Skip to main content
North Carolina Sea Grant
NC Sea Grant Logo Hook, Line and Science

Blog

image: author Ernest Hemingway with Pauline, Gregory, John, and Patrick Hemingway and four marlins on the dock in Bimini, 20 July 1935.

Mar 3, 2025

Does the U.S. have the most fish species in North America?

Every ten years, scientists update a list originally compiled in 1948.
image: Atlantic bluefin tuna.

Feb 24, 2025

Did you report that bluefin tuna you posted on Facebook?

Almost all anglers agree that self-reporting is important to the bluefin’s long-term sustainability, but...
image: blue crab.

Feb 17, 2025

Will North Carolina’s blue crabs go extinct?

Environmental stressors may push blue crab populations to their breaking point.
image: Johnna Brooks holding a pair of spotted seatrout.

Feb 10, 2025

How does winter weather affect spotted seatrout?

Water temperatures below 45°F can cause severe “cold stun events.”
image: waxing moon.

Jan 27, 2025

How does the moon phase affect fish?

A new study suggests when anglers might have the most lunar luck.

Jan 20, 2025

Where are red snapper thriving?

New research sheds light on habitat preferences and regional trends.
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

Jan 13, 2025

The Most Popular Hook, Line & Science Posts from 2024 

Flounder identification, potential nuclear war impacts, and blue land crabs found the most readers.
image: bluefin tuna.

Dec 30, 2024

Why do some anglers target bluefin tuna while others do not?

The answer partially depends on annual income.
image: Classic Oyster Dressing.

Dec 23, 2024

Can the right recipe make seafood part of a great holiday meal?

Yes, it can.
image: banana parrotfish.

Dec 16, 2024

What do we know about the sleeping habits of fish?

When and where species sleep can determine how vulnerable they are to overfishing.