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Pogonias Cromis, in the Upper Laguna Madre, Texas Zachary T CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Aquila Digital Community Gulf of Mexico Science Volume 32 Article 6 Number 1 Number 1/2 (Combined Issue) 2014 Potential Impacts of Extreme Salinity and Surface Temperature Events on Population Dynamics of Black Drum, Pogonias cromis, in the Upper Laguna Madre, Texas Zachary T. Olsen Texas Parks and Wildlife Department DOI: 10.18785/goms.3201.06 Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/goms Recommended Citation Olsen, Z. T. 2014. Potential Impacts of Extreme Salinity and Surface Temperature Events on Population Dynamics of Black Drum, Pogonias cromis, in the Upper Laguna Madre, Texas. Gulf of Mexico Science 32 (1). Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol32/iss1/6 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gulf of Mexico Science by an authorized editor of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Olsen: Potential Impacts of Extreme Salinity and Surface Temperature Eve SHORT PAPERS AND NOTES Gulf of Mexico Science, 2014(1–2), pp. 60–68 harsh winter freeze events. Owing to the shal- E 2014 by the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium of Alabama lowness of the ULM and surrounding estuaries, such freeze events can result in extensive fish POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF EXTREME SALINI- kills (Gunter and Hildebrand, 1951; Moore, TY AND SURFACE TEMPERATURE EVENTS 1976; Buskey et al., 1997), which may also locally ON POPULATION DYNAMICS OF BLACK impact population structure and dynamics of the DRUM, POGONIAS CROMIS, IN THE UPPER system. Unique differences in ULM black drum LAGUNA MADRE, TEXAS.—Black drum, Pogo- may be developed adaptations to deal with the nias cromis, are a large bottom feeding sciaenid extreme environmental conditions and the re- found mainly inshore from Massachusetts, sultant high mortality of this bay system (Bum- U.S.A., along the western Atlantic to Argentina guardner et al., 1996). (Hoese and Moore, 1998) with a large popula- Reproductive adaptations to cope with hyper- tion in Texas waters. Along the Texas coast, black saline conditions in the ULM have been drum are highly targeted by both recreational recorded in other sciaenids, although early and commercial anglers, with the largest portion maturation due to these conditions has not been of the commercial catch coming from the upper reported (Kucera et al., 2002a, 2002b). Others Laguna Madre (ULM). This system is also known have found that numerous external drivers can for having the largest population of black drum influence life history characteristics including along the Texas coast (Pattillo et al., 1997; age at maturity. Schlosser (1990) found that Martinez-Andrade et al., 2005). Black drum have stream fishes living in more extreme and been reported to make extensive spawning temporally variable physio-chemical conditions migrations offshore if their locale is near a bay of the upstream environment reached sexual pass (Simmons and Breuer, 1962; Cody et al., maturity at an earlier age than those living in less 1985); although fish within isolated bays, such as extreme downstream conditions. Meffe (1992) the ULM, may limit such migrations (Osburn found that a population of eastern mosquitofish and Matlock, 1984). Bumguardner et al. (1996) (Gambusia holbrooki) living under thermal stress found that black drum within the ULM system for 28 years had developed the ability to mature mature at an earlier age (age 2) and have a slower at an earlier age at greater temperatures. growth rate compared to populations of drum Additionally, extensive work has been conducted elsewhere. In other bay systems along the Texas coast, maturity generally occurs at age 5 years, examining the impacts of fishing pressure on age similar to black drum from Louisiana, northeast at maturity among populations (Law, 2000), Florida, and Georgia (Music and Pafford, 1984; although the selective impact of fishing pressure Murphy and Taylor, 1989; Nieland and Wilson, may differ from those of extreme environmental 1993; Bumguardner et al., 1996). conditions as they are highly size selective. The ULM is a highly isolated hypersaline bay The linkages between hypersalinity, winter system located on the south Texas coast with freeze events, adult abundance, and black drum limited access to Gulf of Mexico (GOM) waters recruitment (i.e., juvenile abundance) have not due to its separation from the GOM by Padre been adequately examined for this system. Island, an extensive barrier island system. While Therefore, the objectives of this study are to the entirety of the Laguna Madre is known to be (1) examine the abundance and recruitment hypersaline, the ULM is known for exceptionally patterns of black drum in the ULM compared high salinities due to low circulation and lack of with other Texas bay systems and (2) determine freshwater inflow (Collier and Hedgpeth, 1950; whether there is a significant relationship be- Tunnell and Judd, 2002). In the ULM, salinities tween hydrological data (salinity and tempera- regularly exceed 45 practical salinity units (psu; ture), adult abundance, and annual recruitment Tunnell and Judd, 2002). However, prior to the of black drum in the ULM. dredging of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) in the 1940s, the ULM was separated Methods.