Gulf Coast Fisherman Newsletter

Issue 5, May 2018

The Great Red Snapper Count

As we near the start of the 2018 recreational season for red snapper, it seems like a good time to give an update on The Great Red Snapper Count. As a reminder, this is a project funded through Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant that will estimate the abundance of red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and is a collaborative effort between the five Gulf of Mexico states. I’ll start with a Gulf-wide project update, then provide more specifics about our efforts in Mississippi and Alabama.

Gulf-wide: Scientists from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida have been busy making preparations for this project. One of the team’s primary objectives is to ensure that the methods used to estimate red snapper abundance are standardized (i.e. consistent) across the entire Gulf. To assist in that process, the team has recently completed the first draft of the Gulf-wide sampling plan. This plan uses a statistical framework to select the specific areas that will be sampled, which include large artificial structures (e.g. platforms in Texas and Louisiana), small artificial platforms (e.g. reef pyramids off Mississippi and Alabama) and natural hard bottom (e.g. rocky banks off Florida). This first draft is currently being tweaked to ensure the strongest possible sampling strategy.

Mississippi-Alabama: While the Gulf-wide sampling plan is being finalized, we’ve begun testing specific sampling approaches using vertical longlines, remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs), and bottom longlines in Alabama and Mississippi waters. As we complete these gear calibrations, here are some updates you can expect from the Great Red Snapper Count:

1. A workshop series, where we’ll be visiting each state in the Gulf to meet with stakeholders and discuss our findings with them.
2. A YouTube channel where we’ll showcase our video series. The first episode will air on the opening day of snapper season, so stay tuned!
3. A project-specific website, with updates, pictures from the field, and information about upcoming events, which will also go live on the opening day of snapper season.

We look forward to interacting with you, so please email us your questions and comments on The Great Red Snapper Count at: snappercount@sportfishresearch.org

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