SEAFWA 2016

AUTHORS: Craig Gothreaux, Mike McDonough, Rebecca Hillebrandt, Mariana Steen, Ashley Ferguson - Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

ABSTRACT: The Louisiana Artificial Reef Program has been very successful since its inception in 1987 thanks to mutually beneficial partnerships and an adaptive management approach. Artificial reef development in Louisiana began at offshore sites using donated oil and gas structures through a process commonly referred to as Rigs-to-Reefs. Over time, efforts have expanded towards developing, monitoring, and enhancing the artificial reef potential of Louisiana including the creation of fishing opportunities closer to shore. Louisiana’s artificial reef sites are categorized into zones based on location and water depth: offshore, nearshore, and inshore. A preponderance of reef sites are located offshore, which are comprised primarily of decommissioned oil and gas platforms. Nearshore reef sites lie between the 100-ft depth contour and the coastline, representing an area containing the bulk of platforms slated for removal. Inshore reef sites are located within the coastline, spread throughout each of Louisiana’s coastal basins, and provide access to the largest number of anglers. Within each zone, artificial reef development presents both challenges and opportunities. Nearshore and inshore zones are unique due to the shallower waters and utilization by multiple user groups. At the same time, these areas are also much more accessible to anglers; therefore, site selection, reef design, and material utilization are tailored to the situational conditions. To balance these issues, distinctive plans have recently been established which embrace an adaptive management approach that maximizes the economic and biological benefits of artificial reef development across Louisiana’s coastal waters.

AUTHORS: Jason O'Connor, John Knight - Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

ABSTRACT: Saltmarsh Topminnows Fundulus jenkinsi are listed as a species of special concern in Florida and are candidates for federal listing. They occur in estuarine marshes along the gulf coast from extreme northwest Florida to Galveston Bay, Texas. The Saltmarsh Topminnow Action Plan was created to guide conservation and research actions within Florida with the goal of improving the status of the species to the point that it can be delisted. We began implementing the plan in August 2014. Our initial research objective was to develop site occupancy models to create unbiased estimates of the current distribution of saltmarsh topminnows within Florida. We surveyed 28 randomly selected sites from all available saltmarsh habitat within Perdido, Escambia, Blackwater, and East Bays. Sites were surveyed 7 times each between Mar 2016 and Mar 2017. We used ranked an a priori set of occupancy models using AICc to select the best occupancy model. Assuming constant detection and occupancy across sites, we estimated that a given patch of saltmarsh habitat within the sampling area had a 70% chance of being occupied by Saltmarsh Topminnows and that using our methods we would expect to detect Saltmarsh Topminnows at sites of known occupancy on 67% of surveys. The top ranked occupancy model included a quadratic effect of site salinity on occupancy probability. Additional sampling will help improve the occupancy and detection estimates and allow for development of more complex occupancy models. Future research will explore methods for estimating density will be investigated.

AUTHORS: Dennis J. Renfro, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

ABSTRACT: In Central Florida in the 1950’s a levee system was constructed that resulted in isolating 10,000 acres of marsh from the 9,417 acres main body of Lake Griffin. The marshland was subsequently drained and transformed into productive farmland to support the increased need for agricultural land. In recent years, the state has purchased lands to undertake a restoration project to reconnect the vital marsh habitat to Lake Griffin. Florida has reconnected two marshes, Area 2 (400 acres) in 2005 and Area 4 (660 acres) in 2007 resulting in 11 percent return of the drained marsh habitat to the major system. With completion of the reconnection of the Area 3 (1,000 acres) the lake will have a total net gain of 21 percent of the vital marsh habitat reconnected. The first phase of the project encompasses breaching the internal levees at six locations, removing the rock surface used for vehicle access of the interior levees and creating four 30 x 15 feet habitat islands. Reconnection will be accomplished by breaching the external levees in four locations, a single 600 feet breach and three 200 feet long breaches. Reconnection of 1,000 acres of wetlands will create new fishing opportunities, improve access to Lake Griffin, manage wetlands/aquatic vegetation for waterfowl hunters and provide wildlife viewing opportunities through habitat management.
This project meets the goals of FWC’s strategic plan in providing residents and visitors with quality fishing, hunting, boating and wildlife viewing opportunities while also providing for the sustainability of natural resources.

AUTHORS: Raynie Harlan, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center; Michael D. Kaller, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center; William E. Kelso, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center; Daniel Kroes, US Geological Survey; Robby Maxwell, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries; Tiffany E. Pasco, Louisiana State Agricultural Center; Steve W. Roberts, US Army Corps of Engineers; Brac Salyers, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

ABSTRACT: Since 2005, Louisiana State University has collected bi-weekly water quality, flow velocity, habitat, and fish community data in support of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers restoration project in the Buffalo Cove Water Management Unit of the Atchafalaya Basin Floodway System (ABFS). As part of this project, several water input elements and water blockage elements were constructed at strategic points within Buffalo Cove to improve water circulation and sedimentation patterns with the ultimate goal of improving water quality (EA#366). Using the Ecological Limits of Hydrologic Alteration framework (ELOHA; N.L. Poff et al. 2009) as a guide, we calculated pre-alteration and post-alteration hydrograph statistics at multiple Areas of Influence (AOI) delineated for each of the constructed flow alteration elements. We then related the differences detected between pre/post hydrograph statistics for each AOI to the restoration activities employed, and tested whether critical ecological parameters, such as dissolved oxygen and temperature, were positively or negatively impacted. We believe the ELOHA framework, although recommended mainly for use in developing regional instream flow standards, can also be an effective framework to guide quantitative analysis of the effects of floodplain restoration projects when flow alteration is a primary objective. We also believe that rigorous evaluation of restoration activities is a critical step in refining floodplain models for future restoration efforts and describing ecological health and flow regime relationships in the ABFS.

