Life Sciences Commons^™

Quantifying The Adaptive Cycle, David G. Angeler, Craig R. Allen, Ahjond S. Garmestani, Lance H. Gunderson, Olle Hjerne, Monika Winder

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

The adaptive cycle was proposed as a conceptual model to portray patterns of change in complex systems. Despite the model having potential for elucidating change across systems, it has been used mainly as a metaphor, describing system dynamics qualitatively. We use a quantitative approach for testing premises (reorganisation, conservatism, adaptation) in the adaptive cycle, using Baltic Sea phytoplankton communities as an example of such complex system dynamics. Phytoplankton organizes in recurring spring and summer blooms, a well-established paradigm in planktology and succession theory, with characteristic temporal trajectories during blooms that may be consistent with adaptive cycle phases. We used long-term …

The Status Of Fishes In The Missouri River, Nebraska: Selected Ancient Fishes, Kirk D. Steffensen

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

Several ancient fish species have inhabited the Missouri River and its tributaries for thousands of years prior to major mainstem modifications and fragmentation. However post-anthropogenic modifications, populations of these ancient fish species have been highly diminished. Therefore, the objective of this study was to use historic and current ichthyological records to determine the past and present status for Chestnut Lamprey Ichthyomyzon castaneus, Silver Lamprey Ichthyomyzon unicuspis, Bowfin Amia calva, American Eel Anguilla rostrata, and Burbot Lota lota. Currently, these species are rarely captured and perhaps extirpated from Nebraska waters.

Landings, Vol. 23, No. 12, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

Coherent Approach To Busycon/Busycotypus Fishery Management Along The Us Atlantic Seaboard Proceedings From The 16th International Conference On Shellfish Restoration (Icsr), December 10-13, 2014, Charleston Sc, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.

Failure Of A Heterologous Recombinant Sca5/Ompb Protein-Based Vaccine To Elicit Effective Protective Immunity Against Rickettsia Rickettsii Infections In C3h/Hen Mice, Sean P. Riley, Marissa M. Cardwell, Yvonne G. Chan, Ludovic Pruneau, Fabio Del Piero, Juan J. Martinez

Faculty Publications

Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsial species are obligate intracellular tick-borne pathogens that are responsible for important human diseases. Previous reports have demonstrated the feasibility of using recombinant surface cell antigen Sca5/OmpB to elicit protective immunity against homologous challenges using murine models of Mediterranean spotted fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In addition, the feasibility of generating cross-protective immunity against related rickettsial species has also been established, but the molecular basis for these phenomena was not explored. Here, we demonstrate that vaccination of C3H/HeN mice with a recombinant OmpB domain derived from Rickettsia conorii induced high titer humoral immune responses that …

Biotelemetry Of Cownose Rays In Chesapeake Bay: Habitat Use And Ray Movement, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.

Population Dynamics And Movement Of Channel Catfish In The Red River Of The North, Stephen F. Siddons

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Channel Catfish are widely distributed across North America and highly valued as a sport fish and for food. While most Channel Catfish fisheries are managed under liberal harvest regulations, the Red River of the North (Red River) in Manitoba, Canada is managed with restrictive harvest regulations to promote a trophy fishery. Two barriers (dams) are present on the main stem of the Red River and may fragment the population to some degree. My objectives were to: 1) analyze population dynamics of the trophy Channel Catfish population on the lower Red River, 2) compare population characteristics of Channel Catfish in selected …

Landings, Vol. 23, No. 11, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery, Jason R. How, F J. Webster, K. L. Travaille, Kim Nardi, A. V. Harry

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive description of the West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery (WCDSCMF) and contains information relevant to assist the assessment of this fishery against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard (v1.3) for sustainable fishing.

