. In1998, the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC) was directed to work with the Gulf and Caribbean Councils to develop a joint management plan for dolphin and wahoo. However, because of differences in the regional fisheries, little progress was made on a common plan. In 2002, the U.S. Department of Commerce approved development of a separate management plan by the SAFMC for the Atlantic coast which resulted in the implementation of a management plan in 2004 for the Atlantic fisheries.
In developing the management plan for dolphin, managers found that there were many important unknown facets of the dolphin's life history. For example, little is known about the movements and migrations of the fish along the US's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The geographic range of the fish found in US waters is also very important in developing an effective management plan. Mangers must know if the stocks fished in US waters are shared with other countries. Shared stocks occur when fish migrate into another nation's waters, such as the Bahamas, or simply by ranging beyond the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) controlled by the U.S.
About The Program
When you combine the dolphinfish's aggressive feeding behavior, brilliant coloration, its abundance and top quality as a food-fish, it is easy to understand why it is considered one of the world's foremost gamefish. In its annual surveys of subscribers, SaltWater Sportsman magazine consistently found dolphin to be the most popular offshore gamefish along the United States' Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Prior to the mid-1990s, dolphin were almost wholly harvested by recreational anglers and were the primary creel component sustaining an important offshore sportsfishery. When commercial fishermen began targeting dolphin, major concerns arose among fishermen along the entire Gulf and Atlantic coasts. Anglers voiced fears that without a management plan governing harvest, dolphin stocks could be overfished to the point of major decline.
A study conducted in 1991 to track dolphin movements along the US east coast resulted in only 60 fish tagged and four tag recoveries producing little information. Two attempts to use genetic material analysis to determine if multiple stocks existed in the Western North Atlantic yielded contradicting results as to whether differences did exist between the fish found in other areas of the Northern Atlantic and those found off the U.S. east coast.
Entering the new millennium, science still had little concrete information documenting the movements, occurrence and dispersal patterns for dolphinfish present off the US east coast. This, coupled with strong,
South Carolina, 6.5 miles/day. Surprisingly, many recoveries of dolphin tagged off South Carolina showed very limited movements even after freedom periods as long as two months. This short-term residency was not exhibited in any other area off the east coast. Over 80% of the recoveries of fish tagged off Florida occurred off Florida with only 12% of the Florida fish recoveries reported from waters north of Cape Hatteras, NC. However, almost 38% of the recoveries of dolphin tagged off Georgia and South Carolina came from north of Cape Hatteras.
The SCDNR study revealed some amazing national and international movements. Several fish
displayed northward movements of over 1,000 miles along the US east coast. A recovery off Georgia established the first east coast link with dolphin found off the south eastern Bahamas. Three other recoveries of fish tagged off the US east coast provided the first links with dolphin found in the eastern Atlantic south of the Azores Islands, off Antigua in the West Indies and off Belize/Mexico in the western Caribbean. These fish had traveled distances of 1,200 to 2,500 miles at minimum.
CSS Dolphin Tagging Study Continues Research
The amazing information which the SCDNR study generated inspired anglers to request that the research be continued. The Cooperative Science Services, LLC, a private fisheries research consulting company was founded by Don Hammond to continue the dolphin research project. Conservation minded fishermen were willing to donate the necessary funding to allow the study to continue as a private research program in 2006.
The 2006 research effort was very successful with 1,500 dolphin tagged by more than 260 anglers fishing aboard 143 boats. This is the second highest number of fish tagged in a single year. 2006 also saw a record number of tagged dolphin reported recovered, 49 fish. The recoveries involved 45 fish marked and released in 2006 with the other four fish having been tagged in 2005. Four of these fish were recovered more than 1,000 miles from their release sites while six other were captured more than 700 miles from their release points clearly showing the highly migratory nature of these fish. The fastest rate of travel exhibited in 2006 was a fish that averaged 79 miles per day which was well off the record of 130 miles per day set by a dolphin recovered in 2004. One fish showed that dolphin could travel almost the full length of the East Coast (Key West to Nantucket) in less than two months. Other fish continued to show the international scope of their travel being recovered off Antigua Island, West Indies, and the southwestern side of Puerto Rico.
