2 days ago
Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo helps advance marine research
Dauphin Island, Ala. (WKRG) — Anglers hitting the water for the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo aren't just fishing for a big catch, they're actually helping perform a scientific study.
University of South Alabama professor Dr. Sean Powers has been judging the rodeo for 20 years, and he says there's a reason this specific event is so crucial to sea life studies here in South Alabama.
'Scientists aren't good fishermen,' Dr. Powers said. 'Just because we study it doesn't mean we're good fishermen. But these are the best fishermen.'
While Dr. Powers weighs the fish he sees, he's also taking some notes.
'The science footprint is just as big as the tournament,' he said. 'So, we have 100 young scientists out here that we're training and collecting data that's very, very useful for fisheries, management, and also training.'
With the help of University of South Alabama students, scientists are able to track all sorts of sea life patterns.
'We can also take that ear bone and run chemical analysis on it and see where that fish came from,' Dr. Powers explained. 'Did that fish come from Louisiana? That fish come from Florida, and all those things we can do because these fishermen are letting us sample their fish.'
It's a partnership Dr. Powers said he is extremely grateful for.
'It just the opportunity we wouldn't get normally without spending a tremendous amount of money,' he said. 'So we call this 'Fishmas' because all of them are bringing us presents every day.'
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