Guy Harvey Magazine — Spring 2014

THE

E D UC AT I O N I S S UE

A RESO UR CE GUID E F O R T E ACH E RS, PARE NT S & ST U DE N TS

The Art of Ocean Conservation VOLUME 4, ISSUE 15 SPRING 2014 $6.95

Grouper Moon Can Spawning Sites Ever Be Protected?

Science in Action Next Gen Ocean Researchers Get Their Start

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CONTENTS

SPRING 2014

SHARK SCHOOL

24

SCIENCE IN ACTION We salute six innovative, school-based programs that get kids out

38

from behind their desks and into the real world of marine and

30

SHARK SCHOOL The only thing better than fshing is doing it and getting class credit. Twin teens tell us their tale of tagging sharks in

aquatic science.

the Florida Keys.

BY ANTONIO FINS

BY ALEK & KYLE MOULY

FIELD WORK Science teachers have a challenging job—can you get 30 kids

38

42

GROUPER MOON Ever heard of a SPAG site? It’s a place on the reef where

to think logically?—but GHM is here to help. From feld trips to

magic happens during the full moons of winter, and where

traveling exhibits and uber-cool destinations, we’ve found a wealth

the need for conservation and the reality of economics

of resources to stimulate young minds.

often collide.

BY GHM STAFF

BY JOSEPH IERNA, JR.

PHOTO PORTFOLIO

50

DEPARTMENTS

14

76

The Power to Teach Before his life as an artist, Dr. Harvey was the man at the

Ask Derek When he’s not in the feld studying sharks, Dr. Derek

head of the class.

Brukholder, is on Skype talking about them to

BY DR. GUY HARVEY

students around the globe.

BY ANTONIO FINS

16

78

Exclusive Content Online Our website is full of new and exciting features. Use these QR codes to fnd some of our favorite parts of GuyHarveyMagazine.com.

New Latin Eats Where do you go for great seafood? Those in the know don’t miss a hot hangout in Louisville, Kentucky.

BY GHM STAFF

18

80

Shuckin’ for the Cause The cause of conservation never stops. This issue, we’re Shuckin’ for the Cause in Charleston, South Carolina, giving updates on Gulf fshing regulations and sharing a

50

Education can come in the classroom and out on the water, but some things are only learned when you get your

collection of cool media to teach kids about fshing.

hands wet.

BY GHM STAFF

BY FRED GARTH

David Cartee Big, bright, vibrant and full of fght—David Cartee catches all the action at the end of the line.

74

Hooked on Learning

Captain’s Advice In St. Pete Beach, Captain Tim Kehoe is helping fshermen of all stripes fnd success.

BY DARYL CARSON

THE EDUCATION ISSUE Part inspirational reading and part resource guide for parents and teachers, this special issue of GHM has a laser-like focus on educating students about the marine sciences. Look for the education icon for content that highlights great programs and people who are working to ensure the future of our oceans falls into capable hands.

CONTENTS

SPRING 2014 Photo: Mike Frenette. www.venicefishing.net

Redfsh Heaven

60

62

DOCK BUZZ

Keep Stripers Strong Is it time to panic? After coming back from the brink,

64

68

GEARHEADS

Stuff We Want It’s awfully hard to spend multiple days at the Miami Boat

striper fishing along the East Coast is now beginning to

Show and not come away with a shopping list. If you’re

show signs of slowing down. Here’s what we need to do.

wallet is deep enough, read on.

BY NICK HONACHEFSKY

BY GHM STAFF

BACKLASH

FEATURE

Captain Richard Brochu The man behind the Florida Fishing Academy tells us how he

68

Redfish Heaven Fishing out of Venice, Louisiana, is a sure-fire way to find big,

quit his day-job to teach kids all about fshing and the other

monster, Cajun-bred reds. It’s also a great way to foster a

important things in life.

serious up-tick in your testosterone.

BY CA STAFF

BY FRED GARTH

Complete is our “magazine within the magazine,” dedicated Complete Angler Angler (CA) (CA) is our “magazine within the magazine,” dedicated to delivering access to to experts, thethe latest to hard-core hard-core fshing fshing enthusiasts enthusiasts & and delivering access experts, in fshing gear, and hottest fshingfshing spots spots on theon planet. latest in fshing gearthe and the hottest the planet.

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Lost Key Publishing Editor-in-Chief Fred Garth Managing Editor Daryl Carson Editor, Complete Angler Nick Honachefsky Copy Editor Kerrie Allen Art Director & Layout Design Leslie Ward Director of Sales & Marketing Ozzy Delgado Marketing Director John Guidroz Circulation Director Paitra Prim Accounting Karen Belser Internet Guru Jenny Lee Contributing Editors Antonio Fins, Dr. Guy Harvey, Paitra Prim, Danny Thornton Contributors Dr. Karen Burns, Jef Dennis, Antonio Fins, Mike Frenette, Joseph Ierna, Jr., Alek Mouly, Kyle Mouly, Doug Perrine, Christine Shephard, Steve Theberge, Trey Todd Editorial Advisory Board Dr. Guy Harvey, Chad Henderson, Bill Shedd, Dr. Mahmood Shivji, Steve Stock, Harvey Taulien, David Wilkinson

WE RECYCLE:

We’re proud that Guy Harvey Magazine is printed on

recycled paper. However, using recycled paper is just the frst step. Finding an environmentally-friendly printer is even more important. That’s why this magazine is printed at Publishers Press in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Publishers Press recycles more than 50 million pounds of paper and paper products

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each year, which saves 10 million gallons of oil, 35,000 trees, and 14 million gallons of water. Publishers Press also recycles more than 300,000 pounds of

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aluminum printing plates annually and no hazardous wastes are ever sent to a landfll, but are recycled and reused. The company is currently working toward certifcation by the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) Partnership.

GUY HARVEY MAGAZINE, Issue 15, Spring 2014. GHM is published four times per year (quarterly) for $24.95 per year by Lost Key Publishing, LLC, 7166 Sharp Reef Road, Pensacola, Florida 32507. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Guy Harvey Magazine, PO Box 34075, Pensacola, Florida 32507. No part of this magazine can be reproduced without express written permission from Lost Key Publishing. Occasionally, we may make all or part of our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that ofer products and/or services that may interest you.

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CONTRIBUTOR’S PROFILE

The World’s Best Anchor

ANTONIO FINS

STRONGER. FASTER. LIGHTER.

Antonio Fins is the executive director of the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. The foundation was created four years ago by

MADE IN THE USA

famed marine scientist and artist Guy Harvey.

The organization supports improved marine fsheries and ocean conservation. One of Antonio’s key roles is to spearhead education and outreach eforts. Prior to joining the Guy Harvey team, Antonio was the editorial page editor at the Sun Sentinel newspaper. He directed the newspaper’s editorial board and oversaw its newsprint and online editions. Antonio’s award-winning, 15-year career at the Sun Sentinel began in 1997 as a senior business writer.

He got his start in journalism as a correspondent for Business Week magazine.

Antonio received his bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from the University of Miami. He was awarded a PhD in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

JOSEPH IERNA JR. “ Fortress anchors had far greater holding power than any other anchor tested.”

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by inspiring all humans to repair and protect our precious resources,” says Joe. “A healthy ocean and earth is vital to all life!”

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GUY TALK

THE POWER TO TEACH Many people know me as a marine artist. Others are familiar with my background

go out and actually tag sharks. In St.

as a conservationist. Still others have followed my lifelong pursuit of fshing and

Augustine, high school students are

diving. Then some people think my passion is putting art on T-shirts.

running aquaculture labs to help develop

Probably one of the least known aspects of my life is that my frst career path

ways to grow fsh in the future. Students

was that of a teacher. In 1986, the year I participated in my frst art show, I was a

in Tampa Bay are building oyster beds to

professor of marine biology at the University of the West Indies. I loved teaching,

help control erosion and grow important

and still do, but as the demand for my artwork grew, I decided to devote more of

shellfsh, and the list goes on and on.

my time to painting and conservation, not to mention fshing and diving!

Even better, it’s not just schools

I don’t teach anymore, but I still enjoy getting in front of a classroom full of

that are getting in on the action. Both

students and talking about the many issues facing our marine environment

the public and private sector are

and what we all can do to help. That’s why this edition of Guy Harvey Magazine

ofering more and more opportunities

is so important to me. We’ve devoted a large part of the editorial to education,

for students to learn about the marine

specifcally for our youth.

environment outside of the classroom

There are so many opportunities today for students to get out into the feld

GUY HARVEY, PhD

where the real action takes place. Facilities

is an internationally-acclaimed

(away from their cell phones), get their hands dirty and interact with nature up

such as the Georgia Aquarium and

artist, fsherman, scientist, and

close. More and more schools—from middle schools to colleges—are developing

SeaWorld ofer classes, traveling exhibits,

world traveler, who devotes

outstanding programs for kids and we’ve featured many of them in this issue, such

and camps for students, and many state

much of his time and money

as Neil Hammerschlag’s feld work at the University of Miami in which students

agencies are inspiring kids with their

toward ocean conservation.

interactive education programs, fshing camps and other outdoor activities.

This is all great news, especially as our addiction to digital devices continues to grow. Instead of using smartphones to play another game of Angry Birds, students are able to utilize new apps to document fsh populations or track a shark they’ve tagged. Smartphones have changed the world in good ways and bad, but there’s still nothing as life changing as getting personally involved in the natural world and seeing the impact one person can have on the marine environment and its inhabitants.

I must mention that this issue would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Executive Director Tony Fins, who traveled many thousands of miles visiting schools, doing the research we needed, and interacting with hundreds of students and teachers. Thanks, Tony!

In addition to the education articles, we’ve also flled this edition of Guy Harvey Magazine with plenty more to entertain and inform, such as the latest on spawning aggregation (SPAG) sites for Nassau grouper, how to catch monster redfsh in Louisiana and some innovative gear from the recent Miami Boat Show in February.

I may not be a college professor anymore, but I’m sure you’ll learn plenty from the pages of this issue of GHM.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST AT .com How does catch & release affect sharks?

A new study shows the diferences in efects of catch and release on diferent types of sharks.

GHO at Fort Young Fort Young in Dominica joins Guy

Canvases for Conservation

Harvey Outpost Resorts as an expedition property.

Guy Harvey’s art installation, Canvases for Conservation at the South Carolina Aquarium, is open now until July 2014.

Top Fishing Apps See a complete list of the 10 best free and paid apps to help get the most out of your fshing experience.

The First Zero-Emission Electric Sports Boat Team Scarab, Torqeedo Motors and Ruckmarine, is pleased to announce the launch of the KONA 17’ SportRIB, the frst zero-emission, all-electric sport boat.

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Shuckin’ for Cause the

BY JEFF DENNIS GHM INSIDER

Guy Harvey and CCA get to work at S.C. Oyster Festival The Boone Hall Oyster Festival is held each year in Charleston, South Carolina, and it’s a seriously good time. How good, you ask? Try 80,000 pounds of succulent, salty bivalves worth of goodness. Those low country folk really enjoy their oysters. More importantly, they are also serious about putting the leftovers to good use.

Thanks to a $75,000 grant from the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, the South Carolina chapter of

A volunteer loads oyster shells into a storage bin during the Boon Hall Oyster Festival in Charleston, S.C. The collected shells will be placed back into the estuary, rather than being discarded or used for some other purpose, like roadbeds. Photo: Jef Dennis.

the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) was able to organize a dedicated crew of volunteers to help recycle the leftover oyster shells from the event. And

festival, each bite beneftted the cause.

Placing the shells back into the estuary is

that is good news for future oyster production and

imperative because when oysters spawn, their larvae

for local fshing.

oyster banks provide habitat for small fsh and other life that use the inshore waters to mature.

CCA will muster its volunteers again at a later

are released into the water. After free swimming in

date and load the shells into large john boats that will

Volunteers from the CCA’s Topwater Action

the current, they need to fnd a hard substrate, attach

serve as barges, in order to transport and ofoad the

Committee, under the supervision of Gary Keisler,

to it and begin growing. If there aren’t enough shells

shells. Proceeds from Guy Harvey lottery proceeds

arrived before the event began and then worked all

out there, possibly from over-harvesting, then oysters

will help to purchase a portion of the equipment

day to transfer shells from oyster tables to portable

cannot stay sustainable. In the estuary, oysters flter

needed to complete these oyster restoration eforts.

metal bins. As the public ate their way through the

the saltwater and improve water quality, while the

FWC Drops Venting Tool Requirement

technique for releasing a reef fish in order to maximize its chances of survival. This

Florida anglers are no longer required to have or use a venting tool when fishing

Venting tools allow gases built up from barotrauma to escape from a fish’s body

for reef fish, such as snapper and grouper, in Gulf of Mexico state waters. The

so the fish can swim back down to depth, but a growing collection of research

rule was dropped in November of 2013 to better align state law with federal

has shown that using a weighted device to place the fish back at depth before

regulations. The change means fishermen have the freedom to determine the best

releasing it may be more effective.

Venting reef fsh prior to release is no longer required in Florida Gulf of Mexico waters. The state dropped the requirement to better align with federal regulations. Photos: Steve Theberge and Dr. Karen Burns.

can include venting or using a descending device that releases a fish at depth.

