PARENT SESSION
Oral Session #57: Aquatic Ecology: Wetlands, Estuaries, Marine. Presiding: T. Klinger.
Wednesday, August 8, 2001. 1:00 PM to 5:15 PM. Hall of Ideas J.
Ecological effects of the hurricanes of 1999: Spatial and temporal responses of the Pamlico Sound fish community.
Rilov, Gil1, Crowder, Larry1, McClellan, Catherine1, 1
ABSTRACT- Pamlico Sound is the largest lagoonal estuary in the US and produces valuable finfish and shellfish. Beginning in fall 1998, we sampled chemical, physical and biological parameters as well as the fishes in western Pamlico Sound. Three hurricanes in September and October 1999 led to a 500-year flood in the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers strongly reducing salinity and increasing nutrients, causing increased productivity and intermittent low oxygen. These effects propagated downstream more than 25 km from the mouth of the Neuse affecting fish abundance and distribution. Fish catches for the more abundant fishes (spot, croaker, pinfish and menhaden) increased 1.5 to 10-fold between fall 1998 and fall 1999, when fish aggregated primarily within 15 km of the mouth of the Neuse. This increase in catches likely resulted from fish movement out of the River where conditions were unfavorable (mainly low salinity and hypoxia) and into the Sound. Benthic fish numbers increased by fall 2000. Pelagic fishes, like bay anchovy, declined to almost zero in fall 1999, but by fall 2000 anchovy had recovered to about half the numbers seen in fall 1998. These results demonstrate significant short-term hurricane effects on the fishes of Pamlico Sound; long-term effects on fisheries are still being evaluated. Detailed analysis of spatial and temporal dynamics in this community will help determine the robustness of current land management and fisheries policies.
KEY WORDS: fish, hurricane, Pamlico Sound, estuary