Marine Fisheries Initiative Program

(MARFIN)

2005 ANNUAL REPORT

*January 1 to December 31, 2005*

Prepared By:

Ellie F. Roche

and

### Scot Plank

State/Federal Liaison Branch

National Marine Fisheries Service

Southeast Regional Office

263 13^th^ Avenue South

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

\(727\) 824-5324

April 2006

Cover Photo: Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA Photo Library
Sanctuary Collection

TABLE OF CONTENTS

*Section Page*

*Preface ii*

*History of the MARFIN Program 1*

*MARFIN Program Organization and Administration 3*

*FY 2005 Program Highlights 5*

*Overview of On-Going Research Projects*

> *A. Bycatch 8*
>
> *B. Reef Fish 9*
>
> *C. Red Snapper Research 10*

*D. Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fisheries 11*

> *E. Groundfish and Estuarine Fisheries 11*
>
> *F. Essential Fish Habitat 12*
>
> *G. Economic and Sociocultural Studies 13*

#### List of Appendices

*Appendix 1. MARFIN Panel Members 14*

*Appendix 2. NMFS Southeast Region MARFIN Administrative Staff 17*

*Appendix 3. MARFIN Project Summaries 18*

*Appendix 4. MARFIN Publications and Reports 54*

*Appendix 5. Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO) 71*

PREFACE

The Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) promotes and endorses programs
which seek to optimize economic and social benefits from marine fishery
resources through cooperative efforts that evoke the best research and
management talents of the Southeast Region. Preference is given to
cooperative planning efforts with up to 3-year time horizons. The intent
is to focus projects funded by MARFIN into cooperative efforts that
provide clear answers for fishery needs covered by the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS) 2001 Strategic Plan for Fisheries Research.
Goals one, two and four are particularly important. For example, a
geographically restricted age and growth study of a local fishery
resource is of limited value unless it is coordinated with, or verified
by, similar studies which span the range of the resource. The value of
such studies is also relatively limited unless the results can be
combined with other studies to provide a regional assessment of the
resource. MARFIN provides this necessary programmatic integration
through cooperative planning, accomplishment of program activities and
an annual MARFIN Conference.

The MARFIN program was created to bring together scientific, technical,
industry, resource conservation, and management talents to conduct
cooperative programs to facilitate and enhance the management of the
marine fishery resources of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
MARFIN requires the timely dissemination of the results of both
successful and unsuccessful efforts; therefore, each recipient of
funding under this program is obligated to attend a MARFIN conference to
report project findings. The bycatch issue remains a focal point of
research needs for the Southeast Region. Critical reef fish fisheries
are also being addressed, from efforts to reduce catches associated with
shrimp trawls, to life history studies, as well as fishery-dependent and
independent characterization work. Delineation of fishery stocks (king
mackerel, Gulf red snapper, South Atlantic red porgy, wahoo and
dolphinfish) continue to be an area of important research effort toward
enhancement management of these commercially and recreationally vital
fisheries. Research on economic and sociological impacts of fisheries
regulations, including the establishment of marine fishery reserves,
illustrates the recognition by the MARFIN program that all aspects of a
fishery, including essential fish habitat, must be understood to provide
adequate fisheries management.

[\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

NMFS Strategic Plan Goals:

\- Provide scientifically sound information and data to support

fishery conservation and management

\- Through conservation engineering research contribute to efforts to
reduce bycatch and adverse effects on EFH, promote efficient harvest of
target species, and to improve the data from fishery surveys.

\- Through economic and ecological research on marine communities and
ecosystems,

provide scientific data and information to increase long-term economic
and social benefits to the Nation from living marine resources.

\- Improve the fishery information system.

\- Improve the effectiveness of external partnerships with fishers,
managers, scientists, conservationists, and other interested groups.

HISTORY OF THE MARFIN PROGRAM

The MARFIN Program received its initial impetus from a 1983 discussion
paper entitled: \"Research Needs For Information Leading To Full and
Wise Use of Fishery Resources In The Gulf of Mexico,\" by Dr. Thomas D.
McIlwain of the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory while he was in the
office of then Representative Trent Lott.^2^ This paper, sometimes
referred to as the Lott-McIlwain paper, proposed an additional
investment in fisheries research and development in the Gulf of Mexico
to increase the economic contribution of marine fisheries, develop more
valuable products from existing fisheries, develop export markets,
forecast variation in yields and conserve and maintain presently
exploited resources.

The next step in the evolution of MARFIN was the preparation and
publication of the Marine Fisheries Initiative - Gulf of Mexico
Phase.^3^ This publication, developed by a joint industry, federal,
state and academic task force, detailed the research and development
efforts necessary to enhance, restore and maintain fisheries in the Gulf
of Mexico. The program focused on funding projects which had the
greatest probability of maintaining and improving existing fisheries,
increasing revenues for the domestic industry, increasing yields from
fisheries and generating increased recreational opportunity and harvest
potential. Projects were to be selected for funding on their likelihood
of achieving these benefits through both short-term and long-term
research with consideration of the magnitude of the eventual benefit
that might be realized. Both short-term projects yielding immediate
benefits and long-term projects were to receive high-priority emphasis.
Planning emphasis was placed upon attaining priority goals either
through a single project or a series of projects necessary to attain
that goal.

In 1992, the MARFIN program was expanded to include a South Atlantic
component (North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and the Atlantic
coast of Florida). The goals and objectives of the South Atlantic Phase
of MARFIN are described in Special Report No. 13 of the Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission, Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN) South
Atlantic Phase.^4^

The Lott-McIlwain paper and the Marine Fisheries Initiative publication
were instrumental in gaining public support for the MARFIN program. On
December 4, 1985, the conference report of the House and Senate that
appropriated funds for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, State, the
judiciary and related agencies for the fiscal year (FY) ending September
30, 1986, allocated \$2,850,000 for the MARFIN Program.

The following list represents funding for each year from the start of
the MARFIN program until the current year:

\* Fiscal Year 1986 - \$2,850,000

\* Fiscal Year 1987 - \$3,500,000

\* Fiscal Year 1988 - \$3,500,000

[\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_]{.underline}

^2^Office of Representative Trent Lott, Washington, DC; Dr. Thomas D.
McIlwain; May 1983

^3^Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, P.O. Box 426, Ocean Springs,
MS 39564; J.Y. Christmas, D.J. Etzold, T.D. McIlwain, L.B.Simpson (eds.)
January 1985

^4^Special Report No, 13 of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries
Commission; E.J. Joseph, V.G. Burrell, D.M. Cupka, P.J. Eldridge, August
1988

> \* Fiscal Year 1989 - \$3,000,000
>
> \*Fiscal Year 1990 - \$3,000,000
>
> \* Fiscal Year 1991 - \$2,986,000

\* Fiscal Year 1992 - \$4,000,000 (This includes \$500,000 of the South
Atlantic MARFIN and \$1,300,000 for shrimp trawl bycatch studies.)

\* Fiscal Year 1993 - \$3,540,000

\* Fiscal Year 1994 - \$3,542,000

\* Fiscal Year 1995 - \$3,540,000

> \* Fiscal Year 1996 - \$2,760,000 (No new projects were accepted due
> to a congressional allocation reduction and active multi-year projects
> selected during previous funding cycles.)

\* Fiscal Year 1997 - \$3,000,000

\* Fiscal Year 1998 - \$3,000,000

\* Fiscal Year 1999 - \$3,000,000 (This includes \$500,000 for the
Northeast Region.)

> \* Fiscal Year 2000 - \$2,750,000 (No new projects were accepted
> during FY 2000 due to a reduction in congressional allocation, and
> because of the large number of active multi-year projects selected
> during previous funding cycles.)
>
> \* Fiscal Year 2001 - \$3,500,000 (This includes \$250,000 for the
> Northeast Region and \$750,000 for red snapper research.)
>
> \* Fiscal Year 2002 - \$3,500,000 (This includes \$250,000 for the
> Northeast Region and \$750,000 for red snapper research.)
>
> \* Fiscal Year 2003 - \$3,250,000 (This includes \$250,000 for the
> Northeast Region and \$500,000 for red snapper research. No new
> projects were accepted during FY 2003 because of the large number of
> active multi-year projects selected during previous funding cycles.)

\* Fiscal Year 2004 - \$2,500,000

> \* Fiscal Year 2005 - \$3,400,000 (This includes \$250,000 for the
> Northeast Region and \$750,000 for red snapper research.)
>
> \* Fiscal Year 2006 - \$2,400,000

MARFIN promotes and endorses programs that seek to optimize economic and
social benefits from marine fishery resources through cooperative
efforts that evoke the best research and management talents of the
Southeast Region. The intent of the MARFIN program is to focus projects
on key fisheries' issues in the southeast United States.

MARFIN PROGRAM ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION

The NMFS Southeast Regional Administrator (RA) reformed the MARFIN Panel
in FY 1992 when the program was expanded to cover the South Atlantic
(Appendix 1). Each member of the MARFIN Panel provides individual
recommendations to the RA on MARFIN priorities and financial assistance
applications. The MARFIN Panel membership is as follows:

-   One state marine conservation agency representative each from the
    Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic areas.

-   One representative each from the Gulf of Mexico and the South
    Atlantic commercial fishing industries.

-   The Executive Directors of the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic
    Fishery Management Councils.

-   The Executive Directors of the Gulf and Atlantic States Marine
    Fisheries Commissions.

-   One representative each from the Gulf of Mexico and the South
    Atlantic recreational fishing industries.

-   One representative each from the Gulf of Mexico and the South
    Atlantic Sea Grant Universities.

-   A NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center Technical representative.

-   The NMFS Southeast Region Program Officer acts as an advisor to the
    RA and MARFIN Panel members concerning Federal, Department of
    Commerce, and NOAA financial assistance administration requirements.

Alternate representatives to the MARFIN Panel serve when necessary.
Individual Panel members are appointed by the NMFS Southeast Regional
Administrator for staggered terms.

The RA of the NMFS Southeast Regional Office relies on recommendations
from individual members of the MARFIN Panel, the MARFIN Scientific
Panel, and the Regional Program Office in selecting each year\'s
projects.

Each year the MARFIN Panel and NMFS administrators and scientists
identify areas of emphasis for the next year\'s competitive financial
assistance program. These areas of emphasis are published in the
[Federal]{.underline} [Register]{.underline} for public comment. After
public review and comment, an announcement of funding availability
through the competitive MARFIN financial assistance program is published
as a solicitation in the [Federal]{.underline} [Register]{.underline}.

The NMFS Southeast Regional State/Federal Liaison Branch staff is
responsible for the overall administration of all NMFS Southeast grants
and cooperative agreement programs, including MARFIN (Appendix 2). Their
responsibilities include planning, application and selection,
negotiation, performance, monitoring and close-out of all assigned
competitive and noncompetitive financial assistance programs. A NMFS
Southeast Regional scientific or technical expert is assigned as the
Technical Monitor for each MARFIN project. The Technical Monitor is
responsible to the State/Federal Liaison Branch Program Officer for all
technical and cooperative aspects of assigned projects. The NOAA Grants
Officer is responsible for the overall administration of each NMFS
financial assistance award issued to recipients outside of the Federal
government and cooperates with the NMFS Southeast Region State/Federal
Liaison Branch in administering each financial assistance award.

FY 2005 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Due to the destructive storms that hit the Southeastern United States
and the Gulf of Mexico, our 17^th^ Annual Conference scheduled for
December 2005 was canceled. Numerous projects were impacted directly and
indirectly from the storms and we continue to accommodate the needs of
researchers to minimize disruption to their work. The following projects
are expected to be presented at the December 2006 Annual Conference in
Saint Petersburg, Florida.

> Grant# NA04NMF4330072 PI: Dr. Behzad Mahmoudi, Jr.

Recipient: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

> Title: Development of a Spatially-Explicit Age-Structured Model for
> Assessment and Management of Grouper Stocks in the U.S. Southeast
> Region
>
> Grant# NA04NMF4330075 PI: Dr. William Lindberg
>
> Recipient: University of Florida
>
> Title: Habitat Selection and the Performance of Gag Grouper Across a
> Range of Hard Bottom Habitat in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Grant# NA17FF2010 PI: Karen Burns

> Recipient: Mote Marine Laboratory

Title: Evaluation of the Efficacy of Current Minimum Size

Regulations for Selected Reef Fish Based on Release Mortality and

Fish Physiology

> Grant# NA04NMF4330073 PI: Dr. Patrick Harris

Recipient: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

> Title: Development of Conversion Factors for Different Trap
>
> Types used by MARMAP since 1978
>
> Grant# NA04NMF4330077 PI: Dr. Joanne Halls

Recipient: University of North Carolina, Wilmington

> Title: Fisheries and Habitat Assessment of the Oculina Banks
>
> Habitat Area of Particular Concern: A Multi-Media Approach
>
> Using GIS and World Wide Web
>
> Grant# NA04NMF4330078 PI: Dr. Stephen Geiger

Recipient: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Title: Is Habitat Availability Limiting Recruitment of Calico

> Scallops (*Argopecten gibbus*)?
>
> Grant# NA17FF2876 PI: Dr. Felicia Coleman

Recipient: Florida State University

Title: Demographics, Density and Seasonal Movement Patterns of Reef Fish
in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico Associated with Marine Reserves

> Grant# NA17FF2878 PI: Dr. Robert Chapman

Recipient: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

> Title: Can Marine Protected Areas Conserve Genetic Diversity in
> Tomtate (*Haemulon aurolineatum*) and French Grunt (*Haemulon
> flavolineatum*)?
>
> Grant# NA04NMF433076 PI: Dr. Sandra Diamond

Recipient: Texas Tech University

Title: Decompression and Delayed Mortality: Effects of

> Barotrauma on Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus)
>
> Grant# NA17FF2012 PI: Dr. Sandra Diamond

Recipient: Texas Tech University

> Title: Estimating Discard Rate and Release Mortality of Red
>
> Snapper in Texas Fisheries
>
> Grant# NA17FF2880 PI: Dr. John Gold

Recipient: Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

Title: Development of Assays for Major Histocompatibility (MHC)

> Class I and Class II loci in Gulf Red Snapper for Use in Stock
>
> Structure Analysis and Assessment of Genetic Health
>
> Grant# NA17FF2881 PI: Karen Burns

Recipient: Mote Marine Laboratory

Title: Geographic Comparison of Age, Growth, Reproduction, Movement and
Survival of Red Snapper off the State of Florida

> Grant# NA04NMF4330367 PI: Dr. Will Patterson

Recipient: University of West Florida

> Title: Estimation of the Source of Red Snapper Recruits to the West
> Florida Shelf with Otolith Chemistry
>
> Grant# NA17FF2865 PI: Dr. Nelson Erhardt

Recipient: University of Miami

> Title: Linking Spatial-temporal Population Size Structures and Fishing
> Effort Dynamics to Assess the Effectiveness of Minimum Size for Red
> Snapper Management
>
> Grant# NA04NMF4330080 PI: Dr. Richard Woodward

Recipient: Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

> Title: Cost and Effectiveness of Sequential License Buy-Back
>
> Programs in the Gulf of Mexico
>
> Grant# NA04NMF4330316 PI: Dr. Benjamin Blount

Recipient: University of Texas at San Antonio

> Title: Factors Affecting Participation in Marine Fisheries: Case
>
> Studies in Georgia and North Carolina
>
> Grant# NA17FF2868 PI: Dr. Walter Keithly

Recipient: Louisiana State University

> Title: An Intertemporal and Spatially Dynamic Supply Model of
>
> the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fleet for Use in Management and
>
> Bycatch Reduction
>
> Grant# NA17FF2873 PI: Dr. Wade Griffin

Recipient: Texas Agricultural Experiment Station

> Title: Bioeconomic Analysis of the Red Snapper Rebuilding Plan and
> Transferable Rights Policies in the Gulf of Mexico
>
> Grant# NA04NMF4330079 PI: Thomas Murray

Recipient: Thomas J. Murray & Associates, Inc.

> Title: Tortugas 2000- A Post Mortem: Evaluation of Actual Versus
> Projected Socioeconomic Impacts of the Dry Tortugas Ecological Reserve
>
> Grant#NA17FF2867 PI: Judy Jamison - Gary Graham will present
>
> Recipient: Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation
>
> Title: Technology Transfer of New Turtle Excluder Device
>
> Modifications and Updated Bycatch Reduction Device Information
>
> to the Southeastern Shrimp Industry
>
> Grant# NA17FF2885 PI: Dr. Charles Wenner

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

> Title: Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias undulates) along the Middle
> Atlantic Coast and Southeast Coast of the United States
>
> Grant# NA17FF2882 PI: Dr. Richard McBride

Recipient: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Title: Fishery and Population Characteristics of Wahoo (Acanthocybium
solandri) in Florida and Adjacent Waters of the Western North Atlantic
Ocean

> Grant# NA04NMF4330293 PI: Dr. Peter Rand
>
> Recipient: The Wild Salmon Center
>
> Title: Identifying Spawning Grounds and Classifying Habitat for Red
> Drum (*Sciaenops ocellatus*) in Pamlico Sound, NC

OVERVIEW OF ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS

The following project descriptions provide the title and
objectives/goals of ongoing research funded through the MARFIN Program
in the Southeast Region:

[A. Bycatch]{.underline}

1\. Shrimp trawl fisheries

a\. "Technology transfer of new turtle excluder device modifications and
updated bycatch reduction device information to the southeastern shrimp
fishery"- a one year, \$171,000, project that will provide the shrimping
industry with a clear description of new TED regulations and provide
information on new BRDs as well as the status of prototype gears being
tested. Meeting and workshops will be conducted from North Carolina
through Texas, using Foundation specialists, to provide up-to-date
information to shrimp fishermen, net shop owners and other interested
parties. **MARFIN Award NA17FF2867**

b\. "A continuation of technology transfer of new turtle excluder device
modifications and updated bycatch reduction device information to the
southeastern shrimp industry" - a one year, \$178,614, project that will
provide the shrimping industry with the latest information on TED and
BRD regulations and modifications. Meetings and workshops will be
conducted from North Carolina through Texas, using Foundation
specialists, to provide the latest information to shrimp fishermen, net
shop owners and other interested parties. **MARFIN Award
NA05NMF4331074**

2\. Reef fish fisheries

a\. "Evaluation of the efficacy of current minimum size regulations for
selected reef fish based on release mortality and fish physiology"- the
second year of a two year, \$359,804, project that will determine if red
grouper are more susceptible to depth-induced mortality than red
snapper, test whether smaller red grouper survive rapid decompression
better than larger red grouper, and to obtain catch and release
mortality rates for red grouper, red snapper, vermilion snapper, and
mangrove snapper. The first two areas of investigation will center
around the swim bladder's size and structures such as the bundles of
rete mirabile and the amount of gas gland cells. **MARFIN Award
NA17FF2010**

b\. "Estimating discard rate and release mortality of red snapper in
Texas fisheries"- the third year of a three-year, \$354,244, project to
estimate delayed release mortality of red snapper under controlled
conditions and find physiological indicators of delayed release
mortality using blood samples from caught fish. Using this information
the project will also estimate the discard rate and delayed release
mortality in commercial and recreational fisheries. In addition,
released red snapper will also be tagged to estimate recapture rate by
the fisheries. **MARFIN Award NA17FF2012**

[B. Reef Fish]{.underline}

1\. Basic biological data

a\. "Validation of ages for species of the deepwater snapper/grouper
complex off the coast of the southeastern United States" - the second
year of a two-year, \$69,463, project to validate increment counts from
otolith sections of tilefish, snowy grouper, blackbelly rosefish,
blueline tile fish and wreckfish using accelerator mass spectrometry
analysis of delta 14C present in otoliths. Validation of increment
counts, as an estimate of age, is critical if any age-structured
management is used for a species. **MARFIN Award NA17FF2870**

b\. "Industry based observer program in the reef fish fishery - Gulf of
Mexico" - a 14 month, \$317,625, project to increase observer coverage
on commercial fishing vessels in the eastern Gulf of Mexico to record
catch composition, bycatch and discard mortality. **MARFIN** **Award**

**NA05NMF4331069**

c\. "Age, growth and sexual maturity of greater amberjack in the Gulf of
Mexico" - a two-year, \$198,831, project to determine age and growth,
and age and size of sexual maturity of greater amberjack (*Seriola
dumerili*) in the Gulf of Mexico. **MARFIN** **Award NA05NMF4331071**

