Short and Long-term Changes in the Fish Assemblages of Bayou Lacombe, Louisiana

• Main Author: Van Vrancken, Jeffrey M.
• Format: Others
• Published: ScholarWorks@UNO 2007
• Subjects: fish assemblage; Hurricane Katrina; disturbance; Bayou Lacombe; cyprinid
• Online Access: http://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/620; http://scholarworks.uno.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1620&context=td

Over the past thirty-five years, anthropogenic disturbances around Bayou Lacombe have altered its fish assemblage. In 2005, the impact of Hurricane Katrina on southeast Louisiana presented me with a unique opportunity to explore the effects of a catastrophic storm on the Bayou. I explored the effects of natural and human disturbances on the Bayou's fish assemblage by electrofishing six historically sampled stations. My research goals were to determine: 1) which Bayou Lacombe fish assemblages were most resilient to the multiple effects of Hurricane Katrina, 2) if there were significant differences in the Bayou's fish assemblages over the past 35 years based on historical fish assemblage data, and 3) what are the drivers of fish assemblage change in Bayou Lacombe. I found significant differences in upstream fish assemblages before and after Hurricane Katrina in the Bayou. I also documented the disappearance of nearly all cyprinid species over the past 35 years.