Abstract
Environmental drivers and stochastic events, such as hurricanes and oil spills, can potentially affect the growth of red drum ( Sciaenops ocellatus ) and hence their fisheries productivity. We assessed multidecadal changes in their growth using otolith sclerochronology, applying correlational analysis and linear mixed‐effects models (LMMs). Sex‐specific growth patterns were estimated using annual otolith increments of fish 15+ years old from Louisiana (impacted region for oil spills; N = 233) and from the west coast of Florida (region without oil spill impacts; N = 201), collected from 2005–2015. Both methods indicated that growth of males and females was positively related to spring sea surface temperatures in Louisiana but not in Florida. Annual Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation appeared to be the strongest, positive driving factor for growth of both sexes in both regions based on LMMs. In Florida, there was a negative relationship between Tampa Bay discharge and growth in both males and females, whereas no relationship was detected in Louisiana with Mississippi River discharge. Growth in Louisiana was not related to the extent of the Gulf hypoxic zone, the occurrence and strength of hurricanes/storms, or the volume of major oil spills, including the Deepwater Horizon . Both correlational sclerochronology and LMMs resulted in similar significant relationships between growth and various environmental factors, but the significant drivers of growth varied by both region and sex. In addition, although red drum males and females have similar growth overall, the factors that drive that growth varied and hence changes in ocean conditions may affect the growth of males and females differently.