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Tidal management affects sub-adult fish assemblages in impounded South Carolina marshes

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Abstract

In coastal South Carolina, most impounded marshes are managed for waterfowl; fewer are managed for fishes. Tidal control is central to each strategy but raises concerns that nursery function could be impaired. This research examined the assemblage composition of fishes during early-life stages. We sampled two impoundments of each management type monthly in 2008 and 2009. We used light traps to collect 61,527 sub-adult fish representing 21 species and 16 families and push nets to collect 12,670 sub-adult fish representing 13 species and 11 families. The effective number of species detected at larval stage in “fish” impoundments (summer mean = 2.52 ± 0.20, winter mean = 2.02 ± 0.66) was greater than in “waterfowl” impoundments (summer mean = 1.27 ± 0.14, winter mean = 1.06 ± 0.09); CI = 90 %. Species richness did not differ between management types, but hierarchical linear models predicted differences in assemblage composition. These findings underscore the importance of frequent water exchange for maintaining diverse assemblages of early-life-stage fishes in marsh impoundments.

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Acknowledgments

We extend our gratitude to Ernie Wiggers and Eddie Mills of the Nemours Wildlife Foundation for local expertise and technical assistance; Rebecca C. Peterson, Kelly F. Robinson, and John L. Carswell Jr. for help in the field and the laboratory; Colin P. Shea for guidance in data analysis; and Dorothy L. Carswell for providing a photographic record of our field efforts. This research was supported with a Grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit is sponsored jointly by Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Wildlife Management Institute. This study was performed under the auspices of the University of Georgia Animal Use Permit #2009-3-060.

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  1. Ben L. Carswell

    Present address: Jekyll Island Authority, 100 James Road, Jekyll Island, GA, 31527, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Ben L. Carswell

  2. U.S. Geological Survey, Oregon Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

    James T. Peterson

  3. U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA

    Cecil A. Jennings

Authors
  1. Ben L. Carswell
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  2. James T. Peterson
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  3. Cecil A. Jennings
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Correspondence to Cecil A. Jennings.

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Carswell, B.L., Peterson, J.T. & Jennings, C.A. Tidal management affects sub-adult fish assemblages in impounded South Carolina marshes. Wetlands Ecol Manage 23, 1015–1031 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9435-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-015-9435-1

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