By: Dana Sackett In this week’s article I wanted to revisit a topic we covered in 2014 and share some potentially promising new information. That topic involved a group of man-made chemicals found in non-stick/non-stain, fire retardant and firefighting products known as poly- and perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). Our previous article discussed the emerging problems associated…
Category: The Fisheries Blog
Choosing the right graduate program
by Bryan Bozeman, guest author I emailed at least 100 professors in my hunt for a grad position…and received less than 20 responses. Half of those were out-of-office emails, several others were ‘thanks-but-no-thanks’, and a few showed actual interest. I was fortunate to have three opportunities, and ended up selecting one that has been an…
Hot Take on Our Planet: Freshwater Biodiversity
Big-budget nature documentaries are chronically ignoring freshwater biodiversity relative to terrestrial and marine systems…
How Collaborations Sustain Us
Life as a researcher can be isolating. We’re trained as individuals: my grades, my thesis, my job. Some of our best friends are also our fiercest competitors. It takes a toll. Years of new jobs, new towns, and new people. An uncertain and tight job market. Wondering which side of the country you’ll move to…
Starless Seas – Where have all the stars gone?
By: Dana Sackett A sea star is not usually the first example that comes to mind when picturing a voracious and fearsome top predator. However, many sea stars, the star-shaped echinoderms colloquially called “starfish” and often found in beach-motif decor, are just that: awesome top predators. Moreover, many sea star species are keystone species, or…
Good addition? Or bad invader? Chinook Salmon in South America
Throughout North America, ongoing resource management and restoration projects aim to conserve Chinook Salmon because their populations have been threatened by many ecological factors, including habitat change, high harvest rates, and hatchery influence. In contrast, these fish are known as an invasive species in the Southern Hemisphere, having been introduced (and continuing to spread) to rivers of the Patagonia and Magellan regions of Chile and Argentina…
Pet Fish or Alien Invader?
Although dogs and cats are the most recognizable pets in the United States, did you know, freshwater fishes are the most popular pets by number?
Q-n-A: Fly Fishing for Redeye Bass
Last summer, I picked up a new book: Fly Fishing for Redeye Bass: an Adventure across Southern Waters by Matthew R. Lewis. I grew up fly fishing for native Smallmouth Bass in the Ozarks, and have been interested in going after our local Bartram’s Bass in the upper Savannah. I enjoyed the book immensely, and was just sitting down…
Some unexpected consequences of hurricanes
By: Dana Sackett Hurricanes can devastate a coastline for all who reside there, people and fish alike (see previous articles by The Fisheries Blog, which detail these impacts here and here). Despite the devastation that hurricanes can leave in their wake, there are some species that, surprisingly enough, flourish as a result of these massive…
Stalking the Elusive Shoal Bass
Guest Author: Amy Cottrell Editor: Solomon David The sun began creeping up over the tree tops and casting morning shadows and specks of daylight on the water surface, slowly lighting up more and more of the heavily vegetated creek bank. We paddled the quiet corridor, antenna rotating side to side in front of me as…
