Monitoring important fisheries and habitats freshwater fish populations will be monitored annually in at least 20 waterbodies lakes rivers or canals throughout florida using standardized methods…

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior awarded the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWRC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute a Formula Grant of $3,059,741.67 under the Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605) for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. The award supports comprehensive freshwater fish population monitoring and assessment activities throughout Florida designed to restore, conserve, and enhance sport fish resources.

Under this award, FWRC will conduct standardized annual fish population monitoring across at least 20 waterbodies (lakes, rivers, and canals) using pulsed direct current boat electrofishing as the primary collection method, supplemented by alternative techniques such as fyke nets and trawls where appropriate. Additional deliverables include creel surveys on at least five waterbodies to measure angling effort and harvest; aquatic vegetation habitat sampling on a minimum of 20 waterbodies to estimate percent area coverage and percent volume infested; fish health assessments using standardized protocols; collection of physical and chemical parameters including water temperature, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen; and striped bass visual census surveys at Silver Glen Springs to evaluate the effectiveness of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's St. Johns River stocking program. These monitoring activities will establish baseline datasets for evaluating long-term habitat change and associating catch trends with habitat metrics.

Monitoring important fisheries and habitats freshwater fish populations will be monitored annually in at least 20 waterbodies lakes rivers or canals throughout florida using standardized methods pulsed DC boat electrofishing will be the primary collection method however other collection techniques such as fyke nets trawls or backpack electrofishing will be employed where appropriate all species of fish will be collected and identified for estimation of species composition and relative abundance additional data may be collected on one or more sportfish species to facilitate the estimation and analysis of relative abundance size structure and condition age structure year class strength growth and mortality of target sportfish species may be evaluated on select water bodies various physical habitat characteristics chemical and fish health parameters will be recorded concurrent with fish sampling to monitor system health obtain a baseline dataset for evaluating habitat change and potentially associate longterm catch trends to habitat metrics at a minimum the chemical parameters measured will include water temperature conductivity and dissolved oxygen fish health parameters will be assessed using a standardized list containing common abnormalities and lesions observed on freshwater fish creel surveys will be conducted annually or during the peak season on at least five water bodies data from these surveys will be used to determine species directed angling effort catch harvest and success whole lake habitat sampling protocols developed to estimate percent area coverage PAC and or percent volume infested PVI of aquatic vegetation at the species or functional group level will be measured on a minimum of 20 water bodies striped bass morone saxatilis abundance will be estimated by visual census at silver glen springs these data will be provided to the US fish and wildlife service for use in evaluating the effectiveness of their ST johns river stocking program adult and juvenile american shad alosa sapidissima populations are monitored annually in the ST johns river in fulfillment of federal fishery management plan requirements sportfish restoration funds may be used to purchase vehicles necessary to complete objective 1