Panama City Fisheries Resources Office: FY 2004 Annual Report

HIGHLIGHTS FOR FY 2004 1. Completed the second of a 3-year Gulf sturgeon population estimate on the Escambia River, Florida. 2. Completed the first of a 2-year Gulf sturgeon population estimate on the Apalachicola River, Florida. 3. Conducted Gulf sturgeon presence-absence surveys in three other Florida river systems. 4. Documented Gulf sturgeon marine habitat use in the near shore waters of the Gulf of Mexico. 5. Identified environmental threats to Gulf sturgeon spawning habitat in the Choctawhatchee River, Florida. 6. Initiated a study to document Gulf sturgeon spawning with the collection of fertilized eggs in the Yellow River, Florida. 7. Implemented Gulf Striped Bass Restoration Plan by coordinating the 21st Annual Morone Workshop, leading the technical committee, transporting broodfish, and coordinating the stocking on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) river system. 8. Over 86,000 Phase II Gulf striped bass were marked with sequential coded wire tags and stocked in Lake Seminole and the Apalachicola River. Post-stocking evaluations were conducted at 31 sites. 9. Drafted updates to Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Striped Bass Restoration and Evaluation Five-Year Plan with partners. 10. Fishery surveys were conducted on Tyndall Air Force Base and St. Marks and St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuges. 11. Habitat evaluations and population surveys were completed at 153 Okaloosa darter stream sites. 12. Aquatic insect biomonitoring and identification of over 39,000 individual aquatic macroinvertebrates was completed and provided to Eglin Air Force Base. 13. Ten years of fishery data from Okefenokee and Banks Lake National Wildlife Refuges was analyzed with recommendations incorporated into the refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan. 14. A draft mussel sampling protocol was tested in wadeable streams in northwest Florida and southwest Georgia. 15. Implemented recovery plan and candidate conservation actions for 14 listed and candidate freshwater mussels in the Northeast Gulf Watersheds. 16. Worked with partners in developing the Spring Creek Watershed Partnership in the Flint River basin, Georgia. 17. Multiple stream restoration and watershed management projects were initiated or completed. A total of 6.8 stream miles were restored for stream fishes, along with 56.4 miles of coastline were enhanced for sea turtle lighting. A total of 135 acres of wetlands and 58 acres of understory habitat were restored. 18. Multiple outreach projects were completed to detail aquatic resources conservation needs and opportunities. Participated in National Fishing Week event, BASS ProShops event, several festivals, and school outreach.

Panama City Fisheries Resources Office: FY 2002 Annual Report

HIGHLIGHTS FOR FY 2002 1. United States Senator Bob Graham assisted with a Gulf sturgeon survey. 2. Completed 3-year Gulf sturgeon population study in the Choctawhatchee River drainage. 3. Completed Gulf sturgeon potential spawning habitat survey for Northwest Florida and Southeast Alabama river systems. 4. Initiated Gulf sturgeon marine habitat and food resources study. 5. Completed Gulf sturgeon sentinel fish study. 6. Coordinated and conducted tagging of over 110,000 Phase II striped bass at Welaka and Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery. 7. Completed Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge fishery sampling. 8. Developed a manuscript regarding the fishery of Banks Lake NWR. 9. Initiated development of a fish Index of Biotic Integrity for Florida panhandle streams. 10. Coordinated Okaloosa darter workshop. 11. Continued examining insect communities on Eglin AFB. 12. Sponsored and coordinated stream restoration workshop. 13. Provided technical assistance via Partners for Fish and Wildlife for stream restoration within the Northeast Gulf Ecosystem. 14. Finalized regional curve development in the Northern Region of Florida and secured significant funds for FY03 to expand to other regions in Florida. 15. Initiated freshwater mussel conservation in the Northeastern Gulf Ecosystem.

