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Tarpon Research
Tarpon are prized saltwater fish that can live to 80 years and grow to well over 250 pounds, and have long supported an economically an culturally important fishery. In fact, past presidents have taken part in this fishery - from FDR to H.W. Buch. Today, tarpon support a seasonal fishery that stretches from Virginia to Texas that is worth more than $6 billion per year. Despite the long history and importance of the tarpon fishery, however, tarpon populations face challenges that require additional support and management to ensure the fishery is accessible to future generations.
Although a catch-and-release fishery in many locations, tarpon populations face many challenges, including habitat loss, recreational harvest in the United States, and directed commercial and subsistence harvests by long-lines and gill nets in Mexico, Cuba and the broader Caribbean. Because tarpon are so long-lived, these types of threats can have rapid and significant effects on tarpon populations, and recovery of depleted populations can take an extremely long time (if recovery ever occurs).
An examination of recent history provides an example of how ill treatment of tarpon populations can have long-lasting effects. Port Aransas, Texas, was once known as the "Tarpon Capitol of the World", and waas host to presidents and potentates for exceptional tarpon fishing through the 1950s. Beginning in the 1960s the Port Aransas tarpon fishery collapsed, and has declined so greatly that the catch of a single tarpon today warrants special mention. Although there are numberous possible causes of this collapse, overharvest was likely a strong contributing factor. During the tarpon fishery heyday, many fish were kept as trophies. In addition, the harvest of tarpon in nearby Mexican waters was and remains prevalent. Although the harvest of tarpon in Texas has been halted except for a special exemption for world or state record catches (which have been rare in the past 20 years), this tarpon fishery has not recovered. Today, although strong fishery conservation regulations are in place in some states, other states lag behind in protection of this economically important species, so domestic threats to the fishery remain.
More worrisome is the harvest of tarpon that continues in coastal areas outside of U.S. waters. In Mexico, for example, tarpon are harvested regularly. Moreover, tarpon fishing tournaments are held every year in which many large adult tarpon are killed. These fish are targeted during the spawning season, so are full of roe and milt, which further exacerbates the long term impacts of the harvest - not only are these tarpon removed from the population, so are the future generations that they would have created. Similar harvest of tarpon occurs in other locations in the Caribbean, but it appears that the harvest in Mexico exceeds others. With strong conservation regulations for tarpon in the United States, the likelihood of successful international engagement with Mexico, and the formulation of a regional management plan, would be a real possibility.
Ongoing Projects
Tarpon Satellite Tagging Program
Juvenile Tarpon Habitat Program
Archive of Bonefish Information
Studies Receiving BTT Support
Biology and management of the world tarpon and bonefish fisheries. J.S. Ault (editor). 2007. CRC Press.
The economic impact of recreational tarpon fishing in St. Lucie River and Treasure Coast region of Florida. Download PDF
The economic impact of recreational fishing in the Everglades Region. Download PDF
The economic impact of recreational tarpon fishing in the Caloosahatchee River and Charlotte Harbor region of Florida. Download PDF
General Archive of Research Articles
Recruitment of tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) leptocephali into the Indian River Lagoon, Florida. Download PDF
Body size and the air-breathing organ of the Atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus. (Full Citation: Seymour, R. S., Wegner, N. C. & Graham, J. B. (2008). Body size and the air-breathing organ of the Atlantic tarpon Megalops atlanticus. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 150, 282-287.)
Relationship between lunar phase and spawning activity of tarpon, Megalops atlanticus, with notes on the distribution of larvae. Download PDF
Age and growth of tarpon, Megalops atlanticus, larvae in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, with notes on relative abundance and probable spawning eras. Download PDF
Age and growth of tarpon Megalops atlanticus, from South Florida waters. Download PDF
Survival and movement patterns of released tarpon (Megalops atlanticus). Download PDF
Recruitment of tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) leptocephali into the Indian River Lagoon, Florida. Download PDF
Reproduction of tarpon, Megalops atlanticus, from Florida and Costa Rican waters and notes on the age and growth. Download PDF
Age and growth of tarpon, Megalops atlanticus, larvae in eastern Gulf of Mexico, with notes on relative abundance and probable spawning areas. Download PDF