Podomys Floridanus, a member of the family Cricetidae, is a species of special concern in the State of Florida. Also known as the Florida Mouse, it is distinguished from all other mice by the presence of five plantar tubercles on the relatively large hind feet (located just before the base of the toes) in contrast to the six or seven tubercles in the oldfield and other mice.

The habitat for the large (7-8 inch) mouse is in the xeric upland community of sandy soil including scrub, sandhill, and ruderal sites where they can inhabit the borrows of the gopher tortoise. If there are no gopher tortoise burrows, the Florida mouse will dig their own burrows or use those of the oldfield mouse.

The Florida mouse is tawny to brown above and whitish below. The flanks are described as orangish or chestnut. The tail of the Florida Mouse is indistinctly bicolored, gray-brown above and whitish below. Often the Florida Mouse has a faint, odor resembling that of a skunk.

With the exception of especially cold nights, the Florida mouse is quite active.

The mouse occurs from north-central Florida (but not the panhandle) to Highland and Sarasota Counties and all along the Atlantic coast from St. Johns County to Miami-Dade County. The largest population is thought to occur within the Ocala National Forest and the scrubs along the Lake Wales Ridge. They are protected on several conservation areas throughout central Florida and preserve areas use fire to maintain openings in scrub and encourage the growth of grasses and forbs important for food and cover. They also protect populations of gopher tortoises.

Fishing report

In the surf and on the piers, the bluefish are thick and easily being caught using cut mullet, shrimp, and artificial especially silver spoons and are swimming among schools of large Spanish mackerel. 

An occasional King mackerel has also been landed.

Whiting, black drum, red drum, and pompano are in the shallower water.

Slot sized redfish are getting caught in the basin of the Ormond-by-the-sea spoil islands.

In the area of the bridge by the Tomoka State Park, snook and black drum fishing is hot, especially at night. Flounder are also started to move into the basin. As the temperatures continue to fall, the particulate matter begins to precipitate rendering clearer water. The trout bite is pretty steady.

In the inlet, fishing the tides is the ticket. The best results seem to be to fish the last few hours of the incoming tide through the first few hours of the outgoing tide.

The flounder are really getting thick, according to reports, with fish up to 11 pounds being caught. Tarpon were hanging around just outside the inlet prior to the windy weather.

Offshore fishing was virtually blown out this past week by stiff winds and five to seven foot high seas.

The Redbone redfish and trout tournament was held last weekend with only fair catches brought in. One very famous person in the fishing community did not catch a fish. The conditions, however, were definitely not the best ranging from stiff winds to high tides.

Fishing tournament

The Halifax Sport Fishing Club is holding a surf fishing tournament on Saturday (Nov. 14) at Daytona Beach Shores. For more information, please call Helen Klenk at 386-547-1813. 

Mercury levels on the rise  

Scientists now have documentation on how toxic methylmercury is formed in the ocean. It is known that mercury can be deposited from the atmosphere into freshwater ecosystems and can be transformed into methylmercury, but identifying the parallel cycles in marine ecosystems has remained unsolvable.  

This poisonous form of mercury bioaccumulates in fish, becoming more and more concentrated as it moves up the food chain from smaller to larger fish until people eating tuna sushi are exposed to levels of mercury high enough to warrant warning signs. Pregnant women who consume mercury can pass on life-long developmental effects to their children. 

Previous studies have shown that 75 percent of human exposure worldwide to mercury is from the consumption of marine fish and shellfish. In the United States, about 40 percent of all human exposure to mercury is from tuna harvested in the Pacific Ocean, according to Elsie Sunderland, a coauthor of the study. 

This study sheds some light on how metal mercury emitted by burning coal and waste and from factories in Asia becomes methylmercury in the North Pacific Ocean. "It appears the recent mercury enrichment of the sampled Pacific Ocean waters is caused by emissions originating from fallout near the Asian coasts," said U.S. Geological Survey scientist and coauthor David Krabbenhoft. Then the methylmercury that originates in the western Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Asia is transported far and wide. 

