Over the next few weeks, anglers who fish the Atlantic Beach Artificial Reef may see some round yellow buoys marked with the word “research” and may even catch a fish with an externally affixed telemetry tag (like in the image below). While the researchers from Stony Brook University and The Nature Conservancy will be capturing fish with traps and hook and line, all but a few small fish will be returned right back to the reef unharmed after collecting biological information and/or tagging them. Whenever traps or cameras are in the water, the researcher’s grey 25-foot Parker pilot house will be nearby or onsite, and the crew will monitor VHF channel 68. Their intention is to tag only fish below the recreational size limits. If you catch a fish with a telemetry tag, please release the fish with the tag intact so that the researchers can continue to collect information from it. If you want to report a tagged fish capture, the researchers are using the yellow American Littoral Society streamer tags that many anglers are already familiar with, a unique tag number and contact information will be on the yellow streamer. The main point of contact is Carl LoBue and he can be reached at clobue@tnc.org or 631-235-8525 (cell). The goal of the project is to help further the science of reef construction and fish habitat.
