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Fisheries Reference Resources

Grzimeks Animal Life Encyclopedia: Fishes

Reference materials serve a variety of purposes and can sometimes be used effectively in searching the scientific literature. Reference materials can be used to:

Following are reference materials of interest to the fisheries scientist and manager. They are organized by category of reference material rather than subject. Resources marked with a are key resources or databases.

Literature Guides


Literature guides in general focus on the organization of research literature in a specific field and and commonly contain an annotated list of reference materials. Although there is no separate guide to fisheries literature, the following sections within larger works are useful. This research guide also functions as a literature guide.

  • "Commercial Fishing and Fisheries" IN Guide to Sources for Agriculture and Biological Research (Blanchard) 1981 (ref S 493 G85)
  • "Fish and Fisheries Literature Resources: An Annotated Bibliography." American Fisheries Society Transactions 100:403-422, 1971.
  • "Fishes" IN Guide to Reference and Information Sources in the Zoological Sciences (Schmidt) 2003 (ref QL 45.2 S35 2003) Includes sections on indexes and bibliographies; core journals; dictionaries and encyclopedias; checklists, taxonomics works and field guides; handbooks; key works by systematics and geography. Includes both print and Internet resources.
  • "Finding Literature and Reports" IN Fisheries Techniques (Nielsen & Johnson) 1983 (SH 332 F55)
  • Keyguide to Information Sources on Aquaculture (Turnbull) 1989 (ref SH 135 T82 1989)

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias


These resources provide definitions of discipline-specific terminology and/or general introductions to topics and concepts in fisheries. Many encyclopedias include references to important "primary" literature on a specific topic .

Directories


Directories are commonly alphabetical or subject listings of people, organizations, places, or animals. See also the Internet Directories/Portals/Gateways section.

Scientific Reviews


Scientific reviews or "state-of-the-art" papers critically survey a narrow topic in a discipline. Review papers identify and evaluate research which has appeared in the "primary" literature and include extensive bibliographies. Scientific reviews typically appear in annual publications entitled "Annual review of ..." or "Advances in ...", as well as in research journals, especially those which have "review" as part of the title. As part of a search strategy review papers are an excellent "research tool" to use since they pull together information on the existing state-of-knowledge on a specific topic.

There are several ways to locate scientific reviews:

  1. Many annual review series have cumulative indexes.
  2. Individual review papers are commonly indexed in databases listed in Articles and Databases: Fisheries. To find review papers use the keyword "review" as part of your search strategy.
  3. The "Annual Review of ..." publication series has a cumulative index which searches all reviews from 1930 to the present.

Annual reviews of interest in fisheries include the following. Check the Journal and Newspaper Finder for format and holdings.

Bibliographies


Bibliographies are compiled lists which gather together known research on a specific topic. They are generally more useful for retrospective rather than current searching. There are many specialized bibliographies in fisheries. Fish and Fisheries Worldwide index lists over 3,000 fisheries bibliographies. Listed below are selected bibliographies which cover general subjects, species, or emphasize California and Pacific coast fisheries.

Treatises, Comprehensive Databases and Literature Compiliations.


Listed below are multivolume treatises that summarize the state of scholarly knowledge in various areas of fisheries, comprehensive knowledgebases and extensive compilations of fisheries literature.

Species Accounts/Life History Information


Species accounts include natural history and life history information on individual species. Topics frequently covered include description, taxonomy, distribution, life history, habitat, status, and management considerations.

For species accounts and life history information for California fish species see California Environment Information Sources-Wildlife-Fish.

