Seafood Handling Practices Webinar

Today, I conducted my first brownbag lunch webinar. It was on proper seafood handling practices. I provided tips on safely purchasing, handling and storing, and cooking seafood.

To view the recording, copy and paste the link below:
https://sas.elluminate.com/p.jnlp?sid=2010029&psid=2010-05-27.0955.M.930A45C6C59CD9DD10D0B76A957A29.vcr

4-H Tigertail Trip

Today I had the opportunity to get out of my office and take a local 4-H club to Tigertail Beach on Marco Island. If you have never been, it is an amazing place to explore. I often bring groups there to seine net in the lagoon and beach side. Today our catch included: bay anchovies, pinfish, pipefish, lined sole, shrimp, blue crab, fiddler crab, permit, whiting, and comb jelly. We also spotted Wilson Plovers, osprey, black skimmers, white ibis, snowy egret, and least terns. I think the kids (and parents) had great time. In addion to sampling with the seine net, I also gave a brief mangrove identificiation demo and talked about sea turtle nesting in the area. They were a great goup of kids. Not a bad way to spend my morning!

Frequently Asked Questions about the Oil Spill and Seafood

As the tragedy of the Deep Horizon Oil Spill unfolds I'm getting more questions about the safety of seafood. To help address this topic, our Florida Sea Grant Specialist Dr. Steve Otwell has put together a "Frequently Asked Questions" sheet on the subject. Too acccess the document visit:
http://collier.ifas.ufl.edu/SeaGrant/pubs/FAQ%20Oil%20impacts%20on%20Florida%20Seafood.pdf

2010 Afterschool Marine Dissection Program

For the second year I have partnered up with Collier's Migrant Student Program and Manatee Middle School to run an afterschool marine dissection program. I have a total of ten kids enrolled in the program. It lasts for 8 weeks. The first 5 weeks we spend dissecting specimens from various phylums (Sea Anemone-Cnidarians, Squid-mollusks, Sea Star-Echinoderm, Blue Crab-Arthropods, and Shark-Vertebrates)Then we take the kids on two field trips: 1)a lagoon exploration at Tigertail Lagoon, and 2) and estuary boat trip in Rookery Bay. The last week is a review of material learned and a graduation ceremony.

Week 1 Sea Anemone Dissection

Week 2 Squid Dissection

Week 3 Sea Star Dissection


Week 4 Blue Crab Dissection

Week 5 Spiny Dogfish Dissection

Week 6 Tigertail Beach Exploration

Week 7 Rookery Bay Boat Trip

Week 8 Graduation