Researchers from across the southern United States are wrapping up a two-week stint on a research vessel where they're counting red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.
According to a press release from the University of South Florida, researchers are on board the RV Weatherbird II, where they are conducting acoustic and optical surveys along the Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana coasts through Friday, 20 July. Members of the survey team from USF’s College of Marine Science are focusing on how oil and gas pipelines in the Gulf impact the red snapper stock.
It's part of a two-year USD 12 million (EUR 10.3 million) independent study approved by Congress in 2016. A review panel brought together by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium selected a 21-member team from 12 colleges. Other participating institutions include: Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi; Texas A&M, Galveston; Louisiana State University; the University of Florida; and Florida International University.
“We’ve assembled some of the best red snapper scientists around for this study,” said Greg Stunz, the project leader and a professor at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M - Corpus Christi after the team was awarded the grant last year. “The team members assembled through this process are ready to address this challenging research question. There are lots of constituents who want an independent abundance estimate that will be anxiously awaiting our findings.”
Work on the count will continue through next year, when they will conduct surveys along Texas and Louisiana coasts.
The red snapper stock is enjoying a resurgence in the Gulf. Earlier this year, NOAA Fisheries officials removed it from the overfished list.
The count comes as the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council studies the most recent red snapper stock assessment, which was released earlier this year. Next month, council leaders will consider amending catch limits for red snapper through 2021 based off of that count.
Emily Muehlstein, the Gulf FMC’s public information officer, said that while the council has not been officially participating in this red snapper count, the work by this research crew will likely be included in the next assessment.
“I would anticipate all data is going to be inputted into the stock assessment,” she told SeafoodSource. “For the data gathering portion, we go out to everybody and ask for information they’ve collected.”
