Spawning Potential Ratio: A Key Metric for Managing Florida’s Fisheries

From red drum to red snapper, many of Florida’s fisheries are managed with specific consideration given to a quantity called the Spawning Potential Ratio (SPR). This conspicuous acronym is an important metric to fisheries biologists and managers. It helps determine harvest size limits for fisheries and drives regulations for both commercial and recreational fisheries. However, SPR is not especially intuitive to the general public or even agency personnel and Extension agents. This publication is intended to describe what SPR is and explain how and why it is used in managing fish stocks. We think it will help people better understand fisheries management decisions, the documents describing them, and the science behind them.