Life Sciences Commons^™

The Case Of The ‘Missing’ Arctic Bivalves And The Walrus: The Biggest [Overlooked] Clam Fishery On The Planet, Roger L. Mann, Eric N. Powell, Daphne M. Munroe

VIMS Articles

Bivalve molluscs represent a significant proportion of the diet of both Atlantic and Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus rosmarus and Odobenus rosmarus divergens, respectively) and are pivotal to benthic–pelagic coupling and carbonate cycling in the Arctic oceans. The latter is of particular relevance in a period of seasonal ice retreat, freshwater release into associated surface waters, decreasing water pH, and possible undersaturation of Arctic waters with respect to aragonite. Using population estimates and predation rates for the walruses on bivalve molluscs, a conservative estimate of bivalve consumption in the regions of active walruses foraging is 2.0–3.0 3 106 tonnes y–1—a tonnage …

Estimating Shifts In Phenology And Habitat Use Of Cobia In Chesapeake Bay Under Climate Change, Daniel P. Crear, Brian E. Watkins, Marjorie A.M. Friedrichs, Pierre St-Laurent, Kevin C. Weng

VIMS Articles

Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) is a large coastal pelagic fish species that represents an important fishery in many coastal Atlantic states of the U.S. They are heavily fished in Virginia when they migrate into Chesapeake Bay during the summer to spawn and feed. These coastal habitats have been subjected to warming and increased hypoxia which in turn could impact the timing of migration and the habitat suitability of Chesapeake Bay. With conditions expected to worsen, we project current and future habitat suitability of Chesapeake Bay for cobia and predict changes in their arrival and departure times as conditions shift. To do …

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 …

The Power Struggle: Assessing Interacting Global Change Stressors Via Experimental Studies On Sharks, Ian A. Bouyoucos, Sue-Ann Watson, Serge Planes, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Gail D. Schwieterman, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Ocean warming and acidification act concurrently on marine ectotherms with the potential for detrimental, synergistic effects; yet, effects of these stressors remain understudied in large predatory fishes, including sharks. We tested for behavioural and physiological responses of blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) neonates to climate change relevant changes in temperature (28 and 31 °C) and carbon dioxide partial pressures (pCO₂; 650 and 1050 µatm) using a fully factorial design. Behavioural assays (lateralisation, activity level) were conducted upon 7–13 days of acclimation, and physiological assays (hypoxia tolerance, oxygen uptake rates, acid–base and haematological status) were …

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. …

Linking Monitoring And Data Analysis To Predictions And Decisions For The Range-Wide Eastern Black Rail Status Assessment, Conor P. Mcgowan, Nicole F. Angeli, Whitney A. Beisler, Et Al., F. M. Smith, B. D. Watts

Arts & Sciences Articles

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has initiated a re-envisioned approach for providing decision makers with the best available science and synthesis of that information, called the Species Status Assessment (SSA), for endangered species decision making. The SSA report is a descriptive document that provides decision makers with an assessment of the current and pre - dicted future status of a species. These analyses support all manner of decisions under the US Endangered Species Act, such as listing, reclassification, and recovery planning. Novel scientific analysis and predictive modeling in SSAs could be an important part of rooting conservation decisions …

Identifying Important Juvenile Dusky Shark Habitat In The Northwest Atlantic Ocean Using Acoustic Telemetry And Spatial Modeling, Charles W. Bangley, Tobey H. Curtis, David H. Secor, Robert J. Latour, Matthew B. Ogburn

VIMS Articles

Highly mobile species can be challenging for fisheries management and conservation due to large home ranges combined with dependence on discrete habitat areas where they can be easily targeted or vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. Management of the Dusky Shark Carcharhinus obscurus in the northwest Atlantic Ocean has been particularly challenging due to the species' inherent vulnerability to overfishing and poorly understood habitat associations. To better understand habitat associations and seasonal distributions, we combined telemetry and remotely sensed environmental data to spatially model juvenile Dusky Shark presence probability in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. To accomplish this, 22 juvenile Dusky Sharks (107-220 …

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 Peregrine Falcon Monitoring And Management Program: Year 2020 Report, B. D. Watts, M. U. Watts

CCB Technical Reports

The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) was believed to be extirpated as a breeding species in Virginia by the early 1960s. An aggressive restoration program was initiated in 1978 that included the release of 115 captive-reared birds on the Coastal Plain (1978-1985) and 127 birds in the mountains (1985-1993). This program resulted in the first breeding of the modern era in 1982. Since this time, the population has proceeded through a rapid establishment phase followed by a consolidation phase. However, more than 95% of all breeding activity over the past 30 years has occurred on the Coastal Plain with very limited …

Spillover Of Sea Scallops From Rotational Closures In The Mid-Atlantic Bight (United States), Deborah R. Hart, Daphne M. Munroe, Joseph C. Caracappa, Dale Haidvogel, Burton V. Shank, David Rudders, Et Al

