Funds under this grant award will be used to conduct fishery-independent monitoring of juvenile nursery habitats of key recreational fishery species in coastal south carolina

This $249,188 Formula Grant awarded by the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service (CFDA 15.605 - Sport Fish Restoration) will fund the Natural Resources South Carolina Department to conduct fishery-independent monitoring of juvenile nursery habitats of key recreational fishery species in coastal South Carolina. Specifically, the grant will support monitoring the abundance and distribution of Atlantic croaker, weakfish, and spot - species not comprehensively monitored by other state programs. In addition, the project will evaluate the quality of the estuarine habitats that serve as primary nursery areas for these fisheries through measures of water quality, sediment quality, and benthic prey resources. This grant-funded effort aims to help fill data gaps and provide managers with the fishery-independent data needed to better understand and manage these important recreational fishery species in South Carolina waters.

Our knowledge of the distributions and population dynamics of some estuarine fishery species such as spot, croaker and weakfish as well as their relationships with estuarine habitat quality remains incomplete.fisheries managers need fishery independent data from estuarine areas to help fill data gaps in south carolina waters. In addition, managers are interested in evaluating the quality of the habitat utilized by our fisheries resources. Measures of water quality, sediment quality, and benthic prey resources provide an evaluation of the habitat that is utilized by the target species. We propose to monitor the abundance and distribution of three estuarine fishery species (atlantic croaker, weakfish and spot) that are not comprehensively monitored by other DNR inshore fishery programs, as well as the quality of the estuarine habitats that serve as their primary nursery habitat.