Fish Assemblage Structure in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands
Location
Loosemore Auditorium
Description
PURPOSE: Coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes are important habitats for many fishes. The geographic scale and diversity of land uses in the region result in substantial environmental variation among coastal wetlands. METHODS: Annual surveys were conducted as part of the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (GLCWMP) to better understand wetland condition across the basin. Fyke nets were used to sample fish in 1,224 unique monodominant vegetation zones during 2011-2020. RESULTS: A total of 588,709 fish were captured, representing 109 different species. Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) was the most abundant species in the catch (31%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Preliminary results suggested that basin, hydrogeomorphic type, monodominant vegetation type, and sampling year were each associated with variation in fish assemblages. For instance, fish assemblages in the more oligotrophic Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior appeared more similar to each other than the more eutrophic Lakes Erie and Ontario. Lacustrine and barrier protected wetlands had similar fish assemblages while riverine wetlands had less variation in community structure than the other wetland types. While we found large amounts of variation in fish assemblage structure in Great Lakes coastal wetlands, we identified patterns that can be used to further define how fish assemblages vary across the Great Lakes basin.
Fish Assemblage Structure in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands
Loosemore Auditorium
PURPOSE: Coastal wetlands in the Great Lakes are important habitats for many fishes. The geographic scale and diversity of land uses in the region result in substantial environmental variation among coastal wetlands. METHODS: Annual surveys were conducted as part of the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program (GLCWMP) to better understand wetland condition across the basin. Fyke nets were used to sample fish in 1,224 unique monodominant vegetation zones during 2011-2020. RESULTS: A total of 588,709 fish were captured, representing 109 different species. Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) was the most abundant species in the catch (31%). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Preliminary results suggested that basin, hydrogeomorphic type, monodominant vegetation type, and sampling year were each associated with variation in fish assemblages. For instance, fish assemblages in the more oligotrophic Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior appeared more similar to each other than the more eutrophic Lakes Erie and Ontario. Lacustrine and barrier protected wetlands had similar fish assemblages while riverine wetlands had less variation in community structure than the other wetland types. While we found large amounts of variation in fish assemblage structure in Great Lakes coastal wetlands, we identified patterns that can be used to further define how fish assemblages vary across the Great Lakes basin.