The project serves to provide alabama department of conservation and natural resources marine resources division with fishery independent data needed to monitor and assess key recreational marine…

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) received a $480,423 Formula Grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service under the Sport Fish Restoration program (CFDA 15.605), effective October 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2027. This award funds the Marine Resources Division to collect and analyze fishery-independent data necessary for monitoring and assessing key recreational marine finfish species, including red drum, spotted seatrout, striped mullet, and southern flounder in Alabama waters.

The grant supports scientific research and monitoring activities that provide the empirical data required for evidence-based fisheries management and conservation of sport fish populations. By generating fishery-independent assessments of these species, ADCNR will enhance the state's capacity to make informed decisions regarding sport fish resource management and contribute to the broader objectives of the Sport Fish Restoration program, which is financed through excise taxes on fishing equipment and related maritime products and administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service.

The project serves to provide alabama department of conservation and natural resources marine resources division with fishery independent data needed to monitor and assess key recreational marine finfish species including red drum spotted seatrout striped mullet and southern flounder.