Seismic Surveys And Marine Turtles: An Underestimated Global Threat?, Sarah E. Nelms, Wendy Dow Piniak, Caroline R. Weir, Brendan J. Godley

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Seismic surveys are widely used in marine geophysical oil and gas exploration, employing airguns to produce sound-waves capable of penetrating the sea floor. In recent years, concerns have been raised over the biological impacts of this activity, particularly for marine mammals. While exploration occurs in the waters of at least fifty countries where marine turtles are present, the degree of threat posed by seismic surveys is almost entirely unknown. To investigate this issue, a mixed-methods approach involving a systematic review, policy comparison and stakeholder analysis was employed and recommendations for future research were identified. This study found that turtles have …

State-Wide Survey Of Boat-Based Recreational Fishing In Western Australia 2013/14, K.L. Ryan, N.G. Hall, E.K. Lai, C.B. Smallwood, S.M. Taylor, B.S. Wise

Fisheries research reports

Based on the outcomes of an international workshop on recreational fishing survey methods in 2010, the Department of Fisheries developed an integrated survey involving several methods to provide a robust and cost-effective approach for obtaining annual estimates of recreational catch by boat-based fishers at both state-wide and bioregional levels.

West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery (Area 2: Peel-Harvey Estuary) & Peel-Harvey Estuary Blue Swimmer Crab Recreational Fishery, Danielle Johnston, K. A. Smith, J. I. Brown, K. L. Travaille, Fiona Crowe, R. K. Oliver, E. A. Fisher

WA Marine Stewardship Council report series

This report provides a comprehensive description of the West Coast Estuarine Managed Fishery (WCEMF) Area 2 (Peel-Harvey Estuary) and the Peel-Harvey Estuary Blue Swimmer Crab Recreational Fishery in Western Australia and contains information relevant to assist with the assessment of these fisheries against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard (v1.3) for sustainable fishing.

Factors Influencing The Choice Of A Safe Haven For Offloading Illegally Caught Fish: A Comparative Analysis Of Developed And Developing Economies, Nerea Marteache, Julie S. Viollaz, Gohar A. Petrossian

Publications and Research

Using data from 72 countries, this study focuses on factors that affect illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels’ choice of country to offload their catch, with a specific emphasis on the differences between developed and developing economies. The concept of choice-structuring properties is applied to analyze whether the following factors influence the selection of a country: concealability of vessels and illegally caught fish; convenience of the ports; strength of fisheries monitoring, control, and surveillance measures; effectiveness of country governance; and commitment to wildlife protection regulations. Results indicate that, rather than a country’s level of development, situational factors play a …

Re-Emergence Of The Harmful Algal Bloom Species Alexandrium Monilatum In The Chesapeake Bay: Assessing Bloom Dynamics And Potential Health Impacts, Sarah K.D. Pease, Kimberly S. Reece, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein

Presentations

Effective management of harmful algal blooms (HABs) within a region requires an understanding of species-specific HAB spatial and temporal distributions, bloom dynamics, as well as potential health impacts. In 2007, the southern Chesapeake Bay witnessed its first blooms of the HAB species Alexandrium monilatum. Since then, A. monilatum has bloomed in the region almost annually. A. monilatum produces the toxin ‘goniodomin A’ and is suspected in local mass mortalities of oyster larvae (Crassostrea virginica) grown for aquaculture and restoration projects. Representatives from Virginia’s multimillion dollar oyster aquaculture industry recently expressed great concern over A. monilatum impacts to their businesses; field …

Effects Of Commercial Clam Aquaculture On Biogeochemical Cycling In Shallow Coastal Ecosystems, Annie E. Murphy, Iris C. Anderson, Mark W. Luckenbach

Presentations

The bivalve aquaculture industry is expanding worldwide; sustainability requires improved understanding of its interactions with the environment. As suspension feeders, bivalves, such as clams, reduce primary production through feeding, and thus dampen eutrophication. Additionally, enhanced rates of denitrification, the microbial removal of reactive nitrogen, have been reported in bivalve sediments due to increased organic matter supply through biodeposition; another potential, yet indirect, control on eutrophication. Simultaneously, bivalves can influence local ‘bottom-up’ effects on production by enhancing nutrient regeneration through excretion and microbial mineralization of biodeposits. At clam aquaculture sediments, respiration and nutrient regeneration rates were significantly higher compared to uncultivated …

Integrative Taxonomy, A New Tool For Fisheries Conservation, Adela Roa-Varon, Eric J. Hilton

