Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1971 Use of Natural, and Semi-Impounded, Louisiana Tidal Marshes as Nurseries for Fishes and Crustaceans. William H. Herke Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Herke, William H., "Use of Natural, and Semi-Impounded, Louisiana Tidal Marshes as Nurseries for Fishes and Crustaceans." (1971). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1991. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1991 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i f 71-29,372 1 HERKE, William H., 1929- < USE OF NATURAL, AND SEMI-IMPOUNDED, LOUISIANA TIDAL MARSHES AS NURSERIES FOR FISHES AND CRUSTACEANS. | The Louisiana State University and Agricultural r and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1971 ! Ecology 5 University Microfilms, A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED USE OF NATURAL, AND SEMI-IMPOUNDED, LOUISIANA TIDAL MARSHES AS NURSERIES FOR FISHES AND CRUSTACEANS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Zoology and Physiology by William H. Herke B.S., Iova State University, 1956 M.S., Iowa State University, 1957 May, 1971 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This work was performed, primarily on my own time, while I was Assistant Leader of the Louisiana Cooperative Fishery Unit- I thank Dr. Jerry C. Tash, former Unit Leader, for many stimulating discussions concerning the study and for relieving me, as much as was practical, from other duties during laboratory and data analysis, and re­ port writing- I particularly thank Dr. Walter J. Harman for editorial guidance, and my entire Advisory Committee for academic advice and moral support. The project could not have been completed without the generous assistance of the Louisiana Wild Life and Fisheries Commission. Use of their work camp facilities, including food and lodging, was given unreservedly and financial assistance was also rendered. Personnel at Marsh Island Refuge transported me across Vermilion Bay and cheer­ fully assisted me in all my collections there; when needed, assistance was given in like manner by Commission personnel at the Biloxi camp. For administrative assistance, Messrs. Joe Herring and Bob Beter (Fish and Game Division) and Allan Ensminger and Hop Lloyd (Refuge Division) deserve special mention. Despite all the help received from numerous other ii people, my wife Joan, and my children, Kristi, John, David, and Scott, deserve the most recognition. Their understand­ ing, encouragement, and considerable assistance with field work and equipment maintenance are gratefully acknowledged. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF FIGURES viii ABSTRACT x INTRODUCTION 1 Estuarine Nurseries 1 Objectives 3 Previous Studies 4 STUDY AREA DESCRIPTIONS 7 Biloxi 8 Marsh Island 10 MATERIALS AND METHODS 13 Field Methods 13 Sample Site Selection 13 Sampling Procedures" . 14 Tide and Temperature Recording 16 Laboratory Methods 17 Salinity 17 Turbidity 17 Preliminary Sorting and Counting 18 Final Laboratory Procedures 18 Biological Data Analysis Methods 21 Length-Frequency Distributions 21 Species Abundance and Biomass 22 Length-weight Relationships 23 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 25 Physical Data 25 Tidal Fluctuations 25 Biloxi 25 Marsh Island 27 xix(h Page Minimum Water Depth 28 Water Temperature 30 Salinity 32 Turbidity 35 Biological Data 37 Tables 2 and 3 37 Group Comments 45 Habitat Differences 45 Biloxi Fish Kill 47 Sample Site IN 47 Remaining Sample Sites 50 Tables 2 and 3 50 Comments on Minor Species 51 Major Species 60 Length-frequencies and Catch Rates 61 Comparison with Previous Studies 62 Length-frequency Graphs 64 Atlantic Croaker 65 Recruitment 65 Interacting Factors Affecting Distribution. 69 Biloxi 71 Marsh Island 73 Marsh Island Versus Biloxi 81 Digest Concerning Interacting Factors .... 82 Seasonal Advance 83 Age and Growth 84 Length-Frequency Confounding 91 Length-Weight Relationship 93 Effects of Semi-Impoundment 94 Atlantic Croaker Summary 95 Spot 96 Recruitment 96 Interacting Factors Affecting Distribution. - 100 Age and Growth 102 Length-Frequency Confounding 106 Length-Weight Relationships 109 Effects of Semi-Impoundment 110 Spot Summary 112 Menhaden 112 Recruitment 113 Interacting Factors Affecting Distribution. - 116 Age and Growth 118 Length-Frequency Confounding 120 Length-Weight Relationship 123 Effects of Semi-Impoundment 124 Menhaden Summary 125 Striped Mullet 126 Recruitment 126 Interacting Factors Affecting Distribution. 126 iv Page Age and Growth 131 Length-Frequency Confounding L31 Length-Weight Relationship L32 Effects of Semi-Impoundment 132 Bay Anchovy ...., 13 3 Recruitment 133 Interacting Factors Affecting Distribution. 