Reminder: “Protecting Fish Populations in the Gulf Of Mexico” with Sharon McBreen
Apalachee Audubon
April Audubon Speaker Series Program - Thursday, April 26, 2012
Social at 7 pm - Program at 7:30 pm
918 Railroad Avenue, Tallahassee
“Protecting Fish Populations in the Gulf Of Mexico” with Sharon McBreen
Known as the American Mediterranean, the Gulf of Mexico is an economic and environmental treasure.
Within its 600,000 square miles lie natural wonders and habitats ranging from an underwater Grand Canyon 12,000 feet deep to coral reefs and one of the largest contiguous seagrass beds in the Northern Hemisphere. For years overfishing has been taking a toll on the world's 9th largest body of water and several fish species are at critically low levels.
The extent of damage caused by the 2010 oil spill remains unknown. But the disaster lends urgency to protecting the Gulf's resources, including its diverse bounty of fish. Depleting fish too fast risks unbalancing the ocean ecosystem and harming an economic engine that supports millions of people and jobs. On April 26 Pew Environment Group's Sharon McBreen will give a presentation about the work of Pew's Southeast Fish Conservation Campaign to end and prevent overfishing of important species in Florida such as snappers and groupers and to protect forage fish species.
Sharon McBreen is a senior outreach associate for Pew Environment Group's Gulf of Mexico Fish Conservation Campaign. After working as a reporter and editor at the Orlando Sentinel for 24 years, Sharon decided to refocus her passion for fishing and Florida's outdoors into a quest to preserve Florida's fish populations. She travels the Gulf of Mexico coast and works with fishermen, marine biologists, fishery managers and others to protect the marine ecosystem.