CFI Newsletter: February 2024
Happenings in the Hatchery
Recirculating System at Conservation Fisheries, Inc., photo by Ben Calvert
“Spring” on Breeding Season!
For most folks, February probably still feels like winter. But for the fish and biologists at Conservation Fisheries, Inc., it means spring time! This year CFI will care for 20 species, but not all of them will spawn (exhibit courting behavior and/or lay eggs) at the same time. The timing differences are largely due to the temperature preference of each species, and we see different species spawn from late February through August. The species that we anticipate seeing getting fired up soon include the Roanoke Logperch and Leopard Darter, followed closely by the Blotchside Logperch and Boulder Darter.
When the New Year hits and we start looking forward to the spring, CFI biologists know it’s time to make preparations for this year’s spawning season! Each species takes residence in at least one recirculating system, which is a large, 3-shelf steel rack that holds up to 21 fish tanks. These tanks are all interconnected by plumbing, ensuring that all tanks on the recirculating system have the same water conditions that are favorable to the given species. To prepare for spawning, each recirculating system will receive a good cleaning via a water change and will be set up in the best way possible for biologists to collect that species’ eggs. In each breeding tank, habitat mimicking the fish’s preferred wild spawning habitat is set up to both “set the mood” and to make sure that the fish have enough spots throughout the tank to find refuge if they need it.
Save the Date
Hope Persists: An Extinction Prevention Panel at Remedy Coffee
Saturday 2/24 | 6-8 PM | Free Event
Learn from the folks who have worked on the front lines of extinction prevention about what it takes to save a species. Hosted by CFI Biologists and featuring Peggy Shute (CFI), Warren Stiles (USFWS), Gerry Dinkins (UTK McClung Museum), and Todd Amacker (TVA). These biologists have dedicated their lives to the conservation and protection of imperiled native species.
Hidden Rivers Documentary Showing at Clayton Bradley Academy
Friday 3/15 | Time TBA | Free Event - Registration Required*
Hidden Rivers explores the rivers and streams of the Southern Appalachian region, North America’s most biologically rich waters. The film follows the work of conservation biologists and explorers throughout the region (including CFI!) and reveals both the beauty and vulnerability of these ecosystems. Join the Clayton Bradley Academy community for an evening of celebrating freshwater biodiversity and for a Q&A with Conservation Fisheries, Inc. biologists!
*When Registration is available it can be found on the Event Page for this showing.
Species Spotlight
Yellowfin Madtom, photographed by Derek Wheaton
Did you know that Yellowfin Madtoms are CFI’s longest running species? Along with the Smoky Madtom, CFI first began working with Yellowfin Madtoms as an extension of Peggy Shute’s graduate work on the species’ life history after it was rediscovered in Citico Creek. Up until then, Yellowfins were thought to have been extinct! They were listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1997.
Since CFI’s inception we have been working on Yellowfin Madtom restoration in Abrams Creek in the Great Smoky Mountains, Tellico River, and the Clinch River. We feel so strongly about this madtom that we’ve even painted it on the front of our building! CFI has also been translocating fish between Abrams Creek and Citico Creek to encourage mixing of genetics that would be happening in the wild on its own if Chilhowee Dam was not built and did not cut off connectivity between these two streams.
In late spring, CFI biologists will collect madtom nests from the wild. We will take them back to the hatchery to raise them, and then release them into the wild. We are a part of a new restoration project in the French Broad River to expand the Yellowfin Madtom’s range. We hope that when these efforts are successful, we can see the delisting of the Yellowfin Madtom from the Endangered Species Act!
Interested in more information about the Yellowfin Madtom and CFI’s early history? We’ve got you covered!
Community Outreach
West High School Conservation Biology at Ijams Nature Center
Conservation Fisheries, Inc. participated in a learning day at Ijams Nature Center with the Conservation Biology class from West High School. Staff from CFI, Discover Life In America, Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park presented descriptions of the work we do and led the class in taking terrestrial and aquatic data to demonstrate field techniques.
