Fisheries

Interconnected coastal habitats

Despite increasing recognition of the environmental and economic benefits provided by estuaries, these environments continue to be degraded by human activity. In addition to the organisms that reside in estuaries throughout their lives, numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of these coastal habitats as nursery grounds for juvenile fish and other commercially valuable marine organisms. In a recent publication, MSC graduate student, Christopher Baillie and colleagues investigated how composition and configuration of habitats, specifically mudflats, seagrass meadows and salt marshes influenced the abundance of economically valuable fish and crustacean species in a North Carolina estuary.

In the study, appearing in the journal Estuaries and Coasts, Baillie and colleagues compared catch rates of fishes and crustaceans in habitats with both seagrass and salt marsh, to those with only one type of vegetation or the other. They found higher catch rates in the habitats with both types of vegetation, and found shifts in catch rates in each habitats across spatial and temporal scales, indicating that juveniles might be using different habitats during different stages in their development.

This research demonstrates tangible links between important coastal habitats and highlights the importance of managing estuarine ecosystems as a mosaic of interconnected habitats. As fishery and coastal managers try to effectively manage estuarine environments and fish species in the face of increasing human impacts, a better understanding of how organisms use and move between specific habitats will help prioritize conservation and guide restoration efforts.