RENAUD: HYPOXIA IN LOUISIANA WATERS 



nor did their response time (RT), i.e, time taken to 

 retreat into normal seawater. However, these 

 measurements were significantly (£-test, P < 0.001) 

 shorter for brown shrimp (TT = 6.2, RT = 3.8 min) 

 versus white shrimp (TT = 20.0, RT = 6.2 min) when 

 tested at 2.0 ppm. Behavioral responses of brown and 

 white shrimp exposed to hypoxic water included 1) 

 an initial increase in activity, 2) walking or swim- 

 ming retreat, and 3) rapid eye movements. White 

 shrimp also exhibited notable abdominal flexing, 

 periods of exhaustion, and sometimes death. These 

 three latter behaviors were not observed with brown 

 shrimp. Dissolved oxygen levels tested are common 

 along Louisiana's Gulf Coast during the summer and 

 early fall. Therefore it is not unreasonable to assume 

 that similar behavioral responses occur in nature 



Hypoxia in the New York Bight (Swanson and 

 Sindermann 1979) had a severe impact on the com- 

 mercial fisheries of sedentary species. Surf clam, 

 Spisula solidissima; ocean quahog, Arctica islan- 

 dica; and scallop, Placopectin magellanicus, 

 abundance was reduced by 92%, 25%, and 12%, 

 respectively, in the affected area. The response of 

 recreational fish species, summer flounder, 

 Paralichthys dentatus, and bluefish, Pomatomus 

 saltatrix, to low oxygen levels was noted by changes 

 in their distribution patterns during the hypoxic 

 event. Temperature stratification, phytoplankton 

 blooms, spoil deposition, and sewage treatment 

 outflow were alleged major contributors to hypoxia 

 formation in the New York Bight. It was concluded, 

 however, that abnormal climatological and 

 hydrological phenomena were responsible for this 

 hypoxic event. Swanson and Sindermann (1979) 

 stated that effective regulation of waste disposal into 

 riverine and oceanic environments may control or 

 restrict bottom water hypoxia formation. 



Future research on the phenomenon of hypoxia 

 should be centered on its predictability; remote 

 sensing has potential in this area. Timely informa- 

 tion dissemination on the extent and location of 

 hypoxic areas would help fishermen to avoid areas 

 where low catches might be anticipated or to harvest 

 a crop before it dies or migrates. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 



The author expresses his sincere appreciation to 

 1) the Lousiana Wildlife and Fisheries Department 

 for providing NMFS personnel with services at their 

 Grand Terre Island Marine Laboratory and at their 

 Field Station in Caillou Lake; 2) the Gulf States 

 Marine Fisheries Commission for access to the 1983 

 SEAMAP data; 3) David Trimm for this major con- 



tribution to data collection; 4) Dennis Koi for com- 

 puter services and related software analyses, 

 especially those relevant to contour mapping; 5) 

 Frank Patella for acquisition and transformation of 

 several years of Gulf coast shrimp data; 6) Tom Lem- 

 ing for satellite data; and 7) Beatrice Richardson for 

 typing the manuscript. 



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