Abstract

The Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps MPAs were established by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council in 1999 to protect spawning aggregations of groupers. The primary goals of this project were to:\i) Establish baseline estimates of fish abundance, especially for species of groupers and snappers;\ii) Describe significant habitat features in the Madison-Swanson and Steamboat Lumps MP As; and,\iii) Analyze the relationship between habitat and species assemblages.\The secondary objective was to locate spawning aggregations of gag (Mycteroperca microlepis), and scamp (Mycteroperca phenax). Side sean mosaics and multibeam bathymetry were used to stratify each MP A based upon benthic topography and geology. The Madison-Swanson, and Steamboat Lumps MPAs were surveyed during 5 cruises between February, 2001 and May, 2002. Gear employed during thesurveys included stationary video cameraarrays, (Hi-8 cameras or digital cameras), chevron fish traps, and an ROV. Spawning aggregations of gag and/or scamp were confirmed within the Madison-Swanson MPA in 2001 and 2002. Species assemblages varied with habitat. At sites along ridges and rocky outcrops, species observed included gag, scamp, red grouper (Epinephelus morio), snowy grouper (Epinephelus niveatus), speckled hind (Epinephelus drummondhayi), red snapper(Lutjanus campechanus), silk snapper(Lutjanus vivanus), vermilion snapper (Rhomboplítes aurorubens), red porgy (Pagrus pagrus), knobbed porgy (Calamus nodosus), gray triggerfish (Balístes capriscus), and greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili). At sites on sandy substrates, species observed included honeycomb moray (Gymnothorax saxicola), bank sea bass (Centropristis ocyurus), and bandtail puffer (Sphoeroides spengleri).

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