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The Lobster Bulletin, Fall 2012, Lobster Institute, University Of Maine

Lobster Bulletin

The Lobster Bulletin newsletter includes research updates, and information on lobsters and the lobster industry. The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine is dedicated to protecting and conserving the lobster resource, and enhancing lobstering as an industry and a way of life.

Headlines in the Fall 2012 issue include:

• Group Seeks to Protect Ocean by Promoting Better Lawn Care Practices
• Lobster Institute 25th Anniversary Celebration Continues
• Maine Conforms First-Ever Case of West Nile Virus
• Research Report: Direct Determination of Age in Lobsters
• Research Report: Lobster Cam Back Online Soon
• Lobster Council Taking Giant Step Forward

Nantucket Shellfish Management Plan, Matthew Herr, Frank Dutra, Tara Riley, Sarah Oktay, Peter Boyce, Doug Smith, Carl Sjolund, Jake Kritzer, Cormac Collier, Dave Fronzuto, Kristin Uiterwyk, Jack Wiggin, Dale Leavitt, Steve Bliven, Allison Novelly, Dan Hellin

Urban Harbors Institute Publications

Nantucket’s shellfisheries are significant both locally and nationally. Locally, commercial and recreational shellfishing are critical to the Island’s history, culture, and economy. Nationally, the Island’s largest commercial shellfishery — the Nantucket bay scallop fishery is one of the last wild-harvest bay scallop fisheries in the country, but there is growing concern over the health of the overall population and the sustainability of the fishery. Given the importance of the shellfisheries on Nantucket and the drastic decline of bay scallop populations elsewhere along the Atlantic coast, there is a compelling interest in ensuring that the Town’s shellfish are managed to sustain …

Swimways: Protecting Paddlefish Through Movement-Centered Management, Brenda M. Pracheil, Mark A. Pegg, Larkin A. Powell, Gerald Mestl

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Attempts to mitigate lack of formal interjurisdictional paddlefish management have been made in the United States through the Mississippi River Interstate Cooperative Resource Association (MICRA). We used 1988–2009 data from the MICRA paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) stock assessment database—a database containing mark–recapture and biometric information on more than 30,000 individually marked wild paddlefish and more than 2 million hatchery-origin paddlefish—to estimate survival and movement across large and potentially biologically relevant spatial scales. Paddlefish frequently moved between political jurisdictions with differing conservation strategies and harvest regulations and showed differences in survival parameter estimates throughout their range. We argue that the degree of …

Identification Of Critical Habitats For Juvenile Dhufish (Glaucosoma Hebraicum) Nrm Project 09038 – Protecting Inshore And Demersal Finfish, Paul D. Lewis, Gabby E. Mitsopoulos, Brett W. Molony

Fisheries research reports

The Western Australian dhufish (Glaucosoma hebraicum) is an iconic demersal species that is endemic to the lower west and south coasts of Western Australia (WA). Information on the critical habitat and distribution of juvenile dhufish, less than two years of age and ca 150 mm total length (TL), was limited to a single study in one area where they have been previously collected. Increasing the knowledge on the habitat types occupied by juvenile dhufish, the distribution of these habitats in the West Coast Bioregion and methods to potentially monitor the annual recruitment of the species are important in their management.

The Effect Of Medetomidine On The Burying Speed Of Corbicula Fluminea, Andrew K. Schmucker

Student Publications

A new anti-fouling drug, medetomidine, was tested to determine if it reduced the burying speed of a freshwater alien-invasive bivalve species, Corbicula fluminea. Corbicula are known to damage underwater structures and must be managed with chemical paints. The burying speeds of Corbicula were measured both before and after exposure to two different concentrations of medetomidine. The burying speed of Corbicula before exposure to a 1x10^-6 M medetomidine solution was not significantly different from the burying speed after exposure (t=.55, df=21, p=.588). The burying speed of Corbicula was significantly slower after exposure to a 1x10^-5 M medetomidine solution …

A Review Of The Management Arrangements And Licensing Framework For The Aquatic Tour Industry In Western Australia. Discussion Paper On Management And Licensing Options For The Aquatic Tour Industry., Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries management papers

The Department of Fisheries (Department) is proposing a new simplified management approach which focuses on fishing as the core criteria in the new licensing framework. Given the low level of impact of aquatic eco-tours and shore-based fishing, consideration is being given to removing the need for these activities to be formally licensed. The Department is of the view that these activities can be adequately managed by regulations that have broader application across the community.

