Use of Acoustic Telemetry to Assess the Behavioral Response of Fish to Anthropogenic Activities – Case Studies

The potential effect of anthropogenic activities on fish populations is an emerging and significant issue.  Stressors from these activities include high-intensity noise, habitat disturbance, and alteration of the prey base.  In three separate studies, acoustic telemetry was employed to assess the potential impact of pile-driving, mid-frequency sonar, and dredging on fish in Port Canaveral and along Canaveral Shoals, Florida.  First, sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) and mangrove snapper (Lutjanus griseus) were monitored for a period of 11 months to assess movement and survival during a pile-driving event.  In a separate study, sheepshead and mangrove snapper were monitored for 4 months to examine changes in residency and movement patterns in response to routine nuclear-powered submarine (SSN) pierside sonar testing.  Finally, red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), finetooth shark (Carcharhinus isodon), spot croaker (Leiostomus xanthurus), and Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulates) were tagged in the nearshore environment off Cape Canaveral to assess natural movements of coastal fish species, and also to monitor finer scale movements of benthic forage fish in association with a dredging event.  For all studies, acoustic receivers were deployed within Port Canaveral and within the Canaveral Shoal complex to complement an existing array of compatible receivers spanning over 300 kilometers along the Florida coast.