The primary goal of this project is to design and construct a specialized sampling dart and tool that enables fishermen to safely, cleanly, and efficiently collect high-quality DNA samples from…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a $129,000 cooperative agreement to The Bluefin Collaborative on September 1, 2026, under the Congressionally Identified Awards and Projects program (CFDA 11.469) to design and construct a specialized sampling dart and tool for collecting DNA samples from Atlantic bluefin tuna.

The project addresses inadequate abundance data in bluefin management by enabling fishermen to safely and efficiently gather high-quality genetic samples that support improved population assessments. The current manual fin-clipping method is clumsy, contamination-prone, and impossible to perform on live-released fish. The new sampling device aims to empower the fishing industry to collect the genetic data required for rigorous stock assessments, with the tool intentionally designed to accommodate future in-water sampling of live releases.

Work is performed in Ogunquit, Maine, with a period of performance from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028.

The primary goal of this project is to design and construct a specialized sampling dart and tool that enables fishermen to safely, cleanly, and efficiently collect high-quality DNA samples from atlantic bluefin tuna. Currently, bluefin management suffers from inadequate abundance data, but advanced genomic techniques offer a scientifically rigorous solution for estimating absolute population numbers. However, widespread genetic testing is currently hindered by the clumsy, contamination-prone method of manual FIN clipping, which is also impossible to perform on live-released fish. By developing a new, user-friendly sampling device, this project aims to empower the fishing industry to easily gather the vast amounts of accurate genetic data required by scientists to improve stock assessments, while intentionally designing the tool to eventually accommodate the in-water sampling of live releases.