Identify and Assess Threats to NE Species of Greatest Conservation Need

Determining the Effects of Landlocked Alewives on Anadromous Alewife Restoration

Dam removal and fish passage projects are a critical component of anadromous alewife restoration, reconnecting runs to prime spawning habitat in coastal lakes. However, landlocked alewife populations have become established in many coastal New England lakes. The effects of landlocked alewives on anadromous alewife restoration are currently unknown. We investigated the effects of landlocked alewife presence on anadromous alewife restoration in Rogers Lake, which once hosted one of the largest anadromous alewife runs in Connecticut.

Detecting the extent of mortality events from Ranavirus in amphibians in the Northeastern U.S.

Emerging infectious diseases are one of the most important factors contributing to global amphibian declines and have been implicated in local extinctions of several species. Amphibian declines due to the Chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), have received considerable and well-deserved attention over the last decade. However, reports of significant mortality due to outbreaks of Ranavirus (Family Iridoviridae) are becoming increasingly common in the U.S. with the reported number of die-offs 3-4X greater than for Bd.

Assessment and evaluation of prevalence of fungal dermatitis in New England Timber Rattlesnake populations

Historically, the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) occurred in all six New England states.  The species is now extirpated from Maine and Rhode Island, and is close to extirpation in New Hampshire and Vermont with only one and two remaining populations, respectively.  Since 2009, Timber Rattlesnakes from separate populations in eastern, central and western Massachusetts have been found to have significant disease identified as fungal dermatitis.  Fungal dermatitis has been previously documented as a cause of morbidity and mortality in both captive and free-ranging Viperidae snakes (Che

Subscribe to RSS - Identify and Assess Threats to NE Species of Greatest Conservation Need