The sun was shining on Sunday, August 27, and the sea breeze whispered secrets of adventure as 31 eager anglers gathered on board the Mi-Jo 2 for the American Littoral Society's Annual Fluke Tagging Trip. The day delivered some unforgettable memories and contributed to the sustainable fishing efforts of our fish tagging program. Each angler played a vital role in this mission but some of them stood out with remarkable tagging achievements:
While tagging was the primary goal of the trip, we couldn't help but be thrilled by the quality of the fish we encountered. In total, 12 fluke over 17 inches were reeled in. Among these, the largest fluke caught measured an impressive 22.5 inches. The adventure didn't stop at fluke tagging; the sea presented a diverse array of marine creatures including black sea bass, bluefish, sea robin, dogfish, clearnose skate, and porgies. To top it off, cownose rays made appearances, gracefully swimming around our vessel. The American Littoral Society's Annual Fluke Tagging Trip was not just a fishing excursion but also an opportunity to connect with nature, contribute to vital research, and celebrate the beauty of the sea. Tagging or marking animals has long been an accepted biological method for monitoring wildlife; birds are banded on their legs, black bears and grizzly bears carry radio transmitters, as do sea turtles. Even monarch butterflies have been banded with delicate mylar patches. The reason for doing this is to tell one creature from another so its daily movements or seasonal migrations can be studied and rates of growth can be learned. Tagging fish is even more important because they spend almost their entire lives out of the sight of the researchers trying to learn about them. Our tagging program aids scientists by providing vital information such as the size and location of fish when they are initially caught and with every recapture. All of our tagging data are transferred to the database of the National Marine Fisheries Service Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. Learn more about the Littoral Society Fish Tagging Program and how you can take part. Comments are closed.
|
Archives
February 2025
Categories
All
|