Hydroacoustic and video surveys in the northern Gulf of Mexico in support of Louisiana’s artificial reef planning area: a comparison of biomass and community structure

Abstract

From the Extended Abstract: “Hydroacoustic and video surveys were conducted from June 2013 to June 2014…on two toppled and three standing platforms located approximately 130 km off the coast of Louisiana…Results show a clear pattern of biomass decreasing rapidly with distance from both standing and toppled platforms, with the highest level of biomass within approximately 40 m of the structures and leveling off around 100 m distance from the structures…

Red snapper (L. campechanus) was the main species driving the differences between type of sites and layers within each site. Additionally, Greater amberjack (S. dumerili) and Little tunny (E. alletteratus) were both large contributors to differences between seasons and layers. The species contrib-uting to 90% of the observed fishes at standing and toppled platforms include Red snapper (L. campechanus), Little tunny (E. alletteratus), Greater amberjack (S. dumerili), Horse-eye jack (C. latus), Blue runner (C. crysos), Crevalle jack (C. hippos), and Rainbow runner (E. bipinnulata)."