Fishing Camp: The Game It’s never too young to start learning about fshing, and a new board game aims to help build kids’ interest and expertise in the sport.

Fishing Camp: The Game is centered around fshing trivia questions. Suitable for ages four and up, the easiest rounds of questions focus on identifying fsh with ID cards. Some cards have a GPS icon that allows the player to take shortcuts in the game, and the frst player “back to the docks” wins. Introduced by Education Outdoors, Fishing Camp: The Game is a recipient of The Top Man Seal of Approval.

MSRP: $24.99, www.educationoutdoors.net.

Shark Whisperer The frst book in a new middle grade fction series, Shark Whisperer combines adventure and humor with learning.

Students can dive into a great story while learning about the oceans and marine life. In the back of the book, a note from the author explains the real science on marine life, habitats, and issues integrated into the story, and an associated website has additional information, resources and activities. The author, Dr. Ellen Prager, lives in Miami and, with help from the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, hopes to visit schools and programs throughout Florida to talk to students and educators about her real life adventures with ocean science and how they inspired the book. Shark Whisperer (paperback) is available from Scarletta Press. MSRP: $9.95 www.tristan-hunt.com.

Musingo App In the category of “there’s an app for that,” Guy Harvey has helped bring a new game to the digital world that combines music trivia with ocean conservation.

Good World Games’ interactive game app Musingo combines the two topics in an efort to educate the public about ocean issues.

In between trying to match songs with albums, Musingo presents the player with diferent fun facts concerning the big blue and the importance of healthy oceans. The app is part of an efort to promote marine conservation eforts in partnership with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the University of Miami’s RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program. “Our goal is to bring marine conservation to the masses,” said Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, RJD director. Musingo soared to the top of game charts in the App Store after its release. “Good World Games is all about gaming for good,” said Gregory Sukornyk, CEO and founder. “We are excited about this opportunity to help protect our oceans.” Musingo is now available in the App Store: http://bit.ly/18ILTnF.

Making Kids Shark Smart GHOF puts a little bite into science education.

How many teeth can you ft on one poster? It’s a good question, especially when it features 19 different shark species from around the globe.

The poster is “Sharks of the World,” a piece of informative art designed for science classrooms and being distributed throughout Florida schools this year by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation.

“In support of our marine awareness and education eforts, we are distributing free posters for display in high school and middle school science classrooms, and elementary school media centers,” said GHOF Executive Director Antonio Fins. “Our goal is to have several copies of this poster in every school across the state. It’s a great tool for teachers to use in the classroom to spark interest among students in science, and marine science specifcally.”

Fins said the poster will also provide students with additional information, including a website (created by the Guy Harvey Research Institute at Nova Southeastern University) to follow the progress of sharks that have been tagged and released for satellite tracking. In addition, teachers can sign up to show Guy Harvey’s Tiger Shark Express documentary, which is based on fve years of science learned by shark tagging and tracking. They can also schedule Skype presentations on shark tagging and tracking by an NSU researcher (see story, pg. 76).

The educational poster and statewide distribution is largely being funded with money generated by sales of the 2013 Guy Harvey Florida Lottery scratch-of game, and it’s just one of many eforts to promote education and protection of ocean and marine environments by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation. The GHOF advocates for sustainable fshing practices, funds scientifc research and supports innovative educational programs. It has led or assisted in numerous international conservation projects, which include the establishment of a shark sanctuary in Bahamian federal waters, the addition of fve species of sharks to Florida’s protected list and the enactment of the U.S. Billfsh Conservation Act. In the fall of 2012, the GHOF led a petition drive in support of the National Conservation Law in the Cayman Islands.

To learn more about the Sharks of the World posters, educators can email Antonio Fins: fns@guyharvey.com.

Students at the Lovett School in Atlanta beneft from an extensive marine science lab that includes up to 16 diferent aquariums.

Science-in-action

BY ANTONIO FINS

Four model programs that get students in touch with the ocean and create tomorrow’s science superstars.

Most of us remember a teacher, that one educator who made an impact on us, who got us headed in the right direction.

The students in the schools we are profling in this issue of Guy Harvey Magazine will one day look back and remember not just a teacher, but a project as well—a project that went well beyond a textbook or a classroom, and opened up an ocean of possibilities to them.

One of my roles with the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation is to coordinate educational programs. As such, I’ve been able to travel to a lot of schools, and what I’ve found is nothing short of an impressive range and breath of marine science programs and projects. They are almost always led by passionate teachers who somehow fnd a way to maximize resources or overcome obstacles to provide a hands-on, and perhaps, life-changing education for their students.

All this matters for two reasons. Teaching today’s students about the oceans will foster a future citizenry more aware and supportive of conservation and sustainable fsheries. What’s more, inspiring students to learn more about our seas also opens up oceans of opportunities for careers and jobs. It’s a win-win.

As such, our foundation works to bolster eforts by schools to promote the marine sciences, be it through our school poster program, connecting classrooms to researchers in the feld or simply showing our documentaries. Still, at the end of the day, the biggest impact on these students will come from a teacher. In the case of the four schools we’ve highlighted, it will come from a terrifc project, as well.

Students at Lovett are involved in marine science research from the ground up—from choosing a project to understanding how the results ft in the larger world of science.

Ocean in a Box

The Lovett School • Atlanta, Georgia Landlocked Atlanta doesn’t ofer an easy feld trip out to the coastal shoreline.

distance from the ocean is an obstacle that is quickly overcome.

The academic year begins with Reynolds helping the students to identify a

So, The Lovett School, a private, 1,650-student, K-12 institution on the banks of

research project. She explains the nuances of data collection, and what makes for

the Chattahoochee River, ofers a glimpse of the ocean through a classroom that

useful data. She guides them toward designing a project objective consistent with

includes a newly renovated marine aquarium lab with two, 200-gallon tanks; two,

the data obtainable in the lab. One goal could be to understand how light afects

100-gallon tanks; 12, 50-gallon tanks; and two kriesels, tanks specifcally designed

corals, or even to train pufer fsh to swim into a net to feed—a feat that Reynolds

for jellyfsh.

admits would be helpful if the fsh needed to be moved to a diferent tank.

Call it Georgia’s “other” aquarium.

“We’re landlocked, so we’ve created a classroom environment that, in my mind,

Central to the teaching is conservation. Reynolds says she wants her students to understand the “bigger picture,” too. To do so, the projects will have a larger goal.

brings the oceans to the students and allows us to teach science—to introduce

One example: Students have grown corals that they then “trade” with local aquarium

them to research and to learn about current issues regarding ecosystems in the

shops, an efort that helps the aquarium promote locally grown corals preferable to

ocean,” said Dr. Jennifer McCabe Reynolds, the school’s science instructor.

those taken from the wild in the Pacifc. This year, two students are working to breed

Sharing this love for the ocean is Reynolds’s passion. She was inspired to pursue her doctorate in marine ecology as a child traveling through the Caribbean

clown fsh, which could also be successfully traded with local aquariums.

“Of course, I want our students to develop a love for the oceans,” Reynolds

with her grandparents. Later, as an undergraduate student, she spent a year

said. “But I also want them to come away with an understanding of what they see

studying the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, which clinched her determination to

in the oceans when they go snorkeling or venture out. I want them to understand

make marine science her career goal, too.

the role of these organisms in their ecosystems, and how those ecosystems are

Now she shares her knowledge and passion with students, particularly the high school juniors and seniors working on sophisticated research projects. Again,

connected to each other, and to us. At the end of the day, I want them to be responsible consumers.”

her students seeds to plant. For weeks, they watered and watched the seeds grow into six-inch-tall bushes. At that point, they drove to Bear’s Bluf, the site of a federal fsh hatchery, where they planted the young grasses. Then they monitored the grasses regularly, and checked water quality in the area.

This year, Lyles’ new crop of students worked from the seeds generated by the grasses they planted last year. They’ve been watching them grow—again—but this time in a small, 6x6 greenhouse on the high school’s campus. They’ll plant those at the hatchery when they are bigger.

The students have learned a lot

Grass Roots

St. John’s Island High School • Charleston, S.C. In the spring of 2013, marine biology teacher Tracy Lyles opened an email

about science in this hands-on project: how to record data, how to collect data and the science behind habitat renewal.

“More so than they would have learned from a classroom lecture,” Lyles said.

But, she adds, they’ve learned a bigger lesson from this project.

ofer from South Carolina Oyster Restoration and Enhancement, known as SCORE. The

High school students at St. John’s grow marsh grasses in

group, which works through South Carolina’s

their own greenhouse for wetlands restoration projects.

Department of Natural Resources, wanted the school’s help with a marsh-planting program.

“I was like, sure, whatever you want us to do, we’ll do,” said Lyles, a nine-year teacher at St. John’s Island High School, just south of Charleston, S.C. “The kids’ frst reaction was, ‘We have to plant stuf?’ But as they learned how important this was, they got into it.”

They certainly did. About 20 students helped Liles plant Spartina Alternifora seeds, a critical marsh grass in coastal South Carolina, for a restoration program in a nearby habitat. Spartina Alternifora is a grass that provides breeding grounds for founder and red drums, and nesting areas for great blue herons and ospreys. It’s important for human habitats, too, as

“What I want them to get out of this, and it’s a good thing, is to get them

it works as bufers against hurricane storm surges that can sweep away coastal

out of their comfort zone,” she said. “For example, a lot of them are scared of the

homes and lives.

ocean. I know that sounds strange since they live on an island. But they don’t boat

The project began when Department of Natural Resources and SCORE ofcers visited the school to explain the importance of this project. They gave Lyles and

and they don’t swim. But they love to eat seafood. Now they are learning that a lot of the food they love to eat hinges on the health of this marine environment.”

Build a Food Chain

Belle Terre Elementary • Palm Coast, Florida It’s a simple formula: feed the fsh—the fsh make waste—use the waste to feed the plants.

Teacher Ed Wolf and the 32 members of the science club at Belle Terre Elementary in Palm Coast, a northeast Florida city just south of Jacksonville, have the aquaponic process fgured out.

In a room-sized courtyard outside of Wolf’s portable classroom, the kids have assembled an intricate, high-tech garden. At frst glance, it looks a little like the contraption you build in the board game Mousetrap.

A 300-gallon tank holds about 20 tilapia, ranging in size from eight ounces to two pounds. Above that, solar panels power a pump that moves the water from the tank through the hydroponic garden hanging just above. They’ve grown peppers, tomatoes and strawberries.

It’s an idea, Wolf says, planted two summers ago at a “plant camp” in Gainesville.

In prepping a presentation for Belle Terre based on what he had learned, he realized it had an application to the school.

“It was pretty simple, really,” Wolf said. “Once you had one piece, it led to the next, and to extending the concept.”

And the project keeps growing. Wolf and his students have now added an adjacent windmill, which they will use as another source to power their micro-farm.

Wolf said the key to the aquaponic project is its interdisciplinary nature. It combines enough diferent scientifc felds—including marine science, implementing technology and energy production—to interest a broad number of kids.

“The idea is to get them to engage science in a physical sense, in a way they can see it, where it’s hands-on,” said Wolf. “It helps get them out of the strictly visual, the computer or the TV. I pull them away from that. I want them to grow a tomato and hold it in their hands. I want them to see the tilapia grow bigger. And when they do, they get excited and want to do more work than they’ve done before.”

Robot Power At Belle Terre Elementary, the student’s micro farm allows them to grow food, recycle waste and harness renewable energy.

New River Middle School • Fort Lauderdale, Florida The starting point for this year’s Remotely Operationed Vehicle (ROV) project at New River Middle School, Marine Science Magnet Program, was the selection of students. Marine science teacher, Kyle Lendick, who’s been teaching for 14 years, the last two at New River, asked his students to write essays on why they should be selected.

The responses he got—from students who talked about building stuf with Legos since early childhood—proved to him that, indeed, he had takers, though maybe not with a lot of engineering experience.

“The students had never really seen anything like this, or built anything like this,” said Lendick. “But they got into the project quickly. They are interested in marine science and anything that has to with the marine environment.”

Once he had picked more than a dozen students, Lendick began the project by

teaching the students about buoyancy, and the science behind ROV navigation.

Then he ordered the supplies to build the ROVs, and the students began learning about circuitry and electronics as they soldered and bolted materials together.

The deadline for completing the ROVs is this spring. New River wants to enter their machines in competitions, if possible. But Lendick and the school have higher hopes for their budding student engineers. The goal is they continue working on ROVs when they get to high school. New River feeds into Broward County’s marine science magnet high school, South Broward High School, where students build ROVs equipped with cameras and other bells and whistles. Those advanced machines are then used for county and national competitions, flming shark tagging expeditions and other marine science endeavors.

“I’m hoping they take it and run with it,” said Lendick. “I’d like for them to take what they are learning here and follow through on to high school and beyond, possibly into a career in engineering or marine science.” After this frst year of the ROV project, the school is also hoping to get more ROV kits and attract more interested marine science engineers into the project.

New River Middle School is located in Fort Lauderdale and is the only middle school Marine Science Magnet Program in South Florida. For more information about the school or the Marine Science Magnet Program, please contact the magnet coordinator at (754) 323-3600, or visit their website at

Students at New River Middle School build remotely operated

http://newriver.browardschools.com.

vehicles and learn the science behind sub-aquatic machines.

FIELD WORK

In the world of marine science, there is literally an ocean’s worth of opportunities for students outside the classroom. From feld trips to summer camps to real research projects, students and educators have more ways than ever to get near, on and in the water. As part of our focus on education in this issue, we’ve compiled a list of feld trips, camps and exhibits for students of all ages. For younger kids, these can bring a frst-time learning experience that introduces them to the marine environment and the basic idea of conservation. For teens and young adults, these experiences often help them make the connection between knowledge gained in a classroom and how they can use that to make a difference in the world. Supporting these programs are major universities, non-profts, state conservation agencies and even private businesses. A few can come at signifcant cost, but most offer very affordable options or even provide services free of charge. What they all have in common is the goal of putting the future into capable hands.

A student on a Broadreach trip records measurements in a reef zone. Photo: Broadreach.

A touch-tank exhibit at the Florida Aquarium. Photo: Florida Aquarium.

Florida Aquarium

Loxahatchee River Center

The Florida Aquarium’s theme for 2014 is “One Ocean, a journey around the

The River Center, located in Burt Reynolds Park in Jupiter, ofers free, in-classroom

world.” Teachers can take their students to the aquarium or bring the experience

education programs to public and private schools groups throughout the school

to them with programs in classroom and auditorium spaces to accommodate

year. Outreach programs include a presentation about the Loxahatchee River

any group size. Groups can also book a trip on the aquarium’s 130-passenger

watershed, ecosystems, and the plants and animals found in these special areas.

catamaran, the Bay Spirit II, to search for wildlife, such as sea birds and dolphins,

Educators also provide a

or choose a behind-the-scenes tour and learn how the aquarium takes care of its

unique opportunity with a

many residents. For groups that are more than a few hours away, the aquarium

portable touch tank, and

ofers a unique sleepover program to maximize visiting time. For teachers, the

a hands-on activity. In-

aquarium ofers professional development opportunities, including Tanks to the

classroom programs can range

Ocean, a new middle school program sponsored by the Guy Harvey Foundation

from 45 minutes to one and a

that combines professional development, online web programming and a live

half hours and are fexible for

distance-learning component for students.

multiple classes based on the

Tampa, Florida www.faquarium.org

Jupiter, Florida www.loxahatcheeriver.org

preference of the teacher.

Photo: Loxahatchee River Center

MarineQuest

Wilmington, North Carolina www.uncw.edu/marinequest With a rich, 34-year history, MarineQuest has a proven track record of education and well-honed programs for students from Pre-K to 12th grade. An outreach arm of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, their focus is on marine environmental education. Whether it’s working in an ocean lab for a summer or exploring local marine habitats, MarineQuest helps put kids in touch with the marine environment.

Opportunities range from half-day feld trips to week-long stays and can include a research vessel cruise or discover scuba program. Through MarineQuest, students learn the biological, chemical, geological, and physical aspects of the ocean along with marine technology, and there are more than 30 summer programs for kids of all ages.

Kayak time for MarineQuest campers. Photo: MarineQuest.

With marine science programs in both the Caribbean and Pacifc, Broadreach students can literally dive into their research. Photo: Broadreach.

Broadreach

International Trips www.broadreach.com Broadreach is a global summer educational adventure program that leads over 70 worldwide trips for middle school, high school and college students. Their Caribbean Marine Conservation Program gives students a chance to learn about conservation in a hands-on way, and then put what they learn to use. Students volunteer in the Saba and Statia Marine Parks in the Leeward Islands of the Caribbean to conduct research that will help protect and conserve local reefs, and they can earn college credit while doing it. Other opportunities include the British Columbia Marine Mammal Studies Program, where students work with leading researchers in the feld to assist in whale behavior research. Still more programs are available in the Bahamas focusing on marine biology, and in Fiji, where students learn about and study shark behavior while going on actual shark dives.

Carolina Coastal Discovery Charleston, South Carolina www.dnr.sc.gov/ccd

The Carolina Coastal Discovery Marine Education Program is conducted through the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. It ofers programs that reinforce the science standards through interactive lessons, both aboard the program’s 45-ft. catamaran, the E/V Discovery, and on land. Aboard the Discovery, students collect water quality data and sample marine organisms that are collected by a trawl net. Land-based programs vary with the age of the students but include: shark, fsh, and squid dissection, salt marsh feld study, beach feld study, marine debris, plankton analysis, sea turtle ecology or careers in marine science. Program organizers develop science investigations using feld sampling techniques and equipment that echo current research methods.

Through these projects, students learn about conservation and benefts of the estuary, while developing critical science investigation skills. Throughout the

Elementary students enjoy a Monterey Bay Aquarium classroom project. ©Monterey Bay Aquarium. Photo: Tyson V. Rininger.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

locations. The Carolina Coastal Discovery Marine Education Program is a Guy

Monterey, California www.montereybayaquarium.org

Harvey Ocean Foundation grant recipient.

A powerhouse in marine education and conservation, the Monterey Bay

school year, the education staf conducts over 200 programs across multiple

Aquarium is loaded with education programs to engage kids of every age. From Boat trips help kids get hands-on with marine life. Photo: Carolina Coastal Discovery.

hosting feld trip experiences to ofering professional development programs for educators and reaching out to the community, the Aquarium has a long history of ocean advocacy. Several unique programs exist for middle school and high school-age kids. Teen conservation leaders go through a two-week training program and then volunteer to help interpret exhibits for guests and can also help support the Aquarium’s summer camp programs. In the process, they can earn community service hours and build relationships with Aquarium staf.

Another unique opportunity is Young Women in Science, a week-long summer camp just for 7th and 8th grade girls. Included is lots of time on the water for kayaking, diving and seeing the ocean up-close. Numerous other programs are available for all grade levels.

Kayaking in Monterey Bay. ©Monterey Bay Aquarium. Photo: Kim Swan.

Manatee Observation & Education Fort Pierce, Florida www.manateecenter.com

From self-guided tours to standards-based programs on- or of-site, the Manatee Observation and Education Center helps enrich existing science curriculum. If visiting the center, students are engaged at a hands-on level and can follow a turtle, touch a sea star and watch for manatees. Outreach programs can also be brought to students at schools or other locations and include lessons, activities, props and sometimes live animals.

WaterVentures

Photos: WaterVentures.

Crystal Springs, Florida www.waterventures.us

The centerpiece of WaterVentures is a 53-ft. semi-truck that’s been transformed into a science learning lab on wheels. All of the environmental education exhibits have been designed by the experienced teaching team from the group’s parent organization, the Crystal Springs Foundation. The traveling exhibit visits schools throughout the state and provides interactive activities to teach kids about Florida’s diverse watersheds, water conservation and recycling.

Right: The WaterVentures trailer brings the natural wonders of Crystal Springs to students through highly engaging displays and educational activities.

FWC Saltwater Youth Education Programs Tallahassee, Florida www.myfwc.com/education

Across the state, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission ofers events and programs to get kids involved in both fshing and conservation. FWC’s Saltwater Kids’ Fishing Clinics are one-day events for ages 5-15. The kids complete fve skill stations designed to teach them the vulnerability of Florida’s marine ecosystems and instill resource stewardship principles. These community events also teach fundamental saltwater fshing skills while providing a positive fshing experience. A streamlined version of the program, called the Kids’ Saltwater Fishing Activity Box, can be sent out to organizers that want to conduct smaller youth fshing clinics. Also available for use in multiple locations is the FISH Exhibit.

Students get a closer look at a horseshoe crab during an FWC educational program. Photo: FWC.

FISH stands for Fish, Invertebrates and Saltwater Habitats. This mobile display illustrates Florida’s coastal habitats and has live

program that mimics the collecting activities biologists conduct to gather

organisms representing coral reefs, beaches, mangroves, seagrasses, oyster bars

information for managing marine resources. After teachers complete a 40-hour

and salt marshes. Display boards throughout the exhibit promote the importance

workshop, they can bring student groups to the coastal centers to conduct the

of habitat to coastal fsheries and ways people can support the conservation

feld activities. Also available are Youth Saltwater Fishing Camps that introduce

of these resources. The Marine Field Activities Program is a curriculum-based

youth to basic saltwater fshing skills and promote conservation.

International Game Fish Association

An IGFA camper goes snorkeling. Photo: IGFA.

scientifc concepts and present them in an experiential way that engages the student’s

Dania Beach, Florida www.IGFA.org

sense of exploration, substantially adding

As part of its mission to support anglers, the IGFA

day and week-long fshing camps. In this

works to foster a love of fshing and a sense of

intensive program, campers spend time in

environmental stewardship in the next generation

the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum,

of fshermen. The Education Department ofers in-

where they learn about fshing techniques,

house and outreach feld trip programs to schools,

ethical angling and marine biology. Field

camps, scouts and other such groups. All aspects

to the impact and reinforcement of each lesson. When school is out, IGFA runs

trips take the campers on a variety of fresh

of the programs are geared toward helping students learn in an environment

and saltwater adventures, including drift boat, pier and shore fshing, snorkeling,

outside their school’s classroom, and each is carefully designed to introduce

encounters with wildlife and much more.

Mote’s reef exhibit (left) and other displays connect kids to marine science. Photos: Mote Marine Laboratory.

Mote Marine Laboratory Sarasota, Florida www.mote.org

Kids who live far from the ocean can still come face-to-face with sea monsters or visit a coral reef, thanks to the traveling exhibits of Mote Marine Laboratory.

Mote is a world-class marine science institution whose exhibits—like the awardwinning Sanctuary Reef—bring science education to thousands of people across the nation. Traveling exhibits in Mote’s SeaTrek program allow kids at schools, libraries, museums and other places to connect with Mote’s science educators through a TV screen during real-time video conference programs. Even better, budding marine scientists who live near Mote’s home in Sarasota can literally get their feet wet in the feld. Mote ofers hands-on education programs that allow kids, families and school groups to explore the marine environment and learn to think like scientists.

The SEA Lab ofers both feld trip experiences and summer camps. Photos: SEALab.

SEA Lab

Ocean Discovery Centers

The SEA Lab is the Los Angeles Conservation Corps’ coastal education and training center.

The Ocean Discovery Center allows teachers and students to

Throughout the school year it ofers a variety of hands-on and grade-specifc activities that

tap into the wealth of resources available through the Harbor

explore science from an ocean point of view. In addition, the SEA Lab’s Traveling Tidepool brings

Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University.

animals out to Los Angeles area schools and community events. Visitors to the SEA Lab facility

The Center houses interactive exhibits, small aquaria, a video

can also experience California’s marine life up-close, with the opportunity to touch sharks,

theater, and other displays exploring the marine environment

anemones, cucumbers and many other sea animals. Students can cut open a squid and explore

and depicting the research eforts of the Institute. Signifcantly,

its anatomy, or spend time learning about adaptations that make marine animals so unique.

exhibit content is continually evolving to showcase the ongoing

During the summer, camp programs are ofered for two diferent age groups; the “Mini Mariners”

research and conservation eforts of Harbor Branch and to give

is geared for four to six year old children and the “Ocean Explorers” is geared for seven to eleven

visitors a close-up look at emerging technologies used by the

year old children. Activities include crafts, games, exploring tidepools and kayaking.

marine research community.

Redondo Beach, California www.lacorps.org/sealab.php

Ft. Pierce, Florida www.fau.edu/hboi/community/odc.php

Dolphin encounters are a highlight of Marineland summer camps. Photo: Marineland.

Marineland

St. Augustine, Florida www.marineland.net Known for amazing dolphin experiences, Marineland ofers two diferent summer camp programs. Seaside Eco-Adventure (SEA) camp for kids ages 7-12, and Teaching Environment Education in Nature (TEEN) camp to teenagers ages 13-17. Both camps educate participants about ecosystems, local animal life and conservation while providing hours of entertainment.

Sessions will begin June 9 and go through August 7. SEA campers explore the local ecosystem on a sea-side hike, learn about sea life during a mock dolphin stranding and have an up-close encounter with a dolphin. Activities at TEEN camp include an eco-boat tour with Ripple Efect Kayaks, a squid dissection, and a chance to get up-close and personal with a dolphin during one of their in-water immersion programs.

BY ALEK & KYLE MOULY PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE SHEPARD

Shark School

RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program Director Dr. Neil Hammerschlag secures a sandbar shark with a respiration pump as graduate student Fiona Graham collects a muscle biopsy sample to analyze the shark’s toxins and dietary patterns.

An Atlantic sharpnose shark is released in healthy condition back into the warm waters of of Islamorada after a brief scientifc work-up and tagging procedure on the boat.

“Shark!”

That was the sound resonating from the mouths of a group of anxious teenagers on a shark-tagging boat. Everyone scrambled to get a view of the shark over the side of the University of Miami research boat. But before we tell you more about what happened next, let us frst tell you how we got there.

Our names are Alek and Kyle Mouly and we are sophomores at MAST

the second foor, with a 360° view of the open waters. But what made it diferent from other boats we’d been on was the large plastic platform jutting out of the stern. Submerged in about two feet of seawater, the platform serves as a “bed” for sharks while they are being examined. Next to the platform was a large white pump used to fush seawater out of the shark’s mouth and over its gills, as well as to give the shark a little something to chew on while data is collected.

