Fishery recruitment in Florida Waters: toward a predictive capability (Report of a Workshop Held February 15-17, 1989, Live Oak, Florida)

Abstract

Marine fisheries in Florida encompass 109 finfishes andinvertebrate species, reflecting the state's diversity of coastaland ocean habitats. Management of Florida's valuable fisheriesnecessarily entails forecasting fluctuations in fished stocks.By understanding recruitment, the processes that result in thesurvival of fishes from early life history to the adult or exploitedstage, management potential can be improved. Respondingto an interest in recruitment expressed by Florida's academicscientists, the Florida Sea Grant College Program, in conjunctionwith the Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society,organized the workshop at Live Oak to determine the usefulness ofunderstanding recruitment, the likelihood of success and themechanism for proceeding.The document represents the collectivewisdom of many of Florida's leading scientists. It is designedto provide guidance for strategic planning in future fisheryresearch and management activities. (69pp. Keppel and Seaman (eds)