Digital Commons Network^™

Temporal Variability Of Microbial Response To Crude Oil Exposure In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Melissa L. Brock, Rachel Richardson, Melissa Ederington-Hagy, Lisa Nigro, Richard A. Snyder, Wade H. Jeffrey

VIMS Articles

Oil spills are common occurrences in the United States and can result in extensive ecological damage. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was the largest accidental spill recorded. Many studies were performed in deep water habitats to understand the microbial response to the released crude oil. However, much less is known about how planktonic coastal communities respond to oil spills and whether that response might vary over the course of the year. Understanding this temporal variability would lend additional insight into how coastal Florida habitats may have responded to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. To …

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl: Annual Report 2022, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the Wachapreague lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for short-term research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment for educators to use in their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term …

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl: Annual Report 2021, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the Wachapreague lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for short-term research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment for educators to use in their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term …

Community Dynamics Under Environmental Extremes: Coastal Plain Wet Prairie In A Natural State And Under Restoration, Cinnamon M. Dixon, Kerry E. Flaherty-Walia, Richard A. Snyder

VIMS Articles

Ecological restoration is increasingly employed to restore degraded or destroyed ecosystems and evaluation of restoration success requires that natural community dynamics be understood. Wet prairies in the Southeast US have diverse plant communities subject to disturbances including fire, drought, flooding, tropical storms, and freezes. This habitat covers a fraction of its former range and reversing that trend requires ecological restoration; but, long-term data on the dynamics of this system are rare. We analyzed a 12-year plant community composition dataset from a fire-maintained Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain wet prairie to characterize plant community dynamics and identify indicator species. The site …

Fisheries Landings For The Eastern Shore Of Virginia (Esva) 2021, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

Virginia (VA) landings data were requested from VMRC (Table 1) and analyzed by Richard Snyder at VIMS ESL. Landings data reflect where seafood entered market systems, and so may have different origins that will blur categorizing economic activity ascribed to the act of harvest and the act of processing for market. For example, almost all menhaden are landed in Deltaville, VA, some of the conch/welks and dogfish recorded for Accomack may have originated elsewhere to be processed in Wachapreague, and visiting Maryland crabbers early in the season contribute to blue crab landings. Shellfish data (oysters and clams) are separated as …

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl : Annual Report 2020, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the Wachapreague lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for short-term research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment to educators for their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term status and …

Water Quality In Accomack County Freshwater Streams 2020, Richard A. Snyder, Paige G. Ross

Reports

Expansion of poultry house operations and use of litter as a soil amendment in Accomack County Virginia has raised concerns for water quality impacts on both seaside and bayside of the Eastern Shore of Virginia (ESVA). This ongoing investigation is examining freshwater stream water quality in Accomack Virginia to identify water quality impairments from poultry operation storm water runoff. Previous sampling data from 2019 has been integrated into this report. Sampling in 2020 followed an extended drought period (base flow) and two inch rainfall events (storm flow) in streams at road crossings in Accomack County Bayside and Seaside drainages. Dissolved …

Surface Water Nitrogen Attenuation From The Accomack County, Va Southern Landfill Groundwater Discharge - Final Report, Richard A. Snyder, Paige G. Ross

Reports

Previous sampling of the stream crossing Bobtown Road (Rt 178) near the intersection of Hollies Church Road (Rt. 620), had indicated high levels of nitrogen in the stream flow (Snyder and Ross, 2019a). The proximity of the retired Accomack County Landfill upstream of the site triggered a higher resolution sampling of the stream in an attempt to isolate a source of the nitrogen loading (Snyder and Ross, 2019b). Accomack County has requested repeated sampling of this stream segment to monitor nutrient attenuation trends from the site, and stations were established for that purpose. This Final Report provides a summary of …

Ciliate Microzooplankton From The Northeastern Gulf Of Mexico, Richard A. Snyder, Joseph A. Moss, Luciana Santoferrara, Marie Head, Wade H. Jeffrey

