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Comparison of point and transect-based electrofishing to sampleAmerican eel (Anguilla rostrata) in wadeable riverinehabitats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2011

S. M. Reid
S. M. Reid*
Affiliation:
Aquatic Research and Development Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, K9J 7B8 Ontario, Canada
*
a Corresponding author:reid.scott@ontario.ca
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Abstract

Dramatic declines in American eel (Anguilla rostrata) recruitment haveresulted in strong conservation measures being implemented. Recovery actions in Ontariohave included stocking of glass eels. Given the financial costs and imperative toundertake effective recovery actions, post-stocking monitoring is essential. In thisstudy, point- and transect electrofishing sampling were compared in terms of eeldetection, catch rates, size-selectivity, and power to detect changes in abundance.Transect sampling was more likely to detect eels and captured over twice the number ofeels than point-sampling. Differences in catch rates and statistical power were dependenton the catch-per-unit-effort measure (i.e. sampling unit vs. time). Results support atransect-based sampling program for stocked eels in Lake Ontario tributaries.

Keywords

MonitoringRiversAmerican eelAnguilla rostrata
Type
Brief Report
Information
Aquatic Living Resources , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , January 2011 , pp. 79 - 83
Copyright
© EDP Sciences, IFREMER, IRD 2011

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