Latest news with #Pismo
Los Angeles Times
30-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Orange Coast College students release 200 sea bass into the ocean
Marine biologist Nancy Caruso notes how for less than $70, a person can get a fishing license to take sea life from the ocean. Putting fish into it, however, is much less common. 'There's only a few people who put things in,' Caruso said. 'That's what makes this program so special.' Caruso is the founder Get Inspired, a nonprofit working with Orange County schools of all ages to nurture white sea bass, green abalone, Pismo clams and other species before releasing them into the ocean. On Friday afternoon, Orange Coast College students in the aquarium science program released 200 tagged white sea bass into the ocean at Bayside Beach, near the Orange County Sheriff's Harbor Patrol Division office. The students spent the last few months caring for the fish on-campus, said Mary Blasius, instructor and aquarium coordinator for the Orange Coast College Dennis Kelly Aquarium. Get Inspired has teamed up with OCC for about a decade, Blasius said, with the junior college raising and releasing about 3,000 fish in that time. The eggs and hatchlings are provided by Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute. 'The fish have a very mild taste and make great fish tacos,' Blasius said. 'They're a popular recreational fish. There's nothing wrong with fishing. We want people to be able to enjoy it, we just need to make sure we're doing it in a sustainable way. 'This is great, because the students get hands-on skills that they can use in the industry. Many of our students get full-time positions at aquariums, at hatcheries, with the state of California.' The white sea bass population was decreasing during the mid- to late-20th century due to over-fishing and habitat degradation, but has rebounded. Hayley Heiner, Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute education and outreach manager, said nearly three million fish have been raised and released back into the ocean since the 1980s. Analysis has shown that 30% of adults sampled from the wild originated from the hatchery program, while 46% of smaller fish less than 2 years old caught in the wild were also hatchery fish. Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley and Newport Beach City Councilmember Robyn Grant, who had an understandable interest in the project as an environmental attorney, also attended the release. 'I'm so proud of all of the students and the young people, but also everyone else that wanted to come and participate in really protecting, restoring, revering our environment,' Grant said. She added that the bay and ocean was not only Newport Beach's most prized asset, but the world's as well. Get Inspired first focused on restoring all of the kelp forests in Orange County, and has now turned its attention to other species that needed help, Caruso said.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Visa's Pismo names new CEO
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Pismo, a Brazilian payments software and processing platform, has promoted Vishal Dalal to global CEO, elevating him from his role overseeing the North America, Europe and Asia operations, according to a Wednesday press release. The the São Paulo-based company also promoted Rodrigo Melato to chief commercial officer. He had served previously as the company's vice president of sales since 2022, the release said. As Dalal steps into the top post, he will replace co-founder Ricardo Josua, who will transition into an advisory role, per the press release. Pismo's leadership changes come just over a year after Visa completed its acquisition of the company in January 2024. The global payment giant reportedly bought Pismo for $1 billion, TechCrunch reported in June 2023. Visa said the acquisition would enhance its banking and card-issuing services. It also said the purchase would build up support and connectivity services for real-time payments and emerging payment schemes. With a new owner at the helm, Pismo has positioned itself for international expansion. In a January interview, Dalal noted Visa's 'almost unlimited resources' has helped the company gain more European clients and strike up conversations with more potential customers. In June 2023, Pismo partnered with Citigroup to service corporate demand deposit accounts, per another company press release. Dalal, who was CEO of Pismo's North American, European and Asian operations since 2021, brings more than 25 years of prior experience from previous roles at McKinsey, Citibank and Barclays. In his new role, he will continue to lead the company from London and draw from his international business experience to manage the company. Melato will oversee go-to-market strategies and customer relations, the release said. 'Over the past year under Visa's ownership, Pismo has thrived and made significant progress in our growth and strategic direction,' Josua said in a statement. 'We have entered new markets, built an extensive pipeline of prospective clients, and improved the platform's performance.' Recommended Reading Visa supersizes Pismo expansion Sign in to access your portfolio
