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Tracing Atlantic Sea Scallops Using Radio Frequency Identification (Rfid) Technology, Will Shoup

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Traceable seafood can be linked back to its origin and method of catch. Improving the traceability of marine organisms involves establishing a transparent Chain of Custody (CoC) by collecting data at checkpoints throughout the supply chain, from ship to shore to store. This report explores the feasibility of integrating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology into the United States Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) fishery in order to improve traceability. This report serves as a forward-looking evaluation of RFID technology that is intended to inform interested stakeholders of its functionality and capabilities. It is not intended to serve as a management …

Cranial Morphology Of The Stellate Sturgeon, Acipenser Stellatus Pallas 1771 (Acipenseriformes, Acipenseridae), With Notes On The Skulls Of Other Sturgeons, Eric J. Hilton, Casey B. Dillman, Marian Paraschiv, Radu Suciu

VIMS Articles

Extant members of Acipenseridae are generally classified in four genera: Scaphirhynchus, Pseudoscaphirhynchus, Huso and “Acipenser,” which is widely recognized to be paraphyletic. Advances have been made in understanding the systematic relationships among sturgeons based on both morphological and molecular data. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA data suggested that Pseudoscaphirhynchus should be regarded as nested within “Acipenser,” specifically as sister group to the Stellate Sturgeon, A. stellatus. Recent morphological analyses also recovered this relationship, supported by a number of osteological synapomorphies, although these results were based on few and relatively small individuals. Here we describe …

A Decade Of Incorporating Social Sciences In The Integrated Marine Biosphere Research Project (Imber): Much Done, Much To Do?, Ingrid Van Putten, Rachel Kelly, (...), Kevin Weng, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Successful management and mitigation of marine challenges depends on cooperation and knowledge sharing which often occurs across culturally diverse geographic regions. Global ocean science collaboration is therefore essential for developing global solutions. Building effective global research networks that can enable collaboration also need to ensure inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches to tackle complex marine socio-ecological challenges. To understand the contribution of interdisciplinary global research networks to solving these complex challenges, we use the Integrated Marine Biosphere Research (IMBeR) project as a case study. We investigated the diversity and characteristics of 1,827 scientists from 11 global regions who were attendees at …

Investigating The Efficacy Of A Proposed Marine Protected Area For The Endangered Humphead Wrasse Cheilinus Undulatus At A Remote Island Group In Seychelles, Ryan Daly, Clare A. Keating, Andrew E. Gray, Lauren R. Peel, Luke Gordon, James S.E. Lea, Christopher R. Clarke, Kevin C. Weng

VIMS Articles

The humphead wrasse Cheilinus undulatus is an iconic, ecologically important and Endangered fish species associated with coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. Due to its large size and complex life history characteristics, it is vulnerable to overfishing and has undergone substantial population declines in parts of its range. Knowledge of the species’ movement ecology is currently limited to only 2 previous studies, and very little is known about populations in the western Indian Ocean. The present study aimed to use passive acoustic telemetry to investigate the importance of a remote coral reef to a population of humphead wrasse in the …

Efficacy And Unintended Outcomes Of Spatial Property Rights For Fisheries And Aquaculture Management In Chile And In Virginia, U.S.A., Jennifer Beckensteiner

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Marine spatial property rights reduce many common pool externalities that plague wild capture fisheries and incentivize productive use for aquaculture. Specifically, Territorial Use Rights for Fisheries (TURFs) are a management tool whereby individuals or groups are granted exclusive access to harvest resources within an area, and are the prevailing management of coastal fisheries in Chile. Additionally, secured spatial property rights appear inherently obligatory for aquaculture development; i.e., private leases in Virginia, where submerged grounds granted to an individual or a company for oyster production are considered a form of TURF. Although the number and extent of spatially managed areas are …

Drivers And Trends In Catch Of Benthic Resources In Chilean Turfs And Surrounding Open Access Areas, Jennifer Beckensteiner, Andrew M. Scheld, Miriam Fernandez, David M. Kaplan

