I learned about the Sportfish Angler Data Collection Team (SADCT) from Kim Trull during a Plum Island Surfcasters club meeting. Kim works at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries with other scientists who study the age of marine species by analyzing patterns in their scales. The data collected from this program is used by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to protect our marine species.
Collecting scale samples while sitting on a kayak or standing on a rock from a fish that you are going to release is not easy. For example, paper records will not work! I have developed a simple scale sample collection method.
- I measure the length of the fish using a folding plastic yard stick ruler.
- I remove a eight scales from the appropriate area of the fish (which is species specific) via tweezers (which is on a lanyard) and put them in a snack sized Zip Lock bag.
- I write the species and length on the Zip Lock bag via Sharpie.
When I get home, I put the scales into the provided scale sample envelopes and fill in the remaining information for each sample. I mail my samples via USPS to:
Division of Marine Fisheries – Gloucester Office
Attn: Kim Trull
30 Emerson Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930
This will be my third years participating in this program. If you fish for striped bass, bluefish, black sea bass, fluke, or scup, then join us so we can help our dedicated scientists better understand our marine species and help our policy makers reach marine management decisions based on data that will benefit species and anglers.
