Study finds reduced river flow could affect reef fish in Gulf of Mexico

Reductions in water flow in the Apalachicola River could have effects that reach far beyond the bay. A new Florida State University study finds lower river flows could prove detrimental to grouper and other reef fish populations in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The Florida State researchers at the Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies found that in years with low river flow, the concentration of phytoplankton decreased over a large area of the continental shelf. That means less food for the very young fish larvae, which could affect a number of important reef fish, such as grouper. The strongest connection between the river flow rate and the offshore water properties is seen during the late winter and early spring months, which coincide with the spawning period of several reef fish species. The research could give Florida another argument in the decades old water war with Georgia over how best to use water from the Apalachicola Chattahoochee Flint River System. The study may also shed some light on the potential effects of climate change scenarios altering rainfall patterns over the southeastern United States.