Accurate life-history data are important in building credible models like the Across Trophic Level System Simulation (ATLSS) ecological model. Without empirical life-history data from a range of environments, such models will be simplistic and inadequate. By applying the fish models to restoration alternatives and predicting fish-community responses, we can choose the alternatives that result in biotic characteristics that approximate historical conditions. The iterative process of evaluating and testing the fish-community simulation model in ATLSS also helps identify important data gaps to guide future research. One of the most obvious gaps is the absence of good life-history data, critical to model performance, for most of the fishes. The benefits to restoration include having more confidence in improved tools, like the ATLSS models and performance measures from conceptual models, that are used to evaluate alternatives for ecological effects of the Central and Southern Florida Project Restudy, C-111 Project, and Modified Water Deliveries Plan to Shark Slough. In addition to the application of the life-history data to modeling and to interpretation of the data time-series, these data represent new information about the adaptations of many of these species in wetland habitats that form the southern extent of their geographic ranges. These also represent the first life-history data for some of the most abundant introduced species in Florida, and may identify vulnerable life stages for controlling these species.
For their valuable assistance in the field and laboratory during the year 2000, we acknowledge the following researchers, technicians, students, and volunteers: Lynn Albert, Frank Aramzamendi, Amy Benson, Holly Blalock-Herod, Mary Brown, Tim Collins, John Curnutt, Chris Diel, Dan Doroshef, Kathryn Fitzpatrick, Nick Flavin, T. Lynn Fullbright, Pam Fuller, Phil George, Gary Hill, Garbriela Hogue, Stan Howarter, Howard Jelks, Jeff Kline, Eddie Leonard, Robert Lewis, Andrew Martin, Linda Nico, Michael Perry, Morgan Raley, Eric Rolla, Patrica Serralles,Wayne Starnes, Rita Taylor, Jim Williams, and others. Debra Murie and her University of Florida staff are assisting us in aging fishes. They also provided the otolith microphotographs.
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and the Florida Integrated Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Gainesville, Florida.
Revised 2 July 2001