Hello, I have introduced myself before, but that was about 6
months ago.  Quickly, I am a PhD candidate at the SUNY College of
Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York.  I am interested
in the contributions of fish production from the nearshore areas
(including coastal wetlands) of Lake Ontario to the open water system.

        Presently I am employed as a research assistant evaluating the
impacts of a flow control device on the Irondequoit Creek (Lake Ontario
tributary).  I would like to give the operators of the flow control
device (which would be in place only at high flow times) a model that
would simulate critical "times" for fish passage based on temperature.
The USGS has a gauging station on the creek so temperature data will
"always" be available.

        At first I was going to simply overlay known spawning "times" for
species that utlilze this creek and wetland.  This would yield a static
picture of fish utilization.  My collegue suggested using temperature as a
forcing function so that the model could predict critical periods.  He
pointed out that time has little meaning to fish and that temperature
represent a "real" biological cue.  He then suggested the use of "degree
days" which incorporates the temporal dimension into temperature.
However, I cannot find useful references relating degree days to fish
spawning.
        Does anyone have any information/citations on degree days
especially related to spawning in fishes?

Thanks in advance

Darran L. Crabtree
State University of New York
College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, New York 13210
315-470-6949
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