Sitting on the bow of the boat with our friends, we sped out from the harbor into deeper waters. The familiar feeling of sea spray stinging our face was

Academy, a school located on Key Biscayne, just east of Miami. Alek is the vice

welcoming and reminded us of our recent snorkeling trip. Fifteen minutes into our

president of MAST’s Ocean Conservation Club, and Kyle is the master at arms. We

excursion, the water beneath us turned from aqua to a richer hue of blue, and we

also volunteer on a regular basis for the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and have

could no longer see sea grass or the sandy bottom sweeping by beneath us. The

been doing so for about a year. So it’s safe to say that we have had an interest in

boat slowed down, and nearly came to a stop, when the frst mate told us all to

marine science for a very long time.

meet inside.

When our club sponsor, Ms. Walker, announced one day that we would have

Everyone gathered inside the boat where we were shown a brief presentation

the opportunity to go shark tagging as a feld trip, the whole club was overcome

about the equipment on the boat. The method for catching the sharks was to

with excitement; the signup sheet was flled within minutes. We barely managed

drop lines attached to heavy weights into the water. At the base of these weights

to guarantee spots on the list. A few weeks later, we found ourselves driving

was a circular ring with very strong fshing line. The circular ring allows a hooked

to the Keys, where we would soon board a large and specialized boat for the

shark to continue to swim in circles so that water can still move over its gills. The

research trip.

hooks we used were massive circle hooks. The point on these hooks is slightly

The boat was similar to other large fshing vessels, equipped with a fully functional kitchen and bunk beds inside. The captain’s control center rested atop

indented, which helps to prevent the shark from swallowing the hook and potentially damage its internal organs.

After being split into groups of fve, we were each assigned a certain job for when the shark was reeled in. Kyle was assigned the frst job of taking a syringe and spraying seawater into the shark’s eye. He had to be careful to look for a secondary eyelid used to protect the eye from fast fowing water. Seeing the eyelid was good because it meant that the shark was not stressed, while the lack of one meant that the shark was extremely stressed.

Alek was charged with measuring the shark’s pre-caudal length, fork length and total length, while another team member used scissors to snip of a small portion of the shark’s dorsal fn. After this, a sharp, scalpel-like object would be used to gather a small muscle tissue sample. Finally, someone would attach the actual tag to the shark. There are two types of tags: a SPOT tag transmits a signal to a satellite indicating the shark’s location whenever it reaches the surface; a PAT tag is attached to the shark and will remain there for a specifc amount of time and will eventually fall of and foat to the surface. Once detached, the PAT tag transmits a signal to a satellite with the shark’s location, and other information, which is then sent to the researchers. Applying these tags and collecting all this data on sharks is important because you can’t help protect what you don’t fully understand.

After all that, you must be wondering if we caught anything. Well, it just so happens that we did. In total, we caught three blacktip sharks, all of which were female, and one nurse shark. All three blacktips were healthy. We didn’t really have much trouble with them, allowing the procedure to be done extremely swiftly. In addition, we also caught a nurse shark, which, sadly, we were not able to bring on board because the platform was too high, causing the shark to spit out the hook and proudly swim away.

The last thing we caught was, to everyone’s surprise, a loggerhead sea turtle.

This was surprising because the way the hook and the traps are designed, it is extremely unlikely for a sea turtle, or anything but a shark for that matter, to get caught. So when we brought up the loggerhead, everyone was amazed. Since we obviously couldn’t bring it up to the platform, we had to cut the line, but it still was a fantastic sight to see and something that, according to the UM students, only happens about once every two years. After this remarkable event, we headed back to the dock, putting an end to an exciting, seven-hour expedition.

The thrill and experience that you get when shark tagging has no equal. Not only did we learn a lot about sharks through this experience, but we also gained a newfound respect and appreciation for these stunning animals. Shark tagging is an experience that we would easily recommend to anybody, as it really opens your eyes to the beauty and majesty of these amazing animals with whom we share our oceans. And, truth be told, you can watch all the shark documentaries in the world, but there is nothing like seeing the real thing.

The University of Miami’s RJ Dunlap Marine Conservation Program advances ocean Top: A nine-foot bull shark swims away into Biscayne Bay with a new SPOT

conservation and scientifc literacy through cutting-edge scientifc research and

satellite tag temporarily afxed to her dorsal fn. Middle: The authors get

by providing innovative outreach opportunities for students through exhilarating,

hands-on, helping take measurements and conduct tests on the sharks.

hands-on research and virtual learning experiences in marine biology. Opportunities

Bottom: A MAST Academy student measures the total length of a nurse shark

are made available for students from land-locked communities and under-served

under the guidance of Dr. Neil Hammerschlag.

populations in the sciences. For more information, visit www.rjd.miami.edu.

AD GH, INC. 2

BY JOE IERNA, JR.

A trip to study grouper spawning sites in the Bahamas becomes a conservation showdown at sea.

At the full moon of the winter months, Nassau grouper appear in mass numbers at special spawning sites on the reef. For years, fishermen have taken advantage of this phenomenon, but the result has been a severe drop in fish stocks. Photo: Guy Harvey.

T

his past December, I joined an expedition off Long Island, Bahamas. A team of researchers, educators and citizen-science explorers were on board the M/V Glen Ellen conducting a fve-day study of three Nassau grouper Spawning Aggregations (SPAG) in North Long Island. What is a SPAG site? During the full moon phases in December, January and February, Nassau grouper gather at these places for a massive festival of procreation. Hundreds to thousands of individual fsh come to spawn and ensure the survival of the

species. Fishermen have long known about this phenomenon, commonly called a Grouper Moon.

At one time, these events were seen as a fshing bonanza, but in a world where fsh—especially tasty ones like Nassau grouper—are highly pressured, fshing these sites at these times has become strictly forbidden. The expedition produced some incredible encounters, and only some of them were with the fsh. At times, it was wild and raw and the results were a very mixed bag. I call it the bad, the ugly and the good.

14.December.2013 • Cape Santa Maria, Long Island Bahamas

16.December.2013 • Hail Mary Aggregation, Long Island Bahamas

Nassau grouper is in decline worldwide and throughout the Caribbean. Whether

Another very real issue, one that is directly afecting not only the Bahamas fshery

from overfshing, poaching or the changes in ocean chemistry, the facts are real.

economy, but the very health of our waters, as well the health of our community,

Historically, Nassau grouper SPAGs had tens of thousands of fsh gathering for

is the ugly practice of poaching. This is being done by foreigners and Bahamian

their mating ritual. In 1971, C. Lavett-Smith recorded 30,000 to 100,000 Nassau

fshermen alike. This blatant, unsustainable practice must be stopped.

grouper of Bimini. Today, the numbers seen at the aggregation sites are only in

Despite the fact that Nassau grouper season is closed from December 1

the hundreds, and unless we act now to restore and protect this apex species of

through February 28, forbidding the capture, sale and purchase of Nassau

the coral reefs, they will become extinct.

grouper, the entire time on board the Glen Ellen we encountered fshermen with

Dr. Craig Dahlgren of the Caribbean Marine Research Center was on board the

wire fsh traps. Each day, at each location we dove, they were there apparently

Glen Ellen as the lead researcher. He has been studying these same Long Island

fshing for the grouper and we saw no sign of law enforcement. Dr. Dahlgren has

Nassau grouper schools for more than a decade and has recorded signifcant

reported the same clandestine activity each of the years of his study around Long

decline in the numbers of fsh. Craig’s message to us was simple: “Nassau grouper

Island. This was even more disturbing for me and for another member of our team,

stocks are extremely low, and in order for the species to survive, these stocks must

Lindy Knowles of the Bahamas National Trust. As local residents of the community,

remain healthy to produce SPAG activity. The Bahamas needs to get serious to

we know these fshermen. They are friends, neighbors, family … Bahamians!

protect and save the Nassau grouper before we lose the species.”

On this trip, the greatest number of fsh recorded in a single SPAG was about

This day, while the fshing vessel was approaching the Glen Ellen, they were working six or seven fshing pots, located just 20 to 40 yards away from our

500. Only 10% of these had eggs, and we witnessed only three “rushes.” A rush is

research vessel. I shouted to one fsherman, “What you doin’ man?” as I threw my

when a fsh group—a female surrounded by several males—darts to the surface

hands into the air in disgust. The fsherman replied, “We gotta do what we gotta

from the depths. While the female releases her eggs, the males surrounding her

do … just tryin’ to make some money, bro. You know how things is … but you all

provide the sperm. What we witnessed was not a very encouraging number of

do your research!” They motored away toward the horizon, only to return again

fsh, nor level of spawning activity.

that evening.

Far left: A Nassau grouper with its distinct stripes on a reef in the Caymans. Photo: Guy Harvey. Above: Spawning events can draw hundreds to thousands of fsh, a fact local fshermen in the Bahamas have exploited with illegal fsh traps. Photos: George Schellenger and Krista Sherman. Left and below: Studying SPAG sites by conducting fsh surveys and doing other research has helped researchers track the long-term health of the Nassau grouper stocks.

Photo left: George Schellenger. Photo below: Joe Ierna, Jr.

Later that night, the team decided to invite the three Bahamian fshermen aboard our vessel to have a chat, a bite to eat and a cool drink. It took a bit of convincing them that there was no “Five-O” on the boat, but eventually they came aboard. We gave them our word that this was not an ofcial move, just a real gesture toward some honest communication.

We wanted to speak with the fshermen about their plight and how we could all work together to help save the species, their fshery, their livelihoods and to ask why they were willing to risk breaking the law to make a couple dollars.

Their responses followed the reasoning behind many illicit trades—that they are forced to do this because of dwindling opportunity in the legal market. They cited the decreasing fshing economy nationwide. For this, they blamed the foreign poachers. Dominicans were the most common accused, but they also put blame on the cruising yachts, other Bahamians and signifcant blame was placed on their nation’s enforcement agency. They claim there is a total lack of any enforcement by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force to apprehend and prosecute the violators, so nobody has any fear of breaking the law. Their stories were many and disheartening.

One fsherman, who claimed this was the frst time he has fshed for Nassau grouper illegally, has been a commercial fsherman for 25 years. He explained how he has bills to (Continued on pg. 48)

Left: Fisherman Peter Young, holder of a special fshing permit, pulls a fsh from a canoe flled with Nassau grouper, taken with fsh traps placed at a spawning aggregation site at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, 2004, Belize. Right: Nassau grouper in live fsh pen near a SPAG site await transport boat to deliver them to market in Belize City; fshermen’s shelters & fsh drying lines in background, Caye Glory, 1988. Belize Barrier Reef, Belize. Photos: Doug Perrine.

A

BY FRED D. GARTH Of the many issues facing our fsheries, two of the

A 25-YEAR PERSPECTIVE

after fsh using simple hand lines.

When we arrived, the fshermen eyed us

and a half decades, the 13 SPAG sites in Belize have been fshed hard. Some are almost gone. It’s the

most critical in the Caribbean are the lionfsh invasion

with suspicious trepidation. However, Doug had

and the decimation of Nassau grouper spawning

anticipated this and brought gifts of cigarettes and

aggregations (SPAG) sites. We’re already well aware

wine. We delivered our peace oferings and were

Cayman Islands and in Belize, SPAG sites are under

that growing lionfsh populations are threatening to

welcomed into their ramshackle huts like old friends.

government protection and fshing is not allowed.

upset the ecosystem in catastrophic ways. With SPAG

We explained that we were just there to dive and take

Scientists are monitoring them closely and keeping

sites, we face similar destruction, but the culprit is

pictures and not to spearfsh, which they had feared.

track of the populations as they increase or decline.

man instead of an invasive fsh.

Over the next week, we made most of our dives at

In Belize, where most of the sites are so remote that

dawn, dusk and at night, when we hoped to witness

enforcement is nearly impossible, the grouper are still

legendary flmmaker Stan Waterman and renowned

the mass spawning. The current was strong and the

being poached by the local fshermen who break the

photojournalist Doug Perrine. As we approached

diving was deep, some 100 feet or more. Fortunately,

law to make a living.

Caye Glory Point, we looked for the 10-15 fshing

all of us were expert divers.

In 1988, I visited a SPAG site in Belize with

huts built on the lee side of the barrier reef in three

On our fnal day, we encountered a school

same storyline around most of the Caribbean.

There is some good news, however. In the

Dr. Guy Harvey has taken a leadership role in the Cayman Islands. Each year, during the spawning

feet of crystal-clear water. Behind the huts were

that we estimated to be more than 5,000 fsh. Stan

season, he goes to Little Cayman personally

dozens of round pens built of chicken wire in three

Waterman even got their swirling, tornado-shaped

(someone has to do it), the location of the island

feet of water. Each pen was flled with hundreds of

ritual on flm. The fsh spawned, the fshermen earned

nation’s most prolifc SPAG site. With strong support

grouper—kept alive until they were ready to go to

a big payday and we went on our way with some

from the Cayman Department of the Environment,

market. Every day the fshermen would paddle their

incredible photography. It’s hard to believe that was

this site will likely be a model of how to rebuild

dugout canoes out to reef and catch fsh after fsh

more than 25 years ago. Unfortunately, in those two

grouper stocks. Time will tell.

