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Metadata:   Seasonal Electrofishing Data from Rookery Branch and Tarpon Bay, Everglades National Park from November 2004 to Present


Dataset title
Seasonal Electrofishing Data from Rookery Branch and Tarpon Bay, Everglades National Park from November 2004 to Present

Dataset ID
SFWSC_005

Dataset Creator
Name: Dr. Jennifer  Rehage 
Position: Principle investigator
Organization: Southeast Environmental Research Center and South Florida Water, Sustainability, and Climate Project
Address: Florida International University
University Park
ECS 119
Miami, FL 33199 USA
Phone: 305-348-0181
Email: rehagej@fiu.edu


Metadata Provider
Organization: Florida Coastal Everglades LTER Program
Address: Florida International University
University Park
OE 148
Miami, FL 33199 USA
Phone: 305-348-6054
Email: fcelter@fiu.edu
URL: http://fcelter.fiu.edu

Dataset Abstract
This study examines temporal and spatial dynamics in the fish community of the oligohaline to mesohaline reaches of ecotonal creeks along the southwest region of Everglades National Park. Collections of fish in SW ENP during 2004 - 2014 across Rookery Branch and Tarpon Bay. Sampling started in the wet season of 2004, and has been conducted three times per year at these approximate times: November (wet season); February (transition); and April (dry season). Electrofishing samples were processed in the field, and all species (except for non-natives) were returned live at the point of collection. In the Rookery Branch region, fish abundance varies markedly yearly and seasonally. Catches peak in the drier months, reflecting a pulse of movement by freshwater taxa into creeks as marshes upstream dry. The timing of this pulse is closely tied to the pattern of water recession in upstream marshes, and has important ramifications for wading bird prey availability.

Dataset Keywords
SFWSC
South Florida Water, Sustainability, and Climate Project
ecological research
long-term monitoring
consumer dynamics
fishes
Rookery Branch
Electrofishing
Everglades National Park
catches
consumers
freshwater
estuarine
biology
species
wet
dry
transitional
salinity
catch per unit effort
prey fish
preditors
dissolved oxygen
water temperature
seasonality
species
climate
South Florida
hydro-economic models
management schemes
impact
economic value
ecosystem services
climate variability
climate change
sea level rise
adaptive water management
economic productivity

Intellectual Rights
These data are classified as 'Type II' whereby original SFWSC experimental data collected by individual SFWSC researchers are to be released to restricted audiences according to terms specified by the owners of the data. Type II data are considered to be exceptional and should be rare in occurrence. The justification for exceptions must be well documented and approved by the lead PI and Site Data Manager. Some examples of Type II data restrictions may include: locations of rare or endangered species, data that are covered under prior licensing or copyright (e.g., SPOT satellite data), or covered by the Human Subjects Act, Student Dissertation data and those data related to the SFWSC project but not funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) WSC program (EAR-1204762) and the NIFA Award Number 2012-67003-19862. Researchers that make use of Type II Data may be subject to additional restrictions to protect any applicable commercial or confidentiality interests. For a complete description of the SFWSC Data Distribution and Data User Agreement, please go to SFWSC Data Management Policy: http://eimc.fiu.edu/projects/SFWSC/SFWSC_DataManagementPolicy.pdf. Additionally, two copies of the manuscript must be submitted to the South Florida Water, Sustainability and Climate Project, c/o Dr. Mike Sukop, Department of Earth & Environment, Florida International University, ECS 347, 11200 SW 8th Street, Miami, Florida 33199.

Geographic Coverage

Study Extent Description
The Study Extent of this dataset includes areas near FCE Shark River Slough research sites (downstream of SRS 3 and upstream of SRS 4) from Rookery Branch within Everglades National Park, South Florida

Bounding Coordinates
Geographic description West bounding coordinate East bounding coordinate North bounding coordinate South bounding coordinate
The Study Extent of this dataset includes areas near FCE Shark River Slough research sites (downstream of SRS 3) from Rookery Branch to Tarpon Bay within Everglades National Park, South Florida also includes South Florida Water, Sustainability, and Climate Project Study Area. -81.078 -81.078 25.365 25.365
Florida Coastal Everglades LTER Study Area: South Florida, Everglades National Park, and Florida Bay -81.078 -80.490 25.761 24.913

All Sites
Geographic Description Longitude Latitude
Rookery Branch 7 -80.897 25.429
Rookery Branch 8 -80.872 25.455
Rookery Branch 9 -80.862 25.460
Rookery Branch 10 -80.865 25.464
Rookery Branch 11 -80.876 25.464
Rookery Branch 12 -80.916 25.459
Rookery Branch 13 -80.89 25.45
Rookery Branch 14 -80.92 25.43
Rookery Branch 15 -80.95 25.42
Rookery Branch 16 -80.94 25.45
TB1 -80.97 25.41
TB2 -80.97 25.41
TB3 -80.98 25.43
TB4 -80.97 25.43

Temporal Coverage
Start Date:   2004-11-01
End Date:   2014-05-05

Maintenance
This is a short-term electrofishing dataset and subsequent data will be appended if necessary.

