Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Comments On Proposed Modifications Of The Fisheries Management Plan For Sharks Of The Atlantic Ocean, J. A. Musick

Reports

No abstract provided.

Fishery Independent Standing Stock Surveys Of Oyster Populations In The Virginia Sub Estuaries Of The Chesapeake Bay And A Comparison With Continuing Estimates Obtained From Fishery Dependent Data, Roger L. Mann, James Wesson

Reports

Extensive description of the Virginia oyster resource and history of its utilization has been given by Haven, Hargis and Kendall (1981), and more recently reviewed by Hargis and Haven (1988). These contributions, among many others, describe a state of continuing decline. To facilitate resource management a fishery independent survey was proposed to and subsequently supported by the Chesapeake Bay Stock Assessment Committee in 1993. This report covers activity on that program for the period October of 1993 through September of 1994.

Spatial variability in distribution of oysters within an oyster reef system, and distribution of reefs in the intertidal and/or …

Vims/W&M Blue Crab Fishery Statement, Rom Lipcius, Jacques Van Montfrans

Reports

No abstract provided.

Perkinsus-Marinus (Apicomplexa) As A Potential Source Of Oyster Crassostrea-Virginica Mortality In Coastal Lagoons Of Tabasco, Mexico, Em Burreson, Rs Alvarez, W Martinez, La Macedo

VIMS Articles

Poorly documented, but apparently sporadic oyster Crassostrea virginica mortality in the coastal lagoons Carmen, Machona and Mecoacan at the southern extreme of the Gulf of Mexico in Tabasco, Mexico, has been attributed by local oystermen to pollution resulting from oil refinery operations. In September 1992 we sampled oysters in these lagoons to investigate the potential for disease-induced mortality from the oyster pathogen Perkinsus marinus. Prevalence of P. marinus was 100% at Lodazal, a high salinity (31 ppt) site in Carmen lagoon and 60% at Rio San Felipe, a low salinity (15 ppt) site. At Los Jimenez, a high salinity (32 …

Estimation Of Relative Abundance Of Recreationally Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay: Annual Progress Report 1993-1994, Patrick J. Geer, Herb M. Austin

Reports

Provisional annual indices of juvenile abundance have been generated from trawl survey data for six species of key recreational importance in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay (spot, croaker, weakfish, summer flounder, black sea bass and striped bass) and two species of secondary importance (scup and white perch) for the period 1988-1993. No species has shown a continuous trend during the six year period. Spot has shown the largest decline from a high geometric mean catch per trawl of 68 (1988) to a low (1992) of 2, recovering to 9. 7 in 1993. Atlantic croaker continued to decline reaching levels …

Development Of Age Determination Methods, Life History/Population Dynamics Information, And Yield-Per-Recruit Simulation Modeling To Evaluate The Potential For Growth And Recruitment Overfishing Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias Undulatus, In The Chesapeake Bay, Mark Chittenden, Luiz R. Barbieri, Cynthia M. Jones

Reports

The Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, supports large recreational fisheries in the Chesapeake Bay region, where it has historically shown large fluctuations in abundance. Although many studies have been conducted on this species in this region over the last 50 years or more, commencing at least as early as Wallace (1940), little or no information exists to support yield modeling and wise management. The present studies were undertaken to provide basic life history/population dynamics information and yield modeling needed to wisely manage this species in the Chesapeake Bay region, and to evaluate the role that fishing plays in their fluctuations. Accordingly, …

Status Of The Major Oyster Diseases In Virginia 1993 A Summary Of The Annual Monitoring Program, Eugene M. Burreson, Lisa M. Ragone Calvo

Reports

No abstract provided.

