b'WPBFC Playing Supportive Dolphin Tagging RoleBy: Wessley Merten, Phd. Director, Dolphinfish Research ProgramS ince2011,theWestPalmerly movements Beach Fishing Club (WPBFC)within the Flor-has been a financial supporter ofida Straits.For the Dolphinfish Research Programthe latter, seven (DRP) - an international dolphin- fish tagged and fish tagging program that enablesreleased within anglers to assist in the study of the species life history,3to7milesof movements, and population dynamics.Funding from thethe coast off Mi-WPBFC has facilitated the DRP to distribute 31,211 tags toami, Florida, by thousands of anglers in Florida, along the U.S. East CoastCaptainSmith (EC), and throughout the Bahamas and Caribbean Sea.Inwere recovered to total, 52% of the nearly 30,000 tagged dolphinfish and 712the south off the upper and lower Keys (Figure 1 INSET recaptures recorded over the entirety of the study occurredwhite arrows).While recaptures that document southerly as a result of WPBFCs support.This support has aided inmovements are infrequent, Captain Smiths recoveries as the compilation of the worlds most comprehensive move- well as others recorded over this study do show dolphinfish ments database on wild dolphinfish. can move to the south or linger for sev-Several WPBFC members, includ- eral days or weeks within the Florida ing Captains Bouncer Smith, GaryHow You Can Help Straits.But, more often, the speed York, and Bob Frevert, have par- Tag Fish!To request a tagging kit visitand vast distances these fish swim ticipated and tagged and released adolphintagging.com/tagsare documented through recoveries combined 1,334 dolphinfish of which 49including two of Captain Yorks fish have been recovered (Figure 1).TheirFollow the DRPs research!Sign up fortraveling from south Florida to the participation has documented severalthe DRPs monthly newsletter atOuter Banks in 23 days or south of St. movement patterns including north- beyondourshores.org/signup to receiveCroix in 237 days.Remarkably, one erly movements along the EC, semi- news and tagging & movement updates. of Captain Smiths fish was recovered annual EC dolphinfish revisits, broadafter 557 days at large south of Puerto dispersals to the Bahamas and theDonate! Visit dolphintagging.com toRico. The fish weighed 58 pounds when Caribbean Sea, movements from thesupport the valuable data collectionrecovered.Captain Smith tagged the Bahamas toward the EC, and south- efforts of the DRPfish as a 20 2-lb peanut! Figure 114 W esTP aLmB eachF ishingc LuB'