A review of the biology, ecology and management of Scirpus Olneyi. Volume 1: An annotated bibliography of selected references

This annotated bibliography of selected literature on Olney's three7square (Scirpus olneyi Gray )compiled basically for two reasons: 1) to assist a task force in its pursuit of an explanation for the substantial reduction in marsh acreage at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County, Maryland, and 2) to serve as the author's foundation for the initiation of ecological research on this species as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Botany Department of the University of Maryland. Both purposes are directly related in that the Author's research will be of use to the task force, along I with its other technical information and research results, in under-standing and possibly correcting the marshland loss problem at the Refuge. (PDF contains 100 pages)

A note on the shallow ponds on the gravel ridge of Epping Forest, Essex

In a recent study in Freshwater Forum on Speakman's Pond (also known as Nursery Pond) the impression was given that it had been a permanent water-filled pond which had recently dried out due to exceptionally low rainfall. In fact, Nursery Pond was created by the extraction of gravel and was never more than 50 cm deep, until the creation of trenches in 1989 to provide a refuge for aquatic life. The Nursery Pond followed a seasonal pattern of filling with winter rain and slowly drying out between 1940 to 1970. It had no established aquatic vegetation, no fish, and only rarely amphibians. Permanent water was present only from about 1979 until 1995 due to leakage from a Thames water storage reservoir.

Trapping success and population analysis of Siren lacertina and Amphiuma means

Siren and Amphiuma are two poorly known genera of aquatic salamanders that occur in the Southeastern United States. A primarily bottom-dwelling existence makes these salamanders difficult to detect with conventional sampling methodologies. Therefore, the current status of their populations is unknown. I compared the capture success of modified crayfish traps and plastic minnow traps in capturing these salamanders. In addition, a mark-recapture study of S. lacertina (Greater siren) and A. means (Two-toed amphiuma) was conducted at Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (southern Georgia) and at Katharine Ordway Preserve (north-central Florida) from August 2001 until September 2002. Crayfish traps were much more successful than minnow traps in catching siren and amphiuma. Crayfish traps yielded 270 captures for an overall capture success of 16%, whereas minnow traps yielded only 13 captures for an overall success rate of 0.05%. In addition, several marking techniques were evaluated, and of these, only passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags were retained for the duration of the study. Therefore, I recommend this marking technique for long-term monitoring of S. lacertina and A. means. Several variables were found to have significant effects on capture rates of salamanders. A. means were most often captured in summer and the number of captures was positively correlated with water temperature, water level, and rainfall. S. lacertina were most often captured during winter and spring. Number of captures was negatively correlated with water temperature, while no relationship was found with water level or rainfall. Trap day and baiting had no significant effect on number of A. means or S. lacertina captured. Recapture probabilities of both species were low, 0.025-0.03 for S. lacertina and 0.08-0.11 for A. means. Monthly survival rates were high, 0.77-0.97 for A. means and 0.88-1.00 for S. lacertina. Density estimates of 1.3 salamanders/m2 (S. lacertina) and 0.28 salamanders/m2 (A. means) were obtained for Lake Suggs using Jolly-Seber models. Siren and amphiuma make up a substantial part of wetland biomass and can impact many other wetland species. Thus, more attention must be focused on evaluating and monitoring their populations.

The ecology of Atlantic white cedar wetlands: a community profile

This monograph on the ecology of Atlantic white cedar wetlands is one of a series of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service profiles of important freshwater wetland ecosystems of the United States. The purpose of the profile is to describe the extent, components, functioning, history, and treatment of these wetlands. It is intended to provide a useful reference to relevant scientific information and a synthesis of the available literature. The world range of Atlantic white cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides) is limited to a ribbon of freshwater wetlands within 200 km of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, extending from mid-Maine to mid-Florida and Mississippi. Often in inaccessible sites and difficult to traverse, cedar wetlands contain distinctive suites of plant species. Highly valued as commercial timber since the early days of European colonization of the continent, the cedar and its habitat are rapidly disappearing. This profile describes the Atlantic white cedar and the bogs and swamps it dominates or codominates throughout its range, discussing interrelationships with other habitats, putative origins and migration patterns, substrate biogeochemistry, associated plant and animal species (with attention to those that are rare, endangered, or threatened regionally or nationally), and impacts of both natural and anthropogenic disturbance. Research needs for each area are outlined. Chapters are devoted to the practices and problems of harvest and management, and to an examination of a large preserve recently acquired by the USFWS, the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

Observations on Fisheries Activities at Navassa Island

Unmanaged and unquantified artisanal fishing is ongoing at Navassa Island, a small oceanic island about 70 km west of Haiti that is part of the U.S. Caribbean Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Concern has been expressed regarding the possible impact of these fishing activities on reef resources, and no quantitative catch or effort data are available. However, informal qualitative observations made during a cruise in November 2002 suggest that escalation in fishing activity (and impact) has occurred since previous observations made in April 2000. Namely, size structure of fish was markedly reduced and the adoption of net fishing has allowed the exploitation of queen conch, Strombas gigas, and hawksbill turtles, Eretmochelys imbricata.

Reef Habitats in the Middle Atlantic Bight: Abundance, Distribution, Associated Biological Communities, and Fishery Resource Use

One particular habitat type in the Middle Atlantic Bight is not well recognized among fishery scientists and managers, although it is will known and used by recreational and commercial fisheries. This habitat consists of a variety of hard-surface, elevated relief "reef" or reef-like environments that are widely distributed across the predominantly flat or undulating, sandy areas of the Bight and include both natural rocky areas and man-made structures, e.g. shipwrecks and artificial reefs. Although there are natural rock and shellfish reefs in southern New England coastal waters and estuaries throughout the Bight, most reef habitats in the region appear to be man-made reef habitat modification/creation may be increasing. Very little effort has been devoted to the study of this habitat's distribution, abundance, use by living marine resources and associated biological communities (except on estuarine oyster reefs) and fishery value or management. This poorly studied and surveyed habitat can provide fish refuge from trawls and can be a factor in studies of the distribution and abundance of a variety of reef-associated fishery resources. This review provides a preliminary summary of information found on relative distribution and abundance of reef habitat in the Bight, the living marine resources and biological communities that commonly use it, threats to this habitat and its biological resources, and the value or potential value of artificial reefs to fishery or habitat and its biological resources, and the value or potential value of artificial reefs to fishery or habitat managers. The purpose of the review is to initiate an awareness among resource managers about this habitat, its role in resource management, and the need for research.

Untrawlable Bottom in Shrimp Statistical Zones of the Northwest Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council tasked the National Marine Fisheries Service with determining the extent, if any, of loss oft rawlable bottom in the Gulf of Mexico based upon fishing industry concerns. There are approximately 31 million hectares in the 21 shrimp statistical zones in the Gulf, approximately 23 million hectares of waters that are <35 fathoms (where most shrimp trawling effort occurs), and approximately 11 million hectares in zones 10-21, <35f athoms, which were examined. There are 31,338 known hangs, snags, artificial reefs, hazards to navigation, oil rigs, and similar obstructions which cause trawling to be unfeasible in these zones. There are several refuge (i.e. untrawlable) areas associated with the Alabama Artificial Reefs. Conservatively assuming 1 hectare for each known obstruction, coupled with the known area of each refuge, the estimate of total untrawlable bottom in zones 10-21 less than 35 fathoms in the Gulf is 185,953 hectares, or roughly 1.7% of this total trawlable area. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the robustness of this assumption, with a range of 0.3-4.3% possible. In specific shrimp zones, untrawlable area is much less than 1% except in zones 10 (26%) and 11(2.5%), both of which possess a refuge. Other than the implementation periods of these refugia, no temporal trends were detectable with respect to the amount of untrawlable bottom.

Occurrence and Behavior of Juvenile Red Snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, on Commercial Shrimp Fishing Grounds in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, is subject to significant overfishing in U.S. Gulf of Mexico waters, and regulations are being implemented to reduce fishing mortality and restore them to a 20% spawning potential ratio by the year 2009. One source of mortality that must be reduced to achieve this goal is the incidental capture ofjuvenile red snappers in shrimp, Penaeus spp., trawls. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is conducting research to develop shrimp trawl modifications to reduce the snapper bycatch. An important part of this research is the study of juvenile red snapper behavior on commercial shrimp grounds and in relation to trawling gear. An area of high juvenile red snapper abundance was identified off the coast of Mississippi. Most snappers were observed around structures or objects on the bottom which they appeared to use for refuge or orientation. Those ranging over barren bottom had no apparent point of orientation. When encountered by shrimp trawls, most juvenile snappers rose above the trawl footrope and fell back into the trawl. These observations have directed research toward modifying shrimp trawls to release juvenile red snappers after entry, rather than preventing them from entering a shrimp trawl.

