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The aim of the Sawfish Research Project was to collect data on the current population of smalltooth sawfish and provide the scientific information about the species needed to create effective conservation measures. Several methods were used:
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Mote staff and interns spent a lot of time conducting regular fishing surveys throughout Southwest Florida (from Tampa Bay to the Marquesas Keys) to determine the current distribution and abundance of smalltooth sawfish, and to provide access to live sawfish for tagging, tracking and genetics studies (see below). These surveys were carried out using bottom longlines, seine and gill nets, and rod and reel.
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Above: Staff Biologist Beau Yeiser releases a tagged sawfish in the Ten Thousand Islands.
Left: Senior Biologist Tonya Wiley releases a juvenile sawfish fitted with a satellite tag in Everglades National Park.
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Many of the sawfish caught during surveys were fitted with acoustic tags so that their movements could be followed. The data collected have been used to determine habitat use patterns, investigate the impact of human development on habitat use and calculate their home range size. These data are used to identify critical habitat areas for conservation purposes.
Larger sawfish caught during surveys were fitted with satellite tracking tags to examine their movements over a longer term. These tags collect data on location, depth and water temperature for periods of up to several months and, at a pre-programmed date, release from the animal and transmit the data to the lab through the ARGOS satellite system.
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Above: A one-day track of a juvenile sawfish in Florida Bay.
Left: Tags used for tagging sawfish and sharks. The gray tag in the middle is a satellite tag, the red tag in the upper right corner is an acoustic tag. The yellow and orange tags are identification tags with unique serial numbers and Mote contact information.
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Computer models of the sawfish populations have been used to investigate the rate of change in the population and determine how the population will recover under different conservation strategies.
Using information on sawfish encounters from the public, captures during field surveys and data collected from tagging and tracking, maps of the population distribution, habitat use and movements have been created to better understand the population and what conservation measures must be in place to save the species from extinction.
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Small tissue samples were removed from sawfish caught during field surveys and from dried saws to investigate the impact of the population decline on genetic diversity. This work is being carrried out in collaboration with Demian Chapman of the Pew Institute for Ocean Science and Kevin Feldheim of The Field Museum.
Click here for information on prior genetics research conducted by Vicente Faria of Florida State University (formerly with Iowa State University).
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- Public Sightings Database
The sawfish research project collected reports of sightings and captures of sawfish from the public to help determine the distribution of sawfish, to examine habitat use and movement patterns, and to schedule field surveys in areas of recent sawfish encounters.
The National Sawfish Encounter Database is now maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History. If you catch or see a sawfish, please report it to:
Phone: 352-392-2360
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A very important component of the sawfish research project was providing education to the public on the status and conservation needs of the smalltooth sawfish population in the United States. Since the sawfish population declined many decades ago, many people have never seen or even heard of a sawfish, much less know of the protected status or extinction concerns of the species. Therefore, Sawfish Research Project staff traveled to scientific conferences, dive club and fishing guide meetings, school groups, fishing tournaments and shows, and met with other research organizations to spread the word about the sawfish. In addition, press and film crews were often provided with stories, film clips, personal interviews or the opportunity to accompany the field crew during a fishing survey.
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- Captain's Logbook Program
To enhance the public sightings database, many fishing charter captains participated in our Captain's Logbook Program. Charter captains throughout Florida kept logbooks of their sawfish captures and sightings. By supplying observational data, these fishermen multiplied our efforts substantially. Participating captains were given a logbook of pre-printed postcards to be filled in with details of the sawfish, habitat and catch details for each sawfish encountered. We sincerely thank all the guides who participated in the program and appreciate their assistance with the Sawfish Research Project.
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