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Photographer Joseph Shields - 12 Julie Davis - 16 Trawling For Bait - 18 July 2016
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I n the T ides 05 Editor’s Note 06 Community Updates 08 One More Cast 09
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10 Gray’s Reef - Diving in the Dark
912-674-1085 or 912-674-0838
11 Did You Know? Pipefish! 12
Photographer Joseph Shields
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SkIO Teacher’s Cruise
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Women of the Water: Julie Davis
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22 The Bitter End 23
Fishin’ For Jamie
About the Cover: A Rising Tide - High Tide on the western marsh, Tybee Island. Photo by Joseph Shields
July 2016
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
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Staff
Specializing in redfish (spot tail bass), tarpon, sheepshead, trout, flounder, striper, cobia, and shark.
Publisher/Editor – Amy Thurman amy@southerntidesmagazine.com
Captain Brian Woelber (912) 308-5991
Assistant Editor - Amelia Dence amelia@southerntidesmagazine.com
Savannah
SC Feature Writer - Cameron Rhodes thetailingfish@gmail.com The Bitter End Columnist - Captain J. Gary “Gator” Hill jgaryhill@gmail.com One More Cast Columnist - Captain Brian Woelber captainbrian@onemorecast.com Gray’s Reef Contributor - Michelle Riley michelle.riley@noaa.gov Marine Patrol Contributor - Srgt. D. Walker info@southerntidesmagazine.com SkIO Contributor - Michael Sullivan mike.sullivan@skio.uga.edu
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Southern Tides is a free magazine published monthly and can be found at multiple locations from St. Marys, GA, to Beaufort, SC. PO Box 30724 Wilmington Island, GA 31410 (912) 484-3611 info@southerntidesmagazine.com www.SouthernTidesMagazine.com Visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/pages/southern-tides-magazine Follow us on Instagram at southern_tidesmag Follow us on Twitter at Southern Tides Southern Tides Magazine is printed by Walton Press, Monroe, GA
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July 2016
E ditor’s N ote
Know? on page 11 for more on this unique critter), sea robins, toadfish, stripped burrfish, and puffer fish. But on one drag we pulled up something we weren’t familiar with, pictured at bottom. My friend Jamee Barnard (you might recall her from last month’s Women of the Water feature) thought it might be a juvenile trigger fish, and that was my first thought, too. If you know, please drop me an email and share! Also this month, I spent a morning with Captain Michael Purvis, the new owner of Adams’ Bait House, in Thunderbolt, to learn about trawling for bait shrimp. It was a beautiful day and it’s never a chore to get out on the water and learn
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t’s been a great month! From a business standpoint, the magazine is doing well and we’ve taken on six new ads with this issue! Please welcome (in alphabetical order): Adams’ Bait House, in Thunderbolt; C & M Charters (Captain Mitch Martin), on St. Simons Island; Captain Tripp Lang’s Charters, in St. Marys; Ogeechee Marine, in Richmond Hill; Pinault’s Defensive Solutions, in Richmond Hill; and Thunderbolt Charters (Captains Rick and Jeremy Reynolds), in Thunderbolt. Thank you so much for supporting Southern Tides and allowing us to help grow your businesses! This also means we have charter captains for our readers all along the coast. It might look a little crowded with the new ads, but if we can sign up just a couple more this month, we’ll be able to add eight more pages with the next issue. We’re growing! Our subscription list is growing as well, with several new subscribers this month. Welcome! I’d like to offer a special thank you to Olivia Evans, of Atlanta, who will now be known as The Best Reader Ever! She’s earned this title through her efforts in promoting the magazine to her friends and associates and bringing us six subscribers. If this doesn’t seem like a huge number to you, ask yourself when you last convinced your friends to subscribe to a publication just because you liked it! Thank you Olivia! I was able to get out and work a few eco charters this month with Bull River Cruises and Captains Mike and Buddy. As usual, we pulled a trawling net to give passengers a handson experience with what lives under the water. In addition to the usual shrimp, blue crabs, small flounder, and hog chokers, we also pulled up pipefish (see Did You July 2016
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
something new! Many thanks to Michael and his grandfather Earl Gantt (pictured with me, above) for a great day and for the education! For the first time in recent memory, I also got to spend actual leisure time on the water! The boyfriend and I rode down to St. Marys and spent a morning fishing with Captain Tripp Lang. Yes, instead of reading about fishing in articles contributed by our writers, I actually got to catch a few! It was a lot of fun and the speckled trout and black drum we caught were delicious! Thank you for a great fishing experience, Tripp! We’ll definitely go back and do it again, and hopefully get a chance to do a little fishing with other local captains as well. Lastly, I want to send out a big thank you to all of our readers and a special thank you to those who tell us how much you enjoy the magazine. It’s why we all put this together every month. Be safe!
