Life Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Environmental And Ecological Benefits And Impacts Of Oyster Aquaculture: Addendum, M. Lisa Kellogg, Jessica Turner, Jennifer C. Dreyer, Carl Friedrichs

Reports

The data described in this addendum are provided to enhance the resolution and/or expand the temporal scope of the information already provided in the final report (Kellogg et al. 2018). High-resolution water quality transect data were collected at all four sites in Summer 2017, at White Stone (Windmill Point site) and Lynnhaven River in Fall 2017, and at White Stone (North Point site) in Spring 2018. During each sampling period, data were collected from multiple transects through and outside of each farm. Resulting data were detrended as needed based on temporal and salinity-related patterns found in data collected outside the …

Expanding Instream Flows To Protect Ecosystems In Overallocated River Basins, Belize A. Lane, David E. Rosenberg

Reports

Utahns are expressing a rapidly growing interest in protecting and enhancing instream flows for outdoor recreation and environmental benefits (Endter-Wada et al. 2015). However, many Utah rivers are already over-allocated for agricultural, municipal, hydropower and other water uses, making it difficult to procure additional water for instream flows. ‘Use it or lose it’ western water law and mentality encourages Utahns to use water rather than return it to rivers and ecosystems.

This briefing reviews existing instream flow practices allowed by the Utah water rights system and the challenges to implementation. We suggest key technical and legislative opportunities within and outside …

Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Potomac River (Spring 2018), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

No abstract provided.

2018 Annual Report Estimating Relative Juvenile Abundance Of Ecologically Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay (1 July 2017 – 30 June 2018), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 July 2017 – 30 June 2018

The Trawl Survey provides crucial data to state, regional, and national fisheries management agencies, including the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the Mid-Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC), and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The MAFMC recognizes the juvenile trawl survey as one of the key predictors of Summer Flounder recruitment. Annual indices of juvenile abundance have been generated from trawl survey data for species of key recreational, ecological, and commercial importance in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay. These include Spot, Atlantic Croaker, …

Scallop Mark-Recapture To Estimate Density Dependent Natural Mortality And Growth : Final Report, David Rudders, John Hoenig, Sally Roman

Reports

Natural mortality, growth and movement are fundamental processes critical to understanding and describing population dynamics. These population characteristics not only inform and influence stock assessment models, but are also highly relevant with respect to the design and implementation of management strategies to meet fishery objectives. For many species, including sea scallops, these population parameters are difficult to measure due to the nature of the habitats inhabited and as a result, minimal information is often available. In many cases, what estimates do exist are highly uncertain as a result of both observation and process error. The uncertainty of these parameters is …

Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Situation And Outlook Report: Results Of The 2017 Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Crop Reporting Survey, Karen Hudson, Virginia Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program

Reports

No abstract provided.

An Updated Model For Estimating The Tmdl-Related Benefits Of Oyster Reef Restoration Harris Creek, Maryland, Usa, M. Lisa Kellogg, Mark J. Brush, Jeff C. Cornwell

Reports

In 2014, a user-friendly, web-accessible model was developed that allowed restoration practitioners and resource managers to easily estimate the TMDLrelated benefits of oyster reef (Crassostrea virginica) restoration per unit area, run restoration scenarios in Harris Creek, MD to optimize restoration planning and implementation, and calculate the benefits of the chosen plan. The model was rooted in scientifically defensible data and was readily transferrable to systems throughout the Chesapeake Bay and Eastern Shore. The model operated in five vertically well-mixed boxes along the main axis of the creek. Exchanges among creeks were computed using a tidal prism approach and were compared …

Environmental And Ecological Benefits And Impacts Of Oyster Aquaculture Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, Usa, M. Lisa Kellogg, Jessica Turner, Jennifer Dreyer, Grace M. Massey

Reports

To better quantify the ecological benefits and impacts of oyster aquaculture, we sampled water quality, sediment quality, benthic macrofaunal communities and oysters at four oyster aquaculture sites located on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, USA. At each site, we collected samples from within the footprint of the aquaculture cages and from nearby areas with similar physical and environmental conditions but far enough away to be minimally influenced by aquaculture operations. Data collected from the water column included chlorophyll concentrations, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen concentrations, light attenuation, particle concentration, median particle size, total suspended solids and their organic …

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In The Nantucket Lightship Closed Area And Surrounds: Final Report, David Rudders, Sally Roman

Reports

For the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, the concepts of space and time have emerged as the basis of an effective management tool. The strategy of closing or limiting activities in certain areas for specific lengths of time has gained support as a method to conserve and enhance the scallop resource. In the last decade, rotational area management has provided a mechanism to protect juvenile scallops from fishing mortality by closing areas based upon scallop abundance and age distribution. Approximately half of the sea scallop industry’s current annual landings come from areas under this rotational harvest strategy. While this represents a …

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In Georges Bank Closed Area Ii And The Southern Extension Closure: Final Report, David Rudders, Sally Roman

Reports

For the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, the concepts of space and time have emerged as the basis of an effective management tool. The strategy of closing or limiting activities in certain areas for specific lengths of time has gained support as a method to conserve and enhance the scallop resource. In the last decade, rotational area management has provided a mechanism to protect juvenile scallops from fishing mortality by closing areas based upon scallop abundance and age distribution. Approximately half of the sea scallop industry’s current annual landings come from areas under this rotational harvest strategy. While this represents a …

