For a number of years Lemon Bay Conservancy has partnered with Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) in juvenile tarpon research efforts. Our monthly net pulls take place during the winter months in the small tidal ponds on the western side of the Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve.
We are delighted to share the news that FWC has been awarded a significant NOAA RESTORE grant to better inform county and state governments’ decisions in Charlotte Harbor, FL, by creating decision-making support tools that prioritize locations for restoration and protection of juvenile snook and tarpon habitat. LBC provided a letter of support as part of the FWC grant application.
The scope of the FWC project will include seining and tagging tarpon with acoustic tags to track their movements once they leave the juvenile pond habitats in sampling locations on both the Cape Haze peninsula and the East Wall, including Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve. This winter will be spent designing the research project with gear and onsite testing in the spring. Sampling for this grant will officially start in the Fall of 2024.
FWC scientists will continue to partner LBC volunteers in our juvenile tarpon research efforts.
Here are some links to the overall NOAA RESTORE program and the FWC project.
NOAA RESTORE Program announcement for actionable science:
FWC project page:
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