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Spatial Variation In Fishery Exploitation Of Mature Female Blue Crabs (C. Sapidus) In Chesapeake Bay, Corey Travis Corrick
Spatial Variation In Fishery Exploitation Of Mature Female Blue Crabs (C. Sapidus) In Chesapeake Bay, Corey Travis Corrick
UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations
From 2008 to 2012, the total U.S. commercial landings of blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) averaged over 173 million lbs. Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries are important contributors to this fishery, providing greater than 30% of national commercial landings annually. In Chesapeake Bay, C. sapidus exhibits a complex life cycle in which mated females migrate to the saline waters of the Bay mouth to spawn. During migration, females can traverse multiple management jurisdictions, complicating effective management of this important fishery. Sustained declines in harvest have led to management strategies focused on protecting the female spawning stock in an …