Catching Gar at St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge System with the Gar Lab! [Video]

Come catch some big fish with us!

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Kayla Kimmel and the Gar Lab went out to St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Natchez Mississippi to study a healthy population of alligator gar. Since this is a healthy population in a protected area, the teams study them here to understand what’s keeping them healthy. They can then apply those lessons to other areas where alligator gar are not doing as well or where the habitat needs improvement.

Once the fish are caught in the net, they are quickly hauled them into the boat and taken them to shore. Since gar can breathe air, they can be safely handled out of water while the team collects the data and the whole process is complete in under 10-15 minutes.

Biologists weigh the fish and take their measurements. A fin clip is taken for analysis that will tell us where the fish is in the food chain, where their food is coming from, and their genetic lineage. The fish are tagged and sent on their way.

Video clips courtesy of Solomon David. Video by Holly Richards/USFWS

https://www.fws.gov

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the oldest federal conservation agency, tracing its lineage back to 1871, and the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is management of fish and wildlife for the American public. The Service helps ensure a healthy environment for people by providing opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our shared natural heritage.

We manage the National Wildlife Refuge System with more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges as well as small wetlands and other special management areas encompassing more than 150 million acres. Under the Fisheries program we also operate over 70 National Fish Hatcheries and 65 fishery resource offices. The Ecological Services program has 86 field stations across all 50 states.

The vast majority of fish and wildlife habitat is on non-federal lands. Voluntary habitat protection and restoration programs like the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the Coastal Program and other partnership programs are the primary ways we deliver habitat conservation on public and private lands.

The Service employs approximately 9,000 people at facilities across the U.S. The Service is a decentralized organization with a headquarters office in Washington, D.C., with regional and field offices across the country. Our organizational chart shows structure and also provides information on senior management.