  • Aquaculture Sourcebook: A Guide to North American Species (Iversen & Hale) 1992 (ref SH 33 I94) Contains descriptions of over 100 species of aquacultural potential.
  • Endangered Species Recovery Plans (US Fish & Wildlife Service) Includes over 700 final and revised recovery plans issued since 1989. These plans delineate actions required to recover and/or protect listed species. Each recovery plan includes extensive information on the distribution, habitat, ecology, life history, and population status as well as plans for recovery. See also the list of Threatened & Endangered Species with Final Recovery Plans.
  • Fishbase (International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management) (cd-rom version is available in ref QL 614.7 F57) Major database that contains the equivalent of 20 encyclopedia volumes on the distribution, ecology, population dynamics, reproduction, genetics, morphology and physiology of 28,000 finfish species. The database includes 35,000 pictures and 32,000 references. One can search by common name, scientific name, by country, by ecosystem , by broad topic or from a glossary of subject keywords
  • Fisheries of North America: an Illustrated Guide to Commercial Species (Rodger) 2006 (ref SH 219 R57 2006) For the most commercially important fish and shellfish species in North America presents a two-page summary of market and scientific information, including scientific and common nomenclature, physical description, landings and value, commercial uses and life cycle.
  • Fisheries Synopsis This series contains comprehensive reviews of fisheries species of current or potential economic interest. Main headings usually are taxonomy, distribution, life history, population structure, exploitation, use, and management. Coordinated by FAO, they are published by various national governments.
    • FAO Fisheries Synopsis (Food & Agriculture Organization of the UN) (SH 1 F875) Presently 45 species synopsis have been produced which are listed at the FAO Species Identification and Data Programme (SIDP) web site.
    • Fisheries Synopsis (Australia. CSIRO. Division of Fisheries and Oceanography) (QL 614 A8) A list is available of completed synopsis
    • Fisheries Synopsis (U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service), subseries within the Special Scientific Report: Fisheries (Docs C 55.13 NMFS SSRF) and NMFS Technical Report series (Docs C 55.13 NMFS)
  • Fishes of the Great Basin: a Natural History (Sigler and Sigler) 1987 (QL 628 G73 S54 1987) The first section includes general chapters on Great Basin drainages, history of fishing, endangered species and a taxonomic key. The second section includes two-four page species accounts that cover importance, range, description, size and longevity, limiting factors, food and feeding, breeding habits, habitat and species preservation.
  • Fishes of Utah: A Natural History (Sigler and Sigler) 1996 (QL 628 U8 S5 1996) The first section includes general chapters on geology, biogeographic considerations and a taxonomic key. The second section includes two-four page species accounts that cover importance, range, description, size and longevity, limiting factors, food and feeding, breeding habits, habitat and management.
  • Freshwater Fishes of the World (Gunther) 1966 (ref QL 624 S713 1966) Includes short descriptions of 1,300 species of "aquarium" fishes. Each species account includes information on description, distribution and notes on aquarium care.
  • Handbook of Freshwater Fishery Biology (Carlander) 1969-1997 (ref QL 625 C373) Major three volume set that compiles life history data and information on individual species of freshwater fish in the United States and Canada. Volume 1 includes data on the freshwater fishes of the United States and Canada, exclusive of the Perciformes (perch-like fish, the largest order of fish). Volume 2 treats the first part of the Perciformes, i.e., the Centrarchid fishes, the sunfish family. Volume 3 includes the rest of the Perciformes. For each species includes detailed tabular data for length, weights, weight-length relationships, total lengths, condition factors, daily growth, lengths and weights at various ages, and number of eggs per female. In addition it compiles information from the literature on population density, food, feeding behavior, reproduction, mortality, population distribution and behavior, environmental factors, and more. The text serves as an index to the literature for included species.
