Warlen et al Recruitment of larval Bicvoortia tyrannus to North Carolina and New Jersey estuaries 



617 



OCT I NOV I DEC 1 JAN I FEB I MAR I APR I MAY I JUN 



NORTH CAROLINA 

 1990-9 1 



OCT 1 NOV I OEC I JAN t FEB I MAR : APR I MAY I JUN I 



NORTH CAROLINA 

 1992-93 



Otf I NOV I OEC I JAN I FEB I MAR I APR I MAY I JUN I 



NEW JERSEY 



ias«-oo 



bif I NOV I DEC I jaN I m I UK* I KK I MJIV I JIM I 



NEW JERSEY 

 1990-9 1 



k^ 



' oet I NOV I ott I jAn I fa I mAD I AM I UIV I JUN I 



at T I n4v I bli I iM I r t t I UAH I aM I UAV I JUW I 



Collection date 



Figure 6 



Mean standard length (mm) with 95% confidence Umits of larval Atlantic menhaden iBrevoortia 

 tyrannus) collected weekly at Pivers Island, North Carolina, and Little Sheepshead Creek, New 

 Jersey, during their estuarine recruitment in 1989-90, 1990-91, and 1992-93. 



Although the estimated percentage of larvae contributed 

 to the New Jersey estuary from the SAB varied between 

 \Q'7( and &1^7(^ the actual numbers of contributed larvae 

 were relatively low, over an order of magnitude less than 

 that observed for North Carolina, because of the overall 

 low number of larvae recruited there. However, the total 

 contribution of SAB larvae to New Jersey recruitment 

 over the entire season may actually be greater than esti- 



mated from the birthdate distributions. The contribution 

 of larvae spawned in the MAE to recruitment in New Jer- 

 sey is based on the presence of early season larvae, but for 

 these fish to contribute to the population the next spring, 

 they must survive the winter in the estuary. If the winter 

 water temperature in New Jersey estuaries drops below 

 the lethal limit for Atlantic menhaden larvae (<5.0°C; 

 Lewis, 1965), there will be decreased survival for the fall 



