Life Sciences Commons^™

Test And Implement Commercial Grade Biodegradable Hinges On Dungeness Crab Traps (Va, Wa, Ak), Center For Coastal Resources Management

Reports

Employ commercial-grade biodegradable hinges on Dungeness crab traps to minimize adverse impacts when the traps become derelict. Project will test the durability of the hinges in both the active fishery utilizing watermen and in a simulated derelict trap mode to ensure the function as needed to be functional for fishermen and protect marine ecosystems.

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 …

Expanding Virginia"S Oyster Industry While Minimizing User Conflict - Interim Report (Year 2 Of 3), Roger L. Mann, Marcia Berman, James Wesson, Melissa Southworth, Tamia Rudnicky

Reports

This study seeks to assess the sustainability of the public oyster fishery and the expansion of hatchery dependent oyster aquaculture in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Previous analyses have suggested that limitations in available shell resources will ultimately drive the future of the public fishery. The expansion of intensive aquaculture, already apparent in the Bay, suggests sustainability will be contingent upon the availability of bottom space and/or a shift in practices that minimize user conflict in leased areas.

Expanding Virginia’S Oyster Industry While Minimizing User Conflict, Roger Mann, Marcia Berman, James Wesson, Melissa Southworth, Tamia Rudnicky

Reports

This study seeks to assess the sustainability of the public oyster fishery and the expansion of hatchery dependent oyster aquaculture in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. Previous analyses have suggested that limitations in available shell resources will ultimately drive the future of the public fishery. The expansion of intensive aquaculture, already apparent in the Bay, suggests sustainability will be contingent upon the availability of bottom space and/or a shift in practices that minimize user conflict in leased areas.

Mutualism Between Ribbed Mussels And Cordgrass Enhances Salt Marsh Nitrogen Removal, Donna M. Bilkovic, Molly Mitchell, Robert E. Isdell, Matthew Schliep, Ashley R. Smyth

VIMS Articles

Salt marsh ecosystems have declined globally and are increasingly threatened by erosion, sea level rise, and urban development. These highly productive, physically demanding ecosystems are populated by core species groups that often have strong trophic interactions with implications for ecosystem function and service provision. Positive interactions occur between ribbed mussels (Geukensia demissa) and cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Mussels transfer particulate nitrogen from the water column to the marsh sediments, which stimulates cordgrass growth, and cordgrass provides predator and/or heat stress refuge for mussels. Here, we test mussel facilitation of two functions in salt marshes that relate to N removal: microbial denitrification …

Assessing Ecological And Economic Effects Of Derelict Fishing Gear: A Guiding Framework, Christopher F.G. Jeffrey, Kirk J. Havens, H. Ward Slacum Jr., Donna Marie Bilkovic, Danielle Zaveta, Andrew M. Scheld, Sean Willard, John D. Evans

Reports

Developing standardized protocols to assess the ecological and socio-economic effects of marine debris – especially, derelict fishing gear – is critical for the protection of natural resources and for evaluating policies and programs designed to reduce and remove debris. This document outlines a Derelict Fishing Gear Assessment Framework to guide the development and implementation of derelict gear assessment, management and mitigation. The framework draws from techniques and protocols developed to assess derelict crab traps effects in the Chesapeake Bay and on past derelict gear assessments either conducted by or known to the framework authors. However, this framework is generalized and …

Ecological And Economic Effects Of Derelict Fishing Gear In The Chesapeake Bay 2015/2016 Final Assessment Report, Donna M. Bilkovic, H. Ward Slacum Jr., Kirk J. Havens, Danielle Zaveta, Christopher F.G. Jeffrey, Andrew M. Scheld, David Stanhope, Kory Angstadt, John D. Evans

Reports

Derelict fishing gear represents a major challenge to marine resource management: whether through deliberate abandonment or through accidental loss, derelict traps in particular have significant negative effects both economic (e.g., reduced fishery harvest from ghost fishing and gear competition that leads to the reduced efficiency of active gear) and ecological (e.g., degraded habitats and marine food webs and crab and bycatch mortality). Throughout the Chesapeake Bay, commercial harvest of hard-shelled blue crabs is a major fishing activity: every year sees the deployment of several hundred thousand blue crab traps (known locally as crab “pots”) across the Bay, of which an …

Native Plants For Southeast Virginia Including Hampton Roads Region, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science – Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program - Virginia Department Of Environmental Quality, Partner Organizations

Reports

This guide showcases the attractive variety of plants native to Southeast Virginia, which includes the Hampton Roads region. Native plant species have evolved within specific areas and been dispersed through their range without known human involvement. These plants form the primary structure of the living landscape and provide food and shelter for native animal species.

Sea-Level Rise & Virginia's Coastal Wetlands, 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.

The Dilemma Of Derelict Gear: Datasets, Andrew M. Scheld, Donna M. Bilkovic, Kirk J. Havens

Data

No abstract provided.

