The Florida Keys have long been recognized as a premier destination for catching bonefish, tarpon, and permit. Clear waters, healthy seagrass meadows, and an abundance of sponges and corals in shallow waters support the fishery. But the Keys’ idyllic flats are also littered with a staggering number of Styrofoam balls tethered to lost lobster and […]
You know from previous BTT blog posts that tarpon can undertake migrations that seasonally connect large geographic areas. But there’s another way that tarpon throughout the southeastern US, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea are connected: larval mixing. In the spring or summer (depending on location), adult tarpon form large aggregations before they move offshore […]
Bahamas Initiative Manager Justin Lewis recently teamed up with BTT Conservation Captain Markk Cartwright and Nevin Knowles from Long Island Bonefishing Lodge to dart tag over 500 bonefish. On the trip, they also managed to recapture several fish that were previously tagged by Markk, who has tagged over 300 bonefish fishing on his own and […]
By all accounts, the 6th International Bonefish & Tarpon Trust Symposium in 2017 was a great success. The Symposium provided a forum for the exchange of knowledge and ideas between scientists and anglers who are united by a passion for the fishes and habitats of the flats. Bonefish & Tarpon Trust is proud to share […]
(The M/Y Albula at dusk – the view from the tracking boat as it begins an overnight track of bonefish moving offshore to spawn. Photo: Dr. Aaron Adams) During this bonefish spawning season in the Bahamas (late October – early April), a team of scientists from Bonefish & Tarpon Trust and Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch […]
Global Rescue, the exclusive provider of evacuation and travel insurance services for Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, has reaffirmed its support of BTT’s conservation efforts as a Silver Corporate Sponsor. “Global Rescue and Bonefish & Tarpon Trust value the importance of sustainable practices and share support for enthusiasts within the fishing world,” said Global Rescue CEO Dan Richards. […]
Over the last 20 years, BTT research has revealed that any given flats fishery is reliant on habitats or other fish populations outside of the flats in order to remain productive. There are two ways these biological connections can occur: through larval transport via ocean currents and adult migrations. For instance, genetic research and ocean […]
Photo: Xcalak, Mexico. Patrick Williams Bonefish & Tarpon Trust joins the scientists at ECOSUR in opposing the proposed deepening and widening of the Zaragoza Canal, which is just south of Xcalak, Mexico, and used by bonefish during their spawning migration. The dredging of the canal will create heavy sedimentation that will damage adjacent habitats, including the coral reef, […]
Before the holidays, BTT Juvenile Tarpon Habitat Program Manager JoEllen Wilson and Director of Development Mark Rehbein were accompanied by SweetWater Brewing Company’s Jake Basnett and BTT member Mark Spurgeon on a juvenile tarpon tagging trip. An arduous day of seine netting in southwest Florida yielded a batch of tarpon 12 inches or less that […]
Research over the past few years by BTT associate scientist Addiel Perez identified a bonefish pre-spawning site, with the spawning site likely near northern Ambergris Caye. The research shows that bonefish migrate to this pre-spawning site from throughout the region–from San Pedro and Corozal Bay in Belize, Chetumal Bay and Xcalak in Mexico, and beyond. This means […]
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