The Great Red Snapper Count

What is The Great Red Snapper Count?

In 2016, Congress made funding available to independently estimate the population size of U.S. Gulf red snapper. A total of $10 million was awarded by Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant for a two-year project, which ran from 2017 – 2019. The project, officially titled 'Estimating the absolute abundance of red snapper in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico,' but better known as the Great Red Snapper Count, aimed to estimate the population size of red snapper in U.S. waters of the Gulf. This evaluation was conducted separately from the assessment process employed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council through the SEDAR process. The project was led by a well-integrated, multidisciplinary team of 21 investigators, which comprised leading fisheries experts from the Gulf region and beyond. A suite of methods, including habitat classification, direct visual counts, depletion surveys, and a high-reward tagging study, was used across the entire U.S. Gulf.

The Great Red Snapper Count provided an independent estimate (separate from the stock assessment-derived estimate) of red snapper abundance in the U.S. Gulf. Results from this study were compared with stock assessment results to examine what accounts for any differences were observed. This project represented a unique opportunity to challenge the stock assessment-derived estimate of red snapper abundance in the U.S. Gulf, with the goal of ensuring the most robust management possible for this iconic fishery species.

*UPDATE* 

Results and an update on The Great Red Snapper Count project have been released!  View the updated website, executive summary and full report below:

Update Website

Visit snappercount.org