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Evaluation Of Striped Bass Stocks In Virginia, Monitoring And Tagging Studies, 1999-2003 Annual Report, 1 September 2000 - 31 October 2001, Philip W. Sadler, Robert J. Latour, Robert E. Harris, John E. Olney

Reports

This report presents the results of striped bass (Marone saxatilis) tagging and monitoring activities in Virginia during the penod 1 September 2000 through 31 October 2001. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2001 spring spawning run, estimates of annual survtval based on annual spring tagging, and the results of the fall 2000 directed mortality study that is cooperative with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The information contained in this report is required by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and is used to implement a coordinated management plan for striped bass …

Yellowtail Flounder (Limanda Ferruginea) Bycatch During The 1999 Commercial Sea Scallop Opening Of Georges Bank Area Ii, William D. Dupaul, David Rudders, Todd Gedamke

Reports

No abstract provided.

Population Biology And Secondary Production Of The Suspension Feeding Polychaete Chaetopterus Cf. Variopedatus: Implications For Benthic-Pelagic Coupling In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Ml Thompson, Linda C. Schaffner

VIMS Articles

Benthic suspension feeders are functionally important components of many shallow estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Their relative importance in material and energy cycling depends on physical and biological factors, of which population dynamics of individual species are a key feature, We studied the demographics and secondary production of a population of the tubicolous, suspension feeding polychaete, Chaetopterus cf. variopedatus, of southern Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, to better understand its functional role in an estuarine ecosystem. Average worm densities in the study region ranged from 30 to > 1000 individuals m(-2) and were greatest after the summer recruitment period. Recruitment success varied threefold between …

Analysis Of Historical Distribution Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (Sav) In The York And Rappahannock Rivers As Evidence Of Historical Water Quality Conditions, Ken Moore, David J. Wilcox, Britt Anderson, R J. Orth

Reports

Historical black and white format photographs at scales of approximately 1:20,000, dating from 1952 to 1956 were used to delineate the maximum coverage of SAV in the study region. Coverage of photography from decades before and after this period were found to generally to be of poorer quality and show less SAV presence. Photo-interpretation of the aerial photographs was accomplished using a head-up, on-screen digitizing system at fixed image scale of 1:12,000 and followed as closely as possible the methods currently used to delineate SAV beds throughout the Chesapeake Bay as well as the delineation of historical SAV coverage for …

Enhanced Water Quality Monitoring Of Virginia's Chesapeake Bay Tributaries, Kenneth Moore, Iris C. Anderson, Larry W. Haas, Howard Kator

Reports

No abstract provided.

Statement On The Use Of Crassostrea Ariakensis In Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

In 1995 the Virginia General Assembly, through House Joint Resolution 450, directed the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to begin research on non-native oyster species for possible use in Chesapeake Bay. VIMS proceeded in a responsible manner by using sterile triploid oysters to prevent an unintended introduction. One of the results of our research has been the identification of an oyster species, Crassostrea ariakensis, that grows well in the Chesapeake Bay, is tolerant of local diseases, and has been well received in marketing trials. Recognizing that there is widespread commercial interest in this species, we are providing this statement …

Red Drum Tag Return Data Overview Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program 1995-2000, Jon Lucy

Reports

No abstract provided.

Shark Attack In Virginia: A Report To The Governor's Task Force, J. A. Musick

Reports

No abstract provided.

Water Hemlock, Beaver Poison Cicuta Maculata L., Gene Silberhorn

Reports

The Wetland Flora Technical Report series provides concise information regarding the identification, growth habits, distribution, habitat, ecology and wetland indicator status for the title species. Illustrations are also included to aid in specimen identification.

Microbial Loop Carbon Cycling In Ocean Environments Studied Using A Simple Steady-State Model, T. R. Anderson, H. W. Ducklow

VIMS Articles

A simple steady-state model is used to examine the microbial loop as a pathway for organic C in marine systems, constrained by observed estimates of bacterial to primary production ratio (BP:PP) and bacterial growth efficiency (BGE). Carbon sources (primary production including extracellular release of dissolved organic carbon, DOC), cycling via zooplankton grazing and viral lysis, and sinks (bacterial and zooplankton respiration) are represented. Model solutions indicate that, at least under near steady-state conditions, recent estimates of BP:PP of about 0.1 to 0.15 are consistent with reasonable scenarios of C cycling (low BGE and phytoplankton extracellular release) at open ocean sites …

Boat Scarring Effects On Submerged Aquatic Vegetation In Virginia (Year 1), R J. Orth, James R. Fishman, Amy Tillman, Sara Everett, Kenneth A. Moore

Reports

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in Chesapeake Bay has received significant attention in recent decades due to increasing understanding of the importance of these habitats for ecological functions, including fisheries habitat. Yet, SAV in many regions of the bay are at some of the lowest levels of abundance in recorded history. This has led state management agencies to adopt numerous policies and regulations to protect and restore these valuable communities. The Chesapeake Bay 2000 Agreement highlights SAV by recommitting to the goal of protecting and restoring 114,000 acres, revising existing restoration goals and strategies by 2002, and implementing a strategy to …

