Evaluating Hurricane Helene impacts on native trout populations in North Carolina
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Rose McVaney
Presenter(s): Rose McVaney
Mentors(s): Yoichiro Kanno
The purpose of this study is to analyze the impacts of Hurricane Helene on native trout populations in North Carolina. Hurricane Helene was a category 4 hurricane that swept through the Southeastern United States in the Fall 2024, impacting many local rivers and ecosystems in the western North Carolina mountainous region. Historic and current fish population surveys have been conducted in western North Carolina by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. Using a Before-After-Control-Impact (BACI) design, the objective of this project is to evaluate impacts on native brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis populations before and after the hurricane and assess whether population impacts differed spatially across western North Carolina due to varying precipitation levels and downstream effects. This analysis will inform recovery and restoration efforts of aquatic species and populations impacted by Hurricane Helene.