Data and code from: Multi-species interactions with artificial causeways in a fragmented lake
Data files
Nov 20, 2025 version files 102.91 MB
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corrected_walleye_crossing_Futiaetal2025.csv
3.04 KB
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fish_reference_data_Futiaetal2025.qs
3.53 KB
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fish_removal_Futiaetal2025.csv
6.52 KB
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Futia.etal.CJFAS_analyses.R
34.85 KB
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Futia.etal.CJFAS_wrangling.R
11.26 KB
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Lake_Tribs.dbf
1.04 KB
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Lake_Tribs.prj
145 B
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Lake_Tribs.shp
1.44 MB
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Lake_Tribs.shx
196 B
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README.md
12.89 KB
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receiver_deployments_Futiaetal2025.qs
4.07 KB
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trout_detections_Futiaetal2025.qs
99.81 MB
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walleye_detections_Futiaetal2025.qs
1.58 MB
Abstract
Lake Champlain is fragmented by causeways that restrict fish and boat movement between basins, with only small openings for passage. We evaluated potential limitations on cross-basin fish movement using acoustic telemetry data from lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and walleye (Sander vitreus). Crossing frequency at five causeways was determined seasonally, and repeated passage across years was investigated for individual fish. All species were observed in each basin where receivers were present and crossed most or all five causeways; however, no juvenile lake sturgeon were observed crossing causeways. Individuals with greater latitudinal range tended to cross more frequently, with most crossings occurring at two causeways between the Main Lake and smaller basins. Total crossing frequency was similar among species, but seasonal variation reflected species-specific differences in spawning seasons and temperature preferences. Few fish crossed causeways overall, but those that did often repeated crossing in subsequent years. Thus, causeways may limit fish movement between basins to few individuals but those fish repeatedly cross to access resources, indicating inter-individual diversity in movement and exploration behaviors.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.gb5mkkx2q
Description of the data and file structure
This dataset contains the data and code required to replicate analyses in Futia et al. (in review), evaluating the influence of artificial causeways in Lake Champlain (New York and Vermont) on intra-lake movements of lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and walleye (Sander vitreus). Data include biometric data for fish studied, acoustic telemetry detections for lake trout and walleye, acoustic receiver deployments, a key for tracked fish identified as having died or expelled its transmitter, and corrected data for walleye movements. Lake sturgeon data are not included due to protections as a state endangered species, but these data are available upon reasonable request (contact Lee Simard, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, lee.simard@vermont.gov). Acoustic telemetry data include (1) time-corrected detections at individual receiver stations for fish tagged between 2013 and 2023 and (2) acoustic receiver coordinates and deployment periods. A shapefile including lake basins and major tributaries on the Vermont side of the lake is also included.
Lake Champlain has multiple basins that are separated by islands and human-built causeways that have been hypothesized to limit connectivity between basins and restrict fish movement. This study evaluated the occurrence and frequency of movements through openings in causeways throughout the lake by identifying when fish were detected in different basins. Comparisons were made among species seasonally and based on fish maturity (immature vs mature) when possible. Total crossing frequency was similar among species, but seasonal variation reflected species-specific differences in spawning seasons and temperature preferences. Few fish crossed causeways overall, but those that did often repeated crossing in subsequent years. Thus, causeways may limit fish movement between basins to few individuals but those fish repeatedly cross to access resources, indicating inter-individual diversity in movement and exploration behaviors.
Files and variables
File: receiver_deployments_Futiaetal2025.qs
Description: Deployment periods and coordinates for individual acoustic receivers used in the study.
Variables:
glatos_project_receiver five-letter abbreviation for the GLATOS project that receivers were associated with.
station abbreviated identification for individual receiver locations
station_name the name associated with a receiver deployment location
first_dep a date-time string indicating the date and time when a receiver was first deployed at a specific location
last_reco a date-time string indicating the date and time when a receiver was last recovered at a specific location
lat_x average latitude for the receiver deployed at a given location throughout all deployments
lon_x average longitude for the receiver deployed at a given location throughout all deployments
File: trout_detections_Futiaetal2025.qs
Description: Transmitter and detection data for acoustically tracked lake trout.
Variables:
animal_id a unique identifier associated with a tagged fish
detection_timestamp_utc a date-time string indicating the date and time that a transmission from a tagged fish was detected at a receiver in UTC time
transmitter_codespace the codespace associated with a given transmitter provided by the transmitter manufacturer
transmitter_id the unique ID associated with a given transmitter
sensor_value environmental data obtained by the transmitter. NA when no data were collected
sensor_unit the unit of measurement associated with the sensor value (meters or deg_c = degrees Celsius)
receiver_sn the serial number associated with a given acoustic receiver
deploy_lat the latitude where an acoustic receiver was deployed at the time of a detection
deploy_long the latitude where an acoustic receiver was deployed at the time of a detection
glatos_project_receiver five-letter abbreviation for the GLATOS project that receivers were associated with.
station abbreviated identification for individual receiver locations
species the common name associated with the tagged fish
utc_release_date_time the date and time a tagged fish was released
File: walleye_detections_Futiaetal2025.qs
Description: Transmitter and detection data for acoustically tracked walleye.