2\. Population assessment of reef fish and other fishery resources
associated with reef environments

a\. "Stock structure of red porgy, *Pagrus pagrus*, in the North
Atlantic"- the third year of a three year, \$280,092, project to
determine stock identification in red porgy by examining variation in
mtDNA and nuclear microsatellites. Samples will be taken in the South
Atlantic Bight, which has been over-fished for red porgy, and in the
Gulf of Mexico, where red porgy populations are in better condition.
**MARFIN Award NA17FF2008**

b\. "Stable isotopes as tracers of patterns in habitat utilization by
juvenile red snapper"- a one year, \$44,823, project that will use
stable isotopic composition of red snapper tissues as chemical tracers
of food web dynamics and dietary shifts. The project will examine
juvenile red snapper collected over open sand bottom, low-relief shell
rubble reefs, and artificial reefs to determine if the stable isotope
composition (Carbon 13 and Nitrogen 15) differ among these habitats.
**MARFIN Award NA17FF2875**

c\. "Using microsatellite DNA analysis to identify sources of
recruitment for Florida's spiny lobster, *Panulirus argus*, stock" - the
first year of a two year, \$119,848, project to determine stock
structure and sources of recruitment for the Florida spiny lobster
fishery using microsatellite DNA analysis. **MARFIN Award
NA05NMF4331076**

d\. "Meta-population stock assessment methods incorporating climatic and
ecosystem effects for the Florida spiny lobster fishery" - a one year,
\$74,521, project that will develop a stock assessment algorithm to
include environmental variables in stock recruitment forecasts for spiny
lobster and red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico. The algorithm will use
environmental variables and population abundance estimates for lobsters
in Brazil, Nicaragua-Honduras and the Bahamas. **MARFIN Award
NA05NMF4331081**

e\. "Development of DNA microsatellites for genetic applications in
greater amberjack (*Seriola dumerili*) and other amberjacks of genus
*Seriola*" - a nineteen month, \$125,478, project to develop 25-30
polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers that are specific for greater
amberjack (*Seriola dumerili*) and other amberjacks of genus *Seriola*
and that can be utilized in stock-structure analysis, estimates of
locality-specific effective population size and of genetic migration
among localities and species identification. **MARFIN Award
NA05NMF4331075**

3\. Management of reef fish (No ongoing projects at this time)

4\. Evaluation of marine reserves as a fishery management tool

> a\. "Can Marine Protected Areas conserve genetic diversity in tomtate,
> *Haemulon aurolineatum*, and French grunt, *H. flavolineatum*?"- the
> third year of a three year, \$281,889, project to assess the levels of
> genetic variation within and among populations of tomtate and French
> grunts using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA. This project will also
> evaluate the degree of population isolation in light of the
> requirements of current ecological models evaluating the impact of
> marine protected areas (MPAs). **MARFIN Award NA17FF2878**

[C. Red Snapper Research]{.underline}

1\. Red snapper bycatch

a\. "Geographic comparison of age, growth, reproduction, movement, and
survival of red snapper off the state of Florida"- the third year of a
three year \$623,161, project that will examine several factors
affecting bycatch mortality. The project will specifically test whether
circle hooks reduce release mortality in red snapper and the effects of
depth and gear on release mortality. In addition the project will
determine tag retention and obtain movement patterns for red snapper in
the Gulf of Mexico and the southern U.S. Atlantic. **MARFIN Award
NA17FF2881**

b\. "The effect of light and hydraulic regime on the behavior and
swimming ability of dark adapted red snapper, *Lutjanus campechanus*:
Its application to bycatch reduction" - the first year of a three year
\$297,011, project to examine various aspects of red snapper behavior
that will be used to construct an effective bycatch reduction device.
**MARFIN Award NA05NMF4331070**

2\. Red snapper population assessment

a\. "Estimation of the source of red snapper recruits to west Florida
and south Texas with otolith chemistry: implications for stock structure
and management" - the first year of a three year \$361,825, project to
develop natural tags of red snapper nursery regions in U.S. and Mexican
waters based on otolith microchemistry that will be employed (1) to
estimate the source of recruits to the west Florida shelf and southeast
Texas; (2) to estimate connectivity between U.S. and Mexican red snapper
populations; (3) to estimate cohort-and time-specific post-settlement
movement among regions; and (4) to draw inference about population
structure from estimated movement and mixing dynamics. **MARFIN Award
NA05NMF4331072**

b\. "Determination of the limiting effect of currents on distribution of
red snapper populations in the Gulf of Mexico" - the first year of a two
year, \$225,994, project to examine circulation-induced recruitment
variability in red snapper populations and to evaluate the potential for
reestablishment of red snapper populations in depleted areas by
naturally occurring larval transport processes. **MARFIN Award
NA05NMF4331082**

3\. Management of red snapper

a\. "Linking spatial-temporal population size structures and fishing
effort dynamics to assess the effectiveness of minimum size for red
snapper management"- the second year of a two year, \$171,143, project
to develop a state-of-the-art size-structures yield per recruit model
for use in an assessment of the effectiveness of using minimum size as a
viable red snapper management option. The project will provide regional
and sub-regional perspective of exploitation impacts under minimum size
framed by seasonal quota constraints. **MARFIN Award NA17FF2865**

[D. Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fisheries]{.underline}

1\. Population assessment of coastal migratory pelagics

a\. "Fishery and population characteristics of wahoo, *Acanthocybium
solandri*, in Florida and adjacent waters of the western North Atlantic
Ocean"- the third year of a three year, \$182,701, project to summarize
available fishery data for wahoo, complete a bag limit analysis, and
synthesize new and published information about wahoo life history. Wahoo
will be collected throughout the year from various fishing ports in
Florida. Fish sizes will be related to sex and age and fecundity will be
estimated from weighed sub-samples of oocytes in final maturation.
**MARFIN Award NA17FF2882**

[E. Groundfish and Estuarine Fishes]{.underline}

1\. Red Drum

a\. "Size and age structure and catch and release mortality estimates of
sub-adult and adult red drum in the Tampa Bay estuary and nearshore Gulf
of Mexico waters" - the first year of a three year, \$399,303, project
to describe the size and age structure of sub-adult and adult red drum
populations in the Tampa Bay estuary and surrounding nearshore Gulf of
Mexico waters. Mark and recapture methods will be employed in efforts to
track recruitment of early life-stages of red drum into the sub-adult
and adult populations. **MARFIN Award NA05NMF4331078**

2\. Life History and Stock Structure for Croaker in the Gulf of Mexico
and South Atlantic

a\. "Atlantic croaker, *Micropogonias undulatus*, along the middle
Atlantic coast and southeast coast of the United States"- the third year
of a three year, \$223,732, project to obtain life history information,
including abundance and distribution, on Atlantic croaker off the middle
and south Atlantic states. The project will re-evaluate the
interpretations of transverse sections of sagittal otoliths for age
determination, calculate growth equations from size-at-age data, and
generate cohort-specific indices of abundance. **MARFIN Award
NA17FF2885**

[F. Essential Fish Habitat]{.underline}

1\. Develop geographic information systems (GIS) mapping protocols to
allow the presentation of essential fish habitat (EFH) and habitat areas
of particular concern (HAPC), fishery distribution information, and
other relevant data for the southeastern United States, including Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

a . "GIS analysis of fishery-dependent data in relation to definition of
essential fish habitat, habitat areas of particular concern, and marine
protected areas in the South Atlantic Bight" - the second year of a two
year, \$193,786, project that will employ marine resources monitoring
assessment and prediction program (MARMAP) fishery-independent trawl
data to develop a GIS for the continental shelf and upper slope from
Cape Hatteras, NC, to West Palm Beach, FL. The GIS will examine
historical and current databases for areas that might be considered
Essential Fish Habitat, Habitat Areas of Particular Concern, and Marine
Protected Areas. **MARFIN Award NA17FF2874**

b\. "Studies on dolphin (*Coryphaena hippurus*) and greater amberjack
(*Seriola dumerili*) in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico: Early life
history and recruitment of larvae and young juveniles to pelagic
*Sargassum* habitat" - the first year of a two year, \$284,087, project
that will: 1) develop taxonomic characters to distinguish the larvae of
greater amberjack from three other species of *Seriola* in the northern
Gulf; 2) develop an understanding of recruitment of larval and juvenile
dolphin and greater amberjack to *Sargassum* habitat; 3) determine
relative abundance and age of larval and juvenile dolphin and greater
amberjack collected from isolated clumps and large accumulations of
pelagic *Sargassum* habitat; and 4) compare the age and growth of larval
and juvenile dolphin and greater amberjack collected from isolated
clumps and large accumulations of pelagic *Sargassum* habitat. **MARFIN
Award NA05NMF4331080**

c\. "The effects of lobster traps on coral communities in the Florida
Keys" - this is a one year, \$57,935, project to address the ecological
sustainability of coral communities with current trap fishing practices
in the spiny lobster fishery. **MARFIN Award NA0N5MF4331077**

d\. "Distribution of Bottom Habitat Information in the Gulf of Mexico" -
the first year of a three year, \$210,621, project to create and
distribute a digital spatial database of bottom habitats on the
continental shelf and slope from the Texas/Mexico border to the southern
tip of Florida. The project will compile existing data for the region
and will be organized spatially in ArcGIS format, and will be available
via printed document, CD-ROM, and on the web. **MARFIN Award
NA05NMF4331073**

[G. Economic and Sociocultural Studies]{.underline}

1\. Economic Studies

a\. "An intertemporal and spatially dynamic supply model of the Gulf of
Mexico shrimp fleet for use in management and bycatch reduction"- the
third year of a three-year, \$287,233, project to develop defensible
parameter estimates that can assist in explaining changes in the
behavior of shrimp fishermen in relation to economic stimuli and/or
potential management measures. The changes in the behavior of shrimp
fishermen in response to economic stimuli and management measures will
first be derived using microeconomic and economic considerations. These
parameter estimates will then be used to develop a joint production
function that will allow the examination of expected changes in bycatch
in relation to changes in behavior of shrimp fishermen due to changes in
economic stimuli or management measures. **MARFIN Award NA17FF2868**

2\. Participation Studies

a\. "Factors affecting participation in marine fisheries: case studies
in Georgia and North Carolina"- the second year of a two year,
\$129,221, project to identify factors in two counties (McIntosh, GA,
and Brunswick, NC) that have motivated commercial fishers to leave the
industry and recreational fishers to begin fishing for sport and
leisure. Interviews will be conducted with a total of approximately
5,500 individuals during the two year project. **MARFIN Award**

**NA104NMF4330316**

3\. Development of Methodologies to Accurately Assess the Cumulative
Economic and Social Impacts of Fishery Management Regulations on
Fishermen and Fishing Communities, and to Separate such from the Impacts
of Non-Fishery Management Factors

a\. "Examination of non-fishery factors on the welfare of fishing
communities in the Florida Keys: A focus on the cumulative effects of
trade, economic, energy, and aid policies, macroeconomic (county and
regional) conditions, and coastal development on the Monroe County
commercial fishing industry" - the first year of a two year, \$89,252,
project to determine the cumulative impacts of non-fishery factors on
the welfare of fishing communities in the southeastern U.S., as
exemplified in a case study of commercial fishers in Monroe Count.
**MARFIN Award NA05NMF4331079**

Appendix 1: MARFIN PANEL MEMBERS

Ms. Kay Williams

Gulf of Mexico Commercial Representative

9905 Wire Road

Vancleave, MS 39581

\(228\) 826-2160

FAX (228) 769-6153

hkaywilliams@hotmail.com

Dr. Robert L. Shipp

Gulf of Mexico Recreational Representative

Chair and Professor

Department of Marine Sciences

University of South Alabama

LSCB Room 25

Mobile, AL 36688

\(251\) 460-7357

FAX (251) 460-7357

rshipp@jaguar1.usouthal.edu

Mr. Vernon Minton

Gulf States Representative

Director, Marine Resources Division

AL Dept. of Conservation & Natural Resources

P. O. Drawer 458

Gulf Shores, AL 36547

\(251\) 968-7576

FAX (251) 968-7307

rvminton.amrdgs@gulftel.com

Mr. Larry B. Simpson

Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Representative

Executive Director, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission

2404 Government Street

Ocean Springs, MS 39564

\(228\) 875-5912

FAX (228) 875-6604

1simpson@gsmfc.org

Appendix 1 (CON\'T): MARFIN PANEL MEMBERS

Dr. LaDon Swann

Gulf of Mexico Sea Grant Representative

Director, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium

703 East Beach Drive

Ocean Springs, MS 39564

\(251\) 861-3018 Dauphin Island, AL

\(228\) 818-8843 Ocean Springs, MS

FAX (228) 818-8841

swanndl@auburn.edu

Mr. Wayne Swingle

Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council Representative

Executive Director, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council

3018 U.S. Hwy. 301 N., Suite 1000

Tampa, FL 33619

\(813\) 228-2815

FAX (813) 225-7015

wayne.swingle@gulfcouncil.org

Mr. Mark Marhefka

South Atlantic Commercial Representative

1676 Culpepper Circle

Charleston, SC 29407

\(843\) 571-0228

mmko@knology.net

Mr. Robert Mahood

South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council Representative

Executive Director, South Atlantic Fishery Management Council

1 Southpark Circle, Suite 306

Charleston, SC 29407-4699

\(843\) 571-4366

FAX (843) 769-4520

robert.mahood@safmc.net

Dr. Louis Daniel

South Atlantic States Representative

South Atlantic Fisheries Liaison

3441 Arendell Street

Morehead City, NC 28557

\(252\) 726-7021

FAX (252) 726-0254

Louis.Daniel@ncmail.net

Appendix 1 (CON\'T): MARFIN PANEL MEMBERS

Mr. John Vincent O'Shea

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission Representative

Executive Director, ASMFC

1444 Eye Street, N.W., Sixth Floor

Washington, D. C. 20005

\(202\) 289-6400

FAX (202) 289-6051

voshea@asmfc.org

Dr. Ronald Hodson

South Atlantic Sea Grant Representative

Director, NC Sea Grant College Program

101E 1911 Building

Raleigh, NC 27695-8605

\(919\) 515-2455

FAX (919) 515-7095

ronald_hodson@ncsu.edu

Mr. Damon Tatem

South Atlantic Recreational Representative

505 Copley Drive

Kil Devil Hills, NC 27948

\(252\) 441-6672

FAX (252) 441-5654

damont1@mindspring.com

Dr. Nancy Thompson

Director Southeast Fisheries Science Center

75 Virginia Beach Drive

Miami, FL 33149

\(305\) 361-4284

FAX (305) 361-4515

Nancy.Thompson@noaa.gov

Appendix 2: NMFS SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MARFIN ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

National Marine Fisheries Service

Southeast Regional Office

State/Federal Liaison Branch

263 13^th^ Avenue South

St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

\(727\) 824- 5324

FAX (727) 824-5364

Ellie Francisco Roche

Chief, State/Federal Liaison Branch

Ellie.Roche@noaa.gov

Jeffrey E. Brown

Fisheries Grants Specialist

& Fishery Biologist

Jeff.Brown@noaa.gov

Cynthia T. Binkley

Fisheries Grants Specialist

Cynthia.Binkley@noaa.gov

Robert A. Sadler

Fishery Management Specialist

Robert.Sadler@noaa.gov

Scot B. Plank

Fisheries Grants Specialist

Scot.Plank@noaa.gov

Terri E. Almquist

Secretary

terri.almquist@noaa.gov

Appendix 3

MARFIN Project Summaries

**NA17FF2867**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Technology Transfer of New Turtle Excluder Device
Modifications and Updated Bycatch Reduction Device Information to the
Southeastern Shrimp Industry

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[12 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc.

5401 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 740

Tampa, FL 33609

Phone: (813) 286-8390

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Ms. Judy L. Jamison, Executive Director; 22 years grants administration
experience

Mr. Geoffrey C. Lane, Program Director; 9 years in marine
research/education

**Project Objective:** (a) Provide the shrimping industry with clear
description of new TED regulations; (b) Provide information and
assistance with newly mandated TED modifications;

\(c\) Provide information of new BRD designs and prototype gears; and
(d) Share experiences of fishermen with BRDs and TEDs.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority A (Bycatch) 1 Shrimp Trawl Fisheries
(d) Improved methods for communicating with and improving technology and
information transfer to the shrimping industry.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
This proposal involves the networking of gear specialists throughout the
Southeast. Gear experts from the NMFS Harvesting Branch will collaborate
with the Foundation/Sea Grant specialists to disseminate information on
mandated TED changes and new BRD information. Meetings and workshops
will be conducted from North Carolina to Texas. Comprehensive
educational thrusts will be directed toward TED/BRD technology transfer
through formal and informal workshops as well as individual, one-on-one
assistance.

> Year 1 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$171,000 \$171,000
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$171,000 \$171,000

**NA05NMF4331074**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** A Continuation of Technology Transfer of New Turtle
Excluder Device Modifications and Updated Bycatch Reduction Device
Information to the Southeastern Shrimp Industry

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't Project Period:
[12 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Gulf & South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Inc.

5401 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 740

Tampa, FL 33609

Phone: (813) 286-8390

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Ms. Judy L. Jamison, Executive Director; 23 years grants administration
experience

Mr. David Medici, Program Director; 2 years in marine research/education

**Project Objective:** (a) Provide the shrimping industry with clear
description of new TED regulations; (b) Provide information and
assistance with newly mandated TED modifications;

\(c\) Provide information of new BRD designs and prototype gears; and
(d) Share experiences of fishermen with BRDs and TEDs.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority A (Bycatch) 1 Shrimp Trawl Fisheries
(d) Improved methods for communicating with and improving technology and
information transfer to the shrimping industry.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
This proposal involves the networking of gear specialists throughout the
Southeast. Gear experts from the NMFS Harvesting Branch will collaborate
with the Foundation/Sea Grant specialists to disseminate information on
mandated TED changes and new BRD information. Meetings and workshops
will be conducted from North Carolina to Texas. Comprehensive
educational thrusts will be directed toward TED/BRD technology transfer
through formal and informal workshops as well as individual, one-on-one
assistance.

> Year 1 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$178,614 \$178,614
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$178,614 \$178,614

**NA17FF2010**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Evaluation of the Efficacy of Current Minimum Size
Regulations for Selected Reef Fish Based on Release Mortality and Fish
Physiology

**Project Status/Duration:** New \_\_\_\_\_ Con\'t [X]{.underline}
Project Period: [24 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Karen M. Burns

Program Manager, Fisheries Biology Program

Mote Marine Laboratory

1600 Ken Thompson Parkway

Sarasota, FL 34236

Phone: (941) 388-4441 FAX: (941) 388-4441

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Karen M. Burns is the Principal Investigator of 8 (eight) successfully
completed and 1 (one) recently awarded MARFIN project: as well as the
Principal Investigator of MML\'s Reef Fish

and Coastal Pelagic Tagging Program. She supervised a Master\'s thesis
on red snapper

survival in 1997.

Robin Overstreet has worked before with Karen Burns, on a MARFIN Cobia
Stock Assessment Study in the Gulf of Mexico and in the South Atlantic,
Award No. NA57FF0294. He directs the \"Parasitology Department\" at
USM\'s College of Marine Sciences, which includes three graduate
students, several technicians, and others. His program deals with red
snapper and is part of a cooperative program with MML (NA006FL0501), as
well as a USDA funded U.S. Marine Shrimp Farming Program
(98-38808-6019).

**Project Objectives:** 1) To test the hypothesis that red grouper are
more susceptible to death-induced mortality than red snapper based not
only on swim bladder size and thickness, but also on the amount of
bundles of rete mirabile and gas gland cells in the swimbladder; 2) To
test the hypothesis that smaller red grouper (\<12 in. \[30.5 cm\])
survive rapid decompression better than larger (\>15 in. \[38 cm\]) red
grouper because of changes in swimbladder structures with size (between
12 - 15 in. \[30.5 - 38 cm\]); 3) To obtain catch and release mortality
rates relative to depth and gear for red grouper, gag, red snapper,
vermilion snapper and mangrove snapper; 4) To obtain movement and
migration patterns for red grouper, gag, red snapper, and mangrove
snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to Which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority A (Bycatch) 3 Reef fish fisheries; B
(Reef Fish) l Collection of basic biological data and 2 Population
assessment of reef fish; and C (Red Snapper Research) 1 Red snapper
bycatch and 2 Red snapper population assessment.

