Fantastic Fishes: The Bay Anchovy – Georgia’s Unsung Hero of the Estuary!
Tiny, oily, and not very exciting to look at–but absolutely CRUCIAL to the food web! 🐟💪The Bay Anchovy (scientific name: Anchoa mitchilii) are the snack of choice for just about everything bigger – like the popcorn of the estuary. They are filter feeders, swimming with their mouth open to gather plankton and other small critters […]
A Favorite Bait’s True Identify…The Mummichog
A male (top) and female (bottom) mummichog sit in the author’s hand.
Don’t let the Big Head Get to You!
Did you know that the bighead searobin (Prionotus tribulus), which commonly occurs in Georgia’s estuaries is a relative of the venomous lionfish? Fortunately, while this unique-looking fish does have noticeable spines around its head and many of its fins for protection, it does not possess the potent venom that its cousin possesses! Bighead searobins are […]
Pipe Up for the Pipefish!
The author holding a male chain pipe fish caught during a recent sampling trip.
So Many Tongues in the Estuary!
I might say this about several species we encounter during our sampling trips, but I can’t think of a fish that gets more chuckles (and perhaps a few raised eyebrows) from first time viewers than the aptly named, blackcheek tonguefish (Symphurus plagiusa). Tonguefish belong to a group of relatively small left-eyed flatfish that have elongated […]
Black Sea Bass, The Estuary Connection
For most local fishermen, the mention of black sea bass (Centropristis striata) conjures up visions of fishing offshore on one of Georgia’s many artificial or natural reefs. However, did you know this popular member of the grouper family also has strong connections to our state’s estuaries? Adult black sea bass spawn offshore, but their larvae […]
A Small Fish with a Big Personality…The Feather Blenny
This past week’s EFMC sampling in Sapelo Sound yielded an impressive mix of fishes that always generate excitement from our field crew; northern pipefish, ocellated flounder, black and rock seabass, big head sea robin, southern and spotted hake and freshwater goby to name a handful. We also caught one of my personal favorites, the feather […]
Rare find: Early Juvenile Red Drum
Last week, the EFMC (Estuarine Fish Monitoring Cooperative) trawl lead by Dylan Bedortha pulled up an early juvenile red drum (aka. red fish, Sciaenops ocellatus) near St. Catherine’s Island in Sapelo Sound. This is a very rare catch in our trawl nets. In fact, this is the first time in 5 years we have seen […]
The Next Wave of Coastal Scientists at Sapelo Island Visitor Center, February 8, 2025
Nothing says “welcome to marine science” quite like trying to throw an otter trawl net on dry land without getting tangled in it. That’s exactly how we kicked off our student research training workshop at the Sapelo Island Visitor Center in Darien, bringing together eager students from local universities and colleges for a crash course […]
A Day on the Water: Trawling for Science in Doboy Sound
Author: Brittany Dodge There’s nothing quite like the smell of salt air, the gentle rocking of the boat, and the thrill of pulling up a net full of mystery from the depths of an estuary. Today, we’re out on the water in Doboy Sound, conducting another round of otter trawls for the What’s My Bait? project. […]