Variables:
animal_id a unique identifier associated with a tagged fish
detection_timestamp_utc a date-time string indicating the date and time that a transmission from a tagged fish was detected at a receiver in UTC time
transmitter_codespace the codespace associated with a given transmitter provided by the transmitter manufacturer
transmitter_id the unique ID associated with a given transmitter
sensor_value environmental data obtained by the transmitter. NA when no data were collected
sensor_unit the unit of measurement associated with the sensor value (meters or deg_c = degrees Celsius)
receiver_sn the serial number associated with a given acoustic receiver
deploy_lat the latitude where an acoustic receiver was deployed at the time of a detection
deploy_long the latitude where an acoustic receiver was deployed at the time of a detection
glatos_project_receiver five-letter abbreviation for the GLATOS project that receivers were associated with.
station abbreviated identification for individual receiver locations
species the common name associated with the tagged fish
utc_release_date_time the date and time a tagged fish was released
File: fish_reference_data_Futiaetal2025.qs
Description: Transmitter and detection data for all acoustically tagged fish.
Variables:
species the common name associated with the tagged fish
animal_id a unique identifier associated with a tagged fish
length fish total length in meters
start_region the lake basin where fish were captured and released after tagging
tag_model the model of a transmitter; transmitter details can be found at the Innovasea website (https://www.innovasea.com/fish-tracking/products/acoustic-transmitters/)
release_location the location name where fish were captured and released after tagging
sex biological sex of the tagged individual; M = male, F = female, NA = sex was not determined
File: fish_removal_Futiaetal2025.csv
Description: Reference file to identify fish that were considered to have died or expelled their transmitter and the last date and location such individuals were considered active.
Variables:
animal_id a unique identifier associated with a tagged fish
transmitter_id the unique ID associated with a given transmitter
species the common name associated with the tagged fish
remove binary for whether an individual fish was considered to have died/expelled its transmitter and detection data should be reduced
date_rm the last date an individual was considered active if it was considered to have died or expelled its transmitter
station_rm the last location an individual was considered active if it was considered to have died or expelled its transmitter
File: corrected_walleye_crossing_Futiaetal2025.csv
Description: Reference file with corrected causeway crossing data for walleye with animal ID 55285. This individual had two movements between the Main Lake and Northeast Arm that were not detected at any causeway receivers and likely passed through the Gut considering no receiver was deployed in that location at the time of both movements.
Variables:
event unique identifier for continuous detection periods within an individual region
animal_id a unique identifier associated with a tagged fish
regions the lake basin where a fish was detected during the event
mean_latitude mean latitude of detections comprising each event
mean_longitude mean longitude of detections comprising each event
first_detection the time of the first detection in a given event
last_detection the time of the last detection in a given event
num_detections the total number of detection that comprised a given event
first_station the first receiver location where an individual was detected during a given event
last_station the last receiver location where an individual was detected during a given event
res_time_sec the elapsed time in seconds between the first and last detection in a given event
species the common name associated with the tagged fish
species_mat identifier for the species and maturity status including a three-letter species abbreviation (LKS = lake sturgeon, LKT = lake trout, WAL = walleye) and maturity (adult, juv = juvenile)
length fish total length in meters
start_region the lake basin where fish were captured and released after tagging
tag_model the model of a transmitter; transmitter details can be found at the Innovasea website (https://www.innovasea.com/fish-tracking/products/acoustic-transmitters/)
release_location the location name where fish were captured and released after tagging
sex biological sex of the tagged individual; M = male, F = female, NA = sex was not determined
arrive_basin the lake basin that a fish arrived in at the start of a given event
previous_basin the lake basin associated with the previous event for a given fish
previous_station the last location a given fish was detected during the previous event
previous_depart the time of the last detection associated with the previous event
date_detect the date associated with the first detection during a given event
n_region the number of unique basins that a fish was detected within for a given day
no_cross identifier for crossings that start and end in the same basin for a given day (1 = same start and end basin, 0 = different start and end basin)
trim_cross identifier for fish that were detected within exactly two basins for a given day to reduce multiple crossings to a single (last) event for that date and individual (1 = detected within exactly two basins, 0 = detected in more than two basins)
File: Lake&Tribs.*
Description: files associated with a shapefile Lake Champlain basins and major tributaries on the Vermont side of the lake. File types include .dbf, .prj, .shp, and .shx
Variables
regions the name of a given lake basin or tributary
geometry spatial attributes of a given lake basin or tributary comprising the surround polygon made from coordinates
Code/software
File: Futia.etal.CJFAS_wrangling.R
Description: R code for data wrangling to combine, filter, and standardize detection data. Filter includes removing false detections, fish assumed to have died or expelled their transmitter, duplicated detections, and detections during the first two weeks after release. Location information is added to each detection along with the season and lake basin associated with each detection. This file requires the R packages here, qs, glatos, sf, magrittr, and tidyverse.
File: Futia.etal.CJFAS_analyses.R
Description: R code for data visualization and analyses to evaluate movement patterns. The script uses the filtered_region_dets and tracked_fish objects produced in the Futia.etal.CJFAS_wrangling.R file. The script includes code for the analyses and visuals used to assess and compare causeway crossing frequency in Lake Champlain. R packages required for the script include here, qs, glatos, sf, magrittr, mgcv, gratia, and tidyverse.
Access information
Acoustic telemetry data for lake trout and some lake sturgeon detections were associated with the following previous published research:
- Pinheiro et al. 2017: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2016.12.005
- Izzo et al. 2022: https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10378
- Futia & Marsden 2025: https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.70071
The lake sturgeon data used in this article cannot be shared publicly due to endangered species protections for this species imposed by the state of Vermont (10 V.S.A. § 5402 and 10 V.S.A. § 4132). These data will be shared upon reasonable request to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department (fwinformation@vermont.gov) for researchers who meet the criteria for access.