Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

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 …

Evaluation Of Striped Bass Stocks In Virginia: Monitoring And Tagging Studies, 2004-2008, 1 September 2005 - 31 August 2006, Philip W. Sadler, John M. Hoenig, Robert E. Harris

Reports

This report presents the results of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) tagging and monitoring activities in Virginia during the period 1 September 2005 through 31 August 2006. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2006 spring spawning run, estimates of annual survival and fishing mortality based on annual spring tagging, and the preliminary results of the fall 2005 study that documents the prevalence of mycobacterial infections of striped bass in Chesapeake Bay. The information contained in this report is required by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and is used to implement a coordinated …

Estimating Relative Abundance Of Young Of Year American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Virginia Tributaries Of Chesapeake Bay (Spring 2005), Marcel M. Montane, Wendy A. Lowery, Hank Brooks, Aimee D. Halvorson

Reports

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) adopted the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (hereafter referred to as FMP) for the American eel in November 1999. The FMP focuses on increasing coastal states’ efforts to collect American eel data through both fishery dependent and fishery independent studies. Consequently, member jurisdictions (including Virginia) agreed to implement an annual survey for YOY American eels. The survey is intended to “…characterize trends in annual recruitment of the YOY eels over time [to produce a] qualitative appraisal of the annual recruitment of American eel to the U.S. Atlantic Coast” (ASMFC, 2000). The development of these …

Status Of The Major Oyster Diseases In Virginia 2005 A Summary Of The Annual Monitoring Program, Ryan Carnegie, Eugene M. Burreson

Reports

More normal riverflows and salinities returned in 2005 after two very wet years. Temperatures were somewhat colder than normal during the winter, and warmer during the summer. The physical environment was generally more favorable for parasite activity, and thus brought a slight increase in prevalence and intensity of the oyster diseases caused by Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) and Haplosporidium nelsoni (MSX). Among quarterly James River Survey sites, maximum annual P. marinus prevalences returned to levels typical of the mid- 1990s, before the years of drought. P. marinus prevalence reached 92% at Wreck Shoal, 56% at Point of Shoal, 68% at Horsehead …

Integrated Coastal Management Issues And The Choices We Make, 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 Crest, Summer 2006, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Table of Contents:

• Menhaden research
• Sea Grant renews effort to manage cownose rays
• Food-web study aids management of biodiversity
• Horodysky throws light on fish vision Research reveals lobsters avoid sick neighbors
• New faculty brushes aside disciplinary boundaries
• Research helps created wetlands come to life
• Miselis chosen as Foster Scholar
• Wetlands workshop promotes informed management
• VIMS bestows 2005 Awards
• Duffy and Lipcius win Leopold Fellowships
• Alum coaches high school team to national recognition
• VIMS alumna receives prestigious national award
• Lucy wins Hutchinson conservation award
• Newsbriefs

Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, To The Potomac River (Spring 2006), Marcel M. Montane, Wendy A. Lowery, Hank Brooks, Aimee D. Halvorson

Reports

Fisheries management techniques are not often applied to American eels because basic biological information is not well known. Unknown biological parameters such as variation in growth rates and length at age have complicated stock assessment and management efforts. Though American eel are not usually considered a sport fish, their ubiquity and readiness to take a bait leads them to be caught by recreational fishermen (Collette and Klein-MacPhee, 2002). Young American eel are also used as a baitfish in coastal areas (Jenkins and 4 Burkhead, 1993.) Absence of basic population dynamics data has hampered attempts at evaluation of regional exploitation rates …

Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Situation And Outlook Report : Results Of The 2004-2006 Virginia Shellfish Aquaculture Crop Reporting Survey, Thomas J. Murray, Michael J. Oesterling

Reports

Growth of the shellfish aquaculture industry in Virginia has added significant value to the state’s seafood marketplace. Today, watermen continue to harvest both hard clams and oysters from the state’s public resources, albeit at diminished rates. At the same time, Virginia’s watermen-farmers are providing growing quantities of additional quality shellfish to consumers. Following the lead of the hard clam industry, there has been a significant transition to intensive aquaculture of native oysters in recent years. The once extensive oyster planting has disappeared primarily as a result of endemic oyster diseases and increasing wildlife predation of seed oysters. In its place …

Monitoring Relative Abundance Of American Shad In Virginia Rivers 2005 Annual Report, John E. Olney, Kristen A. Delano

Reports

Concern about the decline in landings of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) along the Atlantic coast prompted the development of an interstate fisheries management plan (FMP) under the auspices of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Management Program (ASMFC 1999). Legislation enables imposition of federal sanctions on fishing in those states that fail to comply with the FMP. To be in compliance, coastal states are required to implement and maintain fishery-dependent and fishery-independent monitoring programs as specified by the FMP. For Virginia, these requirements include spawning stock assessments, the collection of biological data on the spawning run (e.g., age-structure, sex ratio, and …

Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2005, John A. Lucy, C.M. Bain Iii

Reports

The Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program (VGFTP), initiated in 1995, coordinates tagging and a tag-recapture fish database generated through contributed efforts of a dedicated corps of trained marine anglers. Through 2005, the program’s database includes nearly 88,000 records of tag-released fish and approximately 8,300 recaptures.

The Crest, Winter 2006, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

Table of Contents:

• Governor proposes $2.9 M for VIMS Construction begins on new buildings
• VIMS collaborates to restore Lynnhaven
• A tale of two breakwaters
• Seagrass die-back troubles researchers VIMS' role in tidal-wetlands permitting
• VIMS' ghostbusters study effects of lost fishing gear
• Virginia Clean Marina program tops 60 members
• VIMS premieres new ocean observatories course
• VIMS student marches with the penguins
• Fabrizio team wins NOAA Bronze Medal Award
• VIMS students win awards
• AFS recognizes Hoffman
• Former Professor Frank Fang dies
• VIMS sees the light
• CBNERR dedicates new lab

Living Shorelines, 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.