mikecouffer

Hello. I am a terrestrial consulting biologist who conducts surveys primarily for special status bird and butterfly species in Southern California. I also shoot underwater photos, and my absolute favorite species to photograph in Southern California is the giant sea bass. I've contributed to your research fund because I have many questions myself about this species. What triggers GSB to move into the shallows and into what I call "breeding aggregations"? I find them there during daylight hours, but what to they do at night? Off foraging? Why were so many of the GSB I saw last season around Long Point so torn up? Do they get into the squid nets at night and are damaged before and during their release? Is there any movement between seemingly separate "breeding aggregations" along the Catalina coast during a single season? Where can i go to find "breeding aggregations" where fish aren't harassed by well-meaning divers who don't understand fish behavior and end up chasing the GSB around? Where can i find small juveniles to photograph? As you can see, I'm really interested in GSB, and it will be fun to follow your research into my favorite species!