Nassau grouper at spawning aggregation as sunset approaches, with frantic males in bicolor phase, in lower frame a cluster of males pursues a female with a belly swollen full of eggs, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize 2005. Photo: Doug Perrine.

Left to Right: Lindy Knowles, Krista Sherman, Denise Mizell, Dr. Craig Dahlgren, Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, Tony Puyol. Right: The M/V Glen Ellen.

(Continued from pg. 45) pay, loans and children in college, and he needs money just to put food on the

with fve very large bull sharks. This was a very serious and dangerous situation.

table for his family. With today’s smaller catches and higher operating costs, it

The two divers in the water, Dr. Dahlgren and Casuarina McKinney, saw what

is very difcult to meet his fnancial needs. Another fsherman put the blame

was happening and were immediately able to open up two of the three traps to

on the buyers of the illicit product. The fsherman claimed, “As long as there are

release the grouper. They were able to save all but 11 fsh, which the fshermen

fsh houses, restaurants and people in the community to purchase the Nassau

promptly dumped into their coolers. As the fshermen departed, they emptied

grouper, [he] will supply the demand.”

bloody water and bait back into the sea, directly over Craig and Casuarina—not

After hearing their stories, we explained the long-term afect their activities

very smart with fve bull sharks in the area. The sharks quickly began to feed on

will have on the survival of the Nassau grouper. We explained that if they continue

the cut baitfsh on the surface. Fortunately, the two divers are very experienced

to fsh the aggregations, there will not be a sufcient number of fsh to sustain a

and know how to handle sharks in this kind of situation. Back on the surface, Craig

healthy population and it will become extinct, and how this will afect the health

told us about the efect of the traps. “The speed that those groupers hit the trap

of the entire marine environment. We explained how, in a very real sense, they are

was amazing,” he said. “They were actually fghting to get into the trap and the

destroying their own livelihoods by their actions. Surprisingly, each one said they

sharks were equally excited and on the school immediately.”

understood and agreed with our comments.

As the fshermen departed into the night, our team on board the Glen Ellen felt

If this is what the Bahamian fshery has become—a lawless territory being raped by foreigners and Bahamian citizens and doing so without regard for even

pretty good about the meeting and conversations with the fsherman. We retired to

human life—it is indeed ugly. I don’t think it’s quite that bad but, nonetheless, this

our beds “cautiously optimistic” that the fshermen understood the grave situation

event happened and it’s easy to see this kind of thing continuing if left unchecked.

we were describing, and we hoped we made a lasting efect. Lindy Knowles was not so upbeat. He was sure they had deaf ears and that they would be back.

Despite our enthusiastic good feeling, Lindy was correct. While most of us

school some more. Dr. Dahlgren witnessed this as he got up when he heard their

17.December.2013 • Hail Mary Aggregation, Long Island Bahamas

vessel approaching.

As grim as our experience was, and as many challenges as we faced, there are some

were sleeping, the same fshermen returned in the early morning hours to fsh the

As our group continued their dives throughout the following day, the third

good things to take away. The frst is that we do know what the problems are,

team was at the buoy site around 2pm, working 80 to 100 feet down. Here came

which means we have a legitimate opportunity to make changes and develop real

the poachers motoring up to the site, so we hailed them that divers were in the

solutions. This must include adequate enforcement of current fshing regulations.

water. We had our dive fags up and we said to them explicitly, “From our dive

It must also include creating alternative business opportunities to replace the

buoy to the stern of the boat, divers are in the water.” Despite this, they sped up to

lost economic impact of the Nassau grouper. Perhaps moving to another fshery,

approach the buoy directly over our dive site and threw three baited traps into the

such as a deep-water snapper or lionfsh, could help provide this relief. In the end,

water. One trap missed dropping on the head of Dr. Crag Dahlgren by only 10 feet,

however, success will have to come through getting all the afected groups on

creating a dust ball on the bottom and an immediate frenzy of grouper, along

the same page. This means good communication with industry professionals, the

community and the enforcement agencies, and providing efective education to

National Trust; Krista Sherman, GEF FSP coordinator of the Bahamas National Trust;

the Bahamian people through community outreach programs. Each group is part

Casuarina McKinney-Lambert, executive director of Bahamas Reef Environment

of the problem and each must be part of the solution.

Education Foundation (BREEF); Denise Mizell, educator, Lyford Cay International

Joe Ierna heads the Ocean Crest Alliance, an NGO dedicated to fsheries

School; Richard Clark, businessman, Dive Team; Tony Puyol, videographer and

conservation and fnding sustainable solutions for the future health of the oceans.

co-creator of Boarder War; Wayne Sullivan, owner of the M/V Glen Ellen, Peter M.

Also participating in this study were Dr. Craig Dahlgren, lead scientist/researcher from

Schecter, captain/safety ofcer; and Karen Straney, chef. For more information, visit

the Caribbean Marine Research Center; Lindy Knowles, senior ofcer of the Bahamas

www.oceancrestalliance.com.

=

2

THE “THEORY OF RESPONSIBILITY” IS SIMPLE: EDUCATION + ENFORCEMENT = MARINE CONSERVATION

It’s one thing to talk about conservation, but

evening, they enter into Bahamas waters to meet up

and is a vital source of revenue for the Bahamas

being efective requires a two-fold approach. First,

with their dinghies that have been illegally catching

enforcement services. Additionally, many of these

everyone involved must be educated about the

seafood all day.

foreign vessels practice unsustainable methods of

issues and, particularly, the regulations put in place

A recent report on illegal, unreported and

fshing, causing greater stress on the ecosystem.

to protect against overuse of the resource. Second,

unregulated fshing in the Bahamas pointed out that

those regulations must be enforced. In the Bahamas,

as many as 65 fshing vessels could be operating

no enforcement. But there are ways to make

many good regulations have been put in place, and

from Dominican Republic ports, taking Bahamian

improvements and to do it quickly. OCA believes a

many are quite lenient for recreational fshermen,

conch, grouper and other fn fsh in large quantities.

good model to follow in expanding both education

but too few boats and crews follow the rules. This is

It was pointed out that each of these vessels could

and enforcement is the cooperation and partnership

especially true of boats visiting from other countries.

land over 70,000 lbs. of catch per trip. That is an

between the Bahamas commercial fshermen, the

Not only does this afect the health of fsh stocks, but

estimated 4.5 million pounds of seafood. And with

local fsh houses and the local community. This

also it has a massive fnancial impact on the Bahamas

crawfsh (lobster) representing 90% of their catch,

includes being active in assisting with conservation

as a whole. Unfortunately, the Bahamas government

that translates to $40 million or greater at the

and research programs, as well as providing

is struggling to hold fshermen accountable and to

wholesale level, which translates to as much as $100

assistance with the policing and protection of our

protect Bahamian waters from poachers.

million annually removed from the Bahamian fshing

waters. The Bahamas commercial fshermen are the

economy. This is money that would otherwise go

ones out on the water every day. Their livelihoods are

the day, do not clear in customs, do not get a fshing

directly to the fshing families and the countless

directly from the sea and it is their future they can

permit, exceed the limits and then go home. Worse,

seafood shops and related services in the islands.

work to protect.

Many foreign vessels enter Bahamian waters for

there are also large, illegal, foreign, commercial

More dollars are lost through the non-payment

Simply put, laws are no good if there is

Continuing to educate local residents and visitors

fshing boats that hover on the skirts of the

of permits and vessel entry fees. A fshing permit

alike will be key to conservation success, but real

Bahamas territorial sea limit by day, and toward the

fee is $20 for one visit or $150 annually per person,

enforcement is also a must. —Joe Ierna, Jr.

Poaching in Bahamian waters has been a serious issue. Left: Fishery products being taken away by local agencies after they were removed from an arrested vessel. Right: Two Dominican vessels being towed in by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force. Photos: RBDF.

A successful sailfsh release of Lighthouse Point, Florida. Opposite: A tarpon boatside of Government Cut in Miami, Florida.

DAVID CARTEE a photo portfolio

A colorful peacock bass showing of its acrobatic skills in South Florida.

A kingfsh fercely fghting, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A sailfsh displaying his brilliance, Miami, Florida.

A peacock bass in South Florida.

An Atlantic sharpnose shark takes a bite out of a blackfn tuna, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Opposite: A dolphin at boatside, Haulover, Florida.

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VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 SPRING 2014

Photo: Mike Frenette. www.venicefshing.net

KEEP STRIPERS STRONG • CAJUN-BRED REDS • CAPT. RICH BROCHU • MIAMI BOAT SHOW

BY EDITOR NICK HONACHEFSKY

KEEP STRIPERS STRONG Striper numbers are tailing off. Is it time to worry?

Anyone who lived through the 1980s knows just how bad it got for the striped

Maryland and Chesapeake Bay from 1984 to 1989, and the population rebounded

bass population. As a kid in 1986, I remember surfcasting with my dad at Island

to allow the stocks to recover. That gave way to a mid to late 1990’s explosion

Beach State Park in New Jersey, and in a stroke of luck, we caught and released

where recruitment classes allowed young-of-the-year bass to live their life cycle

two stripers on clams. I was written up in the local newspapers for catching not

and replenish the stocks.”

one, but two 26-in. bass, because it was an unusual accomplishment during that

Many states such as New York, Virginia and Maryland still have a commercial

time. Now, fast forward to the late ‘90s into the mid-2000s. Every angler, whether

fshery for bass. Without a doubt, the commercial fshery for stripers knocks of

a frst-timer or a seasoned striper hound, was bailing dozens upon dozens of

tens to hundreds of thousands of fsh each season, and the black market for bass

stripers per man each day, with plenty of fsh in the 30- to 45-lb. class. It was

may be twofold of what commercial angling legally nets. So an obvious answer

unreal. From Maine to North Carolina, recreational anglers were stacking trophy-

to protect the stocks is to eliminate the commercial fshery completely on the

caliber bass up like cordwood along the docks. Then photos surfaced that spread

East Coast and delineate the striper to gamefsh status, as states such as Maine,

like wildfre on the internet. They showed tens of thousands of trophy bass being

New Hampshire, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and South Carolina have

illegally gillnetted in Chesapeake Bay, and that sent of an alarm in the fshing

already done.

community. From 2009 until now, something has changed. Today, striper catches,

But it’s not all about curbing commercial interests. Next is the recreational

though still a quality afair, have been diminishing. The schools are thinner and

side of management. There is no reason to stack big breeder bass up on the docks

the catches of trophy-caliber fsh are harder to come by again. Some areas in the

each and every day.

Northeast see only a handful of younger bass of 20 to 28 inches. So now what?

Is it an alarmist point of view to worry about the stocks right now? Maybe,

“It’s a matter of education as I see it,” says Jim Hutchinson, managing director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA). “Guaranteed, there are some individuals,

maybe not. Brad Burns, president of Stripers Forever, ofers his take on what

or a bunch of friends, or a charter boat that will catch a limit of bass, and will eat

caused the major decline of striper stocks in the ‘80s and what could possibly

all that fsh—there’s no shame in that. But other anglers who are frst-timers or

be happening now. “In the 1970s, overfshing from legal commercial angling

tourists looking for a trophy, keep a mess of big breeder fsh, but then when they

and a recreational angling minimum 16-in. size limit with no bag limit reduced

are at the dock, have no clue what to do with the catch, saying they can’t possibly

the biomass quickly, where plenty of bass over 16 in. were being plucked from

eat all this fsh. It’s about education of the angler, teaching them about the

the waters at an alarming rate. Swift actions came to institute a moratorium in

species, its growth and history to instill respect for what they are fshing for.”

It’s not just about protecting big breeders either. Every stage of development is important. “Coast-wide, we have to protect young-of-the-year bass, as well as the big breeders,” says Hutchinson.

Environmental factors also play a huge part. “I believe the Clean Water Act

aware of it,” says Hutchinson.

But the real question is, can we aford to wait? We should have a proactive approach instead of a reactive philosophy. On the recreational side, I think a compromise can be reached to enact regulations that protect the breeders

combined with the moratorium of the ‘80s had a lot to do with the rebound of

(generally, a fsh over 20 lbs., at roughly 38 in. long, is a female fsh), while also

the population,” says Hutchinson. “In the ‘80s, the inshore waters of New York and

protecting the young stripers who mature to spawn at ages fve to eight years

New Jersey were a dead zone. But thanks to the Clean Ocean Act in the early ‘70s,

old. We can take proactive measures to manage the stocks within reason, without

ocean dumping was curbed considerably, so the PCBs being dumped into the

shutting down the fshing economy that brings a lot of business to coastal towns

Hudson River that destroyed generations of stripers was a diminishing factor.”

catering to anglers. I think we should:

But the recent decline in bass may not be due to just regulatory or environmental issues. Stocks could also be showing the efects of a reduced food supply, namely fewer menhaden. Although laws have prevented seiners from

1. End commercial fshing for striped bass and designate them as a gamefsh all along the coast.

2. Institute a sensible two-fsh limit per day, with a slot of one fsh between 23

coming from out of state, the feets are still allowed to fsh in federal waters past

to 28 in., and one fsh between 30 and 42 inches. There should also be a one fsh,

the three-mile limit. I can say unequivocally, that when you see a spotter plane

once a year option to keep a fsh over 42 in. long for keeping a true “trophy” fsh.

calling to the seiners to push inside the three-mile limit to net up all the bunker,

3. Continue to enact legislation to stop pollution of the waterways.

the bass are gone within a week, nowhere to be seen.

