Evaluation of factors contributing to postrelease mortality of greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) in the northern Gulf of Mexico with depth and acceleration data from acoustic tags
Authors:Boyle, Kelly S. Hightower, Crystal L. Powers, Sean P.
Volume:120
Published:2022
Document Type:Article
Abstract:Management of recreational fishing for greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) in the Gulf of Mexico involves size regulations and closed seasons. Water temperature, salinity, fight and handling times, and barotrauma can influence survival of released fish. We examined postrelease mortality and behavior by using acoustic telemetry of the movements of 78 fish, monitored for up to 58 d across 3 sampling efforts in 2018, 2019, and 2020 over a depth gradient of 29-64 m. To assess descender devices as a mitigation tool, we assigned fish to 2 treatments: surface release without swim bladder venting and release with a descender device. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the effects of site depth, release treatment, bait type (jigging or live bait), fishing injury, tagging injury, fight and handling times, surface and bottom temperatures, and fish length. We found neither a positive association between mortality risk and site depth, as might be expected from barotrauma, nor increased survivorship for fish released with a descender device. The best-supported model considered only fish length as a factor in postrelease mortality; legal-size fish (>= 864 mm in fork length) had a mortality risk 20 times greater than that of smaller fish. Our results indicate that sublegal-size fish released because of size restrictions face much lower mortality risk than legal-size fish.
Author Information
Corresponding Author:Boyle, KS (通讯作者)，Univ S Alabama, Sch Marine & Environm Sci, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Isl, AL 36528 USA.;Boyle, KS (通讯作者)，Univ New Orleans, Dept Biol Sci, 2000 Lakeshore Dr, New Orleans, LA 70148 USA.
Reprint Address:Boyle, KS (通讯作者)，Univ S Alabama, Sch Marine & Environm Sci, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Isl, AL 36528 USA.;Boyle, KS (通讯作者)，Univ New Orleans, Dept Biol Sci, 2000 Lakeshore Dr, New Orleans, LA 70148 USA.
Addresses:[Boyle, Kelly S.] Univ S Alabama, Sch Marine & Environm Sci, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Isl, AL 36528 USA; Dauphin Isl Sea Lab, 101 Bienville Blvd, Dauphin Isl, AL 36528 USA; [Boyle, Kelly S.] Univ New Orleans, Dept Biol Sci, 2000 Lakeshore Dr, New Orleans, LA 70148 USA
E-mail Addresses:ksboyle@uno.edu