A team of scientists from NOAA’s AOML and Southeast Fisheries Science Center have conducted a series of surveys in Florida Bay this year as part of an ongoing project to investigate how juvenile sport fish in the bay respond to changes in water quality and habitat resulting from Everglades restoration. During the survey, scientists collected water quality and seagrass measurements and conducted otter trawls to sample the juvenile sport fish populations.
Photo credit: NOAA
Image Captions
From Left:
- A juvenile barracuda, one of the sport fish targeted in the study, is measured and recorded. Image credit: NOAA
- Another haul brings up a shrimp that has been cooked by warm benthic temperatures exceeding 38 degrees Celsius. Image credit: NOAA
- The contents of an otter trawl is assessed. Image credit: NOAA
- A toadfish, another non-target species found in the trawls. Image credit: NOAA
- A researcher measures a Gray Snapper, one of the targeted sport fish species in the study. Image credit: NOAA
- Another non target species found in the trawl: A scrawled cowfish. Image credit: NOAA
- A juvenile spotted sea trout, one of the targeted sport fish in the study, is measured and recorded. Image credit: NOAA
- A pufferfish shows up in one of the trawls. Image credit: NOAA
- Surveys are conducted in the waters of Florida Bay, just off Key Largo. Image credit: NOAA
- A seahorse is found in one of the trawls. Image credit: NOAA
- AOML scientist assesses the seagrass cover during a survey in Florida Bay. Image credit: NOAA