Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Marine Biology Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2013

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 151 - 180 of 197

Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology

Reproductive Biology Of The Frecklebelly Darter, Percina Stictogaster (Teleostei: Percidae), David J. Eisenhour, Audrey M. Richter, Lynn V. Eisenhour, Carol-Rose Gingras Jan 2013

Reproductive Biology Of The Frecklebelly Darter, Percina Stictogaster (Teleostei: Percidae), David J. Eisenhour, Audrey M. Richter, Lynn V. Eisenhour, Carol-Rose Gingras

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

No abstract provided.


Post-Hurricane Katrina Survey For The Blackmouth Shiner (Notropis Melanostomus) At Historical Localities In Mississippi, Martin T. O'Connell, Anne M. Usee O'Connell Jan 2013

Post-Hurricane Katrina Survey For The Blackmouth Shiner (Notropis Melanostomus) At Historical Localities In Mississippi, Martin T. O'Connell, Anne M. Usee O'Connell

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

No abstract provided.


Rediscovery Of A Lost Paratype Of The Boulder Darter, Etheostoma Wapiti, Michael H. Doosey Jan 2013

Rediscovery Of A Lost Paratype Of The Boulder Darter, Etheostoma Wapiti, Michael H. Doosey

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

No abstract provided.


2011 Treasurer's Report For The Southeastern Fishes Council Jan 2013

2011 Treasurer's Report For The Southeastern Fishes Council

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

No abstract provided.


Minutes, Business Meeting, 37th Annual Meeting, Southeastern Fishes Council, Southeastern Fishes Council Jan 2013

Minutes, Business Meeting, 37th Annual Meeting, Southeastern Fishes Council, Southeastern Fishes Council

Southeastern Fishes Council Proceedings

No abstract provided.


Biology Department Newsletter, No. 3, Sacred Heart University Jan 2013

Biology Department Newsletter, No. 3, Sacred Heart University

Biology Newsletter

No abstract provided.


Human Disturbance Of Seagrass Beds In Hoga Island, Indonesia : Impacts On Edge Effects, Anthony John Suleski Jan 2013

Human Disturbance Of Seagrass Beds In Hoga Island, Indonesia : Impacts On Edge Effects, Anthony John Suleski

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Ecosystems are broad classifications of areas where overlapping communities exist which can contain relatively high faunal and floral diversity. These communities characteristically are often influenced by external forces. Disturbances can create incongruencies in these communities and have been demonstrated to change community dynamics in varying ways. Humans are responsible for many disturbances which alter habitat and community structure and many habitat edges or ecotones are artificially created by these human disturbances. In Wakatobi National Park, Hoga Island, Indonesia, three bays exist and are in close proximity to one another with varying levels of human influence. This study investigated how anthropogenic …


Record Body Size For The Red Lionfish, Pterois Volitans (Scorpaeniformes), In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico, Alfonso Aguilar-Perera, Leidy Perera-Chan, Luis Quijano-Puerto Jan 2013

Record Body Size For The Red Lionfish, Pterois Volitans (Scorpaeniformes), In The Southern Gulf Of Mexico, Alfonso Aguilar-Perera, Leidy Perera-Chan, Luis Quijano-Puerto

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Non-native species are those that have been transported, via human actions, from one continent and introduced into another (Lockwood et al. 2007). In the 1980s, red lionfish, Pterois volitans (Linnaeus, 1758), traded in the US aquarium industry from the Pacific Ocean, was introduced into the coral reefs off Florida's coast by aquarium hobbyists (Morris and Whitfield 2009). It is unknown how this introduction occurred, but after more than 20 years the red lionfish population is widespread, occupying a large portion of the Western Atlantic (Schofield 2010) where it represents a threat to the marine ecosystem (Green et al. 2012). The …


Time-Activity Budgets Of Stoplight Parrotfish (Scaridae: Sparisoma Viride) In Belize: Cleaning Invitation And Diurnal Patterns, Wesley A. Dent, Gary R. Gaston Jan 2013

Time-Activity Budgets Of Stoplight Parrotfish (Scaridae: Sparisoma Viride) In Belize: Cleaning Invitation And Diurnal Patterns, Wesley A. Dent, Gary R. Gaston

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The primary objective of this study was to analyze diurnal behavior of Sparisoma viride in South Water Caye Marine Reserve (SWCMR), Belize. Time-activity budgets were used to characterize behavior (using swimming, feeding, hovering, sheltering, defecating, and cleaning categories) during the diel cycle, and to illustrate differences among the life phases of this species.