4. Strengthen protection for menhaden (bunker) schools.

Of course, the recent dip in bass numbers could also just be part of a natural

There is no panacea for managing fsh stocks at any level, but sensible

cycle for fshery. For instance, the 2011 spawning recruitment stocks point to

measures along with real education will bring positive results. Let us not forget

another solid run for 2016, but we have yet to wait that out. “It’s a cycle. We

the lessons of the past. We must learn from them and build upon past successes

shouldn’t be too scared of what we see at the present moment, but should be

to protect one of our greatest natural resources.

Florida Fishing Academy Captain Richard Brochu

BY CA STAFF

Capt. Brochu helps a student show off his catch.

Captain Richard Brochu is the founder of the Florida Fishing Academy (FFA) in Palm Beach County. Since 2006, FFA has used fshing as a way to teach kids positive life skills, steering them away from things like gangs and drugs and toward a lifetime of enjoyment on the water. FFA uses an after-school program along with summer camps and special events to engage kids with fshing, kayaking, snorkeling and other forms of watery fun. From just one school and 50 kids in its frst year, the program now reaches almost 2,000 kids annually across 10 different locations.

CA: How did you get started teaching kids about fshing?

One day, while picking up my daughter at her after-school

RB: It started with my daughter. I’m originally from Maine

to teach kids (like me) how to fsh. She said, “No, would you

and fshed when I was young. I didn’t start fshing again

like to start one?” So I did. We began with one program

until my wife bought me a rod and I started fshing in

in one school, but by 2009, it had grown to the point I

lakes here in Florida. I later got into fshing ofshore. I was

decided to do it full time.

program, I asked the instructor if there were any programs

a very avid fsherman, but I didn’t have a clue about what I was doing. I caught fsh, but mostly by accident. In 2006, I injured my back—not seriously—and had to take some time away from my construction business to let it heal. I got bored and decided I needed to learn more about fshing.

CA: Are you a better fsherman now? What did you teach the kids?

RB: I hope so! Maybe a little bit. I found a program used by the FWC [Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] called Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs. We started with that and it was great. I continued to refne the course and fnd out what works for us. I learned fast that

kids need to get involved doing things and be hands-

third group gets their turn, just the broken leftover

was more shocked than anything. We had to tell the

on. Mostly, we’re an after-school program, but we do

pieces are left. We tell them that the three groups

student that’s not the best way to handle things.

summer camps and special events, too. Right now,

represent three generations: their parents, them and

our minimum class is 10 to 12 weeks long with one or

their children. Right now, we’re in the second group.

two fshing trips.

If everyone keeps taking what they want out of the

We cover all grade levels, and in high school, we even do some job training and job placement. We also

water, there isn’t going to be much of anything left

CA: What’s the forecast for FFA in the near future?

for those who come next.

RB: Well, right now we’re in about seven elementary

recently adopted a new curriculum for high school kids. It’s from the LifeSkills Training Program and is

schools and in 10 facilities overall. There is plenty of demand for more programs—we just need staf and

water sports, but really we’re keeping kids on a clean,

CA: How do the kids respond?

healthy lifestyle. We basically teach common sense.

RB: With things like the crayons, you can kind of see

Boynton Beach. Our plan is to ofer jobs to our high

the light bulb go of in their heads. They really start to

school kids and give them some real-world work

get it. I’ve also found that if kids can get in the water

experience. They’ll have to go through a two-stage

to go snorkeling and see what’s below, then they

interview process and everything. Already, we’ve

have more of a respect for the ocean. When they’re

been able to give some of our high school kids job

standing up fshing, it’s personal now, not just “grab a

skills, like CPR and lifeguarding certifcations so they

fsh and go.”

can work as lifeguards. I can even hire some to work

proven to be very efective. We teach fshing and

CA: What kind of conservation message do you give?

RB: We talk about respecting the law and being

funding. One thing that’s new is we’re about open a Guy Harvey Outlet Store in a donated building in

responsible for the resources. Many of these kids

in our own camps. Beyond that, there are always

don’t even know there are laws to follow—that you

opportunities to do more.

to separate a class into three groups. We have a big

CA: Ever had a kid really surprise you while on the water?

selection of crayons and each group gets to take

RB: Yeah, I’ve had kids go up to people fshing on

CA: How can people get behind what you’re doing?

some. The frst group is told to take whatever they

the pier and confront them because the fsh in their

RB: We’re a 501(c)3 non-proft, so people can make

want and as many as they want. The second group

bucket is out of season or under the size limit. That’s

tax-deductible donations. We also accept donations

is told to take what they want but to think about

fne, but I had one kid actually pick up the person’s fsh

like vehicles and boats. And for people in the area, we

leaving some for the third group. By the time the

and dump them back in the water! I think the person

can use volunteers, too.

can’t just take any fsh you want out of the water.

So that, in itself, is big. One of the lessons we use is

The FFA boat has been decked out with a special Guy Harvey art wrap. Right: Florida Fishing Academy conducts both after-school programs in schools as well as day camps and special fshing trips that help kids experience the water frst-hand.

f f u t S WE t n a W Hot fnds at the super cool Miami Boat Show.

GEARHEADS :

BY GHM STAFF

I’ve been an adrenaline junkie my whole life. I’ve scuba dived with hammerhead sharks, I’ve done backfips from 60-foot-high cliffs, I’ve climbed 14,000-foot mountains and I’ve even texted while driving a moped, although that was at a red light. Yet, the sensory overload delivered by the Miami Boat Show still blows my mind.

The breadth of products for water nuts like me is more diverse than the randos in a Star Wars bar scene. From waterproof tape for repairing leaky hoses, to one-step waxes for chalky gelcoat, to 500-plus horsepower outboard engines to $50 million yachts, there is no turn left unstoned, as they now say in Colorado.

I survived fve days in South Beach (basically a real life Star Wars bar) climbing on boats, chatting it up with fshing folks, and trying to limit my intake of Cuban pork.

I failed miserably on that last part. Nonetheless, I was able to shovel through the thousands upon thousands of weird and wonderful offerings and identify some of the baddest products to hit the market since the water-powered jet pack, which, by the

Above: The show floor of the 2014 Miami Boat Show.

way, I tested out last year.

AB Infatables Eco-boat with recyclable aluminum hull and Torqeedo electric 4-hp outboard.

The X-Robot It’s not going to help you catch more fsh—unless you’re picking up some grouper at the fsh market—but this Segway knock-of goes 15 miles on a single charge and even makes geeks look cool. Unlike the Segway, which weighs more than 100 lbs. and is a bit bulky, the iRobotLA is only 30 lbs. and simple to stow away, even in a 17-ft. runabout. Plus, it’s an easy ride, or glide, to use the correct terminology. I cruised around the show foor like a pro on my frst try, then graduated to the hands-free iRobot-SC. Also 15 lbs. with a top speed of 6 mph, it’s kind of like snow skiing on wheels. I turned the gizmo by fexing my knees, just like carving on a groomed ski run. Needless to say, it’s impressive. The price point is about $2,500. Editor’s note: A Segway costs in the $5,000 to $7,500 range, it can travel up to 12 mph and go as far as 25 miles. For the price, ease of use and portability, my money is on the X-Robot.

www.x-robot.net

Green Rubber Boats Infatable dinghies are nothing new. Avon has been pumping them out for more than 50 years. However, AB Infatables introduced a new take on rubber boats with their light, aluminum hull RIBs. Produced in Columbia, South America, they use the same Hypalon outer tubes, but the foor is made with recyclable, marinegrade, unpainted aluminum with a non-skid floor. Best yet, it’s less expensive and lighter than a traditional RIB with a fberglass hull. At the show, the new UL (ultralight) version was outftted with a Torqeedo electric outboard, so not only is the hull environmentally friendly, but it can be powered on cheaper, cleaner electricity. The 8-, 9- or 10-ft. UL Eco is can be purchased through any AB dealer with or without the electric motor.

www.abinfatables.com

Mercury Marine's joystick steering control for outboards.

The “Joy” of Boating

Keep Your Bottom Clean & Green

If you’re old school and still keep a sextant in your boat “just in case,” then the

Back when I was young and dumb and full of um, energy, I tackled many a bottom

new Mercury joystick steering system probably isn’t for you. Joystick steering,

job. Grinding toxic paint of the bottom of a boat with a rotary sander is about as

which means you’re not using the steering wheel, has been around for a few years

much fun as diving headlong into a septic tank. These days, I don’t grind or paint

for pod drives and stern drives. However, now you can control your 250-300-hp

boat hulls. For that, I now pay people who, in turn, pay others to do it. Fortunately,

Verado outboard engines—from duals to quads—with your fngertips. All you

companies like Pettit, that have been making bottom paints since Socrates taught

do is twist and/or tilt the joystick and your boat will spin on a 360-degree axis,

Plato to write poetry, are now making non-toxic paints. At the boat show, Pettit

walk sideways or stay in the same location. The joystick transfers the calculations

was showing of their series of Hydrocoat paints,

from your overworked brain to the computer, which tells the motors what to do.

which are all water-based, replacing the harsh, toxic-

Perhaps the coolest feature is the Skyhook digital anchor. This keeps the boat in

smelling solvents contained in most bottom paints.

the same position regardless of wind, currents and tides. The outboard engines

Their Hydrocoat ECO is totally copper-free, keeping

work in sync with the steering so your boat stays on the same GPS coordinates,

heavy metals out of our waterways. Cleanup with

such as a fshing spot, without you ever having to touch the controls. Now, if it can

water instead of mineral spirits and gasoline are

make a ham sandwich and fetch a cold beer, it will be a complete system.

another reason Pettit’s Hydrocoat bottom paints have

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won many environmental awards. www.pettitpaint.com

Grill Your Chicken at Full Speed Lehr’s propane-powered outboard engines are not new to the market, but their 15 hp is. The company introduced propane outboards two years ago with their 2.5-hp four stroke. Last year, they launched the 10 hp, and in 2014, the 15 hp debuted at the Miami Boat Show. They plan to bring a 25 hp to market next year. These higher horsepower engines catapult Lehr from just hanging on tiny dinghies into the speedy world of small skifs. When the 25 hp comes online, even super lightweight fats boats could be in the mix. Propane is 97% cleaner than gasoline and about half the price per gallon. Plus, the tank is the same one you use for your barbeque grill, so fnding fuel is easy. Unlike the Lehr's 9-hp and 15-hp propane-powered engines.

new 10-hp electric motors hitting the market that require serious (and heavy) batteries and have limited range, propane engines weigh the same as gas powered motors

and go just as far. When fueling in a small tippy boat, you don’t have to worry about having a funnel and gas sloshing around and spilling. Final verdict: Propane rocks and the engines cost the same as a typical gas engine of the same horsepower.

www.golehr.com

Dungaroo for Poo In my younger years I lived on a rustic, 30-ft. wooden sailboat. She might have been ugly but man, was she slow! Problem number one (and number two) was the toilet. I had to hand pump waste to a storage tank.

Lift Your Spirits with the Sun

Then when the tank was nearly full, I’d go to a pumpout station and engage the electric macerator pump

There’s more glitz and glamour at the Miami Boat Show than a Hollywood red

to send everything “uphill” to the treatment center.

carpet walk of fame. But sometimes the best products, like boat lifts, fy under the

That was always scary and potentially disastrous.

radar. There’s just not a lot of sex appeal in a steel cable wrapped around a gray

And then there was the ever present smell that even

metal rod. That’s why the FlexPower Hydraulic boat lift by ShoreStation caught my

the most concentrated chemicals couldn’t seem to

attention. I’ve spent many an hour unraveling the boat lift wires that sprung out

quell. Sound familiar? Well, the folks at Sanitation Creations think they have a

like a rat’s nest when I lowered the lift too far. Unlike traditional lifts with electric

better system with a toilet called the Dungaroo. It’s a waterless, odorless toilet

motors pulling up a cradle by wrapping the cable around a long rod, this system

and it’s mechanical rather than electrical so no power is required. The Dungaroo

uses hydraulics and pulleys to raise your boat. It’s a cool system, in that all of the

uses special plastic bags that contain the odor. With every “fush,” an antimicrobial

guts are mounted on the dock in a box that is simple to access. Best of all, it works

substance drops into the bowl to kill the bacteria (the major cause of odor) and

of of a solar panel that charges a bank of batteries, so the energy cost is zero, and

viruses. The Dungaroo toilet seals, treats and stores the waste into a removable

there’s no need to run wires. If you’re in a remote location, that’s a huge beneft.

bag that can be tossed into any garbage can. Each bag is good for 30 uses. The

The FlexPower is twice as fast as a cable winder and, for dorks like me, it cannot

best part is the the Dungaroo is portable and can be placed in any boat, RV or

be over-wound or unspooled, so no more rat’s nests. It also comes with a 15-year

treehouse for convenient, easy use. Plus, unlike marine toilets that can’t handle

warranty. The only downside…it’s pricey—almost twice as much as a traditional

bulky items, this one welcomes toilet paper, feminine hygiene products and even

cable winder.

diapers.

www.shorestation.com

www.sanitationcreations.com

h s f n e d e v a R He Chasing monster reds in the Louisiana backwater is not for the faint of heart.

