VASG to Discuss Collaborative Research Fellowship at AFS
Virginia Sea Grant Director Troy Hartley will be chairing a symposium about a pilot fellowship, which encouraged graduate researchers to work collaboratively with the fishing industry.
Virginia Sea Grant Director Troy Hartley will be chairing a symposium about a pilot fellowship, which encouraged graduate researchers to work collaboratively with the fishing industry.
Karen Hudson joined the Virginia Sea Grant Marine Extension Program (VASG) in February as the Commercial Shellfish Aquaculture Extension Specialist. “I had wanted this position before they even had this position,” says Hudson, who will act as the bridge between aquaculture researchers and the commercial growers, harvesters, and hatcheries. She adds, “I am really interested in aquaculture and what the industry is doing.”
“Kayak” Kevin Whitley recently became the first kayak-dedicated angler to achieve Master Angler status in Virginia. Whitley is also notable for his major contributions to the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program.
A cobia caught this June gives fisheries managers hope that the species could be a candidate for stock enhancement. Since its release, the hatchery-raised and tagged fish has three round-trips between the Chesapeake Bay and Florida Keys, doubled in size, and gotten caught at least twice.
“This is a very important recapture,” says Oesterling. “This one fish shows that cobia raised in a tank and fed pellet food will survive and behave as if they were wild fish when they’re released.”