This dataset contains information angler experiences and preferences for recreational fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.

This data set contains sensitive biological resource data for marine, estuarine, and select freshwater species Southwest Florida. Vector polygons in this data set represent distribution, concentration areas, spawning areas, and nursery areas for species of economic and ecological importance. Species specific abundance, seasonality, status, life history, and source information are stored in relational data tables (described below) designed to be used in conjunction with this spatial data layer. This data set comprises a portion of the ESI data for Southwest Florida. ESI data characterize the marine and coastal environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil. The ESI data include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources.

This data set contains sensitive biological resource data for marine, estuarine, diadromous, freshwater, and federally and/or state endangered, threatened, or rare fish species in Northwest Peninsular Florida. Vector polygons in this data set represent fish distributions, spawning and nursery areas, concentration areas, migration areas, and harvest areas. Species-specific abundance, seasonality, status, life history, and source information are stored in associated data tables (described below) designed to be used in conjunction with this spatial data layer. This data set is a portion of the ESI data for Northwest Peninsular Florida. As a whole, the ESI data characterize the marine and coastal environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil, and include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources.

Vessel, gear and biological data collected by fishery observers from the commerical Gulf of Mexico menhaden fishery.

Vessel, gear and biological data collected by fishery observers from the Gulf of Mexico commerical reef fish fishery.

These data represents 21 geographic areas described in Title 50 CFR Part 622, Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic, Subpart B - Reef Fish Resources of the Gulf of Mexico, Subpart C - Shrimp Fishery, Subpart D - Coral and Coral Reefs, Subpart Q - Coastal Migratory Pelagic Resources, and Subpart R - Spiny Lobster Fishery

Shapefiles of the Aquaculture Opportunity Area (AOA) study developed during 2021 for the Gulf of Mexico. Included in this dataset are: (1) Study areas in the Gulf of Mexico developed based on depth, jurisdictional boundaries, and Level III biogeographical breaks. (2) Compiled observations of Harmful Algal Blooms (Karina brevis) from 2000 to 2018 in the Gulf of Mexico and eastern Florida. (3) Suitability modeling results for the West, Central, East, and Southeast Gulf of Mexico study areas are presented as categories (“Unsuitable,” “Low,” “Moderate,” “High”) based on ocean use and conservation concerns, including: national security, natural and cultural resources, industry, navigation, transportation, aquaculture, and fishing. (4) High-High clusters (HH) identified as the most suitable areas from LISA (Local Index of Spatial Association) analysis. (5) Refined HH clusters that could accommodate at least one 500-acre AOA option. (6) Highest ranking options for each of the refined HH clusters representing a 500- to 2000-acre area between 50 to 150 meters depth that has relatively high suitability for generalized marine aquaculture based on a within cluster model evaluating logistics, vessel traffic, commercial fishing, and oceanography data. (7) Location and areal extent of options identified for each study region meeting a dispersion rule (greater than 30 nautical miles distance between locations).

Essential fish habitat (EFH) for Gulf of Mexico waters and/or substrate areas in the Gulf of Mexico, which may include estuaries and open water from the US/Mexico border to the boundary between the areas covered by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC) and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) from estuarine waters out to depths of 100 fathoms. Essential fish habitat (EFH) consists of areas of higher species density, based on the NOAA Atlas (NOAA 1985) and the functional relationships analysis in the EIS (GMFMC 2004).

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. Environmental profiles are acquired during all surveys and are averaged into one meter depth bins. The data are acquired with Sea-Bird SBE25 and SBE9 profilers equipped with water temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, beam transmittance, and fluorescence sensors. These are raw data that are unprocessed.

Nekton in the northern Gulf of Mexico often depend on marsh habitat and estuarine nursery areas during their life history, but patterns of habitat use and the underlying processes that drive these patterns are not fully understood. We examined small-scale (1-50 m) patterns of habitat use in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, between 2002 and 2006 by collecting nekton with a 1-m2 drop sampler. Habitat-specific densities were estimated for six habitat types at various distances from the shoreline into the marsh (Marsh1M = 1m and Marsh3M = 3 m into the marsh) and over shallow nonvegetated bottom, SNB (SNB1M = 1 m, SNB5M = 5 m, SNB20M = 20 m, and SNB50M = 50 m) seaward of the marsh. Habitat-specific growth rates also were estimated for brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus caged in SNB1M, SNB5M, and SNB20M. Nekton density patterns in Barataria Bay appeared to be clearly different from the Galveston Bay model, which predicts nekton distribution patterns relative to the marsh shoreline. Although densities in Barataria Bay were significantly higher in samples near the marsh shoreline (Marsh1M or SNB1M) for brown shrimp, blue crab, and white shrimp, highest mean densities were not always present in marsh edge vegetation. In addition, densities of brown shrimp and white shrimp in Barataria Bay declined much more steeply with distance into the marsh than in the model. Daily growth rates (1.0 - 1.2 mm TL day-1; 68 - 89 mg day-1) for brown shrimp were similar among SNB habitat types. Our results suggest that SNB in Barataria Bay may be relatively more important as habitat for fishery species than previously assumed.