Operationalizing the West Florida Shelf ecosystem model and application to red tides, stock assessment, and catch advice for Gulf of Mexico reef fish
Implementing Organization
University of Florida
Overview
DWH Project Funding
$1,768,147
Known Leveraged Funding
$0
Funding Organization
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Funding Program
The RESTORE Act Funds Bucket 4: NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program
Details
Project Category
Environmental
Project Actions
Environmental Research
Targeted Resources
Fish/Fish Habitats
Project Description
The project team will update and improve upon an ecosystem model of the West Florida Shelf to account for red tide mortality when assessing Gulf of Mexico reef fish. The project will develop new approaches to map red tides using satellites, and biogeochemical models to map oxygen concentrations in relation to red tides. These products will be incorporated into a spatially explicit fisheries ecosystem model to estimate red tide mortality on valuable commercial and recreational species. Estimates of red tide mortality will be incorporated into stock assessments and recommendations on acceptable biological catch, or the amount of fish that can be harvested each year, for reef fish species that will undergo stock assessments between 2024-2028. The acceptable biological catch is a recommendation that accounts for scientific uncertainty and serves to prevent overfishing.
Contact
David ChagarisNone
dchagaris@ufl.edu
Project Website
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, NOAA Southeastern Regional Office, NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Florida Sea Grant
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