Greg Ellis^1,3, Marcus Zokan⁴, William F. Loftus², Shawn E. Liston¹ and Jerome J. Lorenz^1
1Audubon of Florida, Tavernier Science Center, Tavernier, FL, USA
²U.S. Geological Survey, Florida Integrated Science Center, Everglades National Park Field Station, Homestead, FL, USA
³University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL, USA
⁴College of Charleston, Department of Biology, Grice Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC, USA

Although the Big Cypress Swamp is an important part of the regional hydrologic system of the greater Everglades, its ecology has been poorly studied compared to Everglades graminoid wetlands. Fishes are the most numerous vertebrates within Big Cypress National Preserve and provide food for predators such as wading birds and alligators, but little is known of their distribution, diversity, or ecology. That information is critical for understanding this ecosystem, assessing its current state, and monitoring the success of restoration activities. The first step in studying the fish community is to catalogue the component species, including non-indigenous (NI) species. Increasingly, NI fishes have colonized natural and disturbed habitats of the Big Cypress ecosystem during the past three decades, because climate and habitats are favorable for their colonization and survival. Our objectives were to produce a complete inventory of fishes for Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP), and to test methods for sampling those habitats.

We collected multiple fish samples in all major aquatic habitats in BCNP (canals, cypress forest, freshwater marsh, herbaceous prairie, sloughs/ponds/rivers/, cypress prairie, mixed swamp forest, and coastal marshes) from October 2002 through June 2004. Data were collected during all seasons, but we increased our efforts during the transition period between the wet and dry seasons, when fish densities increased because of concentration. This allowed us to record the maximum number of species living within each habitat. We used a variety of sampling methods across habitat types, including trapping, netting, and electrofishing, to compensate for inherent biases in each method.

We collected 64 fish species: 55 species native to North America and 9 NI species (Oscar, black acara, Mayan cichlid, blue tilapia, spotted tilapia, African jewelfish, pike killifish, brown hoplo catfish, and walking catfish). Freshwater marshes and forested wetlands shared similar assemblages. Small fishes utilized shallow areas, such as herbaceous and cypress prairies, and as water levels receded, they appeared to move into nearby swamp forests and cypress stands. Canals held the most diverse assemblages of fishes (62 of the 64 species documented in BCNP). The diversity and abundance of NI fishes was high in canals, especially during the dry season. Specimens were deposited in the South Florida Collection Management Center. This inventory was the initial step in a research program for BCNP. Though we had identified effective methods for sampling fishes, quantitative density data were needed. Those data are being collected by a Monitoring and Assessment Plan (MAP) project that is currently underway.

Contact Information: Shawn Liston, Audubon of Florida, Tavernier Science Center, 115 Indian Mound Trail, Tavernier, FL 33070 USA; Phone: 305-242-7874; Fax: 305-242-7836; Email: bdunker@audubon.org

(This abstract is from the 2006 Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration Conference.)

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