Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Florida
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Shoal Bass are endemic to the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint (ACF) River basin in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama and support a socioeconomically important fishery in the ACF basin. Introduction of nonnative Spotted Bass into this system is cause for concern due to potential negative interactions with native Shoal Bass and Largemouth Bass. We will assess how Shoal Bass and Largemouth Bass have responded to the introduction of Spotted Bass in the Flint River, evaluate how quickly Spotted Bass have spread throughout the system, and identify the environmental conditions associated with preferred sites. This project will provide new insights for managing native bass species and associated fisheries in the ACF basin.