Since graduating from MLML last spring, former ichthyology student Cassandra Brooks has gone on to explore science through the written word at the UC Santa Cruz Science Communication Program.  In addition to writing many feature stories for the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Cassandra recently had her work published in ScienceNOW, the online compliment of the esteemed Science magazine.

While this is great news for Cassandra, the story itself is a grim prognosis for her subject, the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).

Cassandra writes:

“Atlantic cod is a symbol of boom-and-bust commercial fishing. After 50 years of heavy harvesting in the late 20th century, the Canadian cod fishery collapsed in the early 1990s. Total bans ensued, and fisheries managers expected to see a recovery. However, after 15 years of little to no fishing, local populations show no sign of rebounding. In fact, some will continue to spiral downward, according to projections reported in this month’s issue of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences.” Read the rest of her story here.

Another testament to the challneges (and the importance) of fisheries science needed to inform management…