FWC Researchers Request Help from Cobia Spearos and Fishers

[SpearMax]

Hello everyone, I received this request for help from FWC researchers in the Jupiter Science Lab. They do excellent work in fisheries management. Let's give them a hand as we enjoy the cobia season. Thanks, Tony

MESSAGE FROM FWC RESEARCHERS:

Here are some pictures of the first few tagged Cobias, they are double tagged with orange and yellow streamers to identify that they have a transmitter inside of them that enable us to monitor their movement.

These fish are very valuable to everyone in that they will provide information to make informed decisions, but it is IMPERATIVE TO KEEP THEM ALIVE AND SWIMMING! So if captured or seen, let them swim and report information to 1-888-824-7472 for a reward.

If a tagged fish is accidentally harvested, we would appreciate getting the tag back.

A brief description of this project:

We are monitoring the movements of adult cobia in offshore waters using acoustic receiver technology. The fish is surgically implanted with a uniquely coded acoustic transmitter and our underwater acoustic receivers detect fish. We (Tequesta FWRI) maintain an array of receivers from Palm Beach to Sebastian. However, we work in conjunction with several other Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry (FACT) organizations up and down the east coast of the United States to share telemetry data when our fish are detected on their receivers, or vice versa.

This is a Cooperative Research Project (CRP) that includes charter boat fishermen that A) are paid to take us out and catch cobia and learn our science in the process and B) collect cobia genetics samples for us during their regular fishing schedules.

The goal is to understand the stock structure of cobia through genetics and movements so that the information gathered can better inform managers of their population structure here on the east coast.