Regional study on social dimensions of MPA practice in Central America: cases studies from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama

This research focuses on the social dimensions of marine conservation, and makes an assessment of the experiences of coastal and fi shing communities with regard to the governance of MPAs in Central America, based on case studies from Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. It examines the national contexts of the above countries in relation to the governance of MPAs. Furthermore, it analyzes the social impacts of MPAs on coastal communities by gathering the experiences and the voices of the communities and institutions involved, and reflects on how to build bridges in the search for forms and models of conservation that respect human rights and which are able to successfully integrate into local development efforts without affecting cultural and/or social patterns. To this end, this monograph looks at nine case studies across the region: in Honduras, the Islas de la Bahia-Guanaja Marine National Park, the Cayos Cochinos Marine Archipelago Natural Monument, and the Cuero and Salado Wildlife Refuge; in Nicaragua, the Chacocente Wildlife Refuge; in Costa Rica, the Guanacaste Conservation Area, the Ballena Marine National Park and the Golfo Dulce Responsible Fishing Area; and, in Panama, the Nargana Protected Area, in the Comarca de la Biosfera Guna-Yala, the Bastimentos Island Marine National Park, and Bocas del Toro.

A guide to the deep-water sponges of the Aleutian Island Archipelago

The first dedicated collections of deep-water (>80 m) sponges from the central Aleutian Islands revealed a rich fauna including 28 novel species and geographical range extensions for 53 others. Based on these collections and the published literature, we now confirm the presence of 125 species (or subspecies)of deep-water sponges in the Aleutian Islands. Clearly the deep-water sponge fauna of the Aleutian Islands is extraordinarily rich and largely understudied. Submersible observations revealed that sponges, rather than deep-water corals, are the dominant feature shaping benthic habitats in the region and that they provide important refuge habitat for many species of fish and invertebrates including juvenile rockfish (Sebastes spp.) and king crabs (Lithodes sp). Examination of video footage collected along 127 km of the seafloor further indicate that there are likely hundreds of species still uncollected from the region, and many unknown to science. Furthermore, sponges are extremely fragile and easily damaged by contact with fishing gear. High rates of fishery bycatch clearly indicate a strong interaction between existing fisheries and sponge habitat. Bycatch in fisheries and fisheries-independent surveys can be a major source of information on the location of the sponge fauna, but current monitoring programs are greatly hampered by the inability of deck personnel to identify bycatch. This guide contains detailed species descriptions for 112 sponges collected in Alaska, principally in the central Aleutian Islands. It addresses bycatch identification challenges by providing fisheries observers and scientists with the information necessary to adequately identify sponge fauna. Using that identification data, areas of high abundance can be mapped and the locations of indicator species of vulnerable marine ecosystems can be determined. The guide is also designed for use by scientists making observations of the fauna in situ with submersibles, including remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicles.

Fisheries databases for assessing habitat functions of Cape Romain NWR

The US Fish and Wildlife Service Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR) and the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR) at Charleston are interested in assessing the status of our coastal resources in light of increased coastal development and recreational use. Through an Interagency Agreement (FWS #1448-40181-00-H-001), an ecological characterization was undertaken to describe the status of and potential impacts to resources at CRNWR. This report describes historic fisheries-independent or non-commercial data relevant to CRNWR that can be used to evaluate the role of the Refuge as habitat for nearshore and offshore fish species. The purpose of this document is two-fold, first to give resource managers an understanding of fisheries data that have been collected over the years and, second, to illustrate how these data can be applied to address specific management issues. This report provides an overview of historic fisheries data collected along the southeast coast, as well as basic summaries of that data relevant to CRNWR, indicating how these data can be used to address specific questions of interest to Refuge managers and biologists.

