Deepwater Horizon Impacts on the Diet, Growth, and Condition of Larval Spanish Mackerel (<i>Scomberomerus maculatus</i>)

<p>The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS) coincided with the pelagic larval stages of many valued commercial and recreational fishes in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Larval fish survival and eventual recruitment into adult populations may have been impacted by changes in the planktonic food web caused by the release of oil and chemical dispersants during the DWHOS event. Using samples from a long-term ichthyoplankton survey off the coast of Alabama, I sought to resolve the effects of the DWHOS on larval fishes. I compared the condition, growth, and diet of larval Spanish Mackerel (<em>Scomberomorus maculatus</em>), collected during summer months in years before (2007–2009), during (2010) and after (2011) the DWHOS. Comparisons of condition using morphometric analyses and length-weight relationships revealed that larvae were deeper-bodied and heavier during the DWHOS period relative to before and after spill periods. The most abundant prey items of larval <em>S. maculatus</em> were larval fishes, copepods, and ostracods. Diet composition did not differ significantly among the three time periods. Also, daily growth did not differ between larvae collected during and after the DWHOS (no otoliths were available to estimate growth before 2010). Overall, larval <em>S. maculatus</em> were resilient to harmful effects of the DWHOS. These findings will help fisheries managers better understand the impacts of the DWHOS on fisheries in the northern Gulf of Mexico.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Coastal Sciences, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Year dc:date.available

2015

Author dc:creator

• Ransom, John Timothy

Contributors dc:contributor

• Frank Hernandez
• Jesse Filbrun
• Kevin Dillon

• Deepwater Horizon oil spill
• larval fish
• stable isotopes
• ichthyoplankton

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/101

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-1102