SMAST’s Kevin Stokesbury: On scallops, community collaboration, and a lifelong love of the ocean
Growing up on the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia, Kevin Stokesbury spent as much time as possible swimming, searching for sand shrimp, and soaking up the sun with his siblings. Now as dean of the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) at UMass Dartmouth, he’s finding practical applications for his passion with the sea. Stokesbury has played an integral role in revitalizing the scallop industry in New Bedford, inventing a drop camera in 1999 that snapped photos of scallops living on the seafloor, giving scientists and fishermen much more precise estimates of scallop numbers than previously available. The location map and information accompanying the photographs have proved vital. Stokesbury’s invention has greatly boosted the local economy. Before the drop camera, scallop boats brought in an annual harvest valued around $89 million. In 2021, it was $670 million, according to a NOAA commercial landings report. Video, Photos, >click to read< 17:41
The amount of gratitude for the support of Kevin and Dr. Rothschild for their efforts and support of the fishing community must never be forgotten. These are the type of people who roll up their sleeves and take charge of the situation to get to the truth about a world that is not visible without the technology they have developed.
Their passion for the truth without being influenced by political agendas is and always has been obvious. It’s a shame that there are not enough people who share the same passion working for the government agencies that formulate the regulations that govern our lives!
The thanks from the people in the fishing industry for these folks should be heard far and wide.
Thank you gentlemen for what you have done and what you continue to do.