The Occurrence Of Life Stages Of Some Recreational Marine Fishes In Estuaries Of The Gulf Of Mexico

"This report summarizes the results of a project that was conducted in 1974-75. In addition to the information that we sought, our efforts produced an extensive bibliography on fishes in the estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico. Some of our colleagues suggested that we include additional species and that we update the references. The unlikelihood of our doing so becomes more apparent with the passage of time. We therefore present this version of our report with the hope that others may find it useful"--Preface.

This bibliography is intended to provide scientists, resource managers, regulators and the concerned public with a comprehensive reference to materials pertinent to the environmental issues affecting Northwest Florida. This effort is strongly coastal and estuarine in its coverage and is limited geographically to the area between Cape San Blas, Florida and Baldwin County, Alabama.

This is a major compendium of the existing knowledge of the ecology and management of tidal marshes by some of the leading experts in the field. The major theme of the book is the interconnectedness of the marsh, plants, marine organisms, soils and geology, energy and money flow, and legal and management effects on the system. Emphasis is placed throughout on the fact that nature has provided a free service that can either be maintained and enhanced by man or destroyed and forever lost. At a time of declining fisheries, this book points the way to management strategies that are needed to effect improvement.

"The Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) is one of five regional fishery research centers of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). In 1970, the NMFS was organized as a component of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Fisheries Science Centers provide scientific information required for decisions relating to the conservation and management of fishery resources, and the protection of fishery habitats, endangered and threatened species. In 1972, the NOAA Technical Memorandum series was established and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center began the publication of research reports. The purpose of this series is timely dissemination of the results of scientific research. The series also affords the SEFSC a means of publishing research results in greater depth and detail than is normally allowed by scientific journals, which usually have stringent length restrictions. To address the difficulties of identification and location of these publications, we present the following listing of SEFSC Technical Memoranda from number 1 (1972) to number 340 (1993). They are available from their originating laboratories or from the National Technical Information Service. A directory of these sources is provided on page 2"--Introduction