Tropical Aquaculture

METAMORPHIC RESPONSE OF QUEEN CONCH LARVAE EXPOSED TO SEDIMENT AND WATER FROM NEARSHORE AND OFFSHORE SITES

Research Team:
Megan Davis (HBOI) - Principle Investigator
Amber Shawl (HBOI)
Gretchen Kowalik - (HBOI Intern)
Robert Glazer - Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commmission (FFWCC)
Gabriel Delgado - (FFWCC)
Chris Evans - (FFWCC Intern)

Queen conch, Strombus gigas, are an important fisheries species, which have been over harvested in many locations in Florida and the Caribbean. It is critical to understand effective strategies to help conserve queen conch and minimize conch fisheries pressure. This study examined the effect of juvenile conch habitat quality on the success of metamorphosis. Conch larvae were exposed to sediment and water from two nearshore and two offshore juvenile sites in the Florida Keys. Metamorphic response to nearshore and offshore treatments were similar (p<0.05) and metamorphic success ranged from 62 to 85%. There was no significant difference when larvae were exposed to site sediment with site water compared to treatments with site water only (p <0.05). However, larvae that metamorphosed when exposed to nearshore treatments were not as robust as those exposed to offshore treatments. These findings indicate that both nearshore and offshore habitats are favorable settlement locations for competent larvae; however, nearshore waters may not have the same quality as offshore habitats. Scientists and resource managers can apply these results to assist in defining juvenile nursery grounds for conservation and stock enhancement.

This research was funded by Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund and Sheila Brutsch Johnson Charitable Trust.