illinois from southern Indiana are one of few readily surveyable assemblages of this species. Understanding the demographics of this population is an important measure to inform the conservation of a species critically imperiled in parts of its range. We used nine years of Blue Sucker samples (n=499) collected via randomized DC electrofish sampling for a long-term Wabash River fish monitoring program to draw conclusions about population density, size structure, and condition. We identified dominant size classes at 601-650mm total length (25.1%) and 651-700mm total length (27.6%) based on samples ranging from 66-775mm (mean 617.0mm). In-progress research includes a comparison of conflicting methods and results for Blue Sucker aging, a morphological comparison and histological study of Blue Sucker gonads, and genetic analysis using microsatellite loci to compare heterogeneity against geographic distance. It is the goal of this research to inform Blue Sucker assessment methods and management of this declining species by enhancing our understanding of functional Blue Sucker populations, and to provide a snapshot of an assemblage of this species.