Life Sciences Commons^™

Evaluation Of Color Imagery And Direct Referencing For Mapping Submersed Aquatic Vegetation In Chesapeake Bay - Final Report, David J. Wilcox, R J. Orth, Jennifer R. Whiting, Anna K. Kenne, Amy L. Owens, Leah S. Nagy

Reports

The VIMS Annual Submersed Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) Monitoring Program has used black and white aerial photography to map SAV in Chesapeake Bay each year from 1984 to the present, with the exception of 1988. In 2008, VIMS initiated a pilot project to address two potential enhancements identified by a recent external program review: color film and direct referencing technology. Simultaneous color and black and white imagery was captured for three regions. In addition, GPS/inertial mapping unit (IMU) direct referencing data was acquired for two of the regions.

Recruitment, Substrate Quality And Standing Stock Monitoring In Support Of Noaa-Acoa Oyster Restoration Projects In The Great Wicomico, Rappahannock, Piankatank And Lynnhaven River Basins, 2004-2006 : Supplementary Materials, Mark Luckenbach, Paige G. Ross

Reports

Many factors affect the success of oyster restoration efforts. This supplemental report details the VIMS effort under this NOAA-funded program to monitor some of those factors in the Great Wicomico, Rappahannock, Piankatank and Lynnhaven Rivers. Specifically, it details monitoring of (1) oyster settlement at two reefs in each of those tributaries from May to November from 2004 – 2006, along with additional widespread recruitment monitoring in the Lynnhaven River in 2005 & 2006, (2) substrate condition on the same eight reefs during spring, summer and fall of 2004 – 2006, (3) oyster abundance on Shell Bar reef in the Great …

Status Of The Major Oyster Diseases In Virginia 2006-2008 A Summary Of The Annual Oyster Disease Monitoring Program, Ryan Carnegie, Eugene M. Burreson

Reports

Fall Survey sampling revealed P. marinus levels to be generally normal to high in Virginia tributaries. By 2007 P. marinus was present on every oyster reef sampled, and by the end of the 2006-2008 period the parasite was probably causing some mortality throughout Virginia waters. Data for H. nelsoni are still incomplete for 2006/7 because of funding limitations, but in 2008 H. nelsoni was observed at 17 of 31 sampled reefs, a marked expansion in distribution since 2003/4. A significant MSX disease outbreak occurred in the Great Wicomico River in 2008, as a mild winter and a long period of …

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young-Of-Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay (Spring 2009), 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 …

Sand Dune And Beaches In Virginia: Science And Management, 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.

Evolving Guidance For Tidal Wetlands Management, 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.

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 …

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

Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Potomac River (Spring 2009), 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 …

Distribution, Habitat Characteristics, Prey Abundance And Diet Of Surf Scoters (Melanitta Perspicillata) And Long-Tailed Ducks (Clangula Hyemalis) In Polyhaline Wintering Habitats In The Mid-Atlantic Region: A Comparison Of Shallow Coastal Lagoons And Chesapeake Bay Environs, Paige G. Ross, Mark W. Luckenbach

Reports

To the best of our knowledge there are no published data on sea duck winter habitat use in the higher salinity portion of the lower Chesapeake Bay or in adjacent coastal bays along the Atlantic margin of the Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) peninsula. Within these regions both SUSC and LTDU have been observed in shallow water environments (Ross, pers. obs.), yet little is known about their habitat use or feeding habits in these areas. Importantly, these two adjacent areas, which are separated by as little as 20 km, differ in several key environmental components.

In this study we documented the …

Northeast Area Monitoring And Assessment Program Final Report 2005-2009, Christopher F. Bonzek, James Gartland, J. David Lange Jr., Robert J. Latour

Reports

No abstract provided.

2009 Annual Report Estimating Relative Juvenile Abundance Of Ecologically Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay, Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

No abstract provided.

Identification And Assessment Of Water Quality Problems In Mill Dam Creek And Dey Cove Tributaries Of Lynnhaven, Virginia Beach, Mac Sisson, Harry V. Wang, W. G. Reay, Yueping Li

Reports

No abstract provided.

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young Of Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay (Spring 2008), 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 …

Regional Workshop On Cownose Ray Issues Identifying Research And Extension Needs, Virginia Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program

Reports

No abstract provided.

Northeast Area Monitoring And Assessment Program (Neamap) Data Collection And Analysis In Support Of Single And Multispecies Stock Assessments In The Mid-Atlantic: Northeast Area Monitoring And Assessment Program Near Shore Trawl Program, Christopher F. Bonzek, James Gartland, J. David Lange, Robert J. Latour

Reports

Concerns regarding the status of fishery-independent data collection from continental shelf waters between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and the U.S. / Canadian border led the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Management and Science Committee (MSC) to draft a resolution in 1997 calling for the formation of the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP) (ASMFC 2002). NEAMAP is a cooperative state-federal program modeled after the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP), which has been coordinating fishery-independent data collection south of Cape Hatteras since the mid-1980s (Rester 2001). The four main goals of this new program directly address the …

Final Report - 2008 Data Collection And Analysis In Support Of Single And Multispecies Stock Assessments In Chesapeake Bay: The Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring And Assessment Program, Christopher F. Bonzek, James Gartland, Raemarie A. Johnson, Robert J. Latour

Reports

Historically, fisheries management has been based on the results of single‐species stock assessment models that focus on the interplay between exploitation level and sustainability. There currently exists a suite of standard and accepted analytical frameworks (e.g., virtual population analysis (VPA), biomass dynamic production modeling, delay difference models, etc.) for assessing the stocks, projecting future stock size, evaluating recovery schedules and rebuilding strategies for overfished stocks, setting allowable catches, and estimating fishing mortality or exploitation rates. A variety of methods also exist to integrate the biological system and the fisheries resource system, thereby enabling the evaluation of alternative management strategies on …

Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Situation And Outlook Report : Results Of The 2008 Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Crop Reporting Survey, Thomas J. Murray, Michael J. Oesterling

Reports

Recent growth of the shellfish aquaculture industry in Virginia has added significant value to the state’s seafood marketplace. Today, watermen continue to harvest both hard clams and oysters from the state’s public resources, albeit at diminished rates. At the same time, Virginia’s watermen-farmers are providing growing quantities of additional quality shellfish to consumers. Following the lead of the hard clam industry, there has been a significant transition to intensive aquaculture of native oysters in recent years. The once extensive oyster planting has disappeared primarily as a result of endemic oyster diseases and increasing wildlife predation of seed oysters. In its …

Monitoring Relative Abundance Of American Shad In Virginia Rivers 2008 Annual Report, John E. Olney, Brian Watkins

Reports

Concern about the decline in landings of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) along the Atlantic coast prompted the development of an interstate fisheries management plan (FMP) under the auspices of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Management Program (AS

Abundance And Distribution Of Sea Scallops And Yellowtail Flounder During The 2008 Vims/Industry Cooperative Survey Of Georges Bank Closed Area Ii, William D. Dupaul, Kelli Milleville Wright, David Rudders

Reports

No abstract provided.

Northeast Area Monitoring And Assessment Program (Neamap) Mid-Atlantic Nearshore Trawl Survey: Data Collection And Analysis In Support Of Single And Multispecies Stock Assessments And Management Progress Report: Fall 2008 Survey Data Summary, Christopher F. Bonzek, James Gartland, J. David Lange, Robert J. Latour

Reports

Concerns regarding the status of fishery-independent data collection from the continental shelf waters between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and the U.S. / Canadian border led the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Management and Science Committee (MSC) to draft a resolution in 1997 calling for the formation the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP) (ASMFC 2002). NEAMAP is a cooperative state-federal program modeled after the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP), which had been coordinating fishery-independent data collection south of Cape Hatteras since the mid-1980s (Rester 2001). The four main goals of this new program directly address the …

Population Assessment Of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica) In The Seaside Coastal Bays, Paige G. Ross, Mark Luckenbach

Reports

Declines of oyster populations and commercial harvest from the Virginia seaside coastal bays have followed similar patterns, though not as severe, as those in Chesapeake Bay. High prevalence of Dermo disease (Perkinsus marinus) and MSX disease (Haplosporidium nelsoni) coupled with over harvest and habitat destruction have dramatically reduced populations. Nevertheless, there are several promising signs that significant enhancement of the population could be achieved with well conceived restoration efforts. Oyster habitat and population distribution were examined in the coastal bay system on the seaside of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This system is composed of barrier islands, salt marshes, broad …

Atlantic Sturgeon Spawning Habitat On The James River, Virginia, Donna M. Bilkovic, Kory Angstadt, David Stanhope

Reports

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of The Economic Impacts Of Recreational Boating In The City Of Hampton, Thomas J. Murray, James Kirkley, Doug Lipton

Reports

No abstract provided.

2008 Annual Report, Center For Coastal Resources Management

Reports

No abstract provided.

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.

Guide For Quantifying Fuels In The Sagebrush Steppe And Juniper Woodlands Of The Great Basin, Andrea Stebleton, Stephen Bunting

Reports

Prescribed fire is increasingly used for fuels management and ecosystem restoration. Managers and fuels specialists of the Great Basin are often required to estimate fuel loadings to predict fire behavior, recommend fuel treatments, or restore an area to its natural fire regime. Because of invasive species and woodland encroachment, there have been extensive changes in the fire regimes of sagebrush steppe over the past 150 years. After two years of pre-treatment sampling across six states of the Great Basin, the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment and Evaluation Project (SageSTEP) measured many variables including vegetation, soils, hydrology, wildlife, and fuels. These data will …

Piñon And Juniper Field Guide: Asking The Right Questions To Select Appropriate Management Actions, Robin J. Tausch, R. F. Miller, B. A. Roundy, J. C. Chambers

Reports

Piñon-juniper woodlands are an important vegetation type in the Great Basin. Old-growth and open shrub savanna woodlands have been present over much of the last several hundred years. Strong evidence indicates these woodlands have experienced significant tree infilling and major expansion in their distribution since the late 1800s by encroaching into surrounding landscapes once dominated by shrubs and herbaceous vegetation. Both infilling and expansion affects soil resources, plant community structure and composition, water and nutrient cycles, forage production, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and fire patterns across the landscape. Another impact is the shift from historic fire regimes to larger and more …

Workshop On Environmental Research Needs In Support Of Potential Virginia Offshore Oil And Gas Activities, Robert J. Diaz, Richard Brill, Linda C. Schaffner, Kenneth W. Able, Larry Atkinson, Diane Austin, Scott Kraus, Douglas Lipton, United States. Minerals Management Service

Reports

The MMS, a bureau within the Department of the Interior, sponsored a workshop on the environmental research needs in support of potential Virginia offshore oil and gas activities 3 and 4 December 2008, in Williamsburg, Virginia. The focus of the workshop was to assess the existing scientific knowledgebase along the Virginia Coast and the information gaps that need to 2 be addressed should a lease sale for oil and gas activities be held for the Virginia outer continental shelf. This report summarizes the outcome of the workshop.

Ecosystems Services Of Tidal Shorelines, 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.