VIMS Articles

Beginning in the 1990’s, Chile implemented an extensive Territorial User Rights for Fisheries (TURFs) network that now comprises nearly 1,000 TURFs. This network provides a rare opportunity to examine spatial and temporal trends in TURF use and impacts on surrounding open access areas (OAAs). In this analysis, landings of keyhole limpet (Fissurella spp.), kelp (Lessonia spp.) and red sea urchin (Loxechinus albus) were used to estimate catch-per-unit effort (CPUEs) and catch-per-unit area (CPUAs) indices inside and outside TURFs by fishing cove. For these species, CPUEs and CPUAs in 2015 were significantly higher inside TURFs. However, temporal trends analyzed with a …

The Value Of Captains’ Behavioral Choices In The Success Of The Surfclam (Spisula Solidissima) Fishery On The U.S. Mid-Atlantic Coast: A Model Evaluation, Eric N. Powell, John M. Klinck, Daphne M. Munroe, Eileen E. Hoffmann, Paula Moreno, Roger L. Mann

VIMS Articles

The response of the surfclam Spisula solidissima to warming of the Mid-Atlantic Bight is manifested by recession of the southern and inshore boundary of the clam’s range. This phenomenon has impacted the fishery through the closure of southern ports and the movement of processing capacity north, impacts that may require responsive actions on the part of fishery captains to mitigate a decline in fishery performance otherwise ineluctably accompanying this shift in range. The purpose of this study was to evaluate options in the behavioral repertoire of captains that might provide mitigation. A model capable of simulating a spatially and temporally …

Umbrella Species In Marine Systems: Using The Endangered Humphead Wrasse To Conserve Coral Reefs, Kevin C. Weng, Martin W. Pedersen, Gen A. Del Raye, Jennifer E. Caselle, Andrew E. Gray

VIMS Articles

Extinction risk is closely tied to body size, home range, and species distribution. Quantifying home range is critical for conservation, and can enable the use of concepts such as 'umbrella species', whose conservation protects other species due to shared habitat. To determine the value of the humphead wrasse as an umbrella species for coral reef conservation, we conducted a multi-year study of humphead wrasse home range at Palmyra Atoll, Central Tropical Pacific, tagging juvenile, female, and male individuals with acoustic transmitters. We quantified home range using 2 metrics, length and area, and determined if these metrics were related to the …

Developing Methodologies For Studying Elasmobranchs And Other Data-Poor Species, Kristen L. Omori

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Fisheries have become increasingly important to manage and conserve, and this is particularly challenging for data-poor species. Elasmobranchs are commonly considered data-poor or data-limited species. Their life history characteristics make their populations susceptible to depletion from fishing pressures and habitat degradation. Thus, it is important to understand the movement patterns and habitat use of the targeted species as well as the models used in the stock assessment for the species. This thesis involves developing techniques and information for data-poor species, such as elasmobranchs. The objectives of this research were to 1) identify the wintering grounds for the cownose rays (Rhinoptera …

Pan-Atlantic Analysis Of The Overlap Of A Highly Migratory Species, The Leatherback Turtle, With Pelagic Longline Fisheries, S Fossette, Mj Witt, P Miller, Ma Nalovic, D Albareda, Et Al.

VIMS Articles

Large oceanic migrants play important roles in ecosystems, yet many species are of conservation concern as a result of anthropogenic threats, of which incidental capture by fisheries is frequently identified. The last large populations of the leatherback turtle, Dermochelys coriacea, occur in the Atlantic Ocean, but interactions with industrial fisheries could jeopardize recent positive population trends, making bycatch mitigation a priority. Here, we perform the first pan-Atlantic analysis of spatio-temporal distribution of the leatherback turtle and ascertain overlap with longline fishing effort. Data suggest that the Atlantic probably consists of two regional management units: northern and southern (the latter including …

2012 Annual Report July 1, 2011 Through June 30, 2012, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

VIMS Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Molecular Marker Development For The Discrimination Of Atlantic And Pacific Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans), Laurie Sorenson

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Survival And Growth Of Triploid Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791) And C-Ariakensis (Fujita, 1913) In Bottom Environments Of Chesapeake Bay: Implications For An Introduction, Pr Kingsley-Smith, Hd Harwell, M. Lisa Kellogg, Standish K. Allen Jr., Donald W. Meritt, Kennedy Paynter, Mark Luckenbach

