Southern Flounder: Major Milestones and Remaining Knowledge Gaps in Their Biology, Ecology, and Fishery Management

Abstract

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 flounder—this information is summarized and reviewed in this study. Despite substantial improvement in understanding the species, major questions remain about their recruitment, offshore behaviors, captive rearing, and management. Recently, southern flounder have also been in focus because of substantial synchronous population declines throughout their range with specific concerns that recruitment failure and possibly climate change may be implicated. Management of southern flounder has thus far taken place within individual states, but coming into focus is the possibility that larger coastwide management approaches may need to be considered due to both the migratory nature of the species and the possibility of population stressors acting at regional scales. Many states have already begun aquaculture and enhancement efforts, with an eye toward supplementing wild populations. Large group efforts, like the symposium that led to this study, will likely be needed to tackle the complex challenges confronting southern flounder.