Life Sciences Commons^™

Seasonal And Annual Variation In The Extent Of Suitable Habitats For Forage Fishes In Chesapeake Bay, 2000-2016, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey, Aaron J. Bever, Michael L. Macwilliams

Reports

The sustained production of sufficient forage is critical to advancing ecosystem-based management in Chesapeake Bay. Yet factors that affect local abundances and habitat conditions necessary to support forage production remain largely unexplored. Here, we quantified suitable habitat in the Chesapeake Bay region for four key forage fishes: bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli, juvenile spot Leiostomus xanthurus, juvenile weakfish Cynoscion regalis, and juvenile spotted hake Urophycis regia. We coupled information from 17 years of monthly fisheries surveys with hindcasts from a numerical model of dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions and a 3-D hydrodynamic model of the Bay that provided …

Results For The 2020 Vims Industry Cooperative Surveys Of The Mid-Atlantic, Nantucket Lightship, Great South Channel, Closed Area I, And Closed Area Ii Resource Areas, Sally Roman, David B. Rudders

Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) conducted high resolution sea scallop dredge surveys of the entire Mid-Atlantic (MAB), the Nantucket Lightship (NLCA), Great South Channel (GSC), Closed Area I (CAI), and Closed Area II (CAII) during July–September 2020. These surveys were funded by the Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside Program (RSA). Exploitable biomass for each survey is shown in Table 1 for each spatially explicit SAMS Area (Scallop Area Management Simulator). SAMS Areas represent management relevant spatial subunits of the resource and explicitly account for differences in recruitment, vital rates, and fishing effort in the forward projection of survey information. …

Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Potomac River (Spring 2020), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

American Eel (Anguilla rostrata) is a valuable commercial species along the Atlantic coast of North America from New Brunswick to Florida. Landings from Chesapeake Bay typically represent 60% of the annual United States commercial harvest (ASMFC 2012). American Eel is also important to the recreational fishery as it is often used live as bait for Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis) and Cobia (Rachycentron canadum). In 2016, Chesapeake Bay commercial landings of American Eel (728,717 lbs) were 78% of the U.S. landings (personal communication from the National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries Statistics Division). Since the 1980s, harvest along the U.S. Atlantic Coast …

Virginia Wild-Caught Blue Catfish: Nutrition And Contaminant Analysis, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

The blue catfish, Ictalurus furcatus, is an introduced freshwater species in Virginia’s tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay. Since its introduction in the 1970’s, significant recreational and commercial fisheries have developed within upriver, largely freshwater environments. Blue catfish are voracious, opportunistic predators, feeding on a variety of natural prey items, including native fish and shellfish species. Their varied diets result in a more nutrient-rich fish compared to farmraised catfish (USDA Food and Nutrient Database https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app. html#/?query=catfish) on the market, which are typically fed a plant-based diet.

In recent years, blue catfish populations have expanded from upriver freshwater habitat to major brackish-water …

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In The Nantucket Lightship Closed Area And Surrounds - Final Report, David B. Rudders, Sally A. Roman, Erin Mohr

Reports

For the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, the concepts of space and time have emerged as the basis of an effective management tool. The strategy of closing or limiting activities in certain areas for specific lengths of time has gained support as a method to conserve and enhance the scallop resource. In the last decade, rotational area management has provided a mechanism to protect juvenile scallops from fishing mortality by closing areas based upon scallop abundance and observed age distribution. Approximately half of the sea scallop industry’s current annual landings are attributed to from areas under this rotational harvest strategy. While …

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In Georges Bank Closed Area I And Ii And Surrounds: Final Report, David B. Rudders, Sally A. Roman, Erin Mohr

Reports

For the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, the concepts of space and time have emerged as the basis of an effective management tool. The strategy of closing or limiting activities in certain areas for specific lengths of time has gained support as a method to conserve and enhance the scallop resource. In the last decade, rotational area management has provided a mechanism to protect juvenile scallops from fishing mortality by closing areas based upon scallop abundance and observed age distribution. Approximately half of the sea scallop industry’s current annual landings are attributed to from areas under this rotational harvest strategy. While …

Ecological Monitoring Program At Vims Esl - Annual Report 2018-2019, Paige G. Ross, Richard A. Snyder

Reports

An Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP) has been established at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science Eastern Shore Laboratory (VIMS ESL) for the coastal environment near the lab. The goals of the initiative are to 1) provide status and trends information to scientists who study and regulators who manage Virginia’s marine resources, 2) provide a scientific context for scientists’ research and grant proposals 3) provide pedagogical enrichment to educators for their classes, and 4) build capacity in staff expertise and training of interns and students at VIMS ESL.

