8.6 ± 2.34 (SD) cm yr 1 , compared with an average of 17.1 ± 4.25 cm yr' 1 for 10 
recaptured fish with PIT tags. Growth of the PIT-tagged group was significantly 
greater (P < 0.001 ) than that of the dart-tagged group (one-way ANOVA). It is 
recommend that biologists refrain from marking young or small sharks with M-type 
dart tags, especially for age and growth studies. This study took place from 1988 to 
1990. 
1988 - 1991 
Strong, A. M., and G. T. Bancroft (1994) Postfledging dispersal of white-crowned pigeons: 
implications for conservation of deciduous seasonal forests in the Florida Keys. 
Conservation Biol. . 8(3):770-9. 
From 1988 to 1991, we studied the postfledging dispersal of 31 radio-tagged white- 
crowned pigeons (Columba leucocephala) from three natal keys in Florida Bay. Immature 
birds dispersed from the natal keys at 26-45 days after hatching, and most young 
dispersed more than 20 km during the first 10 days postdispersal. Dispersing birds 
flew either north to the Florida mainland or east to northeast to the mainline Florida 
Keys. On the mainland, immature birds fed nearly exclusively within Everglades 
National Park or an adjacent state wildlife management area. On the mainline keys, 
white-crowned pigeons selectively used 5.01 20 ha forest fragments (p < 0.10) during 
the first 72 hr post dispersal. After this period, dispersing birds showed no preference 
among fragment size classes but used deciduous seasonal forests more frequently than 
suburban habitat (p < 0.10). The spatial pattern of dispersal on the mainline keys 
suggests that, during the first 72 hr postdispersal, whitecrowned pigeons are not able 
to reach northern Key Largo, where 69% of the deciduous seasonal forests are 
protected in state or federal ownership. Protection of large forest fragments, 
especially on southern Key Largo, should be a priority for maintaining populations of 
white-crowned pigeons These forests provide a series of ‘stepping stones’ that enable 
dispersing immature white-crowned pigeons to fly to more distant areas where habitat 
availability is less restricted. 
1989 
Baratta, A. M., and R. J. Fennema (1994) The affects of wind, rain, and water releases on 
the water depth and salinity of northeast Florida Bay. Bull. Mar. Sci. . 54(3): 1072. 
[ABSTRACT ONLY] This study is an exploratory examination of factors affecting 
salinity levels and water depths in the northeast estuaries of Everglades National Park. 
Wind speed and direction, water releases through the C-111 canal system, and upland 
stage data were correlated with local rainfall, salinity, conductivity, depth, and water 
temperature measurements recorded at five stations located in the northeast Florida 
Bay estuaries. The statistical analysis of this data for the study year 1989, as well as 
individual events during that year, were used to formulate models of the C-111 
system. These models indicated that water depth varies directly and conductivity 
varies inversely with major C-111 water releases through gate structure 18-C. 
During other periods, regression results indicated that ground water stage, not C-111 
releases, was the major independent variable influencing estuary depth and salinity. 
Wind was found to increase estuary water depth when coming from the southern 
quadrants, and decrease water depth when coming from the north. With the exception of 
isolated events, local rainfall events during the year were not of the magnitude to have 
a significant influence on Bay depth or conductivity. 
1989 0 
Bert, T. M., and J. M. Stevely (1989) Population characteristics of the stone crab, Menippe 
mercenaria, in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys. Symp. on Florida Bay: A Subtropical 
Lagoon. Miami, FL. June, 1987. Bull. Ma r. Sci.. 44(1):515. 
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