2016 Abaco Islands, Bahamas Deployments

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1 The IGMR season kicked off in the North Atlantic with the first IGMR event of the year: The 2016 Custom Shootout where, for the third year in a row, four tags were generously sponsored for deployment. The first tag was deployed on an estimated 79 kg (175 lb) blue marlin on May 12, 2016 by Casey Shea after a 15-minute fight with angler and tag sponsor Mike Bozzuto while fishing aboard his boat My Love with Captain Billie Elliot. Mike graciously sponsored a tag during the inaugural 2014 Bahamas IGMR where he took second place in the race. Three days later, the second tag was deployed on an estimated 57 kg (125) blue marlin after an eight-minute bout with angler Jimmy Whitley while fishing with Que Mas' Captain Billie Elliot. This was the second year in a row that Que Mas owner and tag sponsor Wally Whitley sponsored a tag for the IGMR. Six days later, in the morning of May 20, 2016, sponsor Jim Jensen fought an estimated 113 kg (250 lb) blue marlin that Noah Beaman released with the third satellite tag of the race. Plane Simple Captain Jimmy Werling stated on the data sheet that "it was a perfect tag" and the "fish swam away with no issues". One month later, on June 26, 2016, while fishing off of Cat Island in the Bahamas, James Turner caught an estimated 227 kg (500 lb) blue marlin while fishing aboard Hit N' Run with owner and tag sponsor Byron Russell and Captain Dave Fields. The marlin was released with the fourth and final satellite tag in the race. *The total estimated distance is based on the length of a best-guess track calculated using light and sea surface temperature measurements from the tag and a complex mathematical algorithm. Since each location along the track potentially has significant error associated with it, the IGMR instead uses the reliable and more precise linear distance (the point of tag deployment determined by GPS to the point of tag pop-up determined by Argos satellites) to establish IGMR results and winners

2 2016 Abaco Islands, Bahamas Deployments Tag Boat Fish Species Tagged Reported 15P1251 My Love 1 Blue Marlin Days at Large Distance (nm) Est. Wt. (lbs) Est. Wt. (kg) 5/12/2016 7/7/ Angler Mike Bozzuto Tagger Casey Shea 15P1254 Que Mas 2 Blue Marlin 5/14/2016 7/18/ Jimmy Whitley T. Valles 15P1239 Plane Simple 3 Blue Marlin 5/20/2016 8/4/ Jim Jensen Noah Beaman 15P1241 Hit N' Run 4 Blue Marlin 6/26/2016 7/1/ James Turner Byron Russel *The total estimated distance is based on the length of a best-guess track calculated using light and sea surface temperature measurements from the tag and a complex mathematical algorithm. Since each location along the track potentially has significant error associated with it, the IGMR instead uses the reliable and more precise linear distance (the point of tag deployment determined by GPS to the point of tag pop-up determined by Argos satellites) to establish IGMR results and winners

3 Although all four tags were deployed on healthy blue marlin, we soon received word that all of the tags popped up after staying with the marlin between 5 and 76 days (recording 1,854 nm combined). And although there is risk, as with any wildlife tagging program, of early release or the tags not reporting at all, this was quite unusual given the successes of three previous Bahama s race. Wildlife Computers, the tag manufacturers, concluded that there was an issue with the tag s nosecone causing the pin to sever before the scheduled pop-up date, resulting in the premature release of the tag. Determined to rectify the problem, Wildlife Computers replaced all of the tags (which will be deployed this summer during the 2017 Custom Shootout) and luckily, we were still able to glean some data from the longer deployments in the event. On July 1, the tag on Fish 4 (Tag 15P1241) popped up 5 days after deployment 98 nm north of the deployment site, taking 4 th place in the event. Due to the short duration and limited data, it was not possible to generate a track for this fish. However, data was received from the time the tag was on the fish. Over 60% of the time, the marlin swam at the surface where the water temperature was between C (82-84 F). Deeper dives were primarily between m ( ft) where the water temperature was between C (72-79 F). Fish 4 s deepest dives occurred on June 29 to a depth of 584 nm (1,916 ft) where the water temperature was 14.8 C (58 F). The tag on Fish 1 (Tag 15P1251) was next to surface on July 7, 2016, 361 nm from the deployment location after 56 days, taking 3 rd place in the event. After deployment, which was approximately 240 nm east of the Bahamas, the fish swam west towards the Bahamas and followed a back-and-forth path north covering a total estimated distance of 1,266 nm* before the tag popped off. During the course of the track, the fish generally stayed above the 20 C thermocline with periodic dives to deeper water. The deepest dive occurred near the end of the track to a depth of 480 m (1,574 ft) where the water temperature was 17.2 C (63 F), the coldest temperate experienced during Fish 1 s journey. Approximately half of the time, the marlin swam near the surface and made deeper dives between m ( ft) 30% of the time. Approximately 80% of the time, Fish 1 swam in water temperatures between C (75-86 F). The tag on Fish 2 (Tag 15P1254) surfaced on July 18, 2016 after 65 days at liberty, and surfaced 990 nm southeast of the tagging location to win 1 st place in the event! The fish generally followed a straight-line course with the exception of a brief period of more southerly movement in early June to cover a total estimated distance of 1,169 nm*. The fish primarily stayed above the 20 C thermocline, but made occasional dives into deeper, colder water. Fish 2 s deepest dive occurred near the end of the deployment to a depth of 648 m (2,126 ft) where the water temperature was 11.6 C (52 F). Although not the deepest, Fish 2 also made three other very deep dives, earlier in its journey, to depths in excess of 500 m (1,640 ft). The marlin spent the *The total estimated distance is based on the length of a best-guess track calculated using light and sea surface temperature measurements from the tag and a complex mathematical algorithm. Since each location along the track potentially has significant error associated with it, the IGMR instead uses the reliable and more precise linear distance (the point of tag deployment determined by GPS to the point of tag pop-up determined by Argos satellites) to establish IGMR results and winners

