Abstract:

The gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) has been frequently used as a sentinel species for studying impacts of the Macondo oil spill, largely as a result of its high abundance and widespread distribution in the affected area, intermediate trophic position, and tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions. Compared to the Atlantic congener (F. heteroclitus), however, comparatively less life history information is available. Notably, the home range and dispersal capabilities remain unclear. Here, we present the results of a field study to determine the site fidelity of gulf killifish (>40mm TL) using four hydrologically separated tidal marsh creeks (<60 m in length) near Cocodrie, LA. Wire tags were injected into the dorsal musculature of at least 89 fish per site before they were released at a central release point in each creek, and recapture efforts were made at 5-10 meter intervals meter intervals along the creek length (30-90m) 1-2x per month initially and at a decreasing frequency up to 1 year post-release. Results indicate that, similar to F. heteroclitus, F. grandis exhibit high site fidelity, with initial recapture rates as high as 49% and some recaptures occurring after 1 year. Given the use of gulf killifish as an ecological indicator during recent evaluations of the Macondo spill, this information is useful to a wide audience seeking to determine the effects of the spill and suggest that observed responses to oil are likely to be local and, as a result, F. grandis likely provide reliable metrics of site-specific oil exposure throughout the region. Additional Data Contributors/ Authors Ken Able (PI), Olaf Jensen (Co-PI) and Joel Fodrie (Co-PI).

Suggested Citation:

Lopez-Duarte, Paola, Ken Able, Olaf Jensen, and Joel Fodrie. 2016. Dataset for: High Site Fidelity of the Gulf Killifish (Fundulus grandis) in Northern Gulf of Mexico Marshes: An Empirical and Modeling Approach to Help Address Oil Effects. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/N7J10121

Publications:

Jensen, O., Martin, C., Oken, K., Fodrie, F., López-Duarte, P., Able, K., & Roberts, B. (2019). Simultaneous estimation of dispersal and survival of the gulf killifish Fundulus grandis from a batch-tagging experiment. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 624, 183–194. doi:10.3354/meps13040

Purpose:

Because oil was unevenly distributed (patchy) along salt marshes in 2010, it is necessary to determine the range of dispersal of fish inhabiting these marshes. The purpose of this study was to determine if the dominant killifish in Louisiana marshes, Fundulus grandis (Gulf killifish), exhibits high site fidelity. A closely related species, Fundulus heteroclitus, exhibits high site fidelity and has long been as an environmental indicator of marsh health.

Data Parameters and Units:

The excel file includes information about the places in which killifish traps were deployed, how many tagged fish were captured and how many untagged fish were captured per trap. The lengths (total length in millimeters) of the tagged fish are also included. Distance (in meters) refers to the distance between the initial release location at the head/source of each creek and the recapture locations along the creek. Because Creek 1 had two branches, recapture distances for that creek are followed either by a "W" or "E", indicating the west or east branch, respectively. Sampling Locations: Creek 1 29.254781 -90.664514 Creek 2 29.255531 -90.668536 Creek 3 29.257797 -90.664658 Creek 4 29.256922 -90.662714

Individual Files: