The purpose of the research is to assess the physical injuries experienced by Gray Snapper due to barotrauma while captured using hook-and-line fishing at various depths during the summer off the west coast of Florida. Gray Snapper will be measured for length and assessed for physical barotrauma injuries immediately upon capture, including the presence/absence of stomach or intestine eversion, popeye, body turgidity, gas in eyes or fins, and popped scales. Hook location, date, time, and general location and depth will also be recorded. These data will be compared to similar data collected for Red Snapper and Vermilion Snapper caught during the same fishing trips. It is expected that this preliminary data will give an indication of the degree of barotrauma suffered by Gray Snapper relative to a high versus low barotrauma species (Red Snapper and Vermilion Snapper, respectively). This relative comparison will be used to inform and justify whether a more complete, multi-year tag-recapture study is necessary to estimate catch-and-release mortality of Gray Snapper for its management.
