Hook, Line & Science

North Carolina Sea Grant’s popular Hook, Line & Science is also a featured video exhibit at the Jennette’s Pier, part of the North Carolina Aquariums, in Nags Head. In the exhibit, three videos highlight some of our most popular topics.

Now you can watch these videos from the comfort of your home, starting with the story of those seafood lovers who consume 89 pounds of seafood a year.

Do You Eat Seafood Three or More Times a Week?

Eating seafood has many health benefits but eating too much of some species may pose a health risk. High-frequency consumers — people who eat three or more meals of fish per week — include some anglers who catch their own supper. Investigators used an online marketing firm to identify a subset of high-frequency seafood consumers in the United States to better understand the difference between perceived and actual risk. Watch the video to find out the kinds and amounts of seafood the respondents consumed.

Note: We’ve updated the link at the end of the above video to more information. Now you can learn more here.

Do Fish Shrink After They Die?

Even if they do by just a tad, an undersized fish is the difference between a good fishing trip and a run-in with law enforcement. New research suggests anglers should think twice about keeping fish close to the minimum size limit. Watch the video to find out what happens to that fish after you put it in your cooler.

What Does the Lionfish Eat?

The invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish has been living for several years now on reefs throughout the Southeast. They are voracious predators. Researchers used two existing datasets from North Carolina reefs to assess the diets of the lionfish and to determine whether the species has a preferred food. Watch the video to find out what they discovered.

Special thanks to NC State’s DELTA office for their help with production of these videos.

lead photo credit: Vanda Lewis.