1958 - 1964 
Robins, C. R., and D. C. Tabb (1965) Biological and taxonomic notes on the blue croaker, 
Bairdiella batabana. Bull. Mar. Sci. . 15:495-511. 
[NO COPY OF PAPER AVAILABLE. ABSTRACT FROM SCHMIDT (1991).] Collections from 
Sandy Key Basin, western Florida Bay, resulted in the redescription of the little known 
blue croaker, Bairdiella batabana. The nomenclatural history and bibliographic 
synonymy of B. batabana is discussed. Analysis of meristic and morphological 
characters indicate that this species is very near B. chrysoura. Both species have been 
collected together in south Florida in mixed seagrass beds of Thalassia - Syringodium- 
Halodule. B. batabana feed on small crustaceans; larger specimens move to deeper 
water, its distribution is spotty due to its special habitat preferences. The authors 
suggest it may have a wide-spread distribution along the Atlantic coast of Central 
America. 
1958 - 1978 
Davis, G. E. (1980) Recreational and commercial fisheries in Everglades National Park: an 
ecosystem approach to resource management. Proc., Second Conf. on Scientific Research in 
National Parks. November 1979. San Francisco, CA. NTIS Report NPS/ST-80/02-7. 
228-256. 
Fisheries management in Everglades National Park involves over 20 commonly 
harvested species from six ecosystems, and both commercial and recreational 
fishermen. Analysis of data on catch fishing effort, population age structure of 
exploited species, boating activity, and environmental conditions ranging from 1958 to 
1978 show three types of change in fishery resources. Some species increased in 
abundance and shifted their population age structure from juvenile toward adult fish, 
while other species declined in abundance and their age structure remained unchanged, 
including both juvenile and adults. Both general and specific increases in boating 
activity were associated with sharp declines in catch rates, whereas decreased boating 
activity since 1973 was associated with increased catch rates. Year-to-year variation 
in the availability of major game species declined, which may have been related to 
decline in the frequency of extreme climatic events and/or watershed management 
activities. No effects of harvest on finfish stocks in the Park were detected. 
1958 - 1978 
Davis, G. E. (1980) Changes in the Everglades National Park red drum and spotted seatrout 
fisheries, 1958-1978: Fishing pressure, environmental stress or natural cycles? Proc., 
Coll, on the Biology and Management of Red Drum and Seatrout. October 19-20, 1978. 
81-7. 
Everglades National Park supports mixed recreational and commercial fisheries for red 
drum, Sciaenops ocellata, and spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus. Within the 
663,750 acres of the coastal waters of the Park, there are six ecologically discrete 
systems ranging from 51,000 to over 164,000 acres each. Commercial fishing is 
prohibited in a total of 94,000 acres in two of these systems. The numbers of 
commercial fishermen involved in these fisheries fluctuated between 125 and 276 from 
1963 to 1978. Recreational fishing activity increased steadily from 58,000 angler- 
days in 1959 to 174,000 in 1965. It fell slightly in the late 1960s, reached another 
peak of about 160,000 angler-days in 1973 and 1974, and fell again to less than 
100,000 angler-days in 1977. Recreational fishermen caught 96% of the red drum and 
55% of the spotted seatrout landed in Everglades National Park from 1972 through 
1977. The mean annual yield of red drum from Park waters was 0.366 pounds per 
acre, and 0.250 pounds per acre for spotted seatrout; producing mean annual harvests 
of 232,3000 pounds of red drum and 158,600 pounds of spotted seatrout from 1972 
through 1977. In the past 20 yrs, three significant changes occurred in these fisheries: 
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