Life Sciences Commons^™

Northeast Area Monitoring And Assessment Program (Neamap) Prey Species 2006-2012, Northeast Area Monitoring And Assessment Program

Reports

Identification and guide to stomach contents in species captured in monitoring studies.

Virginia Fishery Resource Grant Program 2011, Virginia Fishery Resource Grant Program

Reports

No abstract provided.

Analyses Of Kings Creek Water And Watershed Runoff Samples For Bacteroidales Using Qpcr To Detect Human Fecal Contamination, Howard Kator, Kimberly S. Reece

Reports

The purpose of this work was to evaluate and analyze water samples collected from the Kings Creek watershed using a qPCR-based method to detect both total Bacteroidales and Bacteroidales reported to be associated with human fecal contamination. Quantitative real-time PCR assays were used to significantly reduce processing times and at the same time yield estimates of target concentrations. Initial efforts focused on evaluation of various Bacteroidales primer sets reported in the literature tested against human and animal fecal samples collected from the Kings Creek watershed. Most samples, both animal and human, were positive with the universal (i.e. general or total) …

Water Quality Monitoring: Guidelines On The Application Of Environmental Impact Assessment Methodology As A Decision Making Tool To Improve Data Quality, Eduardo J. Miles

Reports

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Juvenile Striped Bass Relative Abundance In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay, January 2011-December 2011 : Annual Progress Report, Leonard S. Machut, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

The 2011 striped bass juvenile abundance index is 27.09 and is significantly higher than the historic average of 7.92. Unlike previous years, the 2011 York River index was the highest among Virginia watersheds with high recruitment in both the Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers. All individual river JAI values were significantly higher than their respective historic averages except for the Chickahominy River which was not significantly different from its historic average. This suggests a strong year class was produced in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay in 2011. Sampling of auxiliary stations provides greater spatial coverage of the nursery grounds and …

Reduction Of Crab Mortality In Seed Cages, Richard W. Harding Jr.

Reports

The purpose of this project is to find out what cage design works best to let the crabs escape and reduce m01tality. My hope is this study will help others in the aquaculture industry reduce mortality and get more yield from their seed.

Testing Raised Footlines In Virginia's Striped Bass Fishery: A Gear Based Method Of Reducing Sturgeon Interactions In Anchored Gill Nets, George Earl Trice Iv

Reports

This project was conducted over a period of 39 days using two different net configurations and fishery locations in order to test methodologies to reduce the bycatch of Atlantic sturgeon while not affecting the striped bass fishery. Nets were hung using conventional methods allowing the net to rest on the bottom of the waters. Experimental nets were hung with a 3' bottom panel with no mesh allowing bottom dwelling fishes to swim under the "floated" net mesh. Nets were hung using mesh sizes ranging from 5.5" to 8". All catch was recorded and compared to determine the effects of the …

Stake In The Bay, Michael J. Gadwell

Reports

The Stake in the bay project was instituted to make it possible for people of all ages and agility to become involved in the oyster replenishment and restoration. This was accomplished by my wife and I utilizing over a dozen different recipes and types of stakes and slurri.es to encourage spat attachment using triploid larvae set in our onshore setting tank which is also utilized for setting spat on shell.

Testing Scottish Seine In Virginia's Waters, Jeffrey A. Hammer

Reports

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Of A Recirculating Aquaculture System For Early Larval Culture Of Crassostrea Virginica, Michael Congrove

Reports

Oyster aquaculture in Virginia is a rapidly developing industry with greater than 75 million oysters planted in 2010, this compared to just 6 million in 2005 (Murray and Hudson 2011). Necessary to support this rapid development, among other things, is a large and consistent supply of larval and seed oysters, from which oyster growers start their crops. Providing this product to the aquaculture industry are hatcheries.

Hatcheries represent the tip of the pyramid in oyster aquaculture. Only a few hatcheries with a handful of workers support a much larger industry of many growout operations collectively employing hundreds of workers. Hatcheries …

The Status Of Virginia's Public Oyster Resource 2011, Melissa Southworth, Roger L. Mann

Reports

This report summarizes data collected during 2011 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.

Virginia Charter Boat Workshop Summary March 2012, Susanna Musick

Reports

No abstract provided.

