Preliminary Examination of How Human-driven Freshwater Flow Alteration Affects Trophic Ecology of Juvenile Snook (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Centropomus undecimalis</Emphasis>) in Estuarine Creeks |
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| Authors: | Aaron J Adams R Kirby Wolfe Craig A Layman |
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| Institution: | (1) Center for Fisheries Enhancement, Fisheries Habitat Ecology Program, Mote Marine Laboratory, Charlotte Harbor Field Station, P.O. Box 2197, Pineland, FL, 33945, USA;(2) Marine Sciences Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA;(3) Present address: Habitat Program, Marine Fisheries Section, Coastal Resources Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, One Conservation Way, Suite 300, Brunswick, GA 31520-8687, USA |
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| Abstract: | Maintaining proper freshwater and marine inputs is essential for estuarine function. Alteration of freshwater flows into small
tributaries that traverse the upland-estuarine margin may be especially problematic, e.g., by impacting the nursery areas
for juvenile finfish and shellfish. We used stomach contents and stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N) to examine effects of freshwater flow alterations on the trophic ecology of juvenile common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) in four mangrove creeks with different freshwater flow regimes. Diet diversity in less degraded creeks was greater than
in more degraded creeks, and the importance (by % mass) of the top three preys was disproportionately higher in the more degraded
creeks. Stable isotope measures of trophic diversity corroborate these trends, suggesting higher intraspecific trophic diversity
in less degraded creeks. The difference in diet diversity of juvenile snook may be an indicator of an overall change in ecosystem
function and these shifts in food web structure may affect the rate that juveniles of this and other species with similar
habitat requirements successfully join the adult population. |
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