Multi-Species Fishery Support by Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands Across an Environmental Condition Gradient

Coastal wetlands are recognized as supporting recreationally and commercially important fishes (a valued ecosystem service), but it is less clear how fishery support is best measured, nor how that support varies across environmental conditions.  We use data from electrofishing surveys of ~60 Great Lakes coastal wetlands to identify prominent fishery relevant species (FRS), establish relationships to the wetland environment, and evaluate the potential for quantifying fishery support in a multi-species, multi-metric context.  Most prevalent among the 35 FRS were northern pike and bass (gamefish), perch and sunfish (panfish), and common carp, brown bullhead, and white sucker (roughfish).  Richness of FRS species in a variety of guilds tended to be reduced at either extreme of the condition gradient (i.e., the most eutrophic or oligotrophic wetlands).  Anthropogenic-impact variables were consistently more important than physical-setting variables in models predicting FRS catch-per-effort.  Details of wetland-condition associations varied sufficiently within guilds and across species and age groups (YOY vs. juveniles/adults) that quantifying fishery support is more complicated than simply tallying overall panfish or gamefish abundance.  Maintaining adequate water clarity and vegetation structure generally enhances the fishery support role that coastal wetlands provide.