Life Sciences Commons^™

Determination Of Hydro-Morphological Effects Of The Rappahannock Shoal Channel On The District Of Columbia Nutrient Allocation Under The Chesapeake Bay Agreement, Harry V. Wang

Reