Tarpon Migration Patterns and Habitat Use
Tarpon, frequently referred to by anglers as “silver kings,” are a prized game fish of saltwater anglers along the Gulf Coast. In the early 1900s, future presidents flocked to coastal cities across the Gulf for a chance to catch one of these magnificent fish.
However, as tarpon populations in the northern Gulf of Mexico began to decline in the 1960s, so did the number of tarpon fishermen. Today’s tarpon fishery is primarily catch and release, with few tarpon kept as trophies.
Tarpon declines are thought to result from a combination of fishing pressure and coastal development altering rivers and estuaries where juvenile tarpon reside until adulthood. Tarpon are an ancient fish, and aspects of their biology further contribute to their vulnerability. For example, they are slow growing and can live for over 80 years.
Tarpon have been relatively well studied in other parts of the Gulf of Mexico (Florida, for example), but we know less about the tarpon we see off our coast.
project Goals
We aimed to better understand the movements, migrations, and habitat use of tarpon in the northern Gulf of Mexico through satellite telemetry.
Other REsources
