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Rapid
Assessment Complete |
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The rapid assessment of plant and animal species in Mobile Bay by the Alabama-Mississippi Rapid Assessment Team (AMRAT) was completed on Friday morning and preliminary results are in. All that remains are classifications of algae, plankton and some bacteria. The results are surprising, or not, depending on what one expected. A single Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea was found and two new state records for molluscs, a marine snail (Turbonila puncta) and an oyster (bi-color purse oyster) not previously noted in Alabama were found. In addition, the discovery of a juvenile Permit in waters off Cedar Point was also unexpected. However, with these exceptions, preliminary results indicate no new non-native aquatic species were found, although the algae, plankton and bacteria results won’t be available for a while. “We found most of the same native and non-native plant and animals that we have long known were present in the bay but with the exception of the molluscs, we didn’t find any new ones”, said Mark Van Hoose, a biologist with the Alabama Department of Marine Resources. This was echoed by Dr. Cynthia Moncrief of the University of Southern Mississippi: “we did notice changes in distribution of certain native plants like Spartina alterniflora and its replacement by a native invasive, Phragmites, in some areas where it had previously been described as more abundant. Of course we saw a lot of Hydrilla and water hyacinth, both known invasives, and we also noted a new proliferation of some natives like wild rice but we did not note any new plant species.” Scientists throughout the Gulf are paying particular attention to the potential introduction by, accident or intent, of non-native species. They pose potentially large economic and biodiversity impacts by damage to native plant and animal populations. Other non-native species that have been noted at various times in our area include the giant land crab (Cardisoma guanhumi) found in a yard on the Fish River in 2002 and the unusual crab (Callinectes bocourti) found in the Perdido area last year. No evidence of the Australian jellyfish (Phylloriza punctata) was noted at this time in the bay or nearby waters during an aerial surveillance conducted by Dr. Monty Graham. Many invasives are tropical species and the semi-tropical climate in the Gulf offers very conducive conditions to colonization and even adaptation by many no-natives species. Therefore the results of this survey can be seen as surprising. Dr. George Crozier of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab noted: “at least as a snapshot, this confirms a view held by many of us that Mobile Bay is in relatively good shape in many environmental aspects.” Dr. Richard Wallace of Auburn agrees and notes, “ the location of Mobile Bay and its marginal status between a tropical and temperate climate and its highly variable salinity regime may make it less inviting to these marine tropical visitors than some other gulf estuaries.” David Yeager, Director of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program sees nothing but good in the survey result. “This is a good news story. Proof of the negative is a very important data point. This survey and good historical data provide us a baseline for future evaluation and comparison. Even though I’m pleased that we found no evidence of a new invasive threat, we also have to remember this is only a snapshot. This year has seen a heavy fresh water inflow into the Bay but conditions can change as rapidly as the seasons. You only have to look back a year or two to the Australian Jellyfish invasion to see that.” Dr. Juan Lopez-Bautista of the University of Alabama also noted a positive result from this survey: “This is the first time that the seaweeds or benthic algae in Alabama coastal waters has been catalogued. The field work we accomplished in four intensive days will allow me to complete a planned study much sooner than I had expected.” The study results will be presented at a major regional conference at Duke University Marine Institute in October. Many native and non-native animals and plants were classified and collected during this survey. Specimens are being accessioned into the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory museum and some will serve as type specimens to aid in future study and identification. Some of the plant specimens were added to the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve’s herbarium and the herbarium at the University of South Alabama. A complete list of all the species identified during this survey is being compiled and will be accessible through a database maintained by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. It will also be available through the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program’s Data and Information Management System (DIMS) and accessible through the MBNEP Website. Follow-on activities include a similar survey in Mississippi Sound next year. Harriet Perry, Director of the Center for Fisheries Research at Gulf Coast Research Laboratory said: “few individual agencies or organizations have either the resident scientific expertise or logistical ability to carry out a survey of this scale. The success of this project has been amazing and shows what can be accomplished when committed people work together. I look forward to planning and hosting the Mississippi survey with the same AMRAT team.”
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