Electrotrawling survey in the Susquehanna River, MD

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THERE IS NO "FULL ANNOUNCEMENT" ASSOCIATED WITH THIS NOTICE. This is a NOTICE OF INTENT to award two grants to conduct a survey for the endangered Maryland darter. We intend to award a grant for approximately $20,000 to Marshall University Research Corporation of Huntington, West Virginia, to conduct cover mapping to identify potential areas for trawling and then to conduct a late Fall electrotrawling survey in the Susquehanna River in Maryland. We intend to award a second grant for approximately $10,000 to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (Maryland Biological Stream Survey) to assist Marshall University researchers with their cover mapping and electrotrawling, and to conduct electrofishing, seining, and snorkel surveys in the Susquehanna River in Fall 2009 in cooperation with independently funded researchers from Frostburg State University, Maryland. The researchers, Dr. Tom Jones of Marshall University and the Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) are ideally qualified to carry out this work. Dr. Jones is one of the few individuals highly experienced in the use of this big river electrotrawling technique, which he helped develop, has the trawling equipment available on short notice, and has previously conducted a pilot survey in the Susquehanna River demonstrating that his equipment is effective there. MBSS researchers have extensive experience conducting fish surveys using a variety of techniques in the Susquehanna River and its tributaries and the ability to visually identify the Maryland darter and other darters occurring there during snorkel surveys.

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