Presentations

Species delimitation is becoming increasingly objective and integrative. Sequence capture approaches allow collection of 1000s of loci for 100s of individuals. New approaches address the computational challenges of large datasets and offer potential for genome-wide sampling of variation at different evolutionary scales. These new approaches also allow integration of genetic and non-genetic data in a unified framework. Despite these advances, few studies have attempted to combine genetic and morphological data for delimiting species. Hakes (Merluccius spp.) are an ideal group for an empirical test of the power and applicability of these new methods because they are morphologically conserved and …

Quantifying Finfish And Blue Crab Use Of Created Oyster Reefs In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Bruce W. Pfirrmann, Rochelle D. Seitz

Presentations

Structurally complex reefs created by the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica provide a host of ecosystem services yet have experienced significant declines, prompting extensive restoration efforts. We investigate the use of created oyster reefs in the lower Bay by mobile finfish and blue crabs with field surveys and diet analysis. The results of this study provide insight into how restoration activities influence estuarine community dynamics and the provision of ecosystem services.

Structural Complexity And Location Affect The Habitat Value Of Restored Oyster Reefs, Melissa Karp, Rochelle Seitz

Presentations

Oyster reefs provide a suite of valuable ecosystem services, such as water filtration, nitrogen sequestration, and provision of habitat and foraging grounds. The global decline of these habitats has had negative economic and ecological impacts to coastal waters worldwide. In the Chesapeake Bay, < 1% of the historic oyster population remains and efforts to restore oyster populations and the services they provide have been increasing. Building reefs that successfully provide specific ecosystem services may require different techniques then previously used, and success may depend on reef morphology, location, and environmental conditions. Settling trays were embedded into previously restored oyster reefs that varied in their structural complexity (rugosity) in multiple rivers in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Trays were collected after 7-weeks, sorted, and species identified and weighed (ash-free dry weight) to obtain species diversity, abundance, and biomass. Species composition data was analyzed using nMDS plots, which showed that salinity was an important driver of differences in species composition. Results of an ANOVA analysis found that species diversity was significantly greater on reefs in the high-salinity rivers compared to reefs in low-salinity rivers. Total organism abundance and biomass were positively correlated with reef structural complexity measures, such as rugosity, oyster clump volume, and oyster biomass. These results suggest that more complex oyster reefs in higher salinity locations may support more diverse and productive benthic communities. This study provides insight into the driving factors that structure oyster reef communities and has important implications for oyster reef restoration design and management.

Impact Of Anguillicolides Crassus On American Eels (Anguilla Rostrata), Andrew Wargo, Rob Latour, Troy D. Tuckey, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein

Presentations

American eels Anguilla rostrata are infected by an introduced parasitic nematode Anguillicoloides crassus, which can cause extreme necrosis of their swimbladders, yet effects on the eel population are currently unknown. We collected 3 eel life stages (glass, elver, and yellow) and the presence of A. crassus and swimbladder damage in each eel was quantified. The preliminary data show over 60% prevalence and an even higher prevalence of damaged swimbladders.

The Relationship Between Reproduction And Mortality In Triploid Crassostrea Virginica: A Matter Of Economic Importance, Joseph L. Matt, Standish K. Allen

Presentations

The goal of this project is to maximize survival for commercially produced triploid Crassostrea virginica oysters in Virginia. Over the last few years, commercial oyster growers in Virginia have reported significant mortality events of triploid oysters during the spring and summer months. The summer of 2014 was the worst yet, as growers across the state reported summer mortality, most severe on the Eastern shore and in some cases as high as 85% of the crop (Karen Hudson, personal communication). Surviving oysters from some of these mortality events were sent to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and several of the …

Landings, Vol. 23, No. 10, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

Age, Growth, Size At Sexual Maturity And Reproductive Biology Of Channeled Whelk, Busycotypus Canaliculatus, In The U.S. Mid-Atlantic, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Striped Bass Stocks In Virginia: Monitoring And Tagging Studies, 2015-2019 Progress Report 1 September 2014 - 31 August 2015, Philp W. Sadler, John M. Hoenig, Lydia M. Goins, Quang Huynh, Robert E. Harris

Reports

This report presents the results of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) tagging and monitoring activities in Virginia during the period 1 September 2014 through 31 August 2015. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2015 spring spawning run and estimates of annual survival and fishing mortality based on annual spring tagging. Also included is information on gear selectivity of recreational anglers for striped bass. 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 in Virginia, and …

Improved Commercial Blue Crab Electronic Reporting In Cooperation With The Virginia Waterman’S Association, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.