Habitat availability and heterogeneity and the Indo-Pacific warm pool as predictors of marine species richness in the tropical Indo-Pacific

Range overlap patterns were observed in a dataset of 10,446 expert-derived marine species distribution maps, including 8,295 coastal fishes, 1,212 invertebrates (crustaceans and molluscs), 820 reef-building corals, 50 seagrasses and 69 mangroves. Distributions of tropical Indo-Pacific shore fishes revealed a concentration of species richness in the northern apex and central region of the Coral Triangle epicenter of marine biodiversity. This pattern was supported by distributions of invertebrates and habitat-forming primary producers. Habitat availability, heterogeneity and sea surface temperatures were highly correlated with species richness across spatial grains ranging from 23,000 to 5,100,000 km2 with and without correction for autocorrelation. The consistent retention of habitat variables in our predictive models supports the area of refuge hypothesis which posits reduced extinction rates in the Coral Triangle. This does not preclude support for a center of origin hypothesis that suggests increased speciation in the region may contribute to species richness. In addition, consistent retention of sea surface temperatures in models suggests that available kinetic energy may also be an important factor in shaping patterns of marine species richness. Kinetic energy may hasten rates of both extinction and speciation. The position of the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool to the east of the Coral Triangle in central Oceania and a pattern of increasing species richness from this region into the central and northern parts of the Coral Triangle suggests peripheral speciation with enhanced survival in the cooler parts of the Coral Triangle that also have highly concentrated available habitat. These results indicate that conservation of habitat availability and heterogeneity is important to reduce extinction and that changes in sea surface temperatures may influence the evolutionary potential of the region.

An ecological characterization of the marine resources of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Part I: Historical data synthesis

From the 1940s until 2003, portions of the island of Vieques, a municipality within the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, were used by the US Navy as a base and training facility, resulting in development and zoning history that differ in comparison to other Caribbean islands. The majority of former Navy lands are now under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service as a National Wildlife Refuge, while a smaller percentage of land was transferred to the Vieques municipality and the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust. An analysis of the distribution and status of the marine resources is timely in light of the recent land transfer, increases in development and tourism, and potential changes in marine zoning around the island. To meet this need, NOAA’s Biogeography Branch, in cooperation with the Office of Response and Restoration and other local and regional partners, conducted Part I of an ecological characterization to integrate historical data and research into a synthesis report. The overall objective of this report is to provide resource managers and residents a comprehensive characterization of the marine resources of Vieques to support research, monitoring, and management. For example, knowledge of the spatial distribution of physical features, habitats, and biological communities is necessary to make an informed decision of the establishment and placement of a marine protected area (MPA). The report is divided into chapters based on the physical environment (e.g., climate, geology, bathymetry), habitat types (e.g., reefs and hardbottom, seagrasses, mangroves) and major faunal groups (e.g. fish, turtles, birds). Each section includes five subsections: an overview, description of the relevant literature, methods of analysis, information on the distribution, status and trends of the particular resource, and a discussion of ecological linkages with other components of the Vieques marine ecosystem and surrounding environment. The physical environment of Vieques is similar to other islands within the Greater Antilles chain, with some distinctions. The warm, tropical climate of Vieques, mediated by the northeasterly trade winds, is characterized by a dry season (December-April) and a rainy season (May-November), the latter of which is characterized by the occasional passage of tropical cyclones. Compared to mainland Puerto Rico, Vieques is characterized by lower elevation, less annual precipitation, and higher average temperatures. The amount of annual precipitation also varies spatially within Vieques, with the western portion of the island receiving higher amounts of rainfall than further east. While the North Equatorial Current dominates the circulation pattern in the Greater Antilles region, small scale current patterns specific to Vieques are not as well characterized. These physical processes are important factors mitigating the distribution and composition of marine benthic habitats around Vieques. In general, the topography of Vieques is characterized by rolling hills. Mt. Pirata, the tallest point at 301 m, is located near the southwest coast. In the absence of island wide sedimentation measurements, information on land cover, slope, precipitation, and soil type were used to estimate relative erosion potential and sediment delivery for each watershed. While slope and precipitation amount are the primary driving factors controlling runoff, land use practices such as urban development, military activity, road construction, and agriculture can increase the delivery of pollution and sediments to coastal waters. Due to the recent land transfer, increased development and tourism is expected, which may result in changes in the input of sediments to the coastal environment.