title: Timing and locations of reef fish spawning off the southeastern United States.
abstract: Managed reef fish in the Atlantic Ocean of the southeastern United States (SEUS) support a multi-billion dollar industry. There is a broad interest in locating and protecting spawning fish from harvest, to enhance productivity and reduce the potential for overfishing. We assessed spatiotemporal cues for spawning for six species from four reef fish families, using data on individual spawning condition collected by over three decades of regional fishery-independent reef fish surveys, combined with a series of predictors derived from bathymetric features. We quantified the size of spawning areas used by reef fish across many years and identified several multispecies spawning locations. We quantitatively identified cues for peak spawning and generated predictive maps for Gray Triggerfish (Balistes capriscus), White Grunt (Haemulon plumierii), Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens), Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata), and Scamp (Mycteroperca phenax). For example, Red Snapper peak spawning was predicted in 24.7-29.0°C water prior to the new moon at locations with high curvature in the 24-30 m depth range off northeast Florida during June and July. External validation using scientific and fishery-dependent data collections strongly supported the predictive utility of our models. We identified locations where reconfiguration or expansion of existing marine protected areas would protect spawning reef fish. We recommend increased sampling off southern Florida (south of 27° N), during winter months, and in high-relief, high current habitats to improve our understanding of timing and location of reef fish spawning off the southeastern United States.
authors.affiliation: NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Regional Office, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Nicholas A
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6551-4737
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Farmer
authors.affiliation: LGL Ecological Research Associates, Inc., Bryan, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Heyman
authors.affiliation: NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fishery Science Center, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karnauskas
authors.affiliation: Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobara
authors.affiliation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Tracey I
authors.initials: TI
authors.lastname: Smart
authors.affiliation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Joseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ballenger
authors.affiliation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Marcel J M
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.affiliation: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Research Institute, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wyanski
authors.affiliation: Meadows Ecological, Inc., Indialantic, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Michelle S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tishler
authors.affiliation: Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kenyon C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lindeman
authors.affiliation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Susan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lowerre-Barbieri
authors.affiliation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, St. Petersburg, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Theodore S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Switzer
authors.affiliation: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, Jacksonville Field Laboratory, Jacksonville, Florida, United States of America.
authors.forename: Justin J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.affiliation: LGL Ecological Research Associates, Inc., Bryan, Texas, United States of America.
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McCain
authors.affiliation: Abundant Seafood, Charleston, South Carolina, United States of America.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marhefka
authors.affiliation: NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Savannah, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: George R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Sedberry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D057894:Coral Reefs; D016208:Databases, Factual; D017753:Ecosystem; D005399:Fishes; D005843:Geography; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012621:Seasons; D015144:Southeastern United States