High Technology Tags Employed
The 2006-07 research into the life and behavior of dolphin also includes a project funded by South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium and the SC Department of Natural Resources that uses the new, high-tech monitoring instruments known as pop-off satellite archival tags. These miniaturized computers record time-specific water temperature and depth at regular intervals along with light intensity. The
vocal support from constituent offshore fishermen for research on dolphinfish, the Marine Resources Division of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) initiated a study on dolphin in 2002.
SC Department of Natural Resources Study
The SC dolphin tagging study initiated in 2002 by the SCDNR was designed to address the travels of dolphin off US shores in hopes of beginning to define not only movements and migration routes, but the stock's geographic range off the U.S. Atlantic coast as well. The study was highly successful in its four years of operation with over 4,900 dolphin tagged and 116 tagged fish reported recaptured.
The project featured two tagging phases, one where tag offered a t-shirt as the reward for reporting a recapture and another that offered a $20 cash reward in lew of the tee shirt. This was conducted to assess differences in tag recovery reporting rates due to reward levels. Dart tags were used to mark the fish. These tags possessed a yellow or orange external streamer bearing a serial number along with directions where to return the tag. The comparison of the reporting rate for a cash reward verses a t-shirt was inconclusive but anglers did indicate that the orange tag was more visible on the fish.
The 2002 – 05 study by the SCDNR, confirmed for the first time that dolphin move from south to north in the spring along the US east coast. It showed that at least some of the dolphin found in the Straits of Florida in the early spring would travel as far north as New York and Massachusetts. The speed at which the fish traveled was highly variable. Recaptures of fish tagged in south Florida exhibited an average rate of travel that was twice as fast, 14.4 miles/day, as fish tagged off
To sign up to tag dolphinfish for this study, anglers should contact Don Hammond by email or telephone. To Report a Tag Recovery, use the convenient forms on our web pages by clicking the underlined link above or the link within the navigation bar at the top of this and other pages within this site.
® Copyright 2005-2007 Cooperative Science Services, LLC
light intensity allows the calculation of the daily geo-location of the fish. Each instrument is preprogrammed to record data for a specific period, 30 to 365 days. At the end of the scheduled period, the tag releases itself from its attachment to the fish, floats to the surface where it downloads its data to the ARGOS satellite system which transmits it back to research headquarters. These amazing instruments provide a look into natural behavior of dolphin never before attempted. But, this amazing information comes at a price. Each tag costs $6,000 just for the instrument and necessary satellite time. However, even at this price it is the most cost-effective method to acquire this valuable information.
Conducted in cooperation with the Hilton Head Reef Foundation, the study has deployed four of these marvels of technology on dolphin. Preliminary results from first instruments deployed have shown that dolphin will use waters from 61oF to 88oF and that will dive to depths below 400 feet. These amazing instruments are also showing that dolphin behave differently in different geographic
light intensity allows the calculation of the daily geo-location of the fish. Each instrument is preprogrammed to record data for a specific period, 30 to 365 days. At the end of the scheduled period, the tag releases itself from its attachment to the fish, floats to the surface where it downloads its data to the ARGOS satellite system which transmits it back to research headquarters. These amazing instruments provide a look into natural behavior of dolphin never before attempted. But, this amazing information comes at a price. Each tag costs $6,000 just for the instrument and necessary satellite time. However, even at this price it is the most cost-effective method to acquire this valuable information.
Conducted in cooperation with the Hilton Head Reef Foundation, the study has deployed four of these marvels of technology on dolphin. Preliminary results from first instruments deployed have shown that dolphin will use waters from 61oF to 88oF and that will dive to depths below 400 feet. These amazing instruments are also showing that dolphin behave differently in different geographic regions. Data from these tags are even building a case that identifies a food source never before considered used by dolphinfish showing the unexpected bonus information which these instruments can provide.
Three more satellite tags are planned for deployment off the Carolinas in 2007. The Dolphin Study hopes to continue using these modern wonders of technology to study dolphinfish behavior in a future study in 2008 which will require the support of fishing clubs and organizations.
Tax Deductible Donations
When it comes to government financed research, dolphin have the curse of not being recognized as an overfished stock. With so many species of fish being overfished, there is not enough government money available to fund the work needed just on these declining stocks. No funding was available from federal research programs such as MARFIN or CRP, because the fish was not a priority and/or the study was not centered in the Gulf of Mexico. This leaves the study to rely on private donations to finance its operation.