VIMS Articles

Microzooplankton mediate a critical juncture of autotrophic and heterotrophic microbial production in the water column. Taxonomic and ecological work on this group has been substantial, yet few reports exist for the offshore waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). This report focuses on protists in the phylum Ciliophora collected at stations spanning the continental shelf in the northeastern GOM. We hypothesized that patterns of spatial distribution across the region would be west–east along the coast, rather than north–south coastal to offshore, reflecting major freshwater sources. Samples were obtained by 10 µm plankton net for microscopy and by filtration of seawater …

A Subtropical Nudibranch, Polycera Hummi (Abbott 1952), Described For The First Time From Virginia, Wissan A. Jawad, Stacy A. Kruger-Hadfield, Paige G. Ross

VIMS Articles

We collected an individual Polycera hummi, a subtropical nudibranch, in association with a green macroalga Ulva sp. from an intertidal oyster reef in Burtons Bay, Wachapreague, VA. The established range of P. hummi is based solely on a handful of records from Mississippi and Florida in the Gulf of Mexico and the Carolinas in the Atlantic Ocean. This finding marks the highest latitude that this species has been found, 350 km north of its previously established range from Mississippi to Beaufort, NC. We observed the individual actively navigate the Ulva thallus which had encrusting bryozoans (unidentified genus) and arborescent …

Climate Drives The Geography Of Marine Consumption By Changing Predator Communities, M. A. Whalen, R.D. B. Whippo, J. J. Stachowicz, (...), Paige G. Ross, Et Al

VIMS Articles

The global distribution of primary production and consumption by humans (fisheries) is well-documented, but we have no map linking the central ecological process of consumption within food webs to temperature and other ecological drivers. Using standardized assays that span 105° of latitude on four continents, we show that rates of bait consumption by generalist predators in shallow marine ecosystems are tightly linked to both temperature and the composition of consumer assemblages. Unexpectedly, rates of consumption peaked at midlatitudes (25 to 35°) in both Northern and Southern Hemispheres across both seagrass and unvegetated sediment habitats. This pattern contrasts with terrestrial systems, …

Restoration Of Seagrass Habitat Leads To Rapid Recovery Of Coastal Ecosystem Services, Robert J. Orth, Jonathan S. Lefcheck, Karen S. Mcglathery, Lillian Aoki, Mark Luckenbach, Kenneth A. Moore, Matthew P.J. Oreska, Richard A. Snyder, David J. Wilcox, Bo Lusk

VIMS Articles

There have been increasing attempts to reverse habitat degradation through active restoration, but few largescale successes are reported to guide these efforts. Here, we report outcomes from a unique and very successful seagrass restoration project: Since 1999, over 70 million seeds of a marine angiosperm, eelgrass (Zostera marina), have been broadcast into mid-western Atlantic coastal lagoons, leading to recovery of 3612 ha of seagrass. Well-developed meadows now foster productive and diverse animal communities, sequester substantial stocks of carbon and nitrogen, and have prompted a parallel restoration for bay scallops (Argopecten irradians). Restored ecosystem services are approaching historic levels, but we …

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl - Annual Report 2018-2019, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for scientists’ research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment to educators for their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term status and trends …

Surface Water Nitrogen Attenuation From The Accomack County, Va Southern Landfill Groundwater Discharge, Richard A. Snyder, Paige G. Ross

Reports

Previous sampling of the stream crossing Bobtown Road (Rt 178) near the intersection of Hollies Church Road (Rt. 620), had indicated high levels of nitrogen in the stream flow (Snyder and Ross, 2019a). The proximity of the retired Accomack County Landfill upstream of the site triggered a higher resolution sampling of the stream in an attempt to isolate a source of the nitrogen loading (Snyder and Ross, 2019b). Accomack County has requested repeated sampling of this stream segment to monitor nutrient attenuation trends from the site, and stations were established for that purpose. This is the first report of that …

Water Quality In Accomack County Freshwater Streams, Richard A. Snyder, Paige G. Ross

