4.2 Aquatic Communities
• Use survey eforts to develop long-term monitoring strategies that will document popu- lation trends and provided a basis to design conservation strategies that target priority species.
• Monitor the efect of base fow impacts on priority species and correlate results with climate conditions.
• Develop climate change monitoring protocols or methods to monitor basefow where priority species occur outside projects related to regulated water use (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [FERC] licensing).
• Monitor agriculture and forestry best management practices (BMPs) to determine if they are meeting stormwater runof control requirements.
• Ensure that bridge and culvert designs allow for stream movement and aquatic organ- ism passage. Design standards may need alteration to accommodate environmental changes and increased foodwaters (Transportation Research Board 2008) . Research. Research topics that facilitate appropriate conservation actions include habitat use and preferences, reproductive behaviors, fecundity, population dynamics and genetics, feeding, competition, and food web dynamics. Research must also be conducted to deter- mine vulnerability of priority species to specifc threats and studies and should provide recommendations for mitigation and restoration. Aquatic species propagation is an area of current and ongoing research. Developing techniques for propagation of aquatic species is critical for preserving those species and their genetic stock, particularly those that are rare, at high risk of extinction or extirpation, and difcult to propagate in a laboratory setting. • Expand hatchery facilities and eforts of the Conservation Aquatics Center at NCWRC Marion Hatchery to support aquatic species propagation programs and release juve- niles as part of a reintroduction and augmentation program.
• Conduct genetic research to resolve taxonomic issues for aquatic species.
• Statewide, assess stream habitats and the efect of perched and undersized pipes and culverts that are a barrier to fsh passage.
• Conduct studies to improve our understanding of habitat trends and key habitat associ- ations for priority species.
• Investigate relationships between macrobenthic and aquatic priority species assemblages.
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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