Independent Science Review of the Pallid Sturgeon Assessment Program
The Pallid Sturgeon Assessment Team (for the Missouri River) requested that Sustainable Ecosystems Institute (SEI) conduct an independent scientific review of the monitoring and assessment program for the endangered Pallid Sturgeon.
The Assessment Team asked the review panel to evaluate the monitoring program’s design and ability to meet its stated goals, address specific relevant aspects of the Biological Opinion, provide recommendations on adaptive monitoring for the program, and carry out a power analysis to evaluate the ability of the program to detect population trends in the Pallid Sturgeon.
SEI convened a panel of expert scientists who comprised the breadth of expertise necessary to carry out this review. Following the SEI Process, the Independent Science Review panel met formally with the assessment team, the researchers, and other participants in a facilitated forum in October 2004 in Sioux Falls, S.D. to discuss and review the program (Sioux Falls Workshop 2004 CD). Shortly afterwards the Review Panel met in Portland, Oregon to finalize their review.
The final report is now available for downloading: The Independent Science Review of the Pallid Sturgeon Assessment Program: Final Report (PDF format, 890 kb).
Results of the power analysis are available in a separate report: Power
to Detect Trends in Pallid and Shovelnose Sturgeon Populations in the
Missouri River (PDF format; 340 kb).