MATOS - Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Project Title: Fish movements in the reference site Back Creek

MATOS Project Code: BCNCBO

Data Type: Data

Project Duration: July 2023 - July 2024

Project Description: This project is a complementation of the NCCOS project to quantify differences in the use of artificial/restored marsh cells in the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island using acoustic telemetry. Our main objective is to track fish usage of the restored habitat at Poplar Island and compare it with their usage of the natural habitat in Back Creek. We have partnered with the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to leverage their expertise in fish telemetry. We aim to tag ~80 fish and place 15 receivers in the reference site. We are tagging a diversity of species >21 cm TL, including striped bass, white perch, gizzard shad, and American eels.

Objectives:

Understand fish usage in reference site in contrast to restored locations

Management Benefits:

Inform benefits of restore location based on fish usage and compare it with natural sites

Principal Investigator:	Wilmelie Cruz Marrero (Mid - Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System)
Email:	wilmelie.cruz@noaa.gov

Point of Contact:	Wilmelie Cruz Marrero
Email:	wilmelie.cruz@noaa.gov

Collaborators:

Bethany Williams (NCCOS)
Matt Kendall (NOAA NCCOS)

Participating Organizations:

NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office
NOAA NCCOS
US Army Corps of Engineers

Funding:

NOAA Chesapeake Bay, US Army Corps of Engineers

NCBO Back Creek