Artificial Reefs as Fisheries Habitat: Corpus Christi Nearshore Reef 10-year Update Assessment

Artificial reefs are commonly created with the goal of enhancing fish populations. In Texas, nearshore reefs, are defined as those within state waters (<9 nm), provide habitat for numerous sportfish species including several considered species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) in the State Wildlife Action Plan (TPWD 2023).

Understanding the value of artificial reefs as fisheries habitat has been hindered by limited monitoring and scientific study following reef construction.

The purpose of this study is to conduct a multi-gear assessment of the fish community at the Corpus Christi Nearshore Reef (MU-775) to determine if and how the fish community has changed in 10 years since the last standardized monitoring was conducted at the reef site.

This project will build off work completed by Principal Investigator Dr. Matt Streich in 2015 to provide insight into how these nearshore reefs function in Texas.

The planned assessment will use identical gear used in past monitoring (small fish traps and vertical line) and add baited stereo camera surveys to estimate seasonal fish community structure and size distributions, with an emphasis on Red Snapper, Gray Triggerfish, Cobia, and Greater Amberjack.

These data will aid the Texas Artificial Reef Program by identifying methods and gear biases that may be considered for monitoring nearshore artificial reef fish communities and advancing the knowledge base to inform management of these reefs in Texas.