Life Sciences Commons^™

Biological Control Of Crab Predation On Hard Clams Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758) By The Toadfish Opsanus Tau (Linnaeus) In Tray Cultures, Robert Bisker, Michael Castagna

VIMS Articles

Oyster toadfish Opsanus tau (Linne) were tested as biological controls of crab predation on juvenile hard clams Mercenaria mercenaria (Linne) in trays with crushed stone aggregate. Clam survival after 34 weeks was 69.5% in the presence of toadfish and 2.3% in trays without toadfish. Toadfish reduced the total number of crabs (mud crabs and blue crabs). Crabs in trays with toadfish present had smaller carapace widths.

Predation By The Oyster Toadfish Opsanus Tau (Linnaeus) On Blue Crabs And Mud Crabs, Predators Of The Hard Clam Mercenaria Mercenaria (Linnaeus, 1758), Robert Bisker, Mary Gibbons, Michael Castagna

VIMS Articles

The oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau (Linne), reduces predation by xanthid and portunid crabs on juvenile hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria (Linne), in field cultures. This study examined the influence of size and species on the predator-prey relationship between toadfish and crabs. The mud crabs Eurypanopeus depressus (Smith), Neopanope sayi (Smith), and Panopeus herbstii Milne Edwards of 5-40 mm carapace width and blue crabs Callinectes sapidus Rathbun of 77-105 mm carapace width were offered to toadfish of 70-322 mm total length. Toadfish predation rates on mud crabs were higher with increasing toadfish size and lower with increasing crab size. Toadfish injured or …

Autotrophic Picoplankton Dynamics In A Chesapeake Bay Sub-Estuary, Rt Ray, Lw Hass, Me Sieracki

VIMS Articles

No abstract provided.

Striped Bass Research, Virginia : Estimation Of Juvenile Striped Bass Relative Abundance, Annual Report 1988, James A. Colvocoresses

Reports

The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has conducted a juvenile striped bass seine survey during the years from 1967 through 1973 and from 1980 through the present, with the primary objective of monitoring the relative annual recruitment success of juvenile striped bass in the spawning and nursery areas of Lower Chesapeake Bay. The survey was funded during it's initial period by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and then reinstated in 1980 with funding from the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Emergency Striped Bass Study program. Commencing with the 1988 annual survey reported herein, support of the program …

Public Oyster Shoal Survey - Spring 1989, Bruce Barber

Reports

This report summarizes data collected during 1989 in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The report focuses on the spring oyster survey in Virginia.

Study Of Alosa Stock Composition And Year-Class Strength In Virginia - Annual Report 1988, Loisirene Blumberg, Joseph G. Loesch

Reports

Objectives

1. Estimate fishing effort, landings, and catch-per-unit-of-effort of aduit river herring (alewife and blueback herring) and American shad in Virginia during the 1988 fisheries.

2. Determine the present status of the stocks relative to former yean; by comparison of landings and CPUE.

3. Estimate current biological statistics (age and size frequencies, species composition, etc.) of river herring and American shad.

Striped Bass Research, Virginia: Characterization Of Virginia's Striped Bass Commercial Fisheries Annual Report 1988-89, Bruce W. Hill, Joseph G. Loesch

Reports

The research reported herein (and in the 1982 through 1987 annual reports) is directly related to Priority III stated in the "Action Plan" (p. 15) of the Emergency Striped Bass Study (Anadromous Fish Conservation Act Amendment, Public Law 96-118). The amendment was the result of a decline in striped bass (Marone saxatilis) landings from Maine to North Carolina since the mid-1970's. This report summarizes the results of the fall 1988 and spring 1989 sampling period and compares these results with the previous work.

A Documentation Of Virginia Trawl Surverys, 1955-1984, Listing Pertinent Variables: Date, Station Location, Gear, Vessel, Tow Direction, And Type Of Survey Volume Iv: Rappahannock River, Frank J. Wojcik, Willard A. Van Engel

Reports

No abstract provided.

Develop A Fishery Stock Identification Laboratory And Identify Coastal And Estuarine Stocks That Are Dependent On The Chesapeake Bay And Its Tributaries, Brian W. Meehan

Reports

Final report for a cooperative agreement between the Northeast Fisheries Center and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science to determine short- and long-term factors affecting mortality and recruitment of key commercial and recreational species, including fishing mortality and both natural and man-induced environmental impacts on mortality and recruitment, project 3.0."

