JUVENILE PERMIT HABITATS

Project Title: How does habitat degradation impact juvenile permit?

The importance of habitat loss and degradation as causes of fish population declines is becoming increasingly apparent. Roughly fifty percent of the growing world population lives within 100 km of the coastline, and this is projected to reach 75% by 2025. The associated activities cause environmental stress such as habitat loss and habitat degradation. Although overfishing is most often blamed for population declines for many fish species, loss of juvenile habitats is at least as much to blame because fewer juveniles are surviving to enter the adult population.

Recent research supported by BTU was the first to demonstrate that juvenile permit depend upon sandy windward beaches (beaches exposed to some wave energy). Sandy beaches, therefore, are essential for the permit fishery. Beach renourishment and beach degradation may be threats to juvenile permit, and thus to the fishery. Beach renourishment has long been used to offset coastal erosion and natural sediment transport processes along beaches. Unfortunately, very few studies of the effects of beach renourishment on fishes have been conducted, and there have been no studies on beach renourishment effects on juvenile permit.

The results of this research will provide information critical to the conservation of juvenile fish habitats. Essential to a successful conservation plan is that juvenile habitats are defined, and that these habitats are conserved. Since juvenile permit depend on sandy beaches, research is needed that will determine whether juvenile permit are affected by beach renourishment. Results have direct and immediate applications to conservation and management.

• Total Project Cost: $80,000
• Annual Requested Funds: $40,000