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A Review Of Shellfish Restoration And Management Projects In Rhode Island, Michael A. Rice, April Valliere, Angela Caporelli

Michael A Rice

Shellfish management and restoration efforts in Rhode Island date back to the 19th century. From the late 1890s to the Second World War the Rhode Island Fisheries Commission operated a lobster hatchery in Wickford Harbor in response to a perceived decline in lobster catches in Narragansett Bay. Berried lobsters were collected, eggs hatched, larvae reared, and postlarval fifth stage juveniles were released into the bay. The project was discontinued primarily because of costs and a failure to demonstrate the efficacy of juvenile seeding in improving lobster catches. From the 1930s to the 1980s, there have been several similar efforts to …

Uptake Of Dissolved Free Amino Acids By Northern Quahogs, Mercenaria Mercenaria, And Its Relative Importance To Organic Nitrogen Deposition In Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

Studies were undertaken to determine the relationship between size of northern quahogs Mercenaria mercenaria and the rate at which they transport aspartic acid. Quahogs ranging from 25 to 103 mm valve length were collected in Narragansett Bay and placed in seawater aquaria (27 ppt, 20 deg C) and allowed to pump actively. Uptake experiments were carried out using 1 umol/L C(14) radiolabeled aspartic acid. Aspartate transport rates in umol/h can be related to valve length by the allometric equation with a = 24.32 and b = 0.905 when valve length is in mm. In May 1990, near bottom samples of …

Aquaculture In Dagupan City, Philippines, Michael A. Rice, Arthur Z. Devera

Michael A Rice

The development of aquaculture in the Agno-Pantal-Calmay River Estuary system of Dagupan City, Pangasinan Province in the Philippines is reviewed. Traditionally, extensive pond culture of milkfish, Chanos chanos and penaeid shrimp was practiced along with culture of mangrove oysters, Crassostrea iredalei, in adjacent estuarine waterways. Netpen culture of serranid groupers in the estuaries began in the early 1980s, followed by intensive fish pen culture of milkfish in the late 1980s. Over intensification of finfish aquaculture led to hyper eutrophication and fish kills beginning in 1996. Official governmental response to the fish kills is reported, and recommendations to prevent future fish …

Food-Limited Growth And Condition Index In The Eastern Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791), And The Bay Scallop, Argopecten Irradians Irradians (Lamarck, 1819), Michael A. Rice, Robert B. Rheault Jr.

Michael A Rice

The growth response of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, and the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians irradians, to varying degrees of food limitation was evaluated. Under conditions of low current speed, dense assemblages of shellfish can rapidly deplete ambient food concentrations, resulting in measurable effects on growth and condition index. A flume study demonstrated significant growth and condition index responses to resource competition after reductions as small as 27% in relatively high ambient food concentrations (—4.6 u.g/1 chlorophyll). Growth rates and condition index are linearly correlated with the average chlorophyll ration consumed. A field study demonstrated similar growth responses when the …

A Survey Of Disease In The Oyster Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791) In Rhode Island Coastal Estuaries, Retno Andamari, Michael A. Rice, Paul P. Yevich

Michael A Rice

The presence of potential pathogens and lesions in American oysters, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791), from coastal estuaries in Rhode Island was studied. Oysters were collected by hand or tongs from three stations in the Pawcatuck River, two stations in Narrow River, three stations in Charlestown Pond, and three stations in Green Hill Pond, during July/August 1991, November 1991, March 1992, and May 1992. Oysters were processed for histologic examination and determination of condition index. MSX, Haplosporidium nelsoni (Haskin, Stauber et Mackin, 1966), was detected in four of 480 oysters (0.8%); Sphenophyra sp., 15 of 480 (3.1%); Bucephalus sp. 16of 480 …

Transient Gear Shellfish Aquaculture, Michael A. Rice, Robert B. Rheault Jr

Michael A Rice

Transient-gear aquaculture is a method of growing shellfish that is designed to minimize multiple-use conflicts in common use public trust waters, and avoiding the need for a conventional fixed aquaculture lease site. A pro-forma economic model of an oyster farm using transient gear in Rhode Island's Narragansett Bay is provided, and the advantages and disadvantages of transient gear aquaculture are discussed.

