For the first time, all species of tarpons, ladyfishes and bonefishes - marine species found globally in warm-water seas - have been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Of the 17 known species, two, Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) and Roundjaw Bonefish (Albula glossodonta) are classified as Vulnerable. One species, Bonefish (Albula vulpes) is listed as Near Threatened, three species are listed as Least Concern and 11 are classified as Data Deficient.

This is the first time that fishery scientists, fish ecologists, and conservationists have come together to jointly produce an assessment of the threats facing these recreationally and economically important coastal fishes.

Southwest Coast
A bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, persists in some parts of southwest Florida, with the highest concentrations detected this week alongshore of Charlotte County and offshore of Lee County. Very low to medium concentrations were patchy alongshore and inshore of Sarasota County and very low to low concentrations were found in the Pine Island Sound system (Lee County).

Bloom Boundary
The red tide currently affects about 70 miles of the southwest Florida coast, extending alongshore and inshore of Sarasota County south through the middle of Lee County.

Four Florida anglers were recently recognized for their tarpon DNA-collecting prowess during the annual Florida Guides Association meeting in Tampa.

The four collected tarpon DNA samples as part of the ongoing Tarpon Genetic Recapture Study, a partnership between Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Mote Marine Laboratory, in conjunction with anglers statewide. The Study uses DNA fingerprinting techniques as a way to track individual tarpon through capture events so that fishery managers can assess and better understand tarpon stocks and movement patterns.

Through the program, which has been in place since 2005, volunteer tarpon anglers have submitted more than 16,500 of the nearly 18,000 samples inventoried in the study's database. In 2012, anglers submitted 4,726 samples - exceeding the project's annual goal of 4,000.

February 18 deadline to make your voice heard.

The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) has embarked on a process to potentially declare some conservation lands as surplus, and subsequently sell or trade them, or dedicate lands to uses other than the conservation purposes for which they were purchased.

Unlike the Land Assessments recently conducted by the St. Johns River Water Management District and Southwest Florida Water Management District, the staff at SFWMD is not releasing information that reveals which parcels may be proposed to be declared surplus.

Instead, SFWMD is starting by asking for public comments on ALL of its conservation land holdings.

This presents a certain danger, in that it is possible the district could interpret "no response" from the public in regard to a particular parcel as "disinterest", or an indication that the public, environmental and conservation organizations, do not care enough about that parcel to comment. Such parcels where "people don't seem to care" could be at a greater risk for surplus disposal.

NOAA has added a new service to alert the public when red tides threaten human health at Tampa Bay area beaches. The new alert is timely since many of southwest Florida's beaches are experiencing or are under threat of red tide.

The alert is part of a broader experimental initiative NOAA's National Weather Service has been testing since June 2012, called the "Beach Hazards Statement," which also alerts the public for coastal hazards such as rip currents. The Tampa Bay weather forecast office is the first to issue the Beach Hazards Statements for harmful algal blooms to provide coastal residents and visitors with information to protect their safety. NWS is partnering with NOAA's National Ocean Service to provide these alerts to the public.

Southwest Coast: A bloom of Karenia brevis, the Florida red tide organism, spans the coastal waters of southwest Florida between southern Sarasota and Monroe Counties. The highest concentrations were detected this week alongshore of Charlotte and Lee counties, including Pine Island Sound (Lee County), and on the gulf side of the lower Florida Keys (Monroe County). In other regions, concentrations ranged from background to medium.

Bloom Boundary: A bloom of K. brevis extends alongshore of the southwest coast between southern Sarasota and Collier counties and offshore of the lower Florida Keys. Respiratory irritation and multiple fish kills have also been reported this week in the affected areas.

Oceana has announced a major litigation victory that will require stronger accountability through catch monitoring for the New England groundfish fishery. This win establishes the first full count, cap and control fishery in the Northeast and will help restore New England's groundfish populations to healthy levels in future years.

The settlement reached this week promotes better transparency in monitoring catch levels in the groundfish fishery, including discards. It also requires an analysis to determine the level of monitoring needed and the publication of an annual summary of the fishery's monitoring needs for the 2013-15 fishing years. This analysis will be critical in determining how to provide accurate, precise and timely catch reporting.

The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council have established a joint committee to address South Florida management issues. The committee will discuss fishery management issues in South Florida, including Monroe County and the Florida Keys, that jointly address the jurisdiction of both Councils - the East coast of South Florida for the South Atlantic Council and the West coast of South Florida for the Gulf of Mexico Council.

Lance Gleason of Missoula, Mont., released 15 barracuda measuring a total of 246.5 inches to win the spin division of the two-day 2013 Cuda Bowl Tournament that ended Saturday, Feb. 2, in Key West.

Gleason earned the title of divisional grand champion fishing with Captain Justin Rea of Key West, while Rea was named the division's grand champion guide.

Gleason also scored the most releases in the tournament.

Nathaniel Clark Linville of Key West won the Cuda Bowl's fly division, releasing five barracuda that totaled 184.75 inches. He was guided by Captain Aaron Snell, also of Key West.

NOAA Fisheries and Florida Sea Grant will be conducting five workshops in the Florida Gulf Coastal Region to provide information regarding the federal regulations which pertain to offshore recreational and commercial regulations (see dates and times below). The workshops will not be public hearings to discuss proposed new regulations, but will be an informative public program aimed at clarification of existing offshore regulations for individuals who are fishing in state and federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Information will be provided regarding license and permit requirements, seasons, required equipment, and length and bag limits.