Tarpon, Magnificent Silver Kings of Boca Grande and a Conversation on Conservation
April 4, 2013
Hosted by Rob Moir
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Episode Description
Lew Hastings executive director of the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce tells of a most remarkable fish the tarpon. The World's Richest Tarpon Tournament promotes conservation through education. It is all about protecting the tarpon and a sustainable fishery. In this tournament tarpon bite baited hooks, are drawn swiftly to boats where an observer records the catch with fish in the water. Tarpon is quickly released with minimum disturbance of the fish's energy reserves. Tarpon energy demands are so high that they gulp air "rolling" at the surface. This magnificent 2 meter fish is inedible. Hence there is no market, no reason to kill these apex predators. Tarpons are challenged to survive on a number of fronts. Lew tells what we can do to help tarpon. Preservation of tarpon is crucial for today and future generations."If the tarpon population collapses, the entire Boca Grande economy will follow." Much of Florida's economy will go as well. Discover and marvel the tarpon of Boca Grande.
Moir’s Environmental Dialogues
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With the knowledge of Carson and the courage of Achilles, individuals are steadfastly going the distance to defend wildlife and ecosystems from assaults of environmental degradations and destructions. Join environmental studies scientist Dr. Rob Moir for lively dialogue and revealing narrative inquiry into how individuals are overcoming the obstacles turning forlorn hope into effective actions for oceans, rivers, watersheds, wildlife and ecosystems. Discover how listening to individuals, thinking locally, and acting in concert with other, you can act to save ecosystems. Got environmental stewardship? Become an Eco-steward. Act to bring about a greener and blue Planet Earth.
Rob Moir
Rob Moir is director and founder of the Ocean River Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Dr. Moir, an educator and scientist, has been a leader of citizen science and efforts to clean up Salem Sound and Boston Harbor, as founder of Salem Sound Harbor Monitors & Salem Sound 2000, later president of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, and through his appointment by the Secretary of Interior to the Boston Harbor Islands Partnership. He was formerly Curator of Natural History at the Peabody Essex Museum, Curator of Education at the New England Aquarium and Executive Director of the Discovery Museums in Acton, MA. Dr. Moir was awarded a Switzer Environmental Fellowship from the Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation, and the James Centorino Award for Distinguished Performance in Marine Education by the National Marine Educators Association, which he later served as president. He was Sea Education Association’s first assistant scientist to work consecutive voyages of the R.V. Westward in 1979 and 1980, an advancement officer for his alma mater, Hampshire College and serves today on the boards of his alma mater, Cambridge School of Weston, Ocean Champions, and the Massachusetts League of Environmental Voters. Dr. Moir has a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies and a Masters of Science and Teaching from Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene, NH and certificate of studies from the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole.
