36-6 The Hudson River eel project: Fish conservation through citizen science

Wednesday, September 15, 2010: 9:40 AM
319 (Convention Center)
Christopher H. Bowser , Hudson River Estuary Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Staatsburg, NY
Species face conservation challenges not just in “far-away” places but in our local waterways as well. American eels are important migratory fish along the entire Atlantic Coast, yet recent declines are poorly understood.
The Eel Project, initiated by the NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program, involves over 150 diverse community members in shared goals and methodologies to study juvenile eels during their migrations from sea to stream.  March through May, fyke nets staked in nine tidal stream mouths are checked daily by teams of trained citizen-scientists from high schools, colleges, nature centers, and watershed groups. Thousands of year-old “glass eels”, newly arrived from the Atlantic, are counted, weighed and released, while environmental conditions and herring sightings are also recorded. Participants answer conservation questions about recruitment along 150 miles of tidal estuary from urban streams to rural creeks. Three years of data yield information about the timing and strength of migrations, suggest favorable conditions of temperature, tide, and habitat, and help managers prioritize restoration efforts such as barrier passage.
A highly diverse group of citizen-scientists is supported by trainings, classroom and community presentations, and a strong interest by state agency scientists. Those involved experience real benefits to themselves and fisheries science.