Distribution And Length Frequency Of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois Sp.) In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Alexander Q. Fogg, Eric R. Hoffmayer, William B. Driggers Iii, Matthew D. Campbell, Gilmore J. Pellegrin, William Stein Jan 2013

Distribution And Length Frequency Of Invasive Lionfish (Pterois Sp.) In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Alexander Q. Fogg, Eric R. Hoffmayer, William B. Driggers Iii, Matthew D. Campbell, Gilmore J. Pellegrin, William Stein

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The purpose of this communication is to document continued spatial expansion of lionfish farther west into the northern Gulf of Mexico. Furthermore, we provide the first length— mass relationships and length frequency information for lionfishes captured within the northern GOM based on data collected as part of a broader on—going study of lionfish life history in this region.


Effects Of Black Mangrove (Avicennia Germinans) Expansion On Saltmarsh (Spartina Alterniflora) Benthic Communities Of The South Texas Coast, Jessica Lunt, Kimberly Mcglaun, Elizabeth M. Robinson Jan 2013

Effects Of Black Mangrove (Avicennia Germinans) Expansion On Saltmarsh (Spartina Alterniflora) Benthic Communities Of The South Texas Coast, Jessica Lunt, Kimberly Mcglaun, Elizabeth M. Robinson

Gulf and Caribbean Research

This study examined the effects of mangrove expansion on benthic communities. This was accomplished by examining plant composition, benthic community composition, and belowground root biomass. Two sites were examined: Corpus Christi Pass, Corpus Christi, TX where mangroves have become more common in the last decade and the Lower Laguna Madre, South Padre Island, TX where mangroves are well established. This research seeks to provide preliminary results to provide direction for future studies examining the interplay of S. alterniflora and A. germinans habitat on benthic communities. We hypothesize that the more established site of South Padre Island will have greater numbers …


Occurrence Of An Intersexual Blacktip Shark In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, With Notes On The Standardization Of Classifications For This Condition In Elasmobranchs, Jill M. Hendon, David M. Koester, Eric R. Hoffmayer, William B. Driggers Iii, Angela M. Cicia Jan 2013

Occurrence Of An Intersexual Blacktip Shark In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, With Notes On The Standardization Of Classifications For This Condition In Elasmobranchs, Jill M. Hendon, David M. Koester, Eric R. Hoffmayer, William B. Driggers Iii, Angela M. Cicia

Faculty Publications

An intersexual Blacktip Shark Carcharhinus limbatus with a testis, immature female reproductive tracts (embedded), and claspers was caught in the Gulf of Mexico. Histology of the single gonad revealed that all stages of spermatogenesis were occurring; however, the absence of ovaries and a male duct system suggests that neither sex would have been functional in this individual. Intersexuality has been reported in 17 families and 36 species of elasmobranchs. The degree to which the different sexes are present in a given individual is often difficult to categorize by normal hermaphroditic standards, as this is typically an anomalous presentation in elasmobranchs. …


Assessing The Habitat Use, Diet, And Sex Ratios Of Atlantic (Acipenser Oxyrinchus) And Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser Brevirostrum) In The Saco River, Me, Caitlyn Little Jan 2013

Assessing The Habitat Use, Diet, And Sex Ratios Of Atlantic (Acipenser Oxyrinchus) And Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser Brevirostrum) In The Saco River, Me, Caitlyn Little

All Theses And Dissertations

Due to the questionable status of sturgeon populations along the east coast of the United States, there has been considerable research focus on these species in recent years. Previous studies have overlooked the Saco River as an important habitat for sturgeon in the Gulf of Maine. However, the incidental capture of a sturgeon in the Saco River in the fall of 2007 raised questions about the presence of this species and the role that the Saco River might play in the life cycle of these fish. The goals of this thesis were to evaluate the utilization of this habitat by …


How Do Shellfisheries Influence Genetic Connectivity In Metapopulations? A Modeling Study Examining The Role Of Lower Size Limits In Oyster Fisheries, Daphne M. Munroe, Eileen E. Hofmann, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck Jan 2013

How Do Shellfisheries Influence Genetic Connectivity In Metapopulations? A Modeling Study Examining The Role Of Lower Size Limits In Oyster Fisheries, Daphne M. Munroe, Eileen E. Hofmann, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck

CCPO Publications

Fisheries can potentially alter evolutionary processes such as genetic connectivity and lead to genotypic changes in stocks. Using an individual-based metapopulation genetics model, we examined the possible influence of oyster (Crassostrea virginica) fisheries on genetic connectivity. We simulated a range of realistic fishing pressures, with and without a minimum size limit (limit = 63.5 mm), over a range of fishing scenarios including single-area and stock-wide fisheries. Movement of a neutral marker gene provided an indicator of gene transfer between populations. Simulations showed that fishing may alter genetic connectivity. Increasing fishing pressure tended to decrease potential for fished populations …


Corrected Numbers For Fish On Red List, Bruce B. Collette, Beth Polidoro, Kent Carpenter Jan 2013

Corrected Numbers For Fish On Red List, Bruce B. Collette, Beth Polidoro, Kent Carpenter

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) Kelly Swing gives inaccurate numbers for marine fish species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. He also mistakenly conflates the scientific process of species assessment for the Red List with the separate political process of IUCN member voting (Nature 494, 314; 2013).


Nutrient Limitation Of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates In Mangrove Lagoon, Salt River Bay, St. Croix, Usvi, Michelle Zimberlin Jan 2013

Nutrient Limitation Of Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates In Mangrove Lagoon, Salt River Bay, St. Croix, Usvi, Michelle Zimberlin

Theses and Dissertations

Bioluminescent bays resulting from dense concentrations of bioluminescent dinoflagellates are rare, with only 14 documented systems worldwide. One of these bays, Mangrove Lagoon, is located in Salt River Bay National Park in St. Croix, USVI. Very little is known about the environmental factors responsible for maintaining the high dinoflagellate densities in this lagoon. In order to assess the dynamics of the dinoflagellates, in situ nutrient addition bioassays were conducted to determine which nutrients regulate the phytoplankton community, which includes the bioluminescent dinoflagellate Pyrodinium bahamense. Bioassays were conducted in two different seasons, (January 2013 and May 2013) to examine seasonal responses …


State Of The River Report For The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, And Contaminants 2013, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University Jan 2013

State Of The River Report For The Lower St. Johns River Basin, Florida: Water Quality, Fisheries, Aquatic Life, And Contaminants 2013, Environmental Protection Board, City Of Jacksonville, University Of North Florida, Jacksonville University

State of the River Report

No abstract provided.


What Is Known About Species Richness And Distribution On The Outer-Shelf South Texas Banks?, Harriet L. Nash, Sharon J. Furiness, John W. Tunnell Jr. Jan 2013

What Is Known About Species Richness And Distribution On The Outer-Shelf South Texas Banks?, Harriet L. Nash, Sharon J. Furiness, John W. Tunnell Jr.

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The outer-shelf South Texas Banks, also known as the snapper banks, are known by fishermen to be excellent fishing grounds. However, few scientific studies have been conducted to describe the ecology of these uncommon but distinctive habitats. This paper describes results of a literature review and an assessment to determine what is known about the biota of the South Texas Banks and to assist in developing renewed interest and focus on these topographic highs. The outer-shelf South Texas Banks include relict coralgal reefs and relict barrier islands, and we also include data for a nearshore site, which is geographically and …


Assessment Of Seagrass Floral Community Structure From Two Caribbean Marine Protected Areas, Paul A.X. Bologna, Anthony J. Suleski Jan 2013

