Refining capture-recapture recruitment estimation methods for Atlantic sturgeon
The Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus was once of great commercial importance in many coastal rivers of the eastern USA. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, most historical stocks of Atlantic sturgeon were depleted by human activities. Estimating recruitment for the remaining populatio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Inter-Research
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Endangered Species Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v51/p203-214/ |
| _version_ | 1797773001452683264 |
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| author | MA Baker EC Ingram DL Higginbotham BJ Irwin AG Fox |
| author_facet | MA Baker EC Ingram DL Higginbotham BJ Irwin AG Fox |
| author_sort | MA Baker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus was once of great commercial importance in many coastal rivers of the eastern USA. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, most historical stocks of Atlantic sturgeon were depleted by human activities. Estimating recruitment for the remaining populations is challenging due to sampling constraints, limited age data, and natural variability. However, recruitment estimates could inform recovery efforts. The objectives of this study were to compare 2 modeling approaches to estimate recruitment of age-1 Atlantic sturgeon and provide an updated index of abundance across more than a decade of sampling in the Altamaha River, Georgia. First, we constructed capture histories of river-resident juveniles, using capture-mark-recapture data collected from 2008 to 2020, and assigned ages based on length-frequency analysis. Second, we compared more traditional Huggins closed population models and a recent nonlinear extension of Huggins models—vector generalized additive models (VGAMs)—to estimate abundance of age-1 fish. Both model types indicated similar yearly age-1 abundance estimates (Huggins: 163 in 2017 to 3839 in 2010; VGAM: 312 in 2020 to 4448 in 2010), but the VGAMs provided more direct interpretation for factors that might affect capture probability (e.g. sampling effort, temperature, fish length). This study indicates that the age-1 Altamaha River Atlantic sturgeon population has remained relatively stable over the past decade and provides a long-term baseline which will better enable managers to assess the effects of either future restoration actions or environmental disturbances on the population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:58:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4d2ae28eb3be4270bf6d7554b06e9fd1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1863-5407 1613-4796 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:58:55Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Inter-Research |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Endangered Species Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-4d2ae28eb3be4270bf6d7554b06e9fd12023-07-25T09:46:04ZengInter-ResearchEndangered Species Research1863-54071613-47962023-07-015120321410.3354/esr01250Refining capture-recapture recruitment estimation methods for Atlantic sturgeonMA Baker0EC Ingram1DL Higginbotham2BJ Irwin3AG Fox4Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USASchool of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USAWarnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USAU.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USAWarnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USAThe Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus was once of great commercial importance in many coastal rivers of the eastern USA. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, most historical stocks of Atlantic sturgeon were depleted by human activities. Estimating recruitment for the remaining populations is challenging due to sampling constraints, limited age data, and natural variability. However, recruitment estimates could inform recovery efforts. The objectives of this study were to compare 2 modeling approaches to estimate recruitment of age-1 Atlantic sturgeon and provide an updated index of abundance across more than a decade of sampling in the Altamaha River, Georgia. First, we constructed capture histories of river-resident juveniles, using capture-mark-recapture data collected from 2008 to 2020, and assigned ages based on length-frequency analysis. Second, we compared more traditional Huggins closed population models and a recent nonlinear extension of Huggins models—vector generalized additive models (VGAMs)—to estimate abundance of age-1 fish. Both model types indicated similar yearly age-1 abundance estimates (Huggins: 163 in 2017 to 3839 in 2010; VGAM: 312 in 2020 to 4448 in 2010), but the VGAMs provided more direct interpretation for factors that might affect capture probability (e.g. sampling effort, temperature, fish length). This study indicates that the age-1 Altamaha River Atlantic sturgeon population has remained relatively stable over the past decade and provides a long-term baseline which will better enable managers to assess the effects of either future restoration actions or environmental disturbances on the population.https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v51/p203-214/ |
| spellingShingle | MA Baker EC Ingram DL Higginbotham BJ Irwin AG Fox Refining capture-recapture recruitment estimation methods for Atlantic sturgeon Endangered Species Research |
| title | Refining capture-recapture recruitment estimation methods for Atlantic sturgeon |
| title_full | Refining capture-recapture recruitment estimation methods for Atlantic sturgeon |
| title_fullStr | Refining capture-recapture recruitment estimation methods for Atlantic sturgeon |
| title_full_unstemmed | Refining capture-recapture recruitment estimation methods for Atlantic sturgeon |
| title_short | Refining capture-recapture recruitment estimation methods for Atlantic sturgeon |
| title_sort | refining capture recapture recruitment estimation methods for atlantic sturgeon |
| url | https://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v51/p203-214/ |
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