Schools of monster-size black drum are still prowling lower Tampa Bay; you can see the mass of fish as they cruise the edges of the flat on calm mornings. Waters around Pinellas Point have been good in recent weeks. These are fish of 40 to 50 pounds—they look like redfish on steroids, but the coloration is a silver gray, with bluish tails. ...more

March 20, 2009

Things look promising this summer for those who love the taste of bay scallops. The season opened Tuesday, and the annual scallop survey conducted by the Florida Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg showed numbers at least doubling in some areas since last year. And even locations where scallops have been absent for decades are showing good populations, according to FWRI biologist Steve Geiger. ...more

July 2, 2008

The Chesapeake Bay's famous blue crabs - feisty crustaceans that are both a regional symbol and a multimillion-dollar catch - are hovering at historically low population levels, scientists say, as pollution, climate change and overfishing threaten the bay's ultimate survivor. ...more

November 18, 2007