State of Alabama FINAL Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP ...

Grant support, the AABC has begun receiving federal grants (FWS) and other long-term support is
expected as part of ongoing hydroelectric project re-licensing efforts. Other monies will be available
through recovery funds being established by the Tennessee Valley Authority. Recovery programs will
initially focus on freshwater mollusks (mussels and snails) with activities to support non-game fishes and
other aquatic species to follow.
Alabama has already lost 67 species of freshwater snails and mussels to extinction and an additional 17
species historically found in the Alabama’s waters are now extirpated. Alabama has 54 species of mussels
and snails considered Threatened or Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The state also has
an additional 13 species fish considered Threatened or Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A dozen species of fishes historically found in state waters are now missing and 2 species are considered
extinct. The recently completed Alabama Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy has identified
147 of mussels, snails, and fish that are of conservation concern. Historically, Alabama has the greatest
species richness freshwater mussels (176), snails (180), freshwater fishes (308), and crayfishes (84) of any
state in the nation. For mussels, snails, and crayfishes, the region contains the highest species richness on
the planet. The AABC mission statement is, “the mission of the Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center is
to promote the conservation and restoration of rare freshwater species in Alabama waters”.
CIAP funding will be used to assist the AABC fish recovery program in the development of facilities,
protocols and techniques that would be directly applied to freshwater fish species of conservation
concern indigenous to the freshwater systems of Mobile and Baldwin Counties in Alabama. As the
AABC occupies a facility that had been vacant for 10 years, many repairs and new construction are now
underway to begin full operations. Facilities have been under renovation for 3 years, and have focused
primarily on developing culture infrastructure needs for mollusks. Additional facilities will be required if
the Center will undertake recovery programs with Sturgeon (either Alabama or Gulf). Therefore CIAP
monies would be used in part to design and construct culture systems used for these long-term recovery
programs. The last 2 years would focus on stocking efforts in the lower Mobile Delta, and possibly the
Perdido and Escatawpa rivers in Baldwin and Mobile Counties. If sturgeon efforts are successfully
initiated, this would be a long-term program and stocking efforts would take place after the completion
of this grant.
Draft work plan:
Year 1:
Facilities planning and completion of engineering drawings required to initiate bids for construction will
take place during the first year. In addition, a complete program and habitat evaluation for fish and
mussel species to be released into freshwater systems of Mobile and Baldwin counties will also take place.
Laboratory and field equipment will be purchased ($100,000.00).
Year 2:
Construction of new fish culture support facilities. The development work to determine culture
techniques for Alabama Shad, Blackmouth Shiner, Ironcolor Shiner, and Brighteyed Darter. Completion
of brood stock acquisition efforts for Gulf Sturgeon in the Perdido River and evaluation of release sites
for stocking efforts. Purchase of additional field and laboratory equipment to support culture efforts (600
State of Alabama Final Coastal Impact Assistance Program Plan
State of Alabama Tier One Project Descriptions
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