Natalie Stanchina & Jacque Reynolds, Lincoln School, Providence, RI All about the Bass! Tagging of Striped Bass Natalie Stanchina & Jacque Reynolds, Lincoln School, Providence, RI

Introduction Background It’s all about the Bass! Tagging allows us track the daily movements and seasonal migrations of individual fish.. Internal and external techniques of tagging can be used to track fish and each technique has advantages and disadvantages. Background There are two populations of striped bass that spend the summer months in Eel Pond, Woods Hole, MA. Five of the larger fish have been tagged with both external tags and internal, acoustic tags. The acoustic tag emits a signal unique to each fish every 2-3 minutes that is picked up by a receiver. The receiver in Eel Pond provides information of whether a fish is in the pond or not in the pond. This lesson plan is based on data recorded by the receiver for the months of September and October, 2018.

Background information on Striped Bass They can live up to 30 years. They can be five feet long and weigh as much as 77 pounds. They are found on the East Coast from the St. Lawrence River in Canada to the St. John’s River in Florida, and also in the Gulf of Mexico. They have been introduced to the West Coast and many lake and river systems.

Predators & Prey Young striped bass eat larvae and zooplankton. Adult striped bass eat small fish, and also several invertebrates like squid and crabs. The predators of small striped bass are bluefish, cod, weakfish and some birds. The predators of adult striped bass are humans, sharks and seals. Prey: Predators:

What is Tagging? Tagging fish is a way to collect data about striped bass distribution, growth, and movement. The data collected allows scientists to study the migratory patterns of fish, and what habitats they prefer.

External Tagging of Fish External tags allow identification of fish by the color and information on the tag. Some disadvantages to external tagging tissue damage, premature tag loss, and decreased swimming capacity, but these depend in part on the size of the fish. Examples: Anchor or floy tags: One end has a plastic T- anchor, similar to the ones on tags of clothing. Applicators push the T through the fish in places that won’t interfere with fin movement. Lock-on tag: One end of it is placed in a needle and the needle goes through the fish. Once the needle is all the way through it can be removed so that the tag is left behind. The ends of the tags can then be connected creating a loop.

Internal tagging of fish Internal tagging: Implantations of biotelemetry devices is common for fisheries science. The size of the tag has to be matched to the weight of the fish to ensure that it won’t interfere with fish behavior. Examples: PIT( passive integrated transponder) A small tag that is placed into the abdomen of the fish that is activated by a scanning device. It makes a low-frequency radio signal and sends a code back to the reader. It requires no battery but the scanner has to be close to the tag. Acoustic Transmitters A transmitter that is placed in the abdominal cavity. It makes acoustic “pings.” The different number of pings makes identification of particular fishes easier. The pings can be detected from a receiver that is at a distance of several hundred meters and for years.

* Study Location: Eel Pond, Woods Hole, MA SurroundingCommunity BOATS Site Restaurants

Activity!! Each group copies data sheets available for September and October. Data from 5 fish is available and each of 5 groups will pick a fish. Remember that the transmitter emits a signal every 2-3 minutes and sometimes a signal is not received. Part 1 --Make a graph to show how many times each fish leaves Eel pond throughout the month of September. --Analyze the data from the five tagged fish during September. Plot, how many times they leave the area, in relation to temperature, etc.   --Answer Part 1 of the questions. Part 2 --Plot and compare the September data from the same five fish during the month of October. Think about reasons why fish would stay and leave Eel Pond. --Make a second graph that shows how many times each fish leaves Eel pond. Compare the September and October graphs. --Answer Part 2 of the questions.

Part 1: Questions What are some factors that determine whether a fish stays in the pond (e.g., food availability, presence of other fish, temperature, other environmental factors?). What other factors could affect fish presence in the pond? If fish are missing for a short interval (around 10 min) where have they gone and why?

Part 2: Questions Does your data differ between September and October? How so? What would you predict for the month of November, December? Will fish return to Eel Pond? When? What factors might influence whether they return?

Conclusion Questions How can tagging inform us about climate change? What are disadvantages and advantages to external and internal tagging? How could information gathered from tagged fish help us prevent population decline of striped bass?

Sources https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/Tagging/fish-tagging.html https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/10/tj/tr-61-complete.pdf http://www.stripedbassmagic.org/techniques-used-in-placing-external-and-pit-tags/ https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/atlantic-striped-bass http://gcrl.usm.edu/public/fish/striped.bass.php