Includes M.S. thesis by Carol Furman- Mitochondrial DNA variation in striped bass, Morone saxatilis, from the Rappahannock River, Virginia.

A Mark-Recapture Study Of Striped Bass In The Rappahannock River, Virginia Annual Report 1988-1989, Joseph G. Loesch, Bruce W. Hill

Reports

A total of 3,892 striped bass were tagged and released in the Fall 1988 and 1,316 fish in the Spring 1989 on the Rappahannock River.

In the Fall, 77.6% of the tagged striped bass were less than 400 mm FL. In contrast, 81.5% of the fish were 400 mm FL or greater in the Spring.

The available striped bass stock in the Fall is more vulnerable to fishing than is the available stock in the Spring. Recaptures per net day of tagged striped bass in pound nets in the Fall 1987 were seven times greater than in the Spring 1988, …

A Comparison Of The Utermohl And Epifluorescent Microscopic Techniques For Quantifying Natural Picophytoplankton : Final Report, Leonard W. Haas, Harold G. Marshall

Reports

The phytoplankton monitoring program in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay was initiated in July 1985. A total of 13 stations (7 in the lower Chesapeake Bay and 6 in the major trtbutaries) are sampled on a regular basis to quantify phytoplankton (Birdsong et al., 1987; 1988). A primary objective of the monitoring program is to document longterm trends in phytoplankton abundance and species composition and use this information as one means of evaluating the effectiveness of pollution abatement strategies, particularly related to the reduction of nutrients to the Chesapeake Bay.

The philosophy of monitoring programs is to consistently …

Status Of The Public Oyster Fishery Of Virginia - Fall 1989, Bruce Barber

Reports

This report summarizes data collected during 1989 in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay. The report focuses on the fall oyster survey in Virginia.

The Assessment Of Commercial Fishing Effort In Virginia Annual Report 1989, Joice S. Davis, James C. Owens, Joseph G. Loesch

Reports

This report summarizes an assessment of commercial fishing effort in the Chesapeake Bay and its Virginia tributaries during the period 1 October 1988 through 30 June 1989. Objectives of the study were: 1) to assess pound net fishing effort in Chesapeake Bay, in the James, York, Rappahannock, and Potomac rivers, and the Virginia tributaries to the Potomac River; and 2) to assess stake, anchor and drift gill net fishing effort in the James, York and Rappahannock rivers.

The study period began on 1 October 1988 and ended on 30 June 1989. Data for fyke net, haul seine and mullet net …

Development And Implementation Of A Catch And Effort Data Collection System For Monitoring Trends In Fishing Success On Virginia's Artificial Fishing Reefs, 1987-1988 : For The Period January 1, 1988 - December 31, 1988, Jon A. Lucy, Charles G. Barr

Reports

The basic objective of the study was to identify a core population of recreational fishermen owning private boats and fishing one or more Virginia artificial reefs or other popular wreck fishing sites (Figure land Table l) with some degree of regularity (making a minimum of two or three reef trips per season). This population of fishing boat owners would be sampled randomly, by either telephone or fishing log books, to determine fishing effort and catch rates characterizing trips made to specific reef and other popular wreck fishing sites during the 1987 fishing season. Examination of the resulting data would determine …

Prince George County And City Of Hopewell, Gene M. Silberhorn, Sharon Dewing

Reports

No abstract provided.

Striped Bass Research, Virginia - Annual Report 1988-89, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

The research reported herein (and in the 1982 through 1987 annual reports) is directly related to Priority III stated in the "Action Plan" (p. 15) of the Emergency Striped Bass Study (Anadromous Fish Conservation Act Amendment, Public Law 96-118). The amendment was the result of a decline in striped bass (Morone saxatilis) landings from Maine to North Carolina since the mid-1970's. This report summarizes the results of the Fall 1988 and Spring 1989 sampling periods and compares these results with the previous work.

Striped Bass Research, Virginia - Annual Report 1987-88, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science

Reports

The research reported herein is directly in response to priorities established in the "Action Plan" of the Emergency Striped Bass Study (the Chafee Amendment (PL 96-118) of the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act (PL 89 -304 )) . The Amendment was the result of a decline in striped bass landings along the Atlantic Coast that began in the mid-1970's. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) had previously conducted a juvenile striped bass seining program from 1967 through 1973 which was discontinued at that point due to a loss of funding. The program was reinstated in 1980 with funding from the …