Abstract

Evidence for red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, production from artificial habitats has been difficult to obtain. The benefits of such habitats for red snapper were evaluated by examining red snapper diets, predator exclusions, habitat complexity, and epibenthic communities in association with artificial habitats over a 10 year period. Also examined were movement patterns from ultrasonic telemetry, and population parameters estimated from fishery independent methods. These studies suggested that red snapper: 1) had a high affinity for artificial habitats, 2) showed consistent feeding on reef prey types, 3) were significantly more abundant on habitats with available prey, 4) showed a significant correlation between abundance and habitat complexity, 5) showed long term residency with some tracked over two years, and 6) abundance significantly increased when predators were excluded. In addition, population status of red snapper off coastal Alabama based on a fishery independent survey of 94 artificial habitats, using fish traps, diver surveys, and otolith aging suggested a better condition compared to previous population assessments. Collectively these results suggest that artificial habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico contribute significantly to the production of red snapper

PDF Preview