## NA17FF2010

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY (CON'T)**

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**

1\. Collect red snapper and red grouper swimbladders over available size
range especially 12 in. (30.5cm) - 15 in. (38cm) for histological
analyses of the development of secretory structure.

2\. Tag red grouper and red snapper especially 12 in. (30.5cm) - 15 in.
(38cm) to evaluate survival from depth with development of swimbladder
secretory structures.

3\. Tag red grouper, red snapper, gag, mangrove, and vermilion snapper
to obtain release mortality by depth and to obtain growth, movement, and
migration data.

4\. Double tag target species for tag shedding rates.

5\. Evaluate circle hook captured red snapper survival by depth.

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$167,481 \$192,323 \$359,804
>
> Non-Federal \$ 66,211 \$ 67,641 \$133,852
>
> Total \$233,692 \$259,964 \$493,656

**NA17FF2012**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Estimating Discard Rate and Release Mortality of Red
Snapper in Texas Fisheries

**Project Status/Duration:** New \_\_\_\_\_ Con\'t [X]{.underline}
Project Period: [36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Dr. Sandra Diamond

Department of Biology

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX 79409

Phone: (806) 742-1999

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. Sandra Diamond has conducted research on bycatch issues, primarily
in shrimp trawl and gill net fisheries, for over 15 years. In the
mid-1980s, she ran the onboard observer program and participated as an
observer in the pelagic drift net fishery in California. She is
currently a member of the RFSAP and the SSC for the Gulf Council.

Dr. Quenton Dokken, co-PI, has over 20 years experience in the study and
research of marine fish ecology and fisheries in Texas. Currently his
work is focused on the ecosystem dynamics of natural and artificial
reefs in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico and the socioeconomics of Texas
fisheries. He has been the lead in working with offshore oil/gas
producers to allow scientists to conduct marine research on platforms.

**Project Objective:** 1) To estimate delayed release mortality of red
snapper under controlled conditions. 2) To find physiological
indicators, of delayed release mortality using blood samples from caught
fish. 3) To estimate discard rate and delayed release mortality in
commercial and recreational fisheries using the indicators from the
controlled study. 4) To tag released fish to estimate recapture rate by
the fisheries. 5) To relate discard rate to year class strength using
SEAMAP data.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to Which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority C (Red Snapper Research) 1 Red snapper
bycatch, 2 Red snapper population assessment, and 3 Management of red
snapper.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**

Red snapper, the most economically important reef fish in the Gulf of
Mexico, has been classified as over fished since 1984. Since then
managers have regulated the directed fisheries using size and bag
limits, closed seasons, and trip and seasonal quotas. The use of these
measures assumes that either fishermen can avoid catching illegal fish
or that catch-and-release does not contribute significantly to fishing
mortality, but these assumptions may not be valid. We propose to conduct
a study of release mortality under controlled field conditions to
estimate the delayed release mortality with different capture depths and
water temperatures using red snapper caught with hook and line and
suspended from oil platforms, and to investigate the use of
physiological indicators of stress (plasma cortisol, lactate, and
osmolality) to estimate delayed release mortality. We will also spend
two years riding aboard commercial and recreational fishing boats to
obtain better estimates of discard rates, to use the physiological
indicators to estimate delayed release

**NA17FF2012**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY(CON'T)**

mortality in the field, and to conduct a tagging study to look at
recapture rates over the season and between years. We will also look for
a predictor of discard rate by relating discard rate in the fisheries to
year class strength. If we can relate physiological measurements taken
soon after capture to immediate and delayed release mortality, then we
will be able to obtain much better estimates of release mortality to use
in the stock assessment. Even if physiological indicators cannot be
correlated with delayed release mortality, this study will provide data
on discard rates and release mortality from the fisheries that can be
used by the Gulf Council and NMFS to improve the red snapper stock
assessment and help design management strategies to more effectively
rebuild the overfished red snapper stock. If successful, these
indicators may also be useful for other reef fish, such as red grouper.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding**:

> Federal \$151,412 \$ 99,027 \$103,805 \$354,244
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$151,412 \$ 99,027 \$103,805 \$354,244

**NA17FF2870**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Validation of Ages for Species of the Deepwater
Snapper/Grouper Complex Off the Coast of the Southeastern United States

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[24 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Patrick J. Harris

Marine Resources Research Institute

PO Box 12559

Charleston, SC 29422-2559

Phone: (843) 953-9058

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Patrick J. Harris, Ph.D.; Associate Marine Scientist, SCDNR; experience
with life history studies and project management.

**Project Objective:** The primary goal of the proposed research is to
validate increment counts from otolith sections of tilefish
(*Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps*), snowy grouper (*Epinephelus*
*niveatus*), blackbelly rosefish (*Helicolenus dactylopterus*), blueline
tilefish (*Caulotilus microps*) and wreckfish (*Polyprion americanus*)
off the southeastern United States using accelerator mass spectrometry
analysis of delta ^14^C present in otoliths.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority B (Reef Fish) 1 Collection of basic
biological data for species in commercially and recreationally important
fisheries (a) Age and growth of Reef fish and (b) Reproduction studies
of reef fish.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
Age and growth studies have been performed for a number of deepwater
species in the snapper/grouper complex of the South Atlantic Bight.
However, increments on these otoliths are typically extremely difficult
to interpret, and most studies are published without any validation of
the periodicity of increment formation. Validation of increment counts
as an estimate of age is critical if any age-structured management is
used for a species. Marginal increment analyses were performed for snowy
grouper and blackbelly rosefish; however, the sample sizes used for each
were rather low (248 for snowy grouper and 294 for blackbelly rosefish).
No validation was attempted for the remaining three species. Radiocarbon
has been utilized as a tool to validate the ages of long-lived species
that were hatched during 1950-1970, when the activity of ^14^C in the
world\'s oceans doubled due to atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons.
We will analyze thirty otolith sections each of tilefish (*Lopholatilus
chamaeleonticeps*), snowy grouper (*Epinephelus* *niveatus*), blackbelly
rosefish (*Helicolenus dactylopterus*), blueline tilefish (*Caulotilus
microps*), and wreckfish (*Polyprion americanus*) obtained from an
archive of otoliths maintained by MARMAP to validate ages obtained by
counting increments from the same otoliths. By validating ages based on
increment counts, this study will allow for species in this complex
(many of which are over fished) to be managed using current
age-structured models.

**NA17FF2870**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY (CON'T)**

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 27,848 \$ 41,615 \$ 69,463
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$ 27,848 \$ 41,615 \$ 69,463

## 

## NA05NMF4331069

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Industry Based Data Collections in the Reef Fish
Fishery, Gulf of Mexico

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_ Project
Period: [14 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Eric A. Schmidt

Madeira Marine Services

13417 Gulf Lane

Madeira Beach, FL 33708

Phone: (239) 437-1630

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Robert Spaeth are members of the Gulf Council's Reef
Fish Advisory Panel and have extensive experience in commercial fishing
in the Gulf of Mexico.

**Project Objective:** The objective of the project is to increase
observer coverage on commercial fishing vessels in the eastern Gulf of
Mexico to record catch composition, bycatch, and discard mortality.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority A (Bycatch) 3 Reef fish fisheries.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects include progress to date)**
The project will hire observers, train them in data collection protocol,
undergo NMFS safety training, turtle interaction, and tagging
procedures. The project will create a database of fishing vessels to
place observers on, and will randomly select both longline, and bandit
gear type vessels. The project intends to observer 24 longline trips and
48 bandit fishing trips. Bycatch observations will be given to NMFS for
analysis. Tagging data on undersized gag will be provided to Mote Marine
Laboratory.

Year 1 Total

**Project Funding:**

Federal \$317,625 \$317,625

Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0

Total \$317,625 \$317,625

**NA05NMF4331071**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Age, Growth and Sexual Maturity of Greater Amberjack
in the Gulf of Mexico

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_\_
Project Period: [24 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant;**

> Debra J. Murie

University of Florida

Division of Sponsored Programs

219 Grinter Hall

P. O. Box 115500

Gainesville, FL 32611-5500

Phone: (352) 392-9617 ext 245

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. Debra J. Murie has over 20 years experience, specializing in
population dynamics focused on age and growth.

Dr. Daryl C. Parkyn has 18 years experience specializing in movement
patterns and age and growth.

**Project Objective:** The primary objective of the project is to
determine the age and growth, and age and size of sexual maturity of
greater amberjack (*Seriola dumerili*) in the Gulf of Mexico.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority B (Reef Fish) 1 (a) Age and growth of
reef fish and (b) Reproduction studies of reef fish.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
The project will resolve difficulties in aging greater amberjack in the
Gulf of Mexico by establishing aging criteria based on sectioned
otoliths. It will provide age estimates for all otoliths that have been
collected by several agencies since 1998. It will compare aging criteria
for greater amberjack using fin rays and sectioned otoliths to test for
differences in precision between the two methods and assess the
different aging methods as to their feasibility in production style
aging for future stock assessments. The project will determine age and
size at sexual maturity of greater amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico
through targeted collections during the spawning season. Also, it will
provide age-length keys, age and growth models, and sexual maturity
models to the NMFS in a format compatible for use in stock assessments
of greater amberjack in the Gulf of Mexico.

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 67,737 \$ 67,048 \$134,785
>
> Non-Federal \$ 31,550 \$ 32,496 \$ 64,046
>
> Total \$ 99,287 \$ 99,544 \$198,831

**NA17FF2008**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Stock Structure of Red Porgy, *Pagrus pagrus*, in the
North Atlantic

Project Status/Duration: New \_\_\_\_\_\_ Con't [X]{.underline} Project
Period: [36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Dr. Amy O. Ball

Marine Resources Research Institute

SC Department of Natural Resources

PO Box 12559

Charleston, SC 29422-2559

Phone: (843) 953-9300

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Amy O. Ball, Ph.D.; Research Biologist, SCDNR; extensive research
experience with genetic stock identification and project management.

George R. Sedberry, Ph.D.; Senior Marine Scientist, SCDNR; extensive
fisheries and stock identification research; experience with project
management.

Robert W. Chapman, Ph.D.; Associate Marine Scientist, SCDNR; extensive
molecular and population genetics experience; experience with project
management.

**Project Objective:** To determine stock identification in red porgy by
examining variation in mtDNA and nuclear microsatellites. To define
fishery management units based on genetic stock structure, life history
characteristics, and jurisdiction. To determine the effects of fishing
on the population, biology, and management of red porgy in the South
Atlantic Bight and Gulf of Mexico.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to Which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority B (Reef Fish) 1 Collection of basic
biological data for species in commercially and recreationally important
fisheries and 2 Population assessment of reef fish.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**

The red porgy, *Pagrus pagrus,* is a protogynous sparid that is of
commercial and recreational importance throughout its range. The species
is found in the North and South Atlantic Oceans; however, it is unknown
if there are separate stocks within the range. Off the southeastern
United States (South Atlantic Bight (SAB)), sustained heavy fishing
pressure over two decades has resulted in a severely overfished
population that has a smaller size at age, maturation (females), and
sexual transition in the 1990\'s than during the late 1970\'s. This has
resulted in closures of the fishery in the southeast Atlantic; however,
the Gulf of Mexico fishery has not been subjected to such drastic
measures and the stock appears to be in better condition in the Gulf. In
the eastern Atlantic, red porgy populations have recently experienced a
resurgence, with increased abundance and larger size. A year class of
very large fish occurred in 1998 and this presumed year class had not
been previously observed in the fishery. We propose to use molecular
techniques to determine if there are distinct stocks of red porgy in the
Gulf of Mexico and SAB, and to determine the relationship of these
stocks to the eastern North Atlantic and South Atlantic Ocean.

**NA17FF2008**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY (CON'T)**

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 83,544 \$100,216 \$ 96,332 \$280,092
>
> Non-Federal \$ 16,006 \$ 16,006 \$ 16,006 \$ 48,018
>
> Total \$ 99,550 \$116,222 \$112,338 \$328,110

**NA17FF2875**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Stable Isotopes as Tracers of Patterns in Habitat
Utilization by Juvenile

Red Snapper

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[12 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

James H. Cowan, Jr.

Coastal Fisheries Institute

Louisiana State University

Baton Rouge, LA 70803-7503

Phone: (225) 578-9400

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

James H. Cowan, Jr. has 15 years of experience conducting research on
fish life history, trophic dynamics and bioenergetics.

Richard F. Shaw has 25 years of experience conducting research on
recruitment issues concerning the early life stages of fishes.

**Project Objective:** The primary objective of this one-year study is
to determine if juvenile red snapper tissues differ in isotopic
composition at endpoints in their purported patterns of habitat
utilization, i.e., between settlement from the plankton and later
recruitment to reefs, due to associated dietary shifts in response to
changes in habitat-specific food web structure.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to priority C (Red Snapper Research) 2 Red snapper
population assessment.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
We propose to use stable isotopic composition of red snapper tissues as
chemical tracers of food web dynamics and dietary shifts. We infer that
if different habitats on which juvenile red snapper are found provide
differences in feeding opportunities, these differences should be
detectable in their tissues. In this preliminary one-year study, we
propose to collect juvenile red snapper from three primary habitats:
open sand bottom, low-relief shell rubble reefs, and artificial reefs.
We will determine if the stable isotopic composition of same-sized
(age-0 or age-1) juvenile red snapper, as well as their gut contents,
differ among these habitats, thus indicating habitat-specific dietary
shifts in response to differences in food web structure.

> Year 1 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 44,823 \$ 44,823
>
> Non-Federal \$ 32,103 \$ 32,103
>
> Total \$ 76,926 \$ 76,926

**NA05NMF4331076**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Using Microsatellite DNA Analysis to Identify Sources
of Recruitment for Florida's Spiny Lobster (*Panulirus argus*) Stock

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_\_
Project Period: [24 Months]{.underline}

**[Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:]{.underline}**

John H. Hunt

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

2796 Overseas Hwy., Suite 119

Marathon, FL 33050

\(727\) 896-8626

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

John H. Hunt has 23 years of experience conducting research on spiny
lobster.

William Sharp has 13 years of experience conducting research on spiny
lobster.

Dr. Michael Tringali has 15 years of research experience in molecular
and marine population genetics.

Dr. Rodney D. Bertelsen has more than 13 years experience conducting
research on spiny lobster.

**Project Objective:** The goal of the project is to acquire information
on the stock structure and sources of recruitment to the Florida fishery
for spiny lobster.

**Specific Priority(ies) to which Project Responds:** The project
responds to Priority B (Reef Fish and other Fishery Resources Associated
with Reef Environments) 1 (d) 4 Stock structure of spiny lobster
populations using various methods, including tagging and genetic
studies.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, including progress to
date)** The project will collect tissue samples from adult and
postlarval *Panulirus argus* from throughout Florida and the Caribbean.
The samples will be used to identify the sources of recruitment to the
Florida spiny lobster fishery. Also the project will compare the genetic
structure of recently recruited postlarval lobster in the Florida Keys
with the local adult population to examine whether or not there are
genetically-based differences in post-settlement survival

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$74,889 \$44,959 \$119,848
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$74,889 \$44,959 \$119,848

## NA05NMF4331081

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Meta-Population Stock Assessment Methods
Incorporating Climatic and Ecosystem Effects for the Florida Spiny
Lobster Fishery

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_\_
Project Period: [12 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Nelson Ehrhardt

Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

University of Miami

4600 Rickenbacker Causeway

Miami, 33149

\(305\) 361-4741

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. Nelson Ehrhardt has extensive experience in population dynamics,
stock assessment modeling and fishery management science.

Dr. Robert Muller has conducted numerous assessments for species managed
by Florida.

**Project Objective:** The primary objective is to develop a stock
assessment algorithm to include environmental variables in stock
recruitment prediction. The project will work on the spiny lobster and
red snapper fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority B (Reef Fish and Other Fishery
Resources Associated with Reef Environments) 2 and Priority C (Red
Snapper Research) 2 Red snapper population assessment.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
The project will develop a state-of-art meta-population stock assessment
to use in assessments of the Florida spiny lobster fishery. The
algorithm will include a recruitment-parent stock dynamic function that
iteratively consider regional (Caribbean-wide) climate and ecosystem
variables that are responsible for up to 80% of the landing variance in
the Florida fisheries.

> Year 1 Total

**Project Funding**

> Federal \$74,521 \$74,521
>
> Non-Federal \$ 5, 421 \$ 5,421
>
> Total \$79,942 \$79,942

## NA05NMF4331075

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Development of DNA Microsatellites for Genetic
Applications in Greater Amberjack (*Seriola dumerili*) and other
Amberjacks of Genus *Seriola*

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_\_
Project Period: [19 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

> John R. Gold

Texas A&M Research Foundation

3578 TAMU

College Station, TX 77843-3578

\(979\) 847-8778

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. John R. Gold has over 30 years experience in fish genetics including
development of genetic markers.

**Project Objectives:** The primary objective is to develop 25-30
polymorphic microsatellite DNA markers that are specific for greater
amberjack (*Seriola dumerili*) and other amberjacks of genus *Seriola*
and that can be utilized in stock-structure analysis, estimates of
locality-specific effective population size and of genetic migration
among localities and species identification.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to priority B (Reef Fish) 1 (c) \[source and
estimation of recruitment for greater amberjack\]; 1 (d) \[stock
structure, including migration patterns of greater amberjack\]; 2 (d)
\[development of valid (fishery-independent) indices of greater
amberjack abundance\], and 3 (a) \[research in direct support of
management of reef fish, specifically amberjacks of genus *Seriola*\].

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
The project will:

1\) construct a genomic library of greater amberjack nuclear DNA; 2)
screen the genomic library with oligonucleotide probes and sequence
300-500 candidate microsatellites (clones); 3) evaluate suitability of
flanking regions of candidate microsatellites as primers for PCR
amplification, optimize PCR procedures for candidate microsatellites,
and assess experimental tractability and suitability of individual
candidates for genetic applications; and 4) test suitability of PCR
primers to amplify microsatellites in other amberjacks of genus
*Seriola*, including lesser amberjack, almaco jack and banded
rudderfish.

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$64,729 \$36,985 \$101,714
>
> Non-Federal \$15,085 \$ 8,679 \$ 23,764
>
> Total \$79,814 \$45,664 \$125,478

**NA17FF2878**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Can Marine Protected Areas Conserve Genetic Diversity
in Tomtate, Haemulon Aurolineatum, and French Grunt, H. Flavolineatum?

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Robert W. Chapman

SC Department of Natural Resources

217 Ft. Johnson Road

Charleston, SC 29412

Phone: (843) 953-9071

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

R. W. Chapman, extensive experience in genetic analysis of reef species

G. R. Sedberry, extensive experience in reef fish biology and ecology

B. Luckhurst, extensive experience in reef fish biology and management

**Project Objective:** 1) Assess levels of genetic variation within and
among populations of tomtate and French grunt in the western Atlantic
using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA loci;

2\) Determine levels of genetic exchange among populations using
standard population genetics tools; and 3) Evaluate the degree of
population isolation in light of the requirements of current ecological
models evaluating the impact of MPAs.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority B (Reef fish) 3 (b) Evaluation of the
use of marine reserves as an alternative or supplement to current
fishery management practices and measures for reef fish.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
In this proposal we outline a program of research aimed at examining the
level of genetic differentiation among populations of tomtate and French
grunt in the southeastern US, the Gulf of Mexico, Trinidad, the
Caribbean and Bermuda. The effective number of migrants per generation
will be estimated based upon molecular data as a means of evaluation
dispersal and thus potential benefits of MPAs, with respect to these
species and the ecosystems in which they reside. The effort is not aimed
at a complete survey of these species throughout their range. Rather we
propose to assess the levels of genetic exchange among these areas and
relate these findings to current model predictions on the benefits of
MPAs. We have selected tomtate and French grunt because they are
abundant members of hard bottom communities along the southeastern U.S.,
substantial research has shown their ecological importance to these
systems, and they are related to white grunt (H. plumber) and, thus, may
demonstrate a similar pattern differentiation.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 93,000 \$103,242 \$ 85,647 \$281,889
>
> Non-Federal \$ 16,120 \$ 16,120 \$ 16,120 \$ 48,360
>
> Total \$109,120 \$119,362 \$101,767 \$330,249

**NA17FF2881**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Geographic Comparison of Age, Growth, Reproduction,
Movement and Survival of Red Snapper Off the State of Florida

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Karen M. Burns

Program Manager Fisheries Biology Program

Mote Marine Laboratory

1600 Ken Thompson Parkway

Sarasota, FL 34236

Phone: (941) 388-4441

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Karen M. Burns is the Principal Investigator of nine (9) successfully
completed, one (1) on-going and one (1) recently awarded MARFIN
projects.

