The Monthly Newsletter of the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Find a Tagged Fish, Earn a $100 Gift Card! Our biologists in the Florida Keys are studying fish during the Western Dry Rocks spatial closure and need fishers’ help! As you’re fishing near Key West, be on the lookout for tagged grey snapper, mutton snapper and black grouper for your chance to win a $100 gift card! Our new tiered reward system works like this: TIER ONE: Report a tagged fish and receive a UV shirt and/ or tackle. TIER TWO: Return an internal tag and/ or donate the carcass to receive a $100 Visa gift card reward.   Tagged fish can be identified by an orange external tag located near their dorsal fin and/or an internal black acoustic tag in their belly, like the mutton snapper pictured above. To report tagged reef fish and collect your rewards call or text 786.647.8908 or email keys.fish@MyFWC.com  Photo by Sam Hagedorn.   Turtle Nesting Update So far, the 2024 nesting season is shaping up similarly to the 2022 season for loggerhead and leatherback turtles. However, green turtle nest numbers are currently lower than recent years, suggesting a quieter season may be ahead. This isn't unexpected, nor does it concern our team, particularly because of last years record shattering 77,040 nests. Additionally, there has been an unusually high number of Kemp’s ridley nests, and we are hopeful for more to come! Thanks to all the partners involved in this outstanding community science effort to document sea turtle nesting activity across the state!  Preliminary Statewide Nesting Totals as of May 31st: 27,194 loggerhead nests (compared to 36,941 in 2023 and 25,445 in 2022), 60 green turtle nests (compared to 2,288 in 2023 and 125 in 2022), 1,446 leatherback nests (compared to 1,295 in 2023 and 1,434 in 2022), 13 confirmed Kemp’s ridley nests (compared to 8 in 2023 and 7 in 2022). FWC photos. A New Friend in the Field Our team was in the field researching Florida bonneted bats (Eumops floridanus) in South Florida when this juvenile ruby throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) landed right on our biologist, Kevin! Ruby throated hummingbirds are the only species of hummingbird that breeds in Florida, and their chicks fledge in roughly 20 days. The team found a branch for their new buddy and saw the mother hummingbird come to feed it. Once they knew their friend was safe, they continued out to continue their bat research. Navigating Red Tide Resources Video Check out the latest FWC video on navigating resources during a red tide bloom – now available on the FWCResearch YouTube. When red tide blooms occur off Florida’s coast, we understandably have many questions and concerns. This new video will help you learn how to utilize our interactive daily sample map to monitor red tide blooms as they occur, access important resources, and find the answers to your questions. We recommend taking this opportunity to prepare and familiarize yourself with these tools while there is no active bloom present. Manatee Mortalities in Mud River (Winter 2024) FWRI researchers have concluded the investigation of six manatee mortalities that occurred in Mud River this past winter. The cause was attributed to an acute gut infection with Clostridium bacteria. Like in many other animals, these bacteria are normally found in the manatee gut, but a significant disruption of the gut flora can cause the bacteria to produce natural toxins that are lethal to the manatee. In this case, the disruption of the gut bacteria was from a dietary shift to macroalgae. Disease from Clostridium bacteria occurs in many animal species, and it was first recognized in manatees during a mortality event in 2013. Read the update for more information. Alga photo by FWC, Clostridium spore images by Dr. Nicole Stacy, background photo submitted by a member of the public. New on MyFWC.com/Research We hope you enjoy these articles that have been recently added/updated on our website: Red Tide Current Status Red Tide-Related Resources and Information Sources 2024 Manatee Mortalities Annual Rescue Summaries [Manatee] New Publications Florida Keys Abnormal Fish Behavior Event 2023 - Present Manatee Mortality in Mud River During Winter 2024 Red Tide Educational Video Series Technical Reports Largemouth Bass Research Stone Crab Catch Data Use of Video Cameras to Monitor Recreational Fishing Vessels Fisheries Independent Monitoring News and Updates Our Mission Through effective research and technical knowledge, we provide timely information and guidance to protect, conserve, and manage Florida's fish and wildlife resources.

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