Frog Diversity And Population Trends In Andasibe, Madagascar, Ryan Herman Herman, Alexandra Ulin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Facing immediate threats such as habitat loss, emerging infectious diseases, and climate change, the frog populations of the Madagascar rainforest, one of the richest amphibian diversity hotspots in the world, are an important focus for monitoring programs. This study focused on assessing the general diversity, key species population trends, and monitoring effectiveness of the Analamazaotra Forest Station’s amphibian community, a population of over forty species within Andasibe, Madagascar. Building on a long-term monitoring program that began in 2012, visual encounter surveys were conducted over a two-week period in November 2015 along the edge and within the interior of the forest …

The Impact Of The Queensland Shark Control Program On Local Populations Of Threatened Shark Species, 1962-2014, Carolyn Pushaw

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since 1962, the Queensland government has employed a shark control program consisting of shark nets and drum lines off the coast of popular beaches. This program is intended to protect beachgoers from shark interactions by fishing down local shark populations, reasoning that the fewer “large sharks that are present, all things being equal, the less chance of an attack occurring” (McPhee, 2012). In the current study, trends in Queensland Shark Control Program (QSCP) catch between 1962-2014 are examined for select threatened shark species; namely, Carcharodon carcharias, Carcharias taurus, and Sphyrna spp. For all focus species, significant and consistent …

Overcoming Restoration Paradigms: Value Of The Historical Record And Metapopulation Dynamics In Native Oyster Restoration, Rom Lipcius, Russell P. Burke, Danielle N. Mcculloch, Sebastian J. Schreiber, David M. Schulte, Rochelle D. Seitz, Jian Shen

VIMS Articles

Restoration strategies for native oyster populations rely on multiple sources of information, which often conflict due to time- and space-varying patterns in abundance and distribution. For instance, strategies based on population connectivity and disease resistance can differ, and extant and historical records of abundance and distribution are often at odds, such that the optimal strategy is unclear and valuable restoration sites may be excluded from consideration. This was the case for the Lynnhaven River subestuary of lower Chesapeake Bay, which was deemed unsuitable for Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) restoration based on physical conditions, disease challenge, and extant oyster …

A Bomb Set To Drop: Parthenogenetic Marmorkrebs For Sale In Ireland, A European Location Without Non-Indigenous Crayfish, Zen Faulkes

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Ireland is one of the few locations in Europe where non-indigenous North American crayfish species have not been introduced, and is a refuge for endangered white-clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet, 1858). The parthenogenetic crayfish species Marmorkrebs, Procambarus fallax f. virginalis (Hagen, 1870), is sold in the pet trade in Ireland within the recorded range of A. pallipes. Marmorkrebs risk being introduced into Irish waters, where they could threaten A. pallipes populations, particularly as a vector for crayfish plague.

Landings, Vol. 23, No. 9, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

The South Coast Commercial Fish Trap, G-Net And Open-Access Line And Net Scalefish Fisheries And Squid Jig Fishery Review : Discussion Paper, Western Australia. Dept. Of Fisheries.

Fisheries management papers

The purpose of this paper is to set the context for the Review of South Coast Commercial Fish Trap, G-net and Open-Access Line and Net Scalefish Fisheries and Squid Jig Fishery (Review). This includes providing an overview of these fisheries, summarising the issues relevant to these fisheries and providing the Department of Fisheries’ (Department) proposed direction for the future management of these fisheries on the South Coast for discussion and consultation. This paper was designed and prepared by the Department to encourage public involvement in the development of formal management proposals that will form the basis for the development of …