ABSTRACT

Introduction This chapter summarizes current knowledge on coral reef areas, articial habitats, and shes in the Gulf of Mexico. We focus on shallow-to mid-water (<90 m) coral reef habitats within the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (Gulf Council) jurisdiction. Many of these areas have supported sheries for multiple species in the families Lutjanidae and Epinephelidae since the 1800s. The Gulf Council, since its formation in 1976, has interacted with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ofce of National Marine Sanctuaries, to recognize some of these habitats as important ecological resources deserving protection (https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov). We describe Gulf Council current management efforts and provide an updated literature review of these reef systems and their associated shes. Some areas within the Gulf of Mexico have been extensively studied, while others have only preliminary or qualitative baseline data. Overall, there has been a lack of consistent research effort and monitoring of reef systems throughout the Gulf of Mexico, which limits our understanding of current conditions. This gap in knowledge creates many challenges for monitoring and management. Ultimately the larger goal of this chapter is to demonstrate the close association between many of the reef sh species managed by the Gulf Council and the coral reef habitats

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 19 Management efforts in the Gulf of Mexico................................................................................ 20 Eastern Gulf of Mexico .................................................................................................................22 Central Gulf of Mexico ................................................................................................................. 24 Western Gulf of Mexico ................................................................................................................25