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Fisheries

Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day.

Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.

 

 

 

The field of fisheries science is defined as the study of the industry or occupation of capturing, processing and selling fish, shellfish, or other aquatic animals. The primary responsibility of a fisheries scientist is to effectively manage the commercial and recreational fishing exploitation of the marine environment (Figure 1.). This is typically conducted by data collection from fishery dependent (fishers) and fishery independent (scientific research) sources for analysis and subsequent management decisions on issues such as fishing limits and quotas, time/area closures and protection of sensitive marine environments such as nursery areas, etc.

The location of the Florida Keys and the vast abundance of commercial and recreational fishing in the area make them ideally suited for those interested in fisheries science. We have established collaborations with many local, state and federal government agencies such as The Florida Keys Commercial Fisherman’s Association (FKCFA), Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC), and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) – Fisheries, as well as academic institutions such as The University of Miami – Rosenstiel School for Marine and  Atmospheric Science (UM-RSMAS) and Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Our goal is to provide a state-of-the-art curriculum in fisheries science through courses and field research that will result in immediate placement of our graduates into fisheries science industry.

We are also proud to announce our involvement with some ground breaking research on bycatch (i.e. unwanted organisms captured as a consequence of fishing) reduction for sharks and rays during fishing by using state of the art shark repellents (SharkDefense, LLC) as seen on the Discovery Channel during Shark Week (2006 – 2008). These technologies hold promise for reducing the mortalities of thousands of shark killed everyday during commercial and recreational fishing. 

 

 

Figure 1. Several types of commercial fishing practiced in the Florida Keys: a) and b) commercial shrimp fishing, c) and d) commercial pelagic longline fishing targeting tuna (Thunnus spp.) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius).     

 

 

Figure 2. Some highly prized recreational species of the Florida Keys including: a) sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), b) tarpon (Megalops atlanticus), and c) bonefish (Albula vulpes).