Monitoring salt marsh vegetation and nekton at Fire Island National Seashore: 2011 summary report
Nicosia EL and Pooler PS. 2012. Monitoring salt marsh vegetation and nekton at Fire Island National Seashore: 2011 summary report. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/NCBN/NRDS—2012/397. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) began monitoring salt marsh vegetation and nekton at Fire Island National Seashore (FIIS) in 2009. This report summarizes the second year of data collected at six permanent monitoring sites during the summer of 2011. Monitoring will continue on a biennial basis. Approximately fifty vegetation plots were sampled at each of the six marsh sites (total = 300 plots) in July of 2011. The percent cover of each vegetation species and non-vegetation cover type within each 1 m2 plot was visually estimated using a revised Braun-Blanquet method. Nineteen vegetation species and four non-vegetation cover types were recorded. Non-vegetation cover types included bare ground, wrack & litter, trash, and water. A total of 59 nekton stations were established (on ditches and pools/pannes) in 2011. Each station was sampled twice during the summer—once in late June / early July, and again in August. Sampling stations located on pools/pannes were sampled using a 1 m2 aluminum throw trap. Stations located along tidal ditches were sampled with ditch nets. There were five species of nekton recorded at FIIS in 2011, including three fish species, one crab species, and one shrimp species. Examination of percent catch data indicates that one species—Fundulus heteroclitus (common mummichog)—accounts for approximately 77% of all nekton captured on Fire Island in 2011.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Nicosia, Erika; Pooler, Penelope
- Date of Issue
- 2012-10
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- FIIS , NCBN , NRSS
- Keywords
- 2011, Braun-Blanquet method, ditch nets, FIIS, Fire Island National Seashore, I&M, inventory and monitoring program, Monitoring, NCBN, Nekton, Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network, Salt Marsh, throw trap, Vegetation, Vital Signs