Life Sciences Commons^™

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 …

Watershed Activity Set, Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve In Virginia

Reports

Grade level: 2-5

Subject Area: Life Science

This lesson plan contains 3 activities which can be used together or separately. The first activity demonstrates the overall concept of a watershed by having students build a simple model, the second connects watersheds with habitats and pollution - asking students to design their own watershed. The third module examines more closely human activities and their impacts on watersheds using an Enviroscape(TM) model.

Monitoring The Abundance Of American Shad And River Herring In Virginia's Rivers - 2016 Annual Report, Eric J. Hilton, Robert Latour, Patrick E. Mcgrath, Brian Watkins, Ashleigh Magee

Reports

This report describes the results of the nineteenth 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 2016, evaluating hatchery programs, and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007). We also report on a new fishery-independent monitoring program using staked gillnets to determine relative abundance and stock structure for the adult spawning run of river herring (A. pseudoharengus, and A. aestivalis) in the Rappahannock River. Data are also reported from two separate fishery-independent monitoring …

Kepone In The James River Estuary: Past, Current And Future Trends, Michael A. Unger, George G. Vadas

Reports

In late 1975, a manufacturing facility in Hopewell, VA had not only exposed workers to the chlorinated pesticide, Kepone, but had also severely contaminated the James River estuary. To assess the potential risk to the public, Virginia initiated a finfish-monitoring program in late 1975. Over the next 40 years over 13,000 samples were collected from the James River and Chesapeake Bay and analyzed for Kepone. Kepone production was eventually banned worldwide. The average Kepone concentrations found in most species began falling when the production of Kepone ended, but the averages remained over the action limit of 0.3 mgkg^-1 until …

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young-Of-The-Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay, Spring 2016, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey

Reports

American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) is a valuable commercial species along the Atlantic coast of North America from New Brunswick to Florida. In the U.S., harvests have declined, with similar patterns occurring in the Canadian Maritime Provinces (Meister and Flagg 1997). An average of 62% of the annual landings of U.S. commercial harvest since 1993 have come from the Chesapeake Bay (personal communication from the National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries Statistics Division, 9 February 2015). In 2013, Virginia commercial landings were approximately 100,298 lbs; since mandatory reporting began in 1993, average annual landings in Virginia have been 193,200 lbs or 19% …

Sea-Level Rise & Virginia's Coastal Wetlands, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Rivers & Coast is a periodic publication of the Center for Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute of Marine Science. The goal of Rivers & Coast is to keep readers well informed of current scientific understanding behind key environmental issues related to watershed rivers and coastal ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay.

Virginia Coastal And Ocean Resource Issues, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Fisheries, aquaculture and marine recreation in Chesapeake Bay and the coastal ocean are important economic engines adding greatly to the economy of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Virginia’s commercial harvest ranks 3rd largest and 7th in total value nationwide. Research at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) shows that Virginia’s water-dependent resource-based industries, including commercial and recreational fisheries, shellfish aquaculture and recreational boating, annually generate $2.53 billion in sales and approximately $1.25–$1.5 billion in income, supporting over 20,000 jobs. . . .

Thin-Layer Sediment Addition Of Dredge Material For Enhancing Marsh Resilience, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Building marsh elevations with sediment delivered from nearby dredging projects is a potentially valuable tool for creating, restoring, and maintaining coastal marshes, and may help slow or reverse losses of wetlands due to coastal development and sea-level rise (Woodhouse et al., 1972). . . .

Water Quality Conditions And Restoration Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (Sav) In The Tidal Freshwater James River, 2008, Ken Moore, Betty Berry Neikirk, Erin C. Shields, David Parrish

Reports

In 2008, wild celery (Vallisneria americana), water stargrass (Heteranthera dubia) and hydrilla (Hydrilla verticilata) shoots were transplanted into shallow water sites in the Hopewell region of the tidal James River and sampled for survivorship and growth throughout the SA V growing season. Water quality sampling was conducted at bi-weekly intervals throughout the year for water column nutrients, chlorophyll a, suspended solids, water transparency and other chemical and physical constituents important for SA V growth. Continuous water quality sampling was also conducted along the James River from the mouth of the Chickahominy River to the upstream limits of tidal water at …

Understanding Cattail (Typha Spp.) Invasion And Persistence In Forested Wetlands Created By The Virginia Department Of Transportation, James E. Perry, E. E. Morgan, Azure E. Bevington, Douglas Deberry

Reports

No abstract provided.

Benthic Habitat Characterization Within The Nearshore Of Mobjack Bay, Virginia : Final Report, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Kory Angstadt, David Stanhope, Carl H. Hershner

Reports

No abstract provided.

Chemical And Toxicological Characterization Of The Lower Mobjack Bay, York River, Virginia Segment Of The Chesapeake Bay, Morris H. Roberts Jr., Mark A. Richards, Peter F. Delisle

Reports

The Chesapeake Bay segment called Lower Mobjack Bay Lower York River Virginia was found to have insufficient data to characterize in 1999. Therefore this area was selected for a chemical, toxicological, benthic community characterization study of the sediments in 2002. The segment was divided into 3 strata: the lower York River, the Poquoson River, and Back River, each with 4 randomly selected stations. Samples were collected in October 2002 for evaluation of conditions.

There were few significant chemical exceedances of the ER-L or ER-M in the three strata and no toxicologically effects from exposure to sediment samples from any stratum. …

The Chesapeake Bay : A Synopsis, William J. Hargis Jr.

Reports

No abstract provided.

Boat Scarring Effects On Submerged Aquatic Vegetation In Virginia (Year 1), R J. Orth, James R. Fishman, Amy Tillman, Sara Everett, Kenneth A. Moore

Reports

Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in Chesapeake Bay has received significant attention in recent decades due to increasing understanding of the importance of these habitats for ecological functions, including fisheries habitat. Yet, SAV in many regions of the bay are at some of the lowest levels of abundance in recorded history. This has led state management agencies to adopt numerous policies and regulations to protect and restore these valuable communities. The Chesapeake Bay 2000 Agreement highlights SAV by recommitting to the goal of protecting and restoring 114,000 acres, revising existing restoration goals and strategies by 2002, and implementing a strategy to …

Oyster Reef Habitat Restoration : A Synopsis And Synthesis Of Approaches; Proceedings From The Symposium, Williamsburg, Virginia, April 1995, Mark Luckenbach, Roger L. Mann, James A. Wesson

Reports

This volume has its origin in a symposium held in Williamsburg, VA in April 1995, though most of the chapters have been significantly revised in the interim. The primary purpose of the symposium was to bring together state fisheries managers involved in fisheries-directed oyster enhancement and research scientists to refine approaches for enhancing oyster populations and to better develop the rationale for restoring reef habitats. We could hardly have anticipated the degree to which this been successful. In the interim between the symposium and the publication of this volume the notion that oyster reefs are valuable habitats, both for oysters …

Exchanges Of Carbon And Nitrogen Between Tidal Freshwater Wetlands And Adjacent Tributaries : A Final Report, Iris C. Anderson, Scott C. Neubauer, Betty B. Neikirk, Richard L. Wetzel

Reports

Tidal freshwater marshes are hypothesized to export materials and energy that support primary and secondary production in estuaries, yet there are few data available to test this hypothesis. A major objective of our study was to measure net exchange of carbon between marsh and atmosphere to determine whether biogenic carbon inputs are in excess of those required to produce observed biomass, satisfy the measured accretion rate, and keep pace with the historical rate of sea level rise. To determine whether the marsh exports materials and energy we measured exchanges of nutrients between marsh sediments and overlying water and of nutrients, …

Tidal Freshwater Ecosystems: Bibliography, Daniel J. Yozzo, David E. Smith, Marilyn L. Lewis

Reports

Tidal freshwater ecosystems represent an important transition zone between saline reaches of estuaries and non-tidal riverine environments. Tidal freshwater systems are distributed worldwide, but have been intensively studied in only a few geographic regions, such as the U.S. east coast and western Europe. Typically, tidal freshwater systems are characterized by high physical stress due to sediment instability and tidal action, which results in low species diversity. However, a number of anadromous and resident fish species utilize tidal freshwater reaches of estuaries as a spawning and nursery area, including economically significant species such as striped bass, American shad, and Atlantic sturgeon. …

Distribution Of Aeschynomene Virginica And Bacopa Innominata Along The Proposed Alternative Routes For The Sr629 Mattaponi River Crossing Upgrade Project, James E. Perry

Reports

Four wetland macrophytes of interest are found in the region of the proposed upgrade of the State Route 629 bridge crossing of the Mattaponi River. Two of these are State listed endangered or threatened species: the sensitive joint vetch (Aeschynomene virginica) and the mat-forming water-hyssop (Bacopa innominata). Two species, Long's bittercress (Cardamine longii) and Parker's pip~wort (Eriocaulon parkeri) are included on the Virginia watch list (Ludwig, 1992).

The purpose of this study was to locate and describe plant populations of the specified species (i.e. determine the size, spatial distribution, and density of extant populations) within a specified range of each …

Eutrophication Of Lake Matoaka Assessment And Projection, Bruce Neilson, Gary F. Anderson, Martha Rhodes

Reports

No abstract provided.

The York River: A Brief Review Of Its Physical, Chemical And Biological Characteristics, Michael E. Bender

Reports

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the York River, Virginia. The river is formed by the confluence of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers at West Point, Virginia. It is tidal over its entire length and flows to the western shore of Chesapeake Bay.

Baltimore Harbor And Channels Aquatic Benthos Investigations : Final Technical Report, Robert J. Diaz, Linda C. Schaffner, Robert J. Byrne, Robert A. Gammisch

Reports

This report describes work performed by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, School of Marine Science of the College of William and Mary, Gloucester Point, VA, to document the existing preoperational conditions at four locations in the Chesapeake Bay selected as possible dredged material disposal areas for the deepening of the Baltimore Channel. The work was sponsored by the Baltimore District Corps of Engineers.

