Aquatic Nuisance Species: Assessing the Potential of Nuisance Jellyfish Predation on the Eggs and Larvae of Red Drum and Red Snapper in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Objectives are:
1) Quantify the abundance and distribution of potential gelatinous predators and their fish egg and larval prey during the period of peak spawning of each prey species;
2) Determine experimentally, using large in situ mesocosm enclosures, species-specific predation ratess by jellyfish predators (P. punctata, A. aurelia, and C. quinquecirrha) on hatchery-reared red snapper/red drum eggs and larvae;
3) Compare the mesocosm-measured predation rates to predation rates calculated from jellyfish gut contents collected in situ;
4) Combine measured and/or calculated predation rates with data on distribution and abundance of jellyfish predators and prey to create a spatial map of predation potential;
5) Determine relative contribution of invasive jellyfish Phyllorhiza punctata to total predation potential of all jellyfish (native and introduced) species; and
6) Create the framework for a regional scale retrospective analysis of predation potential of all jellyfish predators by using National Marine Fisheries Service survey (SEAMAP) data.