POPULATION DYNAMICS, LIFE HISTORY CHARACTERISTICS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS OF NEOMYSIS AMERICANA IN THE DAMARISCOTTA RIVER ESTUARY

Mysid shrimp (Neomysis americana) play a pivotal role in estuarine food webs by linking primary producers to higher trophic levels and serving as an important food source for commercially valuable fish. Despite their ecological significance, mysids are often undersampled, leading to gaps in our understanding of their population dynamics and life history traits. This study investigated N. americana over a full year (June 2023 to May 2024) in the temperate Damariscotta River Estuary in Maine. The research focused on how environmental factors such as temperature, turbidity, salinity, chlorophyll a, and zooplankton biomass affect mysid density and reproduction. Temperature emerged as a key factor, with warmer temperatures leading to higher mysid density.  Our results also indicated distinct overwintering cohorts, highlighting that at least a portion of the population remains in the estuary year round, with seasonal shifts in size distribution. These findings enhance our understanding of N. americana's ecological role in temperate estuaries, building on previous research of this important species. 

Presentation Preference: Either

Primary Presenter: Allison Fogg, University of Southern Maine (allison.fogg1@maine.edu)

Authors:

Allison Fogg, University of Southern Maine  (allison.fogg1@maine.edu)

Rachel Lasley-Rasher, University of Southern Maine  (rachel.lasleyrasher@maine.edu)

Brendan Kellog, University of Southern Maine  (brendan.kellogg@maine.edu)