BY FRED GARTH PHOTOS BY TREY TODD

P

eople ask me why I don’t hunt. It’s simple. I don’t have anything against shooting wild critters in the woods, but I don’t have enough time for all the fshing I need to do. If I’m out there tracking Bambi, that’s time away from hooking a bonefsh or an angry bull red.

Fortunately, I have friends who hunt, so we have an effcient barter system—I give them red snapper and mahi in trade for venison and birds.

Like most fshermen, I have a long bucket list I have to complete before the Good Lord scoops me up in his net. So far, it’s going pretty well: Bonefsh on the fy rod in the Bahamas—check; leaping silver kings in Boca Grande—check; bull reds in Louisiana—check; permit on the fy—no check! Dangit!

Less than a decade ago, Louisiana bull reds were still on my bucket list. I’d caught big redfsh in the Florida panhandle where I live, but the conventional wisdom was (and is) that the marshes and bayous of Louisiana produced the world’s most humongous reds. Stories of catching 100 of the beasts per day haunted my daily thoughts.

“Reds” can be golden, too. Photo: Mike Frenette. www.venicefshing.net

Added to that was pressure from my old friend, Trey, a New Orleans

So in September 2007 (before deer season started), my truck and I took

native, who kept taunting me with epic fshing tales backed up with photos

the long and winding road south from New Orleans to the tiny community

of fat speckled trout and monster reds. Then it happened. Trey and some

of Venice at the southernmost point of Louisiana. I mean no disrespect to

other buds from New Orleans bought a fshing camp in Venice, the epicenter

women (unless you’re a woman who lives to fsh), but Venice is kind of a man

of fshing in Cajun Country. And I was invited to visit. When I say fshing

town. Yes, I realize how sexist that sounds. But, consider that Venice has no

camp, I’m not talking about a wooden hut with no running water and a hole

shopping other than bait and tackle, the accommodations are mostly cheap

in the ground to relieve yourself. No, this is a Man Cave of epic proportions.

motels, the restaurants serve mainly fried meat, gumbo and jambalaya, and

It’s basically a glorifed, double-wide trailer on a 90-ft.-long barge. There

the landscape is dotted with unsightly oil wells, tanker ships and work boats.

are four bunkrooms, three refrigerators, two icemakers, a full kitchen and

There are no beaches to dig your toes into, no shows to see in the evening, no

an air conditioning system that chills it to arctic temperatures to battle the

spas to soak in and no infnity swimming pools with comfy chaise lounges. To

Amazon-like heat of summer. Don’t get the wrong idea…it ain’t fancy. The

top it of, the river is muddy. If you don’t fsh or work in the oil biz, there are

barge is rusty, the paneling is cheap and the furniture is barely up to yard

very few reasons to visit. Vegas this ain’t.

sale standards. But it’s in the right location, it’s perfect for smelly fshermen

But I digress. I’d fnally made it to Venice and even I was a bit shocked by

and there’s a 26-ft. center console with a 300-hp four stroke in the locked and

the starkness of the landscape. On the fip-side, the barge accommodations

loaded position.

were perfect. I found a bunk, and we thawed some deer sausage and trout

fllets and feasted on heavily seasoned, wild-caught protein. A 20-year-old Panasonic stereo with a real turntable and actual albums crackled out some

cheese grits can turn an atheist into a Southern Baptist preacher overnight.

The next day, as we buzzed down river passing through miles and miles

Allman Brothers and ZZ Top. We talked of football, told fshing lies and spit

of marshland, the scenery became more appealing, even beautiful, although

tobacco juice into Styrofoam cups. I had landed in Man Heaven. And we hadn’t

there was no escaping the ubiquitous oil platforms—large and small. We

even fshed yet.

navigated miles upon miles of marshes teeming with birds of all shapes, sizes,

As our testosterone boiled over, Trey prepped us for the big event. We’d rise

and colors and, for a moment, I contemplated the cost of an Audubon Society

at fve, choke down some cofee, gnaw on some cold deer sausage and blast out.

membership. For one stretch of probably 30 minutes, thousands of freaked out

We packed the cooler that night with sandwiches and drinks, and had our rods

mullet jumped as we zoomed by on the glassy smooth bayous. I’m sure—and

rigged and bait well full of live shrimp, pinfsh and croakers. Here’s the thing

this is no fshing yarn—we witnessed

about folks in Louisiana…they use a lot of live bait. I’m more of a lure fsherman,

more than a million mullet jumping.

especially since I’ve become a fyfshing snob. But when I’m with the Cajun

The sheer preponderance of life blew

crowd, live bait is the lure de jour.

my mind as I thought of what was in

The third stooge in our group, Brent, was another New Orleans native by way of Key West. He grew up fshing for everything from mullet to lobsters in

store for us.

If you’ve never seen it, the Delta

the Keys from a 13-ft. skif with a 15-hp engine. He’s a helluva fsherman and

is vast, wet grassland with literally

his culinary skills are top shelf, too. Brent knows most of the top chefs in New

an endless maze of canals and cuts,

Orleans because he’s owned a few restaurants. The man’s blackened redfsh and

some barely as wide as the boat and

only a foot or so deep. Trey’s been running these waters for several decades and knows to turn left at that tall cattail or right at that patch of sawgrass. It all looked the same to me, and I was completely lost fve minutes after we left the dock. As we ripped along at full speed, I kept expecting another boat to meet us head on around one of the turns, something that has been known to happen. But not to Trey…yet.

We traveled a good 20 miles south from Venice to Redfshville. Down there, where the Mississippi River dumps into the Gulf of Mexico, it’s full-on fshing action. You have East Bay and West Bay (they didn’t use an ad agency to come up with those names) with myriad sandbars and channels and oyster reefs—none of which are visible to the naked eye when the water is muddy, which is often. Again, Trey knew where to go. He checked a few landmarks, watched his bottom fnder and directed me to toss the anchor. We settled in and put live croakers on our hooks about three feet below a red and white

Pink herons in a Cyprus tree.

plastic cork. Trey pointed of the starboard side of the boat.

“Toss it right there,” he said. “When the cork goes down, start reeling.”

And so we did. Within seconds, Brent and I were hooked up and Trey was taking pictures. To make a long story short, two hours later, we’d caught about 20 bull reds and our arms were like silly putty. Trey was laughing at us and we were weeping with joy. We left that hotspot, not because we stopped catching reds, but because we needed to rest our muscles and fnd some

Editor Fred Garth with a “small” red.

Louisiana fshing and oil rigs go hand in hand.

speckled trout. We ran out to a couple of small rigs in the Gulf where the water

By the time we got back to the fsh camp, the sun was dropping behind the

was a lot clearer. “We caught 50 trout here last weekend,” Trey said. Fifty! With a

golden marsh. In the distance, an oil rig’s exhaust tower was spewing orange

“limit” of 25 trout per person in Louisiana, Trey and his nephew flled the cooler

fames into the pinkish sky like a gigantic Bunsen burner. In a weird Venice-kind-

with “only” 50 trout.

of-way it was beautiful. We were covered in sweat, blood and six species of fsh

We switched to live shrimp and, again, the action was instant. We caught

slime. This was hard-core fshing, deep friendship, food and drink at its pinnacle.

speckled trout, sheepshead and even a few founder. Another two hours and a

Yep, Man Heaven was upon us. As I absorbed the whole experience, I wondered

bunch of photos later, we had to take a break again. Trey’s smile turned to a sly

how life could get any better. Then I realized we had two more days of fshing

grin when we stopped at another spot south of the rig and near the shoreline.

ahead of us. Amen!

We removed the cork and free-spooled some pinfsh. Within minutes, Brent’s pole bent over. Thirty minutes later, he dragged in a 20-lb. jack crevalle. That did it. It only took two beefy jacks to whip us and Trey knew it. He giggled like a little girl.

The day was coming to an end and so were we. A hot shower, cold beverages and

On August 29, 2004, Hurricane Katrina devastated southern Louisiana. The

some grub was sounding mighty fne. As we zigzagged at high speeds through

infamous fsh camp in Venice was washed almost a mile inland. The house on

skinny water and narrow passages, Brent was planning the meal aloud and talking

top was ripped apart (even though the deer head mounts survived) but the steel

about remoulade sauce, fried fllets, stufed baked potatoes and other mouth-

barge remained intact. They used a tractor to drag it back to the water and an

watering eats.

insurance claim to restore the fsh camp to its original rustic charm.

Trey Todd with coolers full of speckled trout.

A sunset over Venice’s shrimp feet.

The Redfsh Workout Plan If you’re considering a fishing trip to LA, there are some essential preparations you need to do before you go. First, be sure to hit the weightroom and work on your forearms and biceps. Do this for at least two weeks, gradually increasing the weight load. Then, before you go to bed every night, take two tablespoons of hot sauce (preferably Tabasco) followed by some ice cold beverages. This will get your plumbing right. If raw oysters are available, add two dozen with ample cocktail sauce to your bedtime ritual. Finally, at various intervals during the day, go outside and hoot and holler for 30-60 minutes, making sure your vocal cords are properly lubricated with more oysters. Although not required, it’s helpful to brush up on your French by adding the sound of an “O” (spelled eau or eaux—such as “bateau,” meaning boat) to most words. Be forewarned, even if you stick to this routine religiously, after a redfish extravaganza in Southern Louisiana, you’ll still gain weight from all of the good food and drink, but at least your arms will be a lot stronger and your language skills will be much improved.

Monster red. Photo: Mike Frenette. www.venicefshing.net

GUY HARVEY OUTPOST RESORTS

CAPTAIN’S ADVICE

BY DARYL CARSON

What makes a Guy Harvey Outpost different?

In St. Pete Beach, it’s Captain Tim. Ever think about chucking it all, moving to some warm beach and becoming a

glitz of waterslides and JetLevs, Capt. Tim gives the resort its soul. His passion

fshing guide? Sure you have. More than 20 years ago, Capt. Tim Kehoe did just

for getting people connected to the water and teaching them about their new

that. A native of Cape Cod, Tim learned to fsh to keep himself busy while his

playground embodies the real spirit of Guy Harvey Outpost resorts.

father was digging up clams. In 1990, he took a vacation to St. Pete area and his life took an immediate turn.

“I realized I could fsh 365 days a year,” said Tim, “so I went home, sold everything and moved south.”

Since then, Capt. Tim has been plugged into both fshing and the resort life.

In 2003, Tim, who is never at a loss for words, took over the RedBeard Sharktooth Tavern and began ofering an hour-long talk on fshing for anyone who wanted to listen or learn. Many people did, and the comment cards got back to management saying how much people enjoyed their time with Tim. So, when one of the TradeWinds properties became a Guy Harvey Outpost resort

He just ticked of his 15-year anniversary as part of the crew for the TradeWinds

in 2012, management tapped him to head the new Guy Harvey Outftter Shop.

Resorts on St. Pete Beach. When vacation-crazed families hit the TradeWinds

Under Captain Tim’s direction, anglers looking for a charter fshing trip—inshore

they expect the full package of beach-based fun: lots of fne, white sand, warm

or ofshore—are connected with a top-rated local captain and crew.

water, massive infatable toys, awesome views, things to paddle around and a whopping dose of sun-soaked vitamin D. Commanding a generous stretch of Gulf-front real estate, there are actually two TradeWinds properties, and they do not disappoint. There is the TradeWinds Island Grand, and just a couple hundreds steps away down the sand, there is the Guy Harvey Outpost, a TradeWinds Beach Resort. Visitors to these properties can enjoy water sports of all kinds, including electric-powered surfboards (you have

“When you Google ‘fshing’ in this area, something like 11,000 charter boats come up,” said Tim. “But I have a connection with a local network of about 40 operators who do everything from fyfshing to going way ofshore. We provide whatever experience the guests want.”

But for guests looking for a bit milder or family-friendly experience, Captain Tim ofers much more.

“I started out teaching people how to fsh. You can catch big fsh here,

to be creative to surf on Florida’s west coast) and the super-cool JetLev Flight

right of the beach. We call them TV fsh. And once you learn how to do it, it’s

Center. If you’ve never heard of JetLev, imagine strapping yourself to a massive

pretty easy. We’ve got 4-ft. snook, fve feet from the shoreline, so it’s a pretty

water pump and using it to blast two stories into the air to do acrobatics. By

unique opportunity.”

comparison, it makes roller coasters seem downright sleepy.

Now, throughout the week, Tim ofers classes on the most basic elements of

When it comes to fshing, the Guy Harvey Outpost has Captain Tim. He

fshing—how to cast a rod, how to use a cast net, how to rig tackle—and then he

points veteran anglers to honey holes and turns new recruits into fshing die-

takes groups out to fsh from shore. He teaches guests to use local bait and catch

hards. He’ll put a rod or a cast net in your hand, tell you the best bait to use,

their own threadfn herring, Spanish sardines or pinfsh. And, he said, depending

show you the sweet spots for casting and how to work your line. Beyond the

on the season, the possibilities for catching fsh are endless.

The Guy Harvey Outpost, a TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida, combines both incredible resort amenities with easy-access fshing. Captain Tim Kehoe, seen above with two young clients, connects veteran anglers with top local guides and ofers personal instruction for frst-time fshermen.

