ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Red Snapper, expected to be present when an oil spill occurs. It explores the utility of determining the relative abundance of Red Snapper on artificial reefs and investigates employing sophisticated DNA-barcoding techniques to help determine diets and food habits of Red Snapper associated with artificial reefs. The book considers the future management of Red Snapper with a more directed effort, which will probably include artificial reefs and aims to describe a future where sophisticated measures of fishing mortality may be obtainable through acoustic telemetry in concert with traditional mark-recapture technology. It presents a reasonable, but important, question with regard to the Red Snapper fishery in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
