Role of Marsh-Mangrove Interface Habitats as Aquatic Refuges for Wetland Fishes and Other Aquatic Animals

Project Investigators: William Loftus, Jennifer S. Rehage Project Start Date: 2004 End Date: 2007 Scope of Work Publications

Summary

The results of the work performed under this project will be used to aid in the assessment of whether the goals and purposes of the CERP are being achieved.

Wetland Fishes and Other Aquatic Animals are essential to the successful functioning of wetlands in southern Florida through their roles as prey and predators. Any changes that reduce the population sizes, community composition, or availability of aquatic animals will affect all facets of the ecology of these wetlands. Therefore, the multi-agency groups responsible for guiding CERP have recognized fishes as a key indicator group by which to measure restoration success.

The objectives of this study are to (a) Develop quantitative sampling programs and methods from studies of stream-channel fish communities through a literature search, (b) Test and develop methods for measuring catch per unit effort and density in oligohaline habitats, (c) Document the composition of native and introduced fishes and their habitat use, (d) Measure important correlative physical measurements such as relative water depths in channels and wetlands, salinity, temperature, and; (e) Test methods of analyzing elemental ratios in bones to determine extent of fish movements from interface refuges into sloughs and peripheral wetlands using a combination of caged and wild fish.

Scope of Work

• 2003

Publications

Abstracts

• Seasonal Fish-Community Patterns in Upstream Reaches of Coastal Rivers in Everglades National Park, Florida (from the GEER Conference, June 2006)

Papers

• Seasonal fish community variation in headwater mangrove creeks in the southwestern Everglades: an examination of their role as dry-down refuges