The program formalizes and standardizes data collection for a long-term status and trends …

From Efish To Recfish - Progress Towards Developing An App That Engages Recreational Anglers As Community Scientists, M. Lisa Kellogg

Reports

The success of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology with eBird and its associated apps demonstrates the potential value in engaging recreational enthusiasts as community scientists through the use of a cell phone application (hereafter “app”). However, significant differences exist between the recreational angler community and the birding community making it necessary to further investigate the feasibility of engaging recreational anglers as community scientists using an app. The funds awarded through the VIMS Dean and Director’s Innovation Fund were used to: 1) assess the existing landscape of for-profit fishing apps and not-for-profit efforts to use recreational anglers as community scientists, 2) …

A Cooperative High Precision Dredge Survey To Assess The Mid-Atlantic Sea Scallop Resource In 2018: Final Report, David Rudders, Sally Roman

Reports

For the sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus, the concepts of space and time have emerged as the basis of an effective management tool. The strategy of closing or limiting activities in certain areas for specific lengths of time has gained support as a method to conserve and enhance the scallop resource. In the last decade, rotational area management has provided a mechanism to protect juvenile scallops from fishing mortality by closing areas based upon scallop abundance and observed age distribution. Approximately half of the sea scallop industry’s current annual landings are attributed to areas under this rotational harvest strategy. While this …

Understanding Dredge Performance For A Lined Versus Unlined Nmfs Sea Scallop Dredge: Final Report, David B. Rudders, Sally A. Roman, Erin Mohr

Reports

The sea scallop fishery is typically supported by several primary survey methods (i.e., dredge and optical surveys), which provide multiple, spatially explicit biomass estimates on an annual basis. Since 2015, significant divergence in area-specific biomass estimates between the optical and dredge survey methods has been noted. The divergent estimates are associated with areas of high scallop densities within the Nantucket Lightship Access Area (NL) and the Elephant Truck Access Area (ET). In 2018 and 2019, the disparity in biomass estimates between the different survey methods in the ET was reduced, but in the NL, the issue has continued. Evidence suggests …

Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2020, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham

Reports

Through 2020, the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program has maintained a 25-year database of records for tagged and recaptured fish. The program is a cooperative project of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tour-nament (under the Virginia Marine Resources Commission-VMRC) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Sci-ence (VIMS) of William & Mary (under the VIMS Marine Advisory Program).

The primary goal of the program is to train and maintain an experienced group of anglers who are willing to volunteer their time and effort to properly tag and release their fish catch.

Estimation Of Juvenile Striped Bass Relative Abundance In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay Annual Progress Report: 2019 - 2020, Jack R. Buchanan, Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

The 2019 Striped Bass juvenile abundance index was 9.54 and was not significantly different than the reference mean of 7.77 from 1980-2009. Abundance indices in the James, York, and Rappahannock rivers in 2019 were average compared with their individual reference means (1980-2009). Relatively low catches of young‐of‐the‐year Striped Bass from sites upriver and downriver of core nursery areas suggest Striped Bass largely remained within core nursery areas in 2019. Juvenile White Perch abundance indices in 2019 were above historic averages in the James, York and Rappahannock river systems.

Juvenile abundance indices for Atlantic Croaker, Alewife, Spot, and Atlantic Silverside were …

Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2019, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham

Reports

Through 2019, the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program (VGFTP) has maintained a 24-year database of records for tagged and recaptured fish. The program is a cooperative project of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament (VSFT) under the Virginia Marine Resources Commission-(VMRC) and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) of the College of William and Mary (under the VIMS Marine Advisory Program).

Annual Report - 2019 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, Debra J. Gauthier, 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 …

Industry Report : Understanding Dredge Performance For A Lined Versus Unlined Nmfs Sea Scallop Dredge, David Rudders, Sally Roman, Erin Mohr

Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) tested a scale model of the sea scallop survey dredge in the flume tank at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University over two days in March of 2019. This work was conducted to understand how the liner, survey protocols, and catch volume effect dredge performance. Tow speed, warp tension, maximum bag height, height at the twine top end, wire angle, wheel height of bottom, and dredge angle were measured for the trials. Tow speeds tested ranged from 3-4.5 kts. Video footage of trials was recorded and can be viewed at the …

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young-Of-Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay (Spring 2020), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

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 …

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young-Of-Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay (Spring 2019), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

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 …

Evaluation Of Striped Bass Stocks In Virginia: Monitoring And Tagging Studies, 2020 Progress Report - 1 December 2019 - 30 November 2020, Robert J. Latour, Christopher F. Bonzek, James Gartland

Reports

This report presents the results of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) tagging and monitoring activities in Virginia during the period 1 December 2019 through 30 November 2020. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2020 spring spawning run and estimates of annual survival and fishing mortality based on annual spring tagging. 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 along the eastern seaboard

Virginia Fishery Resource Grant Program 2019, Virginia Fishery Resource Grant Program, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

No abstract provided.

