Since 1988, the Striped Bass Tagging Survey has been completed annually by a NOAA vessel, primarily by the Oregon II. The objective of the survey is to capture and tag adult striped bass, summer flounder, spiny dogfish, and Atlantic sturgeon in the Atlantic Ocean off North Carolina and Virginia. Bottom Trawling is conducted to capture the fish, which are then held aboard in tanks with continuously circulating ambient sea water. Healthy fish are measured and tagged, then released after tagging. At some later date when the fish are caught for commercial or recreational purposes, the tag can be returned to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The benefit of acquiring data on abundance, age, distribution, and migration of these fish is that it allows the State and Federal agencies to better manage the striped bass fishery resource for commercial and recreational fisherman. During the Oregon II's 2000 Striped Bass Survey, more than 6,000 striped bass were tagged.