Dataset Contact


Methods

Sampling Description
Sampling is conducted at 15 mangrove creeks in two drainages: Rookery Branch and the North, Roberts, and Watson rivers. Electrofishing is used to target large-bodied predatory species. At each creek, we systematically sample, three 100 meter long sections of creek bank by electrofishing (0-100m, 200-300m, and 400-500m). Each electrofishing bout lasts five minutes (pedal time). Electrofishing is an effective method for sampling large fishes in freshwater habitats, and eletrofishing catch per unit effort (CPUE) provides a reliable index of fish abundance. For all bouts, electrofishing power is standardized to 1500 watts according to the ambient temperature and conductivity conditions. Because creek width is considerably greater than the electric field generated by the electrofisher, a left or right bank was randomly selected for each bout. Folling USGS-NAWQA guidelines, all electrofishing is conducted using intermittent application of electrical current to prevent fish from fleeing deep beneath the mangroves. All fish captured are placed in a holding tank, identified, measured (to the nearest 1-mm standard or total length), weighed (if necessary), and released after full recovery. Only non-indigenous species are saved and preserved in 10 percent formalin to be returned to the laboratory for processing. During each sampling event, we use a YSI 85 unit to record physico-chemical parameters (water temperature, specific conductance/salinity, and dissolved oxygen) at the beginning of each electrofishing bout. Water clarity and bottom type are measured with a measuring stick and turbidity with an electronic turbidity meter.

Method Step

Description
Fish were collected via electrofishing methods,

Citation
Boucek, Ross E 2013-10-01. No free lunch: displaced marsh consumers regulate a prey subsidy to an estuarine consumer.. Oikos, 122(10): 1453-1464.

Protocol

Protocol Title:  Electrofishing

Protocol Creator(s)
Name: Dr. Jennifer Rehage 


Publication Date:  2004-01-01

Abstract
Sampling is conducted at 15 mangrove creeks in two drainages: Rookery Branch and the North, Roberts, and Watson rivers. Electrofishing is used to target large-bodied predatory species. At each creek, we systematically sample, three 100 meter long sections of creek bank by electrofishing (0-100m, 200-300m, and 400-500m). Each electrofishing bout lasts five minutes (pedal time). Electrofishing is an effective method for sampling large fishes in freshwater habitats, and eletrofishing catch per unit effort (CPUE) provides a reliable index of fish abundance. For all bouts, electrofishing power is standardized to 1500 watts according to the ambient temperature and conductivity conditions. Because creek width is considerably greater than the electric field generated by the electrofisher, a left or right bank was randomly selected for each bout. Folling USGS-NAWQA guidelines, all electrofishing is conducted using intermittent application of electrical current to prevent fish from fleeing deep beneath the mangroves. All fish captured are placed in a holding tank, identified, measured (to the nearest 1-mm standard or total length), weighed (if necessary), and released after full recovery. We measure mass of those species for wich we do not have reliable length-mass regression equations with which to estimate mass-this procedure results in less handling of fishes and reduces stress on the specimens. Only non-indigenous species are saved and preserved in 10 percent formalin to be returned to the laboratory for processing. Although electrofishing typically targets large fish species, we routinely capture specimens as small as 5-cm standard length (SL). During each sampling event, we use a YSI 85 unit to record physico-chemical parameters (water temperature, specific conductance/salinity, and dissolved oxygen) at the beginning of each electrofishing bout. Water clarity and bottom type are measured with a measuring stick and turbidity with an electronic turbidity meter.