Nancy Brown-Peterson has worked with both Karen Burns and Robin
Overstreet on the reproductive biology portion of a MARFIN Cobia Stock
Assessment Study in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic (award No.
NA57FF0294). She has 20 years experience with histology and reproductive
biology and has supervised and helped teach undergraduate and graduate
students histological techniques and slide interpretation.

Robin Overstreet, Ph.D. has worked before with Karen Burns, on a MARFIN
Cobia Stock Assessment Study in the Gulf of Mexico and in the South
Atlantic, Award Number NA57FF0294. He directs the \"Parasitology
Department\" at USM\'s College of Marine Sciences, which includes three
graduate students, several technicians, and others. His program deals
with red snapper and is part of a cooperative program with MML
(NA006FL0501), as well as a USDA funded U.S. Marine Shrimp Farming
Program (98-38808-6019).

**Project Objective:** 1) To test the hypothesis that red snapper will
survive depth induced mortality, 2) To obtain life history information
including age and growth and reproductive data for red snapper off the
southwest and northeast coast of Florida and compare these data with
those from the northern Gulf of Mexico, 3) To test the hypothesis that
circle hooks will greatly reduce release mortality in red snapper, 4) To
obtain catch and release mortality rates relative to depth and gear for
red snapper, 5) To determine tag shedding rates and effects on growth
and survival for fish tagged with single barbed dart tags in red
snapper, 6) To obtain movement and migration patterns for red snapper in
the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic, and 7) To monitor the movement
patterns of wild red snapper as compared to those obtained by Gulf of
Mexico Marine Stock Enhancement Program (GMSEP) for cultured red snapper
stocked off Southwest Florida.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority A (Bycatch) 3 Reef fish fisheries (b)
Characterization and assessment of the impact of bycatch of undersized
target species, including release mortality, during\...etc. and Priority
C

(Red Snapper Research) 1) Red snapper bycatch, 2) Red snapper population
assessment, and

3\) Management of red snapper.

**NA17FF2881**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY (CON'T)**

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
The project will

1\) Collect red snapper otoliths and gonads over available size range
for age/growth and reproductive studies, 2) Tag red snapper from the
northeast and southwest coast of Florida

and the northern Gulf of Mexico to evaluate survival from depth by gear
type, 3) Tag red

grouper, red snapper, gag, mangrove, and vermilion snapper to obtain
release mortality by depth and to obtain release mortality by depth and
to obtain release mortality by depth and to obtain growth, movement, and
migration data, 4) Double tag red snapper for tag shedding rates, and

5\) Evaluate circle hook captured red snapper survival by depth and gear
type.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$197,633 \$206,143 \$219,385 \$623,161
>
> Non-Federal \$ 64,629 \$ 67,636 \$ 69,787 \$202,052
>
> Total \$262,262 \$273,779 \$289,172 \$825,213

**NA05NMF4331070**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** The Effect of Light and Hydraulic Regime on the
Behavior and Swimming Ability of Dark Adapted Red Snapper, *Lutjanus
campechanus*: Its Application to Bycatch Reduction

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_ Project
Period: [36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Glenn R. Parsons

Biology Department

The University of Mississippi

Shoemaker Hall Room 113

University, MS 38677

Phone: (662) 915-7479

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. Glenn R. Parsons: Has 25 years experience in fisheries research and
has published 40 scientific publications.

**Project Objective:** The project objective is to examine various
aspects of red snapper behavior that will be used to construct an
effective bycatch reduction device.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority A (Bycatch) 1 Shrimp trawl studies (c)
Identification, development, and evaluation of gear, non-gear, and
tactical fishing options to reduce bycatch.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
Red snapper are negatively phototactic. This project will explore the
effects of illumination on snapper behavior. In addition, the project
will examine how snapper respond to flow quality as well as investigate
the optomotor response. The work will be closely coordinated with NMFS
personnel.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 97,774 \$ 90,274 \$108,964 \$297,011
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$ 97,774 \$ 90,274 \$108,964 \$297,011

**NA05NMF4331072**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Estimation of the Source of Red Snapper Recruits to
West Florida and South Texas with Otolith Chemistry: Implications for
Stock Structure and Management

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_ Project
Period: [36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant**

William Patterson

The University of West Florida

11000 University Parkway

Pensacola, Florida 32514-5750

Phone: (850) 857-6123

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. William F. Patterson: Has five years of experience conducting
research on red snapper settlement.

Dr. James H. Cowan, Jr.: Has over 15 years of experience conducting
research on fish life history, trophic dynamics and bioenergetics.

**Project Objective:** The primary objective is to estimate the sources
of recruits to recovering red snapper populations on the west coast of
Florida and southeast Texas continental shelves with natural tags
derived from otolith elemental and stable isotope signatures. The
project will also estimate the sources of recruits to shelf areas in the
northwestern Gulf off Louisiana and the north central Gulf off
Alabama/Mississippi.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to priorities B (Reef Fish) l (b) Reproduction
studies of reef fish and Priority C (Red Snapper Research) 2 Red snapper
population assessment and 3 Management of red snapper.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
The project will

1\) determine natural tags of age-0 red snapper nursery regions (n = 4
in U.S. Gulf and 2 in Mexican waters) for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 year
classes based on otolith elemental and stable isotope chemistry; 2)
estimate time-specific and cohort-specific post-settlement movement of
sub-adult and adult red snapper based on chemical analysis of otolith
cores of sub-adult and adult fish collected from four regions in the
U.S. Gulf in summer 2005, 2006 and 2007; and 3) draw inferences about
population structure from estimated post-settlement movement and mixing
dynamics.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$108,216 \$114,110 \$139,499 \$361,825
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$108,216 \$114,110 \$139,499 \$361,825

**NA05NMF4331082**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Determination of the Limiting Effect of Currents on
Distribution of Red Snapper

Populations in the Gulf of Mexico

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_\_
Project Period: [24 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

> Harriet Perry

The University of Southern Mississippi

118 College Drive \# 5157

Hattiesburg, MS 39406

\(228\) 872-4218

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Harriet Perry has 36 years experience in fisheries science including the
study of larval fishes.

Dr. Donald Johnson has extensive experience in the collection, analysis
and modeling of ocean currents, and in the application of advective
processes to fisheries problems.

**Project Objective:** The primary objective of the project is to
examine circulation-induced recruitment variability in red snapper
populations and to evaluate the potential for reestablishment of red
snapper populations in depleted areas by naturally occurring larval
transport processes.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority C (Red Snapper Research) 2 Red snapper
population assessment. The project addresses the habitat and limiting
factors for important red snapper populations in the Gulf of Mexico.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
Patterns of red snapper larval dispersal in the Gulf of Mexico will be
determined using archived SEAMAP ichthyoplankton data and NMFS spawning
location data together with fields of observed and modeled (data
assimilated) currents. Initial research efforts will focus on assembling
and preparing archived current data, validating current fields, and
examining the dispersion of Alarvae@ from selected locations to
determine geographic dispersion scales and retention potential and flux
of larvae to adjacent areas. Subsequent modeling of the advective
processes will provide the means to assess the influence of
oceanographic events on larval distribution

and recruitment.

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 97,864 \$ 95,624 \$193,488
>
> Non-Federal \$16,441 \$16,065 \$ 32,506
>
> Total \$114,305 \$111,689 \$225,994

**NA17FF2865**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Linking Spatial-Temporal Population Size Structures
and Fishing Effort Dynamics to Assess the Effectiveness of Minimum Size
for Red Snapper Management

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[24 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

University of Miami

Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science

4600 Rickenbacker Causeway

Miami, FL 33149

Phone: (305) 361-4741

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. Nelson Ehrhardt. Population dynamics and stock assessment modeling,
fishery management science and quantitative methods applied to fishery
analysis. MSc. in Fisheries and Ph.D. in Marine Population Dynamics and
Economics.

Dr. David Die. Research Associate Professor. Fishery management and fish
stock assessment. Extensive and current experience in red snapper
assessments and red snapper ecology.

**Project Objective:** 1) Develop a size structured spatial
yield-per-recruit model to assess minimum size options for red snapper;
2) Compile temporal-spatial databases of red snapper population size
structures and fishing effort; and 3) Risk assessment research on
effectiveness of minimum size implementation as an effective management
tool for recuperating the Gulf of Mexico red snapper fishery.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority C (Red Snapper Research) 3 Management
of red snapper (a) Characterization and evaluation of biological impacts
(e.g., changes in age or size structure of red snapper populations in
response to management strategies) and (b) Research to evaluate the use
of minimum size limits as management tool in the red snapper fishery.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
This project will develop a state-of-art size-structures
yield-per-recruit model to use in an assessment of the effectiveness of
minimum size as a viable red snapper management option. Risk assessments
will be performed with the new model by using probability distributions
regarding the uncertainty of key components of the framework. The
effects of risks will also be evaluated regarding reference point
estimation used in red snapper stock assessments.

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 83,434 \$ 87,709 \$171,143
>
> Non-Federal \$ 17,354 \$ 18,243 \$ 35,597
>
> Total \$100,788 \$105,952 \$206,740

**NA17FF2882**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Fishery and Population Characteristics of Wahoo,
*Acanthocybium solandri*, in Florida and Adjacent Waters of the Western
North Atlantic Ocean

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Florida Marine Research Institute

100 Eighth Avenue Southeast

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Phone: (727) 896-8626

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Richard S. McBride (Ph.D.) and Michael D. Murphy (M.S.) have 30-plus
combined years of research experience; and 30-plus peer-review
publications on fish biology, life history, and fishery research.

**Project Objective:** This proposed research will: 1) characterize the
landings, effort, and value of Florida's wahoo fishery; 2) assess
impacts of bag limits on total catch and landings of wahoo; 3) produce
age-length keys and growth models for wahoo using validated aging
methods; 4) describe wahoo size and age at maturity and spawning
seasonality; 5) estimate wahoo fecundity and spawning frequency; and 6)
synthesize Florida's fisheries information and life history parameters
with other regions in the western North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, and
Gulf of Mexico.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority D (Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fisheries)
2 Fishery-independent methods of assessing stock abundance of wahoo.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
In this new project, we will summarize the available fishery data for
wahoo, complete a bag limit analysis, and synthesize new and published
information about wahoo life history. The fishery databases to be
examined are: the Florida Marine Fisheries Information System, the Trip
Interview Program, and the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics
Survey. Wahoo will be collected throughout the year from various fishing
ports along Florida's east coast. Fish sizes will be related to fish sex
and age, to investigate growth patterns and longevity. Various aging
methods will be screened and the most successful will be used for
routing aging. Fecundity will be estimated from weighed sub-samples of
oocytes in final maturation, and spawning frequency will be estimated
from post-ovulatory follicles observed in histological preparations.
Reproductive seasonality and size/age at maturity will be characterized
from gonad-somatic indices and patterns of gametogenesis revealed in
histological preparations.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 57,056 \$ 61,278 \$ 64,367 \$182,701
>
> Non-Federal \$ 16,429 \$ 16,488 \$ 16,780 \$ 49,697
>
> Total \$ 73,485 \$ 77,766 \$ 81,147 \$232,398

**NA05NMF4331078**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Size and Age Structure and Catch and Release
Mortality of Sub-adult and Adult Red Drum in the Tampa Bay Estuary and
Nearshore Gulf of Mexico Waters

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_ Project
Period: [36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

100 Eighth Avenue SE

St. Petersburg, FL 33701-5020

Phone: (727) 896-8626 ext 2052

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. Theodore S. Switzer has experience in oceanography and experimental
statistics.

Mr. Michael Murphy has 22 years experience on life history and
population dynamics research on Florida fishes.

**Project Objective:** The primary objective of the project is to
describe the size and age structure of sub-adult and adult red drum
populations in the Tampa Bay estuary and surrounding nearshore Gulf of
Mexico waters. The project will track recruitment of early life stages
of red drum into the sub-adult and adult populations.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority E (Groundfish and Estuarine Fishes) 1
Red drum and Priority F (Essential Fish Habitat) 6 Develop information
on recruitment of estuarine-dependent early life stages into coastal and
nearshore adult populations.

**Statement of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to
date)** The project will sample sub-adult and adult red drum in the
Tampa Bay estuary. A spotter plane will be used to locate red drum in
nearshore waters. Approximately 1,000 fish will be sampled each year for
length, weight, age and sex. Otoliths will be used to age fish. Red drum
will be tagged and held in floating pens for 48 hours to determine
initial tagging and discard mortality. Mark and recapture experiments
will be used to track recruitment of early life stages into sub-adult
and adult populations.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$132,050 \$133,309 \$133,934 \$399,302
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$132,050 \$133,309 \$133,934 \$399,302

**NA17FF2885**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Atlantic Croaker, *Micropogonias undulatus*, Along
the Middle Atlantic Coast and Southeast Coast of the United States

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Dr. Charles A. Wenner

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

PO Box 12559

Charleston, SC 29422

Phone: (843) 953-9232

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Charles Wenner - MA, Ph.D. in Marine Science from College of William and
Mary (VIMS); 30-plus years experience in fisheries including research
surveys; age, growth, reproduction; and former member of several ASMFC
Technical Committees including red drum, spotted seatrout, weakfish, and
Atlantic croaker.

**Project Objective:** To provide pertinent new information on the
biology of Atlantic croaker along the east coast of the United States
for future stock assessments of this valuable resource.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
The project responds to Priority E (Groundfish and Estuarine Fishes) 2
Life history and stock structure for croaker in the Gulf and South
Atlantic.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
The proposed project will: 1) Re-evaluate the interpretation of
transverse sections of sagittal otoliths for age determination; 2) Host
a workshop directed at aging problems of Atlantic croaker; 3) Calculate
growth equations from the resulting size-at-age data; 4) Update maturity
schedules throughout the region; 5) Generate cohort-specific indices of
abundance of Atlantic croaker caught during the NMFS Albatross IV fall
groundfish survey cruises for the Atuning@ of age-structured population
models; 6) Examine the parasitic fauna of Atlantic croaker along the
east coast of the United States to determine if there are latitudinal
differences in the species composition that may be compared to the
findings of genetic analysis; 7) Provide a final report summarizing our
findings; 8) Distribute all data sets to the Atlantic croaker Technical
Committee of the ASMFC for subsequent inclusion in future assessments;
and 9) Make available age data sets from resource surveys to NMFS at
Woods Hole, MA.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 72,262 \$ 74,540 \$ 76,930 \$223,732
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$ 72,262 \$ 74,540 \$ 76,930 \$223,732

**NA17FF2874**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** GIS Analysis of Fishery-Dependent Data in Relation to
Definition of Essential Fish Habitat, Habitat Areas of Particular
Concern, and Marine Protected Areas in the South Atlantic Bight

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[24 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

George R. Sedberry

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

PO Box 12559

Charleston, SC 29422

Phone: (843) 953-9814

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. George R. Sedberry has 22 years research experience in South
Atlantic Bight (fish,

fisheries, and GIS).

Philip Weinbach has over 5 years research experience with GIS analysis
of SAB ecosystems.

**Project Objective:** Format existing MARMAP fishery-independent trawl,
trap, longline, hydrographic, and ichthyoplankton data into an ACCESS
database that can be incorporated into a GIS; integrate with existing
SEAMAP bottom mapping database to relate fish distribution with habitat
type and hydrographic parameters; perform spatial analyses to determine
the relationships among distribution of larval, juvenile, adult and
spawning fish with bottom and hydrographic features; and incorporate GIS
and database into a web-based framework made available to more
effectively plan future mapping, exploration, and management in the
South Atlantic Bight.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority B (Reef Fish and Other Fishery
Resources Associated with Reef Environments) 3

Management of reef fish and Priority F (Essential Fish Habitat) 4
Develop GIS mapping protocols and tools to allow the presentation of
EFH, HAPC, fishery distribution information, and other relevant data for
the southeastern United States.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**

Data from several sources will be used to examine spatial trends in
abundance, biomass, diversity and distribution of fishes of the
continental shelf and upper slope from about Cape Hatteras, NC, to West
Palm Beach, FL. A GIS will be developed by expanding an existing
database built on MARMAP fishery-independent trawl data. The GIS will
examine historical and current databases for areas that might be
considered Essential Fish Habitat, Habitat Areas of Particular Concern,
and Marine Protected Areas. Data to be incorporated include region-wide
fishery-independent trawl surveys (1973-1987), region-wide fish trap
surveys (1978-2002), ichthyoplankton surveys (1973-2002), data on
reproductive biology of reef fishes compiled by the MARMAP program, and
SST and color satellite imagery. GIS analysis will be aimed at mapping
areas of high abundance, biomass and diversity, by determining locations
that are above the mean value of these parameters for the region. In
addition, the GIS will provide maps of distribution and

**NA17FF2874**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY (CON'T)**

relative abundance of priority reef fish species (e.g. snappers,
groupers), and locations where spawning has been documented. The MARMAP
ichthyoplankton database will be examined for spatial and temporal
patterns in occurrence of larvae of priority reef fishes, which will
indicate spawning and/or recruitment areas. Data layers will also
include dominant oceanographic features of the region, which will be
described in relation to fish distribution. The GIS will be built upon
existing MARMAP GIS and SEAMAP bottom mapping efforts. Data layers and
metadata will be incorporated to allow investigators to examine species
composition, habitat quality and other data that exist for SEAMAP
habitat cells. The GIS product will be made available on CD-ROM, and
incorporated into the OPIS on-line interactive GIS at the NOAA Coastal
Services Center in Charleston. Results will be compared to potential MPA
sites being considered by the SAFMC. While potential MPA sites have been
chosen by the SAFMC with specific fishery management criteria for reef
fishes in mind, preliminary spatial analysis of MARMAP trawl have
indicated that additional analyses of existing data are needed and that
GIS protocols should be developed with consideration of EFH, HAPC, and
MPAs in mind.

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 95,000 \$ 98,786 \$193,786
>
> Non-Federal \$ 16,112 \$ 16,112 \$ 32,224
>
> Total \$111,112 \$114,898 \$226,010

## NA05NMF4331077

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** The Effects of Lobster Traps on Coral Communities in
the Florida Keys

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_ Project
Period: [12 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Thomas R. Mathews

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

2796 Overseas Hwy., Suite 119

Marathon, FL 33050

Phone: (305) 289-2330

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Thomas R. Mathews has 15 years experience conducting research and
providing management advice concerning the Caribbean spiny lobster
fishery.

**Project Objective:** The goal of the project is to address the
ecological sustainability of coral communities with current trap fishing
practices in the spiny lobster fishery. The short-term objectives
include: 1) determine the impact of lobster traps on coral communities,
and

2\) determine if the cumulative effects of trap fishing have altered the
distribution and

composition of corals in areas with different trap densities.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to priority F (Essential Fish Habitat) 1 Determine
the effects of fishing gears (e.g., trawls and traps) and practices
(e.g., gear retrieval and anchoring) on EFH, and 4 Develop GIS mapping
protocols and tools to allow the presentation of EFH, HAPC, fishery
distribution information, and other relevant data for the southeastern
United States, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

**Statement of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to
date)** The project will conduct a study of trap movement during storm
events and examine the diversity and colony size of corals in relation
to the number of traps that were fished in different areas over the last
ten years. The study will develop GIS mapping protocols to plot the
distribution of traps from fishing effort data and examine the
relationship to coral diversity and colony size. Additional GIS mapping
protocols will be developed to plot the distribution of commercial
diving for lobster.

> Year 1 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$57,935 \$57,935
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$57,935 \$57,935

## NA05NMF4331080

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Studies on Dolphin (*Coryphaena hippurus*) and
greater amberjack (*Seriola dumerili*) in the northcentral Gulf of
Mexico: Early life history and recruitment of larvae and young juveniles
to pelagic *Sargassum* Habitat.

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_\_
Project Period: [24 months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Bruce H. Comyns

Department of Coastal Sciences

The University of Southern Mississippi

118 College Drive #5157

Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001

Phone: (228) 872-4267

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. Bruce H. Comyns has 22 years of experience working with larval and
young juvenile marine fishes and has published numerous articles on age,
growth, and taxonomy of young fishes.

