Abstract

The increasing popularity of Lobotes surinamenis as a sport fish in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico concerns fishery biologists due to the lack of information on population structure for the species. Identifying molecular markers for L. surinamenis will help to determine their population structure, thus providing fisheries management with adequate information for future monitoring and conservation. The specific objectives of this study are to: 1) determine the appropriate region of the mitochondrial genome that would serve as a suitable marker for population genetic studies of L. surinamensis; 2) apply this marker to determine the population genetic structure in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico; and 3) develop management recommendations on the basis of the genetic data. A preliminary investigating has already begun to determine which of the four regions of the mitochondrial genome, COI, ND5, ND2 and the control region, will be the most appropriate for use as a molecular marker

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