Reports

Expansion of poultry house operations and use of litter as a soil amendment in Accomack County Virginia has raised concerns for water quality impacts both seaside and bayside of the Eastern Shore of Virginia (ESVA). This ongoing investigation is examining freshwater stream water quality in Accomack Virginia to identify water quality impairments from poultry operation storm water runoff. Sampling in 2019 followed two inch rainfall events covering 83 streams at road crossings in southern and northern Accomack County. Estimates of land cover in the drainages for these streams were used to determine correlations between stream water nutrient levels and the …

Water Quality In An Unnamed Branch Of Pungoteague Creek, Bobtown Road And Hollies Church Road, Va., Richard A. Snyder, Paige G. Ross

Reports

Previous sampling of the stream crossing Bobtown Road (Rt 178) near the intersection of Hollies Church Road (Rt. 620), had indicated high levels of nitrogen in the stream flow (Snyder and Ross, 2019). During a dry period, total nitrogen was determined as 21.932 mg/L, at the end of a rain event 9.56 mg/L was recovered, and during an extended wet period without major rainfall, a value of 18.26 mg/L was found. The lower value associated with the rain event suggested dilution of a ground water source. The proximity of the retired Accomack County Landfill upstream of the site triggered a …

Water Quality In Southern Accomack County Watersheds, Richard A. Snyder, Paige G. Ross

Reports

Expansion of poultry grow out houses in Accomack County, VA has raised concerns for water quality impacts both seaside and bayside where harvesting marine resources and aquaculture operations may be affected. The dust and litter from the poultry houses are potential sources of nitrogen, phosphorous, and fecal contamination to watersheds and receiving waters. Siting regulations, storm water controls, and management of litter storage and handling are designed to limit these impacts, yet no analysis has been implemented to verify the efficacy of these protective measures. This investigation sampled watersheds after a 2 week dry period prior to a storm event …

Leds To Replace Fluorescent Tubes For Growth Of Cultured Algae, Grace Alego, Christopher Bentley, Rebecca Smith, Darian Kelley, Richard Synder

Reports

Fluorescent bulbs are widely used for algal culture stocks and production in aquaculture operations. Metal halide lamps are also used for production tanks with significant electricity demand and heat production. LED technology promises lower operational costs with less energy waste as heat for equivalent light energy production. Re-tooling algal production facilities with new LED fixtures incurs significant expense that must be recaptured in savings over time. The initial cost, added to concerns over the unknown response of algae to LED light sources may both be factors inhibiting incorporation of this new technology. LED replacement tubes are available to retrofit fluorescent …

Scanning Electron Microscopic Aids For Identification Of Larval And Post-Larval Bivalves, Ra Lutz, Et Al., Michael Castagna, Roger L. Mann

VIMS Articles

The identification of bivalve larvae and early postlarvae in plankton and benthic samples has long been a challenge, hampering both basic and applied research efforts in marine, estuarine, and freshwater environments. The usefulness of published optical micrographs of the early life-history stages of bivalves is limited because of the great morphological similarity of the imaged articulated shells, particularly at the early (straight-hinge) developmental stages. While a number of techniques have been refined in recent years and show promise for use in routine identifications of larval and post-larval bivalves (e.g., single-step nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction; in situ hybridization protocols through …

Experimental Assessment Of Lionfish Removals To Mitigate Reef Fish Community Shifts On Northern Gulf Of Mexico Artificial Reefs, Kristen A. Dahl, William F. Patterson, Richard A. Snyder

VIMS Articles

Substantial declines in reef fishes were observed at northern Gulf of Mexico artificial reef sites between 2009-2010 and 2011-2012, a period that bracketed the appearance of invasive lionfish in this ecosystem. Small demersal reef fishes, the predominant prey of lionfish in other systems, displayed the greatest declines. However, a confounding factor during this time was the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWH) in summer 2010. In some areas, targeted lionfish removals have been demonstrated to mitigate negative effects on native fishes. Therefore, we conducted a 2 yr experiment to examine the effectiveness and ecological benefits of targeted lionfish removals at artificial …

