A Life History Review for Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico with an Evaluation of the Importance of Offshore Petroleum Platforms and Other Artificial Reefs

Red snapper mature as early as age 2, have high fecundity (a 10-year-old female produces 60 million eggs per year), and may live for over 50 years. Eggs, larvae, and post-settlement juveniles typically show high rates of natural mortality. For example, of the 60 million eggs produced annually by a 10-year-old female, only about 450 would survive to 5 cm, the size at which they enter the shrimp fishery. Changes in abundance by size and age appear to be consistent with density dependence in survival rate from ages 0 to 1 and likely ages 0 to 2. Red snapper are attracted to structure or reef habitat at all ages, but larger, older fish also occur over open habitat once they have reached a size that renders them largely invulnerable to predation. Artificial reefs comprise a small fraction of the overall high-relief reef habitat, but harbor a large fraction of the present-day age 2 red snapper populations. Prior to the proliferation of artificial reefs in the northern Gulf, age 2 red snapper may have historically occurred mainly over open-bottom, sand-mud benthic habitat where natural and shrimp trawl bycatch mortality was high. Age 2 fish dominate red snapper populations at artificial reefs, whereas the age composition of red snapper at natural reefs usually show older ages are dominant. The present day red snapper fishery is heavily dependent on catches at artificial reefs. Evidence is presented that suggests red snapper production in the northern Gulf likely has been increased by the establishment of significant numbers of artificial reefs.