Migration Study on Brown Shrimp in Bay Area M-6 and Gulf Area 20

Shrimp stained June 5 through June 8 in Aransas Bay moved as predicted out of the bay and into the inshore Gulf. First returns from the Gulf were on July 5, a month after staining; however, at the rate of movement displayed through the bay and channels toward the Gulf, the first stained shrimp probably moved into the Gulf within three or four days of being released. The greatest distance moved was 59 miles in about 28 days. The fastest rate of movement was about 5 miles per day. A rough mileage rate, estimated from the first week's movement in the bays, was about two miles per day. Assuming brown shrimp of a mode of 80 mm, in June start moving to the Gulf at a certain speed, it can be predicted about when a certain group will enter the inshore waters which are closed for a certain period during the summer for conservation purposes. Knowledge of the rate and direction of movement will allow a more accurate regulation of this closed season.