Welcome to The Fisheries Blog‘s first Q-n-A! We are introducing this segment to showcase the knowledge and specialty of someone in the fisheries world who flat out knows their stuff. For this inaugural Q-n-A, we are featuring Kelly Denit, a Fisheries Management Specialist for NOAA. I recently asked Kelly to clarify some of the information…
Mercury in fish, what should I eat?
By: Dana Sackett Mercury contamination in fish and aquatic systems has received a lot of attention because of the potential health concerns for people and wildlife. In fact, my own research has focused on mercury dynamics in aquatic systems and fishes over the last several years. Here I wanted to share some of my expertise…
Guatemala’s Fish Face Threat From Aquatic Invader (Hydrilla)
By Patrick CooneySitting just south of Mexico, Guatemala is a gorgeous country littered with ancient civilizations and beautiful landscapes. Similar to how European invaders wiped out native people throughout Guatemala and the “New World”, a recent plant invasion from Asia has people worried that native fishes that serve as a major food source may be…
Not Too Big to Fail: Recovery of Collapsed Stocks
These days, we hear a lot about disasters and disaster recovery—hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes. Turns out that fish stocks are not immune to disasters, either. This week the Acting Secretary of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Fishery Disasters in three US fisheries. Dating back to 1994, anywhere from 0 to 7 disasters have…
Bluehead Chubs Construct Nests and Welcome Guests
By Brandon Peoples Appalachian Mountain streams alive with color. (Lance Merry) Every spring, the clear upland streams of eastern North America erupt in vivid shades of red, yellow and blue. These displays are not caused by flowers, but by the breeding colors of minnows. Before the fireworks can begin, a particular type of minnow…
Trophic downgrading
By: Dana Sackett While visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium for the first time, I was reminded of an article in Science discussing the consequences of globally removing large apex predators from our ecosystems. Below I share some information from my visit and from this article. I walked up to the renowned three-story display of the…
Waterfall Climbing Fish
By Patrick Cooney Patrick Cooney My perch atop a 100-foot waterfall affords a small break in the tropical rainforest canopy that frames a distant golden-sand Caribbean beach. I crouch in the heavy humid air, anxiously awaiting the arrival of a fish that is reaching the tail end of an arduous journey incredibly disproportionate to the…
The Trouble with Shark Week
Dear Discovery Channel, Please pick a theme for Shark Week! In a fear evoking frenzy, you arbitrarily rank the most deadly sharks and most gruesome attacks, then go on to demonstrate the ecological importance of sharks and the need to save them. Your constant back-and-forth is very confusing and may be doing more harm than…
Reconciling Species Assessment
Marine fish species and populations are evaluated in a number of different ways, with two main methods including traditional stock assessment and conservation based metrics, such as the IUCN’s Red List. To make the Red List of Threatened Species, a species must have declined ≥50% within either a three-generation period or 10 years (whichever is…
Small things can make a big difference
By: Dana Sackett You may have noticed that many everyday products are much smaller than they were a few decades ago, with cell phones being a perfect example. Every now and then you may catch a glimpse of those archaic brick phones in a rerun of Saved by the Bell and get a good laugh…
What is the Most Popular Outdoor Activity in the US?
Question: How do you entertain 16 children with diverse backgrounds for 2 hours without a single complaint? Answer: Take them fishing of course! What a catch! Me and my wife teaching kids how to fish. Isn’t she a good sport? (Photo: Josh Raabe) Fishing Rises in Popularity Recreational fishing is currently the most popular outdoor activity in…
What Do Las Vegas and Coral Reefs Have in Common?
Coral Reefs: The Las Vegas of the Sea (Credit: Patrick Cooney) Dirty Little Secret I will let you in on a dirty little secret of mine: I am not a fish biologist. I study corals. Unlike fish, corals do not migrate, they do not school, and last I checked, they aren’t even delicious. Putting it…
Fracking: The Final Part
We have recently deviated from the usual diet of fisheries-related themes, but our recent report on fracking received more momentum than expected. In return, we gained the attention of a licensed geologist. Here we share his forward projections about the fracking issue. A geologist’s thoughts on fracking Simon Kline, Licensed Geologist in the State of North Carolina…
Where is Captain Planet when you need him?
By: Dana Sackett I briefly provided some background on this weeks topic in a previous blog (“Surrounded by poisons; understanding the world fish face in today’s aquatic environment”). Here I expand on that subject. Clutching the bottle of water I had just collected from the Pee Dee River, I climbed the steep embankment back to…
Captain America Sells Vote For Fracking
By Patrick Cooney CAPTAIN AMERICA SELLS VOTE TO ALLOW FRACKING IN NORTH CAROLINA As a “follow up” to Fracking Harms Fish, this article discusses the politics surrounding fracking in North Carolina. As such, this is not one of our normal weekly fisheries related posts with The Fisheries Blog. Please feel free to leave constructive comments…
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