Trap survey of Little Egg and Sea Girt Reefs

[RutgersResearch]

Hello Anglers,

I am writing to inform you of an ongoing project between researchers from Rutgers University and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Division of Fish and Wildlife. The NJDEP-funded study includes a trap survey of two artificial reefs off New Jersey: the Little Egg Inlet and Sea Girt Reefs.

The objectives of the trap survey focus on characterizing the seasonal and spatial variation in community composition and relative abundance of structure-associated species at the two reefs. The survey focuses on black sea bass, blackfish, and lobster, but will also provide helpful data on other species (e.g., Jonah and rock crabs). Results from the project will be valuable for improving our ecological understanding of New Jersey’s artificial reefs, which will be useful for consideration in fishery management and informing ongoing projects as part of the NJDEP’s artificial reef program. Additionally, the project will provide necessary data for designing a statistically robust trap survey of structure-associated species that are not effectively sampled by traditional fishing gears (i.e., otter trawls) which cannot access most rocky habitats, thereby helping to collect improved data for inclusion in future stock assessments.

The project is currently underway and there are 22 fish traps deployed on multiple bottom types at each reef: metal, concrete, and sand. The traps are rigged individually (i.e., not trawls) and are marked at the surface with red buoys identifying them as "Rutgers Research". Please do not disturb the traps if you are fishing or diving in the vicinity of the buoys. The traps will be deployed during three phases: April through early May, June through July, and October through early November.

If you have any questions about the project, please feel free to contact us via a personal message on this board. We look forward to hearing your feedback.