Diamondback Terrapin Bycatch Reduction Strategies For Commercial And Recreational Blue Crab Fisheries, Donna M. Bilkovic, Randy Chambers, Matthias Leu, Kirk J. Havens, Timothy Russell

Reports

Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is considered a keystone species for its influence on community structure of tidal marshes. Terrapins exhibit strong habitat and nest site fidelity, and have relatively small home ranges (< 2 km), so that sub-populations tend to be spatially discrete. Terrapins rely on open water, wetlands, and adjacent uplands at various stages of their life-cycle, so the quality and connectivity of these habitat patches is critical to population persistence. Terrapin is listed in Virginia as a species of "Very High Conservation Need" based on threats due to nest predation and drowning of adults in crab pots. Terrapin population declines, reduced growth, and changes in sex ratios have been directly attributed to bycatch mortality in commercial crab pots. Our overall project goal was to characterize essential terrapin habitats toward development of bycatch reduction strategies for managing commercial and recreational blue crab fisheries. In a pilot study area surrounding the mouth of the York River, Virginia, our approach was to 1) geospatially define suitable terrapin habitat based on natural features, 2) integrate spatial datasets to develop a "Vulnerability Index" of terrapin habitats and define potential resource conflict areas where crab pots correspond to essential terrapin habitat, and 3) conduct terrapin and crab pot counts in habitats with varying suitability to test predictions. Suitable terrapin habitat (full connectivity among habitat metrics) accounted for over 50% of all terrapin observations, and another 45% of observations occurred in areas where only one habitat metric was absent. In 96% of these cases, the absent metric was SAV presence. In contrast, full habitat connectivity was determined for only 5% of areas where terrapins were absent. Within the pilot study area during a two year retrieval program, 2872 derelict pots were removed. Of these, 22% were within shallow waters (≤ 2 m) where terrapins typically reside. Of the suitable terrapin habitat (70km2 ), 21% (15 km2 ) was considered vulnerable to crabbing pressures (10% highly and 11% moderately vulnerable). Approximately 15% of the study area was considered to be potential resource conflict areas for terrapin and crabbing. Candidate zones for the targeted application of blue crab fishery management actions to reduce terrapin bycatch include the Severn River, Perrin River, Guinea Marshes, and south of Gwynn Island. The integration of spatial information on terrapin habitat and crabbing pressure in a single framework will allow managers to identify areas where terrapins are most likely to encounter threats and target conservation efforts in those areas. In resource conflict areas, there are several management options that can be used in combination 1) Require use of bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) on commercial & recreational crab pots 2) Avoid particular habitats (e.g. small tidal creeks) or establish fishing exclusion zones 3) Educate – design public education programs to • promote the voluntary use of BRDs, and • communicate to recreational boaters the ramifications of severing buoy lines of active crab pots 4) Promote proper use of gear (e.g. retrieving pots regularly to minimize terrapin mortality). With further refinement to improve the predictability of terrapin occupancy, the terrapin habitat vulnerability model is transferable to all coastal areas where diamondback terrapins occur and where blue crabs are commercially and recreationally fished—from southern New England to Texas.

Early Spat On Shell Setting, Rufus H. Ruark

Reports

Setting for spat on shell typically beings when water temperatures reach about 20° C. This optimal temperature is normally reached in Virginia's climate by May. Setting spat on shell is completed by September; this gives the spat just enough time to grow before the cold of winter puts them in hibernation. Hatcheries start spawning oysters as early as February. By heating the water and adding food they can successfully produce millions of larvae during the cold winter months. When the ambient water temperature rises it brings more food but in many cases poor water conditions. Unfortunately, in the heat of …

Oyster Reef In The Classroom – A Hands-On Laboratory Approach, Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve In Virginia

Reports

Grade Level: 7

Subject Area: Life Science

Students will examine different species found on an oyster reef in the Chesapeake Bay. Students will use a microscope and a dichotomous key to help them determine the different organisms being viewed. Students will draw conclusions based on the observed adaptations of the organisms about how the organism utilizes the oyster reef. Students will practice scientific sketching and become familiar with how to use a field guide and dichotomous key.