The current management, licensing and fee structures are complex and provide limited business flexibility. A simplified management approach will also improve the Department’s capacity to monitor …

West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery Draft Management Plan 2012, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia.

Fisheries management papers

The West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean (Interim) Management Plan 2007 took effect on 1 January 2008 and expires on 31 December 2012. The Interim Plan provides the management framework for the West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean (Interim) Managed Fishery (WCDSCIMF).

Simulated Performance Of Catch Curve Methods For Estimating Total Mortality Rate, Matthew W. Smith, John M. Hoenig

Reports

This document has been issued as VIMS Data Report 60 and provides additional simulation results for Smith et al. (2012) published in the North American Journal of Fisheries Management. Catch curve methods are a basic tool of population dynamics for estimating total mortality rate from age composition. There are a number of methodological issues which remain unresolved. Smith et al. (2012) attempts to provide guidelines on the use of these methods based on extensive Monte Carlo simulations. This report presents additional simulation results to supplement the results in the journal article. The estimators, evaluation criteria, simulation procedures, and conditions simulated …

Ecomorphology Of Plesiosaur Flipper Geometry, F. O’Keefe

F. Robin O’Keefe

The Plesiosauria is an extinct group of marine reptiles once common in mesozoic seas. Previous work on plesiosaur hunting styles has suggested that short-necked, large-headed animals were pursuit predators, whereas long-necked, small-headed animals were ambush predators. This study presents new data on the aspect ratios (ARs) of plesiosaur flippers, and interprets these data via comparison with AR in birds, bats and aircraft. Performance trade-offs implicit in AR variation are well-understood in the context of aircraft design, and these trade-offs have direct ecomorphological analogues in birds and bats. Knowledge of these trade-offs allows interpretation of variation in plesiosaur AR. By analogy, …

A Cladistic Analysis And Taxonomic Revision Of The Plesiosauria (Reptilia: Sauropterygia), F. Robin O’Keefe

F. Robin O’Keefe

The Plesiosauria (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) is a group of Mesozoic marine reptiles known from abundant material, with specimens described from all continents. The group originated very near the Triassic–Jurassic boundary and persisted to the end- Cretaceous mass extinction. This study describes the results of a specimen-based cladistic study of the Plesiosauria, based on examination of 34 taxa scored for 166 morphological characters. The Pliosauroidea is found to by polyphyletic due to the inclusion of the Polycotylidae; this second clade is instead a member of the Plesiosauroidea, and thus more closely related to elasmosaurs than to other ‘pliosaurs’. Characters of body proportion …

Morphologic And Ontogenetic Patterns In Elasmosaur Neck Length, With Comments On The Taxonomic Utility Of Neck Length Variables, F. Robin O’Keefe, Norton Hiller

F. Robin O’Keefe

Elasmosaur cervical vertebrae are common fossils, but their taxonomic utility is limited due to a lack of understanding concerning their shape within and among taxa. In this paper, we analyze data from complete elasmosaur necks in an attempt to quantify and understand the variation in centrum dimensions. In accord with previous studies, variation in cervical centrum shape is found to stem from at least three sources: ontogeny, intracolumn variation, and intercolumn or taxonomic variation. Ontogenetic variability seems reminiscent of that seen in Cryptoclidus, with an overall positive allometry in the length of all centra that is accentuated in the mid-cervical …

Fisheries Management In M. P. Reservoirs Including Enclosure Culture, M K. Bandhyopadhyay, Aparna Roy, Ganesh Chandra

Ganesh Chandra

No abstract provided.

Mapping Shallow Water Habitats Of The Wallabi Group, Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Using Remote Sensing Techniques, Scott N. Evans, Lynda M. Bellchambers, K Murray

Fisheries research reports

The use of mapping techniques to identify and quantify habitats is becoming an increasingly important tool for the effective management of marine resources. With a multitude of techniques such as remote sensing, acoustic surveys and towed video all commonly used, the decision on the methodology to use depends on the resolution of output data required to answer the objectives of the survey, the spatial extent and location of survey site as well as the associated costs of surveying

Topeka Shiner (Notropis Topeka): Species Conservation Assessment, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The primary goal in development of at-risk species conservation assessments is to compile biological and ecological information that may assist conservation practitioners in making decisions regarding the conservation of species of interest. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the Topeka shiner (Notropis topeka) as a Tier I at-risk species of high priority for conservation. Some general management recommendations are made here regarding Topeka shiners; however, conservation practitioners will need to use professional judgment to make specific management decisions based on objectives, location, and a multitude of variables. This resource was designed to share available knowledge of the Topeka shiner that …

Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Potomac River (Spring 2012), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) adopted the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the American eel in November 1999. The FMP focuses on increasing coastal states’ efforts to collect American eel data through both fishery-dependent and fishery-independent studies. Consequently, member jurisdictions agreed to implement an annual survey for young-of-year (YOY) American eels. The survey is intended to “…characterize trends in annual recruitment of the YOY eels over time [to produce a] qualitative appraisal of the annual recruitment of American eel to the U.S. Atlantic Coast” (ASMFC 2000). The development of these surveys began in 2000 with full implementation …

Sub-Antarctic And High Antarctic Notothenioid Fishes: Ecology And Adaptational Biology Revealed By The Icefish 2004 Cruise Of Rvib Nathaniel B. Palmer, H. William Detrich Iii, Bradley A. Buckley, Daniel F. Doolittle, Christopher D. Jones, Susanne J. Lockhart

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The goal of the ICEFISH 2004 cruise, which was conducted on board RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer and traversed the transitional zones linking the South Atlantic to the Southern Ocean, was to compare the evolution, ecology, adaptational biology, community structure, and population dynamics of Antarctic notothenioid fishes relative to the cool/temperate notothenioids of the sub-Antarctic. To place this work in a comprehensive ecological context, cruise participants surveyed the benthos and geology of the biogeographic provinces and island shelves on either side of the Antarctic Polar Front (or Antarctic Convergence). Genome-enabled comparison of the responses of cold-living and temperate notothenioids to heat …

The Role Of Mycobacteriosis In Elevated Natural Mortality Of Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass: Developing Better Models For Stock Assessment And Management : A Final Report, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, John Hoenig, David Gauthier, Matthew Smith, Phil Sadler, Howard Kator, Martha Rhodes

Reports

Mycobacteriosis is a chronic systemic disease of fishes caused by bacteria belonging to the genus Mycobacterium. The disease currently affects striped bass throughout Chesapeake Bay and prevalence is higher than 90% in certain age groups. Two recently described species, M. shottsii and M. pseudoshottsii, are the most common isolates obtained from diseased fish and are considered the primary etiologic agents. Recent indications that natural mortality (M) has become elevated in Chesapeake Bay striped bass and that mycobacteriosis may be the underlying cause, has caused concern among fishermen, fisheries managers and scientists. However, fundamental questions, such as transmission mode, duration of …

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In Selected Areas: Nantucket Lightship Closed Area, Hudson Canyon Closed Area, And The Delmarva Closed Area, David Rudders, William D. Dupaul, Jessica Bergeron

Reports

No abstract provided.

Nutritional Content Of Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca Monocerata) Bill Loads, Dustin Taylor, Ron Heintz

STAR Program Research Presentations

Nutritional Content of Rhinoceros Auklet Bill Loads

Dustin E Taylor

Abstract

An adult Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) can only catch and carry a limited amount of prey to their nestlings after a foraging trip. The auklets therefore must maximize their efficiency by bringing back the most proportionally nutritious prey items to their nestlings. The prey carried back to the nesting sites (known as a ‘bill load’) can contain whole fish, as well as parts, most commonly fish heads. This study is aimed to determine whether returning with just heads to the nestlings was proportionally more nutritious than bringing …

A Genetic Survey Of English Sole Populations In The Salish Sea, Elizabeth S. Gutierrez, Gary A. Winans, Jon Baker, Amanda Cope

STAR Program Research Presentations

This summer I interned at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA and participated in NOAA’s Salish Sea Project. The Salish Sea Project’s goal is to identify genetically distinctive groups of species in the Salish Sea that may have unique evolutionary and/or adaptive backgrounds. These findings will allow NOAA to promote and monitor the natural production of species in the Salish Sea, to select representative populations for experimental work regarding pollution, ocean acidification and climate change, to contribute to managing the ecosystem for intra- and inter-species diversity, and to help make informed decisions about adaptive management and marine protected …

Developing Monitoring Methods For Leptasterias Spp. As Sentinel Species In Detecting Local Environmental Changes, Zachary Sturbaum, Kathryn Nuessly, Riley J. Smith, C. Sarah Cohen

