Ohio Aquatic GAP Project

The goal of the GAP Analysis Program is to keep common species common by identifying those species and habitats that are not yet adequately represented in the existing matrix of conservation lands. The Gap Analysis Program (GAP) is sponsored by the Biological Resources Discipline of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Ohio Aquatic GAP (OH-GAP) is a pilot project that is applying the GAP concept to aquatic—specifically, riverine—data. The mission of GAP is to provide regional assessments of the conservation status of native animal species and to facilitate the application of this information to land-management activities. OH-GAP accomplished this through

• mapping aquatic habitat types
   
• mapping the predicted distributions of fish, crayfish, and bivalves
   
• documenting the presence of aquatic species in areas managed for conservation
   
• providing GAP results to the public, planners, managers, policy makers, and researchers
   
• building cooperation with multiple organizations to apply GAP results to state and regional management activities.

PRODUCTS

Final Report: Ohio Aquatic Gap Analysis—An Assessment of the Biodiversity and Conservation Status of Native Aquatic Animal Species. Open-File Report 2006–1385.

Data CD: Fish distribution and valley segment type data from Ohio Aquatic Gap Analysis Project (GAP). Open-File Report 2003-194.

Poster presented at the 2004 American Fisheries Society: Ohio Aquatic GAP: Assessing Fish, Crayfish, and Bivalves in Relation to Conservation Lands (*.pdf 11.4 mb)

Factsheet: What is the Ohio Gap Analysis Program (GAP)? Fact Sheet FS-093-01 (*pdf 1.3 mb)