The principal investigator and colleagues will investigate the possible location and nature of spawning grounds for southern flounder (and possibly Gulf and summer flounder) by surveying waters off South Carolina for spawning individuals or aggregations during the 2008/09 and 2009/10 spawning season, describe spawning habitat and investigate spawning periodicity, reproductive behavior, and other reproductive parameters, and investigate transport of flounder eggs and early larvae.
The proposed study will primarily address the following questions: Does flounder spawn off South Carolina? If so, where are the spawning grounds and to which nursery areas the resulting larvae most likely recruit? With this knowledge we may be able to start addressing further life history and fisheries related questions such as: Do South Carolina fishermen predominantly catch offspring from flounder spawning off South Carolina or are they catching flounder originating from other states? If the later is the case, where are the spawning areas of the flounder that recruit to S.C. fisheries and what are the consequences for fisheries management of the species?
The main objectives are to (1) investigate southern flounder spawning off South Carolina and identify and characterize flounder spawning areas and (2) investigate and characterize some related life history aspects such as spawning behavior, spawning periodicity, and larval transport. Achieving these objectives will lead to a better understanding of flounder recruitment, the effect of fishing during the spawning period, and possibly identify Essential Fish Habitats for southern flounders in coastal waters off South Carolina.