Understanding Squibnocket’s Overwintering Striped Bass | Martha's Vineyard Times

The Striped Bass Magic program at MBL is headed up by Steve Zottoli and Scott Bennett.

Following a study confirming the unusual presence of year-round stripers up-Island last season, scientists were at the Squibnocket Pond again this week tagging more bass to further their research.

On Thursday, researchers from Striped Bass Magic at University of Chicago’s Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole and the Natural Resources Department of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) tagged eight new fish, and intend to tag another dozen in early November. That’s on top of the roughly 20 bass tagged last year.

Part of the project’s focus is on understanding how the bass’ behavior patterns compare to migratory fish and whether their choices—such as remaining in Squibnocket Pond during the winter—reflect specific environmental conditions. 

The research could also help establish how to better understand the habitat of the Island’s faltering herring population, whose numbers have rapidly dropped to 11,000 from 40,000 in 2018, according to the River Herring Monitoring Program. 

Although bass are predators to herring, local wildlife officials say stripers are not to blame for the herring’s decline in population and instead offshore trawlers are more likely the cause. Read rest of the article here.

Source: Understanding Squibnocket’s Overwintering Striped Bass | Martha's Vineyard Times