GCRL Receives Donation from Local Coastal Conservation Chapter

The Bay St. Louis chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) will be announcing the donation of a fish hauling trailer to the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013 at the Sunset on the Bay event at the St Stanislaus Café in Bay St. Louis.

Representatives from both GCRL and the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR) will be in attendance to receive the donation. The trailer will be used to haul spotted Sea trout which have been tagged to the various sites where they are then released.

The Pilot stocking program, a partnership between GCRL and the DMR, tests the effectiveness of using hatchery-raised fish to enhance Mississippi's Sea trout population. The spotted Sea trout, Cynoscion nebulosus, known locally as speckled trout, is one of Mississippi's chief sport fishes. GCRL has long been involved in the development of culture and stocking programs for several recreational finfish species.

The lab has built a knowledge base about spotted Sea trout age and growth, reproduction and seasonal movements. A strong relationship exists between the lab and groups such as the CCA, especially through enlisting volunteer anglers in tag-and-release programs.

The Sunset on the Bay event will feature a live and a silent auction as well as great food from local seafood restaurants and door prizes. The Alley Cats featuring their New Orleans horns will be performing. This is the 10^th Annual Sunset on the Bay, which is billed as the “Biggest Party on the Bay”. Tickets are still available at these local businesses, Atlantic Marine, Bay Marina or Jack's Firestone; or contact Johnny Marquez: jmarquez@ccamississippi.org or 228-223-8476  

http://www.ccamississippi.org/upcoming-events/sunset-on-the-bay-.html

The CCA's stated purpose is to advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources. The objective of CCA is to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of these coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public.