Nassau, Bahamas – Tracing the movement patterns of bonefish is no small feat; anglers admit that the popular sport fish is difficult to catch because of its enigmatic colouring. But Assistant Professor in the School of Chemistry Environmental and Life Sciences at The College of The Bahamas Dr. Karen Murchie and her team tracked 15 bonefish for six months and discovered information that could impact the ecology and the economy of The Bahamas.
Using waters off the south end of Eleuthera as their laboratory, from Starved Creek to Cape Eleuthera, the researchers used acoustic telemetry or tagging and tracking to study the movements of adult bonefish. In a carefully planned and executed process, 47 adult bonefish were surgically implanted with transmitters. Additionally, 27 receivers were positioned along a 14-mile stretch of coastline in creeks, near-shore and off-shore habitat zones to listen for and record the movements of tagged bonefish.
