New Tarpon Videos! Tarpon Migration A school of large mature tarpon cruising under a Florida Keys bridge, May 2009, as they move northward along their seasonal migration route. The Bonefish & Tarpon Conservation and Research Center of the University of Miami is conducting satellite PAT tagging research on the tarpon to study its migration patterns.
Tarpon - World's Best Fish? A University of Miami professor has dedicated the past 10 years of his life to the study of a large fish species that has launched a cult-like following all over the globe. The tarpon is not only one of the oldest fish in the ocean, it generates billions of dollars in sport fishing tourism. As advocates and scientists celebrate World Ocean Day [June 8th], Producer Zulima Palacio reports from Florida waters on the fish that many consider to be an ocean Goliath.
Tarpon Tagging Program There is little known about tarpon population and fishery dynamics, stock spatial distribution, spawning migrations or movements between fishing areas, despite the importance of this species as a premier game fish. In addition, information on the spatial ecology of tarpon is particularly sparse, and could help to fill important knowledge gaps for management. A lack of this kind of vital information hinders development of management practices to ensure sustainability of their fisheries.
In addition to our PAT tagging program (Satelite Tags)we are starting a new research program in South Florida using anchor tags to evaluate and quantify tarpon movements and aspects of population dynamics. (more)
PAT Tagging Program
In 2007-2008, we satellite PAT-tagged and released a total of 59 tarpon: 24 in Florida Bay
and the Florida Keys; 1 in Miami Beach, Florida; 3 in Stuart, Florida; 7 in Naples, Florida; 1 in
Mobile Bay, Alabama; 4 in Galveston, Texas; 7 in Port O’Connor, Texas; 1 in Port Isabel, Texas;
6 in Veracruz, Mexico; 3 in Trinidad, British West Indies; and 2 in Angola, Africa. A summary
of tag deployments, recaptures and migration routes are given in Table 1 and Figure 1. Sizes of
PAT-tagged tarpon ranged from 50 to 156 lb in Florida, 67 to 114 lb in Texas, 89 to 164 lb in
Mexico, 84 to 106 lbs in Trinidad, and 171 to 176 lbs in Angola. (more)
