Q2-Spring-2016_Alert-Diver

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be downright dangerous. Most traditional tagging methods involve the
collection of fish using a trap or net followed by a lengthy, slow ascent to
minimize swim bladder expansion and the associated barotrauma. Once on
the surface, the fish are sedated using a specific type of anesthesia. Then the
tag is applied and the fish kept for recovery, which can sometimes involve a
lengthy holding period. (The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires
a 28-day holding period for potentially edible fish that have been subject
to anesthesia.) When the fish are finally released, there can be significant
displacement as well as behavioral changes due to their long absence.
In 2008 researchers at the Reef Environmental Education Foundation
(REEF) along with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) scientists and aquarium professionals began pioneering a
new lionfish tagging method to eliminate barotrauma, anesthesia and
displacement. A 2014 article in Ecology and Evolution describes the
methodology and utility of the new technique, including step-by-step
images and video
full). The article describes a REEF-led study demonstrating that this new
tagging method has significant promise in helping to answer key questions
related to fish movement.
In the study, divers collected lionfish using hand nets in three different
areas in the Bahamas. They applied visual Floy streamer tags (thin strips of
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“Handling
a venomous
fish is always
a challenge,
but poking,
prodding and
piercing one
with a tag can
be downright
dangerous.”
COURTESY REEF
COURTESY REEF
Packages include roundtrip airport transfers, hotel
taxes and service charges. Rates are per person
and subject to restricted travel dates, availability,
and standard terms and conditions.
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