Blacktip Sharks
Locating Winter Habitats
Current studies of juvenile blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus)
along the Gulf coast of Florida have revealed distinct summer nursery
areas, but little is known about the winter distribution of these
sharks following their migrations from these areas.
Mote began a study in 2005 to examine the winter stock structure of
blacktip sharks. Armed with recapture data showing
movement to the southwest tip of Florida and the Florida Keys
during the winter months, a tagging operation was conducted to evaluate
any potential habitat locations. Sharks were tagged with
traditional fin tags, streamer tags, and, in two instances, Pop-off
Archival Satellite Tags. With assistance from charterboat
fishermen, the study is still ongoing. Properly trained in
tagging techniques, these fishermen will continue to tag blacktip
sharks so that we can continue to move forward in understanding their
life history. Capt.
Pete Peterson holds a juvenile blacktip shark in place while Mote Staff
Biologist Beau Yeiser tags it just before release. This shark was
tagged in the
Florida Keys as part of an ongoing winter population study of blacktip
sharks. A yellow "dart" tag has been inserted under the shark's
dorsal fin. This tag has a number unique to that individual shark
for future identification purposes.
Potential
winter destinations of blacktip sharks following their exodus from
summer nursery areas. Tag recaptures show that sharks tagged
off the western coast of Florida have moved south toward the Florida
Keys in the winter months. A study was started in 2005 to obtain
more information on blacktip shark whereabouts during the winter. 
This work is in collaboration with the shark tagging program
at the Southeast Fisheries Science Center based in Panama City, Fla. A
special thanks to these contributing charter fishermen: Capt. Bob
LeMay, Capt. Skip Nielsen and Capt. Pete Peterson. Funding for this
project was provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service.
