Spatial Ecology and Movement Patterns of Black Drum (Pogonias cromis) and Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) in Mississippi Sound

<p>Black Drum (<em>Pogonias cromis</em>) and Sheepshead (<em>Archosargus probatocephalus</em>) are ecologically and economically important estuarine fishes throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico. Despite their value, little is known about their spatial ecology, including patterns of residency, movement, and connectivity within northern Gulf estuarine systems. This study is the first to quantity subsystem-level use of these species in Mississippi Sound and assess the extent of individual variability in movement, connectivity, and reproductive-related behavior. Fish were captured across multiple subsystems and tagged with acoustic transmitters to monitor movements from 2021-2025. Movement patterns were analyzed using residency indices, network metrics, and environmental covariates, while Sheepshead maturity was inferred using size-based logistic regressions. Results indicated generally strong site fidelity, but with seasonal reductions in residency during known spawning months, consistent with partial spawning migrations. Black Drum tagged in Pascagoula River Estuary exhibited broader movements and higher inter-subsystem transition frequencies compared to St. Louis Bay-tagged individuals, highlighting spatial variability in connectivity. Network analyses identified Pascagoula River Estuary and St. Louis Bay as key components of the regional estuarine network, with certain subsystems acting as movement hubs. Environmental factors influenced subsystem departure probability, but individual-level variability was a stronger driver of movement. Collectively, these results demonstrate that Black Drum and Sheepshead exhibit diverse movement strategies and spatially variable survival within a relatively small estuarine system. These findings provide critical information for population connectivity assessments and support the development of targeted management strategies to conserve these important species in the northern Gulf of Mexico.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters Thesis

Year dc:date.available

2026

Author dc:creator

• Pagel, Alyssa M

Contributors dc:contributor

• Michael Andres
• Kim de Mutsert
• Chet Rakocinski

• Acoustic Telemetry
• Movement Ecology
• Residency
• Survival
• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1200

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:aquila.usm.edu:masters_theses-2294