Abstract |
Three reports have been generated as products of the Synthesis of Historical Biological Data project of the Tampa Bay National Estuary Program (TBNEP). The ten fish species chosen for distribution analysis (bay anchovy, silver perch, snook, spotted seatrout, spot, tarpon, striped mullet, red drum, hogchoker, and clown goby) were those identified by TBNEP as potential living resource targets. The analyses were based on extensive spring and fall sampling conducted for the Florida Department of Natural Resources' Fisheries-Independent Monitoring Program. An index of relative abundance was developed that classified one-minute (latitude by longitude) grids within the Bay as having zero catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE), low-to-medium CPUE, or high CPUE. Maps based on these analyses were prepared for each combination of species, length class, gear, and season for which adequate data were available. Several species were shown to concentrate primarily in tributaries during one or more seasons, especially small snook and red drum, and hogchokers of all lengths. |