Oral Presentation Society for Freshwater Science 2026 Annual Meeting

FUTURE HABITAT SUITABILITY OF NATIVE, NON-NATIVE, AND GAME FISHES ACROSS FIVE LARGE LANDSCAPES (138746)

Taylor Woods 1 , Ken Eng 2 , Jared Smith 2 , Matthew Cashman 2 , Jaime Ashander 1 , Allison Benscoter 3 , Wesley Daniel 3 , Michael Doddrill 4 , Corbin Hilling 5 , Joshua Hubbell 6 , Abigail Lynch 7 , Kelly Maloney 1 , Daniel Wieferich 8 , Michael Wieczorek 9 , Tanja Williamson 10 , Daniel Kowalski 11 , Robert Zuellig 11 , Sean Emmons 12 , Anna Kaz 13 , James McKenna Jr. 13 , Mary Freeman 13
  1. Eastern Ecological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
  2. Water Mission Area, U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
  3. Wetland and Aquatics Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
  4. Western Fisheries Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
  5. Great Lakes Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
  6. Geological Survey of Alabama, Alabama, USA
  7. National Climate Adaptation Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
  8. Core Systems Science, U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
  9. Maryland-Delaware-District of Columbia Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
  10. Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Kearneysville, WV, USA
  11. Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Denver, USA
  12. Conservation Science Partners, USA
  13. Unaffiliated, USA

Freshwater ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to direct and indirect anthropogenic stressors, leading to shifts in fish communities in response to environmental changes. Traits that mediate fish community responses to altered environments by influencing species' survival and adaptability can inform individual species and fish communities responses to changing environments. Here, we use a trait-based approach to predict how stream fish communities vary in response to environmental and land use change in five U.S. ecoregions: the Columbia, Upper Colorado River, and Mobile Basins, and the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay watersheds. We examine changes in habitat suitability for native, non-native, and game fishes from changing environments. By integrating trait-based models with landscape-scale data, we can refine predictions of ecosystem responses and better inform sustainable resource management.