GOMESA Application Details

1. Title of Project: Development of a stock enhancement program for the Southern Flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma
2. Location of Project: Cedar Point research site, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, The University of Southern Mississippi, Ocean Springs MS.
3. Requesting Organization: The University of Southern Mississippi
4a. Name: T. Michelle Shows
4b. Position
4c. Phone Number: 6012664119
4d. Fax Number
4e. Address Line 1: 118 College Drive, #5157
4e. Address Line 2
4e. City, State Zip: Hattiesburg, MS
4f. Email: ORA-Pam@usm.edu
5. FundingRequested: $982,521
Awarded Amount:: $0
6. Other State or Federal Funding Sources: No
7a. Amount of Additional Funds: $0
7b. Source of Additional Funds
8. Total Project Funds Amount: $982,521
9. Project Description/Overview: The Southern Flounder’s popularity as a recreational fish combined with its dependence on inshore habitats affected by environmental stressors such as pollution, temperature rise, and extended low salinity stress make it potentially vulnerable to depletion. Fluctuating abundance leads to an unreliable supply for the market and also negatively impacts recreational fishing opportunities. Trends in recreational and commercial landings of Southern Flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) since 2012 suggest the fishery in in a state of decline. These shortages also create instabilities in coastal communities and economies who rely heavily on a stable supply of flounder. Aquaculture could mitigate the insufficiencies and fluctuations of the resource by providing a fishery-independent source of fingerlings to support a stock enhancement program, a tool managers can use along side traditional management to facilitate the recovery of the fishery. This project therefore proposes the development of a stock enhancement program for Southern Flounder. A stock of captive brood animals can be used as a source of seeds to develop culture technology for juvenile Southern Flounder for stock enhancement and potentially for growout to market size. A genetic library of the brood animals will be established for identification purposes and methods to identify the phenotypic sex of candidate brood animals will be developed using circulating levels of sex steroids. Brood fish will be induced to spawn by manipulations of the photothermal cycle. Hormonal induction will also be examined. This project also aims to develop tools for large-scale genetic tagging. Small-scale releases will be conducted in appropriate locations along the Mississippi gulf coast in coordination with the state resource management agency. Technologies developed during this project can be transferred to potential industry partners interested in producing Southern Flounder for the local markets thereby contributing to the coastal economic development, training of local workforce and the creation of new job opportunities. The project also will include collaboration with local high school aquaculture programs to allow class credit and other work-study and volunteer opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience. Further, we will work with DMR to provide educational, training and internship opportunities to assist businesses and individuals with careers in aquaculture.
10. Project Goals/Objectives: The goals will be to: 1) Develop a captive broodstock population a) Collect 80-100 adult flounder by collaborating with DMR and the local charter fleet, b) Develop a method to identify the phenotypic sex of candidate brooders, c) Develop volitional/spontaneous spawning techniques, d) Develop induced/alternative spawning techniques. 2) Produce juveniles in recirculating systems a) Optimize larval feeding protocols, b) Optimize post- larval husbandry conditions protocols, 3) Develop tools for stock enhancement and implement pilot releases a) Optimize transport and release protocols, b) Identify the best candidate locations for releases, c) Develop tools for large-scale genetic tagging and monitoring of stock enhancement and domestication of Southern Flounder d) Conduct pilot short-term releases of juveniles. 4) Workforce development and technology transfer, continue to partner with local high school aquaculture programs, the private sector and DMR to provide educational opportunities, training, and internships.
11. Which of the following authorized uses set forth in the GOMESA Act does this project fall under?

(A) Projects and activities for the purpose of coastal protection, including conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane protection, and infrastructure directly affected by coastal wetlands losses

(B) Mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife, or natural resources.: Yes: The trend since 2012 suggests that the Southern Flounder fishery is in a state of decline. The Southern Flounder's popularity as a recreational fish combined with its dependence on inshore habitats affected by environmental stressors such as pollution, make it potentially vulnerable to depletion. This project could contribute to mitigating damage of the resource by providing a fishery-independent source of of fingerlings to support a restoration program. Recruitment of Southern Flounder to the fishery could be increased through the stocking of juveniles produced in aquaculture and released in Mississippi coastal habitats.

(C) Implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal, or conservation management plan.: Yes: This project addresses Goal 4, Enhance Community Resilience and Goal 5, Restore and Revitalize the Gulf Economy. Recreational fishing has been impacted by freshwater flooding, hurricanes, habitat degradation, and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Stock enhancement will improve the availability and consistency of Southern Flounder and thereby facilitate resilience in the recreational fishing community. The project will enhance economic activity by stimulating the use of working waterfronts and fishing-related economic activities. Aquaculture technologies can be transferred to facilitate the development of an industry that could revitalize the economy in local communities.

(D) Mitigation of the impact of Outer Continental Shelf activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects.

12. Project Timetable/Milestones: July 2024-June 2025: 1. Collect brood animals, 2. Develop genotyping panel, genotype broodstock, 3. Quarantine transfer to maturation tanks and sex and condition broodstock, 4. Induce reproductively mature individuals to spawn, 5. Rear larvae to juveniles to develop culture protocols, 6. Pilot scale release of juveniles-Coordinating with state management agency. July 2025-June 2026 1. Collect brood animals to supplement inventory and improve genetic diversity, 2. Genotype broodstock, 3. Quarantine transfer to existing maturation tanks and sex and condition broodstock, 4. Induce reproductively mature individuals to spawn, 5. Improve and optimize culture protocols, transport and release protocols, 6. Assess release locations to improve post release survival, 7. Establish genetic tagging using the genotyping panel and fish recovered during release trials. July 2026-June 2027 1. Collect brood animals to supplement inventory and improve genetic diversity, 2. Genotype broodstock, 3. Quarantine transfer to existing maturation tanks and sex and condition broodstock, 4. Induce reproductively mature individuals to spawn, 5. Improve and optimize culture protocols, transport and release protocols, 6. Release fingerlings, 7. Transfer technology.
13. Project Timing: Short-term
14. Current status of architectural/engineering plans & specifications for this project (if applicable):: Other N/A Funds Not Budgeted

15. In what way does this project meet the goals and objectives of the Department of Marine Resources, which includes enhancing, protecting and conserving the marine interest of Mississippi for present and future generations?: This project promotes sustainability and conservation of marine resources by providing stock enhancement as an additional tool for DMR to use in their fishery management plans. The program also potentially relieves pressure on wild harvests by facilitating the development of commercial aquaculture. Concurrently, the program promotes economic and workforce development through aquaculture industry development.

16. Estimated Years To Completion: 3
17. Estimated Completion Date: 6/30/2028

Budget:

Salaries,Wages, Fringe: $393,781
Travel: $13,924
Architecture & Engineering: $0
Legal: $0
Consulting: $0
Construction: $0
Site Work: $0
Equipment: $36,814
Indirects: $287,591
Other: $249,747
Total: $981,857


Internal Project Number: 1323
Application Submission Date: 07/01/2024
Fiscal Year: 2026
Project Status
Application Status: Submitted
Meets Criteria
Internal Notes:

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