Hematodinium-Australis N-Sp, A Parasitic Dinoflagellate Of The Sand Crab Portunus-Pelagicus From Moreton Bay, Australia, Da Hudson, Jeffrey D. Shields

VIMS Articles

A new species of parasitic dinoflagellate is described from the portunid crab Portunus pelagicus. The dinoflagellate is a member of the genus Hematodinium which formerly consisted of a single species, H. perezi. Members of the genus have been reported in crabs and lobsters from Europe and North America, where in some circumstances they cause significant mortalities to host populations. The new species is the first member of the family Syndinidae to be fully described from Australia. The new species differs from other forms of Hematodinium primarily by the size of the trophont (vegetative stage), the ovoid plasmodium, and the small …

Harvest Efficiency And Size Selectivity Of 3.00 And 3.25-Lnch Sea Scallop Dredge Rings, William D. Dupaul, James E. Kirkley

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Tournaments As A Fishery Management Tool Data Collection, Herbert M. Austin

Reports

No abstract provided.

Length Frequency Observations Of Lophius Americanus Taken During One Trip Aboard A Commercial Scalloper, Ryan Carnegie

Reports

No abstract provided.

Juvenile Finfish And Blue Crab Stock Assessment Program Bottom Trawl Survey Annual Data Summary Report Series Volume 1988, Michael F. Land, Patrick J. Geer, Christopher F. Bonzek, Herbert M. Austin

Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has conducted a trawl survey of the Virginia tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay dating back to 1955. Over these forty years, methods and objectives have varied according to funding sources and state and/ or federal mandates. The present thrust of the program is to provide juvenile indices of relative abundance of recreationally, commercially, and ecologically important finfish and invertebrates. In 1988, the main area of focus was as a monitoring device of the resources of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, as well as a way to create juvenile indices of key target …

Estimation Of Relative Abundance Of Recreationally Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of The Chesapeake Bay : Annual Progress Report, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Sportfish Restoration Project F104r2, July 1992 - June 1993, Revised Edition 1994, Patrick J. Geer, James A. Colvocoresses, Herbert M. Austin, Christopher F. Bonzek

Reports

This document is a revised edition of an original manuscript presented to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in partial fulfillment of contract obligations (Sportfish Restoration Project F104R2).

Juvenile Finfish And Blue Crab Stock Assessment Program Bottom Trawl Survey Annual Data Summary Report Series Volume 1993, Patrick J. Geer, Christopher F. Bonzek, Herbert M. Austin

Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has conducted a trawl survey dating back to 1955. Over these forty years methods and objectives have varied according to funding sources and state and/or federal mandates. The present thrust of the program is to provide juvenile indices of relative abundance for recreationally, commercially, and ecologically important finfish and invertebrates. These measures of juvenile abundance are widely used as a key element in the management of the Atlantic States' coastal fishery resources. Estimates of juveniles (age-0) have been found to provide a reliable and early indicator of future year class strength. A review …

Thoughts On Flounder Management And The Need For Action In Virginia, Herbert M. Austin

Reports

No abstract provided.

Juvenile Finfish And Blue Crab Stock Assessment Program Bottom Trawl Survey Annual Data Summary Report Series Volume 1986, Michael F. Land, Patrick J. Geer, Christopher F. Bonzek, Herbert M. Austin

Reports

This report summarizes data collected by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) monthly trawl survey cruises for January-December 1986. The trawl survey is a long term, broad scope monitoring program. Its present primary goal is to produce annual indices of juvenile (young-of-year) abundance of commercially, recreationally and ecologically important marine and estuarine finfish and crustaceans. The objective is to provide indices of sufficient accuracy and precision for both immediate resource management needs and long-term understanding of environmental influences of fishery resources. A second important product of this effort is the documentation and monitoring of habitat utilization by juveniles and …

Juvenile Finfish And Blue Crab Stock Assessment Program Bottom Trawl Survey Annual Data Summary Report Series Volume 1987, Joy C. Dameron, Patrick J. Geer, Christopher F. Bonzek, Herbert M. Austin

Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has conducted a trawl survey dating back to 1955. Over these forty years methods and objectives have varied according to funding sources and state and/or federal mandates. The present thrust of the program is to provide juvenile indices of relative abundance for recreationally, commercially, and ecologically important finfish and invertebrates. These measures of juvenile abundance are widely used as a key element in the management of the Atlantic States' coastal fishery resources and serve as an early indicator of future year class strength. The most abundant species captured in 1987 continued to be …

A Report To The Sea Scallop Plan Development Team: Preliminary Assessment Of 3.25" Ring Dredge, William Dupaul, James Kirkley

Reports

No abstract provided.

