Advertisement

Smith: 'Back by popular demand,' Great Lakes Fish Tournament brings March Madness-type competition to the water

Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·3 min read
The staff at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Green Bay conservation office has started a fish-themed "March Madness" competition. It seeks to raise awareness of Great Lakes fish species and asks the public to vote for their favorites in daily Facebook posts.
The staff at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Green Bay conservation office has started a fish-themed "March Madness" competition. It seeks to raise awareness of Great Lakes fish species and asks the public to vote for their favorites in daily Facebook posts.

The Marquette Golden Eagles fell Sunday in their second game of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, a premature end to what many hoped would be a deep run for the team in the "Big Dance."

But your chance to root for a Wisconsin tourney entry isn't over. And I'm not talking about the Wisconsin Badgers in the NIT.

March Madness extends to the water, too.

For the second year, staff at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Green Bay Conservation Office has organized its Great Lakes Fish Tournament.

What is the Great Lakes Fish Tournament?

The competition pits fish species in a popular vote on the office's Facebook page.

ADVERTISEMENT

The event is "back by popular demand," said Shannon Cressman, lead biological science technician in the Service's Green Bay office who also helps run its Facebook page.

A peach blossom jellyfish (top left, next to a penny for perspective) and the flathead catfish are among species in a competition organized by the Green Bay Conservation Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
A peach blossom jellyfish (top left, next to a penny for perspective) and the flathead catfish are among species in a competition organized by the Green Bay Conservation Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"It's fun, of course," Cressman said. "But our main goal is to engage with the public and raise awareness for fish species in and around the Great Lakes."

The Green Bay Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office includes four programs: the Great Lakes Fish Tagging and Recovery Lab; Aquatic Invasive Species; Partnerships and Habitat; and Native Species.

The fish competition is an office-wide collaboration, Cressman said. In true scientific fashion, the office staff used a randomized process to select members from its ranksto enter species in the tourney

The grand prize will be "bragging rights," Cressman said.

But there are no losers if the public interacts with the tourney and learns more about fish in Wisconsin's waters.

The American eel (top) is facing off against the lake sturgeon in a fish-themed competition run by the Green Bay Conservation Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The American eel (top) is facing off against the lake sturgeon in a fish-themed competition run by the Green Bay Conservation Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.