Associations between freshwater inflows and oyster productivity in Apalachicola Bay, Florida
Abstract
Increased and varied demands for consumptive water uses on the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River system threaten to reduce freshwater inflows to the Apalachicola estuary and thus may affect estuarine productivity. To investigate how freshwater inflows are associated with productive estuarine conditions, Apalachicola Bay oyster data from 1960-84 and river flows were analysed with linear regression models. Lag periods were incorporated into the analyses to examine the potential effects of various flow magnitudes and durations on different oyster life history stage. Oysters reach a harvestable size in 2 years in this region. Low flows were positively correlated with oyster catch per unit effort (C.P.U.E.) 2 years later, i.e. years with lower minimum flows were followed 2 years later by poor oyster productivity. A possible mechanism behind this association is that lower minimum flows result in higher estuarine salinities, permitting predation by marine species on newly settled spat, and thus reducing harvestable oyster population sizes 2 years later. High flows of short duration (⩽ 30 days) were not significantly correlated with oyster C.P.U.E. for the same year or any time lag period. Oyster landings were low, however, in those years in which flows exceeded 30 000 cfs for 100 days or more, suggesting sustained high flows were detrimental to the same year's harvestable oyster population. Experiments that investigate possible mechanistic causes of these associations are needed to more fully understand the potential impacts of future water allocation decisions.
- Publication:
-
Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science
- Pub Date:
- August 1992
- DOI:
- 10.1016/S0272-7714(05)80112-X
- Bibcode:
- 1992ECSS...35..179W