FISHING FOR CREDIT: 



ECU Students Explore Lake Mattamuskeet 



By Pam Smith • Photographs by Michael Halminski 



dissonant chorus of 



alarm clocks pierces the predawn silence 

 and Pounces across the dark surface of 

 the pond beside the Mattamuskeet Lodge. 

 Minutes later, a flashlight procession rings 

 the water's edge, and muffled voices 

 become more distinguishable. 



"We caught an eel," a voice calls out 

 with decided excitement. "There's an eel in 

 the trap we set last night." 



That's good news to Roger Rulifson, 

 East Carolina University professor of biology 

 and director of the Field Station for Coastal 

 Studies at the Lake Mattamuskeet National 

 Wildlife Refuge. He's hoping to begin 

 research to help pinpoint — and control — a 

 parasite that is taking a heavy toll on the once 

 abundant eel fishery. 



But he's put his own research interests on 

 the back burner this weekend. He and ECU 

 colleague, Steve Norton, have taken 16 

 fisheries and marine biology students to the 

 famed Hyde County refuge for field training 

 in fisheries techniques. 



Here, they'll put into practice textbook 

 methods they've studied. They'll work in 

 teams to gather data on such things as water 

 quality and fish distribution. 



For many of these university seniors and 

 grad students, this is their first hands-on 

 experience with fishing gear. Understanding 



how nets and other equipment are used is 

 essential for those planning careers in fisheries 

 resource management, Rulifson explains. 



First off, they learn that fisheries-related 

 careers demand long hours of hard work. 



Their "workday" begins at 6 a.m. with 

 the first of the six daily water samplings at 

 several sites on the pond, lake and Pamlico 

 Sound. They won't complete the scheduled 

 tasks until they have set, retrieved and reset 

 gear six times, recorded each catch, shared and 

 compared observations from the day, and 

 organized data. Lights out could be midnight 

 or later. 



The Mattamuskeet experience will be the 

 basis for required end-of-term scientific papers 

 — the best of which will be submitted to U.S. 

 Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) for annual 

 collection records. 



The 50,000-acre Lake Mattamuskeet 

 Wildlife Refuge is managed by the USFWS. 

 A 1994 agreement allows ECU to use the 

 lodge as a field station for studying wetlands, 

 watersheds, estuaries and sounds — and how 



they are affected by coastal growth and 

 development. 



The lodge and refuge have been the base 

 of operation for long- and short-term research 

 projects by scientists from ECU, North 

 Carolina State University, Notre Dame 

 University and Arizona State University. Their 

 studies reflect the biodiversity of the refuge. 



"With five national wildlife refuges and 

 two state parks in the area, the field station at 

 the lake is the perfect place for training students 

 in a variety of academic disciplines. This area is 

 bursting with potential," Rulifson says. 



Various attributes — the largest natural 

 lake in North Carolina; acres of marsh, timber 

 and crop lands; location on the Great Eastern 

 Flyway of migratory waterfowl; proximity to 

 barrier islands; and long history of civilization 

 — add up to a rare combination of educational 

 opportunities for students and faculty. 



[Future use of the historic lodge tnay be 

 in jeopardy because of structural problems. 

 See page 11 for details.] 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 7 



