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Talks by Courtney Saari

In the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is managed as one unit stock with... more In the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is managed as one unit stock with separate assessments for sub-units east and west of the Mississippi River. Further evaluation of red snapper life history characteristics across the GOM is needed to elucidate the differences between the management sub-units. We compared red snapper morphometrics, age, and growth parameters collected from recreational catches across the US waters of the GOM in 2009 and 2010. We sampled from six major recreational fishing regions across the GOM: South Texas (n=348), North Texas (n=224), Louisiana (n=268), Alabama (n=204), North Florida (n=463), and South Florida (n=301). Ages were obtained from otolith sections and ranged from two to 33 years. Across all of the regions, red snapper were young (mean age of 4.8 years), representing the strong recruitments of 2004, 2005 and 2006. Red snapper exhibited a truncated age structure with few fish older than six years (3.95%). Total length, total weight, and age-frequency distributions differed significantly among the regions. Small, fast-growing individuals dominated the recreational catches from South Texas, North Florida and South Florida, whereas larger, slower growing red snapper constituted the majority of the Alabama and Louisiana recreational catches. Also, the recreational catches of red snapper in the eastern regions (North and South Florida) were comprised of younger red snapper than in the harvests from the north-central and western GOM regions. Red snapper from the Texas regions and North Florida were smaller at age than red snapper from South Florida, Louisiana and Alabama. Our data support previous reports that red snapper from Texas are consistently smaller in length and weight at age than red snapper in Louisiana and Alabama. However, our data indicate that red snapper in Texas have a higher proportion of slightly older (>6 years) individuals. Demographic variation in size and growth rates may result from differences in environmental factors, fishing pressure, and management regimes among the regions, as well as localized population responses to fishing pressure. These results also indicate that there is a decline in the frequency of larger, older red
snapper in recreational catches. Comparison of the demographics and growth parameters from this study will help elucidate trends in region-specific age and growth information for red snapper, and can be used to further evaluate the need for management sub-units.

Thesis Chapters by Courtney Saari

The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) red snapper stock has been exploited since the mid 1800s, yet it is stil... more The Gulf of Mexico (GOM) red snapper stock has been exploited since the mid 1800s, yet it is still one of the most economically important fisheries in the GOM. Red snapper have been managed as a unit stock and are currently overfished, but perhaps no longer undergoing overfishing. Habitat varies greatly throughout the GOM and while numerous studies have aged red snapper, none have simultaneously compared the age and size structure and growth rates among standing and toppled oil and gas platforms with natural habitats. The objectives of this study were to examine the size and age structure and growth rates of red snapper among three different habitats (shelf-edge banks, standing platforms, toppled platforms) and six recreational fishing regions of the GOM (South Texas, North Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Northwest Florida, Central Florida). Across all of the habitats and regions, red snapper were small (mean TL = 526.84 mm, mean TW = 0.97 kg) and from younger age classes (mean age = 4.44 yr), representing the strong recruitments of 2004, 2005 and 2006, with few fish older than seven years (1.5%). Total length, weight, and age frequencies, and growth models differed significantly among the habitats. Red snapper from the banks were significantly smaller at age and slower growing than red snapper from the artificial habitats. Also, shelf-edge banks appear to support a higher predominance of older red snapper compared to the artificial habitats. Demographic differences in red snapper size and age frequencies and growth parameters exist across the GOM.
Small, fast-growing individuals dominated the recreational catches of South Texas, Northwest Florida, and Central Florida, whereas larger, slower growing red snapper constituted the majority of the Alabama and Louisiana catches. Also, both of the Florida regions’ catches were comprised of significantly younger red snapper than catches in the north-central and western regions. To prevent habitat- and region-specific overfishing and promote stock recovery, these differences should be weighed when evaluating future stock assessments and management decisions. It is also important for fisheries managers to note the absence of old red snapper in this study and its implications for the stock's recovery status.

To date, no studies have compared red snapper age and growth parameters between oil and gas platf... more To date, no studies have compared red snapper age and growth parameters between oil and gas platforms, low-relief artificial reefs, and natural hard bottom banks. While numerous studies have aged red snapper, none of these studies have examined red snapper from their natural habitat on shelf edge banks. Current knowledge of red snapper age and growth is based almost exclusively upon data from artificial habitats, which represent less than 5% of the suitable habitat in the GOM (Stanley and Wilson 2003), and fishery-dependent data, which are usually from undisclosed habitat types (Wilson and Nieland 2001; Nieland and Wilson 2003; SEDAR 2005). Without concrete information on the ecological function of natural habitats, it is impossible to address the debate over the quality, function, and influence of artificial reefs compared to their natural counterparts. To assess the efficacy of artificial habitat types as management tools, we need to know how the functional role that they play and how they contribute to existing information on vital population rates, such as growth and mortality. Also, population modeling, population assessments, and other management tools are reliant on accurate estimates of age and growth. This research specifically addresses the void in the baseline understanding of red snapper vital rates and helps define the biological reference points for this species on natural habitats.

Papers by Courtney Saari

International journal of environmental and science education, 2014

Geaghan. Dr. Powers provided valuable insight into fisheries management and stock assessment. Dr.... more Geaghan. Dr. Powers provided valuable insight into fisheries management and stock assessment. Dr. Bargu Ates has provided useful comments and guidance throughout this process and Dr. Geaghan has been a wonderful source of statistical knowledge. I want to thank all of my committee members for the time and effort that they have given to my thesis. This project would not have been possible without the help and support of my fellow lab mates. I am extremely grateful for Dannielle Kulaw, for all of her help in the field and in the laboratory, reading thousands of otoliths, and for her friendship. I especially want to thank to Andy Fischer for teaching me nearly everything I know about otoliths and age and growth research, and Dr. Kevin Boswell for all of his guidance and encouragement throughout my graduate studies. Dr. Boswell has been a wealth of information, from fieldwork advice to statistical analysis and writing. I am also very grateful for the advice, support, field-help, and friendship that Michelle Zapp Sluis has offered me. In addition, I would like to thank Melissa Hedges Monk, Kirsten Simonsen, Sara Terrebonne Daigle, and Dr. Matthew Campbell for all of their help, support, advice, and friendship throughout my graduate studies. I would also like to thank Grace Harwell and Elise Roche for spending countless summertime hours covered in fish guts, sampling red snapper with Dannielle and me. I would also like to thank Steve Garner, Kari Klotzbach, Kim DeMutsert and Kristy Lewis for their support, insight, and friendship. iii Finally, I would like to thank my husband, parents, grandparents, and in-laws for all of their love and support throughout my graduate studies. I could not have done this without them. I'm extremely grateful for all of the love, encouragement, and patience that my husband, Josh Saari, has shown me throughout my graduate studies. Josh has also provided me with a tremendous amount of field support, for which I am very grateful. This project was funded by Lousiana SeaGrant, NOAA's Marine Fisheries Initiative (MARFIN), and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. v 3.6 Literature Cited .

Informal place-based environmental education is a proven approach for increasing environmental aw... more Informal place-based environmental education is a proven approach for increasing environmental awareness for students in urban cities. This article describes and qualitatively evaluates the first two academic years of the EnvironMentors program at Louisiana State University (LSU-EM), which is part of a national network of EnvironMentors programs. Despite its short history, LSU-EM has already proven successful as an after-school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) mentoring and college-access program predicated on a nearby campus and community partnerships. LSU-EM partners with the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (Gear Up) in the College of Education and the Louisiana Sea Grant program for support and to foster the relationships among scientists, educators, and high school students. Each high school student is paired with two science mentors from the university. Students and their mentors spend the school year conducting an environmental science-based research project to be presented at the LSU-EM Science Fair. Program evaluations indicated students enjoyed forming a bond with their mentors, increased their environmental awareness, and had a better understanding of the scientific method after participating in LSU-EM. Mentors improved their science communication skills, benefited personally by giving back to the community, and took pride in their student's work. Program success was also measured based on the number of students completing their EnvironMentors projects, graduating high school and enrolling in postsecondary educational institutions.

International journal of environmental and science education, 2014