  • LarvalBase: Global Information System about FishLarvae (German Ministery for Economic Cooperation and Development) Database containing information on 1800 fish larvae. Should be used in conjunction with FishBase. Information provided includes basic taxonomic information, distribution, adult biology, and other topics relating to development and growth of eggs and larvae. The database includes 2500 pictures and 2000 literature references. One can search by common name, scientific name, or from a glossary of subject keywords. One can also search by general topic.
  • Life History and Harvest Summaries for Selected Invertebrate Species Occurring off the West Coast of North America Vol 1: Shelled Molluscs (Wolotira) 1989 (NOAA Technical Memo NMFS F/NWC-160) (Docs C 55.13/2: NMFS F/NWC-160); and Vol 2: Cephalopods & Crustacea (Wolotira) 1990 (NOAA Technical Memo NMFS F/NWC-183) (Docs C 55.13/2: NMFS F/NWC-183) These two volumes contain five-page species synopsis for 32 marine invertebates. Each account covers geographic range, habitat requirements, human utilization (commercial, recreational, and subsistence) management, migration and movements, population characteristics, growth and development, food and feeding, biological interactions and factors influencing populations.
  • Native Trout of Western North America (Behnke) 1992 (QL 638 S2 B43 1992) Part I includes introductory chapters on trout classification, origin and distribution, and biology and management. Part II-IV contains 10 page species accounts that cover typcial characters, description, distribution, taxonomic notes, life history and ecology, status, and range maps.
  • Naturalized Fishes of the World (Lever) 1996 (ref QL 615 L48 1996) Arranged by family and species, describes history, status, and ecological impacts of introduced alien species throughout the world.
  • NatureServe Explorer: an Online Encyclopedia of Life (NatureServe) Database containing conservation information on more than 65,000 plants, animals, and ecological communities of the United States and Canada. Search by common or scientific name. Each species or community includes information on conservation status, distribution, life history, and other conservation information.
  • Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (US Geological Survey) Contains species accounts for vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant species that have been introduced into the United States or species native to United States that have been introduced to drainages outside their native ranges. Speices accounts include common name, distribution maps, sources for identification, native range nonindigenous occurences, means of introduction, and status and impacts of introduction. Database can be queried by species, state, and drainage basin. The fish section has been published as Nonindigenous Fishes Introduced into Inland Waters of the United States (Fuller, Nico, & Williams) 1999 (ref QL 627 F86 1999) and contains species accounts for 536 taxa.
  • Pacific Salmon Life Histories (Groot & Margolis) 1991 (ref QL 638 S2 P34 1991) Authoritative 70-100 page life history accounts for the seven species of Pacific salmon.
  • Species Profiles: Life Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes & Invertebrates (US Fish & Wildlife Service) (Print copies also available in Docs I 49.89/2:82) Series of 10-20 page species profiles for 126 species compiled during the 1980s which describe the taxonomy, morphology, range, life history, and environmental requirements of coastal aquatic organisms along the coasts of the United States.
  • Species Synopsis: Life Histories of Selected Fish and Shellfish of the Northeast Pacific and Bering Sea (Wilimousky) 1988 (QL 623.4 S64 1988) 15 page species accounts for six species--Northern Pink Shrimp, Pacific Sand Lance, Pacific Herring, Walleye Pollock, Market Squid, and Pacific Halibut.

