143rd Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society

September 08 - 14, 2013

Pilots guide vessels through dangerous or congested waters with their detailed knowledge of local waterways.  In that way, The American Institute of Research Fisheries Biologist is looking to bring together big river experts to discuss the challenges ahead.  The symposium will display the current status of the big rivers of North America, highlighting issues related to climate change, habitat, and invasive species.  Talks will cover a wide geographic range from the Northwest to the Great Lakes down to the Mississippi delta and back up the East coast.  Besides species specific presentations, topics will also include sediment transport, nutrient flux, and habitat restoration.  The symposium will also look to bridge the gap between riverine and marine environments as issues effecting big rivers in turn affect estuaries and ultimately the ocean.  Topics will also cover diadromous species which utilize both big rivers and the ocean.  The objective of the symposium will be to identify significant challenges ahead and compare the best practices for dealing with them.  Participants at the Annual Meeting in Little Rock will take away a greater understanding of big river systems, their importance to the local ecosystems, their broader connectivity to the marine environment, and the challenges ahead.  Protecting and monitoring these big river systems will be vital to creating truly sustainable fisheries.