Red Drum

The Stock Enhancement Program at the institute conducts applied research and develops technology to breed and rear finfish such as red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus).

Quick Facts About Red Drum
Do you know these red drum facts?

Regional Analysis of Florida's Gulf and Atlantic Stocks of Red Drum
This report includes an analysis of red drum within northern and southern regions on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida.

Red Drum Sea Stats Publication
This summary life history of red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) includes information about age and growth, distribution and migration, and feeding habits.

Red Drum Species Account
This is a link to the Species Account section, where readers can find the Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) Species Account, which provides information about red drum diet, growth parameters, reproduction, and catch rates.

Red Drum Stock Assessment
This is a link to the stock assessment section, where readers will find the most recent assessment of red drum in Florida waters.

What to Do if You Catch a Tagged Red Drum
The Angler Tag Return Hotline is designed to collect data from anglers regarding tagged fish that have been captured in Florida's coastal waters.

Red Drum Spawning Movements off Tampa Bay
Dr. Sue Lowerre-Barbieri and team use acoustic tagging coupled with aerial surveys and biological information to determine habitat use and site fidelity in association with reproduction as part of a three-year study to evaluate red drum spawning stock size and structure in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Red drum and the role of birthplace on maturity movements and spawning location
This article summarizes a 2020 publication from the MERR (Movement Ecology and Reproductive Resilience) Laboratory on how the site where red drum are born affects when and where they spawn as adults.