Simulated Impacts of Juvenile Mortality on Gulf of Mexico Sturgeon Populations

Tate, William B.; Allen, M.

doi:10.1100/tsw.2002.92

Cited by 2 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The natural mortality rates estimated for the Yellow, Choctawhatchee, and Suwannee river GS populations (11–17%) after enactment of state harvest bans (Table ) are mathematically consistent with self‐sustaining sturgeon populations (Boreman, ). Higher rates (21–40.5%) determined for the Apalachicola, Pascagoula, and Pearl River GS populations (Table ) are not (Boreman, ; Pine et al., ; Tate and Allen, ). The highest reported Pearl River rate (40.5%) approaches the mortality rate estimated for the Suwannee River population (46.2%) (Table ) while GS harvest was still ongoing (Huff, ).…”

Section: Population Metrics and Trajectoriesmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Huff's () pioneering study of the Suwannee population in 1972–1973 revealed a total annual mortality rate (combined natural plus fishing mortality) of 42% (Huff, ) in a population selectively depleted of large adults by large‐mesh gill netting. Such a high mortality rate is unsustainable for sturgeons (Boreman,; Pine et al., ; Tate and Allen, ), reflecting the highly overfished state of the GS fishery prior to harvest prohibition in Florida in 1984.…”

Section: General Abundance – Major River Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Morrow et al. () and Tate and Allen () have suggested that bycatch in the commercial shrimp fishery is a major contributor to total mortality in the Pearl River GS population. Reporting of such bycatch appears to have been stymied by legal penalties accompanying the GS harvest ban imposed by Louisiana in 1990, and by the federal ESA listing in October 1991.…”

Section: General Abundance – Major River Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Population recovery appears to have been retarded not only by fishery bycatch mortality (Morrow et al., ; Tate and Allen (), but by loss of access to upriver habitat above two low‐head sills at rkms 78 (Pearl River) and 80 (Bogue Chitto River, 17 rkm upstream of the conjunction with the Pearl River) (Fig. ) constructed in 1956 as part of the West Pearl River Navigation Canal project.…”

Section: General Abundance – Major River Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Status of scientific knowledge, recovery progress, and future research directions for the Gulf Sturgeon,Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoiVladykov, 1955

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary The Gulf Sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi, is an anadromous species of Acipenseridae and native to North America. It currently inhabits and spawns in the upper reaches of seven natal rivers along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico from the Suwannee River, Florida, to the Pearl River, Louisiana, during spring to autumn. Next to the Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula), the Gulf Sturgeon is currently the largest fish species occurring in U.S. Gulf Coast rivers, attaining a length of 2.35 m and weights exceeding 135 kg, but historically attained a substantially larger size. Historically, the spawning populations existed in additional rivers from which the species has been wholly or nearly extirpated, such as the Mobile and Ochlockonee rivers, and possibly the Rio Grande River. Most Gulf Sturgeon populations were decimated by unrestricted commercial fishing between 1895–1910. Subsequently most populations remained unrecovered or extirpated due to continued harvest until the 1970s–1980s, and the construction of dams blocking access to ancestral upriver spawning grounds. Late 20th Century harvest bans and net bans enacted by the several Gulf Coast states have stabilized several populations and enabled the Suwannee River population to rebound substantially and naturally. Hatchery supplementation has not been necessary in this regard to date. Sturgeon are resilient and adaptable fishes with a geological history of 150 million years. Research undertaken since the 1970s has addressed many aspects of Gulf Sturgeon life history, reproduction, migration, population biology, habitat requirements, and other aspects of species biology. However, many knowledge gaps remain, prominently including the life history of early developmental stages in the first year of life. Natural population recovery is evident for the Suwannee River population, but seems promising as well for at least four other populations. The Pascagoula and Pearl River populations face a challenging future due a combination of natural and anthropogenic factors. These two populations, and perhaps the Escambia River population, are particularly vulnerable to periodic mass mortality due to major stochastic events including hurricanes, flooding, hypoxia, and toxic spills. The present manuscript provides a comprehensive synthesis of knowledge regarding the Gulf Sturgeon at the organismal and population levels, identifying knowledge gaps as priorities for future research. Topics not treated in the present synthesis include morphology, internal biology, physiology, and endocrinology. Topics only briefly treated include parasites and diseases, contaminants, and sturgeon aquaculture.

show abstract

Section: Population Metrics and Trajectoriesmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: General Abundance – Major River Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: General Abundance – Major River Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: General Abundance – Major River Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Status of scientific knowledge, recovery progress, and future research directions for the Gulf Sturgeon,Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoiVladykov, 1955

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…These annual differences in rainfall and subsequent emigration cues can directly affect recruitment and survival within a drainage, remove natural migratory cues, and lead to a reduction in low-salinity coastal water habitat rich in potential prey (Heise et al 2005;Randall and Sulak 2007;Flowers et al 2009). Gulf Sturgeon populations are sensitive to changes in mortality rates (Tate and Allen 2002), and if extreme low-flow events occur with increasing frequency owing to water management choices or climatic events, population recovery could be drastically impaired and a subsequent risk of extirpation may occur (Flowers et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consistent SpatioTemporal Estuarine Habitat Use during Emigration or Immigration of a Western Population of Gulf Sturgeon

et al. 2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The spatial and seasonal occupancy by Gulf Sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi was estimated using acoustically tagged fish in the Pascagoula River estuary over a 3-year period (2010-2013) and was based on 131,381 detections. Juveniles spent considerably more time in the estuary than subadults or adults, but that varied by year. Gulf Sturgeon of all size-classes entered the acoustic array earlier when stream discharge was high (2011, 2012) compared with when it was lower (2010). The difference was about 14-28 d earlier for adults and subadults but only 12-17 d for juveniles. Temporally, there were no significant differences in occupancy by year or season for adults or subadults or by year for juvenile Gulf Sturgeon, suggesting repeated patterns across the 3 years of this study. Significant and consistent spatial differences in occupancy occurred by array zone, with juveniles occupying the West zone more than the East and River zones of the acoustic array; however, occupancy in the River zone was greater than in the East zone. We found similar patterns for subadults, with the highest occupancy in the West zone compared with the East zone; use was higher in the River zone than in the East zone but there was no difference between the River and West zones. In contrast, no year, season, or zone patterns were identified for adult Gulf Sturgeon, suggesting annual movement along a defined travel corridor (from the River zone to the West zone to offshore islands), with little time spent in the estuary. Adults appear to move quickly through the system during emigration (fall) and immigration (spring) compared with longer but more variable occupancy for juveniles and subadults. Our long-term data illustrates the importance of habitat connectivity in the recovery of Gulf Sturgeon and enhances earlier work on estuarine zones used during migration periods and estuarine residency; both are important for a better understanding of critical habitat maintenance and the development of a robust recovery plan.

show abstract

Simulated Impacts of Juvenile Mortality on Gulf of Mexico Sturgeon Populations

Cited by 2 publications

References 12 publications

Status of scientific knowledge, recovery progress, and future research directions for the Gulf Sturgeon,Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoiVladykov, 1955

Status of scientific knowledge, recovery progress, and future research directions for the Gulf Sturgeon,Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoiVladykov, 1955

Consistent SpatioTemporal Estuarine Habitat Use during Emigration or Immigration of a Western Population of Gulf Sturgeon

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About