Abstract

Artificial reef development is a popular management tool used to enhance fish stocks, provide additional recreational fishing and diving opportunities, and increase the quality or quantity of existing habitat for marine species. Despite the popularity of artificial reef programs, the impact of this new structured habitat on economically and ecologically im-portant species is not fully understood. Specifically, few fisheries- independent surveys regarding the ecological perfor-mance of fish on artificial and natural habitats have been conducted. Therefore, the goal of this study was to evaluate the relative abundance and size structure of red snapper across three different habitat types (standing petroleum platforms, artificial reefs, and natural banks) in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Between October 2012 and July 2013, we con-ducted 103 vertical longline drops and captured 396 red snapper ranging from 282 to 735 mm TL. Red snapper CPUE averaged 0.77 fish/drop/minute and was significantly higher on natural bank habitats (1.01 fish/drop/minute) than artifi-cial reefs (0.61 fish/drop/minute). Mean TL of red snapper differed by hook size, with larger hooks sampling larger fish. Across habitat types, mean TL was greater on natural and artificial reefs than standing platforms. The results of our study have important implications for artificial reef management and recovery of Gulf of Mexico red snapper. Further use of standardized fishery- independent surveys and additional data regarding habitat specific age and growth will help elucidate the role artificial reefs play in maintaining reef fish stocks in the region.

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