Scamp Mycteroperca phenax support important recreational and commercial fisheries in the southeastern U.S. Scamp are protogynous hermaphrodites that are slow maturing (median age of 2 years), slow transitioning (median age of 11 years), and have high longevity (>30 years; Lombardi-Carlson et al. 2012). As many other groupers, scamp are reef-associated and have an affinity for low-relief hard bottom. While it is easy to distinguish larger scamp through the elongated upper and lower caudal fin rays, juveniles can be confused with gag M. microlepis and yellowmouth grouper M. interstitialis. In U.S. waters, scamp are federally managed under two stocks, the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) and South Atlantic (SA). Most recently, both of these stocks were assessed in 2022 and it was determined that the GOM stock is not overfished nor experiencing overfishing, while the SA stock is overfished but not experiencing overfishing (SEDAR 68 2022). Due to the complex life history and fishery interest of grouper species, it is important to continue monitoring the health of the scamp stocks as other grouper stocks in the region are overfished and/or experiencing overfishing (e.g., GOM gag) and their male sex ratios (an indicator of stock productivity in protogynous hermaphrodites) are very low (e.g., <5% in GOM gag).
GOM scamp are particularly important in Alabama, where they are the most landed grouper in recreational fisheries (NOAA Fisheries 2023). Interestingly, the continental shelf off Alabama is primarily composed of sand and is relatively barren. As a result, the state of Alabama has been deploying artificial reefs since the 1950s to provide reef fish habitat (ADCNR 2023). Known as the Alabama Artificial Reef Permit Zone (AARPZ), this area provides habitat and foraging opportunities for economically relevant reef fishes (e.g., red snapper Lutjanus campechanus, gray triggerfish Balistes capriscus, and greater amberjack Seriola dumerili), creating many fishing opportunities for both recreational and commercial fishermen.
While the affinity of groupers (including scamp) to hard bottom is well documented, there is minimal information on groupers using artificial structures. While a couple of studies have documented scamp using artificial reefs in the northern GOM (Dance et al. 2011; Patterson III et al. 2014; Wetz et al. 2020), another study suggests that groupers may favor artificial reefs in the absence or limitation of natural hard bottom (Arena et al. 2007). This may be the case in the AARPZ, where scamp are constantly captured and harvested. As part of my dissertation research, I am interested in evaluating the abundance and distribution of scamp in the AARPZ using a remotely operated vehicle visual survey. As I've observed smaller size classes in visual surveys conducted in the AARPZ and it is well documented that groupers (including scamp) spawn near shelf break areas (where AARPZ doesn't expand to), I suspect that the AARPZ may be playing an important role as transitional habitat for scamp recruiting to the spawning population.
References
ADCNR. 2023. Artificial reef history. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. https://www.outdooralabama.com/artificial-reefs/artificial-reef-history
Arena, P. T., L. K. B. Jordan, and R. E. Spieler. 2007. Fish assemblages on sunken vessels and natural reefs in southeast Florida, USA. Hydrobiologia 580:157-171. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0456-x
Dance, M. A., W. F. Patterson III, and D. T. Addis. 2011. Fish community and trophic structure at artificial reef sites in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science 87(3):301-324. https://doi.org/10.5343/bms.2010.1040
Lombardi-Carlson, L. A., M. Cook, H. Lyon, B. Barnett, and L. Bullock. 2012. A description of age, growth, and reproductive life history traits of scamps from the northern Gulf of Mexico. Marine and Coastal Fisheries 4:129-144. https://doi.org/10.1080/19425120.2012.675965
NOAA Fisheries. 2023. Recreational fisheries statistics queries. NOAA Fisheries. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/data-tools/recreational-fisheries-statistics-queries
Patterson III, W. F., J. T. Tarnecki, D. T. Addis, and L. R. Barbieri. Reef fish community structure at natural versus artificial reefs in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Proceedings of the 66th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute. https://proceedings.gcfi.org/proceedings/reef-fish-community-structure-at-natural-versus-artificial-reefs-in-the-northern-gulf-of-mexico/
SEDAR. 2022. SEDAR 68 Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic scamp final stock assessment report. SEDAR, North Charleston, SC. https://sedarweb.org/assessments/sedar-68/
Wetz, J. J., M. J. Ajemian, B. Shipley, and G. W. Stunz. 2020. An assessment of two visual survey methods for documenting fish community structure on artificial platform reefs in the Gulf of Mexico. Fisheries Research 225:105492. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2020.105492
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