Preliminary Large-Scale Movements of Atlantic Tarpon Megalops atlanticus Determined from Pop-Off Archival Tags

The recent collapse of many estuarine and marine fisheries has been widely recognized and is particularly acute for fishes that are long lived, slow growing, and reach sexual maturity at a late age. Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) are a highly migratory and highly prized sport fish throughout the Gulf of Mexico. Atlantic tarpon make extensive seasonal and regional migrations along the Gulf of Mexico as part of their complex life history and exemplify the life history traits that exacerbate population declines. The movements and habitats used by tarpon in the north central Gulf of Mexico are largely unknown; given these gaps, there is a clear need to investigate the movement patterns and habitat utilization of this fish. We attached Lotek Wireless LAT3300 PSAT tags to adult tarpon (n=3) along the coastal waters of Alabama to investigate large-scale movement patterns of this fish. A state-space Kalman filter was applied to the transmitted data to estimate tarpon movements. Tagged tarpon made coastal and cross shelf migrations spanning from Mobile Bay, Alabama to the continental shelf off Louisiana. Our preliminary findings provide critically needed insight into the migration ecology of this enigmatic fish.