Location of Thermal Refuge for Striped Bass in the Pascagoula River Donald C. Jackson1, Eric D. Dibble, and John F. Mareska2 Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Mississippi State University P.O. Box 9690, Mississippi State, MS 39762 We conducted a two-year study (1997–1999) to locate cool water thermal refuge for striped bass Morone saxatilis in the Pascagoula River, its principal tributary streams and associated off-channel environments. Sampling with gill nets (33.2 hours soak time), hoop nets (26,160 hours soak time), electrofishing (39.9 hours pedal time), trotlines (121 lines with 10 hooks each @ 4.6 ± 1.3 hours/line) and angling (99.2 hours) resulted in the capture of only 12 striped bass. Of these, seven were large adult fish that we equipped with radio transmitters and released for telemetry. To increase sample size for the telemetry study, eight adult striped bass from the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Ocean Springs, Mississippi) and 15 adult striped bass from the Mammoth Springs National Fish Hatchery (Mammoth Springs, Arkansas) were equipped with radio and/or sonic transmitters and released into the system. Data for one of these Mammoth Springs National Fish Hatchery striped bass were lost, thereby resulting in a total sample size of 30 fish. Ninety-five days in 1998 and 99 days in 1999 were spent tracking striped bass by boat. Six days were spent conducting aerial radio telemetry surveys in 1998. Only the Cedar Creek effluent into the Pascagoula River (N 30 41' 58" W 88 37' 56") was confirmed as thermal refuge for striped bass. Although no striped bass tagged in 1998 were recorded in this thermal refuge, two of five wild fish and six of 23 hatchery fish utilized the Cedar Creek thermal refuge during 1999. In order to limit fishing mortality of large adult striped bass in this system, we recommend that the Cedar Creek thermal refuge be closed to all fishing during May- September, and that use of live bait on set lines be restricted in the river during striped bass spawning migrations (February–May). Striped bass Morone saxatilis are anadromous, that eggs and larvae are buffered from salt water. In spawning in freshwater and then remaining in cool coastal streams along the northern Gulf of Mexico, water thermal refuges along the stream continuum, or striped bass spawn between February and May when returning to brackish, estuarine or marine water temperatures are in the 19–24C range (Seltzer environments (Dudley et al. 1977; McLaren et al. et al. 1980). 1981; Wooley and Crateau 1983; Moss 1985; Van After spawning, striped bass that remain in Den Avyle and Maynard 1994). Intrusion of saltwater freshwater seek cool water refuges (Cheek et al. wedges into traditional spawning areas, or rapid 1985; Lamprecht and Shelton 1986). Coutant (1985) flushing into high salinity waters, can induce high addressed this behavior and stated that in these mortalities to striped bass eggs and larvae (Morgan et refuges, striped bass are “squeezed” between their al. 1981; Van Den Avyle and Maynard 1994). Winger thermal and dissolved oxygen preferences or and Lasier (1994) suggested that salinities > 9.0 ppt requirements. Moss (1985) documented lower critically impacted striped bass eggs and larvae. condition for fish captured from summer thermal Subsequently, striped bass must have spawning sites refuges in the Alabama River than for fish captured sufficiently upstream in river ecosystems to ensure from the river during the spring. Coutant (1985) 1Author for correspondence 2Present Address: Alabama Department of Marine Resources, Dauphin Island, Alabama 36528 106 Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences reported that crowding due to temperature mesh), electrofishing, and hook and line fishing preferences alone, or coupled with avoidance of low (passive set lines; active angling). Hoop nets were set oxygen, can lead to stress-induced pathology and along streambanks, parallel with the current, with overfishing, both of which can contribute to codends oriented upstream. During 1998 nets were population declines. checked every four hours during daylight, and then Striped bass were common to abundant in all left overnight and checked again the following day. major river systems along the Mississippi Gulf Coast Due to low catch rates of striped bass in 1998, the until the early 1950’s, but subsequently have check frequency for hoop nets in 1999 was decreased experienced serious declines (Nicholson et al. 1986). to every third day. Experimental gill nets (used only Nicholson et al. (1986) suggested that the main during 1998) were set parallel with the direction of reason for the declines is loss of suitable habitat, even the river’s current and checked every 1 to 2 hours in in the Pascagoula River, which is the largest, order to minimize stress to captured fish. Fish physically-unmodified river in the lower 