CTFishTalk.com: Habitat Information for Fishermen- Clinton, Niantic, Madison - Connecticut Saltwater Reports ( CT Saltwater Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

BlueChip

Habitat Information for Fishermen – Clinton Harbor, Niantic Bay
Tom’s Creek, Madison

Four Papers that Discuss Historical Habitat Conditions for Inshore Fisheries

Climate, Energy (Storms) and Temperature Determine
Habitat Quality for many Inshore Fisheries

A Series of Habitat Papers are now available at no cost from The Sound School in New Haven, CT

Four discussion/position papers are available that review habitat parameters for temperature, energy (storms) and climate impacts upon fisheries habitat quality including nitrogen enrichment. From 1850 to present New England has seen four distant habitat “reversals” from 1850-1875 a bitter cold and storm filled era that nearly wiped out Connecticut’s apples orchards. 1880-1920 (The Great Heat) was a period of increasingly intense heat waves and few storms. The New England Oscillation (1950 to 1965) saw a return of colder temperatures, a frozen winter time Long Island Sound (Sea Ice) and a tremendous amount of storms, to present day 1985 to present – a period of increasing heat and relatively few storms. Colder and energy filled periods show increased productivity for lobsters and bay scallops, and much reduced oyster and blue crab catches.

Winter flounder respond better after energy events and cooler temperatures. Black Sea Bass and Striped Bass do better in warm periods. Blue crabs in Connecticut became more abundant during long hot periods absent of bitter cold winters. Blue crab populations soared in Southern New England at the turn of the century.

The Great Heat (1880-1920) a period of hot relatively storm free summers saw the collapse of the Noank lobster fishery (1898) and the rapid rise of Connecticut’s oyster industry the same year, the great oyster set of 1898. Oysters do well in times absent cold winters – lobsters do better during colder periods. The 1950’s and the many hurricanes then devastated the remaining oyster businesses but rebuilt the scallop fisheries especially in Niantic Bay – having 1955 the year with so many storms but the highest Niantic Bay Scallop production ever recorded (nearly a half a million lbs). This period also saw the bay scallop fisheries return in Clinton Harbor, Poquonnock River, Groton and Little Narragansett Bay, Stonington. Storms cause serious coastal erosion but created thousands of kelp/cobble habitat that is critical to lobster populations the first few months of life and lobster hatcheries built during The Great Heat were soon closed. In the 1870s, a bitterly cold period, a legal striped bass was only 12 inches long and an 8 lb striped bass was a news story. People during that time had no idea of the growth potential of stripers during warmer periods such as today.

These four reports discuss the direct implications of climate and energy upon habitat quality and therefore fisheries abundance/productivity. Clinton Harbor and the Great Heat paper briefly reviews climate and energy conditions between 1880 and 1920 in respect to a barrier beach inlet locally referred to as the Dardanelles. Clinton Harbor and Niantic Bay has been suggested as key “habitat history” study sites.

Three of the four papers were written as part of the EPA-DEEP Long Island Sound Study Habitat Restoration Committee, the Clinton Harbor paper recently was presented to the Clinton Lions Club on March 21, 2012.

1) Historical Habitat Value Study of Agardhiella subulata to the Bay Scallop Argopection irradians --if interested in bay scallops/temperature habitat roles Niantic Bay/Clinton Harbor – July 2011.

2) The Association Between Oyster Bed and Shellfish Communities to the Spawning and Survival of Winter Flounder. Winter Flounder Habitat – Tom’s Creek Madison – March 2010 (Capstone Project Habitat Research Questions included).

3) Why We Should Examine Clinton Harbor and Niantic Bay for Fisheries Habitats. If interested in the impacts of energy pathways upon Niantic Bay/Clinton Harbor fisheries – July 2010. (Reviewing several species - historical)

4) Impacts of the 1880-1920 period upon fisheries with reference to Clinton Harbor, CT March 2012. A Century of Climate change and Fisheries Abundance Clinton Harbor and The Great Heat (1880-1920). What about the Dardanelles?

All four papers are available upon request from Sue Weber, Sound School Adult Education and Outreach Program Coordinator – susan.weber@new-haven.k12.ct.us

Any high school students interested in habitat related Capstone projects visit The Sound School website www.sound.school.com – A Capstone project directory should be available June 15, 2012. Species include Terrapins, Alewife, Winter Flounder, Bay Scallops, Blue Crabs, Conch and Lobsters.

The Sound School is a Regional Agriculture Science and Technology Center that enrolls high school students from 23 cooperating towns.

Comments, suggestions reviews always welcome please contact Tim Visel, The Sound School - tim.visel@new-haven.k12.ct.us