Progress 03/01/08 to 12/31/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project addressed impacts and recovery of river and estuary fisheries along the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater oil spill. Specific focus was on catfish and blue crab fisheries. Included were socio-economic as well as environmental, ecological and stock (population) assessments. Through this work, the power and efficiency of collaboration among state agencies, industry, academia and the general public was underscored as these entities worked together to restore coastal fisheries, primarily through a stocking program. Although the stocking of fish had minimal influence on recovery of fishery resources in the impacted system, public relations benefits were outstanding. This underscores the value of engaging people who are dealing with stressful situations, giving them tasks, and supporting those tasks, even if the results of these investments may be intangible. Accelerated response time coupled with utilization of existing knowledge of the systems and historical stocks in question and engagement of local participants should be considered during response efforts following future environmental disasters. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Sarah Harrison (doctoral student), Aaron Diaz (undergraduate technician), Donald Jackson (principal investigator) Partner Organizations: Missisisppi Department of Marine Resources; Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Training or professional development: This project provides the data for a doctoral dissertation (pending) by Sarah Harrison. Expected completion and defense 2013. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences: federal, state and local agencies responsible for disaster relief and recovery of impacted natural resources (particularly fisheries resources) in coastal rivers and estuaries. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No major changes
Impacts
This project enhanced understanding of connections between fisheries and residents along the Gulf Coast and the importance of moving quickly and decisively to restore these connections following disasters. Residents have historical, social, cultural, and economical connections to the fisheries in the region. They come to rivers/estuaries to catch specific fish species, to experience the rivers/estuaries themselves, and to nurture and maintain social relationships. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, impacts to fisheries were not of immediate concern nor considered high priority. In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, fisheries concerns were immediate as were agency responses. Because the hurricane devastated physical infrastructure along the coast and caused massive human injury and death, immediate response focused on human need that transcended environmental connectivity (e.g.via fisheries). The oil spill differed in that although there was human injury and death, the disaster was viewed primarily as an environmental disaster that ultimately would affect humans on a broader scale. Rivers and estuaries have natural resilience to hurricanes. However, this resilience can be affected by anthropogenic factors such as habitat alterations and changing land-use patterns. The Pascagoula River is the last remaining free-flowing large river system in the contiguous United States. This characteristic likely enabled catfishes to recover quickly from Hurricane Katrina. During the period addressed by this study, catfish stocks in the Pascagoula River were impacted by Hurricane Katrina through fish kills caused by low dissolved oxygen, but rebounded within 3 years of the storm. Although catfish populations were negatively impacted by Hurricane Katrina, blue crab populations increased after the storm. This increase represented a missed opportunity to reconnect residents to their resources. Crab boils are very popular along the Gulf Coast and are important socialization agents. Crab nets are relatively inexpensive and would be easy to pass out after a disaster. Future response efforts could proactively set up programs to fund new fishing gear for residents after disasters. In contrast the Deepwater Horizon oil spill did not result in massive mortality to fish or crabs. Instead, an increase in fish and crab was observed in 2011. There are multiple possible explanations for why fish/crabs did not decline following the oil spill: relatively few of them may have encountered oil or dispersant at toxic levels, or after being broken down by bacteria the oil entered the food web and provided more food for larvae and increased their survival. Another complicating factor is that the biggest accidental marine oil spill on record prompted one of the largest fishery closures on record. Release from fishing pressure could have had such a large positive effect on fish/crabs that it overwhelmed the negative effects of the oil spill. The oil spill only briefly disconnected residents from their resources during the fishery closures but afterwards residents were able to return to improved conditions.
Publications
- Jackson, D. C. 2012. The liturgy and sacraments of science for naturalists, poets and artists in our ranks. Fisheries 37(4):181-182.
- Jackson, D. C. 2012. Mississippi's Pascagoula River designated as a model river in America's Great Outdoor Rivers program. Fisheries 37(7):294.
- Jackson, D. C. 2012. Gifts for the holiday season. Fisheries 37(12):569-570.
