Gear efficiency and habitat use of age-1 pallid sturgeon in the lower missouri riverproject period:05 23 2024 - 12 31 2026CONDUCTING a study to assess sampling gear efficiency and habitat use of age-1…

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) awarded a $113,207.55 Cooperative Agreement under the Cooperative Research Units (CFDA 15.812) program to Oklahoma State University (OSU) for a project titled "Gear Efficiency and Habitat Use of Age-1 Pallid Sturgeon in the Lower Missouri River." The project aims to assess the capture probability and habitat use of young (age-1) pallid sturgeon, an endangered species, in the lower Missouri River. OSU will use various sampling gears and ultrasonic telemetry to examine the effectiveness of different methods for monitoring this population and describe the habitats utilized by the fish. The research findings will be delivered in the form of a master's thesis, final report, and draft manuscripts to support the monitoring goals of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The project period runs from May 2024 through December 2026.

Gear efficiency and habitat use of age-1 pallid sturgeon in the lower missouri riverproject period:05 23 2024 - 12 31 2026CONDUCTING a study to assess sampling gear efficiency and habitat use of age-1 pallid sturgeon in the lower missouri river would further the monitoring goals of the USACE and improve understanding of pallid sturgeon recruitment. Although limited recruitment of pallid sturgeon population is occurring, the rates at which recruitment is occurring and the primary factors driving recruitment variability and year-class strength are poorly understood. The development of an age-1 monitoring program is necessary as the USACE has an objective of increasing recruitment of pallid sturgeon to age-1 as stated in the USFWS biological opinion. The goal is to assess the habitat use and capture probability of age-1 pallid sturgeon in the lower missouri river from among several commonly employed sampling gears. Include a plain language description award purpose (avoid acronyms or federal or agency-specific terminology) - the pallid sturgeon is an endangered species that lives in large rivers, such as the missouri river. There is a lack of information regarding the life history of this species, especially for young individuals ( 2 years old). This research will help researchers design better sampling methods for capturing young individuals by examining the kinds of equipment that has the best success. Also, this research will use telemetry to find tagged fish and describe the habitat in which they reside. Activities to be performed - an examination of existing data will be conducted.different sampling gear will be used in areas stocked with pallid sturgeon.ultrasonic telemetry will be used to determine habitat use of pallid sturgeon. Deliverables and expected outcomes -a MS thesis, final report, and draft manuscripts detailing the findings will be delivered. Intended beneficiary(IES) -US fish and wildlife serviceus army corps of engineers subrecipient activities, if known or specified at the time of award -none