Monthly Archives: June 2018

Chalky vs. Mushy Halibut

June 24, 2018FishAlaska halibut, Chalky Halibut, Fishing in Alaska, Mushy halibut, North Pacific halibut, Robin Barefieldadmin

How much does a pound of halibut cost in your neighborhood grocery store? If you can even find halibut for sale, it probably costs more than $20 per pound, and if you decided to buy it, you expect your butcher to hand you a perfect chunk of pristine, white fish. Pacific halibut is one of the most sought-after food fish in the world. When cooked, halibut has a subtle flavor and a flaky texture, but when fishermen report catching halibut with sub-prime flesh conditions, the news alarms sport and commercial fishermen, fish processors, chefs, and consumers. Chalky and mushy flesh conditions are the two biggest concerns for halibut caught in Alaska.

What is the difference between chalky and mushy halibut, and can a human safely eat the meat of a fish afflicted with either condition? The two flesh conditions might both look unappetizing, but they are very different from each other. One is caused by the rigors of an athlete trying to stay in the ocean and out of your boat, while the other is a sign of a malnourished fish. Let me explain in more detail.

Chalky Halibut

When an animal exerts itself, it uses oxygen to break down glucose and produce energy. During intense exercise, such as when a sprinter runs a race, he might not be able to breathe enough oxygen to complete the chemical process to produce energy. When the body does not have sufficient oxygen, it produces lactic acid, which your body can convert anaerobically (without oxygen) into energy. Producing anaerobic energy works great in the short term, but during prolonged physical exertion, lactic acid can build up in the bloodstream and muscles faster than the animal can burn it, lowering the pH of the muscle tissue.

The blood and muscles of a healthy athlete, as well as those of a healthy fish, will slowly dump excess lactic acid once the athlete or fish stops exerting and begins breathing normally again. When a fish is killed at the end of a long fight, though, the excess lactic acid stays in its flesh. Small halibut in the 10 lb. to 15 lb. range, caught during the warmest part of the summer, are the most susceptible to excess lactic acid in their tissues.

The meat from a halibut with a build-up of lactic acid often looks white and cooked as soon as you fillet the fish, but it sometimes takes several hours before the flesh turns chalky. Instead of the semi-translucent appearance of normal halibut meat, chalky halibut is white and opaque. Chalky halibut looks like raw halibut after the meat has marinated in lemon juice for several hours. Chalky halibut is safe to eat, but the meat often tastes tough and dry when cooked.

Mushy Halibut Syndrome

As the name implies, halibut with this syndrome have large sections of flesh which are soft instead of firm, and sometimes the flesh is so mushy, it feels like jelly. A mushy halibut is often obvious even before you fillet it because the fish looks emaciated, and indeed, biologists think malnourishment causes this condition.

Mushy halibut syndrome is most prevalent in halibut in the 15-20-lb. range. Although fish pathologists have yet to pinpoint the cause of this condition, they have not found parasites or infectious agents in affected fish, and they do not believe it is a disease that can be transmitted from fish to fish. Microscopic examination of the tissues of mushy halibut reveal a severe loss of muscle mass, and the affected muscles resemble those of animals known to have nutritional deficiencies of vitamin E and selenium.

The muscle atrophy in mushy halibut causes weakness in the fish and compromises the halibut’s ability to capture prey, leading to further malnutrition and weakness. This syndrome is most common in areas where populations of prey fish have declined, and the stomach contents of mushy halibut show many have consumed small crabs instead of the forage fish they normally eat. Researchers wonder if crab lacks some of the nutrients necessary for halibut to thrive.

Mushy halibut is safe to eat, but when cooked, it falls apart and resembles oatmeal.
According to the International Halibut Commission, neither chalky nor mushy halibut are common, but the prevalence of these conditions varies between years and locations. As the oceans warm, researchers worry these conditions will become more common.

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Robin Barefield is the author of three Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, and The Fisherman’s Daughter. To download a free copy of one of her novels, watch her webinar about how she became an author and why she writes Alaska wilderness mysteries. If you like audiobooks, check out her audiobook version of Murder Over Kodiak. Also, sign up below to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

Sunshine

June 17, 2018Living in the wilderness on Kodiak Island, WritingAlaska Wilderness Author, Kodiak Island, Medium, Writingadmin

Ahh, sunshine! Finally, we’ve had a week without clouds. When the sun shines on this lush, green rainforest I call home, no place is more beautiful, and a day of sunshine makes me forget all the cloudy, rainy days preceding it. We have had a cool spring with almost no sunshine until now, and I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see the sun again.

June is “work” month here at our lodge on Kodiak Island. It is the month we paint, fix, clean, and garden in preparation for our summer bear-viewing and sport-fishing trips. A day of sunshine means it is time to rush outdoors, grab a brush and spread paint until exhausted. June is also one of the rainiest, foggiest months on the island, so we cannot afford to squander sunshine on decadent activities such as picnics on the beach or hikes in the woods. Nevertheless, I enjoy the sunshine, and after a week of hard work, I am also looking forward to the forecasted rain in a few days!