A Cooperative High Precision Dredge Survey To Assess The Mid-Atlantic Sea Scallop Resource : Final Report, David Rudders, Sally Roman

Reports

For the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, the concepts of space and time have emerged as the basis of an effective management tool. The strategy of closing or limiting activities in certain areas for specific lengths of time has gained support as a method to conserve and enhance the scallop resource. In the last decade, rotational area management has provided a mechanism to protect juvenile scallops from fishing mortality by closing areas based upon scallop abundance and age distribution. Approximately half of the sea scallop industry’s current annual landings come from areas under this rotational harvest strategy. While this represents a …

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In Georges Bank Closed Area Ii And Surrounds : Final Report, David Rudders, Sally Roman

Reports

For the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, the concepts of space and time have emerged as the basis of an effective management tool. The strategy of closing or limiting activities in certain areas for specific lengths of time has gained support as a method to conserve and enhance the scallop resource. In the last decade, rotational area management has provided a mechanism to protect juvenile scallops from fishing mortality by closing areas based upon scallop abundance and age distribution. Approximately half of the sea scallop industry’s current annual landings come from areas under this rotational harvest strategy. While this represents a …

Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2017, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham

Reports

Through 2017, the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program (VGFTP) has maintained a 22-year database of records for tagged and recaptured fish. The program is a cooperative project of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament (VSFT) under the Virginia Marine Resources Commission-(VMRC) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) of the College of William and Mary (under the VIMS Marine Advisory Program).

Monitoring The Abundance Of American Shad And River Herring In Virginia's Rivers - 2017 Annual Report, Eric J. Hilton, Rob Latour, Patrick E. Mcgrath, Brian Watkins, Ashleigh Magee

Reports

This report describes the results of the twentieth year of a continuing study to estimate the relative abundance and assess the status of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) stocks in Virginia by monitoring the spawning runs in the James, York and Rappahannock rivers in spring 2017, evaluating hatchery programs, and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007). We also report on two fishery-independent monitoring programs, one using staked gillnets in the Rappahannock River (year 2) and the other using anchor gillnets in the Chickahominy River (year 3; a major tributary of the James River),to determine relative abundance and stock structure for the …

The Status Of Virginia’S Public Oyster Resource 2017, Melissa Southworth, Roger L. Mann

Reports

This report summarizes data collected during 2017 in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The report is composed of two parts, part one, oyster recruitment (shell string) in Virginia and part two, dredge survey of selected oyster bars in Virginia

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young‐Of‐Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay (Spring 2017), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

No abstract provided.

Virginia Seafood Sustainability, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

Virginia’s commercial fisheries operate sustainably under a suite of management tools based upon information received from marine scientists and fishery managers who regularly conduct biological sampling of fish while tracking commercial landings and other gathering of required information. Analyses of fishing effort and overall stock conditions, as well as formulas designed to calculate threshold limits for maintaining sustainable stocks are regularly performed. Restrictions on seasons, size, days at sea, and gear are imposed as needed to achieve management supporting long-term biological sustainability.

Virginia Fishery Resource Grant Program 2017, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

No abstract provided.

Determine Methods To Reduce Bycatch Of Juvenile Atlantic Croaker (Micropogonias Undulates) In Haul Seines, George Earl Trice V

Reports

The juvenile Atlantic Croaker ( Micropogonias undulates ) population is being severely cut down in the summer months by haul seines in the Chesapeake bay. It is common for commercial haul seines to land thousands of pounds of fish. When these fish are processed a large percentage of the smallest fish are sold on the bait market for a low price of .04 cents per pound. The high amount of small baitfish harvested annually by haul seines is only hurting future harvest of larger, more valuable fish. The bait caught is mostly Croaker but also includes Spot (leiostomus xanthurus), Spotted …

Estimation Of Juvenile Striped Bass Relative Abundance In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay. Annual Progress Report: 2017-2018, Brian K. Gallagher, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey

Reports

No abstract provided.

Expanding Virginia’S Oyster Industry While Minimizing User Conflict, Roger Mann, Marcia Berman, James Wesson, Melissa Southworth, Tamia Rudnicky

Reports

This study seeks to assess the sustainability of the public oyster fishery and the expansion of hatchery dependent oyster aquaculture in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Previous analyses have suggested that limitations in available shell resources will ultimately drive the future of the public fishery. The expansion of intensive aquaculture, already apparent in the Bay, suggests sustainability will be contingent upon the availability of bottom space and/or a shift in practices that minimize user conflict in leased areas.

Vims Shark Longline Annual Report - 2018, Multispecies Research Group, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Report indicates the number of species caught, retained, released and tagged in the longline surveys.

Develop And Test Fish Pot Cull Rings, Wallace Emery Lewis Jr.

Reports

Fish potting is a growing fishery in Virginia’s rivers and catfish is the primary targeted species. Demand for catfish is strong, and prices are good, but there is a lot of sorting and fish handling because the demand is for 2-8 pound fish. Traditionally, cull rings are used successfully in various traps/pots to let smaller fish/crabs escape and to reduce the labor and expense to manually sort and discard smaller animals. The use of cull rings in catfish pots, or hoop-nets, has not been studied in the Virginia catfish fishery. If cull rings could be successfully designed and placed within …