Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
In Person or Zoom Presentation
In-Person
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Student Year and Major
Graduate Student, Integrated Environmental Science
Presentation Description/Abstract
Florida’s Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the world, providing habitat for over 600 known fish species. In the 1950s, much of the IRL’s intertidal wetlands were diked and flooded to prevent mosquito reproduction. Beginning in the 1980s, rotational impoundment management (RIM) was implemented, allowing for seasonal flooding of impoundments during mosquito breeding season, creating a temporary barrier for fish migration. To understand the role of RIM on community assembly, this study (1) collects, identifies, and measures fish in impounded and control locations, (2) processes environmental DNA (eDNA) from impounded and control sites using metabarcoding, and (3) compares collected data to fisheries-independent monitoring (FIM) data to understand how community dynamics in impoundments under RIM differ from the main IRL. Results show that dissolved oxygen varies widely (0.24–6.64 mg/L) with variations in impoundment management. Fish captures found similar species (sp.) richness within and outside the impoundment (In: 15 sp.; Out: 15 sp.); all impoundment species are native to the IRL, but two nonnative cichlid species are abundant at outside sites (mean 4.1 captures/sampling effort). The eDNA data is expected to detect fishes not selected by nets or traps. Spatial analysis of FIM data provides information on community dynamics in unimpounded areas of the Banana River. Better understanding the relationship between habitat connectivity and fish communities informs adaptive management strategies that balance mosquito control with fish habitat access. This balance supports long-term sustainability of the IRL’s fisheries, biodiversity, and coastal communities that depend on them.
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Keywords
Indian River Lagoon, Mosquito impoundment, Fisheries Independent Monitoring, eDNA, Fish Community Dynamics
Seasonal Changes in Estuary-Dependent Fish Community of Rotationally Managed Impoundments in Merritt Island, Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA
Florida’s Indian River Lagoon (IRL) is one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the world, providing habitat for over 600 known fish species. In the 1950s, much of the IRL’s intertidal wetlands were diked and flooded to prevent mosquito reproduction. Beginning in the 1980s, rotational impoundment management (RIM) was implemented, allowing for seasonal flooding of impoundments during mosquito breeding season, creating a temporary barrier for fish migration. To understand the role of RIM on community assembly, this study (1) collects, identifies, and measures fish in impounded and control locations, (2) processes environmental DNA (eDNA) from impounded and control sites using metabarcoding, and (3) compares collected data to fisheries-independent monitoring (FIM) data to understand how community dynamics in impoundments under RIM differ from the main IRL. Results show that dissolved oxygen varies widely (0.24–6.64 mg/L) with variations in impoundment management. Fish captures found similar species (sp.) richness within and outside the impoundment (In: 15 sp.; Out: 15 sp.); all impoundment species are native to the IRL, but two nonnative cichlid species are abundant at outside sites (mean 4.1 captures/sampling effort). The eDNA data is expected to detect fishes not selected by nets or traps. Spatial analysis of FIM data provides information on community dynamics in unimpounded areas of the Banana River. Better understanding the relationship between habitat connectivity and fish communities informs adaptive management strategies that balance mosquito control with fish habitat access. This balance supports long-term sustainability of the IRL’s fisheries, biodiversity, and coastal communities that depend on them.
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Comments
I am not the author of this abstract, but I will be a co-presenter of the poster.