“The snook will eat anything it can get its teeth in,” he said. “I tell people we don’t always catch the big fsh, but the only way you’re going to catch a fsh is to put a line in the water. You can always fnd something to vibrate your line. We’ve got ladyfsh, jacks, redfsh, trout, bluefsh, mackerel, pompano and permit.”

When fshing slows down in the cooler months, or when guests are looking for more of a nature experience, Captain Tim ofers beach walks, usually early in the morning or toward sunset. Along the way, he points out the animal life that most people miss, along with some key

and persistence of erosion. He also talks about the impact that erosion, big

environmental factors most visitors never consider, such as beach erosion, a

tropical storms and hurricanes can have on fsh habitat. For most visitors, it’s an

huge issue in the area.

introduction into a world and an environment they had never considered.

“Blind Pass is one of our passes about a half-mile to the north of us, and from 1873 to 1926, it migrated almost two kilometers to the south,” said Tim. “Because of the tidal fows, it caused the delta to collapse.”

Tim uses satellite imagery and historical photos to illustrate the power

And for Tim, it’s just part of helping people discover a world he loves.

“On my day of, I go fshing, and most of my fshing is within fve miles of the resort. I can use satellite images to show people where I just caught fsh and where they need to go.”

GUY HARVEY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

ASK DEREK

BY ANTONIO FINS

Have a question about sharks or the marine environment?

Then Dr. Derek Burkholder is the guy to ask.

A research associate at Nova Southeastern University, one of Derek’s roles is to speak

shark research work?

to classes all over the world. No, he doesn’t have a Donald Trump-like travel budget—

With the nature of shark research, there are too many great experiences to count.

the majority of these sessions are done via Skype.

I have been able to travel around the world to some incredible places, and I get

Guy Harvey Magazine recently sat down with Derek to talk about his work with

to work with these large, powerful, majestic animals every day! However, I was

students, what they want to know and what he hopes they draw from the sessions. If

fortunate to be able to take part in a couple of deep-sea shark research cruises.

you like what you read, you can contact him at dburkholder@nova.edu to schedule a

Amazing people, lots of animals and some crazy weather to throw into the mix.

Skype session in your own classroom.

But it is pretty hard to beat pulling a fve-meter bluntnose sixgill onto the boat!

You grew up in Michigan. How did you connect with the oceans? What inspired you?

Why is speaking to kids so important to you?

I grew up in the woods and on the lakes and rivers around Michigan. I have always

people in response to things like marine conservation, it all has to start with the

loved the outdoors and especially the water. My family traveled to Florida for

kids. These are the people who will be making these decisions in years to come. By

spring breaks, etc., for many years growing up, and that love for the oceans started

interacting with and teaching students early on about the importance of a healthy

to grow. As my folks tell it, the frst time I said I wanted to be a marine biologist

ocean, and the role of some of the large marine animals we study, hopefully, we

was when I was nine years old, and we had just taken part in a swamp eco tour

can light a spark in a few of these students to pursue marine science and marine

in Florida with a biologist on the boat telling everyone what we were seeing. I

conservation as a career. Also, one of the best ways into the hearts and minds of

decided at that point that is what I wanted to do!

the older generations is through their children, so I believe that exciting students

Looking back, is there a teacher who inspired you?

and kids can impact change in their parents as well!

I have been very fortunate to have a number of amazing teachers over the years.

But Dr. Jef Carrier and Dr. Mike Heithaus have had the biggest infuences on me,

What do you want kids to take away from the Skype sessions?

especially later in my career development in marine and especially shark biology.

One of the great aspects of the Skype format is that I can speak with students in

Jef allowed me to get a foot in the door by taking me on a number of feld

Florida in the morning, and speak with people from Arizona, Australia or Pakistan

expeditions to help with his ongoing nurse shark mating behavior research in

in the afternoon. There are many people who may never see the ocean, and so

the Dry Tortugas. It was on one of these trips that I met my doctoral advisor, Mike

I feel that it is a privilege to bring a little piece of the ocean to these students

Heithaus, who has been extremely infuential in helping to shape and direct me in

around the world. The oceans (and ocean health) impact everyone on Earth,

my scientifc career.

whether we live on the coast or live in the middle of a desert. I want kids to begin

What’s the most amazing experience you’ve had in

to understand this global connection with the ocean, and to share some of my

I believe if we want to elicit changes in the ways of thinking and behavior of

Dr. Derek Burkholder is equally at home wrangling sharks or students. In addition to research conducted with Nova Southeastern University, he travels to classrooms, either in person or by live video, to share his passion for the oceans and marine science. Left: Check out that monster tiger shark.

passion for the oceans and these amazing animals I get to learn about. I also hope

students of varying backgrounds and age levels is that I get an amazing diversity

to raise awareness of some of the stressors that the oceans, and especially sharks

of questions. There are a few—Have you ever been bitten by a shark?, What is

and other large marine animals, are facing today and help them learn a few ways

your favorite shark?, etc.—that come up often. But after that, the questions are

that they can help out no matter where they live.

endless. The greatest thing about working in the scientifc feld is that we get to

On a recent day, you spoke to a class in upstate New York, a class in Utah, a class in Canada and a class in Pakistan. Did you do anything special to prepare for such diverse audiences?

ask questions for a living (and hopefully fgure out a few answers every once and

I have prepared a number of diferent lessons to present based on the audience.

These lessons are mainly broken down by age groups. However, a large portion of

Tell us about a cool, groundbreaking marine research project you’d like to do.

my lesson is based around questions that the students and teachers have about

I am very interested in the role that large-bodied marine animals play in the

sharks, the ocean, marine biology, etc. So in that format, it is a little bit easier to

ecosystems where they live. Sharks are a great model as many species fll the role

tailor it to each group, based on questions that are being asked. I try to do two

of apex predator in their ecosystems and can exhibit signifcant top/down control

rounds of questions. The frst set takes place before the lesson starts, and I use

in many ecosystems. The work of the Guy Harvey Research Institute, which is

those questions to gauge the knowledge and interest level of each particular

working to understand the habitat use and migration patterns of many shark and

class of students. I then give the lesson, which is followed by the second round

billfsh species, provides invaluable information to help us understand the role

of questions that the students come up with in response to what we talk about

these sharks may play in diferent areas around the globe. I would like to pair this

during the lesson.

habitat use/migration information with diet and behavioral studies to get a better

Has a student’s question ever stumped you?

understanding of the role of these animals in the marine ecosystem.

Yes, absolutely, one of the great things about talking to a diverse group of

Dr. Derek Burkholder can be reached at dburkholder@nova.edu.

a while as well!). There are times when the students come up with questions that I may not know the answer to, so I will try to do a bit of research and get back to them with the answers.

MEET THE CHEF

NEW LATIN EATS

BY GHM STAFF

Anthony Lamas is a three-time James Beard semi-fnalist who is renowned for his Nuevo Latino cuisine at Seviche, a Latin restaurant. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Seviche has spiced up a traditionally southern town.

Chef Lamas has been recognized for his talents by national print and television outlets, and in 2011, he won the Extreme Chef title on the Food Network show’s season fnale. More importantly to seafood lovers, Chef Lamas is also a Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Ambassador honoree, and is seriously passionate about using and promoting sustainable seafood.

When it comes time to put food on the table, it’s obvious Chef Lamas’s roots in the Latin culinary tradition run deep. He found his passion for food while working in his family’s Spanish restaurant as a child. Likewise, his mother’s heirloom recipes sparked his interest in the cuisine of his Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage.

By helping to prepare meals on the family farm and participating in Future Farmers of America, Lamas was practicing the “farm-to-table” philosophy before it was a national movement.

To pursue his dream of becoming a professional chef, Lamas trained with the San Diego Culinary Apprenticeship Program and worked with Jef Tunks at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort. There, Lamas explored West Coast favors while developing Pacifc Rim recipes, and he credits the acclaimed chef as his mentor. In 1992, Lamas took his talents and unique blend of favors to Louisville, Kentucky, which was an emerging culinary destination. He cooked with leading local talent while working toward opening his own restaurant. His style of cooking was unique to the area, and in 2005, he opened Seviche to rave reviews.

Chef Anthony Lamas | Seviche | Louisville, Kentucky

Coconut Tuna Seviche 6 lbs. Fresh, sushi-grade tuna ½C

Soy sauce

1T

Sesame oil

1T

Sambal chile

1T

Fresh, chopped ginger

6

Limes (juiced)

½C

Coconut milk

4

Fresh coconuts

1 oz

Micro cilantro

1 oz

Scallion

With the back of a knife, tap coconuts frmly in a straight line all the way around until they crack along the grain (do this over a bowl in order to catch the coconut milk). Reserve the milk. Each coconut half will be used as a “bowl” for presenting the seviche. Mix all ingredients except the tuna, cilantro and scallions. Refrigerate for two hours. Add the tuna to each coconut “bowl” and pour the broth over the tuna in coconuts. Garnish with micro cilantro and scallion. Seviche can also be topped with pico de gallo frst, then cilantro.

Ostiones a la Lamas ¼C

Diced Spanish onion

¼C

Diced Benton’s bacon

¼C

Diced, roasted and peeled poblano peppers

2C

Chopped, fresh spinach

1C

Heavy cream

1C

Grated Manchego cheese

¼C

Pernod

2T

Sea salt

20

Fresh oysters, shucked and removed from shells (reserve 20 shells)

1C

Bread crumbs

Sauté bacon and onion together for about 2 minutes until bacon gets a little crisp. Add Pernod and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add poblano and cream and reduce until mixture gets thick. Add spinach and salt and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Add cheese and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until mixture is completely cold. Add 1 oyster back into 1 shell and top with 1 T of mixture and then 1 pinch of breadcrumbs. Bake in oven at 450° for 8 minutes, then top with a pinch more of Manchego cheese. Serve on a bed of cabbage and pico de gallo and a lemon half on the side.

LAST CAST

HOOKED ON LEARNING Because this issue is dedicated to education, I’m compelled

an endless array of apps and editing tools, students have

to address the subject, even though school for me began

transformed boats, beaches and camps into classrooms. The

with lots of paddlings on the butt and ended with a fnal

key is getting them outside to discover this amazing world.

college class called Black Elk Speaks, in which we learned

After a few years as a sports writer for a daily newspaper,

how to build Sioux Indian sweat lodges by a river. I’m not

I was fortunate enough to get a job as editor of a scuba

kidding. I got two credits and learned how to chant Indian

diving magazine. What a gig! I traveled around the world

style. What can I say? I went to college in the granola state of

writing about fsh and sharks and reefs and super cool

Oregon. They do weird stuf out there.

diving inventions. I snorkeled with humpback whales on

The nice thing about that class was that most of it

the Silver Bank near the Dominican Republic; I dived with

was outside. We cut birch trees and skinned the bark. We

schooling hammerheads in Cocos Island, Costa Rica; I

collected rocks to put into the fre to heat the sweat lodges,

explored the extraordinary reefs of Palau and its famous

and we jumped into an ice-cold river. I think we were naked.

Blue Corner; and I toured the world’s largest underwater

The point is, it was a hands-on experience rather than

graveyard in Truk Lagoon, Micronesia, where hundreds of

studying books in the classroom. It illustrated what life after

Japanese ships and submarines were bombed by British

school was all about…learning by doing.

and American bombers as retribution for Pearl Harbor. Did I

Of course, back then, before personal computers

learn? OMG! I learned history, science, geography, math, bits

FRED GARTH

and the Internet, it was an either-or proposition. You did

For the past 25 years, Fred D.

classroom work and went to the library for research, or

Garth’s articles have appeared in

you went into the feld with a camera, pen and paper. It

it really starts. So, kids, I say to you: Go forth and pursue

numerous books, magazines and

was impossible to do both simultaneously. Now, in this

something you love and keep learning every step of the way.

newspapers around the world.

extraordinary new digital world, we carry the library into

Your life will be flled with satisfaction and great knowledge

Read his blog at:

the feld in our pockets. Our smartphones can access

that you can use to make the world a better place.

GuyHarveyMagazine.com.

any information we need. And, it’s a thousand times faster than going through the card catalogue at a library,

What can I say? I went to college in the granola state of Oregon. They do weird stuff out there.

of diferent languages and culinary specialties.

Learning doesn’t stop when school ends. That’s when

Speaking of which, I’d like to say something to all of those people who worry that kids spend too much time

which brings back

with their faces in their phones…when I was a student,

traumatic memories

my parents worried about me slouched in front of the

of whispering to

TV watching Gilligan’s Island after school every day for

a librarian who

two hours. Sure, kids abuse smartphones sometimes, but

thought I was an

watching the professor every week never hurt me. In fact,

idiot because I

I learned that some people aren’t as smart as they seem.

couldn’t spell Russian

Maybe the professor had spent all his time in a classroom or

author Fyodor

lab and that’s why he could never fgure out how to get of

Dostoevsky’s name.

that stupid island.

With streaming video in real time, GoPro cameras that flm underwater, smartphones with waterproof cases, and

I know what I would have done. I’d have used my smartphone.

Artifcial reefs aren’t just for open water. New column-style reefs designed for shallow water are being put under docks to improve their fsh holding power. Photo: Walter Marine.

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