t & e

T & E species

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Atlantic Salmon are an endangered species protected by USFWS and NOAA in the U.S.

T & E is an acronym for threatened and endangered.

These are both status metrics for risk of extinction.  Endangered species are considered on the “brink of extinction” throughout their range and threatened species are likely to become endangered in the near future.

The species that are on this list in the United States receive certain protections under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 which recognizes the “esthetic, ecological, educational, historical, recreational, and scientific value [of these species] to the Nation and its people.”  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are mandated to protect the T & E fish species, such as Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar), among other aquatic and terrestrial species that fall under their jurisdictions.

Endemic species

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Devil's Hole Pupfish is endemic to Devil's Hole, Nevada.

Devil’s Hole Pupfish is endemic to Devil’s Hole, Nevada.

A fish species is considered endemic to a location if that is the only place it occurs naturally.  It may have evolved in that region or over time has become so adapted to that specific environment that it cannot survive elsewhere.  For example, Devil’s Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis) is only found in Devil’s Hole, Nevada.  If a species is naturally located in multiple locations, it is considered a native species, but is not an endemic one.  Many endemic species are T&E species, threatened with extinction due to loss or modification of their habitat by agriculture, urbanization, or other human land uses.

 

Invasive species

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Lionfish are non-native and invasive to the Caribbean Sea.

Lionfish are non-native and invasive to the Caribbean Sea.

A fish species is considered invasive if its position in an ecosystem negatively impacts other species.  Generally, these are non-native species which have been introduced into a region by humans (either intentionally or unintentionally) with detrimental consequence to resident fish and other aquatic organisms.  However, some argue that a native species can also be considered invasive if humans have altered its natural ecosystem to the point where the species can throw the whole system into disequilibrium.

For further information, please check out a related post on The Fisheries Blog – Blurred lines: Can climate change-induced range expansion qualify a species as invasive?

Non-native species

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Sea lamprey are non-native to the Laurentian Great Lakes.

Sea lamprey are non-native to the Laurentian Great Lakes (photo credit: Great Lakes Fishery Commission).

A fish species is considered non-native to a location if it does not occur naturally there and only is present as a result of direct or unintentional human introduction.  This does not necessarily mean that these fish cannot thrive in their non-native habitat.  In fact, some fish, such as Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon marinus), can be in decline in their native range but can be considered invasive and even imperil native species in their non-native locations.

Native species

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Lake Trout are a native species in the Great Lakes but not lakes in the western U.S.

Lake Trout are a native species in the Great Lakes but not lakes in the western U.S.

A fish species is considered native to a location if it occurs naturally there.  It may have evolved in that region or dispersed and become established there without human assistance.  For example, Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) is native to some locations in North America but is considered non-native in other locations where it has been introduced by people.

TED (Turtle Excluder Device)

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TEDs significantly reduce turtle bycatch

TEDs significantly reduce turtle bycatch

Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) are a specific type of bycatch reduction device (BRD) that are a modification to a trawl net to keep turtles, which are not targets of the fishery, from being caught in the net.  TEDs are generally composed of a set of bars over the trawl net.  While small target animals, such as shrimp, pass easily between the bars into the trawl net, larger animals, such as turtles or even sharks, can escape through a side opening in the net after they have hit the grid of bars.  TEDs were developed to eliminate turtle mortality from trawl fisheries.  Because turtles and other bycatch, or non-target catch, species often come from threatened or endangered populations, the fisheries had strict regulations on how much bycatch was allowed.   TEDs, by reducing bycatch, allows the shrimp trawls to operate more with more ecological and economic efficiency.

For more information, please visit: http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/teds.htm