Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape (ETPS)
The Guy Harvey Foundation, Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) at NSU Florida, and Tropic Star Lodge have partnered to sponsor a long-term research program focused on studying the ecology and movement patterns of major game fishes and sharks using state-of-the-art satellite and acoustic tracking in the waters surrounding the Tropic Star Lodge and extending throughout the ETPS. The goal is to generate scientific information to guide best management and conservation practices for these species, their fisheries and their ecosystems.
106
Satellite tags have been deployed on blue marlin, black marlin, and sailfish as part of the ETPS Research Program
259
Hours of video recorded in Baited Remote Underwater Video surveys
BILLFISH RECOVERY
Discovered it takes roughly 9 hours for a blue marlin to fully recover from being caught and released. It takes roughly 5 hours for a sailfish to fully recover from being caught and released
Impact
The GHRI pioneered the development of an accelerometer tag, capable of measuring a fish’s tailbeat, orientation in the water, and speed dozens of times per second.
Shark tagging efforts in the Galapagos Islands help determine where pelagic fish migrations interact with illegal fishing efforts outside of the protected waters. This information is integral to help target enforcement of illegal commercial fishing.
Location: Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Costa Rica, including the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Galapagos and Cocos Islands
Partners