Assessment Of Seagrass Floral Community Structure From Two Caribbean Marine Protected Areas, Paul A.X. Bologna, Anthony J. Suleski

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Seagrass communities represent spatially complex and biomass producing systems comprised of intermixed seagrass and algal species. We investigated shallow water communities from two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Caribbean: St. John, United States Virgin Islands and Cayos Cochinos, Honduras. St. John sites (4) lie within the Virgin Islands National Park and the Coral Reef National Monument and are designated within an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Honduran sites (4) lie within the designated Marine National Monument. Our results indicate that both MPAs were dominated by Thalassia testudinum with spatial coverage and shoot density significantly greater in Honduras. Many sites also showed …


Depuration Of Macondo (Mc-252) Oil Found In Heterotrophic Scleractinian Corals (Tubastrea Coccinea And Tubastrea Micranthus) On Offshore Oil/Gas Platforms In The Gulf, Steve R. Kolian, Scott Porter, Paul W. Sammarco, Edwin W. Cake Jr. Jan 2013

Depuration Of Macondo (Mc-252) Oil Found In Heterotrophic Scleractinian Corals (Tubastrea Coccinea And Tubastrea Micranthus) On Offshore Oil/Gas Platforms In The Gulf, Steve R. Kolian, Scott Porter, Paul W. Sammarco, Edwin W. Cake Jr.

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The impetus for this study began on 8 May 2011, when we noted sporadic mortality of colonies of orange—cup corals, Tubastrea coccinea (Lesson, 1829), and green sun corals, Tubastrea micranthus (Ehrenberg, 1834; Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Scleractinia) among colonies of coral that appeared to be in good health at the GI 90 block platforms. Colonies of T. coccinea which appeared to be healthy displayed markedly less tissue regression and were bright orange in color. The morbid polyps were dark brown or black. The corals were collected, transported to the laboratory, and segregated; healthy—appearing corals were placed in quarantine tanks. After 12 h …


Seasonal Dynamics Of Mesodinium Rubrum In Chesapeake Bay, Matthew D. Johnson, Doane K. Stoecker, Harold G. Marshall Jan 2013

Seasonal Dynamics Of Mesodinium Rubrum In Chesapeake Bay, Matthew D. Johnson, Doane K. Stoecker, Harold G. Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The photosynthetic ciliate Mesodinium rubrum is a common member of coastal phytoplankton communities that is well adapted to low-light, turbid ecosystems. It supports the growth of, or competes with, harmful dinoflagellate species for cryptophyte prey, as well as being a trophic link to copepods and larval fish. We have compiled data from various sources (n = 1063), on the abundance and distribution of M. rubrum in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Because M. rubrum relies on obtaining organelles from cryptophyte algae to maintain rapid growth, we also enumerated cryptophyte algae in the portion of these samples that we collected …


Larval Connectivity And The International Management Of Fisheries, Andrew S. Kough, Claire B. Paris, Mark J. Butler Iv Jan 2013

Larval Connectivity And The International Management Of Fisheries, Andrew S. Kough, Claire B. Paris, Mark J. Butler Iv

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Predicting the oceanic dispersal of planktonic larvae that connect scattered marine animal populations is difficult, yet crucial for management of species whose movements transcend international boundaries. Using multi-scale biophysical modeling techniques coupled with empirical estimates of larval behavior and gamete production, we predict and empirically verify spatio-temporal patterns of larval supply and describe the Caribbean-wide pattern of larval connectivity for the Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), an iconic coral reef species whose commercial value approaches $1 billion USD annually. Our results provide long sought information needed for international cooperation in the management of marine resources by identifying lobster larval connectivity …


Conus: First Comprehensive Conservation Red List Assessment Of A Marine Gastropod Mollusc Genus, Howard Peters, Bethan C. O'Leary, Julie P. Hawkins, Kent E. Carpenter, Callum M. Roberts Jan 2013

