| MathGeek |
06-12-2012 05:06 PM |
MathGeek's Calcasieu Estuary Study: Bioindicators
Greetings All,
My wife Amy and I hit town Sunday PM and went to Calc Point where we began weighing and measuring fish for our study of the relative condition factor as a bioindicator of forage availability in spotted seatrout, red drum, and black drum as a follow-up on last year's study. This study will tell us how these three species and the things they eat are doing.
We've had a chance to meet a number of forum participants, and we are hoping to maximize participation by forum members bringing us the fish we need to weigh and measure. We'll be at Calcasieu Point again on Friday and Saturday from 10:30 AM until at least late-afternoon, and possibly until dark if there are still a lot of boats out.
The biggest challenge in the study is getting enough black drum to measure to accurately determine how the oysters and other mollusks are doing, as oysters are the primary food source of black drum. Please keep any black drum you catch on these days and bring them to us to measure. If you prefer not to eat black drum, we will take them from you and be sure they are given away if there is no one at the ramp who will take them. If necessary, I'll clean them myself and see that the meat is donated to a soup kitchen or needy family.
We also expect to need more bull red drum in the study. If you happen to catch a bull redfish, please bring it in for weighing and measuring.
Setting up at Calc Point rather than another launch was a tough decision, but we felt it would provide the best mix of the species we need with only one or two trips down to the jetties if we need more black drum. If you put in at Heberts and have a good mix of fish and would like to participate in the study, please stop by Calc Point and give us a chance to weigh and measure your fish.
|