Overview of Sport Fish Restoration Funded Projects Carried Out in the Gulf of Mexico

The Sport Fish Restoration Program (SFRP) has played a significant role in the assessment, education, and habitat augmentation of marine fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. Through this program thousands of new artificial reefs have been deployed that support numerous marine fish and invertebrate species and provide for increased recreational opportunities. It has also provided for the restoration of a number of marine species through mariculture rearing and stocking activities.  This funding source is also critical in the assessment of marine fisheries stocks in the Gulf region. It supports various fishery dependent and independent data collection efforts and monitoring programs that have continuous data sets dating back over 20 years. The data collected in these projects supply the fishery management agencies in the region with a clear picture of the age structure and population status of recreationally important marine species which greatly improves their ability to sustainably manage the fish stocks.  The SFRP also plays an important role in the coordination of fisheries programs and information sharing between fisheries management agencies through the activities of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.