[Schriscoe Posts: 1,765 Status: Offline www.sharonchriscoebooks.com WWW]

My WIP needs to have a fishless cove. I need my MC to actually bring fish to the cove vs. there being fish already in it. It is barricaded from the open water with a sea wall, so could it be possible to not have fish in it?

Thanks!

[dewsanddamps Posts: 2,302 Status: Offline]

Saltwater, right? (I know nothing about coves. Just thinking it through.)

[Schriscoe Posts: 1,765 Status: Offline www.sharonchriscoebooks.com WWW]

Yes, sorry. Saltwater. The cove is protected from rough seas by a sea wall.

[andracill Posts: 5,701 Status: Offline Worlds within...screaming to get out! WWW]

Well, the only cove I'm familiar with doesn't have fish (at least, as far as I know), but that's because seals live there, LOL. It's La Jolla Cove in southern CA.

[Vijaya Posts: 7,164 Status: Offline Encourage WWW]

I have no idea, Sharon, but if there are fishless coves, then you can certainly have it for your wip. By the way, when I first read this, I thought, Covers without fish? And all I could think of was the goldfish bowl with the fish jumping out--it's on two books. lol.

By the way, just because there are no fish observed does not mean there aren't any fish in that particular area. I don't know whether this helps your wip or not, but I'm throwing it out there.

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,001 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

The question is more refined than this because your WIP takes place in a specific area. Why not contact marine scientists from universities and research organizations in that area. Local maritime museums may also have your answers, possibly even in their gift shop book sections. If there are no fish, there also wouldn't be any birds that eat fish hanging around that cove. You need to learn the ecosystem. Wish  I could be of more help.

[JulieM Posts: 986 Status: Offline WWW]

I may be off track, but if it's a work of fiction you could say it has no fish because of local environmental issues (eg pollution runoff from a factory, dredging nearby which destroyed the breeding grounds, or whatever it's called when shipping companies dig up the substrate to deepen the channels nearby. If these aren't too "heavy", that is.)

[dinalapomy101 Posts: 1,875 Status: Offline Happy writing to all! WWW]

I think JulieM is on the right track here.

1. Fish live in the ocean and cove
2. A sea wall is built
3. The fish in the cove have *something bad happen* that wipes them all out
4. No more fish live in the cove

It still seems like a stretch for there to be ZERO fish....but stranger things have happened.

Otherwise, WHY do you need there to be no fish? Can you come up with another plot or setting device?

[marla-lesage Posts: 383 Status: Offline Write. Illustrate. Revise.]

I assume it has to be a cove? The seawall is important? There are other bodies of fishless water (ie cuts from open coal mining - there is one in atlantic canada that has been well stocked with goldfish. Be cause it's not a naturally ocurring body of water the fish were quite a surprise.)

[Vijaya Posts: 7,164 Status: Offline Encourage WWW]

I may be off track, but if it's a work of fiction you could say it has no fish because of local environmental issues (eg pollution runoff from a factory, dredging nearby which destroyed the breeding grounds, or whatever it's called when shipping companies dig up the substrate to deepen the channels nearby. If these aren't too "heavy", that is.)

I like the way you think, Julie, with more plot complications.

[JulieM Posts: 986 Status: Offline WWW]

I like the way you think, Julie, with more plot complications.

Thanks, Vijaya. : )

[Schriscoe Posts: 1,765 Status: Offline www.sharonchriscoebooks.com WWW]

I like the way you think, Julie, with more plot complications.

Exactly!!

Thanks everyone!! You all rock! I now know what to do and I have the perfect 'bad guy' in my WIP to place blame on.

[JulieM Posts: 986 Status: Offline WWW]

Great to hear, Schrisco. Happy writing!