ROFFS™ Fishy Times Newsletter – 59th Edition – New Videos, Dr. Roffer Fish Finder, Guy Harvey Great Shark Race & Solo Row Japan to California
NEWS
Updated Videos on ROFFS™.com – Be Sure to Check Out the “Hot News” Button on the ROFFS™ Homepage
Above: Shark tries to bite cameraman. Why can’t we be friends? Video courtesy: Stab Magazine & Raul Boesel Photography | Facebook
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Above: Amazing predator Frogfish Video Courtesy: KPOP |YouTube
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Above: Just another relaxing day on the water…..Wait for it!!! Video courtesy: Mustang 87.7 | Facebook
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Fish Finder: Talking With Noted Ocean Forecaster Mitchell A. Roffer
Article by: Terry Gibson | February 25, 2015
Any good fisherman knows that if you find the bait, you’ll find the fish. This quest has pushed oceanographer Mitchell A. Roffer, Ph.D., to improve our understanding of what drives fish migrations and how to better forecast when and where anglers can target their favorite species.
Roffer, an adjunct professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, created Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service Inc. (ROFFS™), a state-of-the-art system that analyzes ocean circulation and provides fishermen with data and forecasts indicating where to find fish. The company’s services also are employed by several state and federal agencies, including NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These agencies use ROFFS™ to track dispersal of pollution, including from the Deepwater Horizon disaster and from the phosphate mines at Piney Point, Florida, among other sources, and help understand changes in fish distribution and catch, among other things.
Roffer, an accomplished offshore angler, inshore kayaker, and diver, has become an important liaison between the scientific community and fishermen. He recently spoke with The Pew Charitable Trusts’ recreational fishing outreach consultant, Terry Gibson, about how changing oceanographic conditions influence the location and abundance of baitfish, also known as forage fish. Roffer explains the role that these fish play in ecosystems and the need for policies that protect enough forage species to serve as prey for marine animals and popular-to-catch fish.
Above: Mitchell A. Roffer, Ph.D., an avid offshore and inshore angler shares his kayak with a big common snook that he caught and released alive off the Space Coast in East Central Florida. Snook are endemic only to Florida and southeastern Texas in the United States. This species is one of the most targeted by anglers. Adult snook feed primarily on baitfish, also known as forage fish. Photo courtesy | Mitchell A. Roffer, Ph.D. (President Roffer’s Ocean Fishing Forecasting Service, Inc.)
Catch Mexico Makos for Adrenaline Rush (And Science Too)
Article courtesy | Capt. Ned Stone | February 25, 2015
Every angler has a favorite fishing story and they all have their roots in adrenaline. Seeing your first sailfish go airborne! Watching a blue marlin on the bite! Striking a tarpon on fly! All produce a moment that is electric; a memory etched in the brain. It is hard to plan these special moments but Guy Harvey Outpost and Guy Harvey Research Institute (GHRI) have created an expedition to Isla Mujeres, Mexico for adrenaline junkies: Satellite Tagging Mako Sharks.
Big game fishing brings big thrills and makos are top predators on the Blue Planet. Anglers fish adjacent to GHRI scientist with a front row seat as the “Pit crew” races to release healthy makos.
The idyllic island of Isla Mujeres is a great venue for a fishing trip. It lies just north of the glitz and glass of Cancun but moves at an entirely different pace. Cancun International Airport provides easy access but the 20 minute ferry ride sets “Isla” worlds apart. Bring your sandals as they, along with bicycles and golf carts are the primary mode of transportation on Isla.
Above: Watch Guy and team catch, tag & release a 100 lb. juvenile mako shark off Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The tagging and tracking of shortfin mako sharks by the Guy Harvey Research Institute is expected to provide scientists with remarkable and previously unknown details about the timing and long-distance migratory movements of this vulnerable species in the Atlantic Ocean. Video courtesy | Guy Harvey – YouTube
Woman Plans Solo Row from Japan to California
Article courtesy | 10news.com | published February 6, 2015
Adventurer Sonya Baumstein is two months away from embarking on a mission of a lifetime.
Baumstein loves the water so much that she is willing to be all alone in it for up to six months. In mid-April, she plans to row across the vast Pacific Ocean from Choshi, Japan to San Francisco.
She hopes to do it in less than 131 days – clocking up to 6,000 miles – in a boat designed by America’s Cup engineers. It is currently being built by her and a crew in Port Townsend, Washington.
“I want this to not just be a crossing for the sake of a crossing,” said Baumstein. “I want it to be something that informs.”
She wants to help advance the science specifically related to climate change and its impact on our weather.
Among the items she will have on board are high tech instruments that will collect data that has never been gathered before about the ocean.
“The earth is 71 percent water. Most of our systems are driven by ocean changes,” said Baumstein.
Along the way, Baumstein will deploy a small and lightweight device called Cast Away designed by SonTek, a San Diego company. It will measure the salinity and temperature specifically at the ocean’s surface.
Above: photo/video courtesy news10.com.
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