Lessons Learned From Efforts To Restore Oyster Populations In Maryland And Virginia, 1990 To 2007, Vs Kennedy, Dl Breitburg, Mc Christman, Mark Luckenbach, Kennedy Paynter, J Kramer, Kevin Sellner, J Dew-Baxter, C Keller, Roger L. Mann

VIMS Articles

A century-long decline of the fishery for the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791) in Maryland and Virginia stimulated numerous efforts by federal, state, and nongovernmental agencies to restore oyster populations, with limited success. To learn from recent efforts, we analyzed records of restoration and monitoring activities undertaken between 1990 and 2007 by 12 such agencies. Of the 1,037 oyster bars (reefs, beds, or grounds) for which we obtained data, 43% experienced both restoration and monitoring, with the remaining experiencing either restoration or monitoring only. Restoration activities involved adding substrate (shell), transplanting hatchery or wild seed (juvenile oysters), bar cleaning, …

Recruitment, Substrate Quality And Standing Stock Monitoring In Support Of Noaa-Acoa Oyster Restoration Projects In The Great Wicomico, Rappahannock, Piankatank And Lynnhaven River Basins, 2004-2006 : Supplementary Materials, Mark Luckenbach, Paige G. Ross

Reports

Many factors affect the success of oyster restoration efforts. This supplemental report details the VIMS effort under this NOAA-funded program to monitor some of those factors in the Great Wicomico, Rappahannock, Piankatank and Lynnhaven Rivers. Specifically, it details monitoring of (1) oyster settlement at two reefs in each of those tributaries from May to November from 2004 – 2006, along with additional widespread recruitment monitoring in the Lynnhaven River in 2005 & 2006, (2) substrate condition on the same eight reefs during spring, summer and fall of 2004 – 2006, (3) oyster abundance on Shell Bar reef in the Great …

Distribution, Habitat Characteristics, Prey Abundance And Diet Of Surf Scoters (Melanitta Perspicillata) And Long-Tailed Ducks (Clangula Hyemalis) In Polyhaline Wintering Habitats In The Mid-Atlantic Region: A Comparison Of Shallow Coastal Lagoons And Chesapeake Bay Environs, Paige G. Ross, Mark W. Luckenbach

Reports

To the best of our knowledge there are no published data on sea duck winter habitat use in the higher salinity portion of the lower Chesapeake Bay or in adjacent coastal bays along the Atlantic margin of the Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) peninsula. Within these regions both SUSC and LTDU have been observed in shallow water environments (Ross, pers. obs.), yet little is known about their habitat use or feeding habits in these areas. Importantly, these two adjacent areas, which are separated by as little as 20 km, differ in several key environmental components.

In this study we documented the …

Population Assessment Of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica) In The Seaside Coastal Bays, Paige G. Ross, Mark Luckenbach

Reports

Declines of oyster populations and commercial harvest from the Virginia seaside coastal bays have followed similar patterns, though not as severe, as those in Chesapeake Bay. High prevalence of Dermo disease (Perkinsus marinus) and MSX disease (Haplosporidium nelsoni) coupled with over harvest and habitat destruction have dramatically reduced populations. Nevertheless, there are several promising signs that significant enhancement of the population could be achieved with well conceived restoration efforts. Oyster habitat and population distribution were examined in the coastal bay system on the seaside of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This system is composed of barrier islands, salt marshes, broad …

Survival And Growth Of Triploid Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791) And C-Ariakensis (Fujita, 1913) In Bottom Environments Of Chesapeake Bay: Implications For An Introduction, Pr Kingsley-Smith, Hd Harwell, M. Lisa Kellogg, Standish K. Allen Jr., Donald W. Meritt, Kennedy Paynter, Mark Luckenbach

VIMS Articles

Survival and growth of triploid Crassostrea virginica and triploid C. ariakensis were investigated at four sites Surrounding Chesapeake Bay, United States, that varied tried in salinity, tidal regime, water depth, predation intensity and disease pressure. Four experimental treatments were established at each site: C. virginica; C. ariakensis; 50:50 of C. virginica: C. ariakensis: and shell only. Oysters were deployed at mean shell heights of 12.80 min and 13.85 mm (C. virginica and C. ariakensis, respectively), at an overall density of 347.5 oysters m(-2). Oyster survival and growth varied significantly, with site and species. Survival was significantly higher in C. virginica …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Impervious Surfaces Within Watersheds And Coastal Water Quality On Virginia’S Eastern Shore, Mark Luckenbach, Paige G. Ross, Alan Birch, Albert Curry Jr.

