Biologists rescue sawfish in the Florida Keys

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries

An endangered smalltooth sawfish is recovering at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in Sarisota, Florida after being rescued from Cudjoe Key, located in Monroe County in the Florida Keys on Thursday, April 5, 2024. The rescue was the result of a report that the animal was swimming in circles in Cudjoe Bay.

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Mote Marine Laboratory responded to the location of the distressed sawfish. They completed a brief field assessment, which included taking samples and measurements of the sawfish and tagging it, before the decision was made to rescue it.

“Led by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), our biologists and partners have taken an unprecedented step to rescue an adult smalltooth sawfish in the Keys. This has not been attempted before, but this unusual mortality event made this necessary,” said Gil McRae, Director of FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. “We are hopeful this rescue and rehabilitation of an adult smalltooth sawfish will bring us one step closer to understanding the cause of this event.”

The 11-foot-long male sawfish was loaded onto a vessel and provided with respiratory assistance during the short boat ride to a temporary holding tank.

The sawfish was treated and observed around the clock by veterinarians since its rescue on April 5, and when the animal appeared capable of withstanding the nearly 7-hour drive to the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium on April 11, 2024, biologists carefully loaded it into a transport trailer operated by Ripley’s Aquarium. The Ripley’s Aquarium conservation team monitored the sawfish and water quality conditions throughout the trip to the Mote facility in Sarasota.

At Mote, scientists will continue to monitor and treat the sawfish. The Mote team hopes it will be fully rehabilitated and returned to the wild. The team is also pleased about the successful steps, to date, in rescuing the endangered smalltooth sawfish and building on the lessons learned.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has responded to dozens of reports over the last two months and continues to monitor the Sawfish Hotline - (844) 472-9347 - for additional rescue opportunities. They have provided aid and collected samples, when possible, and performed necropsies on dead sawfish. With this first rescue success, the FWC is hopeful to rescue additional sawfish while continuing to provide aid to others in the wild.

If you see a sawfish in distress, call the Sawfish Hotline at (844) 472-9347 or email Sawfish@myfwc.com.

Stay up-to-date on this event, called the "Florida Keys Abnormal Fish Behavior Event Fall 2023 - Present," at MyFWC.com/SpinningEvent.