Et Cetera... News Briefs from Across CRD

Outreach Staff Greets Anglers at Fly Fishing Festival

Marine Educator Brooke Vallaster and Public Information Officer Tyler Jones represented CRD at the Golden Isles Fly Fishing Festival on Saturday, April 12, in Brunswick. The event featured fly fishing tackle vendors, a skiff show, fly casting instructions, raffles, a silent auction, and more. Proceeds benefitted the Georgia Saltwater Anglers Association, a “grassroots organization created by fishing guides and passionate recreational anglers to raise awareness for conservation of our coastal fisheries, to ensure proactive actions are made by regulatory agencies to protect our saltwater fishery for future generations,” according to the organization. Vallaster and Jones greeted attendees at a booth and provided information about saltwater fishing, boat registration, and other DNR-related matters.

Roast on The River: DNR Assists Safe Harbor Fundraiser

Director Haymans and Shellfish & Water Quality Unit Lead Dominic Guadagnoli supported Safe Harbor Children’s Center on March 27 by steaming oysters for the organization’s Roast on The River fundraiser on Jekyll Island. Based in Brunswick, Safe Harbor is a nationally recognized leader among nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving children, families, and individuals who have been abused, abandoned or neglected; who are homeless or have run away from home, and who are otherwise at risk or feel threatened.

Future Leaders Set Sail with CRD for a Day of Discovery

CRD recently hosted Youth Leadership Glynn at Coastal Regional Headquarters on March 20. Nineteen local high school students learned about DNR and CRD efforts in Glynn County, as well as natural resource career opportunities throughout the department. The students had the opportunity to go aboard the R/V Reid W. Harris for a demonstration trawl, during which they learned about the Ecological Monitoring Trawl Survey and how it is used to monitor shrimp and blue crab populations.

Aging Fish, Sharing Smarts: CRD Joins Coastal Workshop

Staff attended yearly Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Quality Assurance/Quality Control Fish Ageing Workshop in St. Petersburg, Fla. Each state along the Atlantic coast sends a representative from their ageing laboratory to attend the workshop. Multiple species are aged and discussions of findings are revealed during this two-day workshop.

Waves, Wakes & Data: CRD Tackles Ship Impact Study on Tybee

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and in association with Deb Barreiro of CRD Marsh & Shore Permitting, deployed monitoring equipment for a two-week study to monitor ship wake impacts on areas within the Savannah River basin. Sensors were deployed in association with scheduled ship arrivals. Data was collected using a Telehandler on Tybee Island’s north beach. Modeling to measure ship wake impacts will be produced using the information collected in this study.

CRD Honored as Platinum Donor

Julie Califf and Dawn Franco of CRD’s Fisheries Statistics Unit on March 6 attended the Coastal Pines Technical College Donor Appreciation Dinner in Jesup, where CRD was honored with the Platinum Donor Award. The recognition celebrates CRD’s contributions to the college’s endowment supporting the Basic Commercial Fisherman Certificate Program. This partnership helps strengthen the local fishing industry by providing education and training for aspiring commercial fishermen, supporting workforce development and promoting sustainable fisheries in coastal Georgia.

CRD Director Attends Joint Fisheries Management Meeting

CRD Director Doug Haymans attended a virtual joint meeting of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council. Of primary importance to Georgia anglers is the on-going discussion regarding sector separation of the for-hire and private angler fisheries in the bluefish, summer flounder, scup and black sea bass fisheries. Though not an immediate impact to Georgia anglers, the precedent set by the possible separation of these fisheries to include different seasons and limits is of great concern to CRD and is an issue which will be closely followed.

Students Learn About Laws of Motion with Casts Nets

CRD Marine Educator Brooke Vallaster on April 11 met with 4th grade classes at St. Simons Elementary. Students are beginning their study of gravity, force, and motion in science class. After a discussion about Isaac (not Fig) Newton and the Laws of Motion, classes headed outside to learn how to throw a cast net and to put their physics knowledge to work. Student teams competed for points by casting for “catch and release” targets.

CMPC/SPC Approve Seven Coastal Projects, One Denied

A joint meeting of the Coastal Marshlands and Shore Protection Committees was held March 7 at Coastal Regional Headquarters. The Committee considered eight projects:

Permit Applications Under the Coastal Marshlands Protection Act:

• Horsepen Creek (Tybee Island): Private golf cart bridge and shared dock for three property owners. (Approved)
• Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Company (Bull River): Construction of a new commercial dock facility. (Approved)
• Blue Moon Marinas (Thunderbolt): Marina construction and bank stabilization at an existing commercial site. (Approved)
• East River Street (Savannah): New public access boat dock on the Savannah River. (Approved)
• Vaden Enterprises (Dutch Island): Marsh fill for a residential driveway. (Denied)
• City of Brunswick: West Brunswick drainage improvement project in Glynn County. (Approved)

Permit Applications Under the Shore Protection Act:

• PPHP LLC (Sea Island): Installation of a pool, spa, patio, walkway, and fencing. (Approved)
• Glynn County BOC (St. Simons Island): Enhancements at Coast Guard Park including a review of public comments and responses. (Approved)

CRD Attends Gray’s Reef Meeting, Hears Updates on Progress

Programmatic Support Specialist Kathy Knowlton attended a Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council meeting April 4 in Savannah.

Primary discussions included updates on exhibit development at the Sanctuary’s Ocean Discovery Center (fabrication is on-going with installation expected in mid-August, the Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (a non-profit partner supporting the sanctuary through community engagement, public outreach and education), discussion on impacts to programs and staffing during ongoing federal reductions.