SEA 



SCIENCE 



Farm, both in Vanceboro, and Pure Water 

 Farms in Creswell. 



Researchers gathered a panel to evaluate 

 hybrid striped bass during storage periods of 

 14 and 21 days. Those descriptions were the 

 basis for the scheme or scorecard listing 

 various aspects, such as eyes, skin and gills. 

 The researchers even sampled two fillets for 

 edibility and smell. Those scores were 

 correlated with the remaining shelf life. 



The preliminary scheme was then shared 

 with HSB growers Ted Davis of White Rock 

 Fish Farm and Steve Locke of Castle Hayne 

 Fisheries, who suggested additional quality 

 parameters. 



"They were very pleased to see the 

 results of Durita's work and expressed an 

 interest in pursuing the technique as a way to 

 differentiate North Carolina-grown HSB from 

 other suppliers," Green says, adding that the 

 project will be discussed with other N.C. fish 

 farmers during an industry meeting. 



Green and Nielsen will fine tune the HSB 

 scheme, which they expect to present at the Trans- Atlantic Fisheries 

 Technology Conference in Iceland next year. "This meeting will go a 

 long way in educating other countries about North Carolina-grown 

 hybrid striped bass and to demonstrate the industry's interest in 

 meeting quality standards on an international basis," Green says. 



INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE 



The project also fits objectives set by the seafood science 

 "theme team" for the national Sea Grant network. Hodson and Jim 

 Murray, former North Carolina Sea Grant extension director who 

 now heads extension efforts of the National Sea Grant College 

 Program, are co-chairs of the team. 



"Our research project addresses the need to develop interna- 

 tional research programs that share information for mutual benefit, 

 rather than fueling competitive trade practices," Green says. 



Hodson agrees. "The development of quality assessment 

 methods like QIM for the U.S. and North Carolina seafood industries 

 also will ensure that our industries can meet the demands of seafood 

 consumers anywhere in the world," he says. 



In many cases, foreign seafood producers have technological 

 superiority, Murray adds. Thus a theme team report recommends that 

 Sea Grant assist the U.S. seafood industry by encouraging interna- 

 tional exchanges and by promoting internationally acceptable 

 systems to evaluate product quality and food safety. 



"The bilateral exchange with Denmark is a good example of 

 how Sea Grant can assist the industry to remain internationally 

 competitive," Murray says. 



The project also provided a bridge between cultures on personal 

 levels. It was Nielsen's first visit to the United States — and the first 

 opportunity for many North Carolinians to learn about the Faroe 

 Islands and Denmark. 



North Carolina's summertime heat and humidity provided some 

 challenges, but Nielsen found the community welcoming and the 

 new seafood delicious. 



While working at the seafood lab, Nielsen stayed with Janie 

 Jones, director of the Carteret County Civic Center, and Charles 

 Jones, regional director for the N.C. Division of Coastal Manage- 

 ment. 



In addition to her QIM work, she tested seafood recipes with 

 retired Sea Grant seafood specialist Joyce Taylor and the Carteret 

 County Nutrition Leaders, and worked with a local seafood processor 

 to test recipes for value-added seafood. Nielsen also worked on the 

 NC State main campus, learning new techniques for measuring 

 texture in fish fillets with Sea Grant researcher Tyre Lanier and 

 colleague Christopher Daubert. 



Nielsen even had a visit to Core Banks and Cape Lookout 

 arranged by Karen Amspacher, director of the Core Sound Water- 

 fowl Museum. There, David Yoemans offered stories and songs 

 describing colorful aspects of local history. 



"I would love to come back," Nielsen says with a smile. □ 



For more information on the Quality Index Method, go online 

 to www.qim-eurofish.com. For information on the Danish Institute 

 for Fisheries Research, go to www.dfu.min.dk. 



COASTWATCH 29 



