Your fisheries professor has probably been looking forward to the Annual AFS meeting with same enthusiasm of a host waiting for party guests… but as a student at your first meeting, you probably feel a child standing in line for their first roller coaster ride. For students who have not had practice in attending meetings, professional conferences can be intimidating, indeed!…
The 7 Wonderful Gar of the World
“As useless and destructive in our productive waters as wolves and foxes formerly were in our pastures and poultry yards” ~Forbes & Richardson, 1920 “Overall, they look less like a fish than a medieval dart” ~Lawrence Payne, 2016 “They’re like an alligator with fins instead of legs” ~Solomon David, describing a gar to just about…
Building a Biological Station in Hurricane Hermine: Cedar Key
I type this tonight from Cedar Key, Florida during 60-mph winds and pouring rain from Hurricane Hermine. The University of Florida (UF) has construction underway on the new UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station. This Station is part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), and it will seek to improve the conservation and…
Why be a #SocialFish?
Whether you are an early adopter or a luddite like me, there’s no denying that social media has transformed the way we interact with each other and the way we communicate our science.
#SocialFish at #AFS146 in Kansas City–See you there!
For the first time ever, all 5 Fisheries Bloggers will be in the same room together. Why? Because at this year’s American Fisheries Society conference in Kansas City, we will be teaming up with the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists (AIFRB) to host a special symposium: Fisheries science in 140 characters: the role of social media…
Blending a fisheries science career as a mom and military spouse: the challenges of my road less traveled
By: Dana Sackett I was recently encouraged by a close friend to share the challenges and successes of the path I have chosen as a fisheries scientist, mom, and military spouse. To be honest, this path wasn’t the plan, but after falling in love and marrying into the military, I found I needed to pave…
Book review: Sex in the Sea
If you like dirty jokes about whale junk, we know just the book. As you know, we at The Fisheries Blog are fascinated with reproductive ecology of fishes. I’ve written articles on multi-species spawning parties and other strange spawning tactics, and Patrick is fascinated with sex-changing clownfish and doubly-endowed sharks. But Dr. Marah Hardt has us beat….
Fish Ninjas: Alaskan scientists swoop in to capture fish
In Alaska, salmon are king. As an organism and a resource, they are the pinnacle of cultural, financial, and ecological value. Scientists are going ninja to enable salmon to continue reigning as king over these waters for generations to come.
Finding Dory’s memory : Do fish remember?
Dory, the goofy, lovable Blue Tang adds comic relief with her short-term memory loss. Do fish actually remember?
Environmental Bullying: When Advocacates take on Science
An advocate knows the answer and looks for evidence to support it; a scientist asks nature how much support there is for competing hypotheses. -Ray Hilborn In recent months, environmental advocacy groups have been making news in fisheries science. In the spring, Dr. Molly Lutcavage outlined her history with Carl Safina and his bluefin tuna agenda….
El Niño, warming up the tropics with some devastating global consequences
By: Dana Sackett (with awesome edits by Troy Farmer) Most of us have probably heard the term El Niño. But what exactly is El Niño and what impact does it have on our oceans and climate? Another important question to ask is: what can we expect from El Niño in a future with a warmer…
Neighborhood watch: rising threats to freshwater fishes
By Stephanie Januchowski-Hartley, Guest Blogger Illustrations by Hannah Dean Imagine you live in a small neighborhood with limited places to access food or resources. What if, in addition to living in a small neighborhood, 30% of your neighborhood were also under an activity that impacts you in a negative way? Say it is under construction and you can’t…
Breeding colors of freshwater fishes
You don’t have to fly to Cozumel to see pretty fishes. Freshwater fishes are amazingly colorful, but are underrated. Fish enthusiasts and divers often flock to tropical latitudes and coral reefs to see exotic, specimens. However, some of the most eye-catching specimens are swimming in North American streams at this very moment. It’s spawning season…
Sold! Visiting the only tuna auction in the United States
By Patrick Cooney SOLD! In the coldest room in Hawaii, it took just one minute and nineteen seconds for the 133.0 pound Tombo Ahi Tuna to sell for $9.20 a pound at 5:33 am on a crisp August morning. Before the end of the week, the $1,223.60 tuna will be eaten in a high-end restaurant in…
How fish stats stack up: food and livelihoods
Here are a few specific fisheries statistics comparisons to help show just how important fish are for food and livelihoods.
The Fisheries Blog 