Dolphinfish research and tagging results — 2025 monthly summary – Published 8/28/2025

Below is a concise, month-by-month synthesis of what’s reported in the 2025 Dolphinfish Research Program (DRP) newsletters and related notes contained in the provided documents. Citations in brackets point to the specific document(s) used.

2025 at a glance (program cumulative totals as reported during 2025)

Monthly breakdown (2025)

January

• Provided year-end awards to 8 captains and separate award categories

• Distributed $5,590 of gear and art to 66 captains and crews who collectively tagged and released 1,325
  dolphinfish and reported 33 recoveries in 2024.

February

• La Parguera, Puerto Rico satellite-tagging: multiple dolphinfish tagged on Feb 5–6, including a
  40″ bull and two females (41″ and 39″). One female’s tag surfaced ~40 miles ESE after 17.88 days; the bull produced a geolocation
  track moving ~42 miles ESE and returning to the area after nine days—described as the program’s first track showing this “out-and-back”
  local movement pattern off southern PR 20.

• These February releases set up March recapture events (see March) 20.

March

• March 8: 12th overall satellite tag recapture for the program and 3rd for a fish tagged off La Parguera, PR. The recaptured fish (40.5″ female at capture; 39″ at release) showed 30.2 days at liberty and grew 1.5″ fork length while at large. It was recovered ~18 miles from its release site during a local tournament, part of a small school including a bull and two females. Multiple fish from the February tagging series remained local
  post-release—an outcome not previously observed off La Parguera in DRP satellite-tag work 20.

April

• Movement research context: DRP highlights a U.S. East Coast “return migrants” resource showing semi-annual or annual returns; Florida accounts for 67% of the tagging database, which can influence where such patterns are most evident. DRP indicates a push for geolocating satellite tags off the Abacos to resolve paths taken during returns [link provided in newsletter]. Link: U.S. East
  Coast return migrants page (https://dolphintagging.com/us-east-coast-return-migrants/) 19.

• Population signals off North Carolina: A new study (Nature Conservancy, NC State, NCDMF) reports declines in large (“citation-sized”) dolphinfish off NC—fitting within a growing set of studies noting negative/declining attributes in W. Central Atlantic dolphinfish. DRP notes this is consistent with increasing effort needed to catch large fish for satellite tagging off PR and a long-running inability to catch qualifying tag subjects off the Lower Keys each June since 2018 19.

May

• Program scale and goals: 38,181 fish tagged; 875 recaptures; 127 satellite tags on dolphinfish (11 on wahoo). DRP flags three scientific papers in preparation (growth; regional movement; catch/effort) and an ambitious 2025 distribution target (400 kits; 5,000 tags). Public data map: https://dolphintagging.com/map 16.

June

• Management update (U.S. Caribbean federal waters): Final rule effective July 25, 2025—24″ FL minimum size for dolphinfish and 32″ FL for wahoo (all sectors); Puerto Rico recreational limits: 5 mahi per person/day (max 15 per vessel/day) and 5 wahoo per person/day (max 10 per vessel/day); St. Croix + St. Thomas/St. John recreational limits: 10 mahi per person/day (max 32 per vessel/day) and 2 wahoo per person/day (max 10 per vessel/day) 18.

• Tagging progress: 2025 tag deployments through June 27 are the seventh highest first-half total on record and the best since 2019; 21 new movements recorded. A satellite tag deployed on a 41″ female south of PR (popped Feb 24; last observed Mar 1) was found on a Florida panhandle beach on June 23—the program’s first beached satellite tag in the W. Central Atlantic—having drifted an estimated 1,972 miles over 114 days (17.5 miles/day) 18.

• Program cumulative status (“as of today” in June newsletter pages): 38,765 tagged; 883 recaptures; 132 satellite tags on dolphinfish; 11 on wahoo 14.

July 

• Program cumulative status (“as of today” in July newsletter): 39,250 tagged; 889 recaptures; 132 satellite tags on dolphinfish; 11 on wahoo; 17 scientific papers to date 13.

• Movement highlights: The July issue showcases new long-distance connections, including Florida to Georgia, Florida to the Outer Banks (NC), and Florida to the Baltimore Canyon (Mid-Atlantic) movements, building on 21 new movements logged by June 27 15,13.

• Fishery monitoring (Dominican Republic artisanal fleet): After two years of monitoring, one high-effort boat (“Boat 1”) landed 60,470 lb total (avg 370 lb per outing across 192 outings: 163 offshore, 29 coastal); annual totals ~24,977 lb (year 1) and ~29,332 lb (year 2). DRP estimates ~2,500 active artisanal dolphinfish anglers in the DR and raises management questions given reported landings vs FAO data comparisons (Boat 1 alone ≈3.4% of DR’s 2023 FAO-reported total of 720,000 lb) 17.

August

• Program cumulative status (“as of today” in August newsletter): 39,365 tagged; 893 recaptures 13. 

• Movement highlights: The August issues showcases a new long-distance connection from Florida to the Outer Banks (NC), and movements off of Rhode Island, and a new movement in the Gulf of America 15,13.

Key insights (through July 2025, based on provided documents)

• Local residency off PR documented: February satellite-tagged fish (including a bull) showed short-range, return movements; one female remained local before being recaptured in March after 30.2 days with measurable growth—patterns not previously observed for the site in DRP satellite-tag work 20. 

• Program momentum: Cumulative tagging totals advanced from 38,181 (May) to 38,765 (late June) to 39,250 (July), with 21 new movements confirmed by late June and the first “beached” satellite tag observation in the W. Central Atlantic, offering rare drift insights 16,18,14,13.

• Management action: New size and bag limits for U.S. Caribbean federal waters take effect July 25, 2025, affecting both dolphinfish and wahoo in PR and the USVI districts 18.

• Population concern signals: A new April study indicates a decline in large dolphinfish off NC, aligning with other recent analyses of declining attributes and with DRP’s observed difficulty finding large satellite-tag candidates in some locales 19.

• Movement corridors: Summer newsletters highlight long-distance connections from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic (e.g., Baltimore Canyon and the Outer Banks), consistent with seasonal northward connectivity patterns highlighted in DRP materials 15,13.

Useful links called out in the newsletters

• DRP U.S. East Coast return migrants page (examples of semi-annual/annual returns): https://dolphintagging.com/us-east-coast-return-migrants/ 19

• DRP public data/map: https://dolphintagging.com/map 16