THE GULF OF MEXICO ECOSYSTEM: A COASTAL AND MARINE ATLAS
See related maps and narratives on Salt Marshes and Mangrove Forests, White Shrimp, Low Oxygen Areas, Selected Non-Native Species of Concern, and Offshore Shrimp Trawl Fishery. Data Compilation and Mapping Methods Relative abundance data were obtained from the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas. These data were compiled from the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP), involving fishery-independent summer and fall shrimp and groundfish surveys administered by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission and the National Marine Fisheries Service. These relative abundance data, represented as the number of shrimp caught per one-hour tow, were summarized from 11,637 40-foot (12-meter) shrimp trawls taken from 1987 through 2009. Data Quality The quality of these relative abundance data is good for U.S. waters due to the extent of sampling by the SEAMAP project and its consistent methods of data collection. Comparable data were not located for Mexico and Cuba. Synthesis and Conclusions Brown shrimp are an abundant species in estuarine habitats throughout most of the Gulf, and are also found offshore when spawning. Brown shrimp are an important part of the Gulf food web, serving as a food source for many animals. They support a valuable commercial fishery and are the most abundantly caught shrimp species in the Gulf. Further research is needed to evaluate the impacts of the giant tiger prawn and hypoxia on brown shrimp.
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