The Crest, Fall 2001, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Table of Contents:

• VIMS Named World Reference Laboratory for Shellfish Diseases
• VIMS Scientists Receive 2001 Best Paper Award
• Domestic Interest Grows in Cobia Culture VIMS Foundation Established
• VIMS Environmental Scientists Spearheading BDE Research in USA
• VIMS Capital Campaign for Kauffman Aquaculture Center Meets its Goal
• Dr. William Reay Named New Manager of Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
• Summer Course Connects Scientists with Science Teachers
• Beset near 68 degrees south, 69 degrees west
• New researcher studies tiny organisms that play a big role
• VIMS Welcomes New Students
• VIMS to initiate coastal observing program
• VIMS student Receives Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship …

Estimation Of Relative Abundance Of Recreationally Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay, Patrick J. Geer, Herbert M. Austin

Reports

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Relative Abundance Of Recreationally Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay: Annual Progress Report 2000-2001, Patrick J. Geer, Herbert M. Austin

Reports

Several annual indices of juvenile abundance have been generated from trawl survey data for species of key recreational importance in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay (spot, croaker, weakfish, summer flounder, black sea bass and striped bass, white and channel catfish) and four species of secondary importance (scup, white perch, northern puffer, and silver perch). No species has shown a continuous trend during the past fourteen years under the present sampling scheme. However, several species have revealed declines (spot, scup, and northern puffer) or increases (striped bass) in recent years. Results for the 2000 sampling season indicate significant declines over …

Aquaculture Of Triploid Crassostrea Ariakensis In The Chesapeake Bay A Symposium Report, Eric Hallerman, Merrill Leffler, Sally Mills, Standish K. Allen Jr.

Reports

A Symposium Held at the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia October 18-19, 2001

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young Of Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of The Chesapeake Bay March 2000 - June 2001, Patrick J. Geer

Reports

Measures of juvenile recruitment success have long been recognized as a valuable fisheries management tool. In the Chesapeake Bay, these measures have provided reliable indicators for future year class strength for blue crabs (Lipcius and van Engel, 1990), striped bass (Goodyear, 1985), and several other recreationally important fishes (Geer and Austin, 1999).

The American eel, Anguilla rostrata, is a valuable commercial species along the entire Atlantic coast from New Brunswick to Florida. Landings along the U.S. Atlantic coast have varied from 290 MT in 1962 to a high of 1600 MT in 1975 (NMFS, 1999). In recent years there seems …

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young Of The Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay, Patrick J. Greer

Reports

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) adopted the Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eel (FMP) in November 1999. The Plan focuses on increasing the states’ efforts to collect data on the resource and the fishery it supports through fishery dependent and independent studies. To this end, member jurisdictions (including Virginia) agreed to implement an annual abundance survey of young-of-year American eel (YOY). The survey is intended to “...characterize trends in annual recruitment of the young of the year eel over time [to produce a] qualitative appraisal of the annual recruitment of American eel to the U.S. Atlantic coast …

Chinese Privet Ligustrum Sinense Lour., Gene Silberhorn

Reports

The Wetland Flora Technical Report series provides concise information regarding the identification, growth habits, distribution, habitat, ecology and wetland indicator status for the title species. Illustrations are also included to aid in specimen identification.

The Identification, Conservation, And Management Of Estuarine And Marine Nurseries For Fish And Invertebrates: A Better Understanding Of The Habitats That Serve As Nurseries For Marine Species And The Factors That Create Site-Specific Variability In Nursery Quality Will Improve Conservation And Management Of These Areas, Michael W. Beck, Kl Heck, Kenneth W. Able, Daniel L. Childers, David B. Eggleston, Bronwyn M. Gillanders, Benjamin Halpern, Cynthia G. Hays, Kaho Hoshino, Thomas J. Minello, R J. Orth, Peter F. Sheridan, Michael P. Weinstein

VIMS Articles

No abstract provided.

Density-Dependent Predation, Habitat Variation, And The Persistence Of Marine Bivalve Prey, Rochelle D. Seitz, Rom Lipcius, Ah Hines, Db Eggleston

VIMS Articles

The persistence of prey encountering intense predation varies by species, prey density, and habitat type; however, the collective impact of these factors has rarely been tested experimentally in natural marine systems. Using the thin-shelled clams Mya arenaria and Macoma balthica as prey, and the main epibenthic predator of whole adult clams, the blue crab Callinectes sapidus, we conducted a series of experiments in Chesapeake Bay tributaries that (1) links field abundance and distribution of bivalve prey species with habitat-specific mortality patterns; (2) represents the first comprehensive field test of species-specific, habitat-specific, and density-dependent mortality for subtidal, soft-bottom, deep-burrowing prey; and …

Infection And Mortality Studies With Hematodinium Perezi In Blue Crabs, Jeffrey D. Schields