Conus: First Comprehensive Conservation Red List Assessment Of A Marine Gastropod Mollusc Genus, Howard Peters, Bethan C. O'Leary, Julie P. Hawkins, Kent E. Carpenter, Callum M. Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Marine molluscs represent an estimated 23% of all extant marine taxa, but research into their conservation status has so far failed to reflect this importance, with minimal inclusion on the authoritative Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). We assessed the status of all 632 valid species of the tropical marine gastropod mollusc, Conus (cone snails), using Red List standards and procedures to lay the groundwork for future decadal monitoring, one of the first fully comprehensive global assessments of a marine taxon. Three-quarters (75.6%) of species were not currently considered at risk of extinction owing …


Ontogenetic Shifts In Resource Allocation: Colour Change And Allometric Growth Of Defensive And Reproductive Structures In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Joshua R. Anderson, Angelo J. Spadaro, J. Antonio Baeza, Donald C. Behringer Jan 2013

Ontogenetic Shifts In Resource Allocation: Colour Change And Allometric Growth Of Defensive And Reproductive Structures In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus Argus, Joshua R. Anderson, Angelo J. Spadaro, J. Antonio Baeza, Donald C. Behringer

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Resource allocation theory predicts a disproportionately large allocation of resources to defensive structures during early ontogeny in organisms that are subject to more intense predation at smaller than at larger body sizes. We tested this prediction on the Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus, which exhibits a negative relationship between predation risk and body size with a high natural mortality of smaller individuals. Independent allometric growth analyses demonstrated that numerous defensive structures (e.g. orbital horns, segments supporting the antenna, the tail fan) display negative allometric growth throughout ontogeny. We interpret these findings as lobsters investing disproportionately more resources to defensive …


A Preliminary Examination Of An In Situ Dual Dye Approach To Measuring Light Fluxes In Lotic Systems, Elizabeth C. Minor, Elizabeth James, Jay A. Austin, Veronica Nelson, Ryan Lusk, Kenneth Mopper Jan 2013

A Preliminary Examination Of An In Situ Dual Dye Approach To Measuring Light Fluxes In Lotic Systems, Elizabeth C. Minor, Elizabeth James, Jay A. Austin, Veronica Nelson, Ryan Lusk, Kenneth Mopper

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Light is a critical parameter in aquatic ecosystems, affecting primary production and in situ photochemistry. However, measuring light exposure for suspended particles or dissolved components in a dynamic water column can be challenging with existing Eulerian approaches. Here, we assess the simultaneous deployment of two dyes differing in photolability (rhodamine WT and fluorescein) as a Lagrangian measure of sunlight exposure in a lotic system. Fluorescein is sensitive to light exposure; rhodamine WT is relatively photostable. We examined dye fluorescence at various pH, salinity, and temperature conditions. We also tested dye photolability as a function of pH and wavelength range. In …


Family Matters: An Analysis Of Genetic Relatedness Of Tetraclita Rubescens (The Pink Volcano Barnacle) Over Several Spatial Scales At Monterey And Bodega Bay, California, Kelly N. Chang Jan 2013

Family Matters: An Analysis Of Genetic Relatedness Of Tetraclita Rubescens (The Pink Volcano Barnacle) Over Several Spatial Scales At Monterey And Bodega Bay, California, Kelly N. Chang

Scripps Senior Theses

Inbreeding involves the mating of closely related individuals at a higher frequency than at random; this can decrease the average fitness of populations and individuals by reducing the presence of heterozygotes and augmenting the expression of deleterious genes. Since marine invertebrates exhibit widespread dispersal, their potential for inbreeding is often disregarded. The adult sessile state of barnacles creates the potential for inbreeding as a result of necessary copulation between neighboring individuals. Depending on the degree of mixing that occurs during dispersal, closely related individuals or siblings may settle in close proximity, generating the possibility of kin aggregation and consequent inbreeding. …


Photographic Survey Of Benthos Provides Insights Into The Antarctic Fish Fauna From The Marguerite Bay Slope And The Amundsen Sea, Joseph T. Eastman, Margaret O. Amsler, Richard D. Aronson, Sven Thatje, James Mcclintock, Stephanie C. Vos, Jeffrey W. Kaeli, Hanumant Singh, Mario La Mesa Jan 2013