A Profile Of The Oyster Industry Northeastern United States, Douglas Lipton, James Kirkley

Reports

This is a critical period for the future of the east coast oyster industry. This report documents the dramatic decline in industry output which has been the impetus for a publicly funded program to "revtalize" the industry. Oyster biologists argue over the severityy of the decline and the cause, and also the potential remedies. Should non-native oysters, specifically Crassostrea gigas, be introduced into the region to replace the native oyster production? Are there ways to manage around the devastating oyster diseases MSX and Dermo? Will large populations of oysters significantly improve the water quality in currentiy degraded areas?

While these …

Maturity, Spawning, And Ovarian Cycle Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias-Undulatus, In The Chesapeake Bay And Adjacent Coastal Waters, Luiz R. Barbieri, Mark E. Chittenden, Susan K. Lowerre-Barbieri

VIMS Articles

The reproductive biology of Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, collected during 1990-91 from commercial catches in Chesapeake Bay and in Virginia and North Carolina coastal waters (n=3,091), was studied by using macroscopic and microscopic gonad staging, the gonadosomatic index, oocyte diameter distributions, and histological analysis. Atlantic croaker are multiple spawners with asynchronous oocyte development and indeterminate fecundity. Mean length at first maturity for males and females was 182 and 173 mm TL, respectively. More than 85% of both sexes were mature by the end of their first year and all were mature by age 2. Spawning extends over a protracted period …

Survival Of Juvenile Caribbean Spiny Lobster: Effects Of Shelter Size, Geographic Location And Conspecific Abundance, Jd Mintz, Rom Lipcius, Db Eggleson, Ms Seebo

VIMS Articles

The Caribbean spiny lobster Panulirus argus seeks structured shelter throughout its benthic phase, often forming aggregations within shelters. Casitas - concrete, low-relief, artificial shelters - are effective in aggregating lobsters, and are used to harvest spiny lobster in the Caribbean. However, casitas may also enhance populations of P. argus, by providing shelter from predation. In this study we examined the effects of various shelter features upon the survival of juvenile P. argus. Juvenile lobsters were tethered at several artificial shelter treatments in Florida Bay, Florida, USA, to test the efficacy of casitas as refuge from predation. Survival of juveniles was …

Interannual Variation In The Recruitment Pattern And Abundance Of Age-0 Summer Flounder, Paralichthys-Dentatus, In Virginia Estuaries, Brenda L. Norcross, David M. Wyanski

VIMS Articles

Capture of transforming larval and newly settled juvenile (age-0) summer flounder, Paralichthys dentatus, over four years (1986-1989) in the seaside salt marshes of Virginia's Eastern Shore and in the lower Chesapeake Bay verifies Virginia waters as a nursery area. Gear specific for juvenile flatfish was used and sampling was conducted in a broad range of habitats in all months. This study demonstrates a fluctuation in the timing of the appearance and magnitude of abundance of age-0 summer flounder in Virginia waters over a four-year sampling period. Age-0 summer flounder (11-27 mm TL) began entering the area in October 1986 and …

Age, Growth, And Mortality Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonias-Undulatus, In The Chesapeake Bay-Region, With A Discussion Of Apparent Geographic Changes In Population-Dynamics, Luiz R. Barbieri, Mark E. Chittenden, Cynthia M. Jones

VIMS Articles

Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus, collected from commercial catches in Chesapeake Bay and in Virginia and North Carolina coastal waters during 1988-1991 (n=1,967) were aged from transverse otolith sections. Ages 1-8 were recorded, but eight-year-old fish were rare. Marginal increment analysis showed that for ages 1-7, annuli are formed once a year during the period April-May. Otolith age readings were precise: >99% agreement within and between readers. Observed lengths-at-age were highly variable and growth rate decreased after the first year. Despite the high variability in sizes-at-age, observed lengths for ages 1-7 fit the von Bertalanffy growth model (r2=0.99; n=753) well. No …