Dr. Eric Hoffmayer has extensive experience with the diversity and
abundance of pelagic species associated with *Sargassum* habitat.

James S. Franks has over 30 years of experience working with marine
species and has numerous publications.

**Project Objective:** The project objectives include: 1) develop
taxonomic characters to distinguish the larvae of greater amberjack from
three other species of *Seriola* in the northern Gulf; 2) develop an
understanding of recruitment of larval and juvenile dolphin and greater
amberjack to *Sargassum* habitat; 3) determine relative abundance and
age of larval and juvenile dolphin and greater amberjack collected from
isolated clumps and large accumulations of pelagic *Sargassum* habitat;
and 4) compare the age and growth of larval and juvenile dolphin and
greater amberjack collected from isolated clumps and large accumulations
of pelagic *Sargassum* habitat.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This work responds to priority F (Essential Fish Habitat) 2 Develop
scientific data to allow the identification and refinement, as
appropriate, of EFH designation for the various life stages of Federally
managed species.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
The project will

develop taxonomic characters to identify larval greater amberjack. It
will also provide information on the life history of dolphin and greater
amberjack and develop an understanding of recruitment processes of these
two species to pelagic Sargassum habitat in the north central Gulf.

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$109,715 \$112,330 \$222,045
>
> Non-Federal \$ 30,529 \$ 31,513 \$ 62,042
>
> Total \$140,244 \$143,843 \$284,087

**NA05NMF4331073**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Distribution of Bottom Habitat Information in the
Gulf of Mexico

**Project Status/Duration:** New [X]{.underline} Con't \_\_\_\_ Project
Period: [36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

> Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission

P. O. Box 726

Ocean Springs, MS 39556-0726

\(228\) 875-5912

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Mr. Jeffrey K. Rester is the SEAMAP Program Coordinator and has seven
years experience in habitat and SEAMAP activities.

**Project Objective:** The objective of the project is to create and
distribute a digital spatial database of bottom habitats on the
continental shelf and slope from the Texas/Mexico border to the southern
tip of Florida. The database will be created from the recovery,
interpretation, and integrations of existing data for the region. The
data will be organized spatially in ArcGIS format and will be available
via printed document, CD-ROM, and on the web.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to priority F (Essential Fish Habitat) 4 Develop
geographic information system (GIS) mapping protocols and tools to allow
the presentation of EFH, HAPC, fishery distribution information, and
other relevant data for the southeastern United States, including Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
The project will develop guidelines and protocols for including data. A
contractor will build and maintain a searchable database containing all
pertinent data sets. A GIS contractor will be hired to standardize,
convert, and grid all collected data. The GIS contractor will also begin
to develop Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) compliant metadata
for all data used in the project. GIS layers will be produced and
contain bottom-type information along with other data such as gear-type,
depth, and relief. Related information such as study name, principal
investigator, contact information, etc., will be stored in linked data
tables. FGDC compliant metadata will be delivered in HTML and SGML
format. A summary report, in printed and CD-ROM formats will be
produced.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$96,660 \$86,360 \$27,601 \$210,621
>
> Non-Federal \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0 \$ 0
>
> Total \$96,660 \$86,360 \$27,601 \$210,621

**NA17FF2868**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** An Intertemporal and Spatially Dynamic Supply Model
of the Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Fleet for Use in Management and Bycatch
Reduction

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[36 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Board of Supervisors

Louisiana State University & Agricultural and Mechanical College

Office of Sponsored Programs

330 Thomas Boyd Hall

Baton Rouge, LA 70803-2701

Phone: (225) 578-3386

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Dr. Walter R. Keithly, Jr., Associate Professor, School of the Coast &
Environment.

Dr. Richard Kazmierczak, Jr., Associate Professor, Department of
Agricultural Economics.

**Project Objective:** The overall purpose of this study is threefold:
(1) to develop defensible parameter estimates that can assist in
explaining changes in the behavior of shrimp fishermen in relation to
economic stimuli and/or potential management measure; (2) to develop
more defensible measures of effort and bycatch; and (3) to use these
parameter estimates to forecast levels of bycatch at a temporal and
spatial scale.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority G (Economic and Sociocultural Studies)
2 Development of economic incentives and other innovative alternatives,
including bycatch quotas, to gear and season/area restrictions as ways
to reduce bycatch.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
Secondary data, including the NMFS Vessel Operating Unit File and the
NMFS Shrimp Landings File, will be used to accomplish the objectives set
forth in this three-year research proposal. Specifically, the changes in
the behavior of Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishermen in response to economic
stimuli and management measures will first be derived using
microeconomic and econometric considerations. These parameter estimates
derived from this analysis will then be used to develop a joint
production function that will allow one to examine expected changes in
bycatch in relation to the changes in behavior of shrimp fishermen due
to changes in economic stimuli or management measures.

> Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 94,970 \$106,274 \$ 85,989 \$287,233
>
> Non-Federal \$ 42,745 \$ 43,558 \$ 42,098 \$128,401
>
> Total \$137,715 \$149,832 \$128,087 \$415,634

**NA04NMF4330316**

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Factors Affecting Participation in Marine Fisheries:
Case Studies in Georgia

and North Carolina

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[24 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address, and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.

621 Boyd Graduate Studies Research Center

Athens, GA 30602

Phone: (706) 542-5939

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Benjamin G. Blount, Professor of Anthropology (Ph.D. 1969), has
conducted research for six years on the Georgia coast investigating
marine fisheries and fishers' perceptions of environmental issues.

**Project Objective:** To identify the factors in two counties
(McIntosh, GA, and Brunswick, NC) that have motivated commercial fishers
to leave the industry and recreational fishers to begin fishing for
sport and leisure

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This project responds to Priority G (Economic and Sociocultural Studies)
11. Examination of the motivational causes that determine fishing
behavior.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**

First Year: interviews with commercial and recreational fishers in
McIntosh Co; preparation of survey form for recreational fishers; and
mail to 1,500 individuals. Analysis of data.

Second Year: interviews with commercial and recreational fishers in
Brunswick Co., NC; and preparation and mailing of survey form for
recreational fishers to 4,000 individuals. Analysis of data. Preparation
of report.

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$ 61,560 \$ 67,661 \$129,221
>
> Non-Federal \$ 30,656 \$ 31,658 \$ 62,314
>
> Total \$ 92,216 \$ 99,319 \$191,535

## NA05NMF4331079

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY**

**Project Title:** Examination of Non-Fishery Factors in the Welfare of
Fishing Communities in the Florida Keys: A Focus on the Cumulative
Effects of Trade, Economic, Energy, and Aid Policies, Macroeconomic
(County and Regional) Conditions, and Coastal Development on the Monroe
County Commercial Fishing Industry

**Project Status/Duration:** New Con't [X]{.underline} Project Period:
[24 Months]{.underline}

**Name, Address and Telephone Number of Applicant:**

Manoj P. Shiviani

Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

University of Miami

4600 Rickenbacker Causeway

Miami, FL 33149

Phone: (305) 361-4608

**Principal Investigator(s) and Brief Statement of Qualifications:**

Mr. Manoj Shivlani has experience in fishery management, policy
analysis, and marine protected areas. He also has experience with
non-fishery impacts on fishery management.

**Project Objective:**

The primary goal of the project is to determine the cumulative impacts
of non-fishery factors on the welfare of fishing communities in the
Southeastern U.S., as exemplified in a case study of commercial
fisheries in Monroe County. A secondary goal is to evaluate the impacts
of non-fishing factors as they relate to opposing or complementary
conditions, such as scalar (or size) comparisons between the fishing
community and the larger community in which the former is nested. A
final tertiary goal is to verify whether different fisheries (and hence
different fishing communities) respond equally to non-fishing factors.

**Specific Priority(ies) in Solicitation to which Project Responds:**
This work responds to Priority G (Economic and Sociocultural Studies)
15. Development of methodologies to accurately assess the cumulative
economic and social impacts of fishery management regulations on
fishermen and fishing communities, and to separate such from the impacts
of non-fishery management factors.

**Summary of Work: (For continuing projects, include progress to date)**
The project will develop a matrix model comprised of three interacting
components: site characteristics, fisheries and fishing communities, and
non-fishery factors. With the data gathered and results obtained for
each component, it shall be possible to determine how changes (of scale
or impact, among other modifications) in one component may affect the
other components. In effect, the matrix shall incorporate a dynamic
model that can be used to determine shifts occurring at the fishery and
fishing community level that are precipitated as a consequence of
non-fishery fluctuations and/or changes in site characteristics. The
predictive power of such a matrix model extends beyond the Florida Keys
case study, as it may, with area-specific modifications to matrix
components, be used to evaluate similar impacts in other regions in the
southeastern U.S. and elsewhere.

## NA05NMF4331079

**MARFIN PROJECT SUMMARY (CON'T)**

> Year 1 Year 2 Total

**Project Funding:**

> Federal \$34,855 \$36,546 \$71,401
>
> Non-Federal \$ 8,714 \$ 9,137 \$17,851
>
> Total \$43,569 \$45,683 \$89,252

Appendix 4

MARFIN PUBLICATIONS

AND REPORTS

MARFIN PUBLICATIONS

Ball, A.O., M.G. Beal, R.W. Chapman, G.R. Sedberry, (2006) Population
structure of red porgy, *Pagrus pagrus*, in the Atlantic Ocean. 
Accepted with revisions by Marine Biology.

Ball, A.O., G.R. Sedberry, M.S. Zatcoff, R.W. Chapman and J.L. Carlin

> 2000\. Population structure of the wreckfish *Polyprion americanus*
> determined with microsatellite genetic markers. Mar. Biol. 137: 1077 -
> 1090.

Ball, A.O., G.R. Sedberry, J.H. Wessel III and R. W. Chapman

> 2003\. Large-scale genetic differentiation of *Pagrus pagrus* in the
> Atlantic. J. Fish Biol. 62: 1232-1237.

Bertelsen, R.D. and C. Cox

> 2001\. Sanctuary roles in population and reproductive dynamics of
> Caribbean spiny lobster. Spatial Processes and Management of Marine
> Populations Alaska Sea Grant College Program. AK-SG-01-02: 591-605.

Bertelsen, R.D. and T.R. Mathews

> 2001\. Fecundity dynamics of female spiny lobster (*Panulirus argus*)
> in a south Florida fishery and Dry Tortugas National Park lobster
> sanctuary. Mar. Freshwater Res. 52:
>
> 1559-1565.

Broughton, R.E., L.B. Stewart and J.R. Gold

> 2002\. Microsatellite loci reveal substantial gene flow between king
> mackerel (*Scomberomorus cavalla*) in the western Atlantic Ocean and
> Gulf of Mexico. Fisheries Research 54: 305 - 316.

Brown-Peterson, N. J., R.M. Overstreet, J.M. Lotz, J.S. Franks and K.M.
Burns

> 2001\. Reproductive biology of cobia, *Rachycentron canadum,* from
> coastal waters of the southern United States. Fish. Bull. 99: 15-28.

Chapman, R.W., G.R. Sedberry, C.C. Koenig and B.M. Eleby

> 1999\. Stock identification of gag, *Mycteroperca microlepis*, along
> the southeast coast of the United States. Mar. Biotechnol. 1: 137-146.

Chapman, R.W., G.R. Sedberry, J.C. McGovern and B.A. Wiley

> 1999\. The genetic consequences of reproductive variance: studies of
> species with different longevities, In Musick, J.A. (ed.) Life in the
> slow lane: Ecology and conservation of long-lived marine animals. Am.
> Fish. Soc. Symposium 23: 169-181.

MARFIN PUBLICATIONS (CON'T)

Coleman, F.C., C.C. Koenig, G.R. Huntsman, J.A. Music, A.M. Eklund, J.C.
McGovern, R. W. Chapman, G.R. Sedberry and C.B. Grimes

> 2000\. American Fisheries Society Position Statement:Long-lived reef
> fishes: The grouper-snapper complex. Fisheries. 25(3): 14-21.

Diamond, S. L.

> 2003\. Estimation of shrimp trawl bycatch: comparing methods using
> field and simulated data. Fish. Bull. 101: 484-500.

Fischer, A.J., C.A. Wilson and D. L. Nieland

> 2001\. Age and growth of red snapper *Lutjanus campechanus* in the
> northwestern Gulf of Mexico: Implications to the unit stock
> hypothesis. Proc. of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 53:
> 496-506.

Gillig, D., R. T. Woodward, T. Ozuna, Jr. and W. L. Griffin

> 2003\. Joint estimation of revealed and stated preference data: An
> application to recreational red snapper valuation. Agricultural and
> Resources Economics Review: 32: 209-221.

Gold, J.R. and L.R. Richardson

> 1999\. Population structure of two species targeted for marine stock
> enhancement in the Gulf of Mexico. Bull. of National Research
> Institute of Aquaculture, Supplement 1: 75-83.

Gold, J.R., E. Pak and L.R. Richardson

> 2001\. Microsatellite variation among red snapper (*Lutjanus
> campechanus*) from the Gulf of Mexico. Marine Biotechnology 3:
> 293-304.

Gold, J.R. E. Pak and D.A. DeVries

> 2002\. Population structure of king mackerel (*Scomberomorus cavalla*)
> around peninsular Florida, as revealed by microsatellite DNA. Fish.
> Bull 100: 491-509.

Gold, J.R. and C.P. Burridge

> 2004 Historical population dynamics of red snapper (*Lutjanus
> campechanus*) in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Texas Journal of Science
> 56: 157-170.

Heist, E. J. and J. R. Gold

> 1999\. Microsatellite DNA variation in sandbar sharks (*Carcharhinus
> plumbeus*) from the Gulf of Mexico and mid-Atlantic Bight. Copeia:
> 182-186.

MARFIN PUBLICATIONS (CON'T)

Heist, E.J. and J.R. Gold

> 2000\. DNA microsatellite loci and genetic structure of red snapper
> (*Lutjanus campechanus*) in the Gulf of Mexico. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc.
> 129: 469 - 475.

Hoffmayer, E.R. and G.R. Parsons

> 2001\. The physiological response to capture and handling stress in
> the Atlantic sharpnose shark, *Rhizoprionodon terraenovae*:
> description of the secondary stress response. Fish Physiology and
> Biochemistry 25(4): 277 -285.

Hoffmayer, E.R. and G.R. Parsons

> 2003\. Food habits of three shark species from the northern Gulf of
> Mexico. Southeastern Naturalist 2(2): 271 -280.

Koenig, C., F. Coleman, C. Grimes, G. Fitzhugh, K. Scanlon, C. Gledhill
and M. Grace

> 2000\. Protection of fish spawning habitat for the conservation of
> warm temperate reef fish fisheries of shelf-edge reefs of Florida.
> Bull. Marine Science 66(3): 593-616.

Matthews, T.R. and M.F. Larkin

> 2002\. Fishing effort and resource allocation in the Florida stone
> crab (*Menippe*) fishery. Proc. Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute
> 53: 83-99.

McBride, R., M. Johnson, L. Bullock and F. Stengard

> 2001\. Preliminary observations on the sexual development of hogfish,
> *Lachnolaimus maximus* (Pisces: Labridae). Proc. Gulf & Caribbean
> Fisheries Institute 52: 98-102.

McBride, R. S. and J.R. Styer

> 2002\. Species composition, catch rates, and size structure of fishes
> captured in the south Florida lampara net fishery. Mar. Fish. Rev.
> 64(1):21-27.

McBride, R.S. and M.D. Murphy

> 2003\. Current and potential yield per recruit of hogfish,
> *Lachnolaimus maximus*, in Florida. Proc. Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries
> Institute 54: 513-525.

McBride, R.S, J.R. Styer and R. Hudson

> 2003\. Spawning cycles and habitats for ballyhoo (*Hemiramphus
> brasiliensis*) and balao (*H. balao*) in south Florida. Fish. Bull.
> 101: 583-589.

MARFIN PUBLICATIONS (CON'T)

McDonough, C.J. and C.A. Wenner

> 2003\. Growth, recruitment and abundance of juvenile striped mullet
> (*Mugil cephalus*) in South Carolina estuaries. Fish. Bull. 101: 343 -
> 357.

McDonough, C. J., W.A. Roumillat and C. A. Wenner

> 2003\. Fecundity and spawning season of striped mullet (*Mugil
> cephalus L*.) in South Carolina estuaries. Fish. Bull. 101: 822 - 834.

Murphy, M.D. and R. E. Crabtree

> 2001\. Changes in the age structure of nearshore adult red drum off
> west-central Florida related to recruitment and fishing mortality. N.
> Am. J. of Fish. Mgt. 21: 671 - 678.

Musick, J.A., M.M. Harbin, S.A. Berkeley, G.H. Burgess, A.M. Eklund, L.
Findley, R.G. Gilmore, J.T. Golden, D.S. Ha, G.R. Huntsman, J.C.
McGovern, S.J. Parker, S.G. Poss, E. Sala, T.W. Schmidt, G.R. Sedberry,
H. Weeks and S. G. Wright

> 2000\. Marine, estuarine, and diadromous fish stocks at risk of
> extinction in North American (exclusive of Pacific salmonids).
> Fisheries 25(11): 6-30.

Nieland, D.L. and C.A. Wilson

> 2003\. Red snapper recruitment to and disappearance from oil and gas
> platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico. American Fisheries Society
> Symposium 36: 73-81.

Patterson, W.F. III, J.H. Cowan, Jr., E.Y. Graham and W. B. Lyones

> 1998\. Otolith microchemical fingerprints of age-0 red snapper,
> *Lutjanus campechanus*, from the northern Gulf of Mexico. Gulf of
> Marine Science 16(1): 83-91.

Patterson, W.F. III, J. H. Cowan, Jr., C.A. Wilson and N. Julien

> 2001\. Discriminating between age-0 red snapper, *Lutjanus
> campechanus*, nursery areas in the northern Gulf of Mexico using
> otolith microchemistry. GCFI:52: 74 - 86.

Saillant, E., T.A. Mousseau and J.R. Gold

> 2003\. Genetic variation and relatedness of juvenile red snapper
> (*Lutjanus campechanus*) sampled from shrimp trawls in the northern
> Gulf of Mexico. Trans. Am. Fish. Soc. 132: 1229 -1235.

Scanlon, K.M., C.C. Koenig, F.C. Coleman and M.W. Miller

> 2003\. Importance of geology to fisheries management: examples from
> the northeastern Gulf of Mexico, p 95-99 In: D. Stanley and A.
> Scarborough-Bull (eds). [Fisheries, Reefs and Offshore
> Development.]{.underline} Am. Fish. Soc. Symposium 36.

MARFIN PUBLICATIONS (CON'T)

Sedberry, G.R., C.A.P. Andrade, J.L. Carlin, R.W. Chapman, B.E.
Luckhurst, C.S. Manooch III, G. Menezes, B. Thomsen and G.F. Ulrich

> 1999\. Wreckfish *Polyprion americanus* in the North Atlantic:
> fisheries, biology, and management of a widely distributed and
> long-lived fish, In Musick, J.A. (ed.), Life in the slow lane: Ecology
> and conservation of long-lived marine animals. Am. Fish. Soc.
> Symposium 23: 27-50.

Sedberry, G.R., editor

> 2001\. Island in the stream: oceanography and fisheries of the
> Charleston Bump. Am. Fish. Soc., Symposium 25. Bethesda, Maryland. 244
> pp.

Sedberry, G.R., J.C. McGovern and O. Pashuk

> 2001\. The Charleston Bump: an island of essential fish habitat in the
> Gulf Stream. Pages 3-24, In G.R. Sedberry, editor. Island in the
> stream: oceanography and fisheries of the Charleston Bump. Am. Fish.
> Soc., Symposium 25, Bethesda, Maryland.

Sedberry, G.R.

> 2002\. Polyprionidae: wreckfishes (giant sea basses). Pages 1297-1298,
> In K.E. Carpenter, editor. The living marine resources of the western
> central Atlantic. Volume 2. Bony fishes part 1 (Ascipenseridae to
> Grammatidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes,
> Am. Soc. Of Ichthyologists and Herpetologist Special Publication 5.
> Rome

Strelcheck, A.J., G.R. Fitzhugh, F.C. Coleman and C.C. Koenig

> 2003\. Otolith-fish size relationship in juvenile gag grouper
> (*Mycteroperca microlepis*) of the eastern Gulf of Mexico: a
> comparison of growth rates between laboratory and field populations.
> Fishery Research 60: 255-265.

