Abstract

The popularity of low-profile recfs as fishing banks and the need to increase the potential for harvestable food from the ocean has prompted many coastal states to begin artificial reef programs. The territorial waters of Mississippi contain several open Gulf artificial recf sites and inshore, artificial, low profile reefs within the Mississippi Sound Past studies have provided valuable information on the success of the offshore reefs and their attraction and possible support of recreationally important species. Little documented data is available about inshore, low profile reefs relative to their productivity and ability to attract fish. Mississippi has established over twenty inshore low profile reefs using oyster shell, crushed limestone, and concrete rubble. The increased number of artificial fishing reefs in Mississippi's coastal waters over the last five years has provided an immediate need in obtaining information on the association of fish populations with these reefs and their subsequent ose by the fishing public. An assessment and monitoring program for four of these reefs was implemented in 1998 using entanglement gear, a 4.88 meter lined otter trawl, and custom fish traps. Intercept creel surveys were also initiated to obtain usage data by the fishing public. Substrate samples from oyster and limestone were also taken to provide information on seasonality and colonization of benthic fauna on these reefs. These data may provide infonnation on the trophic relationships between attracted finfishes and a particular substrate. The attraction of finfishes by the artificial reef varied significantly by the geographic location, substrate composition, various abiotic factors, and a variety of anthropogenic factors. Cynoscion arenarius, Scomberomorus maculatus, and Micropogonias undulatus were the most numerous, in decreasing abundance, recreationally important species observed from the sampled reefs. These species were more numerous on the reef site than to the adjacent off recf sites; however the differences were not statistically different because of the high variability in the catch.

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