A species once found only in South Florida is now being hooked from Perdido Bay to the Mississippi line
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — A fish with the word “common” in its name has been anything but common in Alabama’s coastal waters — until now. Anglers along the Alabama Gulf Coast are increasingly catching common snook, a species once found mainly in South Florida. The fish’s growing presence has caught the attention of researchers at the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Scientists are now working to document how many snook are appearing and where they are going.
Dr. Charlie Martin, a north Alabama native who works at both the University of South Alabama and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, began tracking the fish after anglers reported catches. He first encountered the species in 2016 while on staff at the University of Florida near Cedar Key. Martin later returned to Alabama and soon began hearing reports of snook along the coast…