John Lake – Marine Biologist RIDFW-Marine Fisheries Section 3 Ft. Wetherill Road Jamestown, RI Young-of-the-Year Survey in RI Coastal Ponds

Purpose of Survey To monitor juvenile fish populations in Rhode Island coastal ponds and estuaries, for the purpose of forecasting recruitment in relation to the spawning stock biomass of winter flounder and other recreationally important species.

Survey Facts  Survey began in 1992  Data has been collected on 98 fish species  Over 500,000 fish have been collected since surveys inception  Being expanded this year

Winter Flounder Reproduction  Males and females reach maturity at 3 years of age  Adults believed to show spawning site affinity, sub- populations of winter flounder exist in RI waters  Spawning occurs in estuaries from January – May  Eggs clump together and rest on bottom (<1mm)  Usually hatch 15 – 18 days after being released  When the larvae are 1/3 of an inch they have completely metamorphosed

Recruitment and Predation  Spawning and settlement in near shore demersal habitats makes eggs, larvae, and juveniles sensitive to disturbances  Egg, larval, and juvenile growth and survival are inversely related to increasing water temperature  Predation rates increase with increasing temperature  Increase in Sand Shrimp (Crangon septimspinosa) predation is thought to have a large impact on egg mortality when water temperatures are elevated Juvenile winter flounder and sand shrimp

Winter Flounder in the Coastal Ponds  Ponds are a breeding ground/nursery with repeat spawners returning annually  Juveniles believed to be relatively stationary with affinity to sites near spawning locations  Prefer sandy-silt bottom texture  Larval and juvenile stages feed on the eggs and larval stages of various invertebrates  Juveniles use eelgrass and other submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) habitats as a refuge from predation

Map of Sampling Locations

Sampling Procedure  Beach Seine is set and hauled in a semicircle at each station  Water quality data is collected at each station (Temperature, Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen, Secci Depth)  Finfish species are identified, counted, and measured

Physical Parameters

Target Species  Alewife  Black Sea Bass  Bluefish  Menhaden  Scup  Tautog  Winter Flounder Tautog Tautoga onitis

Recreationally Important Finfish Species Abundance Indices in Coastal Ponds

Coastal Pond Winter Flounder Length Frequencies

2010 Winter Flounder Frequency from Coastal Pond Survey

Coastal Pond Winter Flounder Abundance Indices (fish/haul)

Comparison of CPS Winter Flounder Abundance Indices to other surveys

Point Judith Pond Adult and Juvenile Indices Point Judith Pond was closed to harvest and possession of Winter Flounder on April 8, 2011

Funded by Rhode Island Division of Fish and Wildlife, USFW Federal Aid to Sport Fish Restoration Grant No: F-61-R-17 Assessment of Recreationally Important Finfish Stocks in Rhode Island Coastal Ponds