Assessing Available Habitat for Black Sea Bass Centropristis striata in the Chesapeake Bay through a Habitat Suitability Model

Estuarine habitats, such as the Chesapeake Bay, serve as an important nursery ground for many economically important fish, including black sea bass (Centropristis striata). Available habitats vary every year and are influenced by factors such as rainfall and estuarine mixing. We developed a Habitat Suitability Model (HSM) in order to examine how available habitat for black sea bass fluctuates during the years. This model was written in R by applying a growth rate potential model linked to the interpolated temperature and salinity data from the Chesapeake Regional Ocean Modeling System. Since C. striata prefer bottom structures, benthic habitat data was overlaid with the model output to evaluate the best sites. Catch data collected by the Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring Assessment Program was evaluated to see if fish were found in places where the HSM showed high suitability. Dry years showed more available habitat than wet years. Understanding the factors that influence available estuarine habitat for juvenile C. striata will provide us with vital information that can be used to help maintain a sustainable commercial and recreational fishery.