A Comparison of Red Snapper Reproductive Potential in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico: Natural versus Artificial Habitats

The majority of the research on adult Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus in the Gulf of Mexico has been conducted at artificial habitats (in particular, low-relief artificial reefs off the coast of Alabama) and more recently on oil and gas platforms off the coast of Louisiana. However, previous studies indicate that there are differences in Red Snapper demographics and reproductive biology between habitats and regions within the Gulf. Despite the lack of study of natural reefs and banks in the Gulf, these areas are believed to be the historical centers of Red Snapper abundance. This study sampled Red Snapper from habitats that include reefs located more than 125 km offshore, making them difficult to reach for routine sampling. The results indicate significant differences in Red Snapper reproductive biology between females collected on adjacent artificial and natural habitats. Annual fecundity estimates were almost 20-fold higher in fish collected from natural habitats. Due to the high number of artificial habitats in the Gulf, these results suggest that accounting for metapopulation differences in reproductive potential is important in evaluating the status of this resource.