College of Sciences Newsletter

Edition 18

August 10, 2003

Center Honored by Salvation Army The Center for Quantitative Fisheries Ecology (CQFE) was recognized for its volunteer efforts at the Salvation Army ARC Sobriety Awards and Volunteer Recognition Dinner on May 28 in Virginia Beach. For the last two years, the center has donated tons of fish to the Salvation Army to feed adults at its rehab centers. The center purchases fish for its research from local fishermen through grants from the Virginia Recreational Fishery Advisory Board of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and collects fish on its own through additional grants. Old Dominion scientists, technicians and students process the fish, collecting such information as age, length, weight, growth, sex and sexual maturity. The data are used in stock assessment models to manage fisheries, to make certain that they are fresh and in good condition. "Periodically we get up to 400 pounds of fish and that was too much for most food banks to handle," explained Cynthia Jones, professor of biology and director of CQFE. "They don't have freezers. So we would often end up throwing out fish. That was heartbreaking and wasteful. Our lab cares about stewardship of natural resources and it was discouraging to find ourselves having to waste fish." Roxanne Carter Torres, CQFE lab technician, and Eric Robillard, CQFE research specialist, contacted the Salvation Army two years ago. Now, none of the fish goes to waste. Bluefish is made into fish stew. Other species are filleted and stored in freezers. The Salvation Army was so good about taking the fish that the CQFE team now call them first. Information provided by Michelle Nery.

 

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