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Coherent Approach To Busycon/Busycotypus Fishery Management Along The Us Atlantic Seaboard Proceedings From The 16th International Conference On Shellfish Restoration (Icsr), December 10-13, 2014, Charleston Sc, Robert A. Fisher Dec 2015

Coherent Approach To Busycon/Busycotypus Fishery Management Along The Us Atlantic Seaboard Proceedings From The 16th International Conference On Shellfish Restoration (Icsr), December 10-13, 2014, Charleston Sc, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.


Biotelemetry Of Cownose Rays In Chesapeake Bay: Habitat Use And Ray Movement, Robert A. Fisher Dec 2015

Biotelemetry Of Cownose Rays In Chesapeake Bay: Habitat Use And Ray Movement, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.


Re-Emergence Of The Harmful Algal Bloom Species Alexandrium Monilatum In The Chesapeake Bay: Assessing Bloom Dynamics And Potential Health Impacts, Sarah K.D. Pease, Kimberly S. Reece, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein Oct 2015

Re-Emergence Of The Harmful Algal Bloom Species Alexandrium Monilatum In The Chesapeake Bay: Assessing Bloom Dynamics And Potential Health Impacts, Sarah K.D. Pease, Kimberly S. Reece, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein

Presentations

Effective management of harmful algal blooms (HABs) within a region requires an understanding of species-specific HAB spatial and temporal distributions, bloom dynamics, as well as potential health impacts. In 2007, the southern Chesapeake Bay witnessed its first blooms of the HAB species Alexandrium monilatum. Since then, A. monilatum has bloomed in the region almost annually. A. monilatum produces the toxin ‘goniodomin A’ and is suspected in local mass mortalities of oyster larvae (Crassostrea virginica) grown for aquaculture and restoration projects. Representatives from Virginia’s multimillion dollar oyster aquaculture industry recently expressed great concern over A. monilatum impacts to their businesses; field …


Effects Of Commercial Clam Aquaculture On Biogeochemical Cycling In Shallow Coastal Ecosystems, Annie E. Murphy, Iris C. Anderson, Mark W. Luckenbach Oct 2015

Effects Of Commercial Clam Aquaculture On Biogeochemical Cycling In Shallow Coastal Ecosystems, Annie E. Murphy, Iris C. Anderson, Mark W. Luckenbach

Presentations

The bivalve aquaculture industry is expanding worldwide; sustainability requires improved understanding of its interactions with the environment. As suspension feeders, bivalves, such as clams, reduce primary production through feeding, and thus dampen eutrophication. Additionally, enhanced rates of denitrification, the microbial removal of reactive nitrogen, have been reported in bivalve sediments due to increased organic matter supply through biodeposition; another potential, yet indirect, control on eutrophication. Simultaneously, bivalves can influence local ‘bottom-up’ effects on production by enhancing nutrient regeneration through excretion and microbial mineralization of biodeposits. At clam aquaculture sediments, respiration and nutrient regeneration rates were significantly higher compared to uncultivated …


Integrative Taxonomy, A New Tool For Fisheries Conservation, Adela Roa-Varon, Eric J. Hilton Oct 2015

Integrative Taxonomy, A New Tool For Fisheries Conservation, Adela Roa-Varon, Eric J. Hilton

Presentations

Species delimitation is becoming increasingly objective and integrative. Sequence capture approaches allow collection of 1000s of loci for 100s of individuals. New approaches address the computational challenges of large datasets and offer potential for genome-wide sampling of variation at different evolutionary scales. These new approaches also allow integration of genetic and non-genetic data in a unified framework. Despite these advances, few studies have attempted to combine genetic and morphological data for delimiting species. Hakes (Merluccius spp.) are an ideal group for an empirical test of the power and applicability of these new methods because they are morphologically conserved and …


Quantifying Finfish And Blue Crab Use Of Created Oyster Reefs In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Bruce W. Pfirrmann, Rochelle D. Seitz Oct 2015

Quantifying Finfish And Blue Crab Use Of Created Oyster Reefs In The Lower Chesapeake Bay, Bruce W. Pfirrmann, Rochelle D. Seitz

Presentations

Structurally complex reefs created by the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica provide a host of ecosystem services yet have experienced significant declines, prompting extensive restoration efforts. We investigate the use of created oyster reefs in the lower Bay by mobile finfish and blue crabs with field surveys and diet analysis. The results of this study provide insight into how restoration activities influence estuarine community dynamics and the provision of ecosystem services.


