Recruitment, spatial distribution, and fine-scale movement patterns of red drum through major and shallow passes

Research in the Fisheries Ecology Laboratory focuses on understanding the role of habitat in sustaining our fisheries resources. A current project examines how young juvenile fishes spawned in the Gulf of Mexico access their nursery habitats in Coastal Bend estuaries.

Many economically and ecologically important fish species use shallow estuarine areas as “nursery” grounds, and their young rely on particular habitat types within estuaries for survival and growth.  Access to high quality estuarine habitats via tidal inlets can play a major role in determining the dynamics and structure of marine fish populations.  Despite the recognition of the importance of estuarine habitat, there are significant gaps in our knowledge as to the specific spatial patterns of habitat use for many important fishery species.  The overall goal of this project is to assess how tidal inlet dynamics affect recruitment, spatial abundance, and fine-scale movement patterns of estuarine-dependent fishes.

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