"The mercury-enriched waters then enter a long-range eastward transport by large ocean circulation currents," said Krabbenhoft. Because much of the mercury that enters the North Pacific comes from the atmosphere, scientists have predicted an additional 50 percent increase in mercury in the Pacific by 2050, if mercury emission rates continue as projected. 

“This unprecedented USGS study is critically important to the health and safety of the American people and our wildlife because it helps us understand the relationship between atmospheric emissions of mercury and concentrations of mercury in marine fish,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “We need to reduce the mercury emissions so that we can reduce the ocean mercury levels.” 

Currently, ocean mercury levels are rising. Water sampling cited in the study shows that mercury levels in 2006 were approximately 30 percent higher than those measured in the mid-1990s. This study documents for the first time that methylmercury is produced in mid-depth ocean waters by processes linked to what the authors call “ocean rain.” 

Algae, which are produced in sunlit waters near the surface, die quickly and “rain” downward to greater water depths. At depth, the settling algae are decomposed by bacteria and the interaction of this decomposition process in the presence of mercury results in the formation of methylmercury. Many steps up the food chain later, predators like tuna receive methylmercury from the smaller fish they consume.

"This study gives us a better understanding of how dangerous levels of mercury move into our air, our water, and the food we eat, and shines new light on a major health threat to Americans and people all across the world,” said EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. “With this information in hand, plus our own mercury efforts," said Jackson, "we have an even greater opportunity to continue working with our international partners to significantly cut mercury pollution in the years ahead and protect the health of millions of people.”  

The study appeared today in Global Biogeochemical Cycles, which is published by the American Geophysical Union. Recently a loggerhead turtle survived a life-threatening situation.   

Sea turtle saved

Thanks to the quick work of some officers of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Lt. Rob Laubenberger and Officer Dale Twist responded to a call of a sea turtle trapped in an intake pump the Florida Power and Light (FPL) power plant in Port Everglades in Broward County.   

Due to a 15-foot drop to the water’s edge within a small, concrete–enclosed compartment, rescuing the trapped turtle was not an easy task. Working closely with the FPL plant operators they were able to retrieve the turtle. Using a mechanical rake normally used to lift trash out of the holding area, officers carefully lifted the turtle up to the working platform. The sea turtle was not hurt. Officers brought the turtle to a waiting FWC patrol vessel, which transported the turtle a couple of miles offshore and released the turtle back into the ocean.  

“It was a great feeling to end up saving the life of an endangered sea turtle.” said Laubenberger. “Usually we respond to calls where the situation is serious. But in this case, a bad scenario had a good outcome.”  

Amendment to protect coral habitat

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council has voted unanimously to approve the Comprehensive Ecosystem-Based Amendment 1, a move that will bolster protection for over 23,000 square miles of complex deepwater corals located off the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and eastern Florida.  

The amendment, if approved and implemented by the Secretary of Commerce, will protect specific areas of sensitive habitat, deemed Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern, in waters ranging from 1,200- to 2,300-feet  deep. The South Atlantic region is home to what may be the largest contiguous distribution of deepwater corals in the world, including Lophelia coral. The parameters defined within the amendment aim to shield these areas from impacts associated with bottom-tending fishing practices.  

At the same time, the amendment contains measures that take into consideration the region's small traditional fisheries for shrimp and golden crab. 

Check it out

There's a very interesting article referring to the revolt of fishermen against the National Marine Fisheries Service - http://my.att.net/s/editorial.dll?eeid=6909502&eetype=article&render=y&….

Post-Script

It has been written that “Playing loud music in your boat while fishing will not enhance your catch.” So whether you charter, ride a head boat, run your own vessel, stay in the river, surf, or fish from shore or a bridge, there are fish to be caught. Fishing is not a matter of life and death, it is so much more important than that.

Tight lines, Capt. Budd