Structural Complexity And Location Affect The Habitat Value Of Restored Oyster Reefs, Melissa Karp, Rochelle Seitz Oct 2015

Structural Complexity And Location Affect The Habitat Value Of Restored Oyster Reefs, Melissa Karp, Rochelle Seitz

Presentations

Oyster reefs provide a suite of valuable ecosystem services, such as water filtration, nitrogen sequestration, and provision of habitat and foraging grounds. The global decline of these habitats has had negative economic and ecological impacts to coastal waters worldwide. In the Chesapeake Bay, < 1% of the historic oyster population remains and efforts to restore oyster populations and the services they provide have been increasing. Building reefs that successfully provide specific ecosystem services may require different techniques then previously used, and success may depend on reef morphology, location, and environmental conditions. Settling trays were embedded into previously restored oyster reefs that varied in their structural complexity (rugosity) in multiple rivers in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Trays were collected after 7-weeks, sorted, and species identified and weighed (ash-free dry weight) to obtain species diversity, abundance, and biomass. Species composition data was analyzed using nMDS plots, which showed that salinity was an important driver of differences in species composition. Results of an ANOVA analysis found that species diversity was significantly greater on reefs in the high-salinity rivers compared to reefs in low-salinity rivers. Total organism abundance and biomass were positively correlated with reef structural complexity measures, such as rugosity, oyster clump volume, and oyster biomass. These results suggest that more complex oyster reefs in higher salinity locations may support more diverse and productive benthic communities. This study provides insight into the driving factors that structure oyster reef communities and has important implications for oyster reef restoration design and management.


Impact Of Anguillicolides Crassus On American Eels (Anguilla Rostrata), Andrew Wargo, Rob Latour, Troy D. Tuckey, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein Oct 2015

Impact Of Anguillicolides Crassus On American Eels (Anguilla Rostrata), Andrew Wargo, Rob Latour, Troy D. Tuckey, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein

Presentations

American eels Anguilla rostrata are infected by an introduced parasitic nematode Anguillicoloides crassus, which can cause extreme necrosis of their swimbladders, yet effects on the eel population are currently unknown. We collected 3 eel life stages (glass, elver, and yellow) and the presence of A. crassus and swimbladder damage in each eel was quantified. The preliminary data show over 60% prevalence and an even higher prevalence of damaged swimbladders.


The Relationship Between Reproduction And Mortality In Triploid Crassostrea Virginica: A Matter Of Economic Importance, Joseph L. Matt, Standish K. Allen Oct 2015

The Relationship Between Reproduction And Mortality In Triploid Crassostrea Virginica: A Matter Of Economic Importance, Joseph L. Matt, Standish K. Allen

Presentations

The goal of this project is to maximize survival for commercially produced triploid Crassostrea virginica oysters in Virginia. Over the last few years, commercial oyster growers in Virginia have reported significant mortality events of triploid oysters during the spring and summer months. The summer of 2014 was the worst yet, as growers across the state reported summer mortality, most severe on the Eastern shore and in some cases as high as 85% of the crop (Karen Hudson, personal communication). Surviving oysters from some of these mortality events were sent to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and several of the …


Age, Growth, Size At Sexual Maturity And Reproductive Biology Of Channeled Whelk, Busycotypus Canaliculatus, In The U.S. Mid-Atlantic, Robert A. Fisher Oct 2015

Age, Growth, Size At Sexual Maturity And Reproductive Biology Of Channeled Whelk, Busycotypus Canaliculatus, In The U.S. Mid-Atlantic, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.


Improved Commercial Blue Crab Electronic Reporting In Cooperation With The Virginia Waterman’S Association, Robert A. Fisher Oct 2015

Improved Commercial Blue Crab Electronic Reporting In Cooperation With The Virginia Waterman’S Association, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.


Evaluation Of Striped Bass Stocks In Virginia: Monitoring And Tagging Studies, 2015-2019 Progress Report 1 September 2014 - 31 August 2015, Philp W. Sadler, John M. Hoenig, Lydia M. Goins, Quang Huynh, Robert E. Harris Oct 2015

Evaluation Of Striped Bass Stocks In Virginia: Monitoring And Tagging Studies, 2015-2019 Progress Report 1 September 2014 - 31 August 2015, Philp W. Sadler, John M. Hoenig, Lydia M. Goins, Quang Huynh, 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 2014 through 31 August 2015. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2015 spring spawning run and estimates of annual survival and fishing mortality based on annual spring tagging. Also included is information on gear selectivity of recreational anglers for striped bass. The information contained in this report is required by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and is used to implement a coordinated management plan for striped bass in Virginia, and …


Overcoming Restoration Paradigms: Value Of The Historical Record And Metapopulation Dynamics In Native Oyster Restoration, Rom Lipcius, Russell P. Burke, Danielle N. Mcculloch, Sebastian J. Schreiber, David M. Schulte, Rochelle D. Seitz, Jian Shen Sep 2015

