[SEMCO] November 20: Lloyd Center begins winter lecture series

[Robert Golder]

Lloyd Center Begins Winter Lecture Series

    SOUTH DARTMOUTH, MA - On Thursday, November 20, 2003, at 7:00 pm, the
Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies will launch its winter lecture
series, "Exploring Nature," with a presentation on "Sea-Run Brook Trout of
Massachusetts." Co-sponsored by Buttonwood Park Zoo, the event will be held
in the Wildlife Education Center at Buttonwood Park Zoo, 425 Hawthorn
Street, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Admission to this event is $4.00 for
Lloyd Center and Buttonwood Park Zoological Society members, and $5.00 for
non-members.
    "Sea-Run Brook Trout of Massachusetts" will be presented by Brendan
Annett, manager of the Stewardship Program at the Waquoit Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve, Waquoit, MA. Mr. Annett is pursuing graduate
research in the Boston University Marine Program at Marine Biological
Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA. He recently moved to Cape Cod from northern
California, where he worked on a variety of natural resource management
projects focused on anadromous fish and their habitats.
    Sea-run brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were once common in the
coastal streams of southeastern Massachusetts, and elsewhere along the
northeast coast. Also known as "salters," these New England natives spawn in
freshwater streams, but migrate to saltwater for parts of their lives. While
in the saltwater, these trout develop a silvery sheen and grow longer and
heavier than resident freshwater examples of the same species.  Coastal
waters such as Waquoit Bay, Popponessett Bay, and parts of Buzzards Bay were
once famous for their large and plentiful "salter" trout. These fish were
the basis for one of the first sport fisheries in America, first written
about by John Rowe in 1770, and developed soon after the American
Revolution.
    Populations of sea-run brook trout declined in the early 1900s, due to
over-fishing and habitat alteration. Since 1975, dedicated citizen-volunteer
efforts have sought to improve habitat for these fish, most notably on Cape
Cod. However, the current status of sea-run brook trout in the region is not
well understood. Mr. Annett will discuss his research attempts to document
sea-run brook trout in regional streams, and to identify physical and
genetic characteristics that distinguish these fish from resident,
freshwater brook trout. An assessment of these rare, native fish populations
will aid the process of protecting and restoring these unique pieces of our
natural heritage.
    This event is partially underwritten by West Marine of New Bedford.
    The mission of the Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies is to
facilitate long-term conservation of our natural resources through education
and research, and to inspire and empower citizens to make wise environmental
management choices. For more information about the Lloyd Center and the
"Exploring Nature" lecture series, please go to www.thelloydcenter.org.
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Robert Jon Golder     robertgolder at comcast.net
Director, Communications & Outreach Programs
The Lloyd Center for Environmental Studies
430 Potomska Road
South Dartmouth, MA 02748
508-990-0505 ext. 13
www.thelloydcenter.org