Research Programs: Aquatic Nuisance Species and Aquatic Ecosystem Health

The Bozeman Fish Technology Center is developing an Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Aquatic Nuisance Species Program to provide a field, research and technical assistance component to the US Fish and Wildlife Service in addressing issues of national aquatic significance related to fish hatchery products and operations.  The Aquatic Ecosystem Health (AEH) Program provides technical assistance for water quality, conservation, monitoring, and effluent, contaminants, fish health and immunology, pathogen escapement and transfer, and other hatchery management issues.  This program includes technical assistance to hatchery management and staff as well as research and technology development.  The Center’s AEH Program is an innovative approach for the Service to promote and maintain aquatic health where National Fish Hatchery facilities impact natural waterways.  The Service can also provide guidance to partners whose industry and management negatively impact waterways.  Managing for good water quality, reducing contaminants, maintaining biodiversity and diverse habitat, and implementing decontamination and preventative protocols is managing for overall aquatic ecosystem health. 

The ANS program compliments existing ANS efforts regionally and nationally in providing state and partnership coordination and grants.  The BFTC is an ideal location for this program as it is a research facility and is located on the frontier of inland west invasion where colonization vectors, pathways and impacts can be evaluated as well as investigating controls and developing monitoring techniques.  The Center’s ANS program offers technical assistance in monitoring, detecting and preventing ANS to US FWS stations and other partners as well as conducting research on pertinent issues. 

The ANS Program has assisted with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) planning.   HACCP plans describe protocols to stop the spread of Aquatic Nuisance Species. Center efforts have assisted nearly 20 Fisheries field stations in the northwest and mountain-prairie regions to develop HACCP plans.   In recent months, the Center is providing HACCP training and planning assistance to Ecological Services offices in the Mountain-Prairie region.

Lead Researchers: Linda Beck and Cal Fraser

Current Projects | Current Publications