48 states of captured by hoop nets and gill nets were processed the continental United States (Dynesius and Nilsson immediately at their respective capture location and 1994). released. Trotlines were composed of a nylon main Our objective was to locate thermal refuges for line (254 kg tensile strength) with 10 nylon dropper striped bass in the Pascagoula River, its principal lines (54 kg tensile strength) equipped with 4/0 hooks tributary streams and associated off-channel locations baited with minnows or freshwater shrimp collected (Figure 1) using radio and sonic telemetry of wild- from the river. This gear and bait were the same as caught as well as hatchery-derived striped bass during typically used by local fishers. Electrofishing was summer and early autumn low stream flow conducted during July and December 1998, and conditions. throughout 1999 with a boat-mounted Smith-Root unit configured to deliver three to five amperes of pulsed DC current, and 500 to 1000 volts. Electro- fishing was conducted during daylight hours and at night. Fish captured by electrofishing were held temporarily in a tank onboard the vessel until they could be processed and released. Water in the tank was aerated with a sprayer system, and continually circulated and replaced with water from the river. Captured striped bass (Table 1) were placed in a tank containing a concentration of MS-222 at a concentration of 150 mg/L. After the fish were sedated, they were weighed (kg) and total length (mm) was measured. Radio and/or sonic transmitters then were implanted completely in the abdominal cavity (no trailing antenna) of the fish. Surgical procedures were those described by Hart and Summerfelt (1975). Additionally, incisions and sutures were sealed by external application of “super glue” (cyanoacrylate) ( Nemetz and MacMillan 1988; Figure 1. Pascagoula River Study Area Petering and Johnson 1991). After surgery, fish were held until they regained equilibrium and were actively swimming, then released back into their respective capture location. METHODS In 1998 and 1999 radio transmitters (30 MHz) were obtained from Custom Telemetry, Watkinsville, Striped bass were collected from the Pascagoula Georgia. Radio transmitters used in 1998 had a River during 1998 and 1999 using hoop nets (1.5 m battery life of two years and a wet weight of 18 g. diameter with 7.62-cm bar mesh), experimental gill Radio transmitters used in 1999 had a battery life of nets (3.0 m x 12.2 m, 6.35-cm and 10.16-cm bar one year and a wet weight of 8 g. Sonic transmitters April 2002 Vol 47, No. 2 107 (72–76 kHz) purchased from Sonotronics, Tucson, Sonic transmitters had a battery life of one year and Arizona were added to the telemetry study in 1999. a wet weight of 8 g. Table 1. Striped bass movements in the Pascagoula River ecosystem, Mississippi (1998–1999). The tracking period denotes number of days between release and last relocation. Fish noted by asterisk (*) were relocated in the Cedar Creek effluent. Fish Source Release Release Site Relo- Tracking Last Location Date cationsc Period 1 Wild 19 Feb 98 W Pascagoula R. 2 181 Chickasawhay R. (Dead) 2 Hatchery 24 Apr 98a Red Creek 1 13 Confl. Red & Black Creeks 3 Hatchery 24 Apr 98b Red Creek 3 169 W Pascagoula R (Dead) 4 Hatchery 24 Apr 98b Black Creek 1 19 Bluff Creek 5 Hatchery 24 Apr 98b Black Creek None - Release Site 6 Hatchery 27 Apr 98b Bluff Creek None - Release Site 7 Hatchery 27 Apr 98b Chickasawhay R. 1 75 Chickasawhay R. 8 Hatchery 27 Apr 98b Chickasawhay R. 1 46 E Pascagoula R. (Dead) 9 Hatchery 27 Apr 98b Leaf River 1 75 Leaf River (Dead) 10 Hatchery 27 Apr 98b Leaf River None - Release Site 11 Wild 29 Apr 98 Pascagoula R. None - Release Site 12* Wild 15 Feb 99 Pascagoula R. 9 (8) 211 Cedar Creek Effluent 13 Wild 19 Feb 99 Pascagoula R. 2 145 Bouie River 14* Wild 03 Mar 99 Pascagoula R. 2 (2) 61 Cedar Creek Effluent 15 Wild 04 Mar 99 Pascagoula R. None - Release Site 16 Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Bluff Creek 1 53 Conf. Bluff and Little Bluff Creeks 17 Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Bluff Creek None - Release Site 18 Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Bluff Creek 2 92 Bluff Creek 19 Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Bluff Creek 1 71 Bluff Creek 20 Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Bluff Creek None - Release Site 21* Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Pascagoula R. 6 (5) 143 Escatawpa River 22* Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Pascagoula R. 4 (1) 117 Pascagoula River (Dead) 23* Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Pascagoula R. 4(2) 72 Cedar Creek Effluent 24* Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Pascagoula R. 6(3) 76 Cedar Creek Effluent 25* Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Pascagoula R. 3(2) 67 Cedar Creek Effluent 26 Hatchery 08 Mar 99a Pascagoula R.