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Evaluation of southern flounder nursery habitat through fish metabolic capacity
Author(s) Del Toro-Silva, F. M., Zoology Department NC State University
Miller, J. M., NC State University-Zoology
Ellis, T. A., Zoology Department NC State University
Type Oral
Session SPS-27 - Recruitment Processes in Estuarine Fishes
Time & Place Tuesday, 02:45 pm in Marriot Room 3 (subject to change)
 
Fish ecologists have evaluated habitat based on characteristics assumed to be biologically meaningful, but is habitat quality correctly evaluated with presence/absence data, indicator species, abundance, or diversity of organisms? A shortcoming of these approaches is that they fail to elucidate mechanisms by which environmental factors influence habitat quality, thus generalization of evaluation is difficult. A mechanistic framework for habitat evaluation in the form of an ecophysiological model, based on the autoecology of the organism, is presented and can be applied in different habitats. Our study evaluated the effects of abiotic factors on habitat quality for southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) in multiple nursery areas within North Carolina estuaries. Habitat quality was evaluated based on the metabolic response to environmental conditions and validated with growth measurements of caged fish. Metabolic capacity provides a meaningful biological measure of habitat based on the organism’s reflection of the environmental quality. We propose that our ecophysiological approach to habitat evaluation will provide a more reliable understanding of habitat requirements of fishes and information necessary to achieve Level 4 quantification of EFH.