Taxonomic Works


Two older guides to taxonomic works are the "Pisces" section IN Guide to Taxonomic Literature of Vertebrates (Blackwelder) 1972 (ref QL 607 B53) and Annotated List of Keys and Identification Aids for California Marine Fishes (Fitch) 1966 (ref QL 623.4 F58).

Handbooks and Manuals


Handbooks and manuals typically fall into two basic categories--1) works that contain data and descriptive information compiled from the "primary" literature and organized into tables or expository articles that can be used to answer many basic and factual questions; and 2) works that contain procedures for experimental analysis in the field or laboratory. Fisheries Techniques (Murphy & Willis) 1996 (SH 332 F575 1996) is the major resource to techniques used in fisheries.

Laws and Regulations

Environmental Reviews, Assessments, & Plans


Environmental reviews contain analysis of environmental issues and frequently contain statistical data. For more encompassing reviews see the Environmental Reviews listed in the HSU Library Environmental Science research guide. Reviews, assessments, and plans specific to fisheries include:

  • United States
    • America's Living Oceans: Charting a Course for Sea Change (Pew Oceans Commission) 2003 (cd-rom containing all the documents is available in GC 1020 P48 2003) Contains a final report on the State of America's Oceans; recommendations for implementation; and supporting reports on Managing Marine Fisheries in the United States, A Dialogue on America’s Fisheries, Socioeconomic Perspectives on Marine Fisheries in the United States, Marine Reserves: A Tool for Ecosystem Management and Conservation, Ecological Effects of Fishing, Coastal Sprawl, Marine Pollution, Marine Aquaculture and Introduced Species.
    • Aquaculture Outlook (US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service)
    • Audubon Wildlife Report (National Audubon Society) 1985-1989 (ref QL 84.2 A9)
    • Conservation Status of Imperiled North American Freshwater and Diadromous Fishes (Jelks and others) Fisheries 33(8): 372-407, 2008. Third compilation of imperiled (i.e., endangered, threatened, vulnerable) plus extinct freshwater and diadromous fishes of North America prepared by the American Fisheries Society’s Endangered Species Committee. Previous lists appeared in 1989 and 1979.
    • Diversity, distribution, and conservation status of the native freshwater fishes of the southern United States (Warren and others) Fisheries 25(10):7-29, 2000.
    • Endangered Species Recovery Plans (US Fish & Wildlife Service) Contains the fulltext in pdf format of over 700 final and revised recovery plans issued since 1989.
    • Fish and other aquatic resource trends in the United States: A technical document supporting the Forest Service 2010 RPA Assessment (Loftus and Flater) 2012 (USFS General Technical Report RMRS-283) Reports on the general trends in fisheries and aquatic resources for the nation as required by the Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA) of 1974, including water quality, specific fish populations, resource utilization, and imperiled aquatic fauna.
    • Fisheries (Gordon) IN Natural Resources for the 21st Century (Sampson and Hair) 1990, pp 205-241 ( HC 103.7 N296 1990) Fisheries assessment at a conference sponsored by the American Forestry Association with many co-sponsors, including the American Fisheries Society.
    • In a Perfect Ocean: the State of Fisheries and Ecosystems in the North Atlantic Ocean (Maclean) 2003 (SH 213.2 P38 2003)
    • Marine Stocks at Risk of Extinction (American Fisheries Society) Lists 82 species or populations of marine fish stocks and species at risk of extinction in North American waters.
    • Our Living Oceans: Report on the Status of U.S. Living Marine Resources (US National Marine Fisheries Service) 1991- (print copy also available in Docs C55.13/2:NMFS-F/SPO #1 and later) Triennial report giving national and regional overviews on the status of fishery resources, marine mammals, and sea turtles.
    • Review of ... Ocean Salmon Fisheries (Pacific Fisheries Management Council) Annual (SH 348 R4)
    • State of the Coast (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Series of essays on the health of the coastal areas of the United States.
    • Status of Fishery Resources off the Northeastern United States (US National Marine Fisheries Service) Annual (Docs C55.13/2:NMFS-F/NEC #95 and following)
    • Status of Living Marine Resources off Alaska (US National Marine Fisheries Service) Annual (Docs C55.13/2:NMFS-F/NWC #211)
    • Status of Living Marine Resources off the Pacific Coast of the United States (US National Marine Fisheries Service) Annual (Docs C 55.13/2:NMFS-SWFC #165)
    • Status of the Pacific Coast Groundfish Fishery through ... (Pacific Fisheries Management Council) Annual (SH 348 P3)
    • Status and Trends of the Nation's Biological Resources 1998 (US Geological Survey Biological Resources Division) (print copy available in Docs I 19.202 ST1 and cd-rom in Docs I 19:120:ST1 CD) Large-scale assessment of the health of plants, animals, and ecosystems in the United States. In the two-volume set Part 1 describes the major factors affecting biodiversity and biological resource health, e.g., land use, climate change, nonindigenous species; and Part 2 explores the condition and status of regional biological resource, e.g., Pacific Northwest. Updates Our Living Resources: A Report to the Nation on the Distribution, Abundance, and Health of U.S. Plants, Animals and Ecosystems 1995 (US National Biological Service) (print copy available in Docs I 49.2 R31/15)
  • California -- see California Environment Information Sources -- Wildlfe-- Fish
  • World

Geospatial Resources: Atlases, Maps, GIS, Imagery, Telemetry


The following sources are useful guides to locating geospatial resources:

Some geospatial resources of special interest to fisheries include:

