Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Effects Of Trawling And Habitat Use On Red Snapper And The Associated Community, Robert Joseph David Wells

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The primary impediment to the recovery of Gulf of Mexico (GOM) red snapper is believed to be high levels of bycatch of age 0 and age 1 individuals in shrimp trawls. Thus, conservation of GOM red snapper involves evaluating both habitat-specific function and effects of shrimp trawls on red snapper and the associated benthic ecosystem. The two goals of this study were to evaluate the effects commercial shrimp trawls have on juvenile red snapper life history parameters, on associated fish and invertebrate communities and their habitat, and to identify essential fish habitat (EFH) for red snapper by applying all four …