Expedition Chagos - March 24

A "shark-eye" view of the reef, from a camera on a grey reef shark

Dr. Taylor Chapple and team have successfully deployed the CATS camera tag on a grey reef shark and the view below of the Chagos is stunning! These tags are put on for short durations by attachment to the dorsal fins. The grey reef has recorded several hours of footage and this snapshot provides a “shark-eye” view of the coral paradise called home.

(L-R) Dave Tickler, Aaron Carlisle and Taylor Chapple on the fantail

Expedition Chagos - March 23

Aaron and Dave working hard

The team in the Chagos (scientists from Stanford, University of Western Australia, London Zoological Society) have had a very successful research trip thus far- placing over 30 acoustic tags in sharks, and recovering the data from an extensive VR2w network we placed in the Chagos over a year ago. The great news is the receivers have recorded excellent data. 

Currently the team is at Salomon Atoll, where we’re recovering a VR4 Global, to rebattery and reposition, and then placing VR4 Ums near the Channel. Our on board team has been very successful tagging grey reef sharks and silvertips. They report easily placing the acoustic tags into 10 sharks over at Salomon Atoll and 20 over at Peros Banhos.  The placement of the tags at the two atolls, separated by over 30 km, will help discern the connectivity between the two regions. VR4 Globals, which have been in place for over a year, are now getting fresh batteries, new flotation collars and beefed-up moorings. Soon we’ll be hearing from these shark in the Indian ocean. 

The arrival of the tagging gear was a celebrated event

VR4 Global Acoustic Receivers Around the Globe

A VR4 Global buoy floats off the Central California coast to detect white sharks and other tagged predators swimming past

 The ROLEX and Bertarelli Foundation  funded VR4 Global acoustic receivers, coupled with our surface buoys, have provided a remarkable capacity to detect white sharks, mantas, and grey reef sharks in the Chagos Archipeligo. The system has proven robust as we've deployed it in a variety of ocean conditions around the globe- in our efforts to improve the capacity to do ocean observations from remote locations.

One of our VR4 Global buoys arrives in the Maldives, to detect predators around the Chagos Archipelago

The picture above shows the arrival of the VR4 Global from the white shark network in the Maldives, where our team will deploy the buoys for remote detection in the Chagos Archipelago. The expedition is being led by Taylor Chapple, Aaron Carlisle, Robbie Schallert, Jon Dale and Dave Ticker. This Stanford US/Australia team is also accompanied by BIOT researchers from London. We look forward to hearing from the team as they deploy a network of receivers, and tags in one of the most remote locations on the planet!

Epic Tagging

Dr. Steve Wilson and Robbie Schallert tag a giant bluefin

in Port Hood, Nova Scotia

The TAG team is up in Canada where we’ve had an epic 5 days of nonstop bluefin tagging.  I’m Ethan Estess from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Stanford University’s Tuna Research and Conservation Center, here with TAG scientists Robbie Schallert and Dr. Steve Wilson of Stanford University. We came to Port Hood, Nova Scotia on September 27th to work with Mike Stokesbury’s team from Acadia University to study giant bluefin in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. 

TAG team Dr. Steve Wilson, Robbie Schallert (center), and Cpt. Dennis Cameron (at head irrigating the gills)

We awoke on the 28^th to flat calm seas and sunny skies. The Tag-A-Giant team headed out with Captain Dennis Cameron and Craig of the Bay Queen IV and Bernie and Steve of the Carrie Anne.  The bait had barely hit the water when we hooked up on a giant bluefin tuna.  An hour later the 270cm fish was on the tagging mat and a minute later it was back out the door, outfitted with an acoustic and pop-up archival tag (PAT).  These tags will help unlock the mysteries of bluefin migratory patterns and spawning cycles, providing critical information for their management and conservation.   To date most of these Canadian giants have been tracked to the Gulf of Mexico spawning grounds, but a few (less then 2%) make their way to the Mediterranean Sea.

A giant bluefin being reeled in by the crew of the Bay Queen IV

The bluefin were there in force to feed on the large schools of herring in the region.  We double tagged 6 fish with acoustics and pop-ups, and many of these fish were the largest I've seen.  All of Sunday’s fish were over 260cm, easily weighing 800 pounds or more.  These fish were extremely well fed and very big around!

Measuring the length of a giant bluefin

Over the next 3 days we deployed 14 more electronic tags in perfect fishing conditions.  Cape Breton is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been and we were surrounded by spectacular wildlife.  Hundreds of pilot whales, or “blackfish” as our captain called them, circled our boat throughout.  They were there for the same reason the bluefin were- to feed on the massive schools of herring spawning along the island.   Gannets dive-bombed and grey seals bobbed along with curious glances towards our bait.  One of the highlights of the trip was placing a tag in the largest giant bluefin TAG has ever tagged- a 313cm bluefin we tagged and released.  This behemoth barely fit on the deck of the Day Queen IV.  This fish is surely a spawner, and hopefully its PAT tag will teach us about bluefin spawning locations and behaviors in the Gulf of Mexico.


-Ethan Estess

Surrounded by hungry pilot whales with our other fishing vessel

the Carrie Anne in the background

Cape Breton sunset

Stay tuned for some great tagging news!

The Fifth HIBT Great Marlin Race Gets Under Way

The boats leave the starting line on the "Start fishing!" call

On Monday, August 5, 38 angling teams from around the world gathered just off the Kona Coast, awaiting the radio call to, “Start fishing, start fishing, start fishing!” in the 54^th annual Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament. This year’s HIBT also marked the fifth year of the Great Marlin Race, which was born there as part of their 50^th Anniversary celebrations. Now run in a unique collaboration among the HIBT tournament, Stanford University researchers and the International Game Fish Association, the IGFA Great Marlin Race (IGMR)  has grown into a program spanning the globe.

As the 2013 HIBT IGMR began, seven of the ten satellite tags had been sponsored or partially sponsored. For this year’s race, the IGMR organizers decided to pilot the use of Wildlife Computers’ new “miniPAT” pop-up satellite archival tags. Somewhat smaller than their predecessors, these tags offer more sophisticated data handling features in addition to creating less drag in the water.

Stanford University marine biologist Randy Kochevar said, “In bluefin tuna, we’ve found the miniPATs to stay attached longer, giving us more data and better tracks than we got using the older tags. We hope this will also be true with marlin.”

The first day of the tournament was full of action, with more than two dozen marlin tagged and released. One satellite tag, sponsored by the Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club #1 out of New Zealand, was deployed by Ihu Nui Captain McGrew Rice on a 200 lb. blue marlin caught by Janice Allan.

Stanford University marine biologist and IGMR Post Doc Aaron Carlisle chats with Captain Shane O'Brien of the Strong Persuader

The second satellite tag wasn’t placed until Friday, when tag sponsor Marty Firestein of the Balboa Angling Club from California tagged a 250 lb. blue marlin caught by his son Mitch on board Hooked Up.

By the end of fishing on Friday, a total of eight tags had been sponsored or partially sponsored:

Tag 1 – Whangaroa Sport Fishing Club, New Zealand (deployed)

Tag 2 – Balboa Fishing Club, California, USA (deployed)

Tag 3 – Teams – Olympia Dream Fishing Club, Japan; Kona Game Fishing Club Tayio, Japan; Hilton Grand Vacations Fishing Club Ohana, Japan; Kona Game Fish Club Kusatu, Japan

Tag 4 – Laguna Niguel Billfish Club #1, California, USA; Laguna Niguel Billfish Club #2, California, USA

Tag 5 – Mission Bay Marlin Club, California, USA

Tag 6 – Game Fishing Club of South Australia, Australia

Tag 7 – LAE Fishing Club, Papua New Guinea

Tag 8 – Pajaro Valley Gamefish Club, California USA (half-sponsorship, looking for a partner)

As has happened in the past, the remaining six tags will be deployed over the days and weeks following the tournament, as opportunities arise to tag and release marlin. Both the Mission Bay Marlin Club and the Laguna Niguel Billfish Club #1 are still fishing after the tournament, and we wish them luck in catching marlin and getting satellite tags on them!

On the Eve of the Fifth Annual HIBT Great Marlin Race

Tournament Founder and Director Peter Fithian has briefed all the teams, all of the national anthems have been sung, the taiko drummers have played, the Kona restaurants have feasted the anglers, and the Start Fishing call is just a short night sleep away. I am joined at this year's Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament by Aaron Carlisle - the new IGMR Post Doc, and a long-time member of the Block Lab. This will be Aaron'he s first marlin tournament - and it's almost impossible to believe that it will be my fifth HIBT - making it the Fifth Anniversary of the Great Marlin Race! Who knew, when Peter Fithian and Tournament Coordinator and IGFA Representative Bob Kurz called Dr. Block back in 2009, that the Great Marlin Race would even work once - let alone grow into an international research and conservation effort.

39 teams from 13 different countries attend the pre-tournament briefing

Yet here we are again - having deployed more than 100 tags, for 6,416 days of tracking, over more than 65,000 nautical miles, since we started five years ago. We have enjoyed incredible generosity from the tournament organizers with whom we've worked, as well as the anglers, captains and crews who have made it possible. As we begin our day tomorrow, we already have sponsors for 8 of the 10 tags, and we are grateful for everyone's willingness to get involved.

A local taiko drumming team wows the crowd

Aaron and I will be riding along with Mitch and Marty Firestein from the Balboa Angling Club tomorrow, on board the Humdinger. This will be a new boat for me, but I've heard nothing but good things. Here's hoping that we and all the anglers are successful in this year's event!