Seraina Rioult-Pedotti, a 2022 Hollings scholar spent her summer looking at Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) and black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) diets at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (KBNERR) in Homer, Alaska. These are two of the largest sport fisheries in Kachemak Bay, so they are both environmentally and economically important species. Understanding these top predators’ dietary preferences can help fisheries managers interpret how fishing activity affects entire ecosystems.
Seraina Rioult-Pedotti boating to collect samples during her 2023 Hollings internship at Kachemak Bay NERR in Alaska. (Image credit: McKenna Shook)