Overcoming Restoration Paradigms: Value Of The Historical Record And Metapopulation Dynamics In Native Oyster Restoration, Rom Lipcius, Russell P. Burke, Danielle N. Mcculloch, Sebastian J. Schreiber, David M. Schulte, Rochelle D. Seitz, Jian Shen

VIMS Articles

Restoration strategies for native oyster populations rely on multiple sources of information, which often conflict due to time- and space-varying patterns in abundance and distribution. For instance, strategies based on population connectivity and disease resistance can differ, and extant and historical records of abundance and distribution are often at odds, such that the optimal strategy is unclear and valuable restoration sites may be excluded from consideration. This was the case for the Lynnhaven River subestuary of lower Chesapeake Bay, which was deemed unsuitable for Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) restoration based on physical conditions, disease challenge, and extant oyster …


Economic Importance Of A Marine Railway To The Northern Neck Of Virginia Working Waterfronts Case Study “Ampro Boat Yard”, Thomas J. Murray Sep 2015

Economic Importance Of A Marine Railway To The Northern Neck Of Virginia Working Waterfronts Case Study “Ampro Boat Yard”, Thomas J. Murray

Reports

No abstract provided.


Developing A Working Waterfronts Plan For Virginia’S Coastal Zone, Thomas J. Murray Sep 2015

Developing A Working Waterfronts Plan For Virginia’S Coastal Zone, Thomas J. Murray

Reports

No abstract provided.


Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Potomac River (Spring 2015), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio Sep 2015

Evaluating Recruitment Of American Eel, Anguilla Rostrata, In The Potomac River (Spring 2015), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) adopted the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (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 agreed to implement an annual survey for young‐of‐year (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 surveys began in 2000 with full implementation …


Design And Prototype Testing Of Multi-Fish Descending Devices In Mid-Atlantic Recreational Fisheries: A Submission To The 2014 Special Project E Funding Competition “Development Of A Fish Descending Device In The Mid-Atlantic”, Susanna Musick, Robert A. Fisher, Sara Mirabilio, Scott Baker, Michael Danko Aug 2015

Design And Prototype Testing Of Multi-Fish Descending Devices In Mid-Atlantic Recreational Fisheries: A Submission To The 2014 Special Project E Funding Competition “Development Of A Fish Descending Device In The Mid-Atlantic”, Susanna Musick, Robert A. Fisher, Sara Mirabilio, Scott Baker, Michael Danko

Reports

No abstract provided.


Trophic Cascades In The Western Ross Sea, Antarctica: Revisited, David G. Ainley, Grant Ballard, Randolph M. Jones, Dennis Jongsomjit, Stephen D. Pierce, Walker O. Smith Jr., Sam Veloz Aug 2015

Trophic Cascades In The Western Ross Sea, Antarctica: Revisited, David G. Ainley, Grant Ballard, Randolph M. Jones, Dennis Jongsomjit, Stephen D. Pierce, Walker O. Smith Jr., Sam Veloz

VIMS Articles

We investigated mesopredator effects on prey availability in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, as - sessing the reasons why Adélie penguin Pygoscelis adeliae foraging trip duration (FTD) increases and diet changes from krill to fish as numbers of foraging penguins and competing cetaceans increase in the penguins’ foraging area. To investigate penguins’ seasonally changing FTD as a function of foraging-population size—previously investigated indirectly—we used bio-logging to determine the penguins’ 3-dimensional foraging volume, while an autonomous glider quantified the depth, abundance, and distribution of potential prey. As numbers of foraging penguins and cetaceans increased, penguins spent more time on foraging trips, traveling …


Abstracts Of Shellfish Technical Papers, Presented At The Joint Meeting Of The Northeast Aquaculture Conference And Exposition And The 35th Milford Aquaculture Seminar, Portland, Maine, January 14–16, 2015, National Shellfisheries Association Aug 2015

Abstracts Of Shellfish Technical Papers, Presented At The Joint Meeting Of The Northeast Aquaculture Conference And Exposition And The 35th Milford Aquaculture Seminar, Portland, Maine, January 14–16, 2015, National Shellfisheries Association

VIMS Articles

No abstract provided.


Abstracts Of Technical Papers, Presented At The 107th Annual Meeting, National Shellfisheries Association, Monterey, California, March 22–26, 2015, National Shellfisheries Association Aug 2015

Abstracts Of Technical Papers, Presented At The 107th Annual Meeting, National Shellfisheries Association, Monterey, California, March 22–26, 2015, National Shellfisheries Association

VIMS Articles

No abstract provided.


Economic Impact Of Working Waterfront – Hampton, Virginia, Thomas J. Murray Aug 2015

Economic Impact Of Working Waterfront – Hampton, Virginia, Thomas J. Murray

Reports

No abstract provided.


