ABSTRACT
Artificial reefs, both “private” (i.e., generally unpermitted) and public, have been deployed in aquatic habitats to enhance fishing for many decades. In coastal regions of the southeastern United States, including the Gulf of Mexico, many of these reefs have been deployed to improve or sustain Red Snapper fishing. To date, the “recipe” for artificial reef design and deployment has been more or less haphazard, with the chief component being structure that is readily available (i.e., modules of opportunity). Location, size (area, volume, height, etc.), and module shape and composition are typical reef variables in the reef design. To increase deployment efficiency for the fishery, future structures should incorporate attributes that enhance Red Snapper life history features to reduce or overcome the effect of limiting factors. More specifically, information should be gleaned from previous and ongoing studies to determine those artificial reef attributes that are associated with Red Snapper life-stage characters deemed to be limiting. Improving Red Snapper management requires targeted research efforts to reveal the specific life history features likely to be enhanced by artificial reef attributes. Subsequently, artificial reefs should be designed and 276deployed to enhance those specific life history features serving as bottlenecks to the expansion of the population. With a purposeful approach, artificial reefs may become prescriptive in the future management of Red Snapper.
