Blog

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.

image: moray eel.

Dec 9, 2024

Can moray eels collect data?

It turns out these sedentary creatures can answer some mysteries of the deep.

image: fishing from a pier.

Dec 2, 2024

Where do we like to fish — and why?

Over 1,300 anglers have all the answers.