Habitat Use and Movement of Juvenile Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout Across Estuarine Seascapes

Acoustic telemetry was used to track juvenile Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) and Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) within the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve (MANERR), Texas, at both habitat- (<1 km) and bay- (1-50 kilometers) scales.  Our habitat-scale assessment was conducted using VR2W Positioning System (VPS) and showed that Red Drum preferentially utilized shallow depths (<1 meter) close to habitat edges, while Spotted Seatrout preferentially utilized depths greater than 1 meter. Spotted Seatrout exhibited distinct diel activity patterns differing in preferred habitat type (seagrass vs. sand/mud), rate of movement, and depth of habitat.   Habitat partitioning between species was indicated by low overlap, with Red Drum more commonly observed in shallow habitats within the VPS compared to Spotted Seatrout. Bay-scale tracking of Red Drum revealed high fidelity to release sites within the MANERR, even though some tagged fish made northward seasonal migrations in the winter, often initiated during the arrival of cold fronts. Results of the study illustrate species-specific differences in juvenile habitat use and movement by two co-occurring sciaenids, suggesting that effective management strategies should incorporate a diverse array of habitat types.