Fisheries & Ocean Health

Sportfish conservation and management requires a robust scientific knowledge-base to be most effective. Our mission is to advance knowledge of marine sportfish and promote conservation through science-based fisheries management

The focus of the Fisheries and Ocean Health Lab is to provide scientific data for sustainable management of our marine fisheries and ocean resources to ensure healthy environments.  Our research program is diverse but currently focuses on migration patterns of marine life using a variety of state-of-the-art electronic tracking devices, how marine animals interact with their habitats, and the vital role that estuaries and near-shore waters play in sustaining marine populations. Specifically, our research includes understanding the roles of apex predators in Gulf ecosystems, dolphin-fish migration patterns and life history, red snapper ecology and management, fish contaminant loads, and several projects dealing with numerous estuarine fishes such as spotted seatrout and red drum and their sustainable management. Our laboratory is also the home for the Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation.