The 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the impetus behind a research project at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, Ga., that will analyze the effects of spilled oil on blue crabs and grass shrimp. The researchers will examine the species growth under various conditions to see if the genes that regulate molting may have been affected.
The researchers also will send tissue samples, primarily from the shrimp and crab's endocrine organs, to a researcher at the Mercer University School of Medicine in Savannah to look for physiological or pathological changes. The study is funded by a $500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Although grass shrimp are not typically harvested as a commercial product, they are abundant in Gulf of Mexico salt marshes and estuaries, and are an important food source for many fish. Blue crabs are also a food source for many fish in addition to being a valuable commercial catch.
Read the full story at the Times-Picayune>>
Callifornia crabbing: Here's a fun video shot on the decks of the Majestik while catching Dungeness crab off the coast of northern California.
Over 500 lots of seafood processing equipment formerly owned by Adak Seafood will be sold at auction on Tuesday, June 18, starting at 10 a.m. Hawaiian-Aleutian Daylight Time at the Hilton Garden Inn in Anchorage Alaska.
The equipment is located in a recently updated 250,000 square foot state-of-the-art processing facility in Adak, Alaska. Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Hilco Industrial, which conducts 75 machinery and equipment auctions in a wide range of industries annually, will conduct the auction.
Adak Seafood opened originally as Ada Fisheries in Anchorage in 1986. The facility, updated in 2005, is located on the island of Adak, the southernmost city in Alaska near the western end of the Aleutian Islands. The facility processed cod primarily, as well as halibut, blackcod, crab and pollock, Hilco says.
Alaska fisherman and commercial fisheries activist Kevin Adams was elected chairman at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors meeting on May 9 in Anchorage.
The governor-appointed board consists of seven members: five seafood processors and two industry representatives actively engaged in commercial fishing. Adams was appointed to fill a harvester seat by Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2004.
With 38 years of fishing experience in Bristol Bay, Adams has long been an active member in the Alaska fishing industry, ASMI says. He has worked for both the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation and the Bering Sea Fisherman's Association, and represents Alaska fishermen on numerous boards.
National Fisherman has been the industry standard for over 50 years. Readers from coast to coast depend on it to stay up to date on news, regulations, fish stocks, to research purchasing decisions and to stay informed of the newest vessel and product technology.