Sampling is conducted at 15 mangrove creeks in two drainages: Rookery Branch and the North, Roberts, and Watson rivers. Electrofishing is used to target large-bodied predatory species. At each creek, we systematically sample, three 100 meter long sections of creek bank by electrofishing (0-100m, 200-300m, and 400-500m). Each electrofishing bout lasts five minutes (pedal time). Electrofishing is an effective method for sampling large fishes in freshwater habitats, and eletrofishing catch per unit effort (CPUE) provides a reliable index of fish abundance. For all bouts, electrofishing power is standardized to 1500 watts according to the ambient temperature and conductivity conditions. Because creek width is considerably greater than the electric field generated by the electrofisher, a left or right bank was randomly selected for each bout. Folling USGS-NAWQA guidelines, all electrofishing is conducted using intermittent application of electrical current to prevent fish from fleeing deep beneath the mangroves. All fish captured are placed in a holding tank, identified, measured (to the nearest 1-mm standard or total length), weighed (if necessary), and released after full recovery. We measure mass of those species for wich we do not have reliable length-mass regression equations with which to estimate mass-this procedure results in less handling of fishes and reduces stress on the specimens. Only non-indigenous species are saved and preserved in 10 percent formalin to be returned to the laboratory for processing. Although electrofishing typically targets large fish species, we routinely capture specimens as small as 5-cm standard length (SL). During each sampling event, we use a YSI 85 unit to record physico-chemical parameters (water temperature, specific conductance/salinity, and dissolved oxygen) at the beginning of each electrofishing bout. Water clarity and bottom type are measured with a measuring stick and turbidity with an electronic turbidity meter.

Sampling is conducted at 15 mangrove creeks in two drainages: Rookery Branch and the North, Roberts, and Watson rivers. Electrofishing is used to target large-bodied predatory species. At each creek, we systematically sample, three 100 meter long sections of creek bank by electrofishing (0-100m, 200-300m, and 400-500m). Each electrofishing bout lasts five minutes (pedal time). Electrofishing is an effective method for sampling large fishes in freshwater habitats, and eletrofishing catch per unit effort (CPUE) provides a reliable index of fish abundance. For all bouts, electrofishing power is standardized to 1500 watts according to the ambient temperature and conductivity conditions. Because creek width is considerably greater than the electric field generated by the electrofisher, a left or right bank was randomly selected for each bout. Folling USGS-NAWQA guidelines, all electrofishing is conducted using intermittent application of electrical current to prevent fish from fleeing deep beneath the mangroves. All fish captured are placed in a holding tank, identified, measured (to the nearest 1-mm standard or total length), weighed (if necessary), and released after full recovery. We measure mass of those species for wich we do not have reliable length-mass regression equations with which to estimate mass-this procedure results in less handling of fishes and reduces stress on the specimens. Only non-indigenous species are saved and preserved in 10 percent formalin to be returned to the laboratory for processing. Although electrofishing typically targets large fish species, we routinely capture specimens as small as 5-cm standard length (SL). During each sampling event, we use a YSI 85 unit to record physico-chemical parameters (water temperature, specific conductance/salinity, and dissolved oxygen) at the beginning of each electrofishing bout. Water clarity and bottom type are measured with a measuring stick and turbidity with an electronic turbidity meter.


Keywords
Electrofishing
fish capture

Procedural Steps
Apply electric current to sampling area
net immobilized fish
place fish into a water tank on boat

Instrumentation
21' Aluminum boat fitted with a generator and other electrofishing equipment (see citation 28)

Quality Control
All data from sampling, catch, and processing datasheets are entered in spreadsheet format using Microsoft Excel. Separate files are created and managed for two sampling methods (electrofishing and minnow trapping). Since analyses are multiyear, all years of data are combined into a single file, and as new data is gathered, it is added to a master datafile containing all previous years of data. Post data entry, data are verified and validated by a different technician from the technician that entered the data. Then, the data files are cleaned and formatted for statistical analyses.

Data Table
Entity Name:  SFWSC_005
Entity Description:  Seasonal Electrofishing Data from Rookery Branch and Tarpon Bay, Everglades National Park from November 2004 to Present
Object Name:  SFWSC_005


Data Format
Number of Header Lines: 1
Attribute Orientation: column
Field Delimiter: ,
Number of Records: 1018