Amy Thurman
Editor-In-Chief
amy@southerntidesmagazine.com
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Community Updates Summer Camp – Building Boats and Exploring Pluff Mud The Port Royal Sound Foundation (PRSF), in partnership with Charleston’s Lowcountry Maritime Society, will hold two youth summer camps, July 18 – 22, and July 25 – 29. The camps will be held at the PRSF Maritime Center (310 Okatie Hwy, Lemon Island) from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Campers will build wooden skiffs and participate in junior naturalist activities. Cost is $325/child (ages 10 and up), and includes a commemorative t-shirt and daily lunch. Thanks to generous donations there are some scholarships available. Call (843) 645-7774 for more information or to register your child.
Gray’s Reef Summer Film Series
GameDay Sportz
Tybee Post Theater presents Gray’s Reef Tuesdays, a weekly film series featuring the wonders of the ocean and the Georgia coast. Films will be shown every Tuesday in July and August, at 7:00 p.m., at Tybee Post Theater (10 Van Horne Avenue, Tybee Island). A suggested donation of $5.00 would be appreciated; all proceeds will benefit Gray’s Reef and Tybee Post Theater. Beer, wine, soft drinks, popcorn, and candy are available for purchase Photo Provided by GRNMS from the concession stand. For film listings, visit tybeeposttheater.org, or call (912) 472-4790.
UGA Skidaway Institute Receives Funding for Regional Glider Network
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University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (UGA SkIO) researcher, Catherine Edwards, is leading a team that has received a 5-year, $750,000 grant from the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) to establish a regional glider network. Also known as autonomous underwater vehicles, the gliders are torpedo-shaped crafts that can be packed with sensors and sent on underwater missions lasting weeks at a time to collect oceanographic data. The team will work collaboratively to operate regular glider missions on the continental shelf in an area from North Catherine Edwards assembles the tail cone assembly of a glider. Carolina to Florida known as the South Photo provided by UGA SkIO Atlantic Bight. Regular coordinated experiments will involve simultaneous deployment of gliders at multiple locations off Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Sensors on the gliders will allow the team to map temperature, salinity, density, dissolved oxygen and other scientific data over the entire South Atlantic Bight. The data will help scientists understand ocean processes and how ocean physics may affect fisheries. 6
SouthernTidesMagazine.com
July 2016
Savannah Resident Sets New Women’s State Record for King Mackerel The Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) has announced a new women’s state record for king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla), landed by Jessica Pace, of Savannah, Georgia. On May 21, 2016, Pace caught a 45-pound, 7-ounce king mackerel while fishing the R6 Navy Tower with Captain Tommy Smoak aboard Smoak’in. Pace’s new state record replaces the long-standing record of 42-pounds set in 1982 by Joyce Richards. Pace received a certificate from the GA DNR acknowledging her record catch, which will be added to the Georgia Saltwater Gamefish Records list published at www.coastalGADNR.org and included in the 2017 Georgia Sport Fishing Regulations. Anglers wishing to enter a fish for a new state record must have the fish weighed on a Georgia Department of Agriculture certified scale, in the presence of at least one witness. Certified scales can be found at local seafood markets, grocery stores and feed-and-seed stores. During business hours, anglers can have their catch weighed at the DNR Coastal Regional Headquarters in Brunswick. A listing of the rules and current men’s and women’s records can be found at www.CoastalGADNR.org, along with information on how to submit a fish for consideration, and the minimum weights for several species. In addition to an accurate weight, it’s important to provide several photographs of the fish along with the application. For more information, contact the Coastal Resources Division at (912) 264-7218.
