2 minute read

UPGRADE YOUR CART BONEFISH SPAWNING AGGREGATION DISCOVERED OFF THE KEYS

from Coastal Angler Magazine | June 2023 | Palm Beach & Ft. Lauderdale Area Edition

from Coastal Angler Magazine | June 2023 | Palm Beach & Ft. Lauderdale Area Edition, page 58

NORTH CAROLINIAN SMASHES U.S. ...

For all science knows about our sheries, there is plenty le to discover. Bone sh & Tarpon Trust scientists recently located a bone sh prespawning aggregation (PSA) in the Florida Keys. e discovery is the rst of its kind in Florida waters and the culmination of a years-long search that utilized acoustic telemetry and the historical knowledge of veteran shing guides.

“ is is a major discovery for the Florida Keys shery,” said BTT President and CEO Jim McDu e. “BTT has previously identi ed PSAs in several other countries, but Florida sites remained elusive—until now. By locating this PSA, our scientists will be able to learn more about where and how bone sh spawn in the Florida Keys, which is information critical to the sustained recovery of the population.” e newly discovered PSA is comprised of approximately 2,000 to 5,000 sh and located three to four miles o shore along a reef. Previously documented PSAs in the Bahamas and Belize are located in nearshore waters.

Over the course of the 2022-2023 bone sh spawning season, which spans from October to April, BTT Florida Keys Initiative Manager Dr. Ross Boucek and his team tracked 67 sh and logged more than 94,000 detections. Many of these detections were in the area where BTT research during the 2021-2022 season and reports from shing guides indicated a likely PSA. Fourteen bone sh detected at the suspected PSA site had been tagged at distant ats, including two sh tagged 55 miles away.

At the site, BTT scientists also observed bone sh gulping air at the surface. Previous research shows that bone sh engage in this behavior before spawning to ll their swim bladders. At night, the sh dive hundreds of feet and rapidly ascend to the surface. e sudden change in pressure during the ascent makes their swim bladders expand, enabling the bone sh to release eggs and sperm. A er fertilization, hatched larvae dri in ocean currents before settling in shallow sand- or mud-bottom bays, where they develop into juvenile bone sh.

“As a Keys shing guide for 53 years, with a science background, I took bone sh for granted—they were what I shed for every day,” said Capt. Rick Ruo , member of the BTT Board of Directors. “I thought that I knew all about the resource, until the population crashed. I discovered neither I, nor anyone else, knew where or how bone sh spawned—a major gap in our knowledge. BTT has come up with the amazing science to determine the dynamics of bone sh spawning. It has been a great lesson to me that we have located this missing piece of the puzzle. To have a healthy population and management goals, you have to understand all aspects of your resource. I am so proud to be part of the BTT science e ort that has unraveled these bone sh mysteries and will witness their rebound.”

Lasting 2-3 times longer than wooden, concrete, and aluminum docks, our modular foating system is the preferred dock choice for residential, commercial, marina, liesure, and other applications. Customizable and confgurable for boat docks, liesure and recreation docks, and drive-on jet ski and personal watercraft!