MATOS - Mid-Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System

Project Title: Using acoustic telemetry to project species distributions in Chesapeake Bay due to climate change

MATOS Project Code: CEFICHES

Data Type: Data

Project Duration: June 2024 - on-going

Project Description: As climate change alters species distributions and timing of movements, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) is interested in migratory species that utilize the Chesapeake Bay, specifically striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). We will use acoustic telemetry to document movement patterns of these species and relate them to environmental conditions. We will tag >200 individuals with V9TP acoustic transmitters (in 2024 and 2025) and add 26 acoustic receivers to the existing network in Chesapeake Bay beginning in August 2024. Using the environmental and geographic data provided by the tagged individuals, we will create species distribution models and project them under future climate scenarios in Chesapeake Bay. These models quantify the movement of these species in relation to their environment and allow us to predict their distribution. The results of this work will inform management decisions including those related to species shifts.

Objectives:

Project species distributions under future climate change scenarios
Model distributions under current environmental conditions
Document migratory patterns

Management Benefits:

Prepare managers for climate-driven changes in species distribution and timing of movements
Inform management decisions of striped bass and red drum

Principal Investigator:	Bethany Williams (Mid - Atlantic Acoustic Telemetry Observation System)
Email:	bethany.williams@noaa.gov

Point of Contact:	Bethany Williams
Email:	bethany.williams@noaa.gov

Collaborators:

Marjy Friedrichs (VIMS)
Wilmelie Cruz-Marrero (NOAA NCBO)
Bruce Vogt (NOAA NCBO)
Matt Kendall (NOAA NCCOS)

Participating Organizations:

NOAA Climate Ecosystems and Fisheries Initiative
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office
NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Funding:

Inflation Reduction Act
NOAA

NCCOS CEFI Chesapeake Bay