NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center M E D I A A D V I S O R Y Scientists Listen to Fish Movement Scientists from the James J. Howard Laboratory in Sandy Hook, NJ, are conducting a study in the Navesink River that uses several dozen listening devices anchored in the river. The study tracks the movement of specially-tagged fish using a technology similar to the EZ Pass tollbooth systems on highways. Led by Drs. Beth Phelan and John Manderson, the NOAA Fisheries Service scientists are trying to determine what parts of the Navesink River bluefish, striped bass, and weakfish use for feeding, and why they use different parts of the river at different times of day and in different seasons. In early May the scientists moored listening devices in locations up and down the river. The receivers are attached to orange buoys and anchored in at least three feet of water. Researchers will be working in the river at least once a week throughout the summer. The fish in the study carry both internal and external tags. The research team asks that anyone who catches a tagged bluefish, striped bass, or weakfish call the telephone number on the external tag to report where and when they caught the fish, and how large it was. If an angler keeps one of the tagged fish, the biologists would appreciate having the internal tag returned so they can re-use it. More information about the study is available at the James J. Howard Laboratory website: http://sh.nefsc.noaa.gov/fishecology/fishtag.htmlNOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation's living marine resources and their habitats through scientific research, management and enforcement. NOAA Fisheries Service provides effective stewardship of these resources for the benefit of the nation, supporting coastal communities that depend upon them, and helping to provide safe and healthy seafood to consumers and recreational opportunities for the American public. NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, 61 countries and the European Commission to develop a global network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects. ### On the Web: |
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