Big Creek Steelhead Population Dynamics with PIT Tag Data

The database stores data from a steelhead/rainbow trout population dynamics study in Big Creek, Monterey County, California. The Landscape Ecology team at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center is investigating the life history of this population to assess its significance for a larger Distinct Population Segment. Data includes mark-recapture surveys, fish movement from PIT tag readers, and stream environmental data.

Use Cases

• Modeling stage-structured population dynamics based on life history stage and location data
• Estimating movement and survival rates based on data from stationary PIT tag readers and mobile tracking devices
• Assessing the contribution of small coastal streams to Distinct Population Segment viability based on environmental and movement data
• Analyzing fish life history patterns based on mark-recapture survey data

Strengths

• Data is focused on a specific fish population (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in a defined geographic area (Big Creek, Monterey County)
• Data integrates multiple collection methods: mark-recapture surveys, PIT tag readers, and environmental monitoring
• The study aims to contribute to a larger conservation assessment (South-Central California Coast Steelhead DPS)

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to a single coastal stream study

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mark-recapture surveys, instream PIT tag readers, and stream environmental data collection

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-14 23:06:01.873994; freshness should be verified

Geography

Big Creek, a coastal stream along the Big Sur coast in Monterey County, California