Experimental Monitoring Of Virginia Artificial Reefs Using Fishermen Catch Data, Ja Lucy, Cg Barr

VIMS Articles

Catch and effort data were compiled in 1987-1988 from recreational fishing trips targeting artificial reefs and other structure sites in Virginia waters. Data were collected from boat-owning fishermen by a random telephone survey. Within target species groups, catch rates were compared among five fishing sites inside Chesapeake Bay and two offshore reefs. Fishermen's target species options were more diverse at estuarine (bay) sites, primarily the result of Sciaenidae species (Leiostomus xanthurus, Micropogonias undulatus, and Cynoscion regalis) and Paralichthys dentatus. The Gwynn's Island Test Reef, closest to mid-bay, provided significantly higher mean catch rates of L. xanthurus in 1988 than lower …

A Comparison Of A Validated Otolith Method To Age Weakfish, Cynoscion-Regalis, With The Traditional Scale Method, Luiz R. Barbieri, Mark E. Chittenden, Susan K. Lowerre-Barbieri

VIMS Articles

Otoliths, scales, dorsal spines, and pectoral-fin rays were compared to ascertain the best hardpart for determining the age of weakfish, Cynoscion regalis. Each showed concentric marks, which could be interpreted as annuli. Sectioned otoliths, however, consistently showed the clearest marks, had 100% agreement between and within readers, and were validated by the marginal increment method for ages 1-5. This validated method of ageing weakfish was then compared with the traditionally used scale method. The scale method was less precise, as demonstrated by lower percent agreement, and generally assigned younger ages for fish older than age 6 (as determined by otoliths). …

Morphometric And Genetic Identification Of Eggs Of Spring-Spawning Sciaenids In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Louis B. Daniel Iii, John Graves

VIMS Articles

Restriction-fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of mitochondrial mtDNA was used to identify morphologically similar eggs of spring spawning sciaenids in lower Chesapeake Bay. During spring 1990 and 1991, ichthyoplankton surveys were conducted in lower Chesapeake Bay to estimate seasonal egg production and population biomass of black drum, Pogonias cromis. Rearing experiments indicated that at least three species of sciaenid (silver perch, Bairdiella chrysoura; weakfish, Cynoscion regalis and P. cromis) were spawning in the survey area during both years. Specific identification of eggs based on previously published ranges of outside egg diameter (OED) were not reliable because of considerable overlap in …

Restoration Of The Virginia Oyster Fishery The Alternative Species Strategy, Dennis Taylor

Reports

No abstract provided.

Potential Range Of The Zebra Mussel, Dreissena Polymorpha, In And Near Virginia, Patrick Baker, Shirley Baker, Roger L. Mann

Reports

This publication is devoted to predictions of the probability of invasion by the zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha (and the quagga mussel, Dreissena sp.) to specific bodies of water in Virginia. Probability of invasion is divided into risk and susceptibility. Risk refers to the chance, relative to other sites, that a body of water will be inoculated with Dreissena, in sufficient number to establish a population. Inoculation can occur by natural dispersal, but in the mid-Atlantic region is most likely to-occur though accidental introduction by humans, especially via boat traffic. Susceptibility of a body of water refers to the probability, based …

Invasion Of An Exotic Species : Stop The Zebra Mussel! Activities And Resources For Grades 8-12., Vicki P. Clark, Thomas J. Millar

Reports

No abstract provided.

Harvesting Efficiency And Size Selectivity Of 3.25 And 3.50 Inch Ring Sea Scallop Dredges : Final Cruise Report, William Dupaul

Reports

Sea scallop dredges constructed with 3.25 inch (82 mm) and 3.50 inch (87 mm) rings were towed side-by-side to assess differences in harvesting efficiency and size selectivity of sea scallops (Piacopecten magellanicus). One hundred tows were made within the Canadian portion of Georges Bank from the northern edge eastward and south to the southeastern pari near Corsair Canyon. Quantities of and size distribution of scallops harvested were assessed for each dredge. Data will be analyzed to assess size selectivity and technical efficiency of scallop vessels operating in both the U.S. and Canadian portion of Georges Bank and factors affecting the …