FSUCML faculty, Dr. Christopher Koenig and Dr. Felicia Coleman, are collecting new data on the once severely-overfished Atlantic goliath grouper in a new three-year study. The species is native to Florida's waters, and is currently making a comeback in the southeastern United States, after a 21-year fishing moratorium. Using nondestructive sampling techniques, Koenig and Coleman will examine specific conditions and behaviors supporting this species' population recovery along Florida's coastlines in both the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.

Funding for this study comes from a $481,664 grant awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Fisheries Initiative. The research team also includes University of South Florida's Dr. Christopher Stallings (formerly a post-doc at the FSUCML) and University of Florida, Dr. Debra Murie.