COVID-19 has affected almost every aspect of society including freshwater fisheries fieldwork. Our study quantified the effects of the pandemic on fisheries fieldwork in the United States. We administered a survey to fisheries chiefs in all 50 states to assess the pandemic’s impact on fisheries fieldwork. Of the 37 participants, 91% reported the pandemic affected their fieldwork and 92% adapted their sampling methods in response to the pandemic. Common adaptation strategies included using personal protective equipment (100%), practicing social distancing (97%), using smaller crews (82%), and developing contingency plans (51%). Based on the survey results, we identified potential challenges to adaptations and offered strategies to improve them. Strategies we identified include adopting novel data collection techniques, finding new positions for temporary employees, and publicly sharing contingency plans. Ultimately, this paper offers novel guidance on how fisheries professionals can best move forward with fieldwork during a time of crisis.

中文翻译：

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COVID-19 对淡水渔业实地工作和数据收集的影响

COVID-19 几乎影响了社会的方方面面，包括淡水渔业实地考察。我们的研究量化了大流行对美国渔业实地工作的影响。我们对所有 50 个州的渔业主管进行了一项调查，以评估大流行对渔业实地工作的影响。在 37 名参与者中，91% 的人报告说大流行影响了他们的实地工作，92% 的人调整了他们的抽样方法以应对大流行。常见的适应策略包括使用个人防护设备 (100%)、保持社交距离 (97%)、使用较小的工作人员 (82%) 和制定应急计划 (51%)。根据调查结果，我们确定了适应的潜在挑战，并提供了改进策略。我们确定的策略包括采用新的数据收集技术，为临时员工寻找新职位，并公开分享应急计划。最终，本文就渔业专业人员如何在危机时期最好地推进实地工作提供了新的指导。