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Warm Springs Celebrates 110 Years During Open House

The Fish Technology Center (FTC) participated in the annual Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery Open House on September 26, 2009. This event celebrated the hatchery’s 110th year of operation and focused on promoting the USFWS mission and Warm Springs conservation efforts, improving communication and relationships with the local community, and encouraging people to become environmental stewards in their community. This year, more than 200 people attended and learned about the fisheries programs at Warm Springs. William Wayman, Nicole Rankin, Bill Bouthillier, and Ashantye’ Williams were present for the FTC. Other participants included staff from the Regional Fisheries Center, Fish Health Center, and National Fish Hatchery, members of the Friends of the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery, and several other volunteers.

 

FTC staff set up displays and computers to highlight cryopreservation, conservation genetics, and freshwater mussel research efforts. Two video screens provided information on sturgeon conservation in the United States and internship opportunities with the USFWS. The FTC egg trailer was the largest display and demonstrated egg incubation techniques. A 50-gallon touch tank with crayfish, salamanders, and turtles and a 500-gallon tank with shortnose sturgeon were the most popular attractions at this year’s event; FTC biologists discussed sturgeon conservation including cryopreservation, genetics, and spawning efforts to attendees.

 

 

 

Assisting the Warm Springs NFH with Lake Sturgeon Marking

Fish Technology Center biologists, Chester Figiel and Nicole Rankin, assisted the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery on October 7, 2009 with marking juvenile (15-20 cm) lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens. Since 2000, the hatchery has been rearing lake sturgeon in an effort to reintroduce lake sturgeon in the Lower French Broad River in TN and the Coosa River in GA. Fish are marked by removing one or two scutes using a curved scalpel. The scutes are removed in a certain pattern each year, and this pattern helps to determine the year-class of fish when recaptured. These fish were stocked as part of restoration efforts in the Tennessee River watershed in collaboration with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

 

 

 

Lake Harding Mussel Survey

Bill Bouthillier, fish biologist at the Fish Technology Center, assisted Georgia Power Company (GPC) representatives in a mussel fauna survey at Lake Harding during a planned maintenance drawdown on October 15 and 16, 2009. The survey was conducted during this drawdown with the hopes of temporarily uncovering mussels and potential mussel habitat in tributaries and other shoreline areas that are typically inundated by the normal operating pool. Despite the rainy mornings, cold water temperatures, and recent flooding, the surveyors found over 500 mussels in the lake during two days of surveying. Other survey participants included Sandy Abbott and Beau Dudley from the Fort Benning Ecological Services Field Office, staff from Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and biologists from Columbus State University. This combined effort was a great success and resulted in further partnership building and inter-agency cooperation among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state, and academic partners.

 

 

 

National Fish Strain Registry Has Changed Servers

As of October 16, 2009, the National Fish Strain Registry (NFSR) database is available on a new server at https://systems.fws.gov/nfsr. The graphical user interface and database functionality have remained the same, but the initial log-in screen has changed. Registered users can visit the NFSR website and log-in using their USFWS active directory username and password. To request access to the NFSR, please email Chester Figiel (chester_figiel@fws.gov) and Nicole Rankin (nicole_rankin@fws.gov). The NFSR is an internet-based program that assembles information on the life history, genetics, reproduction, and behavior of wild populations and domestic broodstock strains. This management tool is available for use by federal and state governments, private producers, and tribal entities.