An Analysis of Shifting Non-Native Gamefish Dynamics in Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
In Person or Zoom Presentation
In-Person
Campus
Daytona Beach
Status
Student
Student Year and Major
First Year Graduate Student; Masters of Integrated Environmental Science
Presentation Description/Abstract
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (LOX NWR), located in southwest Florida, is a 145,000-acre property managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is part of the northernmost remnant of the Everglades watershed. As one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the US, LOX NWR doubles as an active research refuge for invasive species as well as a high recreational use area for a variety of activities, like fishing, hunting, and kayaking. Recreational anglers are permitted to fish in a series of three perimeter canals that border the refuge, where they often target non-native fish species such as peacock bass, goldline snakehead, and clown knifefish. To monitor changes in the population structure of native and invasive fish species within these canals, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) conducted electrofishing sampling in the 2011-2012 and 2023-2024 seasons. The initial report on this survey found a significant increase in the relative abundance of invasive species across the board, but did not analyze their distribution. Subsequent analysis will examine more specific changes in gamefish distribution and population structure in the decade between sampling events. This project aims to (1) visualize the changes in non-native gamefish distribution, (2) visualize the changes in native gamefish distribution, (3) identify and visualize locations in the LOX NWR where stakeholders should expect to find high abundances of non-native gamefish. The maps produced from this additional investigation will contribute useful information for LOX NWR stakeholders, such as refuge managers and anglers, as a potential source for management and recreation decisions.
Keywords
Recreational Fisheries, Invasive Species, National Wildlife Refuge, Everglades, Freshwater Fisheries
An Analysis of Shifting Non-Native Gamefish Dynamics in Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge (LOX NWR), located in southwest Florida, is a 145,000-acre property managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service and is part of the northernmost remnant of the Everglades watershed. As one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the US, LOX NWR doubles as an active research refuge for invasive species as well as a high recreational use area for a variety of activities, like fishing, hunting, and kayaking. Recreational anglers are permitted to fish in a series of three perimeter canals that border the refuge, where they often target non-native fish species such as peacock bass, goldline snakehead, and clown knifefish. To monitor changes in the population structure of native and invasive fish species within these canals, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) conducted electrofishing sampling in the 2011-2012 and 2023-2024 seasons. The initial report on this survey found a significant increase in the relative abundance of invasive species across the board, but did not analyze their distribution. Subsequent analysis will examine more specific changes in gamefish distribution and population structure in the decade between sampling events. This project aims to (1) visualize the changes in non-native gamefish distribution, (2) visualize the changes in native gamefish distribution, (3) identify and visualize locations in the LOX NWR where stakeholders should expect to find high abundances of non-native gamefish. The maps produced from this additional investigation will contribute useful information for LOX NWR stakeholders, such as refuge managers and anglers, as a potential source for management and recreation decisions.