Have You Seen a Fish Like This?

Why are these fish tagged?

The fish above is one of 120 summer flounder tagged in June 2006 for a Virginia Institute of Marine Science research study. A second study--in June 2007--tags summer flounder in the same way.

The 2006 study is looking at the short- and long-term roles of fishing piers, artificial reefs (or other structure sites) as feeding and gathering areas for summer flounder. The 2007 study investigates how dissolved oxygen affects the movements of summer flounder.

The 2006 study sites include Gloucester Point Fishing Pier, York Spit Light, and Back River Artificial Reef, although these fish could be caught anywhere in Chesapeake Bay or even offshore. The 2007 study sites include inlets, channels and mud flats near Wachapreague on Virginia's Eastern Shore.

These summer flounder are important because inside each of their bellies is a surgically-implanted acoustic transmitter which sends a signal to an array of receivers.

View listening station deployment and surgery photos

What to do if you catch one 1. Record the yellow external tag number and release the fish alive with its tag in place (so that others know it is a research fish if it is caught again). 2. Call VIMS at (804) 684-7588 to report the tag number, date, and location of captured/released fish.

Questions?

Contact Mark Henderson (804) 684-7588, mhender@vims.edu

Note: This page is under construction. More information and links will be added soon!