Aberdeen Creek Dredging Project – Restarting An Economic Engine, Thomas J. Murray Jul 2015

Aberdeen Creek Dredging Project – Restarting An Economic Engine, Thomas J. Murray

Reports

No abstract provided.


Estimating Relative Juvenile Abundance Of Ecologically Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay (1 June 2014 – 31 May 2015), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio Jul 2015

Estimating Relative Juvenile Abundance Of Ecologically Important Finfish In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay (1 June 2014 – 31 May 2015), Troy D. Tuckey, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

No abstract provided.


Enhanced Nutrient Regeneration At Commercial Hard Clam (Mercenaria Mercenaria) Beds And The Role Of Macroalgae, Anna E. Murphy, Iris C. Anderson, Mark W. Luckenbach Jun 2015

Enhanced Nutrient Regeneration At Commercial Hard Clam (Mercenaria Mercenaria) Beds And The Role Of Macroalgae, Anna E. Murphy, Iris C. Anderson, Mark W. Luckenbach

VIMS Articles

High densities of bivalves found in aquaculture can exert ‘top-down’ control on primary production through feeding while simultaneously influencing local ‘bottom-up’ effects on production by enhancing nutrient recycling. Thus bivalves may decrease or increase localized eutrophication (sensu Nixon), depending on environmental conditions and specific culture practices. This study investigates hard clam aquaculture influence on benthic nutrient regeneration and metabolism, seasonally using in situ incubations. Effects of macroalgae, which proliferate on predator-exclusion nets at cultivation sites, are also investigated. Ammonium (NH4 +) and phosphate effluxes averaged 154 and 100 times higher, respectively, at clam beds compared to reference sediments. Macroalgae decreased …


Annual Report - 2014 Data Collection And Analysis In Support Of Single And Multispecies Stock Assessments In Chesapeake Bay: The Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring And Assessment Program, Christopher F. Bonzek, James Gartland, Debra J. Gauthier, Robert J. Latour Jun 2015

Annual Report - 2014 Data Collection And Analysis In Support Of Single And Multispecies Stock Assessments In Chesapeake Bay: The Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring And Assessment Program, Christopher F. Bonzek, James Gartland, Debra J. Gauthier, Robert J. Latour

Reports

Historically, fisheries management has been based on the results of single‐species stock assessment models that focus on the interplay between exploitation level and sustainability. There currently exists a suite of standard and accepted analytical frameworks (e.g., virtual population analysis (VPA), biomass dynamic production modeling, delay difference models, etc.) for assessing the stocks, projecting future stock size, evaluating recovery schedules and rebuilding strategies for overfished stocks, setting allowable catches, and estimating fishing mortality or exploitation rates. A variety of methods also exist to integrate the biological system and the fisheries resource system, thereby enabling the evaluation of alternative management strategies on …


Final Report An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In The Southern New England And Long Island Areas, David Rudders, Jeanna M. Hudson May 2015

Final Report An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In The Southern New England And Long Island Areas, David Rudders, Jeanna M. Hudson

Reports

No abstract provided.


Final Report Evaluating The Condition And Discard Mortality Of Skates Following Capture And Handling In The Sea Scallop Dredge Fishery, David Rudders, Ryan J. Knotek, James A. Sulikowski, John A. Mandleman May 2015

Final Report Evaluating The Condition And Discard Mortality Of Skates Following Capture And Handling In The Sea Scallop Dredge Fishery, David Rudders, Ryan J. Knotek, James A. Sulikowski, John A. Mandleman

Reports

No abstract provided.


Final Report A Synoptic Survey Of The Sea Scallop Resource In The Mid-Atlantic, David Rudders, Jeanna M. Hudson May 2015

Final Report A Synoptic Survey Of The Sea Scallop Resource In The Mid-Atlantic, David Rudders, Jeanna M. Hudson

Reports

No abstract provided.


Lethal And Sublethal Effects Of Sediment Burial On The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica, Allison M. Colden, Rom Lipcius May 2015

Lethal And Sublethal Effects Of Sediment Burial On The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica, Allison M. Colden, Rom Lipcius

VIMS Articles

Eastern oysters Crassostrea virginica are dominant ecosystem engineers that construct complex reefs in estuarine systems. Reef persistence relies on reef growth, which must outpace reef degradation and sediment deposition. The quantitative impact of burial on oyster survival and sublethal effects of sediment deposition are undefined. In this mesocosm study, we quantified effects of partial and complete burial (0, 50, 70, 90, and 110% of oyster shell height) on survival, biodeposition, condition index and growth of oysters (shell height = 25−75 mm). Survival only declined significantly when 90% or more of an oyster was buried; the critical burial depth inducing 50% …


Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2014, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham May 2015

Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program Annual Report 2014, Susanna Musick, Lewis Gillingham

Reports

Through 2014, the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program has maintained a 19-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).