VIMS Articles

We examined evidence for larval spillover (increased recruitment outside the closures) of Atlantic sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) due to rotational closures in the Mid-Atlantic Bight using a 40-year fisheries survey time series and a larval transport model. Since the first closure of the Hudson Canyon South (HCS) area in 1998, mean recruitment in the two areas directly down-current from this closure, Elephant Trunk (ET) and Delmarva (DMV), increased significantly by factors of about 7 and 2, respectively. Stock–recruit plots indicate that low biomasses in HCS were associated with reduced mean recruitment in ET and DMV. Simulations indicate that …

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 …

Improving Production Of The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica Through Coordination Of Genetic Improvement Programs, Research, And Technology Transfer Activities, Standish K. Allen Jr., Caird Rexroad Iii, Robert Rheault

VIMS Articles

The East Coast Shellfish Growers Association has been actively advocating for continued improvement of breeding infrastructure to support a vibrant and ecologically crucial industry. This white paper acknowledges these efforts and is meant to serve as a paradigm for oyster breeding on the East Coast. The vision is relatively straightforward; however, its execution—like most things—will be fraught with detail and inertia. Yet describing simply the idea without articulating some detail and potential roadblocks would be misleading. Instead, we present a picture of a breeding paradigm as it might play out across the entire range of a species. At this particular …

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 …

Are Predator−Prey Model Predictions Supported By Empirical Data? Evidence For A Storm-Driven Shift Toan Alternative Stable State In A Crab−Clam System, Cassandra N. Glaspie, Rochelle D. Seitz, Romuald N. Lipcius

VIMS Articles

A dynamic systems approach can predict steady states in predator−prey interactions,but there are very few examples of predictions from predator−prey models conforming to empirical data. Here, we examined the evidence for the low-density steady state predicted by a Lotka-Volterra model of a crab−clam predator−prey system using data from long-term monitoring, and data from a previously published field survey and field predation experiment. Changepoint analysis of time series data indicate that a shift to low density occurred for the soft-shell clam Mya arenaria in 1972, the year of Tropical Storm Agnes. A possible mechanism for the shift is that Agnes altered …

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 …

Current And Future Remote Sensing Of Harmful Algal Blooms In The Chesapeake Bay To Support The Shellfish Industry, Jl Wolny, Mc Tomlinson, S Schollaert Uz, Ta Egerton, Jr Mckay, A Meredith, Ks Reece, Gp Scott, Rp Stumpf

VIMS Articles

Harmful algal bloom (HAB) species in the Chesapeake Bay can negatively impact fish, shellfish, and human health via the production of toxins and the degradation of water quality. Due to the deleterious effects of HAB species on economically and environmentally important resources, such as oyster reef systems, Bay area resource managers are seeking ways to monitor HABs and water quality at large spatial and fine temporal scales. The use of satellite ocean color imagery has proven to be a beneficial tool for resource management in other locations around the world where high-biomass, nearly monospecific HABs occur. However, remotely monitoring HABs …

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).

Bycatch In A Commercial Lobster Fishery: Effects On Two Benthic Predators, Sea Raven And Longhorn Sculpin, Brooke N. Anderson, Amelia M. Weissman, Brett Sweezey, John Mandelman, David Rudders, James A. Sulikowski

VIMS Articles

Studying the species‐specific responses to fishing capture is critical for effective management and conservation of bycatch species given that acute stress incurred from capture and handling may ultimately lead to mortality. While species of low commercial value are often overlooked, having accurate information on the effects of capture on all species is necessary for ecosystem‐based management. Sea Raven (SR) Hemitripterus americanus and Longhorn Sculpin (LHS) Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus are routinely captured in the commercial American lobster Homarus americanus fishery in the Gulf of Maine, and they are discarded due to low commercial value. Despite a lack of economic value, these predatory …

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 …

In The Face Of Climate Change And Exhaustive Exercise: The Physiological Response Of An Important Recreational Fish Species, Daniel P. Crear, Richard Brill, Lauren M.L. Averilla, Sara C. Meakem, Kevin C. Weng

VIMS Articles

Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) support recreational fisheries along the US mid- and south-Atlantic states and have been recently subjected to increased fishing effort, primarily during their spawning season in coastal habitats where increasing temperatures and expanding hypoxic zones are occurring due to climate change. We therefore undertook a study to quantify the physiological abilities of cobia to withstand increases in temperature and hypoxia, including their ability to recover from exhaustive exercise. Respirometry was conducted on cobia from Chesapeake Bay to determine aerobic scope, critical oxygen saturation, ventilation volume and the time to recover from exhaustive exercise under temperature and …

Barriers To Eastern Oyster Aquaculture Expansion In Virginia, Jennifer Beckensteiner, David M. Kaplan, Andrew M. Scheld

VIMS Articles

The eastern oyster once provided major societal and ecosystem benefits, but these benefits have been threatened in recent decades by large declines in oyster harvests. In many areas, recovery of oyster aquaculture faces significant societal opposition and spatial constraints limiting its ability to meet expectations regarding future food needs and provision of ecosystem services. In Virginia, oyster aquaculture has begun to expand, concurrent with an increase in subaqueous leased areas (over 130,000 acres of grounds are currently leased). Though private leases must in theory be used for oyster production, in practice, they can be held for other reasons, such as …

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