Project Summary

1. Project ID
Name	Analysis of Fisheries Data
Region	Gulf of Mexico Region
State	FL
Location	Suwannee River Estuary
Date of this update	8/10/00

Habitat Restoration/Protection
Wetlands
River systems
Beaches/Dunes
Offshore areas
Mangroves
Assisting Species at Risk
Pollution Mitigation
Non-Point Source Pollution
Other (describe)

3. Project description (100 words or less)

The Suwannee River Water Management District (SRWMD) is conducting a series of studies to develop instream flow standards for the lower Suwannee River. This effort is termed "Minimum Flows and Levels" (MFL), pursuant to Chapter 373.042, Fla Statutes. One of the principal goals of MFL is the avoidance of "significant harm to water resources or ecology" due to human water use. A major focus of MFL in river systems throughout the state is the provision of adequate amounts of freshwater to their estuaries. The very nature of estuaries as "regions of mixing of fresh and salt water", in conjunction with their importance as nursery areas for many commercial and recreational fishery species provides the basis for considering estuarine freshwater needs in MFL development.

The Florida Marine Research Institute, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FMRI) conducts a variety of research and monitoring in Florida's marine and estuarine ecosystems. One of their programs is the Fisheries Independent Monitoring Program, designed to monitor the relative abundance of fishery resources in major estuarine systems in Florida. This is done by using statistically valid sampling designs in particular estuarine systems to sample juvenile and adult fishes. The FMRI Laboratory in Cedar Key conducts this monitoring program in the Suwannee River estuary.

Both FMRI and SRWMD are interested in developing MFL for the Suwannee River, which protect the functions and values of the Suwannee estuary. FMRI will partner with SRWMD to provide information on estuarine fishery resources and their relationships with salinity and river flow. These efforts may generate data useful in setting MFL for the river (currently scheduled to be done by 2003), or data useful for follow-up evaluation or refinement of MFL.

We propose to conduct two analytical projects. One project would evaluate the question "Are there relationships between salinity or river flow and the recruitment/juvenile abundance of selected taxa in the Suwannee estuary?" It would use the available data collected by the Cedar Key lab and available stream flow or salinity data collected by SRWMD, the U.S. Geological Survey, and FMRI. For particular fish or invertebrate taxa, comparisons of abundance or frequency of occurrence with flow and/or salinity would be made using standard correlation or regression tools. Using existing data, comparisons of flow/salinity with fish data would be made within a given year and with flow/salinity data from the year prior, two years prior, etc. This would evaluate whether there is a "lag" effect between river flow and the strength of a particular year class (e.g., Livingston, 1991; 1997).

It is recognized that currently there are only 2+ years of fish data available, which is probably not enough to discern patterns and trends. We feel this analysis would be valuable as a preliminary effort to evaluate possible trends and to develop the analytical tools to continue data analysis as the Cedar Key lab continues their monitoring.

The second project would evaluate the question "Are there relationships between salinity or river flow and commercial landings of selected taxa in the Suwannee River estuary?" It would use available flow and salinity data and commercial landings data collected by FMRI and the National Marine Fisheries Service. As with project 1, "selected taxa" would be chosen, based in part on their abundance or frequency of occurrence and their importance as a fishery resource in the Suwannee estuary. To the extent that landing data are available, data from ports at Cedar Key, Suwannee, and Horseshoe Beach would be used.

Statistical comparisons of flow/salinity with landings data would be made as described in Project

Abstract Narrative B
Description of the Proposed Project

We propose two research projects to investigate the relationship between fresh water input and fish community structure in the Suwannee River estuary. The first project will be focused on juvenile fish of selected taxa in the estuary. Statistical models will be constructed to evaluate the impacts of fresh water input on juvenile abundance, survival, species composition, and species distributions. Physical elements that will be included are salinity, precipitation, river influx, and water temperature. Information on the Suawannee fish community will be provided by the FMRI Cedar Key lab and the physical information are available from SRWMD and USGS.

The second project will be focused on the relationship between salinity /river inflow and commercial landings of selected taxa in the Suwannee River estuary. Statistical models that take time lag into account will be constructed to exam the impacts of fresh water input on fisheries. Commercial landing information is available from the National Marine Fisheries Service and physical information will be supplied by USGS and SRWMD.

One person will be hired working full time to construct statistical models for conducting the two projects and to prepare the data required by the models. The employee will spend three months gathering and reformatting the existing data from SRWMD, USGS, and FMRI, six months on data analysis and model development, and the last three months on summarizing and interpreting results and writing reports.

4. Goals/Benefits (quantify where possible using measures of success list) Was a cost-benefit study conducted for this project? yes/no If yes, provide a summary of findings.

5. Partners (include each participant's responsibilities - funding, permitting, etc.)

6. Funding/Contributions (organization and amount)

	 	  Cash	Federal
			Non Federal 	State government
					Local government
					Private industry
					Public interest groups
			Total


	  In-Kind Services (hours, equipment, or other forms of assistance and estimated dollar 	value)
	
	  Volunteers (number of people and hours, and estimated dollar value)
                

7. Legislative authorities used by each participant

8. Value added by Coastal America Partnership including Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) goals achieved through this collaboration (500 words or less)

9. Project Status

• Initiation date:
• Completion date:
• Current stage (Initiated - I, Underway - U or Completed - C)

10. Contacts

11. Any additional information/comments