ROFFS™ Fishy Times Newsletter 15th Edition: NOAA Beaufort Fish Lab, Oregon Inlet & Earth Day

NEWS Needed Beaufort Fisheries Laboratory Is Scheduled for Closure The Beaufort (NC) Laboratory known as the “Beaufort lab” of NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center is being slated to be closed as per President Obama’s budget. This important research laboratory has had a renowned history since its origin in 1899. It is the second oldest marine laboratory in the US. It presently employs approximately numerous people, including scientists who are recognized both internationally, nationally and regionally for the excellent quality work they do to support objective ecosystem based fisheries management.  Rachel Carson apparently worked at this institution at one time. They  may not be seen as a high profile lab. as is the Miami Laboratory, but they are the only Federal Fisheries lab between Miami, FL, and Sandy Hook, NJ. In my opinion we don’t need less labs studying fish and our fisheries for improved management,  we need more. Present employees at other NMFS labs are already over subscribed and stretched thin. These are critical times in fisheries management and we need the contributions from these scientists and staff. Please click HERE to read more about this on our website… Live Gulf of Mexico Bottom Coverage For a great learning experience of what the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico looks like see http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/media/exstream/exstream_mobile.html which shows live coverage from April 10  – May 1, 2014 from the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer.  Please click HERE to explore this topic more on our website… Dredging Problems in Oregon Inlet We have received many first hand reports of the problems associated with the shallow bottom conditions under the Oregon Inlet bridge. Apparently the conditions (lack of clearance) are so bad that they are preventing fishing boats from going offshore from there. Reports on April 21, 2014 indicate that the inlet is too shallow to allow the dredge vessel  access to the main channel (http://wunc.org/post/oregon-inlet-too-shallow-dredge). Presently  some hope for a very strong southwest wind to drive the sand out the inlet. Administratively the management of the inlet is with the Department of Interior, but some want this responsibility transferred to the state of North Carolina (http://hamptonroads.com/2014/04/oregon-inlet-shoaling-problem-deepens), but this may not be the answer to the filling issue as dredging may not be the permanent solution.  Please click HERE to read more on our website… Please Report All Bluefin Tuna Sightings in the Gulf of Mexico ROFFS™ is requesting that all sightings of bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico be reported to the office (fish7@old.roffs.com or 800-677-7633) as our NASA – NOAA research project’s research cruise studying the reproductive biology of highly migratory species will take place during the last week of April through the end of May. This study involves defining the spawning habitats and non-spawning of several fish species including bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, skipjack tuna, billfish (swordfish, sailfish, marlin) in the Gulf of Mexico and surrounding seas. Once the habitat models are refined, we will evaluate the varying effects of changing temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels, as well as, other aspects of circulation and their habitat over the Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic Ocean through regional and global scale biogeochemical models being developed for the next 100 years.  This research involves oceanographers from NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (Miami Lab. and Pascagoula Lab.), NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, University of Miami, University of South Florida, University of South Carolina, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Roffer of ROFFS™ is the lead Principal Investigator on this four year project. Today April 22, 2014 is Earth Day Today April 22 is Earth Day. Please help us organisms survive in a healthy ecosystem. We are just one part of the ecosystem and we need all parts healthy. A clean environment is not longer a guarantee, we must work together at protecting and restoring our environment.

If you do not want to wait for our next Fishy Times newsletter, please visit us in the meantime to get all your fishing news on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and on the web.  Safe and successful fishing until next time!

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