Weaver, D.C. and G.R. Sedberry

> 2001\. Trophic subsidies at the Charleston Bump: food web structure of
> reef fishes of the continental slope of the southeastern United
> States. Pages 137-152, In G.R. Sedberry, editor. Island in the stream:
> oceanography and fisheries of the Charleston Bump. Am. Fish. Soc.,
> Symposium 25, Bethesda, Maryland

Wilson, C.A. and D. L. Nieland

> 2001\. Age and growth of red snapper, *Lutjanus campechanus*, from the
> northern Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana. Fish. Bull. 99: 653-664.

MARFIN PUBLICATIONS (CON'T)

Wilson, R.R., Jr. and K. M. Burns

2002. Conservation management of undersized bycatch in the
      grouper-snapper fishery of the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Bull.
      Southern Calif. Academy of Sciences: 102(2): Supplement (Abstracts
      of Papers): Abstract #7, p. 15.

Woodward, R.T., W. Griffin, D. Gillig and T. Ozuna

> 2001\. The welfare impacts of unanticipated trip limitations in travel
> costs models. Land Economics 77: 327-338.

Woodward, R.T. and W. L. Griffin

> 2003\. A theoretical and empirical analysis of size and bag limits in
> recreational fisheries. Marine Resource Economics.18: 235-245.

Woodward, R.T., Yong-suhk Wui and W. L. Griffin

> 2005\. Living with the curse of dimensionality: Closed-loop
> optimization in large-scale fisheries simulation model. American J. of
> Agricultural Economics 87: 48-60.

Woodward, R.T., Yong-suhk Wui and W. L. Griffin

> 2005\. DPSim Modelling: Dynamic optimization in large scale simulation
> models. In Applications of simulation methods in environmental and
> resource economics, Anna Alberini and Riccardo Scarpa, Editors,
> Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

Zatcoff MS, A.O. Ball, G.R. Sedberry, (2004) Population genetic analysis
of red grouper (*Epinephelus morio*) and scamp (*Mycteroperca phenax*)
from the southeastern U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Mar. Biol. 144:
769-777 DOI: 710.1007/s00227-00003-01236-z

MARFIN PRESENTATIONS AT PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES

Ball, Amy O. and M. G. Beal

> 2004\. Levels of population differentiation of *Pagrus pagrus*
> throughout the Atlantic Ocean determined with microsatellite and mtDNA
> genetic markers. Oral presentation. Am. Fish. Soc. Annual Meeting,
> August 21-26, 2004, Madison, Wisconsin.

Beal, Marion G. and A. O. Ball

> 2004\. Population differentiation of red porgy, *Pagrus pagrus,* in
> the Atlantic Ocean examined using mtDNA sequence data. Joint Meeting:
> American Fisheries Society, South Carolina Chapter and South Carolina
> Fishery Workers Association, February 2-3, 2004, Georgetown, South
> Carolina.

Beal, Marion G., A. O. Ball and P. Harris

> 2004\. Stability of genetic diversity and heterozygosity in *Pagrus
> pagrus* from South Carolina over three decades. Poster presentation.
> Am. Fish. Soc. Annual Meeting, August 21-26, 2004, Madison, Wisconsin.

Burgos, J., P.J. Harris, G.R. Sedberry and D.M. Wyanski

> 2000\. Life history of red grouper (*Epinephelus morio)* off the North
> and South Carolina coast. Symposium on Biology and Management of Reef
> fishes. Southern Division Am. Fish. Soc.

Burns, K.M. and V. R. Restrepo

> 2002\. Survival of reef fish after rapid depressurization: Field and
> laboratory studies. Pages 148-151 In J.A. Lucy and A.L. Stuholme,
> editors. Catch and release in marine recreational fisheries. Am. Fish.
> Soc., Symposium 30, Bethesda, Maryland.

Chapman, R. W. and G.R. Sedberry

> 2000\. Genetic studies of white grunt, *Haemulon plumber*, indicate
> restricted gene flow and deep phylogeographic divergence between
> Caribbean, Trinidadian and Atlantic coast populations. Symposium on
> Biology and Management of Reef fishes. Southern Division Am. Fish.
> Soc.

Chapman, R.W., D.E. Stevenson, M. Zatcoff and G.R. Sedberry

> 2000\. Genetic variation in aggregating and non-aggregating groupers:
> evidence of sex-ratio effects? 80^th^ Annual Meeting Am. Soc. Of
> Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

MARFIN PRESENTATIONS AT PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES (CON'T)

Johnson, M., L. Bullock and R. McBride

> 1999\. Fishery and biological data for hogfish, *Lachnolaimus
> maximus*, in Florida. Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries
> Society. 19th Annual Meeting. Brooksville, Florida, March 9‑11.
> (Presented by M. Johnson)

Johnson, M., L. Bullock, F. Stengard and R. McBride

> 1999\. Sexual development of hogfish, *Lachnolaimus maximus*, an
> exploited wrasse in
>
> Florida. 52nd Annual meeting of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries
> Institute.
>
> Key West, Florida, 1‑5 November. (Poster).

Koenig, C.C., F.C. Coleman, R.W. Chapman, M.R. Collins, P. Harris, J.
McGovern, G.R. Sedberry and D.M. Wyanski

> 2000\. The effects of shelf-edge fishing on the demographics of the
> gag, *Mycteroperca microlepis*, population of the southeastern United
> States. Symposium on Biology and Management of Reef fishes. Southern
> Division of Am. Fish. Soc.

Maki, K., R. McBride and M. Murphy

> 2004\. Biology of wahoo in Florida and the Bahamas. Annual meeting of
> the American Fisheries Society. Madison, Wisconsin, August 22-26.
> (Poster presented by K. Maki).

Maxwell, K. E, C. D. and T. Mathews

> 2004\. Evaluating the effect of marine reserves on populations of
> spiny lobster (*Panulirus argus*) using neurolipofuscin as a measure
> of animal age. Poster at 2004 Benthic Society.

McBride, R.

> 2000\. Gametogenesis, spawning, embryogenesis, larval development, and
> maturation of hogfish (Labridae: *Lachnolaimus maximus*). Symposium on
> fish embryology and larval development. Annual meeting of the American
> Fisheries Society ‑ Early Life History Section. Gulf Shores, Alabama,
> November 6‑10.

McBride, R, M. Johnson, L. Bullock and F. Stengard

> 2000\. Sexual development of hogfish, *Lachnolaimus maximus*, an
> exploited wrasse in
>
> Florida. Annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society ‑ Early Life
> History Section. Gulf Shores, Albama, November 6‑10. (Poster).

McBride, R.S. and M. D. Murphy

> 2001\. Age and growth of hogfish, *Lachnolaimus maximus*, in relation
> to harvested fish sizes and minimum size limits. 54th Annual meeting
> of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. Providenciales, Turks
> and Caicos Island, B.W.I. 12‑17 November.

MARFIN PRESENTATIONS AT PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES (CON'T)

McBride, R.S. and M.D. Murphy

> 2002\. Current and Potential Yield Per Recruit for Hogfish,
> *Lachnolaimus maximus*, in Florida. Florida Chapter of the American
> Fisheries Society. 21th Annual Meeting. Brooksville, Florida, February
> 12‑14. (Presented by M.D. Murphy).

McBride, R.S. and K.L. Maki

> 2003\. Wahoo (Scombridae: *Acanthocybium solandri*) larvae in the Gulf
> of Mexico SEAMAP collections. 27th Annual Larval Fish Conference.
> Santa Cruz, California.

McBride, R. S., P. E. Thurman, L.H. Bullock and M. R. Johnson

> 2004\. Effects of size and age truncation on hogfish (*Lachnolaimus
> maximus*) egg output in Florida. Twenty-eighth Annual Larval Fish
> Conference. Clemson, South Carolina,
>
> May 23-26.

McBride, R. S.

> 2004\. Biology and management of hogfish, *Lachnolaimus maximus*.
> Annual meeting of the American Fisheries Society. Madison, Wisconsin,
> August 22-26.

McGovern, J.C., G.R. Sedberry and E.L. Wenner

> 2003\. The role of fishery-independent monitoring surveys in assessing
> the status of stocks along the southeastern U.S. Southeast Coastal
> Ocean Science (SECOS) Conference and Workshop, Charleston, South
> Carolina (presented by JCM).

Ralph, C. and G. R. Sedberry

> 2004\. Fish assemblages of deep reef habitats off the southeastern
> U.S.: implications for management. S. C. Marine Educators Assoc.
> Ridgeland, South Carolina.

Rowe, J. J. and G. R. Sedberry

> 2004\. Integrating GIS with fishery survey historical data: a possible
> tool for designing marine protected areas. Gulf Carib. Fish. Inst.

Schobernd, Z. and G. R. Sedberry

> 2004\. Species assemblages, distribution and abundance of serranids in
> the South Atlantic Bight, 1973-2003. S. C. Marine Educators Assoc.
> Ridgeland, South Carolina.

Sedberry, G.R.

1999. An overview of the Charleston Bump. Charleston Bump Colloquium,

> Charleston, South Caorlina.

MARFIN PRESENTATIONS AT PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES (CON'T)

Sedberry, G.R.

> 2000\. Biology and management of reef fishes: introductory remarks.
> Symposium on Biology and Management of Reef fishes. Southern Division
> of Am. Fish. Soc.

Sedberry, G. R.

> 2004\. The MARFIN GIS Project. The Nature Conservancy Mid/South
> Atlantic (Carolinian) Marine Ecoregional Assessment Experts Review
> Workshop, Charleston,
>
> South Carolina.

Sedberry, G. R.

> 2004\. A summary of past, present and future research efforts on the
> Charleston Bump (EFH-HAPC). SAFMC, Joint Coral and Habitat Advisory
> Panel meeting, Charleston,
>
> South Carolina.

Sedberry, G. R.

> 2004\. Learning ocean science through ocean exploration: demersal
> fishes and fish habitats of the South Atlantic Bight. NOAA Ocean
> Exploration Workshop, South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, South
> Carolina.

Sedberry, G. R.

> 2004\. Offshore fisheries monitoring and assessment: overview of MRD
> programs. Marine Advisory Committee, SCDNR, Charleston, South
> Carolina.

Sedberry, G.R., A.O. Ball, M.S. Zatcoff and J.L. Carlin

> 1999\. Stock structure in wreckfish, *Polyprion americanus*,
> determined by microsatellite DNA analysis. 79^th^ Annual Meeting of
> the Am. Soc. Of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists.

Sedberry, G.R., J.C. McGovern and C.A. Barans

> 2000\. Deep-reef fish assemblages off the southeastern U.S. Atlantic
> coast, as determined from baited fishing gears and submersible
> observations. 80^th^ Annual Meeting, Am. Soc. Of Ichthyologists and
> Herpetologists.

Sedberry, G.R., A.O. Ball, R.W. Chapman, J.C. McGovern and M.S. Zatcoff.

> 2002\. Connectedness of exploited reef fish faunas of the U.S. South
> Atlantic Bight and northern Gulf of Mexico. 132^nd^ Annual Meeting,
> Am. Fish. Soc.

MARFIN PRESENTATIONS AT PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES (CON'T)

Sedberry, G.R. and J.C. McGovern

> 2003\. The potential of marine protected areas for management and
> conservation of deep reef fishes and associated communities at the
> edge of the Gulf Stream. Southeast Coastal Ocean Science (SECOS)
> Conference and Workshop, Charleston, South Carolina.

Sedberry, G. R., O. Pashuk, D. M. Wyanski, J. A. Stephen and P. Weinbach

> 2004\. Spawning locations for Atlantic reef fishes off the
> southeastern U.S. Gulf Carib. Fish. Inst.

MARFIN PRESENTATIONS AT PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCES (CON'T)

Stephen, J. A., G. R. Sedberry, P. Weinbach, J. K. Loefer and D. M.
Machowski

> 2004\. Analyzing fishery-independent survey data utilizing Access and
> GIS. South Carolina Chapter, Am. Fish. Soc., Georgetown, South
> Carolina.

Sedberry, G. R., H. S. Meister, D. M. Wyanski, J. K. Loefer, S. W. Ross
and K. J. Sulak

> 2004\. Further evidence for the invasion of *Pterois volitans*
> (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae) along the Atlantic coast of the United
> States. S. C. Marine Educators Assoc. Ridgeland,
>
> South Caorlina.

Sedberry, G. R., J. A. Stephen, P. Weinbach, J. K. Loefer and D. J.
Machowski

> 2004\. Using GIS on fishery-independent survey data to develop
> ecosystem-based fishery management. Managing Our Nation's Fisheries:
> Past, Present and Future. NOAA Fisheries, Washington, DC.

Sedberry, G. R., K. R. Swanson, P. Weinbach, J. A. Stephen and G. Long

> 2004\. The Fred Berry fish atlas. S. C. Marine Educators Assoc.
> Ridgeland,
>
> South Carolina.

Wui, Yong-Suhk, R.T. Woodward and W.L. Griffin

> 2000\. An economic analysis of alternative bycatch policies: The case
> of shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. Presented at the meeting of the
> Intern. Inst. Of Fish. Economics and Trade's 2000 meeting,
> Microbehavior & Macroresults, July 10-14, 2000 in Corvallis, Oregon.

Wui, Yong-Suhk, R.T. Woodward and W.L. Griffin

> 2000\. An economic analysis of alternative bycatch policies: The case
> of shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico. Presented at the 2000 annual meeting
> of the AAEA, July 30-August 2 in Tampa, Florida.

MARFIN MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION

Baker, M. Scott, Jr., D. L. Nieland and A. J. Fischer

> In Press. Fate of regulatory discards from the red snapper *Lutjanus
> campechanus* commercial fishery in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Proc.
> Of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 55.

Burgos, J. M., G. R. Sedberry, P. J. Harris and D. M.. Wyanski.

> In preparation. Life history of red grouper (*Epinephelus morio*) off
> the coast of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Fischer, A. J., M. S. Baker, Jr. and C. A. Wilson

> In review. Red snapper (*Lutjanus campechanus*) demographic structure
> in the northern Gulf of Mexico based on spatial patterns in growth
> rates and morphometrics. May 2003.

Fitzhugh, G.R., F.C. Coleman, C.C. Koenig, C.B. Grimes and W.A. Sturges

> In review. Spawning-to-nursery connection for gag (*Mycteroperca
> microlepis*): tests of mechanisms to explain settlement patterns.
> Bull. Marine Science.

Hanson, P.J., C.C. Koenig and V.S. Zdanowicz

> In Press. Elemental composition of otoliths used to trace estuarine
> habitats of juvenile gag (*Mycteroperca microlepis*) along the west
> coast of Florida.. Marine Ecology Progress Series.

Heppell, S.S., S.A. Heppell, F.C. Coleman and C.C. Koenig

> In review. Models to compare management options for a protogynous
> fish. Ecological Applications.

Hoffmayer, E.R., G.R. Parsons and J. Horton

> In review. Seasonal and inter-annual variation in the energetic
> condition of the adult male Atlantic sharpnose shark, *Rhizoprionodon
> terraenovae*, in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
>
> J. of Fish Biology.

Hoffmayer, E.R. and G.R. Parsons

> In prep. Seasonal and ontogenetic changes in the energetic condition
> of the Atlantic sharpnose shark, *Rhizoprionodon terraenovae*, in the
> northern Gulf of Mexico.

Hoffmayer, E.R. and G.R. Parsons

> In prep. Seasonal and ontogenetic differences in the secondary stress
> response in the Atlantic sharpnose shark, *Rhizoprionodon
> terraenovae*, in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

MARFIN MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION (CON'T)

Hoffmayer, E.R. and G.R. Parsons

> In prep. Annual cycles of plasma testosterone concentrations in adult
> male Atlantic sharpnose sharks, *Rhizoprionodon terraenovae*, in the
> northern Gulf of Mexico.

Hoffmayer, E.R., J.H.W. Bartlett and G. R. Parsons

> In review. Seasonal and ontogenetic variation in hematocrit levels in
> the Atlantic sharpnose shark, *Rhizoprionodon terraenovae*, in the
> northern Gulf of Mexico. J. of Fish Biology.

Koenig, C.C., A.N. Shepard, J.K. Reed, F.C. Coleman, K.M. Scanlon and J.
Brusher

> In Press. Habitat and fish populations in the Deep-sea *Oculina* Coral
> Ecosystem of the Western Atlantic. Proc. Benthic Habitat Meetings,
> Tampa, Florida. AFS, ESA, NMFS.

McBride, R.S. and M. Johnson

> Unpubl. ms. Sexual patterns of hogfish, *Lachnolaimus maximus*. For
> Journal of Fish Biology.

McBride, R.S., P. Thurman and L. Bullock

> Unpubl. ms. Geographic differences in age, growth, mortality, and
> reproduction of hogfish,
>
> *Lachnolaimus maximus*, within Florida. For Fishery Bulletin.

McBride, R. S., K. L. Maki and J. De Silva

> In Press. Lessons learned from measuring ageing precision for
> simulated fish populations. Proceedings of the 57^th^ Annual meeting
> of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute.
>
> St. Petersburg, FL, November 8-12.

McGovern, J. C., G. R. Sedberry, H. S. Meister, T. M. Westendorff, D. M.
Wyanski and

P. J. Harris

> In Press. A tag and recapture study of gag, *Mycteroperca microlepis*,
> off the southeastern United States. Bull. Mar. Sci.

Parsons, G.R. and E.R. Hoffmayer

> In press. Seasonal changes in the distribution and availability of the
> Atlantic sharpnose shark *Rhizoprionodon terraenovae* in the north
> central Gulf of Mexico. Copeia.

Parsons, G.R. and E.R. Hoffmayer

> In press. Identification and characterization of shark nursery grounds
> along the Mississippi and Alabama gulf coasts. American Fisheries
> Society Proceedings on Shark Nursery Grounds.

MARFIN MANUSCRIPTS IN PREPARATION (CON'T)

Pruett, C.L., E. Saillant and J.R. Gold

> In Press. Historical population demography of red snapper (*Lutjanus
> campechanus*) from the northern Gulf of Mexico based on analysis of
> sequences of mitochondrial DNA.
>
> Marine Biology.

Rama Sarma Gadepalli, V.S., G.R. Parsons and J. M. Rimaldi

> In review. Improved synthesis of 1-alpha hydroxycorticosterone, the
> primary glucocorticoid in sharks.

Rowe, J. J. and G. R. Sedberry

> In Press. Integrating GIS with fishery survey historical data: a
> possible tool for designing marine protected areas. Proc. Gulf Carib.
> Fish. Inst.

Saillant, E. and J. R. Gold

> In Press. Genetic studies of red snapper (*Lutjanus campechanus*) in
> the northern Gulf of Mexico. Proc. Gulf & Caribbean Research
> Institute.

Scanlon, K.M., F.C. Coleman and C.C. Koenig

> In Press. Pockmarks on the outer shelf in the northern Gulf of Mexico:
> Gas-release features or habitat modifications by fish. Proc. Benthic
> Habitat Meetings, Tampa, Florida. AFS, ESA, NMFS.

Sedberry, G. R., O. Pashuk, D. M. Wyanski, J. A. Stephen and P.
Weinbach.

> In Press. Spawning locations for Atlantic reef fishes off the
> southeastern U.S. Proc. Gulf Carib. Fish. Inst.

Sedberry, G. R., H. S. Meister and P. Weinbach

> In review. Marine protected areas for an invasive species? MPA News.

Woods, M. K., A. J. Fischer, J. H. Cowan, Jr. and D. L. Nieland

> In Press. Size and age at maturity of female red snapper *Lutjanus
> campechanus* in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Proc. Of the Gulf and
> Caribbean Fisheries Institute 54.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT, BUT NOT PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

Burns, Karen

> 2001\. Venting of some bottom fish aids survival. Salt Water
> Sportsman, May 2001: 94-98.

Burns, Karen.

> 2004\. An overview\...Mote Marine Laboratory (MML) and the University
> of Southern Mississippi (USM) MARFIN Funded Reef Fish Survival
> Studies. Reef Fish Survival Studies. Vol. 1-6.

Haggard, A.J.

