Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit, South Florida/Caribben CESU

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The main objective of this research opportunity is to answer questions critical to restoration success. There is one major research objective contained within the current cooperative program: Cooperate in testing and applying sampling methods for fishes and macroinvertebrates inhabiting mangrove creeks in extreme south Florida. Methods developed will be used in habitat monitoring prior to, and during, restoration of the Greater Everglades. The research opportunity requires field assistance, laboratory analysis of samples, data analysis, report writing, and results presentation. Specific objectives are as follows: Perform regular and thorough searches of the literature to obtain information about sampling programs and methods used to quantify stream-channel fish communities. Sampling will continue to be performed three times each year, during the high water (October-December), transition (January-February), and dry season (April-May) periods each year, using the same methods as in the first four years of the study. Collect large-bodied species by electrofishing; fish will be field-processed and returned alive, except for voucher and life-history samples. Small-bodied species will be collected by minnow traps set at top and bottom of the creek; fish will be preserved for processing in the laboratory. All non-native species will be retained for analysis. Employ a density-based capture method, such as a drop trap, to provide data comparable to other CERP studies of fish elsewhere in the system. Fishes will be handled using guidelines for humane treatment, including the use of anesthetics for reducing capture trauma or for euthanasia. Simultaneously with the fish collections, important correlative physical measurements will be taken that will include relative water depths in channels and wetlands, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH. Samples will be lab processed, data entered onto spreadsheets, analyzed statistically, and reports written. In addition, will cooperate closely with fellow researchers studying fishes and birds in contiguous habitats. Wiill participate in periodic meetings of CERP researchers to share information and plan integrative studies, and we will contribute to yearly CERP assessment reports. Finally, will interact with a statistician to evaluate our data, perform power analyses, and determine the most efficient sampling design.

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