Migratory Fishery Biology Branch

Mission Statement: The Migratory Fishery Biology Branch actively addresses the research needs identified in the Atlantic Billfish Research Plan in order to reduce the uncertainties of stock assessments, improve the biological basis for management, and enhance the rebuilding of Atlantic billfish stocks. We participate in Atlantic billfish assessment activities conducted under the auspices of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Madrid, Spain. In addition, Branch staff coordinates the ICCAT Enhanced Research Program for billfish in the Western Atlantic Ocean and acts as tagging coordinator for the US delegation to ICCAT. Specific research programs include monitoring billfish tournament catch and effort, assessing movement, migration and reproductive patterns in terms of essential fish habitat, assessing hook performance of certain terminal gear (e.g. circle hooks), and conducting a variety of studies on the life history of Atlantic billfish. Scientists maintain an Atlantic-wide constituent-based cooperative tagging program (Cooperative Tagging Center), as well as conduct electronic tagging of billfish using pop-up satellite archival tag (PSAT) technology. The Cooperative Tagging Center works in collaboration with The Billfish Foundation, through a memorandum of understanding, to enhance billfish tagging efforts in the Atlantic Ocean and elsewhere. In recent years, the Branch has expanded research programs with the goal of minimizing billfish by-catch resulting from offshore longline fleets targeting tunas and swordfish. Although our primary focus has been on Istiophorid billfish, our team has collaborated with other groups to conduct research on electronic tagging of Atlantic bluefin tuna.

Contact: Migratory Fishery Biology Branch, Chief - Dr. Eric Prince

the blue marlin with a PSAT tag

Announcements

Federal Register Notice on initiating the review of available information on Atlantic White marlin

Photo Album

Images

Migratory Fishery Biology Branch Links

PSAT tagging

Recent Publications

LUTHY, S. A., R. K. Cowen, J. E. Serafy, and J. R. McDowell. 2005. Towards identification of larval sailfish, white marlin, and blue marlin in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Fish. Bull.103: 588-600.
PRINCE, E. D., R. K. Cowen, E. S. Orbesen, S. A. Luthy, J. K. Llopiz, D. E. Richardson, and J. E. Serafy. 2005. Movements and spawning of white marlin (/Tetrapturus albidus/) and blue marlin (/Makaira nigricans/) off Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. /Fishery Bulletin/.103: 659-669.
SERAFY, J.E, G.A. Diaz, E.D. Prince, E.S. Orbesen and C.M. Legault. 2005. Atlantic Blue Marlin, /Makaira nigricans/, and White Marlin, /Tetrapterus albidus/, Bycatch of the Japanese Pelagic Longline Fishery, 1960-2000. /Marine Fisheries Review. / 66 (2): 9-20.
SCHULTZ, D.R., N. Perez, C. K. Tan, A.J. Mendez, T. R. Capo, D. Snodgrass, E. D. Prince, & J. E. Serafy. 2005. Concurrent levels of of 11-ketotestosterone in fish mucus, muscle tissue, and blood. J. Appl. Ichthy. 21: 394-384.
LUO, Jiangang, E. D. Prince, C. P. Goodyear, B. E. Luckhurst, and J. E. Serafy. 2006. Vertical habitat utilization by large pelagic animals: A quantitative framework and numerical method for use with pop-up satellite tag data. /Fisheries Oceanography/. 13(3): 208-229.
TAN, C.-K., N. Perez, A.J. Mendez, D. Snodgrass, E. D. Prince, J.E. Serafy and D.R. Schultz. 2006. Identification of vitellogenic Atlantic blue marlin (/Makaira/ /nigrican/s) from muscle samples using ELISA for vitellogenin-derived yolk proteins. /Bulletin of Marine Science./ 78(2): 319-329.
PRINCE, E. D., and C. P. Goodyear. 2006. Hypoxia-based habitat compression of tropical pelagic fishes. 2006. Fisheries Oceanography. / 15(6): 451-464.
LUCKHURST, B.E., E. D. Prince, J. K. Llopiz, D. Snodgrass, and E. B. Brothers. 2006. Evidence of blue marlin (/Makaira nigricans, /Lacepede, 1803) spawning in Bermuda waters and elevated mercury levels in large specimens. Bulletin Marine Science, 79(3): 691-704.
SCHULTZ, D.R., N.E. Perez, D. Snodgrass, J. E. Serafy, E. D. Prince, F. Arocha, T. R. Capo, and C.K. Tan. 2006. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assays and billfish gender: testing muscle tissue and surface mucus in tagging studies. Bulletin Marine Science, 79(3): 859-864.
SERAFY, J. E., T. R. Capo, and C.R. Kelble. 2006. Live capture of billfishes: design and field testing of the continuous access nueston observation net (CANON). Bulletin Marine Science. 79(3): 853-858.
PRINCE, E. D., D. B. Holts, D. Snodgrass, E. S. Orbesen, J. Luo, M. L. Domeier and J. E. Serafy. 2006. Transboundary movement of sailfish, /Istiophorous platypterus, /off the Pacific coast of central America. Bulletin Marine Science, 79(3): 827-838.
JESIEN, R.V., A.M. Barse, S. Smyth, E. D. Prince, and J. E. Serafy. 2006. Characterization of the white marlin (/Tetraptyerus albidus/) recreational fishery off Maryland and New Jersey. Bulletin Marine Science, 79(3): 647-657.
HOOLIHAN, J. P. 2006. Estimating survival and recovery probabilities for Arabian Gulf sailfish from tag recovery studies. Bull. Mar. Sci. 79(3): 577-587.
SHIVJI, M. S., J.E. Magnussen, L.R. Beerkircher, G. Hinteregger, D.W. Lee, J. E. Serafy, and E. D. Prince. 2006. Validity, identification, and distribution of roundscale spearfish, /Tetrapturus georgii, /(Teleostie: Istiophoridae): morphology and molecular evidence. Bulletin Marine Science, 79(3): 483-491.

TEO, S.L.H., D. Boustany, H. Dewar, M.J.W. Stokesbury, K.C. Chang, S. Beemer, A. C. Seitz, C. J. Farwell, E.D. Prince, and B. A. Block. 2007 Annual migrations, diving behavior, and thermal biology of Atlantic bluefin tuna, /Thunnus thynnus/, on their Gulf of Mexico breeding grounds. Mar. Biol. 151: 1-18.

SCHULTZ, D.R., N. Perez, A.J. Mendez, D. Snodgrass, J. E. Serafy, E. D. Prince, W.A. Crow, Jr., and T. R. Capo. 2007. Tracking gender factor in surface mucus: temporal patterns in individual koi. J. Appl. Ichthy. 1: 1-5.

PRINCE, E. D., D. Snodgrass, E. S. Orbesen, J. P. Hoolihan, J. E. Serafy, and J. C. Schratwieser. 2007. Circle hooks, J hooks, and drop-back time: a hook performance study of the south Florida recreational live-bait fishery for sailfish. Fish. Manage. & Ecology. 14: 173-182.