b"PBCFF Helping Track Fish Using Acoustic TelemetryThe acoustic telemetry collaboration between the Fishing Clubs charitable affiliate and the FWCs Fish & Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) field lab in Tequesta, Florida, continues to expand.Acoustic telemetry equipment is used to track the movements of tagged fish and other marine animals.The Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation (PBCFF) recently purchased additional acoustic receivers and transmitter tags that will be used by FWRI biologists to increase coverage of existing acoustic arrays and establish new ones off Palm Beach County.The PBCFF is a member of the Florida Atlantic Coast Telemetry Network (FACT), a collaboration of scientists who use electronic tags to study fish and other marine animals.Some of the gear purchased by the PBCFF is being used to help monitor the two Reef Dart sites offshore Singer Island.Last fall biologists tagged and released a snowy grouper at the 500 foot Reef Dart site.I am 99% sure this is the first snowy grouper tagged in FACT, commented FWRI biologist Dr. Joy Young.Other detections at this site included cobia, tiger, hammerhead and great white sharks.In March, biologists tagged multiple greater amberjacks at the Reef Dart site as well.The clubs foundation is also providing acoustic telemetry gear for a new collaboration with Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Manage-ment, Florida, Atlantic University and FWRI.The focus of this effort is to establish a new acoustic array in the northern portion of the Lake Worth Lagoon, which will help further reveal how the lagoon is being utilized by various species of fish and other animals like sea turtles.The early focus of this project will be juvenile mut-ton snapper.Mutton snapper are a highly managed species that are sought after by recreational and commercial fishers in southeast Florida.Sustainably manag-ing the species is critical since they generate a significant economic impact in our region.Mutton snapper depend upon estuaries during the early stage of their life Biologists place cycle before moving offshore when they mature.This project will help shed more a transmitter taglight on the Lake Worth Lagoons role for maintaining a healthy mutton snapper into a greaterresource.We look forward to sharing more information on this exciting project as amberjack it continues to develop.Club Member Young Helps Tag TripletailWPBFC member Jay Young continues to assist FWC biologists with the tagging of tripletail in the Loxahatchee River.There is keen interest in this species.Fishery research entities from the northern Gulf of Mexico, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia all have studies underway that will shed more light on the fishes' spawning habits and migrations.Biologists at the Fish & Wildlife Research Institutes (FWRI) field lab in Tequesta have been aiding the effort by tagging fish with small transmitter tags that are detected by underwater acoustic receivers. Young has been playing an instrumental role locally.In late January, Jay caught a 9.5 lb. tripletail in the river and immediately put a call into biologist Jim Whittington.The two were able to connect in short order and Whittington quickly performed the surgical procedure required to insert the tag and then released the fish.This is the second tripletail tagging Young has assisted with.Jay has also Jay Young collected fin clips from tripletails over the last 3 years, which will assist the Gulf and Atlantic Fishery councils to determine if there is any stock differences.We are grate-ful for his involvement, said Whittington.The fish are also tagged with an external streamer tag easily seen by anyone who catches the fish.If you catch and keep a legal size tripletail that has been tagged please report the catch by calling the phone number on the tag, arrangements can be made to return the transmitter device.Kudos to Jay Young for helping the Fishing Club continue its long history of supporting cooperative game fish tagging!Ironically, this fish was caught in mid-March by lifetime WPBFC member Casey Staniszewski near the location it was released.Thank you to Casey for retrieving the transmitter tag and returning it to the FWC.It will be reused to tag another tripletail and help unlock the mysteries around this species of fish."