VIMS Articles

Survival and growth of triploid Crassostrea virginica and triploid C. ariakensis were investigated at four sites Surrounding Chesapeake Bay, United States, that varied tried in salinity, tidal regime, water depth, predation intensity and disease pressure. Four experimental treatments were established at each site: C. virginica; C. ariakensis; 50:50 of C. virginica: C. ariakensis: and shell only. Oysters were deployed at mean shell heights of 12.80 min and 13.85 mm (C. virginica and C. ariakensis, respectively), at an overall density of 347.5 oysters m(-2). Oyster survival and growth varied significantly, with site and species. Survival was significantly higher in C. virginica …

Incentive-Based Approaches To Sustainable Fisheries, Rq Grafton, R Arnason, Et Al, Je Kirkley, Et Al

VIMS Articles

The failures of traditional target-species management have led many to propose an ecosystem approach to fisheries to promote sustainability. The ecosystem approach is necessary, especially to account for fishery-ecosystem interactions, but by itself is not sufficient to address two important factors contributing to unsustainable fisheries: inappropriate incentives bearing on fishers and the ineffective governance that frequently exists in commercial, developed fisheries managed primarily by total-harvest limits and input controls. We contend that much greater emphasis must be placed on fisher motivation when managing fisheries. Using evidence from more than a dozen natural experiments in commercial fisheries, we argue that incentive-based …

Effectiveness Of The Blue Crab Spawning Sanctuary In Chesapeake Bay, Debra M. Lambert, Rom Lipcius, John M. Hoenig

Reports

The blue crab spawning stock in Chesapeake Bay sustained a severe and persistent decline beginning in 1992. As part of the effort to enhance the spawning stock, the spawning sanctuary in lower Chesapeake Bay was enlarged to over 240,000 ha. This marine reserve and corridor prohibits exploitation of mature females en route to or in the spawning grounds during the summer spawning season (1 June-15 September). To assess the effectiveness of the sanctuary, we tagged terminally molted, mature females inside and outside the sanctuary during three sanctuary seasons (2002-2004). Crabs were captured throughout the Bay and its tributaries, measured, tagged, …

Assessing Effectiveness Of The Blue Crab Spawning Stock Sanctuary In Chesapeake Bay Using Tag-Return Methodology, Debra M. Lambert, Rom Lipcius, John M. Hoenig

VIMS Articles

The blue crab spawning stock in Chesapeake Bay sustained a severe and persistent decline beginning in 1992. As part of the effort to enhance the spawning stock, the spawning sanctuary in lower Chesapeake Bay was enlarged to over 240 000 ha. This marine reserve and corridor prohibits exploitation of mature females en route to or in the spawning grounds during the summer spawning season (1 June to 15 September). To assess the effectiveness of the sanctuary, we tagged terminally melted, mature females inside and outside the sanctuary during 3 sanctuary seasons (2002 to 2004). Crabs were captured throughout the bay …

Marine Resource Bulletin Vol. 33, No. 1, Virginia Sea Grant, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Virginia Marine Resource Bulletin

CONTENTS

FEATURES

Coaxing Back a Bivalve by Sally Mills

Oyster Gardeners: A Formidable Force by Shawn Stickler and Dr. Standish K. Allen, Jr.

A Safer Oyster by Angela Correa

A Passing Legacy? by Charlie Petrocci

COMMERCIAL TRADES

Fishermen: Bring Us Your Best Ideas by Tom Murray

Get Ready, Gel Set, Growl by Sally Mills

Investigating the Potential of the Suminoe Oyster by D1: Standish K. Allen, Jr.

EDUCATION

Chesapeake Bay Oyster Reefs: Living Classrooms by Vicki Clark

RECREATION Anglers: Consider the Re-release by Jon Lucy

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Efficiency Of Pound-Net Cull Panels: A Comparison Of Size Selectivity And Relative Release For Weakfish (Cynoscion Regalis) And Summer Flounder (Paralichthys Dentatus), Christian Harding Hager

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Increasing Angler Participation In Marine Catch/Tag-And-Release Fishing Programs: Workshop Summary, Program Outlines, And Angler Survey Results, Jon Lucy, Et Al

Reports

The three-part objective of this Sea Grant/National Marine Fisheries Service project was: (1) to examine anglers' experiences with tag-and release fishing programs; (2) to determine significant impediments, if any, to expanded participation in such programs as well as catch-and release fishing in general; and (3) to address anglers' concerns and questions about catch/tag-and-release fishing by developing educational material to promote greater participation in these activities and minimize fish mortalities due to improper tagging or release techniques.