JOURNAL ARTICLE

Influence of habitat and other factors on Largemouth Bass abundance in Lake Okeechobee, Florida.

  • Published In: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 2023, v. 152, n. 4. P. 429 1 of 3

  • Database: Environment Complete 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Hanlon, Charles G.; Jordan, Alyssa 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) and the abundance of age‐0, juvenile, and adult Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, over an 18-year period (2002–2019). The study found that all age groups of Largemouth Bass were positively correlated with vascular SAV cover, with age‐0 bass most abundant when SAV exceeded approximately 24% of the littoral and nearshore area. Major storm events and elevated turbidity reduced SAV cover and sharply decreased age‐0 bass abundance. The findings suggest that maintaining a minimum SAV coverage of 20–35% supports Largemouth Bass recruitment and abundance, while water clarity and lake stage management are critical for SAV recovery and fishery sustainability in shallow subtropical lakes.

Additional Information

  • Source:Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. 2023/07, Vol. 152, Issue 4, p429
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Environmental Sciences
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0002-8487
  • DOI:10.1002/tafs.10412
  • Accession Number:164937092
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Transactions of the American Fisheries Society is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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