FISH RESEARCH

Principle Investigators:

Kerry E. Maxwell and John Hunt
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
2796 Overseas Highway, Suite 119
Marathon, FL 33050
kerry.maxwell@myfwc.com
john.hunt@myfwc.com

Collaborators:

Rod Bertelsen, Carrollyn Cox, Dave Eaken, Jessica Hornbeck, Cindy Lewis, Tom Matthews, Samantha Schmitt, Mike Tringali

Background:

Dave Eaken and Kerry Maxwell in St. Croix with the largest catches of the week. Photo: FWC

Kerry Maxwell began working for the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) in 1999 after graduating from Hamilton College. She spent 2 years as a research assistant working on a variety of projects, but was mainly working as an observer on board lobster fishing boats. Kerry started graduate school at Georgia State University in 2002 and did her thesis research on age determination in Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus.  She then returned to work for FWRI in 2004 and contributed to a number of projects including research on: marine reserves for lobsters in the Florida Keys, Dry Tortugas, and St. Croix; benthic injuries caused by lobster trap movement during wind events; and lobster movement and habitat utilization.

In 2006, Kerry was hired as a marine research associate, primarily to evaluate the recreational lobster fishery. Currently, the FWRI lobster team is conducting research on the genetic relatedness of lobsters throughout the Caribbean. FGBNMS is supporting their work as they collect samples from Stetson Bank, one of approximately 30 samples that they hope to collect throughout the habitat range of P. argus.  

John Hunt began working for the precursor to the FWRI in the Florida Keys in 1982 and has been the laboratory manager for many years.  He has been working with spiny lobsters and especially spiny lobster fishery issues since his arrival. In addition to spiny lobster, the FWRI lab in the Keys has scientific programs exploring queen conch biology, finfish fisheries and ecology, stone crab biology, coral reefs and hardbottom communities and has conducted many research projects to provide information to support and enhance the management objectives of the National Marine Sanctuary Program. These projects began with an evaluation of the size of the “core area” of Looe Key NMS to their present work focusing on the performance of the Western Sambo Ecological Reserve inside the Florida Keys NMS.

Research Focus:

Genetics of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus

Research Summary:

Cindy Lewis (left) and Rod Bertelsen (middle) aboard the M/V Spree during the summer of 2006. They were conducting lobster population surveys and collecting tissue samples for the genetics projects. Photo: FWC

The goal of the proposed project is to acquire information on the stock structure and sources of recruitment of Florida spiny lobster stock using microsatellite DNA analysis.  The source of Florida’s lobster stock is currently unknown, and the lack of this most fundamental information has hampered the state’s fishery scientists and managers in their ability to effectively evaluate stock-recruitment relationships that would greatly aid the stock assessment process. 

Mitochondrial DNA analysis found little genetic variation in the Caribbean P. argus stock, but several microsatellite markers have recently been identified in Palinurids, and the use of these highly variable genetic markers holds the promise of detecting finer-scale differences in the Florida P. argus stock.  Once the source of the stock is defined, they anticipate that they will be able to refine their knowledge regarding relative contribution of regional versus local factors affecting recruitment to Florida’s fishery. 

FWRI is collecting tissue samples from adult and postlarval Panulirus argus from Florida and throughout the Caribbean region, including Stetson Bank. Using the recently identified microsatellite markers, they are examining the genetic variation within and between the P. argus samples from those regions.

They will evaluate whether or not the source(s) of recruitment of the Florida stock vary temporally by examining the genetic structure of the P. argus postlarvae that are presently collected during each lunar cycle in nearshore Florida waters as part of the FWC’s ongoing postlarval lobster monitoring project.  Finally, they will compare the genetic structure of recently recruited postlarval lobsters in the Florida Keys with the local adult population to examine whether or not there are genetically-based differences in post-settlement survival.   

Benefits:

Each sample collected throughout the range of P. argus, including samples from Stetson Bank, will play an important role in identifying Florida’s stock source.  This research will ultimately allow us to better evaluate the long-term needs of spiny lobster management, including the necessity of initiating cooperative multi-regional management in the Caribbean for this species.