Striped Bass Restoring a Striped Bass Restoring a Coastal - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Striped Bass – Restoring a Striped Bass – Restoring a Coastal Mississippi Fishery Coastal Mississippi Fishery

Population Declines Population Declines  Historical Distribution of northern gulf Historical Distribution of northern gulf population severely declined in late 1940s population severely declined in late 1940s and 1950s and 1950s ▪ Extensive habitat alterations Extensive habitat alterations ▪ Increased runoff Increased runoff ▪ Chemical contaminants Chemical contaminants ▪ Overfishing Overfishing ▪ Global warming Global warming  Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river drainage, FL declared only extant native drainage, FL declared only extant native striped bass population in 1970 striped bass population in 1970   

Stock Enhancement Stock Enhancement Project Goal : Project Goal : Restore Population Restore Population to Self-Sustainable to Self-Sustainable Level Level Project Accomplishments: Project Accomplishments: Stocked over 13 million (2” and 6” ) Stocked over 13 million (2” and 6” ) fingerlings fingerlings

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Anadromous Building Anadromous Building Before Katrina Before Katrina After Katrina After Katrina

Striped Bass Rearing Sheds Striped Bass Rearing Sheds Before Katrina Before Katrina After Katrina After Katrina

DMR’s Lyman Hatchery DMR’s Lyman Hatchery

Half Acre Lined Ponds Half Acre Lined Ponds

125k Four Day Old Fry 125k Four Day Old Fry

Acclimation of Fry to Rearing Acclimation of Fry to Rearing Ponds Ponds

Acclimation of STB Fry Acclimation of STB Fry

30 Day Old Phase I Fingerlings 30 Day Old Phase I Fingerlings

120 Day Old Phase II 120 Day Old Phase II Fingerlings Fingerlings

Tagging Phase II Striped Bass Tagging Phase II Striped Bass

Tagging Phase II Fingerlings Tagging Phase II Fingerlings T-Bar Tag Tagging Cost: $11,000

Implanting Acoustic Tag Implanting Acoustic Tag

Tagging Methods Tagging Methods 10 phase II striped bass were selected 10 phase II striped bass were selected from the Lyman Fish Hatchery, MS from the Lyman Fish Hatchery, MS Anesthetized in a water bath containing Anesthetized in a water bath containing MS-222 MS-222 Acoustic Transmitter Surgically implanted with Vemco V-13 Surgically implanted with Vemco V-13 transmitter into ventral body cavity; transmitter into ventral body cavity; closed with several simple interrupted closed with several simple interrupted sutures of absorbable monofilament sutures of absorbable monofilament suture material suture material Placed in holding tank for 3 day recovery Placed in holding tank for 3 day recovery period before release period before release

Acoustic Tagging Acoustic Tagging 10 phase II striped bass were selected 10 phase II striped bass were selected from the Lyman Fish Hatchery, MS from the Lyman Fish Hatchery, MS Anesthetized in a water bath containing Anesthetized in a water bath containing MS-222 MS-222 Acoustic Transmitter Surgically implanted with Vemco V-13 Surgically implanted with Vemco V-13 transmitter into ventral body cavity; transmitter into ventral body cavity; closed with several simple interrupted closed with several simple interrupted sutures of absorbable monofilament sutures of absorbable monofilament suture material suture material Placed in holding tank for 3 day recovery Placed in holding tank for 3 day recovery period before release period before release

Passive Receiver Array Passive Receiver Array 10 receivers independently 10 receivers independently moored within the moored within the lower river lower river – 6 Sonotronics Inc. SUR 6 Sonotronics Inc. SUR – 4 Vemco Ltd. VR2 4 Vemco Ltd. VR2  Receivers located above and below release site

Ft. Bayou Release Site Ft. Bayou Release Site

Poster Poster

Eight Year Old 20 lb Striper Eight Year Old 20 lb Striper

Mounted Striper Mounted Striper

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