On Wednesday, May 10th, at 7pm Dr. Aaron Adams, BTT’s Director of Science and Conservation, will give his lecture “Conservation of a Prehistoric Fish through Field Research and Aquaculture” at FAU Harbor Branch.
Bonefish have thrived in shallow tropical and subtropical seas for millions of years. But a recent assessment by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature classified the most common species of bonefish in Florida and the Caribbean as Near Threatened due to harv…est by commercial, artisanal and recreational fisheries, habitat loss and fragmentation, declines in water quality, coastal development, and urbanization.
In Florida, bonefish are part of a catch and release fishery with an annual economic impact > $465 million. Unfortunately, the Florida Keys population has declined by an estimated 90%. Ongoing research is determining the causes of the population decline to inform restoration strategies. Concurrent research at HBOI is focusing on spawning and rearing bonefish in captivity so that stock enhancement might be used as another tool in the restoration toolbox because the bonefish population might be too small to sustain itself.
Click here for more information about the event.
