Fisheries, Subsistence, and Habitat
Publications Searchable Database
Search Again| Division: | Sport Fish |
| Title: | Operational Plan: Matanuska-Susitna Valley invasive northern pike surveying and monitoring. |
| Author: | Bradley, P., C. Jacobson, and K. Dunker. |
| Year: | 2020 |
| Report ID: | Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Regional Operational Plan ROP.SF.2A.2020.19, Anchorage. |
| Abstract: | This project will conduct surveys to detect invasive northern pike Esox lucius (“pike”) and determine baseline catch per unit effort (CPUE) throughout the Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Valley. Mat-Su water bodies will be prioritized for sampling based on whether they fall into 1 of 4 categories: Waters with known pike presence, waters with unconfirmed or suspected pike populations, waters with new credible reports of pike, and vulnerable waters with no known pike populations. For waters in the first 3 categories, northern pike will be detected by means of gillnet surveys using a standardized protocol that adjusts netting effort to lake littoral area. In vulnerable waters where no known pike population occurs, environmental DNA (eDNA) detection methods will be the primary monitoring method. Results from this survey and monitoring project will be used to refine the known distribution of pike in the Mat-Su Valley, increase the likelihood of early detections of new populations, and help prioritize future pike suppression and eradication projects in the Mat-Su Valley. |
| Keywords: | invasive species, northern pike, Esox lucius, Matanuska-Susitna Valley, eDNA. |