The aim of this project is to use acoustic and satellite telemetry to assess migration patternsand postrelease mortality of a species of greatest conservation need sgcn by the texasconservation action…

The aim of this project is to use acoustic and satellite telemetry to assess migration patternsand postrelease mortality of a species of greatest conservation need sgcn by the texasconservation action plan tcap tarpon megalops atlanticus adult tarpon will be trackedusing an array of acoustic receivers deployed in coastal waters from the texaslouisianaborder to the texasmexico border the array is comprised of a series of acoustic gateswith receivers positioned in waters outside five of the major BAY systems included sabinegalveston matagordasan antonio corpus christi and lower laguna madre in addition acoustic networks east of the array that are maintained by collaborators will be availableto track tarpon that move outside of texas preliminary research on this species by thepis has highlighted the importance of coastal waters off texas as critical foragingspawninghabitat as well as an important migratory pathway for tarpon however many questionsremain on the spatial distribution and movement pathways of tarpon that compromise theability of resource managers to effectively design and implement strategies to protect thisspecies in addition the targeting of tarpon by recreational anglers in texas has increasedmarkedly in recent years and the survival of tarpon from the catchandrelease fishery isunknown in response this proposal will also apply satellite telemetry survivorship tagsto determine the postrelease survival of tarpon release by texas anglers which is knownto affect the dynamics and recovery of exploited fish populations this project is directlyrelevant to one of the areas of focus for research outlined in the tcap tarpon snookresearch that addresses life history movement and distribution in texas and populationtrends findings from the proposed investigation are intended to provide our colleaguesat tpwd with valuable information on spatiotemporal distribution and migration pathwaysfor tarpon in texas and this information will improve the current understanding of theirpopulation structure and lead to more informed decisions to support the conservation ofthis species