Volume 66
Movement and Habitat use of Subadult Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) in the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve
Authors
Moulton, D.L., M.A. Dance, M.Z. Sluis, G.W. Stunz, and J.A. Rooker Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2013
Pages: 232 233
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty six Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Corpus Christy
Country: USA
Abstract
Red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) are highly sought-after game fish provid-ing economic and recreational value to the Gulf of Mexico. Information regarding movements, essential habitat, and habitat connectivity is needed for effective management and conservation of both species, as well as the habitat they utilize. The objectives of this study were to characterize and compare fine-scale habitat use for both species, and examine the influences of habitat type and depth on habitat use. A VEMCO VR2W Positioning System (VPS) array consisting of 20 VR2W passive acoustic receivers was deployed in June and July 2013 to encompass approximately 350m2 of the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve (TX) and a variety of habitat types including shoal grass (Halodule wrightii), turtle grass (Thalassia testudinum), manatee grass (Syringodium filiforme), oyster reef, and unvegetated substrate. Subadult red drum (n = 14) and spotted seatrout (n = 15) were implanted with VEMCO V9 acoustic transmitters and tracked within the array for a maximum of 28 days. VPS triangulates fish positions using time-difference-of-arrival analysis, requiring detection of the same transmission by at least three receivers. A total of 48,292 detections were recorded: 13,433 for red drum and 34,859 for spotted seatrout. From these, 1,477 positions with a horizontal positioning error (HPE) < 2 m were generated.