John Mallory, a Merritt Island angler participating in the FGA/FWC Spirit of Tarpon DNA Sampling Challenge caught and DNA sampled 975 juvenile tarpon in 2012. The FGA/FWC Spirit of Tarpon DNA Sampling Challenge is a joint promotion of the Florida Guides Association and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The Tarpon DNA Sampling Challenge recognizes the spirit of tarpon in the fight and the spirit of anglers willing to volunteer their time to help improve tarpon fisheries science through DNA collection methods. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) has been using DNA finger-printing of tarpon for several years now. To learn more about the Spirit of Tarpon DNA Sampling Challenge, check out the contest’s Facebook page.
