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Marine Biology

2016

Research and Technical Reports

Articles 1 - 12 of 12

Full-Text Articles in Aquaculture and Fisheries

Calibration Of Vims Research Vessel Catch Data To Ensure Continuity Of Recruitment Indices For The Chesapeake Bay Region, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey Nov 2016

Calibration Of Vims Research Vessel Catch Data To Ensure Continuity Of Recruitment Indices For The Chesapeake Bay Region, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey

Reports

The VIMS Juvenile Fish Trawl Survey, which has been in operation since 1955, has undergone considerable changes to the sampling gear, location of sampling sites, and the methodology used to select sampling sites. Recently, a new vessel, the R/V Tidewater, replaced the R/V Fish Hawk, which had been in service for 25 years. In addition to the change in vessel, a new net was used; this net design is more robust to deployment methods and performs more consistently under varying environmental conditions. Therefore, a calibration study was conducted whereby the two research vessels with different nets fished in the same …


Population Size And Survival Rates Of Blue Catfish In Chesapeake Bay Tributaries, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey, Robert J. Latour, Gary C. White, Alicia J. Norris, Mary Groves Nov 2016

Population Size And Survival Rates Of Blue Catfish In Chesapeake Bay Tributaries, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey, Robert J. Latour, Gary C. White, Alicia J. Norris, Mary Groves

Reports

This report comprises two studies conducted from 2012 to 2015 to estimate population size, survival rates, and movements of invasive blue catfish in Chesapeake Bay tributaries. The first study of population-size and survival was conducted in the James River, VA (Population Size and Survival Rates of Invasive Blue Catfish in Tidal Waters of the James River Subestuary). The second study on movement and survival of blue catfish was conducted in the Potomac River, the natural boundary between Maryland and Virginia (Movement Patterns and Survival Rate of Blue Catfish in a Non-Native Habitat Estimated with a Tagging Study). The Executive Summary …


Testing Raised Foot Lines In Virginia's Striped Bass Fishery: A Gear Based Method Of Reducing Sturgeon Interactions In Anchored Gillnets, Thomas J. Murray Nov 2016

Testing Raised Foot Lines In Virginia's Striped Bass Fishery: A Gear Based Method Of Reducing Sturgeon Interactions In Anchored Gillnets, Thomas J. Murray

Reports

Working with commercial fishermen and scientists, the project evaluated the efficacy of altering net designs to achieve reductions in incidental contacts with protected species while maintaining harvest efficiency. In addition project participants assisted in the transfer of the new gear technology to industry as a gear-based method to reduce sturgeon interactions in gillnets targeting striped bass. The intent was to raise the effective fishing depth (webbing) of anchored gillnets interactions with protected Atlantic sturgeon while not impacting direct harvest of striped bass, the target species. The gear was shown to not impact Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) of the directed …


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 Oct 2016

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 …


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 Oct 2016

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 …


Estimating Relative Juvenile Abundance Of Ecologically Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay (1 June 2015 - 31 May 2016) : 2016 Annual Report, Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio Sep 2016

Estimating Relative Juvenile Abundance Of Ecologically Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay (1 June 2015 - 31 May 2016) : 2016 Annual Report, Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

The Trawl Survey provides crucial data to state, regional, and national fisheries management agencies, including the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC), the Mid‐Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (MAFMC), and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). The MAFMC recognizes the juvenile trawl survey as one of the key predictors of Summer Flounder recruitment. Annual indices of juvenile abundance have been generated from trawl survey data for species of key recreational, ecological, and commercial importance in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay. These include Spot, Atlantic Croaker, Weakfish, Summer Flounder, Black Sea Bass, Scup, Striped Bass, …


Integrated Assessment Of Oyster Reef Ecosystem Services: Macrofauna Utilization Of Restored Oyster Reefs, M. Lisa Kellogg, Kennedy T. Paynter, Paige G. Ross, Jennifer C. Dreyer, Cate Turner, Manisha Pant, Alan Birch, Edward Smith May 2016

Integrated Assessment Of Oyster Reef Ecosystem Services: Macrofauna Utilization Of Restored Oyster Reefs, M. Lisa Kellogg, Kennedy T. Paynter, Paige G. Ross, Jennifer C. Dreyer, Cate Turner, Manisha Pant, Alan Birch, Edward Smith

Reports

Within the Harris Creek Oyster Sanctuary in the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay, we evaluated relationships between basic oyster reef characteristics and the abundance and biomass of macrofauna. The eight sites selected for these studies included five restored oyster reef sites and three sites suitable for restoration that had not been restored. These sites encompassed a range of oyster biomass density and were spread throughout the sanctuary area. At each site one month prior to each of four sampling periods, divers filled four wire mesh baskets (0.1m2 surface area x 15 cm depth) with material from the site and embedded …


Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2015, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham May 2016

Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2015, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham

Reports

Through 2015, the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program has maintained a 20-year database of records for tagged and recaptured fish. The program is a cooperative project of the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament (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).


Integrated Assessment Of Oyster Reef Ecosystem Services: Fish And Crustacean Utilization And Trophic Linkages, M. Lisa Kellogg, Paige G. Ross, Mark Luckenbach, Jennifer C. Dreyer, Manisha Pant, Alan Birch, Sean Fate, Edward Smith, Kennedy Paynter Mar 2016

Integrated Assessment Of Oyster Reef Ecosystem Services: Fish And Crustacean Utilization And Trophic Linkages, M. Lisa Kellogg, Paige G. Ross, Mark Luckenbach, Jennifer C. Dreyer, Manisha Pant, Alan Birch, Sean Fate, Edward Smith, Kennedy Paynter

Reports

Using a regression design that encompassed the continuum of oyster reef biomass density in Harris Creek, MD, from unrestored reefs to those restored reefs with the greatest oyster biomass, we examined finfish and crustacean utilization of these habitats. Of the eight sites studied, three had not been subject to any restoration activities and five had been planted in 2012 with juvenile oysters set on oyster shell. All sites were sampled in April, June, August, and October 2015. During each sampling period, we assessed abundance, total length and biomass of finfish and examined gut contents to assess the diets of selected …


The Status Of Virginia's Public Oyster Resource 2015, Melissa Southworth, Roger L. Mann Jan 2016

The Status Of Virginia's Public Oyster Resource 2015, Melissa Southworth, Roger L. Mann

Reports

This report summarizes data collected during 2015 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.


Estimation Of Juvenile Striped Bass Relative Abundance In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay : Annual Progress Report : 2015-2016, Christopher D. Davis, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey Jan 2016

Estimation Of Juvenile Striped Bass Relative Abundance In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay : Annual Progress Report : 2015-2016, Christopher D. Davis, Mary C. Fabrizio, Troy D. Tuckey

Reports

The 2015 Striped Bass juvenile abundance index was 12.00 and was not significantly greater than the historic average of 8.63. Compared with their respective historic averages abundance indices from individual rivers in 2015 varied, such that significantly higher recruitment was observed in the Rappahannock River and average recruitment was observed in the James and York rivers. Relatively higher catches of young‐of‐the‐year Striped Bass at upriver and downriver auxiliary sites suggest expansion of Striped Bass nursery grounds in 2015. Unlike Striped Bass in Virginia waters, juvenile White Perch abundance indices in 2015 were significantly greater than the historic average for this …


Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Potomac River (Spring 2016), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio Jan 2016

Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Potomac River (Spring 2016), 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 2012, Chesapeake Bay commercial landings of American Eel (771,536 lbs) were 72% 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 …