Nancy J Brown-Peterson

University of Southern Mississippi | USM · Center for Fisheries Research and Development

Southern flounder are an iconic coastal finfish through the Southeast U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Southern flounder spend the early part of their lives in coastal and estuarine habitats, later moving offshore to spawn. Several decades of research have provided much clarity to the biology, life history, and aquaculture aspects of southern flou...

Objective This paper highlights the complexity of marine fish spawner–recruit systems and how they vary across species and ecosystems while providing a universal terminology and framework to evaluate fish reproduction. We emphasize the gonadal development important to assess maturity, fecundity, where and when fish spawn, and transition and sex ass...

The Red lionfish Pterois volitans was introduced into the western Atlantic Ocean more than 30 years ago, but in the Gulf of Mexico it was first recorded in 2010. Given its population spread in the region, the lionfish has become a biological invasion that threatens the marine ecosystem. The objective of this work was to describe some basic reproduc...

Post-mortem ovarian tissue degradation from handling effects, such as delays in preservation, can lead to inaccurate reproductive assessments. Therefore, it is important to understand the differences between handling effects and natural ovarian atresia. Seven treatments of various holding temperatures and times to preservation were applied to whole...

Reproductive characteristics of a fish stock provide important tools for assessing population health. Change in length-at-maturity (L50 ) is a potential indicator of exploited fish populations but when criteria for determining maturity classifications are inconsistent, it is difficult to accurately assess change over time and space. Etelis coruscan...

The current study examined 93 Swordfish, Xiphias gladius, (64 females, 27 males, 2 unknown) ranging in size from 77.6–246.3 cm lower jaw fork length (LJFL) from the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Samples were collected between March and August in 2005–2007, 2017–2019 and 2021. Age estimates of 51 Swordfish resulted in a maximum observed age of 11 y...

The reproductive biology of Red Snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, is well understood, but there is little information on the impact of environmental, climatic, and habitat variables on reproductive parameters. We used multi-level Bayesian modeling and model selection to investigate how these variables affected spawning of female Red Snapper. Monthly c...

Accurate estimates of reproductive parameters important in understanding life history evolution and conservation of small fishes are dependent upon careful assignment of ovarian phases. Proper assignment is based upon the stages of propagule (oocyte) development, oocyte maturation and the location of any clutch or portion thereof within the ovaries...

The Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus is a reef‐associated species found throughout the Gulf of Mexico that relies on artificial structures for habitat. In this study, we used Bayesian models to determine habitat selection by different sizes and ages of female Red Snapper and to identify whether there was a difference in habitat selection between im...

The reproductive characteristics of the longtail snapper, Etelis coruscans — known locally in Hawaii as “onaga,” — was last assessed in 1989; therefore, updated information is needed for improving its stock assessment and management in the bottomfish fishery of the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). Specimens were collected during research cruises and ei...

Hardhead catfish Ariopsis felis are a common marine catfish in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The low economic value of this species has depressed interest and research, and although the species is known for its extremely low fecundity and large oocytes, little else is known about this catfish species. A total of 1230 samples acros...

Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) is a popular reef-associated fish species in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) that supports both commercial and recreational fisheries. In this region, there is a large overlap in fork length (FL, 90%) and age (93%) range between mature and immature females. Therefore, here we investigate how age and FL of mature...

Red Snapper Lutjanus campecheanus is a structure‐associated species occurring across a wide depth range in the northern Gulf of Mexico. We used the random forest machine learning algorithm to understand which habitat and individual fish characteristics could predict reproductive parameters of female Red Snapper. We evaluated fish captured from 2016...

The age or size at which a fish reaches sexual maturity influences fitness, determines generation time and, as an extension, the inherent rate of population growth. Sexual maturity data are often used as a biological reference point to determine catch limits that allow female fish to spawn one or more times before being harvested. Additionally, siz...

In the Florida Keys, queen conchs (Lobatus gigas) occur in two spatially distinct regions: nearshore in habitats immediately adjacent to the shoreline and offshore in habitats along the reef tract south of the islands. Our previous research demonstrated that adult conchs nearshore are not reproductively active, showing deficiencies in their gonadal...

The Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus stock is heavily targeted in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) by recreational fishers and supports a small commercial fishery in Mississippi. Despite their popularity, little recent work has been done to describe their life history. In this work, we describe sex‐specific growth and reproductive dynamics of Red Drum collecte...

The reproductive characteristics, movement patterns and courtship behaviors associated with a yellowfin grouper ( Mycteroperca venenosa, Linnaeus, 1758) fish spawning aggregation (FSA) were assessed between 2004 and 2014. The FSA was located on the Grammanik Bank, a seasonally closed area on the edge of the Puerto Rico platform, south of St. Thomas...

—Stocks of red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) exhibited a dramatic decline in abundance in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) between 1960 and 1991; management regul at i ons i mpl ement ed since 1991 have resulted in a modest recovery. To examine potential temporal and regional changes in reproductive parameters of female red snapper during recover...

Gulf Menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico support a large commercial fishery and are thought to play an important trophic role in the coastal ecosystem. The temporal dynamics of both fatty acid and oil content have a direct impact on the value of Gulf Menhaden to predators and to the fishery. In this work, we describe how o...

The objective of the present study was to describe and characterize macroscopic and microscopic aspects of the reproductive biology of the Giant Electric Ray Narcine entemedor, a viviparous elasmobranch targeted by commercial fishers in Mexico. A total of 305 individual rays were captured (260 females, 45 males); all males were sexually mature. The...

Gulf menhaden (Brevoor-tia patronus) produce one of the largest U.S. fisheries, yet information on reproductive dynamics of the stock is sparse. Males and females reach 50% maturity at 140.8 and 137.2 mm fork length, respectively and recruit into the commercial fishery at this size. Analysis of fishery-depen-dent data from 1964 through 2014 indicat...

Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma is the most commonly harvested flatfish in the north-central Gulf of Mexico (GOM), yet knowledge of this species’ growth and reproduction is limited for the Mississippi region. Given the offshore spawning migrations and likely mixing between state-managed units of the GOM Southern Flounder stock, small-sca...

With invasive lionfish (Pterois spp.) increasing throughout the western North Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico (GOM), it is important to define life history characteristics to help understand the invasion and potential effects on receiving ecosystems. Although some aspects of reproduction are known elsewhere in the invaded range, little is known i...

The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill released millions of barrels of crude oil into the northern Gulf of Mexico, much of which remains associated with sediments and can have continuing impacts on biota. Juvenile southern flounder (Paralichthys lethostigma) were exposed for 28 d in the laboratory under controlled conditions to reference and DWH oil...

The trophic aspect of ecology has been studied for more than six decades; in this contribution we address theoretical aspects relative to the concept of trophic flow at the ecosystem level and from the thermodynamics point of view. Much of this knowledge is greatly based on the consideration that ecosystems are functional units that are worth globa...

Invasive lionfish (Pterois sp.) have rapidly spread throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) partly due to their high growth rate. Since 2012, more than 15,000 lionfish have been collected from the nGOM across three ecoregions: southeast, northeast, and west. Sagittal otoliths (n=1,546) were removed from lionfish (81–434 mm total length), embe...

EXTENDED ABSTRACT Invasive lionfish (Pterois sp.), first detected in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) in 2010, have quickly established themselves and are now being seen in higher densities compared to other invaded regions (Dahl and Patterson 2014). The negative effect of lionfish on the native ecosystems they have invaded is relatively well kno...

EXTENDED ABSTRACT In 2010, non-native lionfish (Pterois volitans, P. miles) were first legitimately detected in northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) waters. Since then, reports and collections of lionfish throughout the GOM have increased considerably showing that they are established in the region (Schofield 2010, Fogg et al. 2013) and have been detected...

Southern Kingfish (Menticirrhus americanus) is an abundant sciaenid in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico, but little is known of its life history. Our objectives were to describe demographic traits and compare the characteristics of this population with those of other recreationally and commercially important populations in the U.S. Exclusive Economi...

β-sitosterol concentration in pulp and paper mill effluents is typically greater than other phytosterols, and has been shown to cause a variety of effects in fish. We exposed Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) to low (22 ± 0.93 µg/L), medium-low (70 ± 2.1µg/L), medium-high (237 ± 5.5 µg/L), and high (745 ± 16.2 µg/L) concentrations of β-sitostero...

In 2010, non-native lionfish (Pterois volitans, P. miles) were first legitimately detected in northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) waters. Since then, reports and collections of lionfish throughout the GOM have increased considerably showing that they are established in the region (Schofield 2010, Fogg et al. 2013) and have been detected in waters off of...

The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted shoreline marshes and estuaries in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) are an estuarine resident, spring-summer spawning species in the GOM; thus, both adult and young-of-the-year fish were potentially exposed to oiled waters during 2010. We compared historica...

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are known to adversely affect survival, growth, and reproduction in many aquatic species. Adult female sheepshead minnow, Cyprinodon varietagus (SHM), were exposed to chronic, low levels of pyrene (12.5, 25, or 50 μg/L nominal concentrations) and the impact on reproductive ability and larval survival was assessed. V...

Gametogenesis was monitored histologically in wild-caught red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus, Poey) maintained in captivity under simulated nat-ural photothermal conditions. Gonads were col-lected every 2–3 weeks (average n = 14) for histology during the pre-spawning season (Febru-ary to May, temperature increasing from 16°C to 24°C). Primary vitell...

The first confirmed sightings of lionfish in the Gulf of Mexico occurred in 2010 (Schofield 2010), where they were reported in the southern GOM off the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (Aguilar-Perera and Tuz-Sulub 2010); in 2012 more than 1,500 lionfish were collected from northern GOM locations ranging from Florida to Texas (Fogg et al. 2013). However,...

Despite the fact that the tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) is a popular sport fish in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM; Ault et al. 2008), little is known of its spawning behavior. Spawn-ing M. atlanticus have never been documented and fertil-ized eggs have not been observed in situ (Ault et al. 2008). While it has been suggested that adult M. atlanticus move t...

The red snapper Lutjanus campechanus is a reef fish of major economic importance in the southeastern United States. Red snapper aquaculture is being investigated both for stock enhancement, as a tool for rebuilding wild stocks, and for commercial production motivated by the high demand and high market value for this species. A major limitation to r...

a b s t r a c t The queen conch (Strombus gigas) is a large economically important gastropod that has been severely depleted throughout much of the Caribbean region. The species has determinate growth and reaches maximum shell length before sexual maturation; thereafter the shell grows only in thickness. In this study, queen conch were collected in...

Fundulus jenkinsi is recognized federally and within a number of northern Gulf of Mexico states as a Species of Concern. Little is known about its life history, but a detailed reproductive histology study of F. jenkinsi can provide the foundation needed to quantify reproductive parameters in this rare species in need of conservation. Monthly gonado...

The invasion process is defined by a progression of stages (e.g., introduction, establishment, spread, and impact) that are both biologically and environmentally filtered at each step. In this paper, we summarize previous work by our group documenting the introduction and establishment of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in coastal Mississippi....

Understanding the fundamental niche of invasive species facilitates our ability to predict both dispersal patterns and invasion success and therefore provides the basis for better-informed conservation and management policies. Here we focus on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus Linnaeus, 1758), one of the most widely cultured fish worldwide and a...