| PROPOSED STUDY TO CHARACTERIZE ENVIRONMENTAL AND PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN SPAWNING AND NURSERY AREAS OF RIVER HERRING IN THE CHOWAN RIVER. |
| BUTLER, MATTHEW - butlerm02@students.ecu.edu
Overton, A. - overtona@ecu.edu
Dowling, A. - dowlinga10@students.ecu.edu
East Carolina University, Biology Department, Greenville, NC 27858 |
| Anadromous fishes such as Blueback Herring Alosa aestivalis and Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus, utilize sounds, rivers, and tributaries during spawning. Collectively known as river herring these two important species spawn in the Chowan River North Carolina. River herring have been important commercially since the early 1900’s. Over time, the population was overfished and declined to the point of moratorium in North Carolina and several other states beginning in 2007. Other factors in the population decline are attributed to building dams and other impediments, poor water quality, habitat destruction, and possibly poor nutritional health. Our study will explore the water quality and water chemistry of the Chowan River in relation to larval river herring abundance. Additionally, morphometric characteristics will be compared between healthy hatchery fish and wild caught fish. Results from this study should aid management agencies in sustaining, rebuilding, and possibly stocking the Chowan with river herring. |
| back |
|