Savannah resident Jessica Pace with her record-setting 45-pound, 7-ounce king mackerel. Photo provided by GA DNR
Isle of Hope Marina Presents The Pavillion Series Featuring live music, dancing and refreshments, Isle of Hope Marina’s Pavillion Series will take place on the third Thursday of every month, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., at the marina (50 W. Bluff Dr., Savannah) The event is free to marina boat owners, but open to the public ($7/adults, $2/children). The July event will feature local band The Train Wrecks, Connect Savannah’s 2015 Best Local Country/Americana Band. For more information call (912) 354-8187. 2015 Best Local Country/Americana Band, The Train Wrecks. Photo provided by The Train Wrecks
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One More Cast By Captain Brian Woelber
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We get you back on the water ... Yamaha Sales & Service Brian Fritts - Owner
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Southern food with Caribbean flair prepared with fresh local ingredients
t’s been a great month of fishing so far! On the inshore, flounder, trout, and redfish are getting into full swing. Spanish mackerel are here and the bite is picking up. We’ve been catching a lot of flounder and it’s only getting better. We’ve been using Cajun Thunder rigs with live shrimp, mud minnows and finger mullet, fishing on lower tides along oyster rakes for plenty of keepers each trip. The trout seem to be a little spotty (pun intended). Again using a Cajun Thunder rig with either live shrimp, mullet or pogies. The big trout bite should be starting around the second week of July, and big trout feed on big baits. When we target these trout, we use mostly live mullet on a Carolina rig in 15 to 20 feet of water. Now, with the trash fish moving in (you know the ones that eat just the legs and tail off your shrimp), using a mullet stops the yellowtails and croaker from stealing your bait. Trust me, a 12-inch trout will eat a 5-inch mullet! Or you could try the D.O.A. shrimp, in either chartreuse or gold flake, under corks. The big bull reds are starting to slow down and slot-sized reds seem to be spread out a little. We’ve been finding them schooled-up on low tides, and cut pogies or mullet seem to be the key. Gold spoons pitched into the grass edges have been productive on high tides, over oysters. Gold spoons are easy to use, just pitch it out and keep a steady retrieve. The good news is, we’re seeing a lot of small, undersized reds, every day, which means we should have a great season this fall! Tarpon season is about to begin also, along with the big jacks. Use big tackle: 40-pound line and eight to ten feet of 60- to 80-pound flourocarbon leader. Circle hooks are a must for live release of fish. Although it can be a little spotty, we’re still catching fish, so there’s really nothing to complain about but maybe the heat! Good luck and good fishing! Remember – release a fish today so you can catch two tomorrow!
Email Captain Brian: captainbrian@onemorecast.com
(912) 201-3630 2815 River Drive • Thunderbolt, GA Visit us on Facebook for daily specials! Locally owned and operated
Good variety on the last day of Cobia fishing at the Snapper Banks. Photo by Captain Brian Woelber
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SouthernTidesMagazine.com
July 2016
W hat K not! A
By Sergeant D. Walker Chatham County Marine Patrol
hoy! This month’s topics for discussion are idle speed and wake zones. Working on the waters of Chatham County and enforcing the Georgia Boater Safety Act and laws with the Chatham County Marine Patrol, we get a lot of questions about the different types of idle speed zones and wake zones throughout the county, and what the differences are. There is no difference between the two; the actual wording of Georgia law (OCGA 52-7-20) reads, “Failure to Obey Regulatory Marker,” commonly known as the idle speed law or the no wake law. Idle speed is defined as just enough throttle to maintain forward momentum and steerage in your current situation, and will change as environmental conditions change. For example, if you’re traveling against the wind and tide you’ll have to increase throttle to maintain forward progress. If you’re traveling with the tide and wind you won’t need as much throttle to maintain steerage. A wake is the action created when traveling above idle speed. When your vessel travels through the water it displaces or pushes water out of the way; the faster you go, the more wake you create, which continues to travel until it finally diminishes or hits something like a Example of idle speed sign for all vessels. boat, a dock or the shore. The more Photo by Officer Gene Maxey wake you create, the more damage you could cause someone’s property, which you are responsible for. Understanding the different types of idle speed zones could make the difference between a good day and an expensive day, out on the water. First are the “all vessels” zones. Just as it states, all vessels must come down to idle speed between the posted signs. Next are the “26 feet and over” zones. This means if the vessel you’re operating is over 26 feet long, you must come down to idle speed. If your vessel is less than 26 feet you do not have to slow down. You do still have to abide by the 100-foot law and stay 100 feet away from any stationary objects (including anchored boats), regardless of posted idle speed or no wake zones. Other coastal counties may have additional zones, such as one in Chatham County, at Coffee Bluff Marina, which is a “20 feet and over” zone. Any vessel less than 20 feet in length doesn’t have to come to idle speed unless it cannot clear a stationary object in the water by 100 feet. Also of note for Chatham County boaters, although signs have not been erected at the time of this article, Bull River, at Bull River Marina, is now a state approved “all vessels” zone. Please look for these signs in the near future. I hope I’ve cleared up some confusion with idle speed zones. We’d like to remind everyone to plan your outings, file a float plan with a family member or close friend, and enjoy your summer boating! Be Safe! July 2016
