The success of any stock enhancement program relies in careful monitoring—of the progress of released fish, the wild populations that they are joining, and the environment.

Our monitoring program has benefited tremendously by recent advances in acoustic tracking technology. We attach VEMCO V7 transmitters to batches of wild and hatchery-reared juvenile flounder. These transmitters emit an electronic “chirp” that is picked up by hydrophones (underwater microphones) attached to buoys. We can chart these signals on a map to track the movements of the fish.