  • California --See California Maps - Wildlife - General and California Maps - Wildlife - Fish
  • Other Locations
    • Alaska's Fisheries Atlas (Alaska Department of Fish & Game) 1978 (atlas G 1531 L2 A5)
    • AquaMaps Contains distribution maps for 9,000 species of fishes, marine mammals and invertebrates that have been generated using a computer model for the large-scale prediction of the currently known natural occurrence of marine species.
    • Atlas and Zoography of Common Fishes in the Bering Sea and Northeastern Pacific (Allen & Smith) 1988 (NOAA Technical Report NMFS 66) (Docs C 55.13:NMFS66) Covers 124 fish species from the northeastern Pacific. Each species account includes a distribution map with depth information; brief survey of the literature reporting on distribution; and conclusions on zoogeography, life zone, range and depth.
    • Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes (Lee, Gilbert, Hocatt & Others) 1980 (ref QL 625 A84)
    • Atlas of Tuna and Billfish Catches (Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
    • East Coast of North America Strategic Assessment Project Groundfish Atlas (US National Marine Fisheries Service and Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans) Includes distribution maps for 99 groundfish species off the east coast of North America.
    • Ecological Inventory Map Series (US Fish and Wildlife Service) 1980-1982 (Docs I 49.6/5: Ec7) On a 1:250,000 USGS map base the distribution of fish, wildlife, and plant species along the coastal areas of the conterminous 48 states are depicted. Species with special status are shown in red. Some land use and land cover designations are also shown. There are a total of 79 maps issued in four series: Atlantic Coast, Gulf Coast, Lower Mississippi Basin, and Pacific Coast. Each series includes an accompanying "Users Guide and Informative Base" report that provides detailed explanations and additional technical information about the ecological data plotted on the maps.
    • ESA Salmon Listing Maps (US National Marine Fisheries Service, Northwest Region) Includes range-wide and detailed "evolutionary significant unit" maps and GIS data layers for marine and anadromous fishes under the Endangered Species Act.
    • Freshwater Fish Distribution (Berra) 2001 (ref QL 624 B47 2001) Includes details on the classification, identification and distribution of 170 families of fish. For each family includes a worldwide distribution map.
    • Maps and GIS Data (Streamnet) Interactive mapping applications provide an easy way for you to find, query and display fisheries information for the Pacific Northwest.

Software

Images and Sounds


One can use a combination of general and specialized Internet search engines to find images on the web. See Images for a list of specialized search engines. However, search engines fail to index the content of the "invisible web", especially information contained within databases. The following sources are either specialized databases or sites devoted to images or sounds in fisheries.

  • American Field Guide (Oregon Public Broadcasting and PBS) Includes over 1400 videos on the American environment produced by 30 PBS stations. Search by keyword or browse by one of the broad categories--animals, ecosystems, human history, livelihoods, earth and space, plants, public policy and recreation.
  • Fish Pics Database (UC Santa Barbara. Marine Science Institute) Contains photos of Pacific Coast fishes from Alaska to Baja California.
  • FishBase. Included within the database are over 45,000 photos and sketches of fish.
  • Freshwater and Marine Image Bank (University of Washington Libraries) 18th and 19th century digital collection of images related to freshwater and marine topics.
  • National Digital Library (US Fish & Wildlife Service) Contains imges of fish and wildlife, environmental scenes, and conservation issues.
  • NOAA Photo Library: Fisheries (NOAA)

Statistical & Data Compilations


The following sources are useful guides to locating statistics:

  • Fish Catch Statistics (California Explores the Oceans) Lists selected statistical resources on California fisheries, produced by Calif Dept of Fish & Game and various federal agencies, commissions, and councils, as well as other organizations.
  • Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (FAR) Data Access Wizard (Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment and USGS NBII Program) Access fisheries-related data, most of which geospatial in nature. Data can be searched using keywords, geographic extent, and data providers.
  • LexisNexis Statistical Insight (HSU Users only) (print American Statistics Index 1974-2000 available at Documents Index Table) Detailed index to statistical data published by federal, state and international agencies. Online version includes selective fulltext of the statistical tables.
  • Guide to Sources for Fisheries Statistics (University of Washington Fisheries-Oceanography Library) Guide to print resources in the University of Washington Fisheries and Oceanography library and to Internet resources that include statistics at international, United States, regional and state/provincal levels.

