April Research Updates from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute

Biologists Rescue Sawfish in the Florida Keys An endangered smalltooth sawfish is recovering after being rescued from the Keys and transported to Mote Marine Laboratory’s facility. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were called when a member of the public reported the animal swimming in circles in Cudjoe Bay. Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Mote Marine Laboratory responded to the distressed sawfish, completing a quick field assessment that included taking samples, measurements, and tagging, before making the rescue decision. The sawfish was loaded onto a vessel and provided respiratory assistance during the short boat ride to a temporary holding tank. “Led by NOAA, our biologists and partners have taken an unprecedented step to rescue an adult smalltooth sawfish in the Keys. This has not been attempted before, but this unusual mortality event made this necessary,” said Gil McRae, Director of FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. “We are hopeful this rescue and rehabilitation of an smalltooth sawfish will bring us one step closer to understanding the cause of this event.” The sawfish is a 11.15 ft male. It has been treated and observed around the clock since its rescue on April 5th. Veterinarians have provided care and treatment that will be continued for rehabilitation. Once the animal appeared capable of withstanding the nearly seven-hour drive to Mote Marine Lab’s facility, biologists carefully loaded the sawfish into a transport trailer operated by Ripley’s Aquariums. Ripley’s Aquariums Conservation Team monitored the sawfish and water quality conditions throughout the duration of the transport to Mote Marine Lab’s facility. Now at Mote, the sawfish will continue to be monitored and treated in hopes of fully rehabilitating its health before returning to the wild. The partners involved in this effort (including Havenworth Coastal Conservation and Dynasty Marine LLC not previously mentioned) are excited about the successful steps to date in rescuing endangered smalltooth sawfish and look forward to building upon lessons learned. The team continues to monitor the sawfish hotline (844-4-SAWFISH) for additional rescue opportunities. FWC has responded to dozens of reports over the previous 2 months, providing aid and collecting samples when possible, as well as performing necropsies in cases of mortality. With this first rescue success, the team is hopeful to rescue additional sawfish while continuing to provide aid to others in the wild. Stay up to date with the most current information on sawfish mortalities and the Florida Keys Fish Behavior Event: https://www.myfwc.com/spinningevent Oyster Research: Habitat Suitability Monitoring In Florida, there is currently not enough information on suitable locations for oyster (Crassostrea virginica) restoration projects. FWRI research scientists are developing oyster habitat suitability indices for six basins along the Gulf coast which will provide critical information on the most suitable restoration sites. Maps of suitable oyster habitat will be developed and available to the public through the FWC website. These maps and indices will also help guide future oyster restoration efforts in other areas along the Gulf coast of Florida and throughout Florida. Right Whale Calving Season Summary April 15th marked the end of an eventful right whale calving season. This year, a total of 19 calves were sighted in the Southeastern U.S., the calving grounds for the species. Although this number was better than observed during several recent winters, we need to see higher numbers for population sustainability. We also need to see the new calves and breeding females to survive and remain healthy. The population previously has shown that it can grow and persist if human-related stressors such as entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are mitigated. Unfortunately, one of the calves died following a vessel strike and four more are presumed dead after they went missing. For updates on dead, entangled, and injured right whales visit NOAA's webpage. Highlights and lowlights:  • The calf of Catalog #1612 ‘Juno’ was the first calf documented this season. Unfortunately, the calf was struck by a vessel (soon after it was born) and months later passed away from the severity of its injuries in early March.  • Four of the nineteen mothers sighted this winter are first-time mothers. One, Catalog #3780, was seen without her calf later in the season and it is presumed dead.   • The mothers ranged in age from 16 to greater than 42 years old. Five females who haven’t calved in 10 or more years returned to give birth this winter.   • The calf of Catalog #1301 ‘Half Note’ was observed with its mother only once, and in a thin body condition. This disappearance was not unexpected as Half Note lost her last five calves and all appeared thin before they died.  • The calf of Catalog #3260 ‘Skittle’ was also seen looking thin, then disappeared from its mother’s side. The young calf is presumed dead.   • Catalog #1950 died from a vessel strike injury and her approx. 3.5-month-old, dependent calf is presumed dead.   • Five of the twelve calves born last winter returned to the Southeast U.S. as healthy, newly independent yearlings. One of these yearlings was sighted by beachgoers off Brevard County in early February but sadly, was found floating dead near Savannah, GA ten days later. The young female was struck and killed by a vessel.   • No entangled right whales were sighted in the Southeast U.S. this winter, but Catalog #5120, a juvenile female, washed ashore dead in Massachusetts in January with rope from a chronic entanglement embedded in the tissue around the base of her tail.  The remaining mother-calf pairs and other adults now migrate back to their feeding areas in the Northeast U.S. and Canada. A popular early springtime destination for many right whales is in and around Cape Cod Bay where they will continue to be monitored by research partners. At least five mother-calf pairs have been sighted so far by Center for Coastal Studies.  North Atlantic right whales are dying faster than they can reproduce- that's why every whale counts. Since 2017, these endangered whales have been experiencing an Unusual Mortality Event (UME), during which more than 20 percent of the population has been documented as sick, injured, or dead. The primary threats to the species are entanglements in fishing gear and vessel strikes. There are approximately 360 individuals in the population, including fewer than 70 calving females. The remaining females are producing fewer calves each year. Long-term monitoring of North Atlantic right whales is crucial to tracking their abundance, habitat-use, reproduction, and health, as well as human impacts affecting their recovery. Stay informed and learn more about what you can do to help.  A Seagrass Solar Eclipse During the solar eclipse, our Ecosystem Assessment and Restoration group assisted FWC’s Aquatic Habitat Conservation and Restoration group with seagrass restoration efforts in West Bay, St. Andrew Bay. While we were in the water planting seagrass, the eclipse passed over and reached 77% coverage! Since 2014, the agency has completed a series of seagrass habitat restoration and oyster habitat enhancement projects to restore jump start recovery of approximately 200 acres of seagrass habitat lost along West Bay’s western shoreline. Additionally, approximately five acres of oyster habitat have been enhanced in the project area to improve water quality through water column filtration, reduce suspended sediments, mitigate wind-driven wave energy, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, increase oyster populations, and facilitate seagrass recovery! As part of the latest phase, FWC has partnered with the nonprofit Ecosphere Restoration Institute and their contractor AquaTech Eco Consultants to transplant approximately 28,800 native shoal grass (Halodule wrightii) units across six acres in April and May of this year as part of Ecosphere’s statewide seagrass restoration initiative. Shoal grass is known as a seagrass pioneer species that grows quickly and stabilizes the sediment allowing other seagrass species to establish and form diverse communities. This is the most common seagrass species in West Bay and will provide excellent habitat for local fish and wildlife, sediment stabilization and water quality improvement. FWRI has been a long-time partner on this project assisting with the seagrass restoration project designs, transplanting activities, and monitoring efforts. To discover aquatic habitat restoration projects across the state, visit our webpage.  Manatee Rescue: Flapjack & PIT tags This month, our staff teamed up with ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to rescue a thin manatee that was entrapped in Clam Bayou, a retention pond system in St. Pete. The manatee was successfully rescued and was given an examination prior to transport. During this process, our staff scan for PIT tags, which are widely used by veterinarians to help with the identification and return of lost pets. Scanning for these tags helped identify this manatee as “Flapjack,” first rescued and rehabilitated in 2021 after being spotted in a very thin body condition in the Weeki Watchee River. He was taken to ZooTampa at Lowry Park for rehabilitation and was released about a year later in 2022. “Flapjack's” thin condition as well as health history were deciding factors in support of further care and rehabilitation, so he was transported to SeaWorld. 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 Hotlines and Information Sources 2024 Manatee Mortalities Annual Rescue Summaries [Manatee] Index Nesting Beach Survey Totals (1989-2023) Monroe County Mutton and Gray Snapper New Publications Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force Meeting Information HAB Publications Bay Scallop Research Stone Crab Catch Data 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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