- Harrison, S. and D. C. Jackson. 2013. Natural and anthropogenic recovery of coastal river fishery populations following Hurricane Katrina. Coastal Impact Assistance Program Project MS.R.728. Final Report. Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. 181pp.
- Brandt, J. R. and D. C. Jackson. 2013. Influences of artificial reefs on juvenile red snapper along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management and Ecosystem Science 5:1-10.
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project addresses impacts and recovery of river and estuary fisheries along the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Specific focus has been on catfish and blue crab fisheries. Included are socio-economic as well as environmental, ecological and stock (population) assessments. Through this work, the power and efficienc of collaboration among state agencies, industry, academia and the general public was underscored as these intities worked together to restore coastal fisheries, primarily through a stocking program. Although the stocking of fish had minimal influcence on recovery of fishery resources in the impacted system, public relations benefits were outstanding. This underscores the value of engaging people who are dealing with stressful situations, giving them tasks, and supporting those tasks, even if the results of these investments may be intangible. Accelerated response time coupled with utilization of existing knowledge of the systems and historical stocks in question and engagement of local participants should be considered during response efforts following future environmental disasters. PARTICIPANTS: Sarah Harrison - Ph.D. student at Mississippi State University. Ms. Harrison is using this project as the foundation for her doctoral dissertation (anticipated degree completion December 2012). Partner organizations: Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, Mississippi Department of Wildlife,Fisheries and Parks, TARGET AUDIENCES: State and Federal Fish and Wildlife Agencies in the Southeastern U.S. Local communities along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No major changes were made to this project.
Impacts
This project has enhance understanding of how important it is to move quickly and decisively to restore human connections to fisheries resources following natural and anthropogenic environmental disasters. Opportunities were missed to address severed relationships between communities and natural resources during critical times soon after the disasters. However, considering the magnitude of the disasters, the lag periods between events and responses regarding fisheries are understandable. There were limitations regarding availability of personnel and equipment necessary for timely response. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, impacts to fisheries were not of immediate concern nor considered high priority. In the aftermath of the oil spill, fisheries concerns were immediate as were agency responses. Because the hurricane devastated physical infrastructure along the coast and caused massive human injury and death, immediate response had to focus on human need that transcended environmental connectivity (e.g., connectivity via fisheries). The oil spill was different in that although there was human injury and death, the disaster was viewed primarily as an environmental disaster that ultimately would affect humans on a broader scale. While both disasters impacted fisheries, the type, magnitude and scope of impacts differed. Agencies and institutions that responded to address the impacts have noted the differences in disaster types and necessary responses. Our project, as one addressing human, environmental and fishery resources in an integrated sense, was only one small component of developing this understanding.
Publications
- Barabe, R. M. and D. C. Jackson. 2011. Using soap bait to prevent turtle by-catch on trotlines. Pages 637-644 in P. H. Michaletz and V. H. Travnichek, editors. Conservation, ecology, and management of catfish: the second international symposium. Symposium 77. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.
- Harrison, S. and D. C. Jackson. 2011. Natural and anthropogenic recovery of coastal river fish populations following Hurricane Katrina. Coastal Impact Assistance Program Progject MS.R. 728. Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Biloxi, Mississippi. 96pp.
- Jackson, D. C. 2011. From our science comes our song: an introductory essay. Pages 1-2 in P.H. Michaeltz, editors. Conservation, ecology, and management of catfish: the second international symposium. Symposium 77. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. (Note: This paper evolved from the deynote address by D. C. Jackson during the symposium.)
- Jackson, D. C. 2011. Relativity, resiliency, and response in the wake of environmental challenges. Fisheries 36(7):355-356.
- Jackson, D. C. 2011. Observations from recreational fishing in the northern Gulf of Mexico one year after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Fisheries 36(10):515-517.
- Limburg, K. E., R. M. Hughes, D. C. Jackson and B. Czech. 2011. Human population increase, economic growth, and fish conservation: collision course or savvy stewardship Fisheries 36(1)27-34.
