Biologger Backpacks

Itajara Inception - You are looking at the Atlantic Ocean's largest reef-dwelling bony fish, the goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara), from the perspective of another goliath grouper. Talk about a fisheye view - orient yourself to the right eyeball. Both fish are wearing biologger "backpacks," which are tags attached to the dorsal spines that collect ultra-high resolution body movement data, audio, and video on programmed cycles. The pink part of the tag are floats with satellite/radio transmitters, which are used for recovering the tag when it detaches from the fish once a metal link holding it on corrodes in a few days. The green spot closer to the tail is another external electronic transmitter that will continue to monitor the fish's depth use for many months. During a research expedition studying reproductive behaviors, this image was captured before sunset a few days ahead of the August new moon, when goliath grouper spawning activity begins its seasonal peak in local Treasure Coast waters. These interactions have never been recorded before and provides groundbreaking insights into spawning dynamics and habitat use, generating new knowledge to contribute to fisheries management.