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Diving in the Dark By Michelle Riley
Communications and Public Outreach Coordinator Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary
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A spiny lobster out foraging at night. Photo provided by FGBNMS/Emma Hickerson
uly is a big month for research at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS). Several universities and NOAA divisions, including Valdosta State, Georgia Southern, University of Connecticut and NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) are taking the opportunity to utilize NOAA ship Nancy Foster and R/V Sand Tiger to conduct ongoing studies and observations in the sanctuary. This year, for the first time in GRNMS staff memory, a scientist and his team will conduct dives in the dark to observe predator/prey interactions, or, as GRNMS Superintendent Sarah Fangman wryly notes, “to see who’s there and what they’re having for dinner.” Peter Auster, Ph.D., is a Research Professor Emeritus of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut and Senior Research Scientist at Mystic Aquarium. For years, he has studied the behavior of predators and prey at Gray’s Reef, with some interesting results. For example, Peter has found that barracudas drive schools of prey fish down to the bottom of the reef, thereby bringing food to the bottom-dwelling, benthic predators. Similarly, benthic predators can push prey fish up into the water column, offering tasty meals to pelagic, mid-level predators. Sometimes Peter has observed predators hiding among innocent spadefish, just like a fox in the hen house! A corresponding element of the project involves remote sensing, conducted by Fabio Campanella, a researcher at the NOS lab in Beaufort, North Carolina. Fabio uses fisheries sonar data to study how different species of fish are distributed over reefs and how that
changes between day and night. Fabio collects his data topside, aboard the Nancy Foster. Over the years as he has bounced sound off the bottom of the reef, he and Peter have noticed that fish behavior and distribution rapidly change as the sun sets and rises. Peter and three other divers on the Sand Tiger will dive during this “change-over” period to observe exactly what the fish are doing, essentially how predators and prey change their behaviors. Perhaps the prey fish feel safer in the dark and are spreading out in order to feed without the threat of visual predators. The team aims to find out. GRNMS staff members support the researchers. The team employs the Diver6 diver tracking system, which uses acoustic wave technology to transmit data between topside and diver. Diver surface signals, called safety sausages, are equipped with LED lights for the night dives. Special lights minimize the impact of light on the fish being studied. To learn more about these night dives, the public is invited to tour the Nancy Foster on Sunday, July 17, the day after she returns from the research trip. The ship will be docked on River Street in Historic Savannah near the Hyatt Hotel, and free tours will commence every 20 minutes between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. See more on Gray’s Reef’s Facebook page at facebook.com/graysreefsanctuary, or the website at graysreef.noaa.gov.
Email Michelle: michelle.riley@noaa.gov
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D id Y ou Know? The Northern Pipefish (Syngnathus fuscus) is related to the seahorse. •
Pipefish are typically six to eight inches in length, have a tube-like snout, and are covered in rings of scales
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Like the seahorse, the male of the species carries and incubates the young - the incubation period is about 14 days
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Pipefish don’t make great parents; what embryos they don’t eat are left to care for themselves after hatching
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They live in shallow estuaries during the summer months and move to deeper, near-shore waters in winter
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Pipefish feed mostly on small crustaceans, but will also eat fish eggs and other small marine life
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They protect themselves from predators by floating vertically in beds of seagrass Pipefish data provided by Erin Weeks, SC DNR Below: Mature pipefish range in size from six to eight inches. Image provided by Southeastern Regional Taxonomic Center/SC DNR
The Landings Marinas The Waterline Up crew would like to thank all of our loyal customers for your business!
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Easy access to the ICW, the Atlantic Ocean, and nearby islands. Wet and dry storage available. 600 Priests Landing Drive Savannah, GA 31411 (912) 598-1901 www.landingsmarinas.com
Tybee Island Impressions with Photographer Joseph Shields
By Amelia Dence, Photography by Joseph Shields
T
he gift of a Minolta XG-1 for Christmas in 1980, followed by a trip to New York City shortly thereafter is what started artist Joseph Shields’ love of photography. A few short months later Shields moved to Tybee Island. “I was struck with what a beautiful place it was,” he recalled. Over the years, Shields’ career as a photographer has taken him from a gallery in Savannah’s City Market, to shooting stock photographs for Getty Images and Arcangel Images, and onto the covers of novels by authors such as Danielle Steel. Shields describes himself as a perfectionist with regard to putting all the elements of his photos together. “Like a conductor getting a symphony to play a piece how it should be played,” he said. For him, the opportunity to live and work on Tybee Island, what he refers to as his “own outdoor studio,” is both a blessing and dream come true. This Photo: Solitude Beach swing in the fog.
