President Steve Stauffer rang the bell to begin the meeting

Kevin Courtney offered the prayer and led the pledge to the flag

 

Cory Malphrus circulated a sign up sheet for the clean up at the High School. It will be held Saturday August 18 at 9:30am.  

 

Tuesday August 14 there will be an auction meeting

 

Remember that the District Conference will be in Hilton Head 3/22/2019 to 3/24/2019

 

Past President Ben Shelton presented a check representing the final payment of our pledge to First Tee.  VLR member Mike Davis who is a board member of First Tee accepted the check.

 

Sergeant at Arms Alicia Powell collected Happy $$.
Visitors:  Erin Levesque (speaker) and Al Stokes (Waddell Mariculture Center)

 

Erin Levesque from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Marine Resources Division provided and interesting talk about the work and research done by that organization.

The SC Dept of Natural Resources Marine Resources Division is responsible for the management and conservation of state marine and estuarine resourses. The division conducts monitoring and research on the states marine resources and makes recommendations for the management of those resources.  There are several locations where they trap fish, tag them and release them to help in making decisions about marine management.  

We learned the different equipment and methods used, as well as the different species that are researched.  One method is a boat is used - fish are collected and placed in a cooler with water; they are tagged and released.  Long line survey focuses on adult red drum and sharks.  A 52 food boat is used.  Two types of tags are put on the red drum.  Red drum can be collected anywhere and released all along the coast.  

 

She also described how fish are raised for stocking - pool harvest.  Red drum are the easiest.  Water is pumped from the Colleton River, and fertilized.  fish are ready in about 30 days.  Red Drum produce 2 sizes.  The small 30 day fish and the 12 -15 inch fish which are produced for kids fishing tournaments.    The also raise Spotted Sea Trout, but these are more sensitive than Red Drum.  Spotted Sea Trout are sensitive to cold water and it can kill them.  All spotted are collected and released in Charleston Harbour.  They are specific to the area.  Cobia is a highly popular recreational fish and is found in Port Royal Sound.     Genetic tags are permanent and never lost.  They use the data to know when/where to release.  

 

Terrapins are also raised.  They collect wild female turtles, remove the eggs then incubate them.  A question was raised about non-native species.  That is a problem because they have no natural predators.  They do have someone collecting information about that.  The Center recently renovated its building and next will work on the ponds.