Attributes
Attribute Name Attribute Label Attribute Definition Storage Type Measurement Scale Missing Value Code
ID Sampling ID Sampling ID nominal Sampling ID  
Year Year long term sampling year ordinal long term sampling year  
DATE date Collection Date datetime  
SEASON season Everglades Season text WET= wet season
DRY = dry season
TRANS = Transitional season
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
River drainage site drainage site text drainage site  
Creek drainage creek drainage creek code drainage creek  
SITETYPE site type type of sampling site text type of sampling site  
BOUT bout number Electrofishing bout code Electrofishing bout -9999 (Value was not recorded)
FUNCON4 species count number of species 4 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
FUNCHR8 species count number of species 8 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
NOTCRY9 species count number of species 9 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
ESONIG14 species count number of species 14 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LEPPLA17 species count number of species 17 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
ESOAME18 species count number of species 18 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LEPSPP19 species count number of species 19 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
MCSAL20 species count number of species 20 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
ERISUC33 species count number of species 33 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
FUNSEM34 species count number of species 34 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
EURGUL35 species count number of species 35 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
TRIMAC36 species count number of species 36 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
NOTGYR37 species count number of species 37 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LEPGUL38 species count number of species 38 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LEPMAC39 species count number of species 39 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LEPMIC40 species count number of species 40 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LEPPUN41 species count number of species 41 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LEPMAR42 species count number of species 42 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
ENNGLO47 species count number of species 47 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
CENUND50 species count number of species 50 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
MEGATL51 species count number of species 51 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
ANGROS54 species count number of species 54 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
AMICAL55 species count number of species 55 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
ANCMIT57 species count number of species 57 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
CLABAT60 species count number of species 60 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
MICGUL67 species count number of species 67 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
ARIFEL69 species count number of species 69 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LOPCYP71 species count number of species 71 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LUTGRI74 species count number of species 74 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
FUNGRA75 species count number of species 75 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
BAGMAR76 species count number of species 76 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
TILMAR77 species count number of species 77 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
OREAUR78 species count number of species 78 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
STRSPP80 species count number of species 80 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
LAGHOM81 species count number of species 81 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
CICURO84 species count number of species 84 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
BELBEL86 species count number of species 86 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
HEMLET88 species count number of species 88 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
CARLEU91 species count number of species 91 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
ARCPRO92 species count number of species 92 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
SCIOCE94 species count number of species 94 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
PTEMUL99 species count number of species 99 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
MACSIA100 species count number of species 100 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
EUGPLU101 species count number of species 101 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
KLEMAR102 species count number of species 102 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
EUCHAR103 species count number of species 103 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
CYNNEB104 species count number of species 104 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
CARHIP105 species count number of species 105 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
GOBROB106 species count number of species 106 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
MUGCEP107 species count number of species 107 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
CALSAP109 species count number of species 109 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
CICSPP110 species count number of species 110 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
EUCSPP115 species count number of species 115 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
ELOPSAU117 species count number of species 117 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
GOBSPP121 species count number of species 121 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
UNIDEEL200 species count number of species 200 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
UNIDFISH23 species count number of species 23 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
CPUE Total Catch total number of fish caught per sample data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: integer
 -9999.00 (Value was not recorded)
Distance Distance Total distance shoreline coverd in sample data Units: meter
Precision: 1
Number Type: integer
 -9999.00 (Value was not recorded)
CPUE100M catch per unit effort Catch Per Unit Effort data Units: catchPerUnitEffort
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 -9999 (Value was not recorded)
DEPTH_Creek depth Depth to Creek bottom data Units: meter
Precision: 0.01
Number Type: real
 -9999.00 (Value was not recorded)
TEMP temperature Temperature data Units: celsius
Precision: 0.1
Number Type: real
 -9999.0 (Value was not recorded)
DO dissolved oxygen Dissolved oxygen data Units: milligramsPerLiter
Precision: 0.01
Number Type: real
 -9999.00 (Value was not recorded)
Salinity salinity Salinity data Units: partsPerThousand
Precision: 0.1
Number Type: real
 -9999.0 (Value was not recorded)
SH1DSLD Days since last dry Number of days since marshes >0 data Units: number
Precision: 1
Number Type: real
 9999 (Value was not recorded)
SH1AVE15D 15 day Avg Marsh depth 15 day Avg Marsh depth data Units: centimeter
Precision: 0.01
Number Type: real
 -9999.00 (Value was not recorded)
UPDISTANCE Site distance from marsh Site distance from marsh data Units: kilometer
Precision: 0.01
Number Type: real
 -9999.00 (Value was not recorded)
MEANDIST Site distance from marsh Site distance from marsh data Units: kilometer
Precision: 0.01
Number Type: real
 -9999.00 (Value was not recorded)

 
  This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. EAR-1204762 and the United States Department of Agriculture NIFA Award Number 2012-67003-19862.
  Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.