New Flounder Stocking Effort Begins Today in South Carolina

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The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will release hatchery-reared southern flounder into state estuaries for the first time today, March 13, marking a major milestone in the development of a new stock-enhancement program. The initial release will include approximately 10,000 juvenile flounder—about 1 inch long and 45 days old—with additional stockings planned at several size classes throughout 2026.
 
Work on the program began in 2021 and involved collaboration among SCDNR research teams in mariculture, inshore fisheries, and population genetics, along with partners from Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, University of Texas at Austin, North Carolina State University, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Scientists evaluated years of fisheries survey data, expanded monitoring in northern estuaries, and developed new hatchery systems tailored to the unique biology of bottom-dwelling flatfish.
 
A central component of the effort is genetics. Researchers have developed DNA microsatellite markers that allow scientists to distinguish hatchery-reared fish from wild fish and track how stocked individuals contribute to different life stages of the natural population.
 
Biologically, southern flounder from North Carolina through Florida are considered a single unit stock. In North Carolina, the species is classified as depleted based on the most recent stock assessment, which uses data through 2017. Because these populations are interconnected, the success or limitations of South Carolina’s stocking efforts could provide valuable insight for fisheries management and potential recovery strategies in North Carolina.

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