The $75,000 Bonefish

Ever since dermatologist Brian Harris caught a Florida-tagged 28 ½-inch long bonefish on Andros Island in the Bahamas, scientists have been wondering how common it is for bonefish to travel long distances. Susan Cocking joins University of Miami researchers in the Bahamas, where they hope a new tagging program will yield more valuable data on bonefish behavior. “The question is important because of the species’ economic value. Based on four years of bonefish counts from Miami to the Lower Keys, and an economic breakdown of Florida’s $5 billion sportfishing industry, Ault and Larkin figure each South Florida bonefish is worth about $3,500 — or $75,000 in its lifetime.” In the Miami Herald.