Photographic Survey Of Benthos Provides Insights Into The Antarctic Fish Fauna From The Marguerite Bay Slope And The Amundsen Sea, Joseph T. Eastman, Margaret O. Amsler, Richard D. Aronson, Sven Thatje, James Mcclintock, Stephanie C. Vos, Jeffrey W. Kaeli, Hanumant Singh, Mario La Mesa

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

We reviewed photographic images of fishes from depths of 381–2282m in Marguerite Bay and 405–2007m in the Amundsen Sea. Marguerite Bay fishes were 33% notothenioids and 67% non-notothenioids. Channichthyids (47%) and nototheniids (44%) were the most abundant notothenioids. The deep-living channichthyid Chionobathyscus dewitti (74%) and the nototheniid genus Trematomus (66%) were the most abundant taxa within these two families. The most abundant non-notothenioids were the macrourid Macrourus whitsoni (72%) and zoarcids (18%). Amundsen Sea fishes were 87% notothenioids and 13% non-notothenioids, the latter exclusively Macrourus whitsoni. Bathydraconids (38%) and artedidraconids (30%) were the most abundant notothenioids. We observed that Macrourus …


A Description Of Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) Veropesoi N. Sp. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) From The Intestine Of The Silver Croaker Fish Plagioscion Squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) (Osteichthyes: Sciaenidae) Off The East Coast Of Brazil, Francisco Tiago De Vasconcelos Melo, P. A.F.B. Costa, E. G. Giese, Scott Lyell Gardner, J. N. Santos Jan 2013

A Description Of Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) Veropesoi N. Sp. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) From The Intestine Of The Silver Croaker Fish Plagioscion Squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) (Osteichthyes: Sciaenidae) Off The East Coast Of Brazil, Francisco Tiago De Vasconcelos Melo, P. A.F.B. Costa, E. G. Giese, Scott Lyell Gardner, J. N. Santos

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Plagioscion squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) (Osteichthyes: Sciaenidae) is considered piscivorous and is a generalist species endemic to the Amazon region. This fish is an important part of the natural ecosystems in which it occurs and provides basic functional components in the food web. The genus Neoechinorhynchus Stiles & Hassall, 1905 is distributed worldwide and parasitizes fish and turtles, but there are few reports of parasites of this genus in South America, due to the high diversity of fish that can be found in this region. A new species of thorny-headed worm (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) is described from P. squamosissimus from Guajará Bay, …


Consumptive And Non-Consumptive Effects Of Predatory Fishes On Lobster In Southern Maine, Erin B. Wilkinson Jan 2013

Consumptive And Non-Consumptive Effects Of Predatory Fishes On Lobster In Southern Maine, Erin B. Wilkinson

All Theses And Dissertations

The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is an important consumer in the Gulf of Maine benthic community and supports the most valuable fishery in New England. Many fish predators that feed on juvenile lobster are found in the Gulf of Maine, but their abundance has varied over the previous decades. For example, striped bass, Morone saxatilis, have recovered from near extinction to become a viable recreational fishery on the east coast, and previous work examining the gut contents of striped bass found that juvenile lobsters were a large component of their diet during the summer in Massachusetts. However, striped …


Spatial And Size Distribution Of Red Drum Caught And Released In Tampa Bay, Florida, And Factors Associated With Post-Release Hooking Mortality, Kerry E. Flaherty, Brent L. Winner, Julie L. Vecchio, Theodore S. Switzer Jan 2013

Spatial And Size Distribution Of Red Drum Caught And Released In Tampa Bay, Florida, And Factors Associated With Post-Release Hooking Mortality, Kerry E. Flaherty, Brent L. Winner, Julie L. Vecchio, Theodore S. Switzer

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The recreational fishery for red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in Florida is unusual in that most red drum targeted are immature and caught within estuarine waters. Current state regulations rely exclusively on bag and size limits, resulting in the release of a large proportion of captured individuals. This study employed hook-and-line sampling conducted monthly in Tampa Bay, Florida and catch-and-release mortality experiments to determine the spatial and size distribution of red drum and the mortality rate of released fish, respectively. Of the 1,405 red drum collected, more than 70% were smaller than the minimum legal size (457 mm standard …