Above: Marsh Kitty Enjoying the evening near Lazaretto Creek. Below: Handwritten Invitation Sign marking a private beach path.
Above: Arch and Stairs Taken inside Fort Screven. Below: Capitan Found washed ashore on North Beach.
Above: Misty Lighthouse Tybee Light in afternoon fog. Above Right: Sand Castle North Beach Sand Arts Festival.
Joseph Shields (photo at right) has published a book of his photos titled Tybee Island Impressions (cover shown at left). It is available for purchase through his website www.josephshieldsphotography.com or at blurb.com. You may contact him at focus@josephshieldsphotography.com about his work, book signings and photography exhibits.
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Teachers Join Research Cruise By Michael Sullivan Skidaway Institure of Oceanography
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oCasta Green became a teacher after she was told as a child she couldn’t be a scientist because she was a girl. In May, the pre-K teacher from Decatur, Georgia, achieved a small piece of her childhood dream by joining a research cruise aboard the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography’s (SkIO) R/V Savannah. Green was one of two teachers on the overnight cruise, some of the first to participate in a cooperative program between UGA SkIO and Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education (i2STEMe). UGA SkIO scientist Marc Frischer led the cruise with the aim to hunt, collect and study doliolids – a small gelatinous organism of great significance to the ecology and productivity of continental shelf environments around the world. Green and middle school teacher Vicki Albritton, of Savannah, were able to actively participate in the research activities. “I think giving any teacher the opportunity to come out to sea is an amazing experience,” Frischer said. “I think it’s transformative, but to have them integrated into the research, we haven’t really done that before.” Green and Albritton participated in the deck activities. They helped launch the CTD (conductivity-temperaturedepth) sensor packages, and deployed plankton nets that concentrated a wide variety of tiny marine creatures into a small container. The two teachers then worked with the science team in the darkened wet lab to sort through gallons of water and isolate the doliolids they were seeking. “I was hoping to see science in action, and I did that, all day long,” Albritton said. “I got to participate and learn what was going on and take many pictures, and now I have a wealth of information to take back to the classroom.”
JoCasta Green (right) learns how to prepare a conductivity-temperature-depth sensor array for deployment with the help of Natalia Lopez Figueroa from Hampton University. Photo provided by UGA SkIO
Albritton says an experience like the cruise raises teachers’ credibility in the classroom, because the students see the teachers going out to learn more themselves. “If I want them to be perpetual learners, then I need to demonstrate that same trait,” she said. Although Green admitted she was nervous about the cruise initially, she credited the scientists with making her comfortable. “They were great teachers,” she said. “I understood what we were doing and why we were doing it.” Albritton echoed Green’s thoughts and cited the graciousness of everyone she encountered on the cruise. “There was genuine respect for all of us as professionals in our fields. That was really wonderful,” she said. The goal of the i2STEMe program is to improve the teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics at all levels from kindergarten through college, throughout coastal Georgia. Five additional doliolid cruises are scheduled this year with space available for up to four teachers on each cruise. Both Green and Albritton said they would encourage their fellow teachers to take advantage of opportunities like this. “You would be crazy not to, in terms of learning and what you can bring back to the kids in your classroom,” Albritton said. “It’s an experience you will never forget.”
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Women of the Water
Julie Davis By Amy Thurman When compiling the list of women to feature in our Women of the Water series, Julie Davis immediately came to mind. I had the pleasure of meeting her last fall while writing the oyster farming articles in Beaufort, South Carolina, then again on the black gill cruise some weeks later, and in both instances she was passionate and enthusiastic about her work and happy to share her knowledge. Meet Julie!
