The Blacktip Challenge is a catch, tag and release shark fishing tournament on Florida's East Coast. It's an exciting and beneficial combination of competitive sport fishing, adventure, entertainment, scientific research and education. Anglers that participate in the tournament are educated about proper shark tagging techniques and procedures.
The Blacktip Challenge and its anglers actively take part in an important joint-research effort with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Apex Predator Cooperative Shark Tagging Program and the International Land-Based Shark Fishing Association. This makes the angler's role as a competitor also one of an important contributor to the knowledge and understanding of these animals. Information collected by anglers is sent to NOAA and the Apex Predator Program for further analysis. Our hope is that anglers continue this practice outside of the tournament.
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.
The mission of the API is to conduct life history studies of commercially and recreationally important shark species. Our research is focused on distribution and migration patterns, age and growth, reproductive biology, and feeding ecology.
The International Land-Based Shark Fishing Association (ILSFA) was formed to unify the sport of land-based shark fishing and its anglers.