Textual Content of the Paddlefish Video

 The following is a textual representation of the content provided in the video available for viewing 
 at the following url: http://www.umesc.usgs.gov/aquatic/fish/paddlefish/video.html

 [VIEW OF PADDLEFISH SWIMMING IN CONTAINMENT POND]
 Paddlefish were once common in the large rivers of the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Their numbers
 though have significantly declined over the past century because of over harvest and because of the
 changes humans have made to the river.
 [OVERHEAD VIEW OF NAVIGATION DAM]
 Dam construction has especially affected paddlefish by altering river habitats and by disrupting spawning
 migrations. 
 [VIEW OF MAP OF PADDLEFISH RANGE]
 Paddlefish can no longer be found in some areas where they were once plentiful: 11 of 22 states that still
 have paddlefish now list them as either "endangered", "threatened", or "a species of special concern". 

 [VIEW OF PADDLEFISH SWIMMING IN CONTAINMENT POND]
 If paddlefish are to be restored we need to increase our understanding of these unusual-looking fish as
 well as the factors that are contributing to their declines.
 [VIEW OF BIOLOGISTS MEASURING A PADDLEFISH]
 Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey's Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center in La
 Crosse, Wisconsin are attempting to do just that. With the help of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
 these researchers are studying paddlefish in the Upper Mississippi River and selected tributaries. 
 [VIEW OF BIOLOGISTS NETTING PADDLEFISH IN RIVER]
 This research will help us to better understand habitat use and the effects of habitat alteration such as
 dams on paddlefish. Radio telemetry was used to follow paddlefish movement and determine habitat use.
 [VIEW OF HOVERCRAFT]
 During winter when the river was frozen over a Hovercraft was used to track paddlefish. However, most
 of the tracking was done by boat.

 [INTERVIEW WITH BOB KENNEDY DISCUSSING/EXHIBITING EQUIPMENT]
 "My name's Bob Kennedy. I'm a biological technician here at the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences
 Center. I've been involved in some research studying habitat of paddlefish and lake sturgeon. One of the
 tools that we use a lot is radio telemetry, so I'm going to describe some of the techniques we use. Here's a
 radio receiver, and you can tune it in to different radio frequencies. Then we hook it up to this antenna that
 you can turn around and then we go out and collect some fish. We surgically implant transmitters inside
 the fish - each transmitter has a specific frequency so we can track a specific fish. Then it's just a matter of
 keeping track of the fish. Hopefully they won't swim away to fast or we can lose track of them. The range
 is about a mile or so roughly. I'll demonstrate: I put a transmitter out in the field and we can demonstrate
 how we can locate it. The signal is stronger when you're pointing in the direction of the transmitter so
 that's how you can find the fish. Radio telemetry is a very valuable tool for us."
 [VIEW OF BIOLOGISTS HOLDING PADDLEFISH] 
 The data is now being analyzed to evaluate seasonal movement and habitat use.

 [INTERVIEW WITH STEVE ZIGLER]
 "My name is Steve Zigler. I'm a fishery biologist at the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
 with the U.S. Geological Survey. 
 [VIEW OF BIOLOGISTS MEASURING A PADDLEFISH]
 Today, I'm going to talk about some work that we've been doing with paddlefish in the Upper Mississippi
 River. This is a study we've been doing in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
 [VIEW OF NAVIGATION DAM] 
 We're interested in determining what are the effects of human alterations on large river fishes like the
 paddlefish and determining what the effects of construction of dams are on their critical habitats as well as
 their movements. Paddlefish are a highly migratory species of fish and consequently dams can impede
 their spawning migrations, as well as other movements to feeding and over wintering areas.
 [VIEW OF MAP OF TAGGING LOCATIONS]
 We began the study in 1994 and we tagged a total of 71 paddlefish at 4 locations: one location in the
 Chippewa River, one in the Wisconsin River below the Prairie Du Sac Dam. We also had 2 tagging
 locations in the Mississippi River, in navigation pool 5a and navigation pool 8. We surgically implanted
 radio transmitters that had a two-year lifespan, and followed those fish around for two years taking a suite
 of habitat measurements as well as geographic coordinates. We were then able to upload those
 coordinates into a Geographic Information System for analysis of our data."

 [VIEW OF PADDLEFISH SWIMMING IN CONTAINMENT POND]
 Restoration of paddlefish populations is a shared goal of many state and federal agencies. Information
 obtained in our study will assist resource managers in managing paddlefish stocks. 
 [VIEW OF NAVIGATION DAM]
 Also, this research will help identify critical habitats that need to be protected and evaluate the effects of
 dams on spawning migrations and other seasonal movements.

 Movie Credits:
 File footage: USGS
 Narration: Mark Wenger
 Cameras: Nate Berg and Mike Mickelson
 Editor: Nate Ber