An official website of the State of Georgia.
Posted Sep. 8, 2025
Coastlines Georgia | August 2025 | Vol. 8, Iss. 1
Marine Technician Katherine Wilson, left, works to extract an
otolith from a red snapper carcass as Marine Technician
Chasen Carpenter helps her locate the bone on July 31 at
Coastal Regional Headquarters in Brunswick.
By Tyler Jones
Public Information Officer
Most summers, Georgia anglers get a rare window to harvest red snapper in the South Atlantic federal waters, and this year’s season—held July 11 and 12—also opened a window for science.
Coastal Resources Division deployed biologists and technicians to three public access locations during this year’s mini-season to collect filleted red snapper carcasses donated by anglers. Those contributions, along with carcasses dropped off at 14 freezer stations along the coast, fuel CRD’s Marine Sportfish Carcass Recovery Project (MSCRP), turning dinner into data. While final numbers are still coming in, more than 100 carcass donations have already been processed.
Launched in fall 1997, MSCRP is a collaboration between CRD and the coastal fishing community. After an angler fillets a legally harvested fish, the remaining head, frame, and tail—parts typically tossed out—become a scientific sample. Each donation helps biologists answer questions that are otherwise expensive or impossible to study. Over time, these samples build a record of growth, survival, and harvest patterns that managers use to keep popular species healthy.
Here’s how it works. CRD places chest freezers near fish-cleaning stations at public access sites, marinas, and select private community docks. Each freezer carries a sign listing target species and a stack of angler information cards. Cooperating anglers bag their filleted carcasses—leaving head and tail intact—fill out a card with trip details, and drop both into the freezer. During high-interest opportunities like the red snapper season, CRD staff are on site to greet donors, answer questions, and speed intake at busy locations such as Half Moon and Two-Way.
Back in the lab, every carcass is identified to species, measured for total length, and examined to determine sex. Biologists then remove a pair of tiny ear bones called otoliths. Like tree rings, otoliths lay down annual bands that reveal a fish’s age. Combine age with length, and you can see how quickly fish grow, which year-classes are strong, and how environmental or regulatory changes ripple through the population. These data feed straightforward summaries—such as tracking changes in the average size of spotted seatrout over time—as well as sophisticated stock assessments for species like Atlantic coast red drum that rely on length and age information from donated carcasses.
The scale of participation tells its own story. Since 1997, more than 2,800 unique anglers have donated over 94,000 fish carcasses to MSCRP. That consistency across seasons and species gives Georgia an invaluable time series for coastal sportfish. When managers consider season lengths, size limits, or bag limits, they can point to local data gathered with the help of the people most invested in the resource. The project is a partnership of saltwater anglers, marine businesses, conservation groups, and CRD.
For anglers, contributing couldn’t be easier. If you land a target species, fillet your catch, keep the head and tail attached to the frame, and use one of the 14 drop-off freezers along the coast. Complete the information card—those details provide critical context and make every sample more powerful. During special collections like this year’s red snapper season, look for CRD staff at marinas to hand off carcasses directly. As a thank-you, participants are often rewarded with incentives such as hats, T-shirts, or stickers.
Most importantly, every donation helps keep fishing strong. Red snapper carcasses collected this July will add to a three-decade dataset that informs responsible management and supports sustainable access. The MSCRP shows that conservation isn’t abstract—it’s a habit practiced fish by fish, trip by trip. Turning filleted frames into facts gives managers the tools to sustain Georgia’s coastal fisheries for today’s anglers and tomorrow’s. If you see a freezer—or a friendly CRD biologist at the dock—consider dropping off your carcasses. Your next great day on the water might depend on it.
