The Biology, Ecology, and Management of Summer Flounder

Summer flounder supports important commercial and recreational fisheries along the northeast coast of the United States from North Carolina to Massachusetts.  This species is also one of the most sought species by seafood consumers and accounts for a substantial fraction of angler trips in the Mid-Atlantic.  Summer flounder was overfished in the late 1980s to early 1990s.  A stock rebuilding program began in the early 1990s and by 2008 the spawning stock biomass had returned to near historically high levels, but final rebuilding goals had not yet been reached.  The 2008 assessment revised the natural mortality rate to account for differential mortality between males and females, and revised the biological reference points, but identified a number of data limitations restricting modeling of the stock and management of the fishery. This symposium will contribute new information on the ecology, biology, and management of summer flounder that can be used to improve the assessment and management of the stock.