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riginally from a small beach community on the Northumberland Strait in Nova Scotia, Julie Davis, now a Beaufort, SC resident, grew up clamming, snorkeling, and swimming in her native waters, and exploring the flats at low tide. It could be this early exposure to the water that influenced her path in life and continues to do so today. After high school, she studied marine biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax. While attending, she took a course in 16
coral reef ecology at the Bermuda Biological Station (now the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences), and was fascinated with the subject. After receiving her degree, she won an internship at the St. Eustatius National Marine Park, in the West Indies, to participate in a study on queen conch. As part of the internship, Julie supervised dives aboard the Caribbean Explorer, an Explorer Ventures liveaboard dive boat, advising clients on safely exploring the area’s coral reefs. When her internship was completed, she took a one-year contract with Explorer Ventures, this time on a boat with itineraries in the Turks and Caicos archipelago, working as a dive instructor. It was there she met her husband, Brian, a co-worker who also shared her love of the water. When her contract was up, she accepted a position with a local conch farm. There she drew on what she’d learned in the queen conch study in St. Eustatius, but added aquaculture to the equation, serving as the grow-out manager and researching better practices to improve production. During this time the islands were experiencing a great deal of construction and development and Julie was asked to consult on the environmental impact to marine life. “It was a great experience. We relocated coral to reef balls to avoid losing it to construction sites, monitored dredging operations to minimize damage to sensitive habitats, and worked to reduce the impact of development on the marine environment,” she said. Several years later when her projects with the conch farm and the environmental consulting came to a close, she and Brian moved across the archipelago to South Caicos and took positions with a large restaurant company undertaking SouthernTidesMagazine.com
July 2016
innovative research on spiny lobsters. “We studied baby lobsters, about an inch long, to determine how many were recruiting onto the Caicos Bank. We’d go out on the correct moon cycle, assess their development stages, then return them to the reef,” she said, her enthusiasm evident in her voice. “Over a period of two years, we worked closely with a team of local fisherman; it was a great partnership! Finding lobsters and putting in long days was possible because of them, their work ethic and enthusiasm.” Despite excellent results and the area showing promise for lobster aquaculture, the project ended after two years due to political instability in the area and opportunities for the company in other areas. Julie found herself in limbo. “It’s quite expensive to live there,” she said with a laugh, “being unemployed wasn’t optimal.” Around that time, she got a call from a friend and former scientific advisor at the conch farm, who was then a professor at the University of South Alabama. Her friend advised that Bill Walton, who ran Auburn University’s shellfish laboratory, was looking for a graduate student for his program. “I hadn’t planned to go to grad school,” Julie said, “but this was a great opportunity.” The program was partially funded by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium (Sea Grant) to study off-bottom oyster aquaculture. After completing her graduate degree in under two years, Julie accepted a position with South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium, where she serves as the Living Marine Resources Extension Specialist. In that role, she works with fishermen, shellfish farmers, and other aquaculture endeavors to share science and technology in the field. “If they have questions or need information, we help them find answers and help them improve on what they’re doing. We strive to find a healthy balance between the practical use of our natural resources while allowing for economic development. We’re there to share information, technology, and the latest science,” she explained. Having covered the background aspect of our talk, I asked Julie what she enjoys doing on the water in her free time. In response, I got a laugh and a response much like we’ve gotten from every woman of the water we’ve spoken with. “What’s free time?” But she was quick to explain that it wasn’t a complaint. “I’m lucky enough to love what I do. When the day is over I don’t have that feeling of being glad to leave work. I love what I do … I don’t feel that I’m missing out on anything.” Opposite page: Doing environmental monitoring and mitigating for coastal construction projects, including relocating corals to reef balls. Photo by Christopher Guglielmo Top Left : Tiny lobster found near Caicos Bank. Photo by Julie Davis Top Right: Brian and Julie assist divers into the water aboard the Turks and Caicos Explorer II. Photo provided by Julie Davis Center: Moving conch to offshore pens at Caicos Conch Farm. Photo by Steve Passmore Bottom Right: Julie spending her vacation last fall helping Brian with his oyster farming. Photo by Amy Thurman
July 2016
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T rawling for Bait
Heading out. Photo by Amy Thurman
By Amy Thurman
M
any of us have gone into bait houses to pick up live or dead bait before heading out to fish. It’s faster and easier than casting for our own, much like picking up a loaf of bread from the grocery store to make a sandwich is easier than baking our own. The difference is, the shrimp you pick up at a bait house doesn’t come in on a truck twice a week; the bait house folks trawl for it every day. I recently stopped by Adams’ Bait House, in Thunderbolt, to congratulate Michael Purvis and Earl Gantt on reopening and, of course, to visit for a spell. “You ought to come on and go with Michael on the boat one of these mornings,” Earl said. “See what he does out there.” Well of course I’m in! Spend a morning on a boat, learn something new, and get to call it work? That’s a no brainer. So the following Tuesday morning we left the dock on an incoming tide and headed down the Wilmington River. 18
