Principles in Fishery Management: An online course for the MNR degree
WATS 6650 3 credits
Spring 2014
Instructor
Chris Luecke
Chris.luecke@gmail.com
435-764-6033
Textbook
Inland Fisheries Management in North America, 3rd edition
Hubert, W.A. and M.C. Quist 2010
Class will use Canvas as a platform
Access to a PC or Apple computer is required
Familiarity with Excel spreadsheets is assumed
Needed simulation software will be provided
We will meet via a Web Conference each Thursday from 5-6pm. The conference tool on
the Canvas web site will be used to allow all of your to chime in with questions,
comments, or discussions about the course material. This period will be a good
opportunity to resolve issues concerning the weekly class assignment.
Goals of the class
1. Learn fundamental principles of fisheries management
2. Gaining factual knowledge of methods used by fishery managers
3. Developing specific skills to assess human impacts on biodiversity of fishes
Week 1 General Introduction (Jan. 6)
Goals and policy for fisheries management pp. 1-41
Assignment – Write a 3-page paper describing an example of how a commonly
accepted fisheries management technique caused problems for current fisheries managers
Due – January 13
Week 2 Fish Population Dynamics (Jan. 13) pp. 43-62
Mortality, Growth, Recruitment
Assignment - Complete Excel assignment on survival, length-mass relationships,
and recruitment.
Due – Jan. 21
Week 3 Use of Fisheries Models (Jan.21) pp. 62-79
Analysis of the interaction of growth, survival, and reproduction
Assignment – Assess the fitness of land-locked kokanee and sea run Sockeye
Salmon in Redfish Lake, and Excel analysis
Due – Jan. 27
Week 4 Bioenergetics models to assess population performance (Jan. 27)
Reading will be posted
Assignment – Estimate the growth rate of yellow perch in Lake Mendota if
climate change causes 2.0 degree increase in water temperature, Use Wisconsin
Bioenergetics model.
Due – Feb. 3
Week 5 – Environmental Conditions (Feb. 3)
Reading – Magnuson et al. 1979. Temperature as an Ecological Resource. Am.
Zool. 19: 331-343.
Assignment – Prediction of impacts of climate warming on assemblage of fishes
Use the Wisconsin Bioenergetics Model
Due – Feb. 10
Week 6 – Fish behavior and Fitness (Feb. 10)
Reading – Halpin 2000 Mar. Ecol. Prog. Series 198:203-214.
Assignment - Write a 3 page paper describing how the results of Halpin’s study
of mummichogs could influence fisheries management in the intermountain west.
Due – Feb. 18
Week 7 – Scale and Fisheries Management (Feb. 18) pp. 81-105
Assignment – Write a 3-page paper on how the distribution of native fishes in
Utah has been influenced by our geologic history, watershed configuration, and climate.
Due Feb 24
Week 8 – The Process of Fisheries Management (Feb. 24) pp. 133-156
Assignment – Write a 3-page paper describing adaptive management of fish
stocks and provide an example.
Due – March 3
Week 9 – Regulating Harvest (March 3) pp. 185-212
Midterm Exam
Due March 14
Week 10 – Spring Break March 10-14
No class
Week 11 – Managing Undesired and Invading Fishes (March 17) pp. 213-260
Assignment – Write a 3-page paper on Integrated Pest Management for undesired
fish species.
Due March 24
Week 12 – Ecology and Management of Lake Food Webs (March 24) pp. 395-424
Assignment – Describe how the increase in nutrient concentrations in lakes have
resulted in both advantages and disadvantages to fisheries production?
Due – March
31.
Week 13 – Coldwater Streams (March 31) pp. 587-618
Assignment – Describe (3-pages) how the use of barrier management has been
used to improve salmonid conservation.
Due – April 7
Week 14 – Use of Social and Economic Information (April 5) pp. 425-447.
Homework is to work on student presentations. Send draft powerpoint to instructor.
Due – April 14
Week 15 – April 21
Graduate Student Presentation on April 24
Final exam – Due May 1
Grading for WATS 6650
Weekly assignments (10 points each)
Midterm exam
Final Exam
Class presentation
120 points
80 points
100 points
100 points
Total points
400 points
Plagiarism Recently a number of cases of plagiarism have been reported where a student turned
in a paper in which the student simply cut and pasted passages from a series of web pages. In
our new information age it is worthwhile to remind everyone about the sections of the
student code that deal with cheating and plagiarism.
“Acts of academic dishonesty.
Cheating includes intentionally: (1) using or attempting to use or providing others
with any unauthorized assistance in taking quizzes, tests, examinations, or in any
other academic exercise or activity; (2) depending upon the aid of sources beyond
those authorized by the instructor in writing papers, preparing reports, solving
problems, or carrying out other assignments; (3) substituting for another student, or
permitting another student to substitute for oneself, in taking an examination or
preparing academic work; (4) acquiring tests or other academic material belonging to
a faculty member, staff member, or another student without express permission; (5)
engaging in any form of research fraud.
It also includes the unacknowledged use of materials prepared by another person or
agency engaged in the selling of term papers or other academic materials. “USU
Student Code: Article V”