Master's Thesis Tim Bonvechio
Hydrological variables, such as water level and flow rate, have influenced recruitment of sportfishes in lakes and rivers. I propose to assess the effects of hydrological variables on year-class strength of selected sportfishes across multiple systems in Florida. My objectives are (1) to use residuals from catch-curve regressions to investigate the effect of hydrological variables (water level and stream flow rate) on year-class strength of fishes in five lotic and five lentic systems; and (2) attempt to validate strong and weak year classes on selected systems using age structure data from successive years. Management implications of this work include regulation changes pertaining to minimum flows and levels (MFLs) for lakes and rivers.
Pictured above: Tim holding a largemouth (left) and Suwannee (right) bass collected at the Santa Fe River, Florida
