A new article by member Liam Zarri has appeared in this month’s issue of the Santa Cruz Coastal Watershed Commission newsletter. Check it out here!
An excerpt from the article:
“Although they have been sporadically detected, [largemouth bass] remains uncommon in the San Lorenzo River. How can that be, considering their environmental tolerance and parental care? They occur in Loch Lomond reservoir and ponds scattered throughout the watershed. Perhaps there is not enough food for one life stage of largemouth bass: not enough zooplankton for larvae, invertebrates for juveniles, or fish for adults. To understand a species, one must fully consider the requirements at each life stage. For example, threadfin shad have been introduced as prey for adult bass across the state, but they can outcompete larval bass for zooplankton and cause declines in bass populations (von Geldern & Mitchell 1975). Fisheries biologist Don Alley believes that the winter cold high flow events make this river inhospitable for largemouth bass. We can be grateful that the San Lorenzo River has not experienced an explosion of this invasive species like other areas in our state.”