Webinar #1 – January 9, 2024 – Standardized Sampling Review
Part One – The impact that spending time this winter descaling your electrofishing boat can have on the consistency of your boat’s operation. Lewis Bruce, Iowa DNR, [email protected]
Part Two – Understanding catchability and how it relates outcomes from standard methods to the underlying population. This supports the fundamental assumption that consistent, effective methods facilitate comparisons through time and space. Joe Conroy, Ohio DNR, [email protected].
Click here for a link to the recording.
Webinar #2 – February 13, 2024 – Mentoring
A team of panelists (Hadley Boehm, Kevin Dockendorf, Eric Palkovacs, and Jesse Trushenski) from across the diversity of AFS provided their insights on mentoring and answered questions posed by the participants and moderators.
Click here for a link to the recording.
Webinar #3 – March 19, 2024 – Statistics
Dr. Jason Doll, Francis Marion University presented on the appropriate times to use frequentist and Bayesian statistical approaches in fisheries applications.
Drs. Dan Isermann and Dan Dembkowski from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point addressed basic things that fisheries managers look at, such as age and growth data, length frequencies, and catch-effort. They talked about some of these things and what managers should contemplate as they consider these analyses.
Click here for a link to the recording.
Webinar #4 – December 4, 2024 – Conservation Milestone: Apache Trout Delisting
This webinar provides an in-depth discussion on the historic delisting of the Apache Trout from the Endangered Species Act. On September 6, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially announced the removal of Apache Trout from federal protections, marking a significant conservation achievement. This milestone was made possible through a collaborative effort between government agencies, the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and Trout Unlimited. During this webinar, you’ll learn about the strategies and partnerships that led to the success, as well as the ongoing efforts to ensure the continued conservation of this iconic species.
Speakers: Julie Carter and Zach Beard, Arizona Game and Fish Department; Zac Jackson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Click here for a link to the recording.
Webinar #5 – February 19, 2025 – Aquatic Vegetation Management
This webinar is comprised of two presentations focused around aquatic vegetation management.
Eurasian watermilfoil is an invasive aquatic plant that poses significant ecological and economic threats to freshwater ecosystems, particularly in lakes. This presentation will focus on effective strategies for surveying and managing Eurasian watermilfoil populations to protect lake health. We will explore current methods of surveying, and GPS-based mapping, to accurately monitor the spread and density of this invasive species. Additionally, the talk will cover management approaches using chemical treatments and timing of treatments.
Speakers: Jason Euchner, Aquatic Vegetation Management Biologist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Lake restoration projects in Iowa focus on improved water quality, nutrient management, and habitat restoration. Many of the management actions taken during these projects focus on long-term improvements and stability, but some actions can produce an immediate impact, shifting a lake between turbid and clear water stable states. This shift can have dramatic impacts on aquatic plant densities and diversity. This shift in aquatic plant communities can then trigger a rapid shift in the fish community. These changes have positive ecological impacts and improve fishing opportunities, but this rapid shift in lake biology may present challenges for some users. The methods for lake restoration on three northwest Iowa natural lakes will be discussed along with the impacts on plant and fish communities. Challenges associated with public perception and invasive species will also be presented.