Experimental Culture And Particle Filtration By Asian Moon Scallops, Amusium Pleuronectes, Michael A. Rice, Robert B. Rheault, Miguel S. Perez, Vicente S. Perez

Michael A Rice

Growth rates were determined for scallops (35-75 mm valve height) held in pocket nets and lantern nets at varying densities. The Ford-Walford linear transformation of the von Bertalanffy growth equation was used to allow quantification of food-limited stunting. Pocket nets allowed for greater growth of scallops than did the lantern nets at all stocking densities. The growth rates of scallops in pocket nets, nevertheless, were well below the growth of scallops in the wild. Clearance rates of Caribbean strains of Isochrysis galbana (C-ISO) and Chaetocerous gracilus (C-Cg) were determined for moon scallops. Amusin pleuronectes, in static chambers at 28ºC. The …

Settlement And Recruitment Of Bay Scallops, Argopecten Irradians (Lamarck 1819), To Artificial Spat Collectors In The Westport River Estuary, Westport, Massachusetts, Karin A. Tammi, Scott J. Soares, Wayne Turner, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

In January 1993, The Waterworks Group initiated the Bay Scallop Restoration Project as an attempt to restore the once prolific bay scallop within the Westport River Estuary in Massachusetts. This project is a multi-phased endeavor aimed at better understanding recruitment failures of both natural stocks and introduced seed of Argopecten irradians. The main objective of this project is to assesss juvenile recruitment (survival to > 4mm) to artificial spat collectors placed in historically productive scallop beds and within close proximity to adult spawner rafts. Spat collectors (2 to 4mm plastic mesh bags) containing monofilament were suspended on 28 to 35-meter floating …

A Review Of The Factors Influencing The Growth Of The Northern Quahog, Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758), Michael A. Rice, Jan A. Pechenik

Michael A Rice

Factors affecting the growth of larval, juvenile, and adult northern quahogs, Mercenaria mercenaria, are reviewed. Larval growth is affected by temperature, salinity, current speed, dissolved oxygen concentration, and the amount of suspended sediments in the water, along with such nutritional factors as food quantity and quality. Growth of post-set juvenile and adult quahogs is similarly affected by the same physical and nutritional factors. Recent work suggests that there is a strong genetic contribution to quahog growth rate and that selective breeding programs may be useful for producing rapid growth strains. A growing body of evidence suggests that larval growth rates …

Bivalve Aquaculture In Warm Tropical And Subtropical Waters With Reference To Sanitary Water Quality, Monitoring And Post-Harvest Disinfection, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

The warm water and high primary productivity of tropical estuaries allows for rapid growth and production of bivalves, but sanitary quality of molluscan shellfish poses one of the single largest impediments to development of international markets. The regulations of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are outlined as representative of regulations governing international trade of fresh and frozen molluscan shellfish. The status of shellfisheries and molluscan aquaculture in several tropical and subtropical nations is presented. A number of developing nations, including Mexico, Peru and the Philippines, have established export markets for fresh scallop adductor meats because they are not …

The Effects Of Copper, Cadmium And Zinc On Particle Filtration And Uptake Of Glycine In The Pacific Oyster Crassostrea Gigas, Wenyu Lin, Michael A. Rice, Paul K. Chien

Michael A Rice

1. The filtration rate (volume of water completely cleared of collodial carbon per unit time) by control oysters is 36.60 ml/g hr ± 7.68 (sd).2. Filtration rates decrease with increasing concentrations of Cd2+ and Zn2+.3. In 8–16 mg/l Cu2+, filtration rates are significantly higher than the control, but in Cu2+ concentrations above 32 mg/l, filtration rates are lower than controls.4. Influx of 14C-glycine is characterized by Michaelis-Menten kinetics with Jmax and Kt values of 1.85 ± 0.097 μmol/g hr and 33.7 ± 4.6 μM respectively.5. The uptake rate of glycine from 1 μM solution is 37.79 μmol/g hr.6. In order …

Effects Of Intensive Fishing Effort On The Population Structure Of Quahogs, Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758), In Narragansett Bay, Michael Rice, Charles Hickox, Itrat Zehra

Michael A Rice

Influx, Net Flux And Transepithelial Flux Of Amino Acids In The Hardshell Clam Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linne): Influence Of Salinity, Michael Rice, Grover Stephens

