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VIMS Articles

2019

Blue crab

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Examining Derelict Pot Impacts On Harvest In A Commercial Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus Fishery, James A. Delbene, Donna M. Bilkovic, Andrew M. Scheld Feb 2019

Examining Derelict Pot Impacts On Harvest In A Commercial Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus Fishery, James A. Delbene, Donna M. Bilkovic, Andrew M. Scheld

VIMS Articles

Pot fisheries occur worldwide with a significant proportion of the gear becoming derelict. Derelict pots induce detrimental ecological and economic impacts, and more recently were found to reduce blue crab harvests in the Chesapeake Bay commercial fishery. We simulated the presence of derelict pots near actively fished pots in seasonal field experiments to quantify the effect derelict pots have on blue crab harvest. Derelict pots reduced harvests by 30% during the summer, but not during the fall. Female blue crab capture rates were consistently lower when derelict pots were present; while capture rates of the less abundant males were not …


Herbivory Regulates The Establishment Of A Native Species Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (Sav) In A Tidal Estuary Of The Usa, A. J. Johnson, R. J. Orth, Ken Moore Jan 2019

Herbivory Regulates The Establishment Of A Native Species Of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (Sav) In A Tidal Estuary Of The Usa, A. J. Johnson, R. J. Orth, Ken Moore

VIMS Articles

Herbivores are a diverse group of fauna that shape the distribution and composition of plant communities. In some cases, herbivory may prevent the re-establishment of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), such as Vallisneria americana, into systems. The goal of this study was to investigate the role and nature of herbivory on V. americana transplants with camera and transect surveys of grazing intensity and with field and laboratory grazing experiments using a suspected herbivore, the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus. Camera surveys recorded C. sapidus clipping and consuming shoots of V. americana for the first time. Grazing intensity surveys in low-salinity …