Fish Communities in Five West Coast Spring-fed Rivers Brandon Simcox, Eric Johnson, Amanda Schworm, Bill Pouder
Project Overview FWC/SWFWMD partnership 3-yr funded project (thru June 2017) 5 spring-fed river systems Summer/Winter data collection Fisheries, habitat, water quality info for FWC and SWFWMD
Why are we sampling?? Threats to springs Nutrient increases, habitat loss, discharge reductions, salinity increases Biological data need Fisheries data gaps Reported changes in sport species Baseline data for future management
Project Objectives Document relative abundance, diversity, richness and species composition in each system Evaluate species associations w/quantified habitats and flows in each system
Fish Sampling Methods Electroing Spring-fed rivers 30 shoreline transects (100 meters length) Kings Bay 25 ten-minute shoreline transects (zig-zag)
Fish Sampling Methods Seining (4 meter seine) 10 seine hauls per system Document smaller missed by electroing
Habitat Sampling Visual estimates of percent cover Submersed/emergent/floating veg. Woody material (roots, snags, logs) Shoreline type (hardwood, seawall, docks, marsh) Substrate type (sand, mud, bedrock)
Habitat Sampling
Water Quality/Flow Sampling Water quality parameters Temperature, dissolved oxygen, salinity, conductivity Flow measurements Instream/USGS gage readings
Preliminary Findings Winter 2013/2014 (Nov Feb) 135 total electroing transects 43 total seine hauls Summer 2014 (May Aug) 162 total electroing transects 60 total seine hauls
Rainbow River Species Bluefin Killi Longnose Gar Bluegill Pirate Perch Bowfin Pygmy Sun Brook Silverside Redbreast Sun Coastal Shiner Redear Sun Dollar Sun Redeye Chub Mosquito Sailfin Molly Florida Gar Seminole Killi Gizzard Shad Spotted Sun Golden Shiner Swamp Darter Inland Silverside Tadpole Madtom Lake Chubsucker Warmouth Largemouth Bass Yellow Bullhead Least Killi
Weeki Wachee River Winter 13/14 29 species collected 18 freshwater, 11 saltwater Spotted sun (fresh) Gray snapper (salt) Summer 14 31 species collected 19 freshwater, 12 saltwater Coastal Shiners (fresh) Hogchocker (salt) 43% 12% Weeki Wachee Winter 13/14 88% 57% Weeki Wachee Summer 14 Freshwater Saltwater Freshwater Saltwater
Weeki Wachee River Species American Eel Mountain Mullett Atlantic Needle Naked Goby Bluefin Killi Pin Bluegill Rainwater killi Brown Bullhead Redear Sun Clown Goby Sailfin Molly Coastal Shiner Seminole Killi Crevalle Jack Sheepshead Eastern Mosquito Silver Jenny Fat Sleeper Spotted Sun Florida Gar Striped Mullet Gray Snapper Tadpole Madtom Hogchoker Tidewater Mojarra Inland Silverside Warmouth Lake Chubsucker White Mullet Largemouth Bass Yellow Bullhead Least Killi
Chassahowitzka River Winter 13/14 19 species collected 9 freshwater, 10 saltwater Spotted sun (fresh) Gray snapper (salt) Summer 14 34 species collected 21 freshwater, 13 saltwater Rainwater Killi (fresh) Pin (salt) 27% Chassahowitzka Winter 13/14 92% 8% Chassahowitzka Summer 14 73% Freshwater Saltwater Freshwater Saltwater
Chassahowitzka River American eel Bluefin Killi Bluegill Species Largemouth Bass Least Killi Menhaden spp. Clown Goby Mojarra spp. Coastal Shiner Needle spp. Common Snook Pin Eastern Mosquito Rainwater killi Golden Shiner Redear Sun Gray Snapper Sailfin Molly Gulf Killi Seminole Killi Gulf Toad Sheepshead Hardhead Cat Sheepshead minnow Hogchoker Spot Inland Silverside Spotted Sun Ironcolor Shiner Striped Mullet Lake Chubsucker Yellow Bullhead
Homosassa River Winter 13/14 23 species collected 7 freshwater, 16 saltwater Largemouth bass (fresh) Gray snapper (salt) Summer 14 33 species collected 17 freshwater, 16 saltwater Largemouth Bass (fresh) Striped Mullet (salt) 64% Homosassa Winter 13/14 95% 5% Homosassa Summer 14 46% Freshwater Saltwater Freshwater Saltwater
Homosassa River Species American Eel Golden Shiner Pin Atlantic Needle Gray Snapper Rainwater Killi Bay Anchovy Gulf Pipe Red Drum Black Crappie Gulf Toad Redear Sun Black Drum Inland Silverside Seminole Killi Bluefin Killi Lady Sheepshead Bluegill Lake Chubsucker Sheepshead Minnow Clown Goby Largemouth Bass Spotted Seatrout Common Snook Longnose Gar Spotted Sun Crevalle Jack Menhaden spp. Striped Mullet Eastern Mosquito Mojarra spp. White Mullett Florida Gar Naked Goby
Kings Bay Winter 13/14 28 species collected 10 freshwater, 18 saltwater Largemouth bass (fresh) Mojarra species (salt) Summer 14 33 species collected 14 freshwater,19 saltwater Inland Silverside (fresh) Mojarra species (salt) 90% 64% Kings Bay Winter 13/14 10% Kings Bay Summer 14 36% Freshwater Saltwater Freshwater Saltwater
Kings Bay Species American Eel Menhaden spp. Atlantic Needle Mojarra spp. Bay Anchovy Mullet Black Drum Naked goby Bluegill Pin Bowfin Rainwater Killi Clown Goby Red Drum Common Snook Redear Sun Crevalle Jack Seminole Killi Eastern Mosquito Sheepshead Florida Gar Sheepshead Minnow Gray Snapper Silver Perch Hardhead Cat Spotted Seatrout Hogchoker Spotted Sun Inland silverside Stingray Lady Striped Mullet Largemouth Bass White Mullet
Snook Tagging Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Kings Bay 131 tagged (300 to 1000 mm) Tracking Subsequent sampling efforts and anglers 3 recaptures
Kings Bay Recaptured Nov 4, 2014 Tagged May 6, 2014
Our plans for these data.. Template for Long-Term Monitoring Document relative abundance and diversity Monitor spatial and temporal trends Compare to previous data collected Frazer et al. 2007-2009 (Jaccard Similarity) Evaluate species associations with measured habitats and flow levels Relationships between shoreline development and communities Snook movement (Kings Bay)
Questions?