Michael explained that low tide tends to yield a bigger haul of the brown shrimp currently filling nets, but low tide that morning was about 4:00 a.m. Not only does taking pictures and writing in the dark present a challenge, but having a net in the water before sun-up is against the rules, which saved me from having to get up in the middle of the night for this adventure. It was a beautiful morning for a boat ride with comfortable temps, sun, and brilliant blue skies over the fully green marsh. The boat, a 17-foot McKee Craft, had been modified by Michael and Earl to meet their needs for the job at hand. The fuel tank was moved forward between the bow seats to allow room for the trawl net and for maneuvering in the stern, and they glassed in a large live-well midship, in front of the side console, to hold their catch. “Fiberglass work,” Michael said with a shudder, “that’s not fun. But I learned a lot. Did you know that if you coat your arms with baby powder before you start, not as much of it sticks to your skin? And if you wash down with Ivory Soap SouthernTidesMagazine.com
July 2016
afterward, it pulls the strands from your pores. It could have been a lot worse.” I hadn’t known that and have filed it away in case I ever again get the urge to undertake that task myself. Thanks for the tip! The DNR designates areas that may be used for commercial shrimping in Georgia creeks and rivers and we headed downstream to an area Michael’s had good luck with, near a local landmark referred to as The Sheraton. “We trawl with the tide, rather than against it,” Michael explained as we reached the far end of the designated area and he readied the net. I was fully prepared to lend a hand – the wooden doors that hold the net open underwater looked heavy and there was a lot of net laying on deck that needed to be arranged in the water – at the very least I could have driven the boat so he had one less thing to worry about. But this very capable young captain had it all under control, so I stayed out of the way and snapped photos as he maneuvered everything into place and cast off the stern, then slowly eased out the lines until the net was deployed behind the boat, while we drifted with the current. When he was satisfied that everything was as it should be, he returned to the helm and steered the boat closer to the shallows along the marsh grass, idling along the bank at about five knots. Several times we saw small sharks break the surface along the grass, and jumping shrimp and mullet, which made me wonder about what we might pull up. “What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever gotten in the net?” I asked.
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Above: Michael eases the 20-foot scorpion net out to begin the trawl. Below: Hauling it in slowly to keep it in order on deck. Photos by Amy Thurman
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“The strangest was an octopus in a tin can. The can was only about six inches long or so, but when we pulled this octopus out of it, it just kept coming. That octopus was about four feet long!” he laughed. “You pull up a lot of things out here, though. We’ve hauled in trees, old tires, turtles … a seven-foot alligator one time when I was out with Don,” he said, referring to Don Adams, whose recent passing is still a fresh wound. “It was hard getting that thing out of the net!” After a short time we reached the end of the trawl area and Michael hauled the net in – a careful process to keep everything from becoming a tangled mess in the cockpit. The “bag” at the tailing end of the net didn’t look like it held all that much as he pulled it onto the deck, but when he emptied it into the live well then scooped some out with a dip net for me to see, there was a lot more shrimp than I’ve managed to pull up with my cast net. And of course, a lot of other critters as well, including a couple small blacktip sharks, a look-down, needle fish, toad fish, glass minnows, small whiting, mullet, and a lot of blue crabs. All of which we tossed back overboard. We then motored back down to the far end and repeated the process. As he maneuvered the net into position this time, he allowed me to hold a line, but it was more to make me feel useful than for any need of assistance. “At low tide in the small creeks, it’s a little more difficult. There’s a lot less room to maneuver and sometimes you have to movecrab traps out of the way. Most of the crabbers are considerate, they know we drag here, but getting a crab trap untangled from a net is frustrating.” Having untangled a twisted six-foot cast net, I can only imagine the challenge in untangling a metal cage from a 20-foot net. I’d say a degree of patience would be required. As we trawled, Michael pointed out the occasional shrimp jumping near the floats attached to the net, and before long seagulls showed up. “That’s a good sign,” he said. Just like looking for birds when looking for fish. “They come out of nowhere when there’s food in the water.” Our second trawl yielded enough shrimp to consider the morning successful and we headed back to the dock, where the second, and less scenic aspect of the process, took place. Sorting bait. And this time, my offer to assist wasn’t refused. The morning’s catch was dumped into a large aerated tank on one side of the small room and we used large dip nets to scoop out the catch. Live shrimp were placed in another aerated tank across the aisle, dead shrimp and the occasional squid were placed in pint cups to be frozen and sold, and bycatch was placed in a tub of river water and returned to the river. It hadn’t seemed like a huge catch when we were on the boat, but it took us an hour to sort through it, while Michael and Earl took turns assisting fisherman who came in to purchase the 20
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shrimp almost as fast as we could sort it. Although for me it was just a fun morning on the water, getting to chat with friends, learn, and of course getting to see and touch the creatures that make their homes in our waters, it’s certainly not an easy job, or glamourous. It’s hard work, can be frustrating, and there’s a lot to keep up with on the land side of things, such as equipment repairs, licensing, bonds, regulations, and the day-to-day admin tasks related to running a small business. There are risks, as well. Melanoma, lean seasons with small shrimp populations, broken equipment, and bad weather can mean huge losses. But with the determination and passion Michael has for what he’s doing, the knowledge he gained from his mentor, Don, and with the caring guidance of his grandfather, Earl, I have absolute faith this young man will thrive in his chosen business. And in turn, contribute to the
PINAULT’S DEFENSIVE SOLUTIONS
Opposite page top: Brown shrimp in a dip net. Opposite page bottom: “Big O” the bait house mascot. Above: Earl sorting shrimp. Photos by Amy Thurman
success of local fishermen and the local economy. He wears yellow bib overalls to his “office” each morning rather than a suit and tie, but his hard work is proof that the American Dream and Southern Traditions are alive and well. Thank you, gentlemen, for the experience, and for sharing your knowledge with me and with our readers!