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project underscored the power and efficiency of collaborative work among state agencies, industry, academia and the public at large in addressing hurricane-induced impacts to coastal freshwater fisheries resources. These partnerships generated healthy synergism among participants as well as enthusiastic and supportive local publics. Although the stocking of fish had minimal if any significant influence on recovery of fishery resources in the impacted system, public relations benefits were outstanding. This underscores the value of engaging people who are dealing with stressful situations, giving them tasks, and supporting those tasks, even if the results of these investments may be intangible. Accelerated response time coupled with (1)utilization of existing knowledge of the system(s)and historical fish stocks in question and (2)engagement of local (statewide) catfish producers should be considered during response efforts following future storms. PARTICIPANTS: Dan O'Keefe - Ph.D. student (degree completed, now with Michigan State University Extension Program Brian Alford - Ph.D Student (degree completed, now with Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries Russell Barabe - M.S. Student (degree completed, now with California Dept. of Game and Fish) Sarah Harrison - Ph.D. Student (degree in process) Jimmy Rayburn - Fisheries Biologist, Miss. Dept. Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks Larry Bull - Fisheries Biologist, Miss. Dept. Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks Ron Garavelli - Chief of Fisheries, Miss. Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks Bob Fairbank - Public Relations, Mississippi Power Company Member States - Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Mississippi Power Company Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks This project served as the foundation for 4 graduate degree programs at Mississippi State University. This project, by engaging local fishers, provide opportunity for the fishers to learn about stocking techniques in coastal rivers (even though the stocking was ineffective). TARGET AUDIENCES: State Fish and Wildlife Agencies in the Southeastern U.S. Local communities in hurricane prone areas of the U.S. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No major changes were made to this project.
Impacts
From this project we learned that it is very important to move quickly to reestablish exploitable fisheries following a major impact such as a hurricane. This opportunity was missed in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. Delays were primarily the result of state agency fishery personnel being assigned non-fishery tasks in the immediate aftermath of the storm. While perhaps understandable, potential contributions by professional fisheries personnel in addressing accute needs of impacted people severed from natural resources interactions were not recognized as part of the recovery process...until too late. There also was hesitancy at first to accept channel catfish as the primary recreational fishery resource in the Pascagoula River, minimal effort to communicate with and integrate potential in-state sources for stocking (Mississippi catfish producers), and failure to utilize information from previous research on this river and other rivers in the state, both in terms of stock dynamics of this river and a previously successful plan to stock channel catfish into other state waters (e.g., Yalobusha River). This prevented timely development of political leverage for moving quickly to restore the catfish fishery and address the severed sociological and cultural connections that hurricane-impacted people suffered during the months immediately following the storm and for the first two years thereafter. This scenerio resulted in stocking channel fish too late following the storm to make a significant difference in terms of exploitable fishery resources in the river and a later emphasis on stocking largemouth bass in the system. By the time the fish were stocked, natural recovery processes were advanced. While this natural recovery is a positive dimension of system restoration, it did not address the immediate post-storm needs of local people who were seeking opportunity to escape from the many and varied stresses associated with a devastated Gulf Coast. However, the stocking that was conducted generated a great deal of attention along the Coast and throughout the state and was generally looked on favorably by the public.
Publications
- Alford., J. B., D. M. O'Keefe and D. C. Jackson. 2010. Effects of stocking adult largemouth bass to enhance recovery in Pascagoula River floodplain lakes impacated by Hurricane Katrina. Proceedings of the Annual Conference Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 63(2009):34-40.
- Harrison, S., D.C. Jackson, J.B. Alford, D. M. O'Keefe, and R. M. Barabe. 2010. Recovery of river fisheries follwoing Hurricane Katrina. Federal Aid to Sport Fish Restoration Project F-140-R. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Jackson. 138pp.
