South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium
Cooperative Fisheries Research Grant Progress Report  

Title: Use of Microwave Telemetry X-PSAT tags to monitor behavior of cobia and dolphinfish.

Report Period:  June 1, 2007 to November 1, 2007

Principle Investigator: David Harter, Hilton Head Reef Foundation

Associate Investigator: Donald L. Hammond, Cooperative Science Services, LLC

Project Award:$40,000

Progress:

1. Deploy a minimum of two of the new, miniaturized pop-off archival satellite tags (model X-PTT) in cobia captured in or adjacent to Port Royal Sound. 

                All needed pop-off satellite archival tags have been ordered. No attempt was made to tag cobia this year due to seasonality of the study animals and normal delay in acquiring tags. However, the findings of the previous study, R60A, have clearly shown that fish-handling techniques and tag attachment developed during the field work were successful. The last three cobias tagged clearly survived and carried the instrument for the full programmed period, up to 90 days. The 2007 study also established a successful working relationship with charter boats operating in Beaufort County which will be utilized in this project. Due to under budget expenses in the 2006-2007 Sea Grant funded satellite tag project, three additional tags are being purchased. This will allow for 3 additional cobia to be tagged in 2008 bring the number of fish to be monitored to five. 

2. Deploy a minimum of three similar tags in dolphinfish captured in the South Atlantic Bight.

                No attempt was made to deploy satellite tags on dolphin this period for the same reasons as listed for cobia. Because a 30 day satellite tag intended for deployment on a dolphin in the 2006-07 study was not used, the instrument will be refurbished by the manufacturer and used in 2008. Two additional satellite tags have been donated for use on dolphinfish by two fishing clubs in Florida and Grady-White Boats Inc of Greenville , North Carolina . A total of six satellite tags will now be available for deployment on dolphinfish in 2008. A net work of nine private offshore recreational fishing vessels used during the 2006-07 study will serve as the basis for deploying satellite tags in the spring of 2008. Captains and/or mates aboard these vessels have been instructed on how to handle the fish and the proper way to attach the tag.

3. Develop a six month water temperature selection profile for each species utilizing time-at-temperature as recorded by the archival tags. 

                No action taken. 

4. Analyze vertical water column movement behavior for region-specific behavioral patterns using time-at-depth as recorded by the archival tags.

                No action taken.

5. Attempt to identify areas utilized during summer and fall using depth and temperature records along with calculated geo-locations.

                No action taken.

6. Attempt to generate individual movement tracks defining individual geographic range during monitoring for each fish using the satellite tag geo-positioning system. 

No action taken.

Challenges Encountered:
Specimens of the two species of the size required to carry the tag are available in reliable quantities only during May and June of each year. Microwave Telemetry requires 10 weeks to construct specially programmed X-PSAT tags and deliver them. The timing of the grant award coupled with the delivery time for new X-PSAT instruments prevented any tag deployment in 2007. Tag deployment is scheduled for the spring of 2008. Subsequently, it will be necessary to seek a no-cost extension for this project. The date when the instruments are deployed will largely determine the length of the extension period needed.

Budget Status:     No Draws have been made on the Sea Grant award. 

Report Submitted by:    David Harter, principle investigator                    Date: November 21, 2007
                          Donald Hammond, associate investigator