Split-beam hydroacoustic sampling with two, 420 KHz, 2x6 degree elliptical transducers was evaluated as a tool to quantify nekton movements in a Louisiana estuary. I measured the effects of atmospheric cold front passages on nekton in a tidal creek in Port Fourchon, LA during the fall of 2000. Six fronts were sampled between October 6 and December 18, 2000. Nekton density ranged from 0 to 24.4 fish/m<sup>3</sup> with an overall mean of 2.44 fish/m<sup>3</sup>. Net samples were taken to supplement the acoustic data with species composition data. Species composition changed from October to December. A higher number of smaller targets were found with the acoustic gear than with the nets, evidence of gear bias.
Hydroacoustic based density was generally greater during falling tide (3.17 fish/m<sup>3</sup>) than rising tide (1.81 fish/m<sup>3</sup>). Fish Energy, a proxy for biomass, ranged from 1.76*10<sup>-7</sup> units to 2.06*10<sup>-3</sup> units, with an overall mean of 5.96*10<sup>-5</sup> units. Fish Energy was higher on rising tides (6.10*10<sup>-5</sup>) than falling tides (5.79*10<sup>-5</sup>). Biomass and density were highly variable and similar to previous studies. Barometric pressure combined with tide affected nekton movement. The range of barometric pressures during a sampled front had a significant effect on biomass. When interacted with tidal stage, the range of barometric pressure significantly affected biomass and nekton density (α=0.05).
Hydroacoustics were valuable, although sampling during high densities confounded data acquisition. Higher biomass on incoming tides and higher density on outgoing tides suggest an emigration of small nekton during fronts. Thus, judging by total biomass measured over the study, a front may not be as significant a cue in moving estuarine biomass to emigrate as had been hypothesized.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LSU/oai:etd.lsu.edu:etd-0604102-203723 |
| Date | 06 June 2002 |
| Creators | Harmon, David J |
| Contributors | Richard Shaw, Conrad Lamon, Charles A. Wilson |
| Publisher | LSU |
| Source Sets | Louisiana State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-0604102-203723/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby grant to LSU or its agents the right to archive and to make available my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in the University Libraries in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all proprietary rights, such as patent rights. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. |
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