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Supplemental stocking of tagged largemouth bass in Pascagoula River oxbows had no effect on relative abudance or stock structure of stock-size largemouth bass and bluegill in the system. Few tagged largemouth bass were recaptured by electrofishing or by anglers. Wild spawned largemouth bass and bluegill grew rapidly in the system. Fish assemblages shifted from predominately shads and minnows to centrarchids. Stocking of channel catfish, particularly in smaller coastal rivers (e.g., Wolf River) significantly enhanced stocks as well as angler catches. Annual growth rate of blue catfish and channel catfish in the Pascagoula River was greater than that of the Pearl River. Post-hurricane flathead catfish stock recovery in the Pascagoula River was strong 3 years following the storm. In 2007 hoopnet catches was dominated numerically by redear sunfish, bluegill, and flathead catfish. During 2008 dominant species were longnose gar, flathead catfish, redear sunfish, and striped mullet. During 2009 redear sunfish, bluegill, channel catfish and flathead catfish were the dominant species in the catch. PARTICIPANTS: Sponsored by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, the Forest and Wildlife Research Center (Mississippi State University), and Mississippi Power Company. This project was used as the foundation for one M.S. thesis, and for doctoral and post-doctoral training. The following people assisted: Bob Fairbank - Mississippi Power Company Jimmy Rayburn - MS Dept. Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Tom Holman - MS Dept. Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Dr. Dan O'Keefe - Michigan State University Extension Service Dr. Brian Alford - Louisiana Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Russell Barabe - Graduate Assistant (M.S.), Mississippi State University Sarah Harrison - Graduate Assistant (Ph.D.), Mississippi State University Aaron Diaz - Undergraduate Research Technician TARGET AUDIENCES: Fisheries Scientists worldwide, conservation biologists, river ecologists PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: No major modifications
Impacts
Evidence suggests that coastal drainage rivers in Mississippi recover naturally from major storm events (e.g., Hurricane Katrina)within 4-5 years with respect to catfish fisheries and somewhat slower for centrarchid fisheries, particularly largemouth bass. Stocking of largemouth bass did not contribute significantly to stock recovery. Stocking of channel catfish, particularly in smaller rivers, enhanced both the stocks and angling. This recovery underscores the resiliancy of naturally functioning, physically intact floodplain river ecosystems and their associated fish stocks and fisheries. In this regard, it should be noted that the Pascagoula River, in Mississippi, is the very last physically-unmodified large river system left in the lower 48 states.
Publications
- Harrison, S., D. C. Jackon, J. B. Alford, D. M. O'Keefe and R. M. Barabe. 2009. Recovery of river fisheries following Hurricane Katrina. Annual Report. Federal Aid to Sport Fish Restoration Project F-140-R. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Jackson. 113pp.
- Barabe, R. M. 2009. Flathead catfish stock characteristics in the Pascagoula River following Hurricane Katrina. M.S. Thesis. Mississippi State University. 75pp.
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Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: This project provides insight into how coastal zone fisheries recover following major hurricanes. Although the project is still in progress, it appears that principal fish stocks (centrarchids and ictalurids) respond by increasing reproduction and flooding the system with new cohorts of young fishes. Growth rates of these new year classes are very fast. PARTICIPANTS: Collaborative work was conducted with biologists with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. TARGET AUDIENCES: State freshwater fisheries biologists Local communities & governments with vested interested in the river fisheries PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: none
Impacts
This research underscored the fact that supplemental stocking of streams impacted by major hurricanes is not needed. The residual fish stocks that survived the storms were sufficient to provide spawning necessary for generating new cohorts of fish. However, stocking was important in helping local citizens feel like they were involved in the recovery of the fisheries.
Publications
- Alford, B., D. C. Jackson,k D. M. O'Keefe, and R. M. Barabe. 2008. Recovery of river fisheries following Hurricane Katrina. Annual Report. Federal Aid to Sport Fisheries Restoration Project F-140-R. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Jacksonl. 89pp.
- Alford, B. D. M. O'Keefe,and D.C. Jackson. 2008. Developing a framework for fisheries mitigation in the Pascagoula River Basin following Hurricane Katrina. In K. Mclaughlin, editor. Mitigating Impacats of Natural Hazards on Fishery Ecosystems. American Fisheries Society Symposium 64:201-218.
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