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North Carolina Sea Grant
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Angler

Top left: Three prominent ocellated spots form a triangle on the body of Gulf flounder. Top right: On summer flounder, five ocellated spots form a pattern like the five side of a die. Bottom: Southern flounder have non-ocellated spots. Courtesy of the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries

Sep 11, 2023

Can You Identify North Carolina’s Three Species of Flounder?

It turns out, most anglers can’t. Luckily, NCDMF has some tips.

Aug 7, 2023

Can Fish Escape Waters That Are Harmfully Low on Oxygen?

New research shows that spot flee quickly when oxygen levels are unsafe.
image: fishers in boat.

Jun 12, 2023

What if Fishing Tournaments Could Be Great Competitions and Helpful to Science?

New research looks at whether historical records from recreational fishing tournaments can be a useful source of information about long-term trends in recreational fisheries.

May 8, 2023

What Was Early Sportfishing Like in Coastal North Carolina?

The thrill was not only in the fish putting up a good fight but in catching as many fish as possible.
image: reef fish swimming.

May 1, 2023

What Do We Know About Population Growth in Reef Fishes?

A new study uncovers some consistent patterns in Atlantic reef fishes, including snappers and groupers.

Apr 24, 2023

What Happens When Researchers and Anglers Collaborate?

New research shows that anglers and guides add great value to fisheries science. Research Need Recreational fishing is an enormous industry in the United States. Saltwater recreational fishing alone supports…
image: A fisher casts into the surf as the sun sets along Carolina Beach.

Apr 17, 2023

What Kinds of Anglers Are the Best at What They Do?

Surprising research from the French Riviera suggests that differences among anglers don’t matter much when we look at how many fish they actually catch.
image: Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Volunteer Captain Alex Perez holds a tagged cobia before releasing it. Photo credit: Alex Perez.

Apr 10, 2023

Where Do 400,000 Fishes Go?

Recapturing tagged fish helps anglers learn when and where to find them.

Apr 3, 2023

Are East Coast Anglers Catching Tunas, Sharks, and Billfishes Farther North?

Trends from a longstanding recreational survey can help anglers, tournaments, and communities plan for changing fisheries.
image: author Ernest Hemingway with Pauline, Gregory, John, and Patrick Hemingway and four marlins on the dock in Bimini, 20 July 1935.

Mar 27, 2023

Have the Mercury Levels Changed in Blue Marlin Since 1975?

A new study on blue marlin reveals whether efforts to reduce mercury emissions have been successful.