River’s Gaze Art Showcase, photograph by Jesse Myers
River's Gaze: An Art Showcase of Freshwater Ecologies
Last December CFI hosted an Art Gallery at Remedy Coffee to showcase the freshwater world that is rarely seen by many. Photographers were able to share their underwater experiences, and guests had the opportunity to purchase prints. During the showcase CFI hosted a panel discussion with the photographers about why nature and underwater photography is important for science communication, and what they love about sharing their experiences with others. Many thanks to all of our photographers: Andrew Zimmerman, Bryce Gibson, Derek Wheaton, Evan Poellinger, Isaac Szabo, Winston Clark, and Zach Alley!
Winter Highlights
CFI Biologists at SDAFS, Event Photography by Tanner Scholten
Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society Conference
Conservation Fisheries Biologists attended, presented, and assisted in planning the 32nd SDAFS meeting in Chattanooga, TN earlier this month. Derek, along with TVA biologists, hosted a Fish Photography workshop to better equip others in our field with skills and tools to capture the beauty of freshwater fishes. Bo hosted and moderated a symposium titled Conservation, Successes, and Current Status of Rare and Non-Game Fishes in which Curt presented about CFI’s propagation methods for Tennessee Dace.
Peggy was one of the meetings’ Plenary speakers, highlighting that women, minorities, and those working in non-game and conservation sectors of the field often encounter more barriers than the rest of the professionals in our field. Behind the Scenes, Shannon co-planned the conference and had a blast working with fisheries professionals from other organizations and agencies while doing so.
Winter Hatchery Upgrades
Just over a year ago CFI received a grant which would allow us to completely renovate all of the steel recirculating system racks in our hatchery! This winter we converted 12 of our recirculating system racks to our new galvanized steel racks, which means that over half of our hatchery racks have been upgraded! We look forward to getting the last batch completed next winter, as winter is the easiest time to make these changes because it is the time of year when we are holding the least amount of fish.
Photo collage by Aster Treat
2023 Recap
Last year was a big one for CFI!
We cared for 17 species throughout the course of the year
Educational videos made their debut on our social media accounts
We welcomed 2 new staff members and 6 new volunteers
CFI held and attended more outreach events than ever before!
We held and participated in 3 major fundraising events
With the help of our partners, we performed 33 total fish releases
In total, we released 16,043 fishes representing 10 of the species that we cared for last year!
We are so proud of the year we had and look forward to an even better 2024!
Partner Feature
Tennessee RiverLine staff at Conservation Fisheries, Inc. in front of our Yellowfin Madtom
Tennessee RiverLine is a vision for a continuous, multimodal system of trail experiences along the Tennessee River from its formation in Knoxville, TN, to its confluence with the Ohio River in Paducah, KY. Complementing the numerous river access initiatives already established or underway along the river’s reach, the Tennessee RiverLine celebrates the beauty, diversity, and history of the Tennessee River Valley.
One of the best ways to engage the public in freshwater biodiversity is to get them out on and in the water. Tennessee RiverLine’s objective of connecting our community to the Tennessee River Valley is directly in line with CFI’s mission to connect local folks with local fishes! Last fall we had the pleasure of partnering with Tennessee RiverLine for a float down the Holston River before our Fall Fundraiser, and last month CFI hosted Tennessee RiverLine staff at our facility to give them a behind-the-scenes look at our work.
The staff at Conservation Fisheries, Inc. are longtime friends to the folks at Tennessee RiverLine and we have been thrilled to connect our organizations in a meaningful way.
Baby Doll Head art by Aster Treat
Gratitude
As we reflect on the successes and growth that we experienced in 2023, we are so grateful for the support that we have seen for the work we do at Conservation Fisheries, Inc. Our following has grown, along with the passion for and the interest in learning about the miraculous field that is freshwater biodiversity. We are proud to be the ones sharing this information with you, and cannot wait to see what is to come.
– The CFI Team