This time of year, writing is a luxury, and I have to steal a minute here and there to write a few lines. While my mind bursts with story-telling and promotional ideas, I don’t have time to follow through on them. I recently began publishing my murder newsletters on Medium, an online publishing platform. Here is a link to my first article. While this is the wrong time of year to give myself a new job, I was excited to have an additional outlet for my writing, and I couldn’t wait to see if people would read my stories on Medium. I dreamed of thousands of new readers, but now, I’ll be happy if my article receives a hundred views.

I am eager to get back to writing my next novel. I’m excited about the story, and I love writing fiction. My writing focus this summer, though, will be to finish the edits on my wildlife book. I hope to send it to my publisher this winter.

I have been thinking about my blog posts for this summer, and I plan to focus once again on fish. Of all the posts I have written, my most popular one is, “The Difference Between Atlantic and Pacific Salmon.” I guess this means folks are interested in fish, and since I love talking about fish, it’s a topic I’ll embrace. I have a halibut post planned for next week, and then I’ll jump into the troubling issue of the sudden decline in Pacific grey cod.

Please send me any questions you have about fish species in the North Pacific, and I will investigate the answer and write a post about it. I will be happy to write about fish biology, fishing regulations, and fishing techniques.

I know I don’t say this often enough, but thank you for reading my posts. I appreciate you! Now, it’s time for me to get outdoors, enjoy this sunshine, and paint something.

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Mystery Newsletter

Interesting Facts About Sitka Black-Tailed Deer

June 10, 2018Kodiak Wildlife, Sitka black-tailed deerDeer eat poisonous plants, deer on Kodiak Island, Deformed deer antlers on Kodiak Island, How do deer survive on Kodiak?, How many deer were transplanted to Kodiak?, Kodiak Sitka black-tailed deer, Sitka black-tailed deeradmin

While I always smile when I see a Sitka black-tailed deer, I don’t always run for my camera because I see deer nearly every day. Last week, I wrote about the three deer that hang out in our yard. The other day, I stretched out on a sunny spot in the grass and closed my eyes. I felt something touch my face, and when I casually brushed it away, I heard loud breathing and hooves stomping. I sat up abruptly and looked into the eyes of a young buck. I’m not sure which one of us was the most startled, but after we recovered, the deer resumed grazing, and I laughed.

While they may be common, deer are fascinating animals, and I thought I would share a few interesting facts about Sitka black-tailed deer.

How did deer get to Kodiak Island, and how have they survived?

The most interesting fact about the Sitka black-tailed deer on Kodiak Island is that they exist and thrive here. The deer population on Kodiak stems from a founder population of fewer than 35 animals. Twenty-five Sitka black-tailed deer were introduced to the north end of Kodiak Island in three transplants from 1924 to 1933, and another nine deer were introduced in 1934. The deer population has since spread to most areas of the Kodiak archipelago, and despite the limited gene pool, the population appears to be healthy. The size of the deer population fluctuates from year to year, depending on the harshness of the winter, but biologists estimate when the population is at its peak, approximately 70,000 deer on live on the archipelago.

How can deer eat some poisonous plants?

After a long, cold winter, deer enthusiastically graze on the first green sprouts in the spring, and they often eat skunk cabbage, despite the fact the plant contains oxalic acid, a poisonous compound. Humans who have tasted skunk cabbage claim the plant burns their mouths for hours, but it doesn’t seem to bother deer. Deer are also able to tolerate other toxic plants, and it is possible their gut bacteria can neutralize the toxins in these noxious plants.

How do deer communicate with each other?

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how foxes communicate with each other. One of the ways deer communicate is with the aid of pheromones produced by the scent glands located on the lower legs. A gland on the outside of the lower leg produces an “alarm” scent, a gland on the inside of the hock produces a scent to help deer recognize each other, and glands between the toes leave a scent trail when a deer walks. Deer have excellent senses of sight, smell, and hearing. Their ears move independently of each other, allowing them to pick up on signs of danger from different directions.

Why do some deer have deformed antlers?

A certain percentage of deformed antlers are common in any deer population and may be produced as the result of an injury. Research shows that leg, pedicle, and velvet injuries can all lead to deformed antlers, and these deformities may be temporary or permanent. Some deer in certain areas of Kodiak Island, particularly the Aliulik and Hepburn Peninsulas on the southern end of the island, display abnormal antlers with a bizarre shape, sharp tips, and retention of velvet well into the mating season. Research on these deer indicates they are also sterile. At first, the problem was believed to be genetically linked due to the narrow gene pool of the small founder population. This theory, however, did not explain why the deer with the mutated antlers were mostly concentrated in one area of the island, even though there was nothing confining the deer to this area. A study published in 2005 carefully analyzed all aspects of the problem and concluded the sterile deer with the malformed antlers were not the result of inbreeding. Instead, researchers think the deer living in this area of the island are ingesting something such as kelp or grass laced with estrogenic molecules that alter antler growth, transform testicular cells, and block the descent of fetal testes.