Michael A Rice

1.1. The effects of salinity on the uptake and internal distribution of alanine and other free amino acids (FAA) in hardsell clams, Mercenaria, was studied by radiochemical and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques.2.2. Exposure of animals to reduced salinity does not alter the rate of unidirectional alanine influx.3.3. In 34%o salinity, entry of labeled alanine reflects the net flux of the amino acid. However, in 17%o salinity, there is a net loss of alanine and other acids, mainly taurine, to the medium.4.4. Reduced salinity induces greater incorporation of radiolabeled FAA into macromolecular fractions throughout the animal.5.5. The major factors …

Influx And Transepithelial Flux Of Amino Acids In The Mussel, Mytilus Edulis., Michael A. Rice, Grover C. Stephens

Michael A Rice

The uptake of amino acids by the non-gill epithelia of the mantle cavity of Mytilus edulis L. was studied and compared with uptake by the gills. Amino acid entry rates and the subsequent distribution of amino acids to the other tissues of the animals were studied using high-performance liquid chromatography and radiochemical techniques. Uptake via the non-gill epithelia lining the mantle cavity was separated from uptake via the gill by employing a preparation in which the gills were surgically removed. Amino acid uptake by such animals was compared with that of suitably sham-operated controls. In short-term experiments (up to 2h), …

Propagation Of Adherent Bacteria On The Brittlestar Ophionereis Annulata (Le Conte) After Enrichment Of Seawater With Amino Acids, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

Epidermal surfaces of the ophiouroid Ophionereis annulata (Le Conte) were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Microvilli, which are characteristic of many transport epithelia, are present on the epidermal surfaces. Epidermal surfaces of freshly-collected brittlestars were compared with brittlestars that were maintained in the laboratory for 48 hours in fresh seawater and in seawater enriched with 20uM glycine. Very few bacteria were observed on the surface of the freshly-collected animals or on animals maintained in the laboratory in fresh seawater. The epidermal surfaces of animals maintained in seawater enriched with 20 uM glycine showed extensive mats of coccoid and bacilloid bacteria. …

Uptake And Internal Distribution Of Exogenously Supplied Amino Acids In The Pacific Oyster, Crassostrea Gigas (Thunberg), Michael A. Rice, Grover C. Stephens

Michael A Rice

A technique is described in which irrigation of the mantle cavity of oysters, Crassostrea gigas, induces pumping at steady rates. Simultaneous net influx of 10 amino acids (asp, glu, asn, ser, gly, tau, ala, val, phe, lys) is observed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Individual amino acids exhibit first-order exponential depletion from an initial medium concentration of 2.0 μM. Influx of radiolabeled alanine corresponds very closely to net entry of alanine as estimated by HPLC. Therefore, net entry of alanine from dilute solution (5 μM) occurs. The entry of alanine is well described by Michaelis-Menten kinetics with a maximum influx …

Autoradiographic Localization Of Exogenously Supplied Amino Acids After Uptake By The Polychaete, Glycera Dibranchiata Ehlers, Paul Chien, Michael Rice

Michael A Rice

Localization of amino acid transport sites within the integument of Glycera dibranchiata Ehlers was carried out by freeze-section and freeze-dry histological techniques. The worms were exposed for one hour to the non-metabolizable amino acid analog c(14)-cycloleucine in seawater. Freeze-sectioning and freeze drying of tissue samples allows the localization of water soluble compounds by autoradiography. Amino acid uptake is largely across the parapodial gill surfaces and the epidermis. The gills become rapidly labelled with c(14)-cycloleucine to a greater extent than the epidermal cell layers. Coelomocytes within the gills become radiolabeled in one hour. It is suggested that the rapid labelling of …

Transport Of Dissolved Amino Acids By The Mussel, Mytilus Edulis: Demonstration Of Net Uptake From Natural Seawater, Donal T. Manahan, Stephen H. Wright, Grover C. Stephens, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

High-performance liquid chromatography provides direct evidence for substantial removal of naturally occurring specific free amino acids during a single passage of water through the mantle cavity of mussels. This occurs during the few seconds required for passage of the water across the gill, and removal proceeds unabated at ambient concentrations as low as 38 nanomoles per liter.