Fish Assemblages Near the Mouth of the Savannah River, Georgia before Channel Dredging and Beach Renourishment Projects

Estuaries and surf zones serve as crucial nursery habitats for many fish species. The purpose of this study was to characterize fish assemblages near the mouth of the Savannah River over a temporal and spatial scale and to determine which environmental factors most influence their distribution. Locations on an island within the mouth of the river along with surf-zone sites on a barrier island just outside of the river mouth were sampled using a seine net and beam trawl for one year. A total of 8,729 fish representing ≥ 61 species were collected and 3 distinct fish assemblages were identified: tidally influenced riverine, intermediate, and surf zone. Temperature and salinity explained the majority of the variation in fish assemblages. The seine net and beam trawl only collected 73.8% and 72.1% of the species, respectively. The overlapping but incomplete assessment of fish assemblages by each of the two gear types demonstrates the importance of using multiple means to obtain an accurate evaluation. Knowledge of the current fish assemblages near the mouth of the Savannah River will be valuable in determining changes that may arise from the channel dredging and beach renourishment projects.