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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Harry K. Dupree Stuttgart National Aquaculture Research Cntr » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #125887
Title: "RECENT DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT RESEARCH NEAR SOUTHEASTERN AQUACULTURE."

Author
item WERNER, SCOTT - USDA/APHIS/NWRC
item Radomski, Andrew

Submitted to: Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2001
Publication Date: 10/1/2001
Citation: WERNER, S., RADOMSKI, A.A. "RECENT DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT RESEARCH NEAR SOUTHEASTERN AQUACULTURE.". SOUTHEASTERN ASSOCIATION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES CONFERENCE. 2001. p.16.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The increased abundance of double-crested cormorants (DCCO) in the United States was concomitant with the rapid increase in the commercial production of freshwater fishes, particularly in southeastern states. The fundamental biology of DCCO and their impacts to aquaculture production have been investigated since 1988. Aerial and terrestrial observations of DCCO wintering in the delta region of MS have illustrated DCCO population trends adjacent to southeastern facilities since 1990. The impact of DCCO to catfish production has been assessed via food habits studies (i.e., diet species richness and diversity via macroscopic inspection of discernable food items in the stomach and esophagus of collected DCCO; n = 663); bioenergetic predictions; and controlled experimentation. The economic implications of these impact data have also been recently calculated. In addition to the development of various non- lethal methods to temporarily disperse DCCO from aquaculture facilities, USDA researchers are presently using satellite telemetry to investigate the annual range of DCCO captured near southeastern aquaculture facilities in winter and at a traditional breeding colony in spring.