Table of Contents

• Dataset Description
  • Methods & Sampling
• Data Files
• Parameters
• Instruments
• Deployments
• Project Information
• Funding

This dataset contains individual counts of fish and crustaceans collected at living shoreline sites (including sills covered in oysters), natural marsh, and bulkhead sites. 

These data were published in:

Gittman R.K., Peterson C.H., Currin C.A., Fodrie F.J., Piehler M.F., and Bruno J.F. 2016. Living shorelines can enhance the nursery role of threatened coastal habitats. Ecological Applications 26(1): 249-263. DOI: 10.1890/14-0716

The marsh area sampled included the marsh interior, marsh edge, and unvegetated mudflat within 3 m of the marsh edge at paired sill and control marsh sites.  Nekton from the below sampling methods were speciated where possible and counted.  This dataset reports the individual counts for two categories of organisms, fish and crabs.

Fyke nets:
Two fyke nets were set simultaneously at each site during a night spring high tide and recovering gear during the subsequent low tide (~6 h sets). Fyke nets were placed at the sill drop-downs or gaps at the sill sites and haphazardly along the edge of control marsh sites. Fyke net openings were set at approximately the same distance from the marsh edge (3–5 m, depending on sill location relative to the marsh edge) at each paired site. The fyke nets consisted of a 0.9 ×  0.9 × 5.1 m compartmentalized, 3.175 mm mesh bag with 0.9 × 5.1 m wings that stretched out from the bag (set for a total mouth width of 8 m). 

Seine nets:
Two seines at each site were conducted during afternoon spring low tides parallel to the shoreline for 20 m (~5 m from the sill or marsh edge).  Seines were 7.3 m wide by 1.8 m tall, made from 3.175 mm mesh, and included a 1.8 × 1.8 × 1.2 m bag. 

Minnow traps:
Minnow traps (3.175- mm- galvanized mesh) were set at the edge of each shoreline type 2 h before high tide and collecting the traps 2 h after high tide. 

For full details of data collection, see reference:

Gittman R.K., Peterson C.H., Currin C.A., Fodrie F.J., Piehler M.F., and Bruno J.F. 2016. Living shorelines can enhance the nursery role of threatened coastal habitats. Ecological Applications 26(1): 249-263. DOI: 10.1890/14-0716

Description from NSF award abstract:
The PIs will use the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina, as a model system and will attempt to optimize the design of networks of no-take reserves as a strategy for maintaining metapopulations of this commercially harvested species. The project specifically recognizes that network persistence depends on (1) the potential for growth, survival, and reproduction within reserves, and (2) the potential to distribute offspring among reserves. Thus, demographic processes within reserves and settling areas play important roles, along with variability of physical transport. The PIs plan to:
(1) test and refine 3D bio-physical models of connectivity due to oyster larval transport in a shallow, wind-dominated system;
(2) test, refine, and apply technology to detect natal origins of larvae using geochemical tags in larval shell; and
(3) integrate regional connectivity and demographic rates to model metapopulation dynamics.

This study will produce new tools and test and refine others used for studying larval connectivity, a fundamentally important process in the maintenance of natural populations, and thus in biological conservation and resource management. The tools include a hydrodynamic modeling tool coupled with an open-source particle tracking model that will be available on-line with computer code and user guide. The project will use integrated modeling approaches to evaluate the design of reserve networks: results will be directly useful to improving oyster and ecosystem-based management in Pamlico Sound, and the methods will inform approaches to network design in other locations.