Habitat utilization of juvenile striped bass Morone saxatilis in Albemarle Sound inferred from otolith and water chemistries / by John Mohan.
| Author/creator | Mohan, John author. |
| Other author | Rulifson, Roger A. (Roger Allen), 1951- degree supervisor. |
| Other author | East Carolina University. Department of Biology. |
| Format | Theses and dissertations |
| Production | 2009. |
| Description | 91 leaves : illustrations (some color), color maps ; 28 cm |
| Supplemental Content | Access via ScholarShip |
| Subjects |
| Summary | Long term monitoring of juvenile striped bass in Albemarle Sound has established a paradigm of movement and habitat utilization. Traditionally, higher abundances of juveniles are collected in the western open sound habitats, with low abundances collected within riverine habitats. Increased residential and commercial development, altered shorelines, and amplified pollution may be shifting the traditional nursery habitats used by striped bass to other areas. To test this hypothesis, trace elements Sr, Ba, Mg, and Mn in otoliths and water were examined to determine the extent of movement and habitat utilization of the 2008-spawned cohort. Water chemistry differed spatially, but not temporally and multi-element signatures correctly identified habitats with 84% accuracy. Otoliths of hatchery-reared striped bass placed in cages within each habitat were correctly classified with 74% accuracy, and the elements Ba and Mn were important habitat discriminators. Wild fish otolith chemistries were examined individually to determine the duration of habitat utilization and classify fish as transient or resident within a habitat. Resident fish displayed faster growth than transients. The Pasquotank River had the highest number of resident fish and faster growth rates, while striped bass collected from traditional nursery areas in Batchelor Bay were mostly transients, exhibited slow growth, and had elevated (delta)15N tissue signatures, suggesting that anthropogenic influences (agricultural runoff and wastewater discharge) may be shifting juvenile striped bass habitat utilization in Albemarle Sound. |
| General note | Presented to the faculty of the Department of Biology. |
| General note | Advisor: Roger A. Rulifson |
| Dissertation note | M.S. East Carolina University 2009 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Academic theses. |
| Genre/form | Thèses et écrits académiques. |