The Dilemma Of Derelict Gear, Andrew M. Scheld, Donna M. Bilkovic, Kirk J. Havens

VIMS Articles

Every year, millions of pots and traps are lost in crustacean fisheries around the world. Derelict fishing gear has been found to produce several harmful environmental and ecological effects, however socioeconomic consequences have been investigated less frequently. We analyze the economic effects of a substantial derelict pot removal program in the largest estuary of the United States, the Chesapeake Bay. By combining spatially resolved data on derelict pot removals with commercial blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) harvests and effort, we show that removing 34,408 derelict pots led to significant gains in gear efficiency and an additional 13,504 MT in harvest valued …

Johns Point Landing Living Shoreline – Ecological Monitoring : Final Report To Gloucester County, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Molly Mitchell, Robert Isdell

Reports

VIMS monitoring activities consisted of three components:

• Monitoring of marsh vegetation establishment after planting

• Documenting ribbed mussel and oyster recruitment and growth in experimental bags of oyster shell at the living shoreline

• Monitoring infaunal communities prior to and after living shoreline implementation

Biofiltration Potential Of Ribbed Mussel Populations, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Molly Mitchell

Reports

Our primary study objective was to characterize the ribbed mussel population and estimate their water processing potential along the York River, Virginia.

Composition, Distribution, And Dynamics Of Intertidal Epibiota On Coastal Defense Structures, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Molly Mitchell

Reports

Proliferation of artificial structures to protect shorelines has introduced novel habitat to most coastal environments and fragmented natural habitats. These changes can result in disrupted connectivity, habitat homogenization, and altered estuarine landscapes, with uncertain implications for estuarine and marine faunal community structure and function. In estuaries, such as Chesapeake Bay, where soft-bottom habitat dominates and rocky shorelines are rare, the introduction of artificial rocky structure may enhance recruitment of species that are limited by the availability of suitable substrate including native and introduced species (Bilkovic & Mitchell 2013). There is a significant lack of empirical data on the types of …

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.

Estuarine Blue Infrastructure: Final Priority Conservation Areas For Chesapeake Bay And Its Tidal Tributaries And Back Bay – Version 2.0 (Revised 09/2010), Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

This project is an extension of earlier efforts within the coastal zone of Virginia to build a platform for enhanced Blue and Green Infrastructure planning. This project is motivated by an interest in extending statewide conservation efforts into estuarine systems and recognition that land use decisions on the upland effect water quality and habitat health in the receiving waters. The project in its entirety has been accomplished in distinct parts. Part one develops a Cumulative Resource Assessment to evaluate the distribution of aquatic natural resources within waters of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay waters, Back Bay of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the …

Estuarine Suspended Sediment Loads And Sediment Budgets In Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay Phase 1: York, Patuxent, And Potomac Rivers, Julie Herman, Carl Friedrichs

Reports

Understanding the sources and sinks of suspended sediment in Chesapeake Bay tributaries is an important contribution to quantifying the Bay sediment budget, as well as an aid to management strategies. The purpose of the project was to identify estuarine sediment transport processes and estimate sediment loads and sediment budgets for the major tributaries of the Bay. The first phase included the York River, Va. and the Patuxent River, Md. Sediment transport processes, sediment loads, and a partial budget also were developed for the Potomac River, Md. The results of this study represent the most comprehensive calculations to date of sediment …

Estuarine Blue Infrastructure: Priority Conservation Areas For The Seaside Of Virginia’S Eastern Shore, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

This project is an extension of earlier efforts within the coastal zone of Virginia to build a platform for enhanced Blue and Green Infrastructure planning. This project is motivated by an interest in extending statewide conservation efforts into estuarine systems and recognition that land use decisions on the upland effect water quality and habitat health in the receiving waters. The project in its entirety has been accomplished in distinct parts. Part one develops a Cumulative Resource Assessment to evaluate the distribution of aquatic natural resources within waters of Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay waters, Back Bay of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and the …

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

Reports

No abstract provided.

Shellfish Aquaculture Suitability Within Baylor Grounds Of The Lower Rappahannock River, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Should the Commonwealth of Virginia ever consider a regulated expansion of the aquaculture industry to public Baylor ground, timely information regarding the productivity of these grounds and the ability to support aquaculture would be highly desirable information. In this scenario, public bottom will be opened to private shellfish growers in the Commonwealth under what will likely be a tightly monitored regulation. The demise in productivity of natural oyster beds within Baylor Grounds is well known. However, there is no comprehensive resource that addresses whether Baylor Grounds would be suitable for aquaculture. This study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to model …

Economic Implications Of Alternative Management Strategies For Virginia Oysters And Clams, Darrell Bosch, Nicolai V. Kuminoff, Anna Harris, Jaren C. Pope, Kurt Stephenson, Pamela Mason

Reports

The Virginia shellfish industry has historically been an important element of the state’s economy. After long-term downward trends in the harvest of wild stocks, clam and oyster production from shellfish aquaculture has been growing. This report provides an analysis of the possible ways to support and enhance this expansion through a variety of shellfish policy options. Three general classes of policy alternatives were considered: 1) state policy to increase private grounds available for shellfish production, 2) state research and development programs, and 3) various financial incentives to increase production. In general, the availability of suitable lease ground is not a …

Benthic Habitat Characterization Within The Nearshore Of Mobjack Bay, Virginia : Final Report, Donna Marie Bilkovic, Kory Angstadt, David Stanhope, Carl H. Hershner

Reports

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Management Strategies For Promoting Aquaculture In Virginia, Pamela Mason, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

No abstract provided.

