Current Projects
In addition to our collaborations with other researchers, our program leads several research and Extension projects.
To learn more about a project, click below:
Through our shark monitoring program, we are able to better understand the abundance and distribution, life history (age and growth, maturity, mortality), movement, and trophic ecology of a wide range of important elasmobranch species inhabiting the northern Gulf of Mexico.
During this 4-year project, pelagic longline fishermen are being recruited to help determine if bluefin tuna mortality can be reduced in the Gulf of Mexico pelagic longline fishery by optimizing fishing depth – specifically, by setting the fishing gear at deeper depths than it is typically set.
To better understand the seasonal movements and habitat use of coastal sportfishes, we are establishing and monitoring a passive acoustic telemetry array within the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
The disCARD project recruits recreational anglers to help test a new approach for improving the accuracy of reef fish discard reporting using a physical paper catch card paired with quick smartphone photo submission.
Using a combination of acoustic telemetry, satellite tagging, conventional tagging, biological sampling, and genetics, this project is examining movement patterns, migration corridors, stock structure, exploitation rates, and potential climate-related shifts in distribution and life history for cobia and tripletail across the Gulf.
Using a combination of controlled experimentation and industry testing, this project aims to test novel shark deterrents to minimize human-shark interactions in recreational reef fish fisheries.