The Sitka black-tailed deer on Kodiak Island experience the best and worst of nature. In the spring and summer, they enjoy an endless supply of food in this lush environment, but winters are often harsh, and nearly the entire deer population can be wiped out by a series of cold, snowy winters.
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Robin Barefield is the author of three Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, and The Fisherman’s Daughter. To download a free copy of one of her novels, watch her webinar about how she became an author and why she writes Alaska wilderness mysteries. If you like audiobooks, check out her audiobook version of Murder Over Kodiak. Also, sign up below to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.

Mystery Newsletter

How do Deer Antlers Grow?

June 3, 2018Kodiak Wildlife, Sitka black-tailed deerDeer Antler Growth, Deer Biology, How Fast Do Deer Antlers Grow?, Kodiak Deer, Sitka black-tailed deer, Wildlife of Kodiak Islandadmin

Why do deer have antlers, and how do they grow so fast? Can you imagine having to walk around with a set of antlers on your head? I get a headache just thinking about it.

Last year in late May, we saw a Sitka black-tailed deer doe with two newborn fawns in our yard. They took up residence nearby, and we still see the trio nearly every day as they graze on our sprouting grass. The fawns are now almost the same size as the doe, and I wonder when they will wander off on their own. Will the doe have a new set of fawns this year? She doesn’t look pregnant, but we will know for certain in a few weeks.

Does between the ages of five and ten are in their prime and usually produce two fawns a year. Mating season on Kodiak occurs between mid-October and late November. The gestation period is six to seven months, so fawns are born from late May through June. Twins are the most common, although many young does only produce a single fawn, and triplets do sometimes occur. Newborn fawns weigh between 6.0 and 8.8 lbs. (2.7 to 4.0 kgs.). For the first week, a newborn fawn has no scent, allowing the mother to leave the fawn hidden as she browses for food to rebuild her energy reserves after giving birth.

The two young deer we often see in our yard are bucks, and they have little nubs on their heads. Bucks begin to grow a new set of antlers in the late spring because the increased daylight in the spring stimulates the hormones that regulate antler growth. During the spring and summer, antlers receive a rich supply of blood and are covered by a fine membrane called “velvet.” At this time, the antlers are fragile and vulnerable to cuts and bruises. By August, antler growth slows, and they begin to harden. A few weeks later, antler growth ceases, blood flow to the antlers stops, and the velvet dries up and falls off. Bucks then retain these hard, polished antlers throughout the mating season. After the mating season, cells start to de-mineralize the bone between the pedicle and the antler, weakening the connection between the skull and the antler, and the antler falls off. On Kodiak, deer normally begin dropping their antlers from mid-to-late December.

Sitka black-tailed deer antlers are fairly small compared to other species of deer and typically have three or four points on either side, including the eye guards. A very large buck might have five points on each side, including the eye guards.

Deer antlers grow at an amazing rate. Biologists have determined white-tailed deer antlers can grow as much as one-half an inch (1.27 cm) per day during their peak growth. Antler size is dependent on age, nutrition, and genetics. Antlers are made from bone, and they develop from the pedicle on the frontal bone of the skull. Male fawns produce “button” antlers at the age of four to five months, and they begin growing their first noticeable antlers the following year. A young buck’s first antlers may be only single spikes, but antler size usually increases with age until they reach a maximum size. Antler growth requires a great deal of energy, so antler size is dependent on good nutrition and environmental conditions. A buck may produce smaller antlers the year following an extremely harsh winter.

While biologists don’t know why bucks grow antlers, several theories have been proposed:

(1) A buck with large antlers may signal to a potential mate that he is healthy and possess good genes.
(2) Antlers may be used as a weapon during the breeding season to establish dominance between males.
(3) The size of the antlers alone may display age-related dominance without the males having to fight. Although, current research does not support this theory.
(4) Deer may use antlers

to defend themselves against predators. Although, this would only be beneficial for bucks since does don’t have antlers.

It is likely a combination of two or more of these theories point to the true purpose of antlers.

The Kodiak winter of 2016/2017 was very harsh, and biologists estimated as much as 80% of the deer population on the island died. We saw deer carcasses everywhere we hiked in the late winter of 2017. The 2017/2018 winter was mild, and the deer fared much better. The deer wandering through our yard this spring look fat and healthy, and I suspect we will see a bumper crop of fawns this summer.

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Next week, I’ll cover some interesting facts about deer.

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Robin Barefield is the author of three Alaska wilderness mystery novels, Big Game, Murder Over Kodiak, and The Fisherman’s Daughter. To download a free copy of one of her novels, watch her webinar about how she became an author and why she writes Alaska wilderness mysteries. If you like audiobooks, check out her audiobook version of Murder Over Kodiak. Also, sign up below to subscribe to her free, monthly newsletter on true murder and mystery in Alaska.