Project Bay Bones investigates bonefish decline

Bonefish catches are on the decline, and researchers in the Southeast Environmental Research Center at Florida International University are trying to get to the bottom of this concerning trend.

To better understand the decline, the research team is analyzing ecological data from the past 35 years on water quality, climate, seagrass cover, and abundance and distribution of prey, as well as angler catches and effort. The three-year project is funded by Bonefish & Tarpon Trust.

LINK (via: Phys.org)

Bonefish like you've never seen them before

Here is some more video from Dr. Andy Danylchuk's epic swim with a bonefish spawning aggregation in The Bahamas. I'm sure Andy will have more video for us and even some theories as to why these bonefish are busting the surface before doing the deed.

Several factors suggested for bonefish decline

A decline in prey like shrimp and crabs is not the main cause of the drop in bonefish populations in Florida Bay, according to a one-year study conducted by Audubon Florida and funded by the nonprofit Bonefish Tarpon Trust.

The study by researchers Pete Frezza, Shawn Liston, Jerry Lorenz and Michelle Robinson suggests other factors might share the blame for the decline of a sport fish that pumps $427 million annually into the Florida Keys economy.

LINK (via: The Miami Herald)

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/16/3453183/several-factors-suggested-for.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/06/16/3453183/several-factors-suggested-for.html#storylink=cpy

It's Hammer Time - Bonefish Edition

We have officially adopted a Culebra bonefish as part of Dr. Andy Danychuk's multi-year study examining the movement patterns of bonefish in Culebra.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that bonefish populations inhabiting relatively small, isolated, reef flats such as those found on Culebra may be particularly vulnerable to human-induced disturbances such as illegal gill netting and habitat loss. To learn about their potential vulnerability, Andy and his team have deployed an array of acoustic receivers around Culebra allowing them to detect tagged bonefish and track their movement patterns at scales as small as a few yards. We're psyched that we could contribute in a small way to the teams important work

There has been a possible M.C. sighting.

Below he can be seen giving the fin to one of Andy's researchers while he looks for permit research subjects.