VIMS Books and Book Chapters

Blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, from the Delmarva Peninsula experience recurring epizootics of a pathogenic dinoflag ellate. The parasite, Hematodinium perezi , fulminates in late summer and autumn causing significant mortalities in high salinity embayments and estuaries. Mortality rates during epizootics a re difficult to estimate because dead crabs quickly deteriorate. Host mortality was investigated in naturally- and experimentally-infected crabs. Detection of the parasite, its proliferation in the hemolymph, and distribution in lower Chesapeake Bay were also examined. The dinoflagellate was highly pathogenic, killing 100% of naturally infected crabs, and 86% of inoculated crabs over 35 and 4 0 days, respectively. …

Marine Resource Bulletin Vol. 33, No. 2, Virginia Sea Grant, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Virginia Marine Resource Bulletin

CONTENTS

FEATURES: RECREATIONAL BOATING

Like Ducks Take to Water by Sally Mills & Tom Murray

Satisfying Our Boating Appetite: How Local Communities Respond "Terminal" Access by Sally Mills Exploring the Eastern Shore by Paddle by Charlie Petrocci

Stewarding Virginia's Waters by Harrison Bresee

COMMERCIAL TRADES

"Luxury" is a Relative Term by Tom Murray

A Charter Boat Can Get You There by Charlie Petrocci

DEPARTMENT NEWS Marine Educators Make Waves!

Cultured Cobia Satisfy Tastebuds by Mike Oesterling

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Habitat Fragmentation In A Seagrass Landscape: Patch Size And Complexity Control Blue Crab Survival, Ka Hovel, Rom Lipcius

VIMS Articles

Habitat fragmentation is increasingly common on land and in the sea, leading to small, isolated habitat patches in which ecological processes may differ substantially from those in larger, continuous habitats. Seagrass is a productive but fragmented subtidal habitat that serves as a refuge from predation for many animals because its structural complexity limits the detection and capture of resident prey. The singular influence of seagrass habitat fragmentation (e.g., patch size) on faunal survival is largely unknown and has been difficult to quantify because seagrass habitat complexity (e.g., shoot density) and patch size are often confounded and vary seasonally. In early …

Mountain Laurel Kalmia Latifolia L., Gene Silberhorn

Reports

The Wetland Flora Technical Report series provides concise information regarding the identification, growth habits, distribution, habitat, ecology and wetland indicator status for the title species. Illustrations are also included to aid in specimen identification.

The Crest, Summer 2001, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Table of Contents:

• VIMS to Begin New Ecosystem Management Study
• CBNERRVA Receives Coastal America Partnership Award
• VIMS Shoreline Permit Application Reports Now Available Online
• Marina Program Launched
• Web Based Education Hub Developed by VIMS/Sea Grant Educators
• In the middle of the storm... where VIMS scientists plan to be
• Continental margins--where the action is
• Aquaculture and agriculture--working together for solutions
• Marine Finfish Culture Activities
• Kauffman Aquaculture Center Campaign
• New Graduate Courses for Science Teachers
• VIMS scientists explore pollution of Antarctic sea ice
• Mid-Atlantic Scallop Closed Areas Set to Reopen
• VIMS study poses new questions on river carbon
• Marine Industry Trends
• Stranded …

Variation In Top-Down And Bottom-Up Control Of Marine Bivalves At Differing Spatial Scales, Rochelle D. Seitz, Rom Lipcius

VIMS Articles

At large spatial scales(> 1 km). the forces structuring marine communities are diverse and include oceanographic, geological. and human processes, as well as availability of regional species pools. Few studies in marine and estuarine systems have examined the joint effects of predation (top-down) and food availability (bottom-up) in controlling populations at these scales. We compared the relative influence of top-down and bottom-up factors to population abundance of the infaunal clam Macomala balthican in two ecosystems differing in spatial extent by an order of magnitude. the York River, 50 km long, and the Rhode River. 5 km long. In both rivers, …

Molecular Methods For The Dectection Of Quahog Parasite Unknown (Qpx), Lisa M. Ragone Calvo, Nancy A. Stokes, Eugene Burreson

Reports

No abstract provided.

Status Of The Major Oyster Diseases In Virginia 2000 A Summary Of The Annual Monitoring Program, Lisa M. Ragone Calvo, Eugene M. Burreson

Reports

As a consequence of the relatively warm temperatures, high salinities, and high oyster parasite abundances in the fall of 1999, both P. marinus and H. nelsoni were widely distributed throughout oyster populations in Virginia in 2000. Fortunately, however, we did not see severe epizootics of the diseases as observed in some areas in 1999.

Monitoring Relative Abundance Of American Shad In Virginia’S Rivers 2000 Annual Report, John E. Olney, John M. Hoenig

Reports

Since the moratorium, there have been no monitoring programs that provided direct assessment of stock recovery until this project began in 1998. The ban on in-river fishing in Virginia remained in effect, creating a dilemma for managers who needed reliable information in order to make a rational decision on when the in-river ban could safely be lifted. To address this deficiency, we proposed a method of scientific monitoring to estimate catch rates relative to those recorded before the prohibition of in-river fishing in 1994. This monitoring program began in 1998 and consisted of sampling techniques and locations that were consistent …

Lined Seahorse Distribution, Abundance, And Habitat Preferences From The Vims Trawl Survey 1979-2000, Patrick J. Geer, Joy C. Dameron

Reports

No abstract provided.