Shallow Water Fish Communities And Coastal Development Stressors In The Lynnhaven River, Donna M. Bilkovic, David Stanhope, Kory Angstadt

Reports

Coastal development pressures in the Mid-Atlantic have been attributed to significant negative impacts to aquatic ecosystems. The Lynnhaven River watershed, located in the southernmost extent of the Chesapeake Bay and encompassing Virginia Beach, is an example of a shallow-water tidal system under intense development pressure that is confronted with multiple and often conflicting coastal management issues. Rapid development in and around the City of Virginia Beach over the past few decades has led to the loss of natural buffers and habitat (e.g. oyster, wetlands and seagrasses), increased sedimentation, and degraded water quality. The Lynnhaven Ecosystem Restoration Project, led by U.S …

Derelict Blue Crab Trap Impacts On Marine Fisheries In The Lower York River, Virginia, Kirk J. Havens, Donna Marie Bilkovic, David Stanhope, Kory Angstadt, Carl Hershner, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

In Virginia, an examination of existing derelict trap data retrieved from Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring and Assessment Program (ChesMMAP) trawl surveys shows the potential effect of derelict traps on fish communities in Virginia waters (Bonzek and Latour 2005). Since 2002, ChesMMAP has attempted to sample 90 stations in the mainstem Chesapeake Bay ranging from the southern edge of the Susquehanna Flats to the Bay mouth in all depths to a minimum of 10 feet during each cruise. There are approximately 4-5 cruises per year and a large mesh bottom trawl is used to capture adult fish of a variety of …

Improving Siting And Construction : Criteria For Oyster Reef Restoration, Helen Woods, William J. Hargis Jr., Carl H. Hershner, Pam Mason

Reports

The Chesapeake Bay, named Chesepiooc, the “great shellfish bay,” by the Algonquin speaking native Americans of the region, was once one of the most productive oyster (Crassostrea virginica) producing estuaries in the world. With the advent of canning and the development of the railroad system, huge national and international markets were established for Chesapeake Bay oysters (United States Secretary of the Interior 1866,Wennerston 1981). From 1894 to 1912 annual oyster harvests in Virginia alone ranged from 5 to 7.5 million bushels (Hargis and Haven 1988). Shells from harvested oysters were not replaced on oyster grounds but sold for a variety …

Categorization Of Shellfish Tmdl Sites Final Report, Julie Herman, Carl Hershner, Howard Kator

Reports

There were two important goals for this project, including the assembly and compilation of digital data for the Coastal Plain and tidal waters of Virginia, and the categorization of the Division of Shellfish Sanitation (DSS) shellfish growing areas to determine if some are similar enough for water quality models to be effectively transferred from the modeled growing areas to other areas. This report summarizes the data and statistical analyses and discusses the results. Note: The digital data has a very fine resolution. The maps displayed in this report cannot convey this information on 8.5x11" paper. All digital data layers (shape …

Integrated Coastal Management & Sustainable Aquaculture Development In The Adriatic Sea, Republic Of Croatia, Anamarija Frankic

Reports

This report discusses development of responsible aquaculture in the Republic of Croatia as part of the integrated coastal zone management and sustainable development of marine, coastal and islands natural and human resources. Based on literature review examples of aquaculture development and its constraints are presented, as well as possible solutions and recommendations. In addition, one attachment document provides brief summary information regarding Mediterranean lessons in aquaculture practices, while second document provides draft guidelines for sustainable aquaculture development in Croatia. Report is a contribution to the project ‘The Integrated Coastal Zone Management for Croatia with special focus on aquaculture’, administered by …

Assessing Larval American Shad Growth And Survival With In Situ Mesocosm Experiments In Three Differing Habitats Within A Coastal Estuary, Donna Marie Bilkovic, David Stanhope, Carl Hershner

Reports

Habitat can be defined as the place where the organism lives including all its physical, chemical and biological dimensions (Odum 1971; Hoss and Thayer 1993). These dimensions include water quality, physical structure, flow regime and biotic interaction. Essential fish habitat (EFH) is further defined as “those waters and substrate necessary to fish for spawning, breeding, feeding, or growth to maturity” (Magnuson-Stevens Act, 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.) With new mandates to identify and protect EFH for all species managed under fisheries management plans, evaluation of fish habitat has become a priority. The methods used to identify and define essential fish …

Virginia Oyster Reef Restoration Map Atlas, Marcia Berman, Sharon Killeen, Roger L. Mann, J. A. Wesson

Reports

The maps are generated to illustrate the results of the targeting effort following the protocol described above. The authors recognize this level of targeting does not preclude the need for field inspection at potential sites prior to reef construction. The atlas is comprised of a series of boxes preceded by an index locator. The scale of each box may vary. The potential restoration areas are illustrated in red. The legend reports the total acres available for restoration within the boundary of each box. At this time, the size of individual restoration sites can only be retrieved using the digital data …