RECOVER MAP 3.1.3.8 and 3.1.3.10 Trophic Level Primary-Periphyton Mat Cover, Structure and Composition; Aq Fauna Periphyton

The objective of this work is to gather wet season aquatic fauna (marsh fish and macroinvertebrates) population and periphyton production and community composition data across the Greater Everglades ecosystem. This effort will establish the current condition of these populations and will allow scientists to detect changes/trends in aquatic fauna and periphyton population structures as CERP is implemented. The secondary objective of this project is for the principle investigator to provide feedback in the form of annual reports and a presentation to the Adaptive Assessment Team (AAT) to explain how these dynamics relate to aquatic fauna populations and the periphyton community structure and composition, how they will be affected by CERP implementation, how they relate to CERP hypotheses from the MAP, and how to apply what is learned to the adaptive management process.
Aquatic fauna and periphyton will be sampled at sites selected using a stratified random design (Phillipi 2003), completed for RECOVER in fall 2003. The aquatic fauna (marsh fishes and macroinvertebrates) and periphyton sampling locations sites will be conjoined with crayfish sampling when possible. Information gathered about the population dynamics of these aquatic fauna and periphyton communities will be used as input for predictive models, and to interpret the relationship between wading birds and aquatic fauna populations and the periphyton community structure and composition. Understanding this relationship between the upper, primary, and secondary trophic levels will be used to assess CERP performance.

The Monitoring and Assessment Plan of CERP has established a number of biotic performance measures to assess restoration of food-web function under this long-term restoration program. The community structure (abundance, biomass, and species composition) of periphyton and fishes, and the spatial distribution of the latter in relation to hydrology, are among the key performance measures targeted for monitoring. We are using a multistage, spatially balanced sampling design to document landscape-scale patterns of these performance measures. We also conduct more intensive sampling at “sentinel” sites, sampled twice during the dry season, to gather seasonal information aiding in the interpretation of yearly landscape-level data.  A 1-m2 throw trap is used to collect periphyton, marsh fishes, and benthic macroinvertebrates such as crayfish and dragonflies, while mangrove fishes are sampled using a 9-m2 drop net.  Our sampling design will be used as a guide for on-going CERP activities, as data resulting from restoration efforts are compiled and interpreted against results from simulation models or data collected from reference sites.