Development of a nonlethal health assessment for wild Red Drum using a health index

Nonlethal methods are needed to assess the health of wild fish and quantify the robustness of the broader population. Results could be used to indicate exposure to various stressors, such as contaminants, infectious disease, external parasite loads, and fishing pressure, to monitor changes in fish population health over time. The wild Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus population in the Kennedy Space Center Reserve of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge was used to develop a protocol to define the health of free-ranging fish using nonlethal techniques. This health index incorporated morphometric measurements, weight, an evaluation for external parasite fauna, notation of physical deformities, and the presence of lesions. A total of 126 adult Red Drum were collected using hook-and-line angling during prespawning (May), spawning (September and October), and postspawning (December) periods. All fish were released alive back into their environment. The nonlethal health assessment scored fish in the "healthy" range of the health index during the prespawning and spawning periods. Fish caught during the postspawning period scored slightly below this range. Parasite load contributed to the depressed score during the postspawning period. Fish collected in all sampling periods were rated on average as "excellent" for condition factor, which suggests that the sampled population in the reserve were thriving.