Title: Unforeseen consequences of menhaden management.

Background: Research has long concluded that menhaden are omnivorous (Stoecker and Govoni 1984; June and Carlson 1971; Kjelson et al. 1975), however in management decisions, their role in the ecosystem is often considered to be solely as a forage fish for other more favorable species rather than being considered as a predator in their own right. Much attention is paid to their predators in ecosystem models, however their prey species are often lumped together as plankton.

Thesis: Fisheries management practices are causing harmful effects on valuable Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast commercial and gamefish species.

Importance: As omnivores that are capable of filtering the entire volume of the Chesapeake Bay each day, it is very likely that the role of menhaden is underappreciated in bay and estuary ecosystems. In researching, we see an additional need for improvement of DNA stomach analyses which can then be applied to menhaden and other species.

Approach: Aquarium study - what will menhaden really eat. Coupled with an in situ stomach analysis/DNA analysis of stomach contents. Participate in the improvement of DNA stomach analyses which can then be applied to menhaden and other species.

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Everett-Vehrs Conservation and Research Foundation
4007 N. Abingdon Street
Arlington, Virginia USA 22207