Reports

The overall objective of this research is to determine the relationship between the percent of a watershed covered by impervious surfaces and water quality in tidal creeks on the Eastern Shore of Virginia in an effort to provide local governments and citizens guidance in developing zoning plans. Our specific objectives were to:

(1) Determine the relationships between percent impervious surface in a watershed and concentrations of suspended sediments, nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorophyll a and fecal coliform bacteria in tidal creek headwaters;

(2) Examine these relationships with and without the inclusion of tomato cultivation to determine whether it should be included in …

Settlement Of Crassostrea Ariakensis Larvae: Effects Of Substrate, Biofilms, Sediment And Adult Chemical Cues, Mario N. Tamburri, Mark W. Luckenbach, Denise L. Brietburg, Stephanie M. Bonniwell

VIMS Articles

The Suminoe oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis) is being considered for introduction into the Chesapeake Bay. However, our current understanding of the biology and ecology of C. ariakensis is insufficient to predict whether an introduction will be successful, provide desired benefits, or have adverse impacts. Behavior of native Eastern oyster (C. virginica) pediveligers has been studied for many years and it is well established that they use a variety of habitat characteristics when selecting a site for colonization. Perhaps the most important of these are chemical cues emitted by adult conspecifics, which can lead to gregarious larval settlement and dense, persistent reef …

Post-Settlement Survival And Growth Of The Suminoe Oyster, Crassostrea Ariskensis, Exposed To Simulated Emersion Regimes, P.R. Kingsley-Smith, M.W. Luckenbach

VIMS Articles

In high salinity habitats along the Middle and South Atlantic coasts of the United States the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica occupies an intertidal refuge from predation, facilitated by its tolerance of aerial exposure and associated desiccation and temperature stress. Observations of the Suminoe oyster, C. ariakensis in its native environments in Asia reveal that this species is most commonly found subtidally or in the very low intertidal zone, suggesting that it may be less tolerant of aerial exposure. With serious consideration being given to introducing C. ariakensis to the mid-Atlantic region, it is important to understand the ability of this …

Ecosystem Services Related To Oyster Restoration, Ld Coen, Rochelle Brumbaugh, D Bushek, R Grizzle, Mark Luckenbach, Et Al

VIMS Articles

The importance of restoring filter-feeders, such as the Eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica, to mitigate the effects of eutrophication (e.g. in Chesapeake Bay) is currently under debate. The argument that bivalve molluscs alone cannot control phytoplankton blooms and reduce hypoxia oversimplifies a more complex issue, namely that ecosystem engineering species make manifold contributions to ecosystem services. Although further discussion and research leading to a more complete understanding is required, oysters and other molluscs (e.g. mussels) in estuarine ecosystems provide services far beyond the mere top-down control of phytoplankton blooms, such as (1) seston filtration, (2) benthic–pelagic coupling, (3) creation of refugia …

Effects Of Oyster Population Restoration Strategies On Phytoplankton Biomass In Chesapeake Bay: A Flexible Modeling Approach, Rs Fulford, Dl Brietburg, Rie Newell, Wm Kemp, Mw Luckenbach

VIMS Articles

Cultural eutrophication in estuaries and other coastal systems has increased over the last 50 yr. Some recently proposed strategies to reverse this trend have included the restoration of bivalve suspension feeders as an ecological tool for reducing phytoplankton biomass. The ecological benefits accruing from such bivalve restoration will be dependent on the characteristics of the estuary, as well as how restoration is implemented. We developed a filtration model to estimate the effect of bivalve restoration on the rate of phytoplankton removal over a range of spatial and temporal scales and used it to compare alternate restoration strategies for the eastern …