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T he B itter E nd
Time for Fun and When to Run By Captain J. Gary Hill
S
ummer has come in with a vengeance it seems, with days hitting 100 degrees, higher heat indexes, humidity you can swim in, and frequent afternoon storms. Just another day here in the south, right? Although those things might seem like nothing to worry about, they each pose certain inherent risks. With temperatures that are three degrees hotter than “OH MY GOD,” being on the water adds another problem. Well, a couple actually. The first is staying hydrated. I know you all groaned with that one, but really folks, even though it may feel like you’re drinking enough water while boating, chances are you aren’t. I won’t preach on this one, but carry and drink plenty of water. Another thing I see in the charter business is people with infants who get almost to the finish line and fumble the ball. Yes, you put on the sunscreen. Good! However, please read the directions for reapplying, as many of them vary. Even with a high SPF number they have different intervals for re-slathering. Remember that infant’s heads are disproportionate to their bodies so protecting their heads is vital. In open sun, a hat is a great idea. If you have a long day on the water planned, a couple bottles of Pedialyte, or other electrolytes, will help throughout the day. Finding shade whenever possible isn’t a bad thing either. Planning a couple of stops at various marinas while out and about is a great break for the little ones, and the big kids as well. The next thing is knowing the weather for the day. I can’t go on enough about that. There are tons of weather apps for both androids and iPhones, as well as tide charts and GPS programs. We have a set of tools available to us that no mariner before us has ever had, yet every weekend I see people caught in storms or bad 22
wind conditions that were avoidable. That brings me to knowing when to run. If you’re parked on a nice little sandbar enjoying some Bob Marley and see thunderheads building, do you choose to ignore them? I’ve been there myself a few times. For those of you who’ve seen the movie Captain Ron, you may recall what he says (a quote I love), “It’s just a squall, they come on ya’ fast and leave ya’ fast.” I found myself in one of those just yesterday and I chose to bring our party back early. These late afternoon thunderstorms pack a lot of energy, not to mention winds that can gust to 30-plus miles per hour. Never take a chance when you have others on the boat with you. One reason is safety, of course. But
Summer squall Photo by Captain Gary Hill
another reason is the risk of scaring someone, possibly to the point where they’ll never feel comfortable on a boat again. The sermon is now over, please resume your regularly scheduled boating activities. Have fun and be safe out there! See y’all on the water!
Email Gary: jgaryhill@gmail.com SouthernTidesMagazine.com
July 2016
Help Fight Melanoma!
Not just for grown ups! Kids are invited to participate in their own tournament and win great prizes! Golf Tournament Friday, July 29 Wilmington Island Club - Shotgun start at 8:00 a.m. - Four-man scramble - $100 per person - Sponsor a hole - $100 - Hole in one enters player in a chance to win a two-year lease on a car!
SAVE THE DATE: July 29 - 31
For golf tournament information, call: Marc Schneider (912) 441-4536
To donate raffle prizes, call: Joy Wainright (912) 398-3395 For general information, call: Chris Caldwell (912) 667-4861 Visit us on Facebook for updates! Facebook.com/Fishin-For-Jamie
Have fun while supporting a great cause! Friday, July 29 - Golf Tournament at the Wilmington Island Club - Golf tournament awareds, food, prizes, and live music by Jason Courtney at Hogans Marina - Tournament registration and captain’s meeting, and poker run registration at Hogans Marina - Cornhold tournaments at Hogans Marina Saturday, July 30 - Adults and kids fishing tournaments - Poker run for boats and jet skis - Cornhole tournament at Hogans - Kingfish tournament Sunday, July 31 - Adult and kids fishing tournaments continued - Awards All weekend - great food, live music, raffles, and a waterslide for the kids!
All proceeds benefit the N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer and Research Pavillion. July 2016Nancy SouthernTidesMagazine.com 23
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