The Hilton Head Reef Foundation, a non-profit organization, has volunteered to provide financial support for the CSS Dolphin Tagging Research Study. This registered 501 ( c ) 3 organization based in Hilton Head, SC will receive donations for the dolphin study making all such contributions tax-deductible. This organization also provides the opportunity for private foundations required by law to donate only to eleemosynary programs to contribute financial support. Donations should be sent to the address below with the checks made out to HH Reef Foundation/CSS Dolphin Study.
The major financial support for this study has come from private recreational fishermen and sports fishing organizations. Fishing clubs like the Central Florida Offshore Anglers have contributed as much as $2,000 while individual anglers have donated as much $3,000. Tagging participants have literally pass-the-hat at fishing club meetings to help raise money while families of avid dolphin anglers have asked that on the death of the angler donations be made in his name to the Dolphin Study. This truly shows the deep, personal commitment anglers have to this research.
2007 – 2008 Objectives
The goals of the proposed research are to establish the temporal and spatial occurrence and movement patterns of the common dolphinfish along the east coast of the United States and the northern Gulf of Mexico. To accomplish these goals, the project proposes to meet the following objectives:
- 1. Utilize as many experienced offshore fishermen as possible to mark and release 1,000 dolphinfish off the east and Gulf coasts of the US in each of two years, 2007 and 2008.
- 2. Attempt to increase the number of vessels participating in tagging fish for the study in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas Islands and Caribbean Sea to develop more comprehensive data on movement patterns.
- 3. Initiate studies that will attempt to identify the origins/routes for dolphin entering U.S. territorial waters. Begin by conducting dedicated tagging expeditions into the Yucatan Strait, Windward Passage and Virgin Islands during the peak dolphin season in an attempt to tag large numbers of fish in a short period.
- 4. Continue to build on the data base of temporal and spatial occurrence of dolphinfish along the East and Gulf coasts of the U.S. using release site data. This will begin to identify the geographic area utilized by the species in conjunction with the recreational fishing grounds.
- 5. Continue to gather data on dolphinfish occurrence and affiliation with Sargassum using tagged fish records. Begin building a data base that will allow a temporal and spatial analysis on the occurrence of Sargassum.
- 6. Continue to build a data base that will aid in quantifying the dolphin harvest rate by state and by fishery user group based on tag recapture reports.
- 7. Continue to build on the temporal and spatial movement data base using reported recaptures. Analyze movement data for variations in speed of travel along the eastern United States as it may relate to season.
- 8. Attempt to stimulate more tagging activity off the Florida east coast in late summer and fall in an attempt to determine if a fall southerly movement of dolphin does occur off south Florida.
- 9. Secure funding from government and private sources to continue use of pop-off satellite archival tags in 2008 to monitor dolphin movements. This study will track dolphin for up to six months to identify their individual travel routes, temperature selection, and diving behavior. Sport fishing clubs and businesses will be asked to sponsor a satellite tag to expand the number of tags deployed and coverage area of the small government grant.
- 10. Continue an extensive public relations campaign to keep the media and public updated on the progress of the study. This will serve to keep the research project in front of the public. This will include:
a. Maintain a website for the research project that will provide up to date information to recreational and commercial fishermen about the goals and objectives of the tagging study, an online method to report tagged fish recoveries, the life history of dolphin, the identification of common versus pompano dolphin, and show dolphinfish movements documented by this and other studies.
b. Produce at least 9 electronic newsletters during the year that report on the progress and findings of the study. Continue to expand the electronic mailing list of over 1000 fishermen interested in dolphinfish that has been compiled since the start of the study.
c. Secure a national saltwater fishing magazine to publish 4 (four) newsletters recognizing sponsors and reporting the study’s progress.
d. Present finding of the study in formalized talks to fishery mangers, fishing organizations, at fishery related events/meetings and with fisheries managers.
e. Make information collected by the research program available to the South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC), the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council (GOMFMC), the Caribbean Fisheries Management Council (CFMC), the NOAA Fisheries Miami, FL lab and Beaufort, NC lab.
Anglers interested in tagging fish for the program or who recapture a tagged dolphin should contact Don Hammond, marine fisheries biologist with Cooperative Science Services, LLC at the address below. Anglers recapturing a tagged dolphin should visit the Reporting Tags page of this website to provide complete information on the recovery.
Donald L. Hammond
Marine Fisheries Biologist
Cooperative Science Services, LLC
961 Anchor Rd.
Charleston, SC 29412-4902
(843) 795-7524
