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The PORT ROYAL SOUND FOUNDATION To Fund Adult Red Drum Study

      Recognizing that the Red Drum is the number one fish species targeted by Beaufort County recreational fishermen and charter boat captains and that there are significant gaps in the research data available for developing sound management practices, the Port Royal Sound Foundation will fund a two year adult Red Drum study lead by fisheries biologist (retired SCDNR) Glenn F. Ulrich. 

     Working with a cooperative network of charter captains and other expert private anglers, Glenn will be implanting PIT tags (microchip) in adult Red Drum, collecting DNA samples, taking measurements, developing catch rate data and evaluating effective catch and release strategies.  The study was initiated in 2007 by a grant from SCDNR to provide data on the population characteristics of the adult Red Drum of Port Royal and Calibogue Sounds.  

     The data will be shared with SCDNR to augment their impressive ongoing DNA studies. The results and accomplishments will be disseminated to participating captains and the public in an annual report.

     This study can significantly add to our understanding of the population and health of our indigenous spawning stocks.  The DNA data will also help tell us what portion of our adult fish are wild as opposed to being a product of the Waddell Mariculture Center stock enhancement program.  The recreational Red Drum fishery annually generates $150 million in revenue in South Carolina. Beaufort County has roughly half of the state’s productive habitat and nursery for this iconic species.

- David Harter, daveh@hargray.com