News
Submitted by Dan Isaak KEY POINTS Massive amounts of water quality data, biological surveys, and habitat condition assessments have been collected by natural resource organizations throughout the U.S. The National Stream Internet (NSI) project developed an analytical infrastructure that can be used consistently anywhere with existing stream databases. Status and trend assessments for the nation’s... Read More
Submitted by Daniel Walker Fisheries managers, aquatic ecologists, and others interested in studying the habitat quality and availability for fish species in freshwater systems often face an uphill battle. Unlike our esteemed colleagues in the field of terrestrial ecology, we usually cannot rely on widely available satellite imagery and high resolution topographic maps to detail... Read More
For more than 10 years, AFS/FITS has coordinated the development of the Multistate Aquatic Resources Information System (MARIS). As we plan for the future of fisheries information sharing, it is productive to take a retrospective view of what has worked well, and what lessons we have learned, from the past experiences in developing MARIS. If... Read More
Submitted by Jeff Kopaska The AFS Fisheries Information & Technology Section (AFS-FITS) is in the process of reviewing some of the important pieces of software it has provided over the years. Recent changes in operating systems for PC computers have rendered older programs potentially unusable in current environments. These issues led AFS-FITS to work with... Read More
Submitted by Damon Hess and Katie Pierson November 18 (Portland, OR) – In a packed conference room of 109 participants from 35 organizations, Bill Bradbury challenged attendees at the “Emerging Technologies in Field Data Collection” workshop to become more efficient in their monitoring activities. As Northwest Power and Conservation Council Chair, Mr. Bradbury has been... Read More
Submitted by Pam Fuller The U.S. Geological Survey’s Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) database (http://nas.er.usgs.gov) functions as a repository and clearinghouse for occurrence information on nonindigenous aquatic species from across the United States. The NAS database contains spatially referenced biogeographic information on more than 1,000 species introduced since 1800, including foreign species and North American native... Read More
Submitted by Andy Loftus The popular software Fishery Analysis and Modelling Simulator (FAMS) that AFS offered for Windows XP and earlier machines has been recently upgraded and enhanced to make it operable on Windows 7 & 8. The software, which is designed to simulate and evaluate the dynamics of exploited fish populations, allows for the... Read More
Symposium Summary The Fisheries Information and Technology Section and Socioeconomics Section co-hosted a symposium this year to highlight the use of new and innovative technologies in the study of fisheries resources and resource users. There was an excellent session that covered a range of topics from recreational and commercial data collection to the study of... Read More
Submitted by Steve R. Chipps FITS members – a quick update on Fish Bioenergetics 4.0. This summer we finalized a database that contains parameter estimates for 108 bioenergetics models — quite an increase from the 33 models in Fish Bioenergetics 3.0! We also completed a literature review of bioenergetics models and developed an Endnote library... Read More
The 2014 Conference and Annual Meeting of the Organization of Fish & Wildlife Information Managers was held in Flagstaff, AZ September 28 – October 2, 2014. Approximately 60 members and guests attended and shared more than 40 posters and technical presentations. Training classes on Python and Fulcrum were offered. There was fine weather for field... Read More
