Alabama teen Gardner Love recently made headlines by catching a once-rare fish, a common snook, off Perdido Beach that could potentially break an Alabama record. This catch represents a larger trend of warm water fish migrating to new areas, including Alabama, as global temperatures rise. Experts from the University of South Alabama note that the Gulf of Mexico is transitioning from a temperate to a more subtropical or tropical environment due to rising temperatures, a process known as “tropicalization.”
Snook sightings in Alabama have been increasing, along with other tropical species like gray snapper and African pompano, previously not abundant in the region. Researchers attribute these sightings to warmer waters in the Gulf of Mexico, where surface temperatures have increased by 1.9 degrees F between 1970 and 2020, twice the global average.
As fish species move north, fishing seasons are also shifting. Anglers have noticed changes in migration patterns of cobia and Spanish mackerel, with some species becoming more abundant in Alabama waters. The Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, a longstanding tournament, has had to create new categories for these tropical species as they become more common catches.
Along with fish, the marine environment is also changing, with seagrass beds being replaced by mangroves in some areas. Researchers are monitoring species shifts and potential impacts on fisheries as warmer waters cause changes in habitat and migration patterns. Love’s catch of a state record snook highlights the ongoing transformation of Alabama’s marine ecosystem due to climate change.
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