Impacts of Thermal Stress on the Condition of Striped Bass
Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) were sampled during summer and winter in the St. Johns River, Florida, to determine effects of summertime thermal stress on fish condition. Regressions of log weight on log length for winter and summer fish had significantly different slopes (P < 0.001) indicating larger fish were less robust than smaller fish in summer as compared to winter. Data were arbitrarily separated into 3 size categories (small = <331 mm TL; medium = 331-500 mm TL; large = >500 mm TL) to investigate thermal related stress by size. No negative seasonal impacts could be...