Fisheries Biology

At the University of North Dakota

Fisheries courses

UND Fishes of North Dakota Web Site

ND Fishes CD

Current Research Projects

Fish ecophysiology

A Comparison of fish community structure in relation to habitat variables in three North Dakota streams

Movement and habitat usage of channel catfish in the Red River of the North

Representative Publications of the UND Fisheries Research Lab

Links

Contact Information

Fisheries Courses

The University Of North Dakota offers Bachelor of Science, Master of Science (thesis and non-thesis option), Doctor or Philosophy, and Doctor of Arts Degrees in Biology, and Bachelor of Science degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology. Courses specifically related to fisheries biology include: Biol. 425, Ichthyology and Laboratory. 3 credits. Structure and function, anatomy, physiology, behavior, classification, distribution, and ecological aspects of fishes.

Biol. 432, Fish and Wildlife Disease. 3 credits. A detailed survey of bacteriologic, viral, and mycotic diseases, parasites, and pathological conditions found in fish and wildlife species. Material covered will include importance, etiology, diagnosis, symptoms, lesions, pathogenicity, vectors, and modes of transmission.

Biol. 433; Aquatic Ecology; 3 credits; Analysis of the relationships between organisms and their physical, chemical, and biological environments in freshwater ecosystems.

Biol. 438, Fisheries management and Laboratory. 3 credits. Concepts and approaches to the management of freshwater fisheries. Course will include discussion of life histories and requirements of important regional sport fishers.

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Current Research Projects

There are currently several fisheries research projects being conducted by faculty and students. These include:


*Blacknose Dace*	*Bluntnose Minnow*

Fish Ecophysiology

Dr. Steve Kelsch

One of the major research interests at the UND fisheries research lab is the study of responses of fishes to abiotic environmental variables. We have been testing the basic hypothesis that fishes tend to frequent habitats that maximize their scope for activity--essentially selecting habitats that give them the potential to generate the most available power (power left after standard metabolic power costs have been paid). Results of our work suggest that at least some fishes behaviorally select temperatures that maximize their metabolic scope (Kelsch and Neill 1990) and that at least one selects temperatures in proportion to available power (Kelsch 1996). The value of this concept is that available power is measurable and appears to be an integrated function of all abiotic environmental variables.

We are currently testing the idea that the stress response is an adaptive mechanism enabling fishes to appropriately respond to dangerous and unknown environmental stimuli including such biotic environmental variables as the presence of predators or competitors. The rationale that we are testing is that available power is reduced in the vicinity of an environmental stressor, perhaps by causing power to be shunted to emergency systems, so the tendency to maximize available power results in avoidance of the stressor. Because the stress response is mediated by the neuroendocrine system, it can be influenced by learning. The advantage of such a system is that fishes can avoid unknown and dangerous environmental stimuli while gaining time for learning that some unknown stimuli are benign. Essentially fishes may be able to learn not be stressed by new non-dangerous stimuli.

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The effects of fluctuating water levels on critical fish habitat in Devils Lake, North Dakota

Ryan Krapp and Steve Kelsch

This objectives of this study are to develop a Geographic Information System (GIS) baseline map and project for the Devils Lake watershed, to characterize and quantify the terrestrial and aquatic habitat in the Devils Lake basin, to characterize and quantify the terrestrial habitat inundated by Devils Lake during its recent rise., to study the changes in structural integrity of submerged habitats over time, to develop a Devils Lake salinity model for the purpose of predicting salinity as a function of lake surface elevation, to develop a Devils Lake habitat model for the purpose of predicting fish habitat availability as a function of lake surface elevation., and to use the GIS project to analyze the existing quality and quantity of critical fish habitat in Devils Lake.

Electrofishing on the Park River

A comparison of fish community structure in relation to habitat variables in three North Dakota streams.

David DeKrey and Dr. Steve Kelsch

During the summers of 1996 and 1997, a survey of stream fishes was done on the Park, Forest and Pembina Rivers, three tributaries of the Red River of the North. Indices of Biotic Integrity (IBI) were calculated for each sample site in each of the rivers. The effect of sampling method and time of year on IBI score was examined. Species distributions were related to a suite of habitat variables using a variety of multivariate techniques. A final report is currently being prepared and will be submitted to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department by January 31, 1998. Back to top

Channel Catfish

Movement and habitat usage by channel catfish in the Red River of the North

Jamison Wendel and Dr. Steve Kelsch

We are using radio telemetry to examine the movements and habitat usage of channel catfish in the Red River of the North. The specific objectives of this study are:

1) to determine seasonal and short-term movements of channel catfish and the effects of low-head dam on movement.

2) to determine seasonal and short-term home range and total range of channel catfish

3) to examine habitat preference of channel catfish, particularly the use of cover

4) to determine over wintering areas of channel catfish in the Red River.

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Representative Publications of the UND Fisheries Research Lab:

Kelsch, S. W. and J. L. Wendel, 2004. Lotic habitat availability and use by channel catfish in the Red River of the North. Journal of Freshwater Biology. 19:473-484.

Wendel, J. L. and S. W. Kelsch. 1999. Summer range and movement of channel catfish in the Red River of the North. Pages 203-214 in E. R. Irwin, W. A. Hubert, C. F. Rabeni, H. L. Schramm, Jr., and T. Coon, editors. Catfish 2000: proceedings of the international ictalurid symposium. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 24, Bethesda, Maryland.

Johnson, J. A., and S. W. Kelsch. 1998. Effects of evolutionary thermal environment on temperature-preference relationships in fishes. Environmental Biology of Fishes 53:447-458

Kelsch, S. W. 1996. Temperature selection and performance by bluegills: evidence for selection in response to available power. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 125:948-955.

Kelsch, S. W., and B. Shields. 1996. Care and handling of sampled organisms. Pages 121-155 (Chapter 5) In Fisheries Techniques, 2nd Edition, B. Murphy and D. Willis (eds.). American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

Kelsch, S. W. 1995. Patterns of morphometric variation in the channel and headwater catfishes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 124:272-279.

Kelsch, S. W. 1994. Lotic fish-community structure following transition from severe drought to high discharge. Journal of Freshwater Ecology 9:331-341.

Kelsch, S. W., and F. S. Hendricks. 1990. Distribution of the headwater catfish Ictalurus lupus (Pisces: Ictaluridae). Southwestern Naturalist 35:292-297.

Kelsch, S. W., and W. H. Neill. 1990. Temperature preference vs. acclimation in fishes: Selection for changing metabolic optima. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 119:601-610.

Bryan, J. D., S. W. Kelsch, and W. H. Neill. 1990. The maximum power principle in behavioral thermoregulation by fishes. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 119:611-621.

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Links

Dr. Steve Kelsch

UND Fishes of North Dakota Web Site

University of North Dakota , Biology Graduate Program

University of North Dakota Biology Department

American Fisheries Society

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Contact Information

Questions about fisheries biology at the University Of North Dakota can be forwarded to:

Steve Kelsch

steven_kelsch@und.nodak.edu