Monitoring The Abundance Of American Shad And River Herring In Virginia's Rivers - 2019 Annual Report, Eric J. Hilton, Robert Latour, Patrick E. Mcgrath, Brian Watkins, Ashleigh Magee

Reports

This report describes the results of the twenty-second 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 2019, evaluating hatchery programs, and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007). We also report on two fishery-independent monitoring programs using anchor gillnets in the Rappahannock River (year 2) and the Chickahominy River (year 5; a major tributary of the James River), to determine relative abundance and stock structure for the adult spawning run of river herring …

Feeding Time: How Nutrients Drive Phytoplankton Growth, Brianna Stanley

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography

This lesson plan helps students make the connection between the amount of nutrients present in an ecosystem and the resulting growth of phytoplankton in our coastal waters. This lesson takes this concept a step deeper, by exploring how the proportions of nitrogen and phosphorus in the environment create the ideal conditions for phytoplankton growth. Students will explore the concept of limiting factors and will work on both their graphing skills and their ability to compare ratios.

Isotopes In The Estuary: Conception And Application Of Stable And Radioactive Carbon, Derek Detweiler

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Chemistry | Environmental Science | Oceanography

In this interactive estuary-focused activity, students will examine stable and radioactive isotope data which provide information about the source and age of environmental samples such as plant and soil matter. Students will calculate average isotope ratios from five reference land types (forest, wetland, agriculture, industry, aquatic) and an unknown site within an estuary. Students will graph their calculated ratios and determine the land type that most impacts their estuary based on reference-to-unknown comparisons.

Tiny Killers, Sarah Pease

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography

What different methods and new technologies are used to monitor harmful algae and the toxins that they produce?

Students will learn about how harmful algae threaten human health through the processes of bioaccumulation and biomagnification. In small groups, they will design a harmful algae monitoring program based on mock harmful algae data, and then they will test their monitoring program and discover some of the challenges and limitations of any monitoring plan that attempts to measure variable, natural events.

Targeted “Hotspot” Removal Of Derelict Blue Crab Traps (Va, Md), Kirk J. Havens, Donna Marie Bilkovic, David Stanhope, Kory Angstadt, Andrew M. Scheld

Reports

In the winter of 2019/2020, five commercial watermen spent a cumulative total of 120 removal days on the water and collected 971 derelict blue crab traps which contained 985 blue crabs, 239 fish (oyster toad fish, black sea bass, flounder, pig fish, striped bass, speckled trout, perch, butterfish), 31 diamond back terrapin (a listed “species of concern”), and one duck. A majority of the traps removed were metal as opposed to vinyl coated (83% and 17%, respectively). Bycatch was present in 43% (346) of metal traps and 44% (72) of vinyl coated traps removed. On average, the instantaneous capture rates …

Wave Fever: The Climate Induced Range Expansion Of The Atlantic Marsh Fiddler Crab, Kayla Martinez-Soto

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography

In 2014, scientists found that the Atlantic marsh fiddler crab had extended its northern limit by ~90 miles to New Hampshire, which is in the Gulf of Maine. Range expanding species can alter salt marsh characteristics such as biodiversity and food webs. In this lesson, students will combine sea surface temperature data from a federal database and fiddler burrow densities from field photos to determine the relationship between ocean warming and range expansions.

Center For Coastal Resources Management Annual Report 2019, Center For Coastal Resources Management

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Code In The Water: An Investigation Into Harmful And Non-Harmful Algal Blooms, Samantha Fortin

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography

Algal blooms can be detected using the DNA extracted from water samples. This activity allows students to identify algae and understand the causes of algal blooms.

The Status Of Virginia’S Public Oyster Resource 2019, Melissa Southworth, Roger L. Mann

Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) monitors recruitment of the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791), annually from late spring through early fall, by deploying spatfall1 (settlement and recruitment of larval oysters to the post metamorphic form termed spat) collectors (shellstrings) at various sites in three Virginia western Chesapeake Bay tributaries. The survey provides an estimate of a particular area’s potential for receiving a "strike" or settlement (set) of oysters on the bottom and helps describe the timing of recruitment events in a given year. Information obtained from this monitoring effort provides an overview of long-term recruitment trends in …

Old Macdonald Had An Aquaculture Farm, Shantelle Landry

Reports

Grades: 6 Subjects: Earth Science | Natural Resources

With this activity, students will learn the importance of aquaculture and how it can be used to manage a resource.

What's In The Muck? Benthic Sediment Characterization And Community Structure, Cristin Wright

Reports

Grades: 9-12 Subjects: Biology | Environmental Science | Oceanography

Sediment classification and grain size can affect the types of organisms that live in the sediment. Some organisms prefer sandier sediment, while others love the fine-grained mud.

In this activity, students will classify sediment samples by grain size and plot their findings on a ternary plot. The students will then further investigate which benthic organisms live in the different sediments and which may be more resilient to a change in sediment classification.