Diel Feeding Patterns of Red Snapper on Artificial Reefs in the North-Central Gulf of Mexico

Abstract.—Red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, is a heavily exploited reef fish that is harvested in the Gulf of Mexico from both natural and artificial reefs. Since regulations were imposed in 1990, the stock has begun to recover; this recovery has also been attributed in part to an increase in artificial habitats/reefs. However, little is known about the role artificial reefs play in the trophic dynamics of the species. To this end, the seasonal and size-specific diet of red snapper was examined through stomach content analysis of individuals collected from artificial reefs in the north-central Gulf of Mexico off Alabama between May 1999 and April 2000. Diet information was subsequently combined with data from the literature to obtain a first-order estimate of prey demand of the red snapper population on artificial reefs off Alabama. Results indicate both that diet varied with season and red snapper size and that the overall diet was comprised primarily of demersal crustaceans, fish, and pelagic zooplankton. Annual prey demand of the red snapper population on Alabama artificial reefs was estimated to be over 31 million kg. Red snapper derived most of their nutrition from sand/mud- and water column-associated organisms, not from organisms associated with reefs. Based on these results, and the results from other red snapper studies off Alabama, Alabama artificial reefs may be attracting, not producing red snapper.

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Movement of Red Snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, in the North Central Gulf of Mexico: Potential Effects of Hurricanes

Gulf of Mexico Science ◽

10.18785/goms.1601.13 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

J. Carter Watterson ◽

William F. Patterson ◽

Robert L. Shipp ◽

James H. Cowan

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Red Snapper ◽

Lutjanus Campechanus ◽

North Central ◽

The North

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Red Snapper: Ecology and Fisheries in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

Red Snapper: Ecology and Fisheries in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico ◽

10.47886/9781888569971.ch4 ◽

2007 ◽

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Reef Fish ◽

Relative Abundance ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Red Snapper ◽

Lutjanus Campechanus ◽

Reef Habitat ◽

Habitat Types ◽

North Central ◽

The North

Abstract.—Video estimation of the relative abundance of fishes is a noninvasive method commonly used to assess fish densities. This technique can be used to characterize habitat use patterns either of fish assemblages or of a particular species of interest. The objectives of this study were to quantify relative abundance of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, and to characterize with video methodology the associated fish assemblages over different habitat types. Fishes were enumerated over sand, shell, and natural hard bottom reef habitats in the north-central Gulf of Mexico (GOM) off Alabama on quarterly cruises over a two-year period with a baited stationary underwater video camera array. Red snapper showed both significantly higher abundance and larger size over the reef habitat; however, no seasonal effects were observed, indicating temporal abundance patterns were consistent among seasons. Fish assemblages differed among habitats, with significant differences between reef and shell assemblages. Efforts to identify the species that most contributed to these differences indicated that the red snapper accounted for 59% of the overall similarity within the reef fish assemblage and 20% of the total dissimilarity between the shell and reef fish assemblages. This study highlights the utility of applying video techniques to identify the importance of sand, shell, and reef habitat types both to different life stages of red snapper, and to the different fish assemblages occupying distinct habitats in the north-central GOM.

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Distribution and Age Composition of Red Snapper across the Inner Continental Shelf of the North-Central Gulf of Mexico

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society ◽

10.1002/tafs.10081 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 147 (5) ◽

pp. 791-805 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Sean P. Powers ◽

J. Marcus Drymon ◽

Crystal L. Hightower ◽

Trey Spearman ◽

George S. Bosarge ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Continental Shelf ◽

Red Snapper ◽

Age Composition ◽

North Central ◽

The North ◽

Inner Continental Shelf

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Fungal diversity of marine biofilms on artificial reefs in the north-central Gulf of Mexico

Botanica Marina ◽

10.1515/bot-2016-0032 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 59 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Amy L. Salamone ◽

Brent M. Robicheau ◽

Allison K. Walker

Keyword(s):

Gulf Of Mexico ◽

Fungal Community ◽

Fungal Diversity ◽

Community Diversity ◽

Artificial Reefs ◽

Morphological Identification ◽

Fungal Community Composition ◽

North Central ◽

High Profile ◽

The North

AbstractWe present the first characterization of fungal community diversity of natural mixed-species biofilms on artificial marine reefs. Four artificial reefs in the Mississippi (MS) Sound, USA, representing low-profile (underwater) and high-profile (periodically air-exposed) conditions were sampled every 3 months over a 23-month period to investigate changes in fungal diversity within reef biofilms. Fungal presence was assessed via PCR amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of fungal ribosomal DNA, and by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of fungal ITS regions – the latter being used to track variation in fungal community structure with respect to season, location, and reef profile type. Fungal communities were also characterized taxonomically through both morphological identification and phylogenetic comparisons of ITS gene sequences, with 36 fungal genera cultured from reef biofilms. Using a multivariate statistical approach, significant temporal and spatial differences in fungal biofilm communities were detected. High-profile reefs differed significantly in biofilm fungal community composition across the 10 sampling periods. This assessment of marine fungal biofilm communities over time provides novel insights into the fungal diversity present on artificial reefs in an understudied region, the north-central Gulf of Mexico.

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