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Development of Florida's marine Fisheries-Independent Monitoring (FIM) program began in 1985, and it initiated long-term monitoring in Tampa Bay in 1989 with the purpose of providing timely fishery-independent data and analyses to fishery managers for the conservation and protection of the species that support Florida's fisheries. Over time, the program expanded sampling in other Florida estuaries. Data from this monitoring program are integral to the assessment and management of numerous state and federally managed fishes, so long-term consistency is of paramount importance, but sampling design modifications have been necessary over time. This review presents three case studies in which the estuarine component of the FIM program was changed to address emerging data needs in management of Florida's fishery resources, while maintaining standardization and consistency with long-term surveys statewide. In the first case study, survey changes increased the amount of data on juvenile common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, on the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts and improved indices of abundance, survival estimates, and age-length keys for state management purposes. In the second case study, the FIM program improved estimates of abundance of juvenile reef fishes by initiating a complementary survey that expanded FIM sampling to new regions of the Florida Gulf coast and targeted a unique habitat (polyhaline seagrass beds along estuarine shoal habitats) not previously sampled in the standard longterm survey. In the third case study, the FIM program addressed a data limitation for regional management of spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus, by initiating seasonal sampling in western Florida. In each case study, the standard long-term survey design was modified to include sampling of new and unique areas and habitats, providing valuable data on estuarine fish assemblages that support analyses at the broader, ecosystem level. Survey amendments were designed to maintain standardization and consistency, all with limited additional funding. The success of these survey modifications was the result of several key factors: mission-focused programmatic goals, geographically dispersed laboratories, standardized protocols, ongoing critical analysis of the data, grant award success, and high-level data management. Although each case study originated with a survey expansion, all were followed by survey reductions or streamlining, so expansion and reduction scenarios are presented in this review. Regardless of these modifications, the mission of the FIM program remains the same: to provide timely data and analysis for the use of fishery managers, including state and federal partners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical cyclones have large effects on marine ecosystems through direct (e.g., storm surge) and indirect (e.g., nutrient runoff) effects. Given their intensity, understanding their effects on the marine environment is an important goal for conservation and resource management. In June 2012, Tropical Storm Debby impacted coastal Florida including Tampa Bay. Acoustic recorders were deployed prior to the storm at a shallow water location inside Tampa Bay and a deeper water location in the Gulf of Mexico. Ambient noise levels were significantly higher during the storm, and the highest increases were observed at lower frequencies (≤ 500 Hz). Although the storm did not directly hit the area, mean ambient noise levels were as high as 13.5 dB RMS above levels in non-storm conditions. At both the shallow water and the deep water station, the rate of fish calls showed a variety of patterns over the study period, with some rates decreasing during the storm and others showing no apparent reaction. The rates of fish calls were frequently correlated with storm conditions (storm surge, water temperature), but also with lunar cycle. Reactions to the storm were generally stronger in the inshore station, although fish sounds increased quickly after the storm's passage. Although this was not a major tropical cyclone nor a direct hit on the area, the storm did appear to elicit a behavioral response from the fish community, and ambient noise levels likely limited the abilities of marine species to use sound for activities such as communication. Given the increases in intensity and rainfall predicted for tropical cyclones due to climate change, further studies of the ecological effects of tropical cyclones are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) is common in coastal waters from the Chesapeake Bay to Texas in the United States and supports a viable recreational and commercial fishery throughout much of its range. Otoliths were extracted from 2549 sheepshead collected from 1993 through 2009 in Tampa Bay, Florida, during routine sampling by the Fisheries-Independent Monitoring program of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Sheepshead ranged in size from 107 to 524 mm fork length (FL). Age of sheepshead was estimated by counting annuli (opaque zones) in thin-sectioned sagittal otoliths. Marginal-increment analysis of sheepshead from ages 1 to 6 indicated that a single opaque ring was formed on an otolith each year between May and June. In Tampa Bay, sheephead reached a maximum age of 15 years. Males and females experienced rapid growth through age 6; growth rate decreased markedly thereafter. Although von Bertalanffy growth models were biologically similar between sexes, they were found to be statistically different (female [FL=419.1 (1-e-0.272(age+1.009))]; males [FL=422.5 (1-e-0.255(age+1.115))]). Tampa Bay sheepshead are typically smaller at a given age than those in more northern climates and not as long lived. Differences in regional growth models may be attributed to differences in mortality, ontogenetic shifts in habitat, genetic variation, or sampling design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]