1. Industry –IOOS Workshop Houston, Texas March 2-4, 2004
Gary L. Graham Professor and Marine Fisheries Specialist Texas Sea Grant Texas Cooperative Extension Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Department Texas A&M University
Industry –IOOS Workshop
Houston, Texas
March 2-4, 2004

2. Commercial Fishing and Aquaculture
Shrimp Industry most valuable fishery in U.S.
230,000,000 pounds of product
$379,000,000 ex-vessel value (decreased)
U.S. consumption – 1.1 billion pounds
700,000,000 pounds of imports
High dollar commodity does not translate into high margin enterprise for producers

3. Permitted Offshore Shrimp Vessels
2671 in January ’04
65-100’ lengths
Average crew of 3
Freezer equipped – 90 %
30-50 day trips
Often highly migratory
Generally less than 50 fathoms
Some specialty fishing (royal red shrimp)

4. Inshore Vessels
Texas
Significant numbers throughout Gulf

5. Shrimp Fishery Applications
Information to provide efficient running conditions
Predictability of Shrimp Concentrations
Currently some seabed features are consistent with production
Knowledge of past harvests not always helpful
Sophistication/Understanding of Potential

6. Shrimp Fishery Applications
Advancement of Biological Understanding
Larval Transport
Migrations of Sub-adults and Adults
Impacts of Physical and Chemical Factors
Hypoxic/Anoxic Areas
Noxious Blooms – Red Tide

7. Shrimp Vessels of Opportunity
Cooperation exists
Passive Systems probably necessary
Florida – Texas Within 50 fathoms
Some outside of the continental shelf

14. Aquaculture Shrimp – 8,000,000 Catfish Expanding
Offshore Net Pens – Unclear
Offshore Applications Could be Significant

15. Summary Vessels of Opportunity NASA Space Program
Applications will present themselves