EFFECTS OF MARSH CHANNELIZATION ON FISH AND INVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES AT LITTLE SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA

I used effective number of species (ENS) linear models, Morisita’s index of similarity, and generalized linear models to compare seasonal fish and invertebrate species diversity and assemblage differences in reference salt marshes to those altered by parallel grid ditching on Little Saint Simons Island, GA. Bag seines were deployed to capture fish and invertebrates from 6 sites over 6 sampling campaigns. I captured 20,861 sub-adult fishes representing 43 species, 23 families and 12 orders. ENS of fish and invertebrate species were not different between altered and unaltered marshes. The fall campaigns had very similar assemblages of fishes between altered and unaltered marshes, and assemblages captured during summer campaigns were either dissimilar or moderately similar. GLM models predicted that mummichog, sailfin molly, white mullet, and spot were more likely to inhabit altered marshes year-round and Atlantic silverside, bay anchovy and striped mullet were more likely to inhabit unaltered marshes year-round.