> 2000\. A study of hematological parameters in coastal sharks of the
> northern Gulf of Mexico. Univ. of Mississippi, 34 p.

Hoffmayer, E.R.

> 2003\. Doctoral Dissertation. Physiological ecology of the Atlantic
> sharpnose shark, *Rhizoprionodon terraenovae*, in the northern Gulf of
> Mexico: Stress response and energetics. Univ. of Mississippi, 207 p.

Legault, C.M., K.M. Burns, V.R. Restrepo, C.E. Porch, M.J. Schirripa and
G. Scott

> 1999\. Trends in red grouper mortality rates estimated from tagging
> data. NMFS Miami Lab. Contr., No. SFD-98/99-57.

McBride, R.S.

> 2001\. Age, growth, and reproduction of hogfish (*Lachnolaimus
> maximus*). Final Report. Marine Fisheries Initiative Grant Program
> (NOAA Award Number NA87FF0422). Prepared for U.S. Department of
> Commerce, NOAA, NMFS, Cooperative Program Division, 9721 Executive
> Center Drive North, St. Petersburg, FL., March 19.

McBride, R., M. Johnson, L. Bullock and F. Stengard

> 2001\. Preliminary observations on the sexual development of hogfish,
> *Lachnolaimus maximus* (Pisces: Labridae). Proceedings of the 52nd
> Annual Meeting of the Gulf and
>
> Caribbean Fisheries Institute. Key West, FL. 1‑5 November 1999. 52:
> 98‑102.

McBride, R. S. and M. D. Murphy

> 2003\. Current and potential yield per recruit for hogfish,
> *Lachnolaimus maximus*, in Florida. Proceedings of the 54th Annual
> Meeting of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. Providenciales,
> Turks and Caicos Islands. 12‑17 November 2001. 54: 513‑525.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT, BUT NOT PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (CON'T)

Parsons, G.R.

> 2002\. Identification of shark nursery grounds along the Mississippi
> and Alabama Gulf coasts. In: McCandless, C.T., H.L. Pratt, Jr. and
> N.E. Kohler (eds). Shark nursery grounds of the Gulf of Mexico and the
> East Coast waters of the United States: an overview. NOAA, Highly
> Migratory Species Office: 183-192.

Sandrene, M.E.

> 2000\. Age and growth of the Atlantic sharpnose shark, *Rhizoprionodon
> terraenovae*, in the Gulf of Mexico. Univ. of Mississippi, 63 p.

Sedberry, G.R.

> 2001\. The role of the ACharleston Bump@ in the life history of
> southeastern marine fishes. South Carolina Marine Educators Assoc.
> Annual Meeting, Mt. Pleasant, SC.

Sedberry, G.R., J.A. Stephen, P.Weinbach, J.K. Loefer and D. J.
Machowski

> 2003\. Using GIS on fishery-independent survey data to develop
> ecosystem-based fishery management. Managing Our Nations's Fisheries:
> Past, Present and Future. NOAA Fisheries, Washington DC. Poster.

Appendix 5

Federal Funding Opportunity (FFO)

**MARINE FISHERIES INITIATIVE PROGRAM (MARFIN) FY 2006**

**FEDERAL FUNDING OPPORTUNITY**

**EXECUTIVE SUMMARY**

**Federal Agency:** National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

**Funding Opportunity:** Subject to the availability of funds, NMFS
(hereafter referred to as "we" or "us") announces the availability of
Federal assistance to award cooperative agreements under the Marine
Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN), for research and development projects in
the Gulf of Mexico and off the U.S. South Atlantic Coastal States. This
announcement provides guideline, evaluation criteria, and selection
procedures for the program.

**Announcement Type:** Initial Announcement

**Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number:** 11.433 Marine
Fisheries Initiative.

**Dates:** We must receive your application by 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight
Time on August 15, 2005. Applications received after that time will not
be considered for funding.

**Contact Information:** Scot Plank, State/Federal Liaison Branch

263 13^th^ Ave South

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Scot.Plank@noaa.gov or (727) 824-5324

**Funding Opportunity Description:** The MARFIN program provides
financial assistance for research and development projects that optimize
the use of fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and off the South Atlantic
states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida involving
the U.S. fishing industry (recreational and commercial), including
fishery biology, resource assessment, socioeconomic assessment,
management and conservation, selected harvesting methods, and fish
handling and processing.

Full Text of Announcement

**I. Funding Opportunity Description**

MARFIN is a competitive Federal assistance program that funds projects
seeking to optimize research and development benefits from U.S. marine
fishery resources through cooperative efforts involving the best
research and management talents to accomplish priority activities.
Projects funded under MARFIN provide answers for fishery needs covered
by the NMFS Strategic Plan, available from the Southeast Regional Office
(see Contact), particularly those goals relating to: rebuilding
over-fished marine fisheries, maintaining currently productive
fisheries, and integrating conservation of protected species and
fisheries management. Funding priorities for MARFIN are formulated from
recommendations received from non-Federal scientific and technical
experts and from NMFS research and operations officials.

With the long term planning capabilities available through the Southeast
Data Assessment and Review (SEDAR) process, the priorities are selected
to coordinate assessment needs with this solicitation. Priority is given
to funding projects in the subject areas listed in this section, but
proposals in other areas are considered on a funds-available basis.
There is no preference between short-term and long-term projects.

You are encouraged to address one of the priority areas listed below as
they pertain to Federally managed species or species relevant to Federal
fisheries management. If you select more than one priority, you should
list first on your application the priority that most closely reflects
the objectives of your proposal. Projects should focus on the greatest
probability of recovering, maintaining, improving, or developing
fisheries; improving the understanding of factors affecting recruitment
success; and/or generating increased values and recreational
opportunities for fisheries.

**A. Bycatch**

The bycatch of biological organisms (including interactions with sea
turtles and marine mammals) by various fishing gears can have
wide-reaching impacts from a fishery's management and an ecological
standpoint, with the following major concerns:

1\. Shrimp trawl fisheries. Studies are needed to contribute to the
regional shrimp trawl bycatch program being conducted by NMFS in
cooperation with state fisheries management agencies, commercial and
recreational fishing organizations and interests, environmental
organizations, universities, Councils, and Commissions. Specific
guidance and research requirements are contained in the Cooperative
Bycatch Plan for the Southeast, available from NMFS (see Contact). In
particular, the studies should address:

\(a\) Data collection and analyses to expand and update current bycatch
estimates, temporally and spatially emphasizing areas of greatest impact
by shrimping. Sampling effort should include estimates of numbers,
weight, and random samples of size (age) structure of associated bycatch
complex. The statistical design and extent of the shrimp-trawl
observation program should ensure that the bycatch data collected are
appropriate and sufficient for stock assessment of the bycatch species,
specifically red snapper.

\(b\) Identification, development, and evaluation of gear, non-gear, and
tactical fishing options to reduce bycatch.

\(c\) Obtaining better estimates of fishing effort in the shrimp
fishery, which might be done through vessel monitoring systems,
electronic logbooks, or otherwise.

2\. Reef fish fisheries. The reef fish complex is exploited by a variety
of fishing gear and tactics. The following research on bycatch of reef
fish species is needed: Characterization and assessment of the impact of
bycatch of undersized target species, including release mortality,
during recreational fishing and during commercial longline, bandit gear
and trap fishing; characterize the species composition, age, size, and
sex composition, and disposition (e.g. discard mortality rates) of all
fishes caught by commercial fishermen, with respect to depth and
latitude as well as estimate effort with respect to depth and latitude.
Species of special interest include red snapper, vermilion snapper,
white grunt, red grouper, yellowedge grouper, tilefish, greater
amberjack, and gray triggerfish.

**B. Reef Fish** **and other Fishery Resources Associated with Reef
Environments**

Some species within the reef fish complex are exhibiting signs of being
overfished, either because of directed efforts or because of being the
bycatch of other fisheries. Reef fish are vulnerable to overfishing,
because they tend to concentrate over specific types of habi­tat. This

behavior pattern can make traditional fishery statistics misleading.
Priority research areas include:

1\. Collection of basic biological data for species in commercially and
recreationally important fisheries. Life history studies that cover the
complete geographic range of the species for red grouper, yellowfin
grouper, goliath grouper (especially early life history, bioenergetics,
and trophic relationships), white grunt, mutton snapper, gray
triggerfish, and greater amberjack.

\(a\) Age and growth of reef fish:

\(1\) Description of age and growth patterns, especially for vermilion,
gray, and cubera snappers; gray triggerfish; black grouper; hogfish; red
porgy; and other less dominant stocks in the management units for which
data are lacking for the Caribbean. Red hind, coney, graysby, warsaw,
speckled hind and other less dominant species in the management units in
the South Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean require more age information.
Determine better methods for aging goliath grouper, and standardize
techniques for aging yellowedge grouper and tilefish.

\(2\) Collect otoliths on groupers, snappers and other reef fish
according to Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC) otolith
manual. If proposal is selected for funding, coordinate studies and
design of sampling systems to provide production-style aging programs
for the reef fish fishery with Steve VanderKooy at GSMFC, (228)
875-5912. Analyze age information (by gear and sector) considering
temporal and geographic effects for red grouper.

\(3\) Age sampling from commercial, head boat, and Marine Recreational
Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) that is representative of the
fisheries for vermilion snapper, white grunt, yellowedge grouper,
tilefish, gray triggerfish and greater amberjack.

> \(b\) Reproduction studies of reef fish:

\(1\) Maturity schedules, fecundity, and sex ratios of commercially and
recreationally important reef fish, such as red hind, coney, graysby,
warsaw, and speckled hind in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic.
Fecundity estimates by length and age for gray triggerfish, greater
amberjack, tilefish, yellowedge grouper, white grunt, vermilion snapper,
and red grouper.

\(2\) Develop further understanding of the reproductive biology of
goliath grouper. Identify spawning locations, duration, periodicity, and
determine if there is spawning migration.

\(3\) Obtain information on changes in mangrove abundance and
distribution that serve as a nursery area for goliath grouper.

\(c\) Recruitment of reef fish and other fishery resources associated
with reef environments.

\(1\) Source of recruitment in Gulf and South Atlantic waters,
especially for snappers, groupers, amberjacks, other reef fish and spiny
lobster.

\(2\) Annual estimation of the absolute or relative recruitment of
juvenile snapper, or grouper to estuarine and nearshore habitats.
Development of recruitment indices for vermilion snapper, white grunt,
goliath grouper, gray triggerfish, and greater amberjack.

\(3\) The contribution of live-bottom habitat and habitat areas of
particular concern (Oculina Banks) off Fort Pierce, Florida and off west
central Florida to reef fish recruitment.

\(d\) Stock structure of reef fish and other fishery resources
associated with reef environments.

\(1\) Movement and migration patterns of commercially and recreationally
valuable reef fish species, especially gag in the Gulf and South
Atlantic and greater amberjack between the South Atlantic and Gulf.

\(2\) Genetic research on stock structure of red grouper in the Gulf of
Mexico.

\(3\) Obtain stock structure of goliath grouper.

2\. Population assessment of reef fish and other fishery resources
associated with reef environments.

\(a\) Determine age specific mortality and mortality rates especially
for white grunt, vermilion snapper, red grouper, yellow edge and
yellowfin grouper, mutton snapper, goliath grouper, gray triggerfish,
and greater amberjack.

\(b\) Estimate population size, obtain information on the historical
abundance of goliath grouper, and estimate unrecorded mortality from
accidental and intentional sources.

\(c\) Description of habitat and fish populations in the deep reef
community and the prey distributions supporting the community.

\(d\) Development of better indices of abundance that cover a broader
spatial/seasonal

scale for vermilion snapper, gray triggerfish, and greater amberjack for
important reef fish

species in the South Atlantic and Gulf, especially red grouper, Goliath
grouper, speckled

hind, red porgy, Warsaw grouper, Nassau grouper, tilefish, snowy
grouper, vermilion snapper and red snapper.

\(e\) Stock assessments to establish the status of major recreational
and commercial species or species complexes. Innovative methods are
needed for stock assessments of aggregate stocks, including the effect
of fishing on genetic structure and the incorporation of sex change for
protogynous hermaphrodites into stock assessment models.

3\. Management of reef fish:

\(a\) Research in direct support of management, including
catch-and-release mortalities, by gear and depth. Species of specific
interest are gray triggerfish, greater amberjack, yellowedge, yellowfin,
and red grouper, tilefish, mutton snapper, and vermilion snapper.

\(b\) Research on management measures that will reduce release
mortality.

\(c\) Collect data on the magnitude and size/age composition of
vermilion snapper, yellowfin grouper, and mutton snapper that are
discarded, by fishery and gear.

\(d\) Identify ways to design, manage, and implement a U.S. Caribbean
fishing permit specific to gear or fishery.

\(e\) Collect, assemble, and computerize information on the commercial
and recreational catches of yellowfin grouper and mutton snapper. Topics
should include a description of the fisheries including gear used,
length and frequency of trips, area and habitat sampled, number of
fishers, and depth fished.

\(f\) Obtain data from Mexican Gulf catches of red grouper to improve
the accuracy of assessments.

\(g\) Develop pilot programs supporting management of reef fish
including,

\(1\) develop a pilot program for fisheries independent sampling of reef
fish species, particularly grouper, tilefish, and red snapper,

\(2\) develop a pilot observer program to quantify, by reef fish
fishery, bycatch, catch composition, size frequency, etc.,

\(3\) develop appropriate statistical approaches for collecting
recreational data usable for regional monitoring of recreational quotas.

**C. Red Snapper Research**

1\. Red snapper bycatch: The bycatch of red snapper can have significant
impacts from a fisheries management and ecological standpoint. Research
on bycatch of red snapper should focus on the following:

(a) Directed red snapper fisheries: The reef fish fishery is exploited
    by a variety

of fishing gear and tactics. The following research on regulatory
discards is needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of management
measures such as minimum size limits and closed seasons:

\(1\) Development and evaluation of gear, fishing tactics, and
management measures to minimize the bycatch of or increase the survival
of discarded red snapper and other reef fish species.

\(2\) Characterization and assessment of the impact of bycatch of
undersized reef fish species, including release mortality, during
recreational and commercial fishing. Research on the catch‑and‑release
mortality of red snapper and other reef fish species, by gear (e.g.,
capture by commercial bandit rigs that are electrically or hydraulically
powered), fishery (e.g., headboat, private boat, charter boat,
commercial), and depth. Studies are needed to specifically relate "sink
or swim" data, which can be obtained through observer programs, with
long-term survival rates.

\(3\) Research to document predation rates on discarded red snapper and
other reef fish species.

2\. Red snapper population assessment:

\(a\) Life history studies that cover the complete range of the species,
including fecundity estimates by length and age. Fecundity samples are
particularly needed from older red snapper.

\(b\) Estimates of red snapper abundance indices covering a broad
seasonal/spatial scale, age structure, age specific mortality rates, and
recruitment indices.

\(c\) Estimates of red snapper mortality rates, through methods such as
tagging.

\(d\) Research (e.g. otolith analysis, tagging, etc.) to better describe
stock structure and mixing rates. Research should include a review of
oceanographic data to determine whether transport from the Campeche
Banks could be supplying important numbers of larvae to the western
stock.

\(e\) Review the value of the larval index given that many factors can
mask the relationship of larvae to spawners.

\(f\) Examine the age structure of red snapper taken from longlines
(survey and fishery) and other gear, to clarify geographic distribution
of fish as they age.

\(g\) Conduct representative sampling of age- and length-composition
consistently across area, time, and gear.

\(h\) Research to clarify the magnitude and timing of density dependent
compensation in juveniles by estimating survival at different densities
of juvenile abundance.

3\. Management of red snapper.

\(a\) Research to evaluate the use of minimum size limits as a
management tool in the red snapper fishery.

\(b\) Research to estimate, independently of any stock assessment,
changes in catchability by gear over time.

\(c\) Utilize simulation studies to identify and evaluate appropriate
management strategies (including use of various reference points) and
corresponding assessment modeling approaches for the fishery complex
(shrimp, red snapper, vermilion snapper, etc.). Research could also test
the hypothesis that red snapper production is enhanced in some way by
increased shrimp trawling.

**D. Coastal Migratory Pelagic Fisheries**

The commercial and recreational demand for migratory coastal pelagics
has led to overfishing for certain species. Additionally, some are
transboundary with Mexico and other countries and may ultimately demand
international management attention. Current high priorities include:

1\. Recruitment indices for king and Spanish mackerel, cobia, dolphin,
wahoo, and bluefish, primarily from fishery-independent data sources.

2\. Fishery-independent methods of assessing stock abundance of king and
Spanish mackerel, dolphin, and wahoo.

3\. Release mortality data for all coastal pelagic species. Age
composition of commercial and recreational discards of king mackerel.

4\. Improved catch statistics for all species in Mexican waters, with
special emphasis on king mackerel, dolphin, and wahoo. This includes
length-frequency and life history information.

5\. Information on populations of coastal pelagics overwintering off the
Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic states of North Carolina, South
Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, especially concerning population size,
age, and movement patterns; and for dolphin and wahoo during the entire
year throughout their migratory patterns. Calculate the mixing rates for
Atlantic/Gulf king mackerel on an annual basis and increase sampling
intensity within the mixing zones with sample allocation that is
representative of the fine scale distribution of the catch within the
mixing zones.

> 6\. Development of a practical method for aging dolphin.

7\. Basic biostatistics for cobia, dolphin, and wahoo to develop
age-length keys and maturation schedules for stock assessments and to
evaluate stock structures.

8\. Impact of bag limits on total catch and landings of king and Spanish
mackerel, dolphin, wahoo, and cobia.

9\. Increase sampling of size and age composition of the bluefish
fisheries by gear type and statistical area.

10\. Target commercial and recreational landings of bluefish for
biological data collection.

11\. Improved estimates of batch fecundity, spawning frequency, and age
specific fecundity, including age and size at maturity, for king
mackerel.

12\. Evaluate spatial variability in size at maturity and fecundity at
age among regions and migratory groups for king mackerel.

13\. Determine age estimates for Western Gulf king mackerel.

14\. Evaluate available sex ratio at size data to determine how sex
ratios vary with size.

15\. Obtain data from Mexican Gulf king mackerel catches.

16. Determine if king mackerel in the Eastern and western Gulf of Mexico
    are

separate stocks.

**E. Groundfish and Estuarine Fishes**

Substantial stocks of groundfish and estuarine species occur in the Gulf
of Mexico and South Atlantic. Most of the database for assessments comes
from studies conducted by NMFS and state fishery management agencies.
Because of the historical and current size of these fish stocks, of
their importance as predator and prey species, and of their current or
potential use as commercial and recreational fisheries, more information
on their biology and life history is needed. Specific research needs are
for red drum:

> \(a\) Catch-and-release mortality rates from inshore and nearshore
> waters.

(b) Estimates of absolute abundance of red drum in the Gulf of Mexico
    and

the Atlantic.

**F. Essential Fish Habitat**

Over the years, human activities have affected the quality and quantity
of available habitat that is necessary to populations of recreationally
and commercially important fish stocks. Data and information are needed
to improve the identification and description of essential fish habitat
(EFH). Current priorities for research in this are included:

1\. Determine the effects of fishing gears (e.g., trawls and traps) and
practices (e.g., gear retrieval and anchoring) on EFH, with emphasis on
benthic habitats within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the
Caribbean, southern U.S. Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico regions.

2\. Develop scientific data to allow geographical EFH designations for
the various life stages of Federally managed species.

3\. Develop scientific data to allow the identification or refinement,
as appropriate, of Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC)
designation for the various life stages of Federally managed species.

4\. Develop geographic information system (GIS) mapping protocols and
tools to allow the presentation of EFH, HAPC, fishery distribution
information, and other relevant data for the southeastern United States,
including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

5\. Characterize, using GIS, the spatial and temporal abundance and
distribution of egg, larval, and juvenile life stages of managed species
from the SEAMAP data files.

**G. Economic and Sociocultural Studies**

Social and economic assessments are required components of all fishery
management plans and actions. These assessments support the
accomplishment of management objectives while minimizing adverse social
and economic impacts. Current priority research needs are:

1\. Development and application of a model to evaluate the economic
impacts of red snapper bycatch reduction. The model should explicitly
examine the bycatch in the directed fishery (recreational and commercial
red snapper fisheries) and non-directed fishery (commercial shrimp
fishery and directed fisheries for other finfish). The model should
explicitly consider the impacts on the red snapper fishery and the
fisheries in which red snapper bycatch occurs. The model should describe
criteria for determining the economically and socially efficient level
of bycatch reduction.

