Spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) populations are vulnerable to catastrophic winter kills at least once a decade. Enhancing the wild spotted seatrout population with hatchery-raised stocks after those catastrophic kills requires a balance to ensure the ideal genetic diversity and population size for long-term species adaptability.
Hatchery managers have few established protocols for determining appropriate stocking numbers or evaluating the potential risks of stocking on the genetic health of the wild population. Researchers will compare stocking strategies at multiple population abundance levels to determine the best practices for spotted seatrout conservation efforts.