09/10/1996

Researchers Take Critical Step in Protecting, Producing Red Snappers

GULF SHORES, Ala.- Auburn University and Alabama Marine Resources Division researchers have become the first to successfully raise young red snappers in captivity, which is a critical step in protecting wild snapper habitats and developing techniques to commercially produce the popular saltwater fish.

In all previous attempts to raise red snapper in captivity, the fish never lived past 21 days. In the current AU-Marine Resources project at the Claude Peteet Mariculture Center in Gulf Shores, hundreds of red snappers have survived to 66 days (as of Sept. 10) and are past the most critical times when death could occur.

"This is a major, major development," said Walter Tatum, chief biologist at the Mariculture Center. "Not only does it help us better understand the complete life cycle of red snapper, it opens the door for commercial aquaculture of the fish.

"Red snapper are over-fished throughout the world, so developing the ability to raise them commercially would be a tremendous benefit," he added. "This fish is the perfect candidate for aquaculture; it's a high-value, high-demand fish that is easy to domesticate."

"Previously, marine biologists did not know what red snapper looked like in some of their early life stages," said Ron Phelps, an AU associate professor of fisheries. "Being able to positively identify red snapper larvae and fry will allow resource managers to identify and preserve critical snapper habitats. Plus, the ability to grow red snapper in captivity could one day lead to the development of technology to raise the fish in ponds or special cages suspended in Mobile Bay or the Gulf of Mexico."

Researchers at the Mariculture Center, which is a unit of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources-Marine Resources Division, have been involved in red snapper research since 1982. They were among the first to artificially spawn Gulf-caught red snappers, produce viable eggs and hatch snapper larvae in captivity.

In previous attempts to raise the fish, eggs were hatched in a laboratory setting and the larvae were placed in indoor tanks. Using this artificial environment, researchers faced problems with providing the proper food for the tiny red snapper larvae, which are less than two millimeters long.

In spring 1996, Helps, along with AU graduate student Kevin Bootes and research associate Karen Veverica, began adapting to Alabama conditions a technique used in Thailand to raise another species of snapper. This technique relies on outdoor tanks designed to inexpensively simulate the red snapper's natural habitat as closely as possible.

Researchers stocked the circular, 320-gallon tanks with algae and small crustaceans to create a natural food chain. Gulf-caught red snappers were artificially induced to spawn, and the resulting eggs were placed directly into the fiberglass tanks. After hatching, the red snapper larvae were able to choose from among several food organisms.

"We now have several hundred healthy juvenile red snappers," Phelps said. "If they've lived this long, there's no reason to expect that they won't continue to live. When juveniles have been collected from the wild, they have been raised to adulthood with relatively little trouble. The critical barrier that we've overcome is raising the fish from larvae to juveniles."

Future research will focus on techniques for producing red snappers, Helps said. One possibility is raising the fish in special cages suspended in the Gulf or Bay. Researchers will examine the possibility of using "raceways," partially enclosed cages equipped with solar-powered air blowers to circulate water and remove wastes. However, years of research will be required before red snapper can be raised commercially, he added.

"The red snapper is a traditional mainstay of our Gulf Coast fisheries," said Phelps, who is a native of Mobile. "As a result of the reef development program of the Marine Resources Division, Alabama has developed a reputation as a very good spot for catching red snapper. Because of the demand for red snapper, increasing pressure is placed on natural populations and managing the resource becomes more difficult."

In 1994, more than 3.1 million pounds of red snapper, valued at more than $6.1 million, were landed by the U.S. fishing industry in the Gulf of Mexico. Alabama commercial fishermen landed 76,240 pounds, valued at $155,616. These figures do not include the charter boat industry, which is estimated to contribute $30-50 million to Alabama's economy. Red snapper is the major attraction for the recreational anglers who support the charter boat industry.

AU researchers in this project are supported by the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. The project is sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
by Robyn Hearn

Sept. 10, 1996