GOMESA Application Details
- 1. Title of Project
- Mississippi Reef Fish Monitoring
- 2. Location of Project
- Biloxi, Mississippi
- 3. Requesting Organization
- MDMR
- 4a. Name
- Trevor Moncrief
- 4b. Position
- Finfish Bureau Director
- 4c. Phone Number
- 228-523-4104
- 4d. Fax Number
- 4e. Address Line 1
- 4e. Address Line 2
- 4e. City, State Zip
- ,
- 4f. Email
- trevor.moncrief@dmr.ms.gov
- 5. FundingRequested
- $250,000
- Awarded Amount:
- $250,000
- 6. Other State or Federal Funding Sources
- No
- 7a. Amount of Additional Funds
- $0
- 7b. Source of Additional Funds
- 8. Total Project Funds Amount
- $250,000
- 9. Project Description/Overview
- The proposed project aims to enhance the monitoring of reef fish populations in Mississippi's offshore waters by developing and implementing visual camera-based surveys. Red Snapper, a highly sought-after commercial and recreational finfish, is one of the key species of interest due to its economic impacts and angler opportunities. However, traditional fishery-independent monitoring methods such as the Vertical Line Survey have been deemed inadequate in accurately reflecting the relative abundance of the species. In response, we propose using a camera-based method, which has shown success in other Gulf states, including the Great Red Snapper Count conducted through congressional funds. By collaborating with experts at Mississippi State, we will develop a reliable and efficient survey that will independently monitor Mississippi Red Snapper and associated reef fishes alongside the current fishery-dependent monitoring conducted through Tails n' Scales. This combination of monitoring strategies will provide valuable insights for fisheries managers and anglers, ensuring sustainable harvesting practices within Mississippi's offshore waters.
- 10. Project Goals/Objectives
- -Develop and purchase camera equipment for monitoring -establish SOPs for use, while using current state focused projects as templates -Implement a randomized sampling design ensuring maximum feasible coverage of artificial structures throughout Mississippi offshore waters -Analyze video data to determine max counts of each species and develop a standardized index of abundance for each species where applicable -Summarize results and develop visualizations to examine the reliability and confidence of the metrics derived from the proposed survey -Compare results across the regions to confirm appropriate assumptions are being met and the survey produces an acceptable metric of relative abundance that can be incorporated into future federal stock assessments and used by state fisheries managers for monitoring and informing management recommendations
- 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: By developing a robust fishery independent monitoring program for Reef fish, the state will be able to ensure to best extent practicable that the fisheries are harvested sustainably and that no damage from outside sources are negatively effecting the stock. Additionally, the proposed survey intends to use a visual count, which should allow for a comprehensive coverage of numerous species. Should this prove to be robust, it can be used as a way to determine effects from numerous potential impacts whether manmade or natural.
- (C) Implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal, or conservation management plan.
- Yes: The proposed project encompasses the goals outlined in numerous Federal Fishery Management Plans, along with the Magnuson-Stevens act. Fishery Independent surveys are the foundation to fisheries management analyses and provide a robust, standardized observation of the fishery that is less encumbered by potential biases. These surveys, coupled with a robust fishery dependent monitoring program, will aid in ensuring that the fishery resources of offshore Mississippi are used in a sustainable manner.
- (D) Mitigation of the impact of Outer Continental Shelf activities through funding of onshore infrastructure projects.
- 12. Project Timetable/Milestones
- June - December 2023 - Establish sub-award, purchase equipment, field testing, and determine sampling design January - December 2024 - Execute sampling design and collect observations throughout the sampling area Throughout the entirety of the project, the data will be compiled, analyzed and discussed with colleagues from across the Gulf of Mexico. Improvements to SOPs will be developed as needed and will not effect the comparability of the time series.
- 13. Project Timing
- Short-term
- 14. Current status of architectural/engineering plans & specifications for this project (if applicable):
- 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?
- The proposed project is directly in line with the goals and objectives of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. The proposal includes the development of a camera-based monitoring survey for reef fishes in offshore Mississippi, which are of utmost commercial and recreational importance. The proposed method represents a more efficient and potentially effective manner of sampling that will positively benefit federal stock assessments and management decisions for the State of Mississippi. This will provide a robust program that enhances our ability to monitor impacts to offshore reef fish populations. This aspect, covered with the already successful fishery dependent monitoring program will provide a comprehensive understanding of Mississippi's offshore reef fish populations and aid in their sustainability throughout the future.
- 16. Estimated Years To Completion
- 2
- 17. Estimated Completion Date
- 12/1/2024
- Budget:
- Salaries,Wages, Fringe
- $0
- Travel
- $0
- Architecture & Engineering
- $0
- Legal
- $0
- Consulting
- $0
- Construction
- $0
- Site Work
- $0
- Equipment
- $0
- Indirects
- $0
- Other
- $0
- Total
- $0
- Internal Project Number
- 2025053
- Application Submission Date
- 08/03/2023
- Fiscal Year
- 2025
- Project Status
- Awarded
- Application Status
- Accepted
- Meets Criteria
- Yes
- Internal Notes:
- 1783-aaa