STAR Program Research Presentations

Leptasterias spp., a six-rayed sea star, is found in rocky intertidal habitats ranging from Alaska to central California. Leptasterias spp. can be monitored on a broad scale throughout their range by a variety of means using timed counts and random plot censusing in order to detect both large-scale and local-level changes in the environment due to climate change, land-based human activity, or other environmental events. Leptasterias brood their young externally until the embryos grow into fully developed juveniles. These juveniles disperse by crawling away, limiting their dispersal potential. This localized dispersal provides an opportunity to use Leptasterias spp …

Effects Of Pristane On Growth Of Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus Gorbuscha), Brielle D. Kemis, Bonita Nelson

STAR Program Research Presentations

Pristane is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon that is generated by copepods in marine ecosystems. Organisms that eat copepods do not readily metabolize pristane, which causes it to accumulate throughout the marine food web. Understanding how pristane affects marine fish is essential because pristane is often used as a bioindicator in lab studies and may be influencing results in those studies. Also, this hydrocarbon may significantly reduce growth of marine fish in the wild. A previous study indicated that pristane is an appetite suppressant and growth retardant in fish. However, the study implemented a feeding regime with unnaturally high levels of …

The Effects Of Drought On The Abundance Of The Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus, In The Ace Basin Nerr In South Carolina, Kirk Parmenter

All Dissertations

Blue crabs make up one of the most important commercial fisheries in the U.S. but there has been some concern over the health of blue crab populations due to large declines in landings seen in recent years. There is a significant positive correlation between river discharge and commercial landings suggesting that drought may be to blame for the recent decline in crab numbers. The work I completed for my dissertation tested multiple hypotheses examining the link between decreasing freshwater discharge, the subsequent rise in salinity, and the abundance of blue crabs in the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve.
To …

Likely Effectiveness Of Netting Or Other Capture Programs As A Shark Hazard Mitigation Strategy In Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries occasional publications

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Fish Assemblage Structure In The Penobscot River Prior To Dam Removal, Ian Andrew Kiraly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Penobscot River drains the largest watershed in Maine, and once provided spawning and rearing habitats to at least 11 species of diadromous fish. The construction of dams blocked migrations of these fish and likely changed the structure and function of fish assemblages throughout the river. Further alteration to fish assemblage structure likely occurred as a result of habitat fragmentation and alteration. The proposed removal of two main-stem dams, improved upstream fish passage at a third dam, and construction of a fish bypass on dam obstructing a major tributary is anticipated to increase passage of diadromous and resident fishes. To …

Economic Impact Of Double-Crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax Auritus, Depredation On Channel Catfish, Ictalurus Punctatus,Aquaculture In Mississippi, Usa, Brian S. Dorr, Loren W. Burger, Scott C. Barras, Kristina Casscles Godwin

Brian S Dorr

The Yazoo River Basin of Mississippi, USA, supports the largest concentration of hectares devoted to channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, aquaculture production in North America. The Yazoo Basin also supports large numbers of resident, wintering and migrating fish-eating birds, with the Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, implicated as the most serious depredating species. We used data from aerial surveys of numbers and distribution of cormorants in the Yazoo Basin and on commercial catfish ponds during winters (November–April) 2000–2001 and 2003–2004 to refine estimates of regional economic losses due to cormorant depredation. In both periods, the greatest monthly estimates of cormorant foraging occurred …

Final Report : An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In Open Access Areas: New York Bight And The Southern New England Area, David Rudders, William D. Dupaul

Reports

No abstract provided.

Final Report: An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In A Selected Closed Area: Georges Bank Closed Area Ii, David Rudders, William D. Dupaul

Reports

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In A Selected Closed Area: Delmarva Closed Area, David Rudders, William D. Dupaul

Reports

No abstract provided.

Marine Resource Bulletin Vol. 44, No. 2, Virginia Sea Grant, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Virginia Marine Resource Bulletin

In This Issue

Research Ready 2

Virginia Sea Grant supports a portfolio of science and social science research that has tangible benefits for coastal ecosystems and communities. Some of these exciting research efforts are featured in this issue.

Terrapin Files 4

Diamondback terrapins face a variety of threats—from coastal development to crab fishing. A team of VASG-funded researchers are mapping terrapin habitat and threats to aid in the development of effective management strategies.

Nutrient Flow in Clam Aquaculture 8

Virginia’s Eastern Shore is home to a fast-growing clam aquaculture in - dustry. This photo-essay features research on the effects of …