Comparison of Historical Fish Abundance Data to Present Data in Ohio Freshwater Habitats
Advisor(s)
Dr. Elizabeth Tristano
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Poster
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Start Date
11-4-2025 12:00 PM
End Date
11-4-2025 12:50 PM
Abstract
Surveillance of sensitive taxa in Ohio waterways is crucial to monitoring changes in stream habitats that could impact species that rely on certain conditions in order for survival. Water chemistry parameters can be measured to detect change and are important factors in understanding specifically what is affecting freshwater habitats. A combination of chemical factors and the biological assessment of sensitive species such as fish can provide better insight as to why population abundances change. Historically, Ohio Northern University has conducted fish surveys via electrofishing in streams and lakes across Ohio. This study aims to compare fish communities across years, pooling historical datasets and current sampling data to understand how fish communities may have changed throughout Ohio over time and in response to changing environmental factors. We compiled fish community data collected from the 1980s, 1990s, and the 2020s, sorted them by year and geographical location, and calculated catch per unit effort (CPUE) and a Shannon diversity index for each data subset. We hope to use these data to track trends in fish community abundance and diversity across Ohio over the past four decades.
Recommended Citation
Denslow, Katelin M. and Meadows, Madison K., "Comparison of Historical Fish Abundance Data to Present Data in Ohio Freshwater Habitats" (2025). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 84.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2025/Posters/84
Restricted
Available to ONU community via local IP address and ONU login.
Comparison of Historical Fish Abundance Data to Present Data in Ohio Freshwater Habitats
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Surveillance of sensitive taxa in Ohio waterways is crucial to monitoring changes in stream habitats that could impact species that rely on certain conditions in order for survival. Water chemistry parameters can be measured to detect change and are important factors in understanding specifically what is affecting freshwater habitats. A combination of chemical factors and the biological assessment of sensitive species such as fish can provide better insight as to why population abundances change. Historically, Ohio Northern University has conducted fish surveys via electrofishing in streams and lakes across Ohio. This study aims to compare fish communities across years, pooling historical datasets and current sampling data to understand how fish communities may have changed throughout Ohio over time and in response to changing environmental factors. We compiled fish community data collected from the 1980s, 1990s, and the 2020s, sorted them by year and geographical location, and calculated catch per unit effort (CPUE) and a Shannon diversity index for each data subset. We hope to use these data to track trends in fish community abundance and diversity across Ohio over the past four decades.