Douglas L. Peterson

Evidence of a Bull Shark Nursery in the Altamaha River Estuary, Georgia

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has developed fishery management plans for sharks that require delineation of nursery areas, monitoring of relative abundance of juveniles in these areas, and identification of habitat relationships between juvenile sharks and the nursery environment. Netting surveys conducted during 2008 and 2009 in the Altamaha River Estuary suggested that the estuary served as both a primary and secondary nursery for bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in 2008 and limited use as a secondary nursery in 2009. Variation in spatial distribution also suggested...

Growth Rates of Stocked Walleye in Several Georgia Reservoirs

The walleye (Sander vitreus) is a large predatory fish distributed throughout Canada and the United States, ranging from Central Canada southward to the Tennessee and Mississippi River drainages. Because of its importance as a recreational sportfish, walleye growth has been studied extensively in the northern portion of its distribution. However, little information is available regarding growth of this species in the southeast, particularly in Georgia. The objectives of this study were to quantify growth of walleye in several north Georgia reservoirs and to compare the growth rates of...

The Anchored Gill Net Shad Fishery of the Altamaha River, Georgia

From 2007 to 2009, we quantified total effort and catch of the anchored gill net American shad (Alosa sapidissima) fishery in the Altamaha River, Georgia. We observed and recorded catch data of commercial fishermen interspersed throughout the river. These fishermen also recorded their daily catch and effort in log books. Total harvest of American shad was lowest in January and highest in February of each season. Total fishing effort was estimated monthly and was combined with catch-per-unit-effort data to estimate total harvest monthly. Most harvest and effort occurred in the lower...

Abundance of Juvenile Atlantic Sturgeon in the Ogeechee River, Georgia

The Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) was once widely abundant, but populations declined because of over-harvest and habitat degradation. The commercial fishery for Atlantic sturgeon was closed in the United States in 1996. Population status and recovery of the species is a primary management need. River-resident juvenile sturgeon provide an opportunity to conduct mark-recapture studies and estimate abundance. The goal of this study was to estimate abundance of juvenile Atlantic sturgeon in the Ogeechee River, Georgia. Mark-recapture data were collected June-August of 2007....