Climate change allows Florida snook to move farther north along Gulf, Atlantic coasts - TCPalm
Climate change allows Florida snook to move farther north along Gulf, Atlantic coasts - TCPalm |
| Climate change allows Florida snook to move farther north along Gulf, Atlantic coasts - TCPalm Posted: 30 Jun 2020 08:13 AM PDT CLOSE  TCPalm fishing forecast for June 25, 2020: Tarpon, snook, snapper and dolphin are still the main targets for Treasure Coast anglers Treasure Coast Newspapers Because climate change is warming water temperatures, Florida anglers are catching snook and other tropical fish farther north along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. While that's great news for fishermen, fishing guides and coastal towns with economies tied to tourism, the expansion might not be so great for native marine species already in the snooks' new home. Snook, a tropical game fish that traditionally ranged as far north as Tarpon Springs, have now been found in the mouth of the Suwannee River, more than 80 miles to the north — and beyond, according to a new study published last week.  Buy Photo Sonny East, of Miami, tries his luck at catching a snook while fishing with his father, David East (not pictured), of Vero Beach, on Monday, June 29, 2020, at the Fort Pierce Jetty, on the south side of the Fort Pierce Inlet. "I caught 10 the other day," Sonny East said, referring to Thursday. "I think it's really fun. They're great gamefish, they bite when they want to bite, which isn't all the time, that's for sure." (Photo: ERIC HASERT/TCPALM)Since then, fishermen have reported snook in the Florida Panhandle, said researchers at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the University of Florida. More: Who's the best snook angler on the Treasure Coast? Snook are a "high-level predator that eat smaller fish, crabs and shrimp," said Charles Martin, one of the study's authors and an assistant research professor of fisheries and aquatic sciences at the UF Nature Coast Biological Station. "We're going to be looking hard at how they impact the ecology of their new home," he said. The impact could be multiplied by the fact other tropical fish are moving north too. "Emerald parrotfish are also moving north in the Gulf, for example," Martin said. "They eat seagrass, which is the foundation of the ecosystem. Their impact will depend on how much seagrass they're going to eat."  Map showing how snook are ranging farther north along Florida's Gulf Coast (Photo: "Poleward expansion of common snook Centropomus undecimalis in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico and future research needs" by Caleb H. Purtlebaugh, Charles W. Martin and Micheal S. Allen)Already up Atlantic CoastOn the Atlantic Coast, snook have been found as far north as Jacksonville "since we began sampling for them in 2001," said Richard Paperno, research administrator for the FWC in Melbourne. The newcomers to the north that are most worrying researchers are exotic species such as the Mayan chichlid. "That's not a good one to be expanding its range," Paperno said. "Exotic species often can outcompete native species for food because they have no natural predators."  Buy Photo Darius Mathis, of Port St. Lucie, spends the morning fishing in the Indian River Lagoon from the Jensen Beach Causeway Park on Monday, June 29, 2020. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)Snook can't tolerate water temperatures below 54 degrees. Along the Gulf Coast, numerous freshwater springs help moderate the nearshore water temperature. Researchers believe snook go inland during the winter to avoid cold water in the Gulf. On the Atlantic Coast, the shallow Indian River Lagoon offers snook and other tropical fish water that's warmer than the ocean. The average temperature of lagoon water has risen about 1.6 degrees in the last 20 or so years, Paperno said. Studies in the 1970s placed the dividing line between tropical and temperate waters in the lagoon just north of the Sebastian Inlet. Now the line has moved as much as 12.5 miles north of that, according to a study this year by Brittany Troast, a University of Central Florida student.  Buy Photo Over the weekend, Mathis said he caught three snook, ranging from 28-48 inches, but released them because snook season is closed through Aug. 31. (Photo: LEAH VOSS/TCPALM)Snook may be the canaries in the coal mine when it comes to ecological impacts by northward-bound animal species, Mike Allen, a UF professor of fisheries and aquatic sciences and one of the study's authors, said in a news release. "Many species are migrating northward with a warming climate, including plants, such as mangroves, as well as fish, birds and others," he said. Martin added, "Imagine if the pythons that are ravaging the Everglades moved north because of warmer conditions. They could really cause some damage."  An angler caught this 46-inch snook on a topwater lure, then released it, according to Capt. Ed Zyak of Jensen Beach. (Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY ED ZYAK)Snook fishing regulationsHere are the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission's rules for each coast. Atlantic Coast
Gulf Coast
Tyler Treadway is an environment reporter who specializes in issues facing the Indian River Lagoon. Support his work on TCPalm.com. Contact him at 772-221-4219 and tyler.treadway@tcpalm.com. Read or Share this story: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/health/2020/06/29/climate-change-moves-snook-tropical-fish-north-environment-impacted/3277773001/ |
| You are subscribed to email updates from "exotic fish" - Google News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Comments
Post a Comment