Sea Grant Monitors Occurrence of Goliath Groupers in the Panhandle

Sea Grant Monitors Occurrence of Goliath Groupers in the Panhandle

For several years now Dr. Angela Collins, with Florida Sea Grant, has been conducting research on the status of the Goliath Grouper.  This extremely large member of the Family Serranidae has been of concern to fishermen, divers, and resource managers in south Florida.  The harvest of goliath groupers has been prohibited since 1990 but their populations have certainly increased.  Once found throughout the Gulf region, they became rare from recreational and commercial harvesting in the 1970’s and 80’s; most of the fish that were encountered were encountered in southwest Florida.  Today, their numbers have increased and records of the animal have been logged from Tampa Bay, the Big Bend, and now from the Panhandle region. At this point FWC is not sure whether the numbers have recovered enough to remove the ban from harvesting.

Three goliath groupers over wreck in southwest Florida. Photo: Bryan Fluech Florida Sea Grant

Three goliath groupers over wreck in southwest Florida. Photo: Bryan Fluech Florida Sea Grant

 

Each year, during the first week of June, Dr. Collins conducts a statewide survey of Goliath Grouper encounters.  She is particularly interested in Goliath Grouper sightings in the panhandle.  This year the survey will begin this Sunday – June 5 and extend to Saturday June 11.  Any diver interested in participating in the survey should contact their local Sea Grant Agent to obtain the official data sheet.  These sheets can be scanned and returned to your local Sea Grant Agent – or you can contact them for alternative methods for submitting the results.

 

We hope local divers will consider helping us with this needed information.  These data sheets will be part of the annual assessment of the status of this neat fish.  For more information visit the Florida Sea Grant website (https://www.flseagrant.org/news/2016/06/great-goliath-grouper-county-provides-fisheries-managers-stock-assessment-data/).

Sea Grant Monitors Occurrence of Goliath Groupers in the Panhandle

It is One Goliath of a Fish… the Goliath Grouper

For many who are seafood lovers there is nothing like a good grouper sandwich; makes me hungry just to write that. Groupers are members of the one of the largest families of fish in the Gulf of Mexico. There are 33 species in the family Serranidae, which include sea bass and perch, and many are sold as “grouper” in the seafood markets. There are 10 species of searranids that are in the genus Epinephelus and are considered the true groupers. One of these, Epinephelus itajara , is a monster; this is the Goliath Grouper.

 

Three goliath groupers over wreck in southwest Florida.  Photo: Bryan Fluech Florida Sea Grant

Three goliath groupers over wreck in southwest Florida. Photo: Bryan Fluech Florida Sea Grant

As the name states, these fish can reach 6 feet in length and over 700 lbs. Goliath groupers are generally found on structure such as artificial reefs, near drill platforms, and on natural bottom. They tend to stay near the reefs they inhabit but will travel long distances for breeding. Data suggest that the highest concentrations of these fish are in southwest Florida but they disperse across the Gulf and along the Atlantic coast of south Florida. The large spawning aggregations occur offshore, generally from July through September, and the planktonic larva drift into the mangrove estuaries of southwest Florida. Here the young fish live for 5-6 years feeding on the abundance of food found there and then head back offshore searching for reefs to call their own. Many head to the northern Gulf and our area. Though they are large they feed relatively low on the food chain, consuming primarily crustaceans and slow moving reef fish.

 

They were a huge trophy fish back in the middle 20th century. Fishermen could not resist the chance to have a photograph with one of these behemoths. Because of this popular activity, and the loss of their mangrove nursery grounds due to development, their numbers diminished across the state and today there is a “no harvest” rule for the fish. However some divers are indicating their numbers are increasing and that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission should to revisit the rule.

 

In response FWC’s research group, Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, in St. Petersburg conducts an annual “Goliath Grouper Count”. Modeled after the Christmas Bird Count conducted each year by the Audubon Society, the Goliath Grouper Count occurs during the first week of June. The counts have been occurring in south Florida for a couple of years but for the first time the panhandle will be participating this year. If you are a diver and interested there is a particular protocol that needs to be followed when counting.   You can find out more by contacting Rick O’Connor in Pensacola at (850) 475-5230 or Scott Jackson in Panama City at (850) 764-6105 to obtain the protocol and the data sheets. The official count will run between June 1 and June 15.