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Perfluorinated Alkyl Acids and Fecundity Assessment in Striped Mullet (Mugil Cephalus) at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

This study investigated wild caught Striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) for levels of 15 perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in tandem with fecundity measurements (n 42) and oocyte developmental stages (n 128). PFAAs measurements were undertaken for liver (n 128), muscle (n 49), and gonad (n 10). No significant negative impacts of liver PFAA burden on wild-caught, mullet fecundity endpoints are observed in this study; however, changes in PFAAs are seen in the liver as mullet progress through different sub-stages of oocyte development. Of the PFAAs with significant changes by sub-stage of oocyte development, the carboxylic acids (perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, and perfluorotridecanoic acid) increase in the liver with increasing sub-stage while the sulfonic acid and its precursor (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide, respectively) decrease in the liver with increasing stage of oocyte development. This is a unique find and suggests PFAAs change location of compartmentalization as mullet progress towards spawning. Investigations also revealed higher than expected median muscle and gonad levels of PFOS in Striped mullet collected at MINWR (9.01 ngg and 80.2 ngg, respectively).

Jacqueline T Bangma↗

Striped Mullet Migration Patterns in the Indian River Lagoon: A Network Analysis Approach to Spatial Fisheries Management

Striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) are numerically abundant forage fish, highly valuable as prey and commercially valuable to humans. From September to December, mullet in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida undergo an annual migration from inshore foraging habitats to oceanic spawning sites. However, their migratory pathways, in particular their intra-estuarine movement pathways, remain unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we utilized passive acoustic telemetry to assess the movement patterns of M. cephalus within the IRL. Thirty-two fish were tagged, generating usable tracks from 18 individuals. The mean (±s.d.) time that fish were detected in the array was ~38 ± 90 days, with the longest at 444 days. We also document the first evidence of skipped spawning in M. cephalus inhabiting waters of the southeastern United States. These data suggest impoundments around the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge appear to serve as important refugia for striped mullet while the Banana and Indian Rivers act as corridors during their inshore migratory movements. Through spatial fisheries management, high value habitat and connective elements utilized by mullet and other vital forage fish may be identified, to benefit both natural and human dynamics in estuarine systems.

Acoustic telemetry↗

Hawai’i Climate: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Assess Thermal Stress Impacts on Coastal Hawaiian Fishponds

Hawaiian fishponds (loko i’a), ancient aquaculture systems created over 1500 years ago, historically served to harvest prized native fish species. Colonization-induced changes in land management have reduced active loko i’a from over 500 to ~20, destabilizing nearshore ecosystems and diminishing native Hawaiian cultural traditions. In recent decades, efforts to restore loko i’a have intensified as part of a broader emphasis on preserving Hawaiian cultural identity. Anthropogenic-induced climate change threatens these systems, particularly through the increase in frequency and magnitude of marine heatwaves. Though largely unexplored, these events are effectively studied utilizing remote sensing via Earth observations. Leveraging this technique enables autonomous extraction of water quality parameters to inform fishpond management. This study examined seven loko i’a across the main Hawaiian Islands (Hawai’i Island, Moloka’i, Maui, O’ahu, Kaua’i). Sea surface temperature and normalized difference chlorophyll index measurements were derived in fishponds utilizing Landsat 8 Thermal Infrared Sensor Thermal Infrared Sensor and Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument between 2013 to 2023, while regional patterns in temperature and chlorophyll-a were observed via Aqua’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (2002-2021). Employing these sensors, we focused analysis around the 2015 and 2019 marine heatwaves in the Pacific. We observed a heat stress gradient across the archipelago, creating thermally sheltered and unsheltered fishponds, yet identified no notable localized relationships between temperature and chlorophyll-a. Additionally, we applied pre-determined thermal maxima for culturally significant fish species (Striped Mullet: Mugil cephalus; Milkfish: Chanos Chanos) to assess historical habitat suitability within fishponds. While the direct impacts of marine heatwaves on loko i’a ecology are unknown, temperature patterns observed in this study are cause for concern.

Raz Wachtel↗