Some print data compilations available in the HSU Library and on the Internet include:

  • California --see California Environment Information Sources--Wildlife--Fish
  • Pacific Northwest
    • Adult Fish Counts and Annual Fish Passage Report. Columbia & Snake Rivers for Salmon, Steelhead, & Shad (US Army Corps of Engineers) (Docs D 103.27) Daily and annual fish counts at 12 dam sites.
    • Fish Data (Streamnet) Containing 100,000 data items for the Pacific Northwest, this online query system allows one to generate a custom report based upon any combination of fish species, geographic areas, and data categories.
    • International North Pacific Fisheries Commission (Formed in 1952 and replaced in 1993 with the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission)
      • Statistical Yearbook Annual (SH 219.5.I5 A28) HSU Library has 1952-1963
      • Historical catch statistics for salmon of the North Pacific Ocean. 1979 (SH219.5.I5 A26 no.39)
    • North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission. Statistical Yearbook Contains data of salmon catch, hatchery release, and other marine species catch in the North Pacific Ocean.
    • Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
    • Washington. Department of Fisheries
      • Fisheries Statistical Report
      • Washington State Sport Catch Report
  • United States
    • Aquaculture Outlook (US Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service) Annual report that provides statistics on production, inventory, sales, prices, inputs, and trade of catfish, trout, tilapia, salmon, mollusks, crawfish, shrimp, ornamental fish, and new species.
    • Fishing Statistics (American Sportfishing Association) Includes industry data, angler data, and special reports.
    • National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (US Fish & Wildlife Service) (print copy available in Docs I 49.98/2) Survey conducted every five years that measures fishing and hunting activities, as well as wildlife watching activities.
    • U.S. Geological Survey
      • USGS Water Data for the Nation Database containing site-specific real time and historical surface water, ground water, and water quality records for the United States.
      • Water Resources Data Annual compilation of discharge, level, and water quality records for streams and wells. Arranged by state and drainage basin. Data compilations prior to 1961 are included in the US Geological Survey Water Supply Paper series. Surface water records extend back to 1899 and water quality records to 1941. See Water Supply Paper 2135 (Docs I 19.13:2135) for a listing of earlier reports. Print copies for California are available in Docs I 19.53/2 C12 from 1961 to the present.
    • U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service
      • Current Fisheries Statistics (Docs C 55.309/2) Includes many subseries on Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics, Frozen Fishery Products, Fish Meal and Oil, Processed Fishery Products, Imports & Exports of Fishery Products
      • Fisheries of the United States Annual (Docs C 55.309/2-2) Preliminary report on commercial and recreational fisheries of the U.S. and foreign catches in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Includes statistics on world fish landings, and U.S. fish trade, prices, consumption, production of fishery products, and industry employment. Final data is published in Current Fisheries Statistics.
      • Fishery Statistics of the United States (Docs C 55.316) Detailed final statistical report on commercial fisheries of the U.S. Published 1939-1984. Prior to 1938 the annual Fishery Industries of the United States was published as an appendix to the Report of the Commissioner of Fisheries (Docs I 49.1).
      • Fishery Statistics and Economics. Statistical databases dealing with commercial fisheries (monthly landings, annual landings, landings by gear), fishery market news (prices), foreign trade (country, product), and recreational fisheries.
  • International
    • FAO Yearbook: Fishery Statistics (Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) (ref SH 1 Y4) Published in 2 parts: "Catches and Landings" and "Fishery Commodities." FAOSTAT FISHERIES DATA contains annual data from 1961 to the present on productivity and trade of primary fishery commodities and processed products.
    • Fisheries Yearly Statistics (Statistical Office of the European Communities) (SH 253 S7)
    • Review of Fisheries in OECD Member Countries (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Annual/Biennial (SH 334 R3 )
    • Statistics(Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans) - includes statistics on commercial and recreational fishing and trade