Factors affecting the abundance of selected fishes near oil and gas platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico

A logbook program was initiated to determine the relative abundance of selected fish species around oil and gas platforms off the Louisiana coast. Logbooks were maintained by 55 anglers and 10 charterboat operators from Mar. 1987 to Mar. 1988. 36,839 Fish were caught representing over 46 different spp. Principal component analysis (PCA) grouped the 17 most abundant spp into reef fish, pelagic fish, bluefish-red drum, Atlantic croaker-silver/sand seatrout, and cobia-shark-blue runner associations. Multiple regression analyses were used to compare PCA groupings to physical platform, temporal, geological, and angler characteristic variables and their interactions.