Evaluating the current productivity and suitability of North Carolina's designated estuarine nursery areas Grant uri icon

abstract

  • Estuarine and shallow, nearshore habitats, particularly structured habitats including seagrass, salt marshes, and oyster reefs, are frequently identified as nurseries because juvenile finfish and crustaceans often occur at elevated densities compared to other marine habitats. As such, these habitats are thought to contribute disproportionately to fisheries production. In recognition of their value, North Carolina initiated nursery area surveys in the 1970s to identify areas with elevated densities of juvenile and sub-adult fishes. Subsequently, those inventories have been used to designate estuarine waters afforded with additional protections, with the intent to limit habitat destruction and degradation. This approach has undoubtedly been forward-thinking in its protection of estuarine habitats; however, recent advancements in our conceptual understanding of, and thus, how we define, nurseries make it prudent that NC revisit how nursery habitats are designated. Here, we propose to: 1) Produce a synthesis of available literature on advancements in marine nursery concepts and methodologies for delineating nursery areas using species-density data only, as well as in conjunction with practical supplements to current sampling programs; 2) Provide guidance on sampling design by identifying potential redundancy and highlighting underrepresented area/habitats in current sampling protocol; 3) Generate productivity estimates of currently designed Primary and Secondary Nursery Areas using established secondary production models; and 4) Create habitat suitability models for multiple species to quantitatively compare the outputs of predictive models based on environmental characteristics (e.g., bottom composition, salinity, temperature, depth) to species-density data from Programs 120 and 195. Given that the propriety of nursery area delineation has considerable ramifications for fish populations and the industries that rely upon them, our goal is to provide the Division of Marine Fisheries with the materials and methods to designate these areas according to the most up-to-date science, fulfilling their objective of maintaining balance between competing public-trust uses and habitat protection.

date/time interval

  • January 2020 - December 2021