The objectives of this work were at each of the four potential disposal sites:

1 -document the surface (0-15 em) sediment conditions spatially and temporally

2 - document macrobenthic communities spatially and temporally.

3 - empty …

York River Slack Water Data Report : Temperature, Salinity, Dissolved Oxygen, 1971 - 1980, T. J. Brooks

Reports

The slack water survey program, provides an extended series of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and nutrient measurements along the York River. These have been used to:

1) calibrate, verify, and update mathematical models; 2) provide a baseline against which effects of unusual events have been measured; and could be used to: 3) establish annual and longer period "climatological" trends in response to changing natural phenomena and man-made modifications to the estuary; 4) provide a basis against which fluctuations in biota could be compared.

This report contains station locations, survey schedules, field procedures, sample handling procedures, and data reduction and storage …

Estimate Of The Total Weight Of Kepone In The Major Components Of The Molluscan Fauna Of The James River, Virginia, Dexter S. Haven, Reinaldo Morales-Alamo

Reports

Contamination of the James River in Virgin ia with the pesticide Kepone has resulted in its accumulation in the tissues of the fauna inhabiting the river. Most of the Kepone available to the biota in the river is associated with sediment s (Schneider and Dawson, 1978) and Haven and Morales-Alamo (1979) have shown that oysters and other bivalve molluscs accumulate Kepone in their tissues when exposed to the pesticide associated with sediments in suspension. It is of interest to compare the quantities of Kepone bound in James River sediments with the quantities bound in the molluscan fauna of the river.

Perkinsus Marinus = Dermocystidium Marinum ("Dermo") In Virginia, 1950-1980 : A Record Of Fluid Thioglycollate Tests For Dermo In Oysters From Public And Private Oyster Beds, And From Trays Of Disease-Free Oysters Transplanted To Areas Where Msx And Dermo Are Endemic, Jay D. Andrews

Reports

No abstract provided.

Survey Of Vegetation And Elevational Relationships Within Coastal Marsh Transition Zones In The Central Atlantic Coastal Region : Final Report, John D. Boon, Donna M. E. Ware, Gene M. Silberhorn

Reports

This report contains the findings of a one-year botanical field study of the marsh to uplands vegetational transition zone at selected sites within the Central Atlantic Coastal Region of the United States. The latter region is herein defined to include the coasts of Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. To obtain results representative of the various coastal environments and associated wetlands types found within this region, five primary sites and one to four secondary sites in the vicinity of each primary site were chosen for detailed investigations.

Values And Management Strategies For Nonvegetated Tidal Wetlands, Louise Theberge, Donald F. Boesch

Reports

Part I. Values and Management Strategies for Nonvegetated Tidal Wetlands: A Summary

Part II. The Resource Ecology of Nonvegetated Wetlands: A Review

Plant Geography And Water Quality Data For Chesapeake Bay Waters Of Virginia's Eastern Shore, John C. Munday Jr., Paul L. Zubkoff, J. Ernest Warinner Iii, Elvira Ferrez-Reyes, Hayden H. Gordon, Kenneth A. Moore

Reports

Plant geography and water quality data were collected in shallow water near Cape Charles and Occohannock Creek, Virginia on two occasions. Data from April, 1978 included hydrography, distribution and abundance of -submerged aquatic vegetation, phytoplankton census, and water clarity data. Data from May, 1978 included hydrography, phytoplankton census, water clarity, and primary productivity data. The May data collection was coincident with an overflight of the NASA JSC C-130 aircraft (6600 m) acquiring color infrared photography and multispectral scanner data; cell concentrations reached 105/ml, chlorophyll~ 72 pg/1, and suspended sediment 94 mg/1. i

Kepone In Bed Sediments Of The James River Estuary, Richard C. Trotman, Maynard N. Nichols

Reports

This report describes procedures and presents data concerning the concentrations of Kepone in bed sediments of the James River estuary, Virginia.

Fine Scale Circulation Near "Foxtrot" In Hampton Roads, Virginia, Christopher S. Welch, Bruce J. Neilson

Reports

During 1974 the Virginia Institute of Marine Science conducted a series of oceanographic, water quality and modeling studies for the outfall from the proposed Nansemond Wastewater Treatment Plant (VIMS, 1975). One of these studies included dye releases to determine the dispersion and transport of material discharged to Hampton Roads near Pig Point. These dye releases were made from the munitions loading piers known as "Foxtrot".

The proposed outfall, as given in the Facilities Plan is located roughly one kilometer to the east-south-east of Foxtrot. Tidal circulation in Hampton Roads is quite complex and there was concern that the distribution patterns …

Yorktown Power Station Ecological Study, Phase Ii : Final Technical Report, R. A. Jordan, R. W. Virnstein, J. E. Illowsky, J. Colvocoresses

Reports

No abstract provided.