Seasonal Abundance, Age Structure, and Spawning Period of Gizzard Shad in the Hydrologically Altered Upper Barataria Estuary, Louisiana
Gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) are an important component of many water bodies in the southeastern United States that contributes energy and nutrients to piscivores and impacts nutrient cycles. Spawning movements from the lower Barataria Estuary, Louisiana, into the upper reaches of the Barataria Estuary results in seasonal congregations of gizzard shad in the upper estuary. Historically, these spawning movements may have been initiated by the predictable annual Mississippi River floodpulse; however, the Barataria Estuary is currently cut off from the Mississippi River and no...