136 Age and Growth 136 Length-Frequency Confounding 137 Length-Weight Relationship 138 Effects of Semi-Impoundment 138 Brown Shrimp 140 Recruitment 140 Interacting Factors Affecting Distribution. 146 Age and Growth 149 Length-Frequency Confounding 151 Length-Weight Relationship 155 Effects of Semi-Impoundment 156 Brown Shrimp Summary 157 White Shrimp 157 Recruitment 162 Interacting Factors Affecting Distribution. 163 Age and Growth 167 Length-Frequency Confounding 169 Length-Weight Relationship 174 Effects of Semi-Impoundment 175 White Shrimp Summary 176 SUMMARY 178 Physical Information 178 Biological Information. ... 180 Minor Species 180 Major Species 181 Miscellaneous 189 CONCLUSIONS 191 LITERATURE CITED. ... 200 APPENDICES 209 VITA 241 v LIST OF TABLES Page Average minimum water depth at each site when sampled between February 1, 1967 and February 4, 1968 29 Number of fishes, shrimps, and crabs caught in all the 400-meter trawl samples made between February 1, 1967 and February 10, 1968 with a breakdown by area, marsh type, and trawl type 38 Weight, in grams, of fishes and shrimps caught in all the 400-meter trawl samples made be­ tween February 1, 1967 and February 10, 1968 with a breakdown by area, marsh type, and trawl type 42 Catch of selected organisms at the vegetated sample site, AS, and the remaining Marsh Island sample sites 47 Day 1 and Day 2 catch at IN, Trip 5, and catch of selected species from all remaining Biloxi samples for the entire project .... 49 Apparent overall semi-impoundment effect on use of the marsh as a nursery by some of the minor species 182 Spin-dry weights from a series of tests to determine the precision of the washing machine method of weighing preserved fishes and crustaceans 220 Minimum water depth, as read from the gage stake, at each Marsh Island sample site when a trawl sample was taken 224 Minimum water depth, as read from the gage stake, at each Biloxi sample site when a trawl sample was taken 225 Compensated water temperature at the time each Marsh Island trawl sample was taken 226 vi Page Compensated water temperature at the time each Biloxi trawl sample was taken 227 Salinity, in parts per thousand, when each Marsh Island trawl sample was taken .... 228 Salinity, in parts per thousand, when each routine Biloxi trawl sample was taken ... 229 Turbidities, in percent transmittance, when each Marsh Island trawl sample was taken. 230 Turbidities, in percent transmittance, when each Biloxi trawl sample was taken 231 Duration, in seconds, of each Marsh Island trawl sample 232 Duration, in seconds, of each Biloxi trawl sample 233 Time at which each Marsh Island trawl sample was taken 234 Time at which each Biloxi trawl sample was taken 235 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Map of the Biloxi Area 9 2. Map of the Marsh Island Area 12 3. Daily maximum and minimum water levels (natural marsh side) in relation to weir crest, at Weir 1 and Weir B 26 4. Compensated temperature records from the recording thermometers at Biloxi, February 19, 1967 through January 21, 1968 31 5- Salinity of the water samples taken at the trawl sites 33 6. Turbidity, indicated in terms of percent light transmittance 36 7. Length-frequency of Atlantic croaker taken at Marsh Island 66 8. Length-frequency of Atlantic croaker taken at Biloxi 67 9. Length-frequency of spot taken at Marsh Island 97 10. Length-frequency of spot taken at Biloxi. 98 11. Length-frequency of menhaden taken at Marsh Island 114 12. Length-frequency of manhaden taken at Biloxi. 115 13. Length-frequency of striped mullet taken at Marsh Island Sample Sites AN and AS ... 127 14. Length-frequency of striped mullet taken at Marsh Island Sample Sites BN and BS . 128 15. Length-frequency of striped mullet taken at Biloxi 129 viii Page 16. Length-frequency of bay anchovies taken in the surface trawl at Marsh Island 134 17. Length-frequency of bay anchovies taken in the surface trawl at Biloxi 135 18. Length-frequency of brown shrimp taken at Marsh Island Sample Sites AN and AS ... 141 19. Length-frequency of brown shrimp taken at Marsh Island Sample Sites BN and BS . 142 20. Length-frequency of brown shrimp taken at Biloxi Sample Sites IN and IS 143 21. Length-frequency of brown shrimp taken at Biloxi Sample Sites 2N and 2S 144 22. Length-frequency of white shrimp taken at Marsh Island Sample Sites AN and AS ... 158 23. Length-frequency of white shrimp taken at Marsh Island Sample Sites BN and BS . 159 24. Length-frequency of white shrimp taken at Biloxi Sample Sites IN and IS 160 25. Length-frequency of white shrimp taken at Biloxi Sample Sites 2N and 2S 161 26. The large subsampler 214 27. The plexiglas subsampler 214 28. Length-frequency distribution of 3,371 anchovies and of 5 subsamples taken from the total 3,371 217 29.