The Southeast Fisheries Science Center Mississippi Laboratories conducts standardized fisheries independent resource surveys off the east coast of the United States to provide abundance and distribution information to support regional and international stock assessments. A pilot pelagic longline survey was conducted in 2006 off the U.S. east coast. The objective of the survey was to examine the feasibility of using pelagic longline gear to collect fisheries independent data on stocks of offshore fishes and to establish protocols for future use of data. Additional objectives included examining the distribution and relative abundance of pelagic fishes in the region and to collect biological and environmental data.

The data set contains information on locations sampled, gears used, and whether red snapper were observed. If a red snapper was caught its total length was recorded.

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center Mississippi Laboratories conducts standardized fisheries independent resource surveys in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and U.S. Caribbean to provide abundance and distribution information to support regional and international stock assessments. A shark/snapper/grouper bottom longline survey is conducted every year from July through September. The survey covers waters between 5-200 fm from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to West Palm Beach, FL, and the U.S. northern Gulf of Mexico from southwest Florida to Brownsville, TX. During each survey approximately 300 randomly selected stations are sampled in both state and federal waters. Survey sites for bottom longline effort were selected at random within three depth strata: 9 – 55 m, 55 – 183 m, and 183 – 366 m in the Gulf of Mexico only. Most bottom longline sets are conducted parallel to depth contours unless survey conditions (i.e., current, sea state, wind) necessitated a different orientation. The number of randomly selected survey sites occupied within 60 nm contiguous sampling zones is proportionally allocated based on the amount of continental shelf area within each of the depth strata. In the Atlantic, 60% of stations were allocated between 9 - 55 m and 40% between 55 -183 m. In the Gulf of Mexico, 50% of stations were allocated between 9 - 55 m, 40% between 55 - 183 m, and 10% were allocated between 183 - 366 m (or at least 1 per sampling zone). Standardized gear utilized during the survey includes one mile of mainline and 100 15/0 circle hooks baited with Atlantic mackerel. Soak times are limited to one-hour to minimize mortality rates of all captured organisms and sampling occurs during day and night. All live sharks are tagged and released unless biological samples are needed for life history studies. Life history data pertaining to age, growth and reproduction are obtained from all captured reef fishes. All other fishes are measured and weighed prior to being released.

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center Mississippi Laboratories conducts standardized fisheries independent resource surveys in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and U.S. Caribbean to provide abundance and distribution information to support regional and international stock assessments. In 2010, Congress appropriated supplemental funding to expand these surveys in the Gulf of Mexico in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Bottom longline stations were conducted throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico during 2011. Sampling occurred on multiple contracted fishing vessels simultaneously in the eastern, central and western Gulf of Mexico during all seasons. Data on species-specific catch rates, body lengths and sex were recorded.

Surveys were completed at 1,656 locations, yielding 173 red snapper length and 159 red snapper age samples. Catches were greatest in waters off GA (n 133), and declined with increasing latitude off SC (n 39) and NC (n 5). Resulting size and age distribution data are available for planned 2014 stock assessment data workshops. Lengths ranged from 360 to 900 mm, with a mean length ( SD) of 612 115 mm and median of 620 mm. Ages ranged from 2 to 22 years, with a mean age ( SD) of 5.1 2.6 years and median of 5 years. These data will be combined with fishery-independent data from FL waters (collected in a separate but collaborative CRP-funded project to the FL Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission FWC) to accurately characterize the age distribution of red snapper throughout their range in the U.S. South Atlantic. Additionally, red snapper catch locations have provided new stations to NMFS fishery-independent surveys.

The data set contains information on locations sampled, gears used, and whether red snapper were observed. If a red snapper was caught its total length was recorded.

This data set contains information useful for red snapper stock assessment. The data set provided has count, weight, length, and location available of caught red snapper, red grouper, and other reef fishes. Catches were greatest in waters off Georgia, and declined with increasing latitude off South Carolina and North Carolina.

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center Mississippi Laboratories conducts standardized fisheries independent resource surveys in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and U.S. Caribbean to provide abundance and distribution information to support regional and international stock assessments. In 1982 to 1983, surveys were conducted to locate one or more Marine Protected Areas along the west Florida shelf to protect spawning aggregations of gag grouper.

The Southeast Fisheries Science Center Mississippi Laboratories conducts standardized fisheries independent resource surveys in the Gulf of Mexico to provide abundance and distribution information to support regional and international stock assessments. A pilot pelagic longline survey was conducted in 2005 in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The objective of the survey was to examine the feasibility of using pelagic longline gear to collect fisheries independent data on stocks of offshore fishes and to establish protocols for future use of data. Additional objectives included examining the distribution and relative abundance of pelagic fishes in the region and to collect biological and environmental data.