FIRST ANNUAL HARBOR BRANCH, FWC AND JUPITER DIVE CENTER LOBSTER-FEST WILL STRESS SAFETY AND SCIENCE (and lobster cooking, too!) |
|
FORT PIERCE, FL., July 17, 2002 - Did you know that many of Florida's spiny lobsters started
life as tiny larvae that may have come here from the Caribbean? Are lobster populations in
danger of being over-harvested? How many SCUBA divers hit Florida waters for the annual
Florida lobster mini-season? How many divers are injured during the season because they
don't observe basic safety rules?
As Florida's annual lobster mini-season approaches, three organizations are teaming up to answer these and other questions while promoting conservation, safety, science and fun for the thousands of SCUBA divers who will be hunting those spiny delicacies. On Wednesday, July 24th, the first day of the two-day mini-season, HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with the help of Jupiter Dive Center will sponsor an all day "Mini-Season Lobster-Fest" for the public and the media at the Jupiter Dive Center (772.745.7807) facilities on the Intracoastal Waterway, 1001 Alternate A-1-A in Jupiter, beginning at 5am. LIVE LOBSTER AND THE SCIENCE OF LOBSTERS 1) HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution will have special open-air tanks set up with live Florida spiny lobster available for the media and the public to view. Dr. Megan Davis, HARBOR BRANCH Director of Aquaculture, will be available to talk about the fascinating lives of these crustaceans, from mating habits to how the tiny lobster larvae travel for thousands of miles in Caribbean ocean currents before settling into the reefs off Florida's coast. REGULATIONS, SAFETY, AND ENFORCEMENT BY THE FWC 2) The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will have an enforcement boat and a FWC Officer available to talk about licensing requirements, safety issues, and enforcement of the regulations that govern how lobster are harvested. DIVE CENTER BOAT TRIPS, MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES, LOBSTER HARVESTING, GEAR DEMOS 3) Jupiter Dive Center will have instructors, divemasters, boat captains, and plenty of lobster-hunting divers on hand for interviews starting at 5am Wednesday, July 23rd, for media who would like to do live reports from the dock as the first boats leave. There are also spots available for the media on all the day's trips, at 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, and midnight, and again on Thursday, July 25th, at the same times. All boat reservations are first-come, first-serve, so media representatives should call (772.745.7807) as soon as possible. Members of the media who dive are welcome as guests of Jupiter Dive Center. Underwater video of individual members of the media who dive as well as video of lobster being taken will be provided in mini-DV format. There will be lobster-hunting equipment available for display and demonstrations, as well as the latest in dive gear, dive computers, and other diving equipment available for demonstration and discussion. BEST OF ALL, HOW TO CLEAN, COOK AND EAT FLORIDA SPINY LOBSTER! 4) The grill will be fired up and some of the first lobster brought back to the dock will be cooking by noon, courtesy of Chef Raul Restrepo from Marc's Chophouse, 337 E. Indiantown Rd. in Jupiter, who will demonstrate some of the best ways to clean and cook Florida's spiny lobster. Cleaning and cooking demonstrations will go on throughout the day and Chef Raul will cook during live shots upon request. Please plan now to provide media coverage of this event, beginning at 5am (personnel will be available earlier if required), to help us expand an already popular event to emphasize safety for divers and conservation of a valuable renewable resource, Florida's delicious spiny lobster. Thanks in advance for your help. HARBOR BRANCH Oceanographic Institution, Inc., is one of the world's leading nonprofit oceanographic research organizations dedicated to exploration of the earth's oceans, estuaries and coastal regions for the benefit of mankind. |