"Benthic Habitat Correlates of Juvenile Fish Distribution in the Bigelow Bight and Adjacent Estuaries"

Principle Investigator: Michele Dionne. Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve
Research Associate: Jeremy Miller Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve

Additional Project Participants:
Vincent Balzano, Commercial Fisherman, F/V North Star
Richard MacKenzie, Researcher
Scott Orringer, Researcher
Jeff Reed, Commercial Fisherman
Kenneth Young, Commercial Fisherman
Marshall Alexander, Commercial Fisherman, F/V Dee Dee Mae II

"This study represents a collaboration between researchers and members of the Gulf of Maine fishing industry to survey juvenile groundfish distribution and abundance along transects from estuarine through inner shelf areas of the Bigelow Bight. The project will characterize associated substrate and prey availability in order to determine fisheries habitat resources with the region. The project will feature the use of a sediment profile imager (known as an SPI camera), a device which takes photos of substrates and associated organisms both from a surface and from a profile view to depths up to 1 ft. This technique will be combined with traditional research sampling methods for fish (small mesh trap nets, beam trawls, and variable mesh gill nets) and benthos (Ponar grab sampler). The survey design will compare fish, benthos, and substrates between estuarine, nearshore and offshore areas, including sites within these zones that have been altered by human activities (i.e. dumping of dredge material, outfall of treated sewage, and bottom trawling). Traditional cod spawning and feeding grounds and a closed area (Jeffrey's Ledge) are included in the survey. Results of the study will provide much-needed data to determine estuarine and inner shelf fish habitat associations, the food resource value of these habitats, and their response to current and previous human alterations." abstract from the Northeast Consortium Project database

Site Codes:
BB = Bigelow Bight
CN = Cape Neddick
JL = Jeffery's Ledge
KB and KR = Kennebunk River
PR = Piscataqua River
PRE = Piscataqua River Estuary
SR = Saco River
SRE = Saco River Estuary
WH and WR = Webhanet River
WI = Wood Island, near the mouth of the Saco River 20 individuals were measured for each species and the remaining were counted for biomass purposes. This accounts for the "no measure" seen in the notes column.

revised 08/11/06, gfh