2002 Research Accomplishments

The major accomplishment in the summer of 2002 was the completion of a study designed to define and identify the optimal habitat of juvenile winter flounder. This was done to select appropriate release locations for winter flounder in the Great Bay Estuary of New Hampshire. The approach was to intensively study the temporal and spatial distribution of wild juvenile flounder, and to characterize their habitat in terms of temperature, salinity, depth, substrate type, prey availability, and predator abundance. We used a number of mathematical modeling techniques, which culminated in the calculation of overall Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) for each site and month. This was compared to the observed abundances of winter flounder to see if the distribution of fish fit the habitat model. We also compared the abundance of winter flounder juveniles with each variable within the model to determine which component(s) may have been driving habitat selection. Finally, we tested the HSI model predictions with the actual temporal and spatial distribution patterns of the fish to determine the utility of the model. (for further details see Jenna Wanat’s Master’s thesis)