Exciting Giant Sea Bass news!

[RyanT]

I have a friend, 80 yo, who studied lions all his life and lives in a very remote part of Zambia. He would never tell anybody the exact location of the lions, to avoid helping poachers and trophy hunters. I think we should be careful and do the same, when we talk about some fishes.

One of my colleagues who studies reptiles and amphibians carefully guards the locations of his study sites because the species he studies are vulnerable to illegal collectors for the pet trade. Unfortunately, guarding the location of individuals has the potential to hamper citizen science, but I agree, it's well worth considering.

 

[RyanT]

The trophy photos are saddening

I agree. On a positive note, however, these old photos can actually be useful in understanding historical patterns of marine fish sizes and population statuses. Here's the link.

Zooniverse

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

One of the GSBs Merry and I photographed at Hermosa Artificial Reef last month has been identified by Spotting Giant Sea Bass as the same individual they identified three years ago from Casino Point, Catalina Island. It is only the second large scale movement captured in their database, with the first one being a movement from Catalina to Anacapa Island.
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@Sam Miller III, I'm pretty sure that's my friend's little brother!!!

Hope all is well,
Jay

 

[geoff w]

I have a friend, 80 yo, who studied lions all his life and lives in a very remote part of Zambia. He would never tell anybody the exact location of the lions, to avoid helping poachers and trophy hunters. I think we should be careful and do the same, when we talk about some fishes.

I do the same with most local sea life I see that some clown could consider tasty, whether it's a protected species, or in a protected area. I've seen to many spearfishers walking in to the MPA near me with guns at their side, and after talking to them, watching them proceed to the water with their spearguns anyway. And when I see abalone, I don't even mention it to anyone

 

[drbill]

Kathy deWet-Oleson's efforts in tagging GSBs off Anacapa Island two decades ago revealed migrations between Anacapa and Catalina.

Historically these fish are said to have reached weights of 800 pounds more than a century ago. Dr. Larry Allen at CSUN measured one at nine feet.