Presentation Details
| Tracking PIT-Tagged Alewives to Study Their Anti-Predator Behavior in a Diminished River Herring Run Chelseigh Bond1, Maria Abate1, 2, Andrew Jacobs2, Marcella Andrews2, Bret Stearns2. 1Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.2Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Aquinnah, MA, USA |
Abstract
Schooling fish exhibit a fundamental characteristic of predator avoidance whereby individuals form cohesive groups against potential threats through collective vigilance and coordinated movements. Anadromous river herring rely on schooling as an anti-predatory mechanism during their annual runs within their natal streams. Alewife river herring, Alosa pseudoharengus, have historically provided sustenance and cultural resources to the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha’s Vineyard, MA. Alewife populations have declined in the past 20 years along the East Coast, increasing vulnerability to predators in their spawning grounds. This study tests for antipredator resilience by quantifying risk-averse behaviors of alewife individuals in the Tribal Herring Creek, where the seasonal run is < 1% of historic size. Our results will examine the relationship between daily herring abundance, obtained via video monitoring in the Creek, and the length of residency and exit hesitancy of 35 PIT-tagged individuals. We predict if alewives are resilient at low abundance, extended site residency and longer downstream travel time will be associated with lower daily run counts.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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