Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: North Carolina
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

We will systematically sample American eels from the Roanoke River in North Carolina. Eels will be sampled near the river mouth, upstream above and below high dams to specifically characterize the American eel population within the Roanoke River mainstem. Additionally, the age, sex, and presence of a parasite in swimbladders of individual fish will be determined from sampled eels. Finally, age, growth, and mortality of American eels will be modeled in relation to location sampled, sex, and the presence of parasites as data allow. Information from these objectives will be synthesized to provide a better understanding of American eel ecology and management.