Billfish Classic Dedicates Tourney to GCRL Scientists, Students
June 7, 2005
BILOXI – Dedicating books -- not fishing tournaments -- is common in the halls of academia, but the 2005 Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic is dedicated to the fisheries scientists and graduate students of the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs.
The ninth annual event is scheduled for June 8-12 at the Isle of Capri Casino Resort in Biloxi and is dedicated to GCRL in recognition of the Southern Miss lab's research on the biology of big game fish such as billfish, tuna and wahoo.
"The GCRL research team has participated in every Mississippi Gulf Coast Billfish Classic, collecting biological samples and recording data from fish brought to the weigh station," said Bobby Carter, tournament director. "They continue to make new and exciting discoveries through their studies on the biology and life history of these large offshore species."
For James S. Franks, fisheries biologist and leader of the lab's offshore fisheries research team during the tournament, the billfish classic is a scientific gold mine.
"The first time any of our research team had ever seen a giant bluefin tuna was at the 1999 classic," Franks recalled. "We knew they existed in the northern Gulf of Mexico, but they are rarely seen. Then the competitors brought in that 837-pound mammoth, and we were able to take biological samples. Since then we have sampled 400 to 800 pound bluefin tunas at the classic."
Franks said being part of the event for nine years has been a terrific experience.
"The tournament provides us the opportunity to collect samples from important pelagic species which are rarely sampled along the Mississippi coast at any other time of the year," he said. "Our offshore fisheries research team, including graduate students, looks forward to this chance to increase the knowledge base about these game fish."
The actual sampling process begins when anglers bring the large offshore fish in to the weighmaster at the dock. After the weighmaster determines the official weight, tournament personnel carry the fish to the lab's tent.
Franks' sampling team, made up of GCRL biologists and graduate students plus Mike Buchanan of the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources and his colleagues, are prepared. In a matter of minutes, a choregraphed dance of knives, measuring tapes and data sheets captures data and samples.
The team measures for length, opens up the fish to determine sex and to take samples of stomachs and reproductive organs, collects tissue samples for DNA analysis and, for some specimens, removes otoliths, or ear bones, from the head to determine the age of the fish.
Carter said that the classic as well as tournament sponsors and private donors support aspects of the GCRL research. He noted that the research expanded recently with funding from the National Marine Fisheries Service through the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission.
The new grant supports investigation of the early life stages of blue marlin in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The study will help define critical habitat and spawning grounds for the species in the northern Gulf region. The GCRL team has also been examining offshore habitat for the young of large pelagic fishes in the northern Gulf through a grant provided by the state's Department of Marine Resources.
"In conjunction with the biological sampling during the billfish classic, our offshore research will help us to determine critical biological aspects of large game fishes in this region of the Gulf," Franks said. "The samples collected in recent years at the classic are helping us with insights into age, feeding habits and spawning habits."
Franks cited tournament directors, boat captains, owners and anglers for making the billfish classic "one of the greatest fishing and fish sampling events in the Gulf region."
"We anticipate that our research will lead to a greater understanding and more effective management so that these special resources will thrive in the future."
The lab is part of the university's College of Science and Technology.
