SOMETHING BORROWED All of the blue marlin and many of the gamefish that are brought to the scales during the Big Rock tournament are given to CMAST researchers to autopsy and learn about these fish, their growth and behaviors. Thus, the data and insights provided by the tournament itself, comes full circle to help conserve and sustain the species, food web and habitats that are critical to ensuring a bright future for the sport of big game fishing. While playing with fish guts might not be everyone’s cup of tea, the consensus was that the visit to the CMAST facility was a great opportunity to learn more about our fisheries and the work being done locally to protect them. “It was impressive enough to compel this UNC-Chapel Hill graduate to send an online donation to N.C. State!” exclaimed Lane. To cap off the Member Experience trip, the group enjoyed an exceptional lunch at Southern Salt Seafood in Morehead City. Bluewater’s Event Manager Kristen Turk expressed sincere thanks to the many people that helped make these events successful, including Bluewater management team members, “Randy Ramsey and Wyatt Lane for connecting the team with Dr. Buckel at CMAST, as well as [Safe Harbor Regional Sales Director] Sam Branham for the vision and support in creating this new event.” Turk added that Gregory Poole’s sponsorship of the party provided important support along with Michelle Warren of the Big Rock Tournament for kindly providing her team’s assistance with the venue space, setup and break-down. Collaborative partnerships like this are just one of the many ways our companies endeavor to offer new and exciting valueadded experiences to Safe Harbor Members and Bluewater customers, and you can be assured will be back again with something new each year! Examining ear drums are one way scientists can determine a fish’s age Dr. Buckel shows the group attributes of blue marlin caught during Big Rock The Jarrett Bay 64, Builder’s Choice, brought in the 3rd largest blue marlin of the tournament, which was one of many fish later catalogued at CMAST. 12 BLUEWATER
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