NSU’s Oceanographic Center, in partnership with the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, will host the Oceanographic Center Scholarship Fishing Tournament on March 2 in Fort Lauderdale.
The sixth annual tournament will be known this year as the “Fort Lauderdale Billfish Tournament” and will be sponsored by MS Cable and Wire Installation. The money raised will fund scholarships for two NSU graduate students in NSU’s Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research.
The tournament will begin with a kick-off party and Captain’s Meeting on Feb. 28 at the Center of Excellence. According to Kara Solomon, coordinator at the Office of Special Events, the Captain’s Meeting is an opportunity for participating boat captains to socialize and prepare for the competition.
“We’ll explain all of the tournament rules at the Captain’s Meeting, and also host a silent auction” said Solomon.
This year’s tournament will feature a catch-and-release billfish division, along with a “fun-fish” division for dolphin fish, tuna, wahoo, kingfish and cobia. Following the weigh-in, when participants will weigh their catches by division, there will be an awards’ banquet at the Hyatt Pier 66 in Fort Lauderdale.
After the tournament’s conclusion, graduate oceanography students will be informed about the requirements for each scholarship and will learn how to apply.
“This Scholarship Fishing Tournament is a significant and fun event for supporting our academic programs and advancing research,” said Richard Dodge, dean of the Oceanographic Center. “We welcome attendees to participate.”
Online registration is open to NSU students, faculty, staff and community members, with the payment of a $1,000 fee, which will include one boat entry and two tickets to the Captain’s Meeting and the post-tournament awards banquet. Guest tickets for the meeting and banquet are $50 and scholarship sponsorships, from $5,000 to $15,000, can be purchased online.
Interested participants can RVSP or make donations online at nova.edu/fishingtournament. For more information, call the Office of Special Events at 954-262-2105 or email fishingtournament@nova.edu.