4 majority of its time between m ( ft), and approximately 35% of the time near the surface. Approximately 75% of the time, this fish swam in waters ranging from C (68 82 F) and 20% of the time between C (82 86 F). Congratulations to team Que Mas for their 1 st place finish! The final tag remaining in the race (Tag 15P1239) popped off Fish 3 on August 4, 2016 after 76 days, 405 nm from the tagging location to earn 2 nd place in the race! Fish 3 followed a track similar to that of Fish 2, heading in a southeast direction while also making a slight detour near the southern end of the Bahamas. However, Fish 3 circled around near Turks and Caicos Islands and briefly headed northwest and then north before the tag popped off for a total estimated distance of 1,260 nm*. Similar to the other fish in this event, Fish 3 typically stayed above the 20 C thermocline with periodic dives into colder water. The maximum depth reached by this fish during the deployment was 968 m (3,175 ft) where the water temperature was a chilly 7.8 C (46 F). Fish 3 also made two other deep dives earlier in the deployment to depths past 600 m (1,968 ft). Approximately half of the time, the marlin was at depths between m ( ft) and near the surface for approximately 40% of the time. Fish 3 also spent the majority of its time in water temperatures between C (68 82 F) and almost 35% of the time at temperatures between C (82 86 F). Data from the 2016 event added to the growing body of data for blue marlin tagged off the Bahamas. These data demonstrate a diversity of behaviors used by these fish. In 2014, tagged marlin primarily headed north to follow the continental shelf of the eastern United States. In 2015, the fish with the longest track stayed in the region of the Bahamas. In this year s event, three of the four tagged fish headed south, whereas Fish 1 headed north, similar to the fish in An important step in understanding the movements and behavior of wild fish is to develop an understanding of the range and diversity of the behavior. Although we still have a relatively small sample size from this region, each year we gain additional insight, which expands our understanding of these exceptional animals. The diversity of these behaviors have differed between years and we look forward to adding additional data sets in upcoming years to determine if there is a pattern to these behaviors or if additional variations are observed. Our thanks and gratitude goes out to the tag sponsors, captains, anglers, crew, and participants in the 2016 Custom Shootout IGMR. These datasets help us to learn about billfish behavior in an effort to increase their conservation and protect the sport we love for future generations of fishing! *The total estimated distance is based on the length of a best-guess track calculated using light and sea surface temperature measurements from the tag and a complex mathematical algorithm. Since each location along the track potentially has significant error associated with it, the IGMR instead uses the reliable and more precise linear distance (the point of tag deployment determined by GPS to the point of tag pop-up determined by Argos satellites) to establish IGMR results and winners

5 Tag 15P1251 Fish 1 Tag number: 15P1251 Sponsor: Mike Bozzuto Angler: Mike Bozzuto Tagger: Casey Shea Boat: My Love Species: Blue Marlin Estimated weight: 79 kg Deployed: 5/12/2016 Reported: 7/7/2016 Days at large: 56 Distance traveled: 361 nm Maximum depth: 480 m Minimum temp: 17.2 C Maximum temp: 29.8 C Temperature at Depth

6 Tag 15P1254 Fish 2 Tag number: 15P1254 Sponsor: Wally Whitley Angler: Jimmy Whitley Tagger: T. Valles Boat: Que Mas Species: Blue Marlin Estimated weight: 57 kg Deployed: 5/14/2016 Reported: 7/18/2016 Days at large: 65 Distance traveled: 990 nm Maximum depth: 648 m Minimum temp: 11.6 C Maximum temp: 30.2 C Temperature at Depth

7 Tag 15P1239 Fish 3 Tag number: 15P1239 Sponsor: Jim Jensen Angler: Jim Jensen Tagger: Noah Beaman Boat: Plane Simple Species: Blue Marlin Estimated weight: 113 kg Deployed: 5/20/2016 Reported: 8/4/2016 Days at large: 76 Distance traveled: 405 nm Maximum depth: 968 m Minimum temp: 7.8 C Maximum temp: 32.2 C Temperature at Depth

8 Tag 15P1241 Fish 4 Tag number: 15P1241 Sponsor: Laura & Byron Russell Angler: James Turner Tagger: Byron Russell Boat: Hit N' Run Species: Blue Marlin Estimated weight: 227 kg Deployed: 6/26/2016 Reported: 7/1/2016 Days at large: 5 Distance traveled: 98 nm Maximum depth: 584 m Minimum temp: 14.8 C Maximum temp: 29.2 C Temperature at Depth