—The ULM consists of multiple minor from the lower Laguna Madre by an extensive bay systems including the ULM proper, a primary land bridge and was even more isolated from bay system; Baffin Bay, a secondary bay system; GOM waters, resulting in much higher salinities and Alazan Bay, Cayo del Grullo, and Laguna than observed today. In addition to hypersalinity, Salada, all tertiary bay systems. For the purposes the south Texas coast is periodically subjected to of this study, Baffin Bay, Alazan Bay, Cayo del Published by The Aquila Digital Community, 2014 1 Gulf of Mexico Science, Vol. 32 [2014], No. 1, Art. 6 SHORT PAPERS AND NOTES 61 Fig. 1. A map of the upper Laguna Madre (ULM), Texas. For the purposes of this study, Baffin Bay, Alazan Bay, Cayo del Grullo, and Laguna Salada are referred to as Baffin Bay complex (BBC), while the primary bay system is referred to as the ULM proper. The dashed line represents the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW). Grullo, and Laguna Salada will be collectively Texas coast, data were obtained from Texas known as Baffin Bay complex (BBC; Fig. 1). Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Marine In order to assess the population dynamics of Resource Monitoring gill net and bag seine adult and young-of-the-year black drum on the surveys, respectively. These surveys were con- https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol32/iss1/6 2 DOI: 10.18785/goms.3201.06 Olsen: Potential Impacts of Extreme Salinity and Surface Temperature Eve 62 GULF OF MEXICO SCIENCE, 2014, VOL. 32(1–2) ducted within each of the nine major Texas bay recruitment in the ULM (including both the systems (Sabine Lake, Galveston Bay, East Mata- ULM proper and the BBC; April–Aug. bag seine gorda Bay, Matagorda Bay, San Antonio Bay, catch rates used), environmental factors thought Aransas Bay, Corpus Christi Bay, upper Laguna to have the largest impact on the fauna of this Madre, and lower Laguna Madre). Gill net system [salinity and winter temperature (Dec.– surveys were conducted for 10 wk in the spring Feb.)], and subsequent abundance of adults. A and 10 wk in the fall with 45 samples collected salinity index was used to take into account raw per season in each major bay system from 1982 salinity values and duration of salinity events. to 2012 (except for East Matagorda Bay where n This index was calculated as follows: 5 6–20 per season from 1982 to 1984 and n 5 20 from 1985 to 2012, and Sabine Lake where Salinity Index 5 Annual mean ULM salinity 3 sampling began in 1986). Catch per unit effort (Number of uninterrupted hypersaline months + 1) (CPUE) for gill net surveys is given as catches per Here, uninterrupted hypersaline months were hour. Bag seine surveys were conducted year defined as consecutive months with a mean round with 10–16 samples collected per month salinity greater than 44.1 psu [which is the mean from 1982 to 1991 and 20 samples collected per salinity during the sampling period (1982–2012) month from 1992 to 2012 in each major bay plus one standard deviation] that occurred in systems (except for East Matagorda Bay where association with that year (i.e., prior to and sampling began in 1983, n 5 9–16 per month included in a given calendar year). A 1 mo gap from 1983 to 1991 and n 5 12 per month from interval was used, which is the allowable period 1992 to 2012, and Sabine Lake where sampling of time that salinity can drop below the began in 1986). CPUE for bag seine surveys is predetermined threshold and the hypersalinity given in catches per hectare. event still deemed uninterrupted. These months For both gear types, a stratified random are not counted as hypersaline months, but the sampling design was used to select appropriate period of time during which they occur is still sections of shoreline within each major bay deemed consecutive. Such methodology has system as part of the TPWD marine resource been used in environment-recruitment correla- monitoring program. At each sampling location, tions by Ulanowicz et al. (1982). Minimum surface salinity (psu) and surface temperature monthly winter surface temperature (Dec.– (C) were collected. For further descriptions of Feb.) was also used as an explanatory variable sampling gear and protocol, see Martinez- in the model to take into account abnormally Andrade et al. (2005). cold winters, which occasionally occur on the Mean annual catch rates were examined from south Texas coast.
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