For the past 16 years, Jim Gelsleichter and his students have been exploring the waters of southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida to gain insights into sharks, rays, and their related species in that area.

Throughout this period, the endangered smalltooth sawfish had remained particularly hard to find. However, this summer, as a storm was moving toward their boat on the St. Marys River, a student felt a significant tug on the fishing line and quickly recognized that something substantial was caught.

Gelsleichter, a professor and head of the coastal and marine biology flagship program at the University of North Florida, rushed to assist by grabbing the drum line they were using to attract and capture larger marine species.

“It was the heaviest catch I had ever made on a drum line,” he remarked. “As I was pulling it in, I thought: ‘Wouldn’t it be amusing if it turned out to be a sawfish.’”

Indeed, a sawfish emerged, measuring almost half the length of their 21-foot skiff, with its elongated, tooth-fringed snout tangled in the line. Gelsleichter and his students were “overjoyed” to encounter such a rare creature.

A sawfish, belonging to the ray family and closely related to sharks, is easily identifiable by its unique snout, known as a rostrum or saw. Often referred to as “prehistoric,” scientists tracing their fossil records indicate that sawfish evolved from ancient ancestors. They are classified as elasmobranchs—a group that encompasses rays, skates, and sharks—having cartilage instead of traditional bones and feeding on fish, shrimp, and crabs.

The discovery of the sawfish at the boundary of Florida and Georgia, along with news of another sawfish caught off Central Florida’s east coast earlier this month, brings some hope amid a challenging year for these struggling species. Gelsleichter believes this moment could help raise awareness about the rare sawfish and its fight for survival.

Once widespread from Texas to New York, the population of smalltooth sawfish plummeted during the latter half of the 20th century, leading to dramatic declines in sightings, confining them predominantly to Florida. Growing up to 16 feet long, these sawfish often fell victim to bycatch in fishing nets, and their saw-like snouts were often prized as trophies.

Beyond U.S. waters, smalltooth sawfish continue to exist in the Bahamas, and there are indications of their presence in other places along Central America, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Efforts to revive the sawfish population

Florida instituted protective measures in 1992 and the U.S. smalltooth sawfish population became the first native marine fish listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2003. By then, these fish could only be found in isolated areas of Southwest Florida, noted Dean Grubbs, associate research director and professor at Florida State University’s Coastal and Marine Laboratory.

Grubbs serves on the Sawfish Recovery Team formed by NOAA’s office of protected resources to devise strategies for restoring the population. The team consists of various specialists and representatives from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Numerous individuals are involved in this effort,” he stated.

After two decades of dedicated effort, indications of recovery in sawfish populations have emerged:

• Over 100 adult sawfish have been outfitted with acoustic transmitters to monitor their movements.
• Pups, measuring around 2 feet at birth, have been identified in Tampa Bay.
• Additional sightings of sawfish have been reported along the East Coast.

These findings are encouraging indicators of population recovery, according to Gelsleichter.

“The conservation measures we’ve put in place appear to be reversing the decline,” he commented. “We’re beginning to observe these creatures more frequently, similar to how we used to.”

New health concerns for sawfish

However, an alarming illness emerged last fall that causes unusual behaviors in marine animals, such as spinning in the water. The first recorded sawfish death due to this disease was noted in January. Since then, Grubbs mentioned that at least 54 sawfish have been confirmed dead from this toxic ailment, primarily in the central and lower Florida Keys. Experts suspect that the actual number could be even greater.

In April, a team rescued an 11-foot sawfish in the Florida Keys, marking a first for the region, and transported it to a rehabilitation facility operated by Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, hoping for its recovery; however, after more than 20 days of care, the sawfish unfortunately did not survive.

State officials are collaborating with various organizations to investigate the cause of this illness and the resulting fatalities, a problem that has also been observed across over 80 other fish species.

Additionally, multiple species of crabs are involved.

This condition should not be mistaken for “whirling disease,” which is an invasive ailment impacting freshwater fish through a parasite that harms their nervous systems, according to Kelly Richmond from Florida’s wildlife commission. “Our research has not revealed any signs of a parasite or other contagious pathogens that could explain the recent unusual behaviors and deaths,” she noted. This applies to sawfish and bony fishes, she added.

Researchers are still looking into how harmful algal blooms and their toxins may be involved, Richmond stated. They have collected biopsies, blood, and water samples, but so far, definitive conclusions are elusive.

Florida lawmakers have allocated funds for studying spinning disease, and Grubbs hopes that some of these funds will support research focused on sawfish.

“This significant mortality event could pose a serious hurdle for our recovery efforts,” he commented. “It will be a while before we know just how major this setback is.”

Public Urged to Report Sawfish Sightings

It is vital for fishermen, boaters, and anyone engaging in wateractivities to report any sawfish sightings or catches, as they could be found throughout the Southeast, according to scientists. Reports should contain the estimated size, location, date, time, and water depth.

Here’s how to report your sightings:

• Submit online at SawfishRecovery.org
• Dial 844-4SAWFISH
• Email sawfish@myfwc.com

If fishermen catch one, they should handle it carefully, keep it in the water, and release it quickly.

In 2019, a commercial fisherman from Jacksonville pleaded guilty for using a power saw to remove the rostrum of a live 12-foot sawfish off the Northeast Florida coast. He received a two-year probation, a $2,000 fine, and was sentenced to 80 hours of community service.

Field Survey Class Provides Unique Experience

Gelsleichter leads a field survey class where students conduct boat surveys in search of sharks and rays. Together, they investigate shark reproduction and pollutants in fish that impact reproductive health.

After bringing the caught sawfish alongside the boat, it was time to act quickly. With a permit granting him the ability to work with sawfish, they took several small biopsies for genetic studies, measured the young male, recorded some brief video footage, affixed a NOAA tag, and counted its rostral teeth.

Throughout his long career, this was only the second occasion that Gelsleichter handled a sawfish. “I can hardly express how it feels,” he said. “Seeing something like this is truly what I cherish the most about teaching these undergraduates.”