Hatch me if you can: New hatchR tool helps predict and protect fish development

Annabelle Moore; Morgan Sparks; Bryan M. Maitland

Treesearch

Hatch me if you can: New hatchR tool helps predict and protect fish development

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Annabelle Moore, Morgan Sparks, Bryan M. Maitland

Year:

2026

Type:

Science Bulletins and Newsletters

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Science You Can Use Tool, May 2026. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Download (PDF 976 KB)

Download (PDF 976 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/80446.pdf

Abstract

Hidden like fish eggs in the streambed, the answer was buried in the mathematical models of Morgan Spark’s graduate work. Biologists and land managers know early fish life is sensitive, and nature is difficult to predict. In the streambed, eggs and young fish can be at risk from unintentional habitat disruptions from activities such as grazing, prescribed fire, and road work. The question was how to know when wild fish are hatching and emerging to avoid those sensitive windows. A new tool, hatchR, is here to lend biologists a helping hand - or fin.

Keywords

fish eggs, streambed, hatching, hatchR tool

Citation

Moore, Annabelle; Sparks, Morgan; Maitland, Bryan. 2026. Hatch me if you can: New hatchR tool helps predict and protect fish development. Science You Can Use Tool, May 2026. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 2 p.