2\. Development of economic incentives and other innovative
alternatives, including bycatch quotas, to gear and season/area
restrictions as ways to reduce bycatch. The project should contrast the
relative costs, potential gains, and level of bycatch reduction
associated with traditional methods and any innovative alternatives
addressed by the project.

3.  Estimation of demand models for recreational fishing trips when the
    target species

include a single species, an aggregate of related species, or all
species combined. Studies using data from the Southeast economics
add-ons to Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey are highly
encouraged. Key species are red drum, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel,
red grouper, gag, black grouper, dolphin, wahoo, vermilion snapper,
yellowtail snapper, and Atlantic black sea bass. Fishing quality (stock
size, catch per unit effort, average fish size) as a determinant of
fishing demand should be emphasized. The models should be applicable to
the evaluation of the economic impacts of common management tools,
including, but not limited to, minimum and maximum size limits, bag
limits, and seasonal closures.

4\. Estimation of demand and supply models of for-hire trips. Studies
using data from the Southeast economics add-ons to Marine Recreational
Fisheries Statistics Survey charter captains telephone survey are highly
encouraged. Evaluation of the headboat sector will require the
collection of primary data from both anglers and vessel operators. Key
species are red drum, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, red grouper, gag,
black grouper, dolphin, wahoo, vermilion snapper, yellowtail snapper,
and Atlantic black sea bass. Fishing quality (stock size, catch per unit
effort, average fish size) as a determinant of fishing demand should be
emphasized. The models should be applicable to the evaluation of the
economic impacts of common management tools, including, but not limited
to, minimum and maximum size limits, bag limits, and seasonal closures.
Motivational factors behind the selection of specific charter types,
such as cost, trip duration (half day versus full day), time of day,
size of the charter (number of passengers), services offered, etc.,
should be included as explanatory variables.

5\. Design and evaluation of limited access options for all sectors of a
specific fishery, including both the commercial and recreational
sectors. Emphasis should be included, where appropriate, on different
gears, modes of fishing, enforcement, and jurisdictional issues. Key
species of emphasis are red snapper and grouper.

6\. Estimation of fishing behavioral models, and effort supply and
production functions for the commercial and for-hire sectors. Specific
attention should be given to species target behavior, time and space
decisions, and whether profit maximization is an appropriate
motivational assumption for the supply of fishing effort. The intent of
this research is to determine the basis upon which fishermen make their
fishing related decisions (e.g., when to fish, where to fish, how much
to fish, what species to target, what gear to use, etc.).

7\. In-depth ethnographic profiles of communities in Louisiana. These
include communities already identified as fishing communities and
communities for which insufficient information exists to make status
determination. Applicants should contact NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service for appropriate prospective communities, based on the
results of on-going investigations. Profiles should include descriptions
of the community, commercial and recreational fishing-related activities
and businesses, historical information on fishing related activities,
community structure and social ties based on fishing, and changes in the
community due to federal regulations on the fisheries.

8\. Estimation of the non-market value of marine turtles, bottlenose
dolphins, and right whales.

9\. Examination of the costs and benefits of vessel and/or license
buy-back programs. The analysis must include costs of the program and
examination of alternative funding mechanisms. Key fisheries are red
snapper, vermilion snapper, king mackerel, red grouper, gag, and South
Atlantic shrimp.

10\. Evaluation of alternative effort control management measures in
federally managed commercial fisheries. The evaluation should apply to a
specific fishery.

Key candidate species/fisheries are shrimp and reef fish. Analyses
should include a comparison of potential economic, social, cultural, and
ecological impacts at the vessel, individual, and community level, and
examine the desirability of single species versus multiple species
approaches.

11\. Evaluation of the transference of fishing opportunity between
commercial, recreational, and conservation sectors under a transferable
rights program. Key fisheries are the red snapper, grouper
(collectively), and reef fish (collectively).

12\. Evaluation of the allocation of harvests (TAC/quotas) among
competing user groups. Key fisheries include individual species (red
snapper, vermilion snapper, king mackerel, red grouper, and gag) and
species groups (grouper). The analysis should quantify the economic
value to each sector and identify the allocation that maximizes the
economic benefit to the nation, subject to the biological constraints
specified by the respective rebuilding plans, where appropriate.
Evaluation of the commercial sector should include analysis by gear type
and fishing location (western and northern Gulf, eastern Gulf, Keys),
while that of the recreational sector should distinguish between
charter, party boat, and private angler by fishing location.

13\. Develop an input-output model of the commercial fishing industry
along the east coast of Florida (based on recommendations by NMFS
economics staff). The project should include the development of seafood
harvesting sectors in IMPLAN by area and gear type, and collection of
basic data with which to implement the model.

14\. Development of methodologies to accurately assess the cumulative
economic and social impacts of fishery management regulations on
fishermen and fishing communities.

**II. Award Information**

This document describes how you can apply for an award under the MARFIN
Grant Program, and how we will determine which applications we will
fund. We are soliciting applications for Federal assistance pursuant to
15 U.S.C. 713c-3(d). Proposals selected for funding through this
solicitation will be implemented through a cooperative agreement.

NMFS will be substantially involved in planning, scheduling, conducting
and analyzing proposed project activities through semi‑annual reports
and frequent contact with the grantee to help solve technical
problems/situations as they arise during performance of the award.

Funding Availability: Approximately \$2.5 million may be available in
fiscal year (FY) 2006 for projects. This amount includes possible
in-house projects. The NMFS Southeast Regional Office anticipates that
typical project awards will range from \$35,000 to \$300,000. The
average award is \$108,000. Publication of this notice does not obligate
NMFS to award any specific grant or cooperative agreement or any of the
available funds. Project proposals accepted for funding with a project
period over one year do not have to compete for the additional years of
funding. However, funding for the additional years is contingent upon
the availability of funds and satisfactory performance and is at the
sole discretion of the agency.

**III. Eligibility Information**

Eligible applicants include: Institutions of higher education, other
nonprofits, commercial organizations, state, local, and Indian tribal
governments. Federal agencies or institutions are not eligible. Foreign
governments, organizations under the jurisdiction of foreign
governments, and international organizations are excluded for purposes
of this solicitation since the objective of the MARFIN program is to
optimize research and development benefits from U.S. marine fishery
resources.

Cost Sharing: Cost‑sharing is not required for the MARFIN program.

**IV. Application and Submission Information**

Address to Request Application Package: Application packages are
available through grants.gov Apply. You can download the instructions
and the application. NOAA forms 88-204 Project Summary and 88-205
Project Budget are accessible on the MARFIN homepage at
http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/grants/marfin.htm and are to be attached as
optional documents with the grants.gov submission.

> For applicants without internet access, hard copies of applications
> may be requested from and completed application sent to: National
> Marine Fisheries Service, State/Federal Liaison Branch, 263 13^th^
> Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. You may also obtain the
> application package from the MARFIN homepage at:
> http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/grants/marfin.htm

Content and Form of Application Submission: Project applications must
identify the principal participants, and include copies of any
agreements describing the specific tasks to be performed by
participants. Project applications should give a clear presentation of
the proposed work, the methods for carrying out the project, its
relevance to managing and enhancing the use of Gulf of Mexico and/or
South Atlantic fishery resources, and cost estimates as they relate to
specific aspects of the project. All applications must include funding
for the principal investigator to participate in an annual MARFIN

Conference in the southeast regional area at the completion of the
project. Budgets must

include a detailed breakdown, by category of expenditures, with
appropriate justification for both the Federal and non-Federal shares.

Applications should exhibit familiarity with related work that is
completed or

ongoing. Proposals should state whether the research applies to the Gulf
of Mexico,

South Atlantic or North Atlantic for highly migratory species or
multiple areas.

Successful applicants are required to collect and manage data in
accordance with

standardized procedures and format approved or specified by NMFS and to
participate

with NMFS in specific cooperative activities that are determined by
consultations

between NMFS and successful applicants before project grants are
awarded. All data

collected as part of an awarded grant must be provided to the National
Marine Fisheries

Service.

Submission Dates and Times: Applications must be received on or before 5
PM EDT on August 15, 2005. Applications submitted through www.grants.gov
will be accompanied by a date and time receipt indication on them. If an
applicant does not have Internet access, hard copy proposals will be
accepted and date recorded when they are received in the program office.
Electronic or hard copies received after the deadline will not be
considered and hard copy applications will be returned to the sender.

Intergovernmental Review: Applications under this program are subject to
the provisions of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of
Federal Programs."

Funding Restrictions: If you have a negotiated indirect cost rate with a
Federal agency, the total dollar amount of the indirect costs awarded
under this program will not exceed the indirect cost rate negotiated and
approved by a cognizant Federal agency prior to the proposed effective
date of the award or 25 percent of the Federal share of the total
proposed direct costs dollar amount in the application, whichever is
less. A copy of the agreement with a Federal agency for the current
negotiated indirect cost rate must be included with the application. If
the applicant does not have a negotiated indirect cost rate agreement,
then they may direct cost all charges, or submit a request to establish
a rate.

Construction is not an allowable activity under this program. Therefore,
applications will not be accepted for construction projects.

Other Submission Requirements: Applications should be submitted through
www.grants.gov. If an applicant does not have internet access, hard
copies should be sent to:

> National Marine Fisheries Service
>
> State/Federal Liaison Branch
>
> 263 13^th^ Avenue South
>
> St. Petersburg, FL 33701

V.  **Application Review Information**

When we receive applications we will screen them to ensure that they
were received by the deadline date (see Dates); include SF 424
authenticated by an authorized representative; were submitted by an
eligible applicant; address one of the funding priorities for federally
managed species; and include a budget, statement of work, and
milestones, and identify the principal investigator. We do not have to
screen applications before the submission deadline in order to identify
deficiencies that would cause your application to be rejected so that
you would have an opportunity to correct them. However, should we do so
and provide you information about deficiencies, or should you
independently decide it is desirable to do so, you may correct any
deficiencies in your application before the deadline. After the
deadline, the application must remain as submitted; no changes can be
made to it.

If your application does not conform to these requirements and the
deadline for submission has passed, the application will be returned
without further consideration.

Evaluation Criteria: Applications responsive to this solicitation will
be evaluated by three or more appropriate private and/or public sector
experts to determine their technical merit. These reviewers will provide
individual evaluations of the proposals. No consensus advice will be
given. These reviewers provide comments and assign scores to the
applications based on the following criteria, with the weights shown in
parentheses:

1.  Importance/relevance and applicability of proposed projects to the
    program

goals (35%): This criterion ascertains whether there is intrinsic value
in the proposed work and/or relevance to NOAA, Federal, regional, state,
or local activities. For this competition, this includes: Does the
proposal have a clearly stated goal(s) with associated objectives that
meet the needs outlined in the project narrative? How effective are the
proposed methods in enabling the principal investigators to maintain
stewardship of the project performance, finances, cooperative
relationships, and reporting requirements?

2.  Technical/scientific merit (40%): This criterion assesses whether
    the approach

is technically sound and/or innovative, if the methods are appropriate,
and whether there are clear project goals and objectives. For this
competition, this includes: Does the proposal clearly identify and
describe, in the project outline and statement of work, scientific
methodologies and analytical procedures that will adequately address
project goals and objectives? Do the principal investigators provide a
realistic timetable to enable full accomplishment of all aspects of the
research?

3.  Overall qualifications of applicants (15%): This criterion
    ascertains whether

the applicant possesses the necessary education, experience, training,
facilities, and administrative resources to accomplish the project. For
this competition, this includes: Does the applicant possess the
necessary education and identify the appropriate resources to complete
the project?

4.  Project costs (10%): This criterion evaluates the budget to
    determine if it is

realistic and commensurate with the project needs and time-frame. For
this competition, this includes: Does the budget appropriately allocate
and justify costs?

5.  Outreach and education (0%): This criterion assesses whether the
    project

provides a focused and effective education and outreach strategy
regarding NOAA's mission to protect the Nation's natural resources. This
criterion is not used by the MARFIN competition.

Review and Selection Process: Following the technical review, we will
determine the weighted score for each individual review and average the
individual technical review scores to determine the final technical
score for each application. Then, we will rank applications in
descending order by their technical scores and determine a cutoff score
that is based on the amount of funds available for awards. We will
eliminate from further consideration those applications that score below
the cutoff.

MARFIN Panel: Those applications at or above the cutoff technical
evaluation score will be presented to a panel of non-NOAA fishery
experts known as the MARFIN panel. Each member of the MARFIN Panel
individually considers: if needs of the Agency are addressed in each
proposal; if the project assists industry; and if the project addresses
issues that are important to regional fisheries management. The
individuals on the Panel provide comments and rate each of these
proposals as either "Recommended for Funding" or "Not Recommended for
Funding". No consensus advice will be given by the Panel. The Program
Manager ranks the proposals in the order of preferred funding based on
the number of Panel members recommending the proposal for funding. If
there are ties in the rankings, those ties will be distinguished by the
peer review score.

Selection Factors: The merit review ratings shall provide a rank order
to the Selecting Official for final funding recommendations. The
Selecting Official shall award in the rank order unless the proposal is
justified to be selected out of rank order based on the following
factors.

1.  Availability of funding

2.  Balance/distribution of funds

> \(a\) Geographically
>
> \(b\) By type of institutions

(c) By type of partner

(d) By research areas

(e) By project types

3\. Duplication of other projects funded or considered for funding by

NOAA/federal agencies.

4\. Program priorities and policy factors

> 5\. Applicant's prior award performance

6.  Partnerships with/Participation of targeted groups

7\. Adequacy of information necessary for NOAA staff to make a NEPA
determination and draft necessary documentation before recommendations
for funding are made to the Grants Officer.

The Selecting Official may negotiate the funding level of the proposal.
The Selecting Official makes final recommendations for award to the
Grants Officer who is authorized to obligate funds.

### VI. Award Administration Information

> Award Notices: Successful applications generally are recommended
> within 150 days from
>
> the date of publication of this notice. The earliest start date of
> awards average 90 days
>
> after each project is selected and after all NMFS/applicant
> negotiations of cooperative
>
> activities have been completed. The earliest start date of awards is
> about 180 days after
>
> the date of publication of this notice. Applicants should consider
> this selection and
>
> processing time in developing requested start dates for their
> applications. Unsuccessful
>
> applications will be returned to the applicant.

The exact amount of funds awarded, the final scope of activities, the
project duration, and

specific NMFS cooperative involvement with the activities of each
project are

determined in pre-award negotiations between the applicant, the NOAA
Grants Office

and the NMFS Program Office. Projects must not be initiated by
recipients until a signed

award is received from the NOAA Grants Office.

Administrative and National Policy Requirements: This notice contains
collection-

of-information requirements subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act. The
use of

Standard Forms is identified in the Department of Commerce Pre-Award
Notification

Requirements. This program uses NOAA forms 88-204 and 88-205, OMB
approval No.

0648-0135. The public reporting burden for the collection of information
is estimated to

average one hour for an application, one hour for a semi-annual report,
and one hour for a

final report. These estimates include the time for reviewing
instructions, searching

existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and
completing and

reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding these
burden

estimates or any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for

reducing this burden to Scot Plank (see Contact).

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, no person is required to
respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to
comply with a collection of information requirements subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act, unless that collection displays a currently
valid OMB control number.

The Department of Commerce Pre-Award Notification Requirements for
Grants and

Cooperative Agreements: The Department of Commerce Pre-Award
Notification

Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements contained in the
Federal Register notice of December 30, 2004 (69 FR 78389) is applicable
to this solicitation.

Limitation of Liability: In no event will NOAA or the Department of
Commerce be responsible for proposal preparation costs if these programs
fail to receive funding or are cancelled because of other agency
priorities. Publication of this announcement does not oblige NOAA to
award any specific project or to obligate any available funds.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): NOAA must analyze the
potential environmental impacts, as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act, for applicant projects or proposals which are
seeking NOAA federal funding opportunities. Detailed information on NOAA
compliance with NEPA can be found at the following NOAA NEPA website:
(http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/), including our NOAA Administrative Order
216-6 for NEPA, (http://www.nepa.noaa.gov/NAO216_6_TOC.pdf), and the
Council on Environmental Quality implementation regulations,
(http://ceq.eh.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/toc_ceq.htm).

Consequently, as part of an applicant\'s package, and under the
description of their program activities, applicants are required to
provide detailed information on the activities to be conducted,
locations, sites, species and habitat to be affected, possible
construction activities, and any environmental concerns that may exist
(e.g., the use and disposal of hazardous or toxic chemicals,
introduction of non-indigenous species, impacts to endangered and
threatened species, aquaculture projects, and impacts to coral reef
systems).

In addition to providing specific information that will serve as the
basis for any required impact analyses, applicants may also be requested
to assist NOAA in drafting of an environmental assessment, if NOAA
determines an assessment is required. Applicants will also be required
to cooperate with NOAA in identifying and implementing feasible measures
to reduce or avoid any identified adverse environmental impacts of their
proposal. The failure to do so shall be grounds for the denial of an
application. In some cases if additional information is required after
an application is selected, funds can be withheld by the Grants Officer
under a special award condition requiring the recipient to submit
additional environmental compliance information sufficient to enable
NOAA to make an assessment on any impacts that a project may have on the
environment.

Reporting: If you are selected to receive a grant award for a project
you must:

> \- Submit semiannual project status reports on the use of funds and
> progress of the
>
> project to us within 30 days after the end of each six-month period.
> You will
>
> submit these reports to the individual identified as the NMFS Program
> Officer in
>
> the funding agreement.
>
> \- Submit a final report within 90 days after completion of each
> project to the NMFS
>
> Program Officer. The final report must describe the project and
> include an
>
> Evaluation of the work you performed and the results and benefits in
> sufficient
>
> detail to enable us to assess the success of the completed project.
>
> \- Submit all data collected as part of the project to the NMFS
> partner. Project data
>
> must be edited and verified as accurate by the applicant prior to
> being submitted to
>
> the NMFS.
>
> \- In addition to the final report, we request that you submit any
> publications printed
>
> with grant funds (such as manuals, surveys, etc.) to the NMFS Program
> Office for
>
> dissemination to the public.
>
> \- We are committed to using available technology to achieve the
> timely and wide
>
> distribution of final reports to those who would benefit from this
> information.
>
> Therefore, you are encouraged to submit final reports in electronic
> format, in
>
> accordance with the award terms and conditions for publication on the
> MARFIN
>
> Home Page. You may charge the costs associated with preparing and
> transmitting
>
> your final reports in electronic format to the grant award. Reports
> may also be
>
> submitted in hard copy.

**VII. Agency Contact**

For questions regarding the application process, you may contact: Scot
Plank, State/Federal Liaison Branch, (727) 824-5324, or
Scot.Plank@noaa.gov.

VIII. **Other Information**

We will award grants or cooperative agreements for a maximum period of
up to three years, consisting of one, two, or three budget periods. The
award period depends upon the duration of funding requested in the
application, the decision of the NMFS selecting official on the amount
of funding, the results of post-selection negotiations between the
applicant and NOAA officials, and pre-award review of the application by
NOAA and DOC officials. Normally, each project budget period is 12
months in duration. The earliest start date of awards (1st of a month)
is about 180 days after the date of publication of this notice.

You must also be available to respond to questions during the review and
evaluation of the proposal(s).

We are strongly committed to broadening the participation of
Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving
Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities in its educational
and research programs. Department of Commerce (DOC)/NOAA's goals are to
achieve full participation by Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) in
order to advance the development of human potential, to strengthen the
nation's capacity to provide high-quality education, and to increase
opportunities for MSIs to participate in and benefit from Federal
financial assistance programs. DOC/NOAA encourages all applicants to
include meaningful participation of MSIs.

If you are selected to receive a grant award for a project, you must:

> \- Manage the day-to-day operations of the project, be responsible for
> the performance
>
> of all activities for which funds are granted, and be responsible for
> the satisfaction of
>
> all administrative and managerial conditions imposed by the award.
>
> \- Keep records sufficient to document any costs incurred under the
> award, and allow
>
> access to these records for audit and examination by the Secretary of
> Commerce, the
>
> Comptroller General of the United States, or their authorized
> representatives; and
>
> submit financial status reports (SF 269) to NOAA Grants in accordance
> with the
>
> award conditions.