Tarpon Research

“To protect, conserve and re-establish the Southeastern United States diminishing wildlife and their habitats”

a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

SPONSORS / PARTNERS

Tarpon Research & Conservation Support for the Alabama & Mississippi Gulf Coasts

The Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group is collaborating with the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust (BTT) out of Key Largo, FL to support their research and conservation efforts aimed at conservation of tarpon and the fishery they support.

Although the Tarpon fishery remains popular, available information indicates that tarpon numbers have declined from historical levels in the Caribbean and greater Gulf of Mexico. Port Aransas, TX, for example, was once heralded as the Tarpon Capitol of the World, but tarpon numbers are significantly lower than during the heyday.

A continuing challenge to tarpon conservation is the overall lack of information. Tarpon, once a big fishery in Mobile Bay, have received very little attention from the scientific community. Their migration and dispersion patterns, mortality rates, spawning patterns and locations, and lifetime growth potential are still relatively unknown. The research work conducted to date on tarpon (age-growth, reproduction, feeding habits) has not adequately sampled the entire size distribution of the fish over the range of the fish. Much work is needed to support effective management decision-making for this species to ensure its long-term sustainability.

The northern Gulf Coast is a critical region along the migration path of this incredible fish, so it only makes sense that local communities and anglers in Alabama and Mississippi become involved. The Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group is supporting the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s research efforts on Tarpon here along the Alabama – Mississippi Gulf Coasts through data collection, public outreach, logistical support and genetics sampling.

Data Collection

The SWCG is calling on all fishermen, both commercial and recreational across the Alabama and Mississippi Gulf Coasts to join the Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group in their efforts in supporting this very important research program. Catch data to include the size of the fish and its GPS location are needed to assist research activities. All data retrieved will be held confidential and not released to the general public and will only be utilized by the SWCG and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust personnel to identify size and age of fish in our area and to identify potential habitat supporting Tarpon juveniles. This data is important in determining whether habitat loss has negatively affected the numbers of Tarpon across Alabama and Mississippi and to identify potential habitat restoration projects to support this fishery.

Genetics Sampling

Tarpon can be identified using DNA fingerprinting, or "fin printing," techniques. Tarpon that are genetically sampled can be used to determine survival rates, health, migration, and movement of individual fish within the fishery. By evaluating these factors on recaptured fish over time, biologists at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) and partners at Mote Marine Laboratory can assess the success of tarpon stocks and the connectivity of tarpon between different bodies of water.

How do we genetically sample a tarpon? A small sample of skin cells is all we need. We no longer need to place an external plastic or wire tag onto the fish that can fall off, break, or get covered in algae beyond recognition. A tarpon's DNA provides a natural tag of sorts that lasts forever. Using a small abrasive sponge to scrape skin cells from the outer jaw of the tarpon provides enough DNA for researchers to determine if a particular fish has been caught and sampled before. Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group members and volunteers will perform the genetic sampling.

Satellite Tagging Support

Anglers have often wondered where big tarpon come and go. Do populations of species migrate internationally? Why have tarpon populations declined or increased over years in different regions? And are the tarpon in various Latin American countries being slaughtered by commercial and subsistence fisheries the same tarpon that travel to our local waters and possibly be a cause of local stock reductions? These and more questions are fundamental to determining the unit stock appropriate for management that ensures sustainability of the fisheries.

To answer these questions, Pop-Up Archival Transmitting (PAT) tags are now being attached to tarpon. These state-of-the art devices track tarpon migrations and evaluate habitat use along the way. The PATs, which cost $6,000 per unit and utilize satellite technology, are small computerized sampling devices attached to the back of a tarpon via a titanium dart. A PAT contains electronic sensors that every 10 seconds records the fish’s depth, light level, temperature and salinity of surrounding water.

The PATs are preprogrammed to automatically release from the fish at a specific date and time (usually about 6-8 months after deployment). At that time, the tags “pop-up” to the surface and transmit compressed versions of the stored information to a network of orbiting satellites.

The SWCG is raising funds to purchase satellite tags to be placed on Alabama and Mississippi caught tarpon to track and receive the invaluable data on their migration patterns and use of local habitat. Through this knowledge, we will be able to help BTT assess the importance of Alabama and Mississippi coastal waters in the support of this fishery.

Funding Support Needed

The Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group is in need of individual and corporate sponsorship to help the SWCG’s efforts in supporting the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust’s invaluable research and conservation efforts aimed at conservation of tarpon and the fishery they support.

Financial contributions made to the Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group will support the purchase of satellite tags, logistical support of Bonefish & Tarpon Trust researchers coming to Alabama and Mississippi waters, data collection efforts, habitat evaluation, public outreach and genetic sampling efforts.

If you are interested in making a donation, please contact SWCG President Mark Langner mark.langner@swcgroup.org.

Also, please visit our friends at the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust at www.tarbone.org to learn more specifics on the important research we are supporting.

The Southeastern Wildlife Conservation Group truly appreciates any and all support. With your help, we all will succeed.

Thank you.