Charles L. Mesing

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers were used to distinguish 2 Morone hybrid reciprocal crosses, palmetto bass (Morone saxatilis female x M. chrysops male) and sunshine bass (M. chrysops female x M. saxatilis male), in Lake Seminole and the Apalachicola River, Florida. Individual sunshine bass survived to age 6 and weighed up to 5.9 kg, representing the oldest and largest specimens of this hybrid cross collected from a wild natural system. Hybrids moved downstream >125 km, through 2 dams, to the Apalachicola River. Palmetto bass demonstrated a greater tendency than sunshine bass to...

Placement of dredged rock material (90% < 5 cm in diameter) on degraded sand disposal sites in the Apalachicola River, Florida, to enhance sportfish populations was evaluated between July 1988 and November 1989. Newly created rock habitats and training dikes yielded significantly greater (P < 0.05) sportfish catch per unit effort (CPUE) than did sand disposal sites. Water velocity, rock size, water depth, and site orientation with respect to river flow were more important in determining sportfish abundance than rock site configuration. Mean macroinvertebrate densities and number of...

Within-bank disposal of dredged material has detrimentally impacted natural habitats and gamefish of the Apalachicola River. Between 1947 and 1980 40 km of natural bank habitat has been altered by disposal of dredged material resulting from navigational maintenance activities by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Gamefish catch per unit of effort (CPUE) values from natural bank habitats were significantly greater (P < .05) than those from "new," "recent," and "old" disposal sites. Gamefish CPUE values measured on "new," "recent," and "old" disposal sites were 75%,66%, and 50% less than...