AUTHORS: Gary Vitrano, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

ABSTRACT: On August 13, 2011 at 1300 hours, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality responded to several calls from the public about an extensive fish kill occurring in the lower Pearl River from just below Bogalusa, LA to Pool’s and Walkiah Bluffs downstream. Several agencies closely coordinated efforts to mobilize their collective fisheries personnel to provide a comprehensive account of the aquatic resources impacted on the Pearl River Basin from the unauthorized release of pot liquor by Temple-Inland Inc. An estimated total of 591,561 fish and mussels were lost as a result of the event. A major point source fish kill has many implications and consequences. The long-term implications may vary, but the initial responses and follow up actions can have a direct impact on restitution amounts, legal actions, intra- and inter- agency relations, and management policies and philosophies. This report addresses the Pearl River incident with a focus on three sequential segments: the initial response and report; the monitoring effort and report; and post incident management philosophies.

AUTHORS: J. Brian Alford, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture; Debra L. Miller, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture

ABSTRACT: We investigated the prevalence and severity of intersex condition in male Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Greenside Darter, and Banded Darter in tributaries of the Upper Tennessee River watershed. During March 2015, we found 6% occurrence of intersex (oocytes present in testes) in male Largemouth Bass (N = 28, Tennessee and Nolichucky rivers) and Smallmouth Bass (N=2, Nolichucky River) combined at 2 of 5 sites sampled. In May-June 2015, we found no evidence of intersex in male darters sampled in shallow riffles of the Nolichucky River at sites heavily-impacted (HI) and least-impacted (LI) by agriculture and urban land use and point-sources of pollution. Occurrence of intersex in male Smallmouth Bass (N=75) was high in the Little Pigeon, Pigeon, and Nolichucky Rivers. Fish collected from LI sites had similar prevalence (88%) as those from HI sites (85%). However, severity of intersex was mild and did not differ between site classifications. Mean hepatosomatic index for males and females was low and did not differ between site classifications (HI = 0.83, LI = 0.80). We attempted to discern a baseline level of intersex in fishes by sampling in sites thought to be little impacted by endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDC) from agriculture and point-source effluents from wastewater treatment plants. However, it may be that (1) freshwater sites cannot avoid pollution from EDC (e.g., via atmospheric deposition or low-level, chronic runoff), (2) that the baseline level of intersex in Smallmouth Bass is just high, or (3) that other confounding factors need to be discovered.

AUTHORS: Jeff Sibley, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

ABSTRACT: Lake Bistineau is an aging, shallow, eutrophic impoundment located in northwest Louisiana. There are more than 1,000 homes along the shoreline, and it is a popular destination for outdoor recreation. Vegetation problems have plagued the lake since it was first created in 1938. These vegetation issues combined with dense stands of cypress trees and a large watershed have contributed to an overabundance of non-decomposing organic material on the lake bottom which contributed to a decline in sportfish populations. The management of aquatic resources within Lake Bistineau were further complicated by the discovery of giant salvinia (Salvinia molesta) in 2006. Early efforts to control giant salvinia included physical removal and foliar herbicide applications to the scattered plants. Giant salvinia weevils (Cyrtobagous salviniae) were introduced in 2007. Personnel from across the state assisted with control efforts prior to hiring additional local personnel. Despite these efforts by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the plants continued to expand covering 7,386 acres by September of 2009. Public outcry to the deteriorating conditions on the lake was tremendous. An integrated vegetation management strategy has been adopted that includes strategic herbicide applications, weevil stockings, water level fluctuations and an increased focus on public education. The strategy is designed to reduce vegetation levels while maximizing the recreational use of the lake and simultaneously slowing the eutrophication process. Since 2010, salvinia has been held in check to an average, annual, maximum coverage of 1,863 acres. Additionally, sportfish populations have responded positively to the frequent water fluctuations.

AUTHORS: Elise. R. Irwin. U.S. Geological Survey, Alabama Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit; Jeffery Terhune. School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Auburn University

ABSTRACT: Fisheries management problems are often termed “wicked” to describe complex socio-ecological systems encumbered by issues of scale, stakeholder conflict and structural uncertainty with respect to the influence of management on the resource. Consequently, agencies that manage fisheries actively seek employees that can demonstrate problem-solving skills. To enhance development of critical thinking skills, problem-based learning was incorporated into an undergraduate introductory fisheries class using a structured decision making (SDM) framework. Student teams identified a problem of national or regional significance then defined the problem’s scope and scale, decision maker and stakeholder multiple, conflicting objectives and alternative actions designed to meet objectives. Finally, students analyzed consequences of actions on objectives using a decision analysis tool allowing for determination of preferred management actions or portfolios and associated tradeoffs. One team’s problem (Elk River Boulder Darter Conservation) is used to illustrate the framework employed. Although students lacked the expertise to develop completely accurate analyses, they used various sources of data—from expert opinion to published literature—to inform the decision. The SDM framework allowed students to identify and acknowledge key uncertainties related to various aspects of the problem and determine the influence of lack of information on the decision. Because State and Federal natural resources agencies (FWS, USFS, USGS, ALDCNR, GADNR) are increasing their use of SDM and adaptive management frameworks (i.e., the iterative form of SDM) for fisheries management problems, teaching these techniques to the next generation of managers will give our students tools to help frame, decompose and solve future wicked problems.