A Comparison of Dimension-Adjusted Catch Data Methods for Assessment of Fish and Crab Abundance in Intertidal Salt Marshes

Abstract

Sample collection methods and data standardization techniques accounting for marsh physiography were tested for mobile aquatic fauna in two intertidal pocket salt marshes in Sarah’s Creek, a tributary to the York River in Virginia. Fish and blue crab populations were described and compared as numbers per cubic meter of total marsh volume and numbers per square meter of total marsh area. These methods increase the accuracy of the analyses of sampled populations by relying on fewer assumptions than traditionals random sampling methods. Depending upon the season and the species compared, statistical differences were observed between dimension-adjusted data within the same sampled populations. Our data suggest that accurate population profiles can be determined if collection methods and data adjustments are based on the ecology, behavior, and life-history stage of the target species.