the hurricane season, and the current vegetation pattern suggests that all except 
buttonwood were able to establish immediately following the 1960 hurricane. Soil 
moisture and salinity, as well as propagule availability, probably determined which 
species established in a given locality. Though we do not know the alteration of species 
composition between most stands killed by the hurricane, and new stands becoming 
established, the maps tell us much about certain other stands. Buttonwood and hammock 
vegetation, located on higher ground, largely escaped severe destruction by the last 
hurricanes. Even though mechanical damage from the hurricane was considerable for 
these ‘upland* types, numerous trees survived. In many cases, buttonwoods which 
were uprooted later produced new shoots along the fallen trunks. In fact, vegetative 
reproduction seems to have been the prime mode of reproduction for buttonwood. 
Buttonwood seedlings and saplings are very rare. The presence of scattered tall, old 
mangroves towering above a dense canopy of young white mangroves in the area north 
of Snake Bight and Garfield Bight shows clearly that white mangrove has colonized the 
area since the 1960 hurricane. The current vegetation mosaic frequently has a band of 
halophytic herbaceous vegetation located between mangrove and buttonwood or 
buttonwood-hammock vegetation. These saline flats have increased substantially in the 
area since the early 1930s. Large areas of saline flats occur with skeletons of dead 
trees, usually Conocarpus. Little or no reproduction is evident in what was formerly a 
forest. Reasons for the lack of mangrove or buttonwood reproduction here are not clear 
presumably changes in substrate, salinity and/or water table are involved. 
1978 - 1980 
Rutherford, E. S. (1982) Age, growth and mortality of the spotted seatrout, Cynoscion 
nebulosus, in Everglades National Park, Florida. M. S. Thesis. University of Miami, Coral 
Gables, FL, 65 pp. 
Age, growth and mortality were studied in 570 spotted seatrout taken from 
sportfishermen catches in Everglades National Park from 1978 to 1980. Fish ranged in 
length from 220 - 680 mm and in weight from 0.10 - 2.24 kg. Ages of the catch, 
determined from scale readings, were mainly 3 and 4 yrs. Males lived to at least six 
years, females to at least seven years. The sex ratio favored females (1.67/1). Fish 
lengths at age were back calculated from scale annuli. Fish length varied between sexes 
and among areas of capture. Males were larger than females at age 1 but smaller at 
ages 3-6. Calculated fish length and length at capture were largest in seasonally 
brackish areas and smallest in a hypersaline area of the Park. There was no significant 
difference in length-weight relationship between sexes or among areas of capture. 
Annual mortality rate of all fish was 77%. Male spotted seatrout had higher annual 
mortality and conditional fishing mortality than females. Conditional natural mortalities 
were the same for both sexes. Exploitation ratio was higher for males than for females. 
Yield per recruit for both male and female spotted seatrout was at or near maximum 
given the 12 in. minimum size limit. Comparison of the results of this study with an 
earlier study of Park spotted seatrout showed apparent changes in age distribution, age 
at full recruitment and mortality since 1959, although yield per recruit and mean sizes 
at age of fish have not changed. Dominant ages shifted from 2- and 3-yr old, to 3- and 
4-yr old fish. Age at full recruitment shifted from age 3 to age 4. Annual mortality of 
all fish increased slightly since 1959. 
1978 - 1980 
Rutherford, E. S., E. B. Thue, and D. G. Buker (1983) Population structure, food habits, and 
spawning activity of gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus, in Everglades National Park. Rep. 
SFRC-83/02. South Florida Research Center, Everglades National Park, Homestead, FL. 
41 pp. 
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