By Mark Scott, Guest Blogger The noted flowing-water ecologist H.B.N. Hynes wrote about the stream and its valley, pointing out that water quality, channel form, biological communities, and other stream conditions are linked to characteristics of the drainage basin. Countless studies have since reinforced that observation, and although Clean Water Act provisions to address point…
Crowdfunding Fisheries Science
Directly or indirectly, fisheries scientists (and nearly all scientists) are constantly thinking about where financial support will come from in order to continue important research. On one hand, a growing number of funding agencies now exist to support fisheries research, but on the other hand funding rates are often low (reported <25% for federal funds)…
As it turns out, what we don’t know can hurt us.
By: Dana Sackett Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is quite the mouthful and while, like me, you may have difficulty pronouncing it, chances are you, along with almost all of your surrounding aquatic environments, are home to these chemicals. A potential problem considering that recent research has a number of scientists concerned about the prevelance, persistence…
River roaches: The Quest to Better Understand Crayfish
by Michael Moore, guest blogger Some call them yabbis, mudbugs or spoondogs. But most of you know them by a different name: crayfish. My scientific introduction to crayfish was by another name–“ the cockroaches of the creek“; they eat everything and everything eats them!”This was the answer I received when asking a scientist about crayfish. Comparing something…
4 “must get” items for freshman fisheries students
by Brandon Peoples Did your high school counselor have any good tips for you when you said you wanted to be a fish biologist? Probably not. In this week’s post, I clarify a few misconceptions you may have about what you’ll encounter in the next few years. If you want to be successful, here are…
EXTREME FISHES: Fish can live there?
Fish live in almost every aquatic ecosystem on the planet. But, in some of the places that fish live – dry deserts, extraordinary pressure, absolute darkness, below-freezing temperatures, and harsh acidity – it’s hard to imagine that anything can survive.
How can you turn volunteers into Citizen Scientists? Go Fish!
Guest Author Katie Pierson: “I enjoy empowering diverse parties in scientific research, be it citizen science or facilitating research collaboration. No matter where life takes me, I will always love being out in the field with people and fish.” s heavy fog nestles into the corners of the bay and sea lions loudly discuss their…
Fish Oil, and Other Sources of Omega 3s
By Steve Midway Omega 3 fatty acids are a regular health item in the news cycle. One month these ‘fish oil’ supplements are good for lowering cholesterol, the next month they are linked to prostate cancer, and soon there will undoubtedly be another claim. It would take a lot of sleuthing through the primary literature to…
How many fish are in the sea?
By Dana Sackett The old adage, “there are plenty of fish in the sea” begs the question, how many fish are actually in the sea? Many fisheries scientists have worked tirelessly to answer this question. Estimating the size of a fish population (which can range from largemouth bass in a few lakes in North Carolina…
Fill in the blank: You are more likely to be killed by a ________ than a shark.
Tobey Curtis (@Mojoshark), Guest Author, PhD Candidate, School for Marine Science and Technology, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth Tobey’s recent research suggests an optimistic outlook for the recovery of White Sharks in the Western Atlantic Ocean since protective measures were enacted in 1990s. Did you come up with one of the following to fill in the above…
Future of Fisheries: Mentor and be Mentored
In this fast-paced world of hectic schedules, impending deadlines, and increasingly long to-do lists, why would anyone want to take the time and effort to be a mentor?
Advice for freshman fisheries students: join AFS
by Brandon Peoples Let me start off by saying that I don’t claim to be “successful,” or that I’ve “made it” in the fisheries profession. In fact, I’m still a student—just beginning the fourth year of my PhD studies. However, I can say that I’ve been active in fisheries science long enough to notice a…
Listening to the wind for better fisheries science
By Ian Stewart, Quantitative Scientist, International Pacific Halibut Commission Edited by Patrick Cooney and Steve Midway, The Fisheries Blog When you think of weather and climate, it is probably about how it will impact your clothes choice for the day, your plans for the weekend, or the potential need for an umbrella. A question…
Q-n-A: The Susquehanna River
By Steve Midway Welcome to another Fisheries Blog Q-n-A! This segment is designed to showcase the knowledge and specialty of someone in the fisheries world who flat out knows their stuff. For this Q-n-A, we are featuring Megan Kepler, a PhD student at the Pennsylvania State University who is conducting dissertation research on fish in the Susquehanna River basin….
Why do sharks have two penises?
By Patrick Cooney, Certified Fisheries Professional The male shark circles, grabs onto the female’s pectoral fin with his mouth and bites down. He keeps a tight grip with his sharp teeth while she remains motionless. He slides in alongside her and curls his body in an arch. The act is complete when he uses one…
The Fisheries Blog 