INAUGURAL FISH TOURNAMENT SUPPORTS MOTE MARINE LAB

From left, the Mote teams composed of Haley Burleson, Ryan Schloesser, Michael Crosby, Sarah Hamlyn and Jessyca Garlock. CONTRIBUTED

Snook and redfish took center stage in Islamorada in mid-December for the inaugural Crisdel

Islamorada Invitational sponsored by Crisdel Group, Inc. and the Criscola Family. Dozens of fish were caught and released with each team’s scoring based on the top two largest fish of each species. 

Ultimately, Chuck Jablon and Eric Blackburn fishing on behalf of Skanska USA Inc. of Tampa, guided by local esteemed fishing guide Richard Black, racked up a total of 148 centimeters — the most by a long shot — and took home the Grand Champion trophy. The Roger Fowler trophy will be adorned with winner names each year and will be perpetually passed to the winners each Year.

The tournament, which promoted the missions of Mote Marine Laboratory and International Game Fish Association (IGFA, hosted 19 teams for one day of fishing. Teams included representatives from various local, regional, national and international businesses, NGOs and conservation organizations that targeted two prized Florida species in the common snook and

redfish (also known as red drum).

The inaugural tournament kicked-off with a cocktail reception and dinner at the  Islamorada Fishing Club. Jason Schratwieser, IGFA president, joined Criscola for the rules briefing; he also welcomed the anglers and guides to the tournament. Following the rules, Michael P. Crosby, Mote’s president and CEO, introduced Mote and their science-based approach to sustainable aquaculture, coral reef ecosystem restoration and fisheries research programs. Crosby celebrated the benefit to local fisheries and fishing economies when Mote science “join forces with key stakeholders like IGFA and the local community for sportfishing research in key species like sailfish, as well as the tournament featured species of snook and redfish.”

Mote has significant history in developing stock enhancement strategies for key species

such as snook and redfish. Ryan Schloesser, manager of Mote’s Fisheries Ecology and

Enhancement Program, gave a brief presentation at the tournament dinner highlighting his

work with snook. Mote’s efforts to improve the snook fishery involve traditional and technological monitoring of fish and fisheries, from seine sampling in the tidal creeks to electronic monitoring of coastal fisheries, and also include the breeding and raising of juvenile snook in recirculating aquaculture systems to replenish depleted populations. 

These discoveries offer insights not only for enhancing this vital fishery, but serves as a model sportfish for multiple other fisheries along with other types of fish populations targeted for

Conservation. Just this year, Mote scientists have tagged and released more than 7,200 common snook into tidal creek systems of Sarasota and Charlotte counties. All of these fish came from a single snook spawning event at Mote Aquaculture Research Park—showing how effectively Mote’s sustainable aquaculture technology can produce native sportfish to help restock wild populations that may need help rebounding from environmental challenges.  

These snook are tagged with microchips that can be detected by antennae on shore and in creek systems or marked by laser-etched coded wire tags that can be detected by special scanners used by Mote scientists. Each released snook can provide new data on where the fish go and clues about how to enhance fisheries more effectively. 

Common snook are immensely popular with recreational anglers but are sensitive to many environmental disturbances, from Florida red tide and extreme cold temperatures to habitat loss and water quality changes. To date, Mote has surpassed 100,000 juvenile snook released.

Mote had two teams fishing in the tournament, staff members Dr. Schloesser and Haley

Burleson, Protect Our Reefs marketing manager guided by Captain Eric Herstedt; Jessyca

Garlock, Keys Education manager, and Sarah Hamlyn, senior biologist and Upper Keys Coral

Restoration Operations manager, guided by Captain Mike Alfano. 

The Criscolas are avid anglers and passionate sport fisherman. The Crisdel Group, Inc., owned

by the Criscola family, is an infrastructure construction company for private and public

sector clients throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida. Crisdel is one of the

major construction companies currently working on the new state-of-the-art Mote Science

Education Aquarium (Mote SEA) at Nathan Benderson Park on the I-75 corridor in Sarasota,

Florida. Michael Criscola also represents IGFA as a trustee and serves as the chair of the

development committee. In the past, Michael has served on the board of directors for the

Guides Trust Foundation as the chairman. Since 2008, Michael has served as the chairman of

the Gold Cup Invitational Tarpon Tournament, a highly renowned fly-fishing tarpon tournament

for the last 59 years.

The Criscola Family and Mote, along with the guides and anglers, have already expressed

interest in next year’s Invitational. 

“Plans are already underway for next year’s tournament. The connections made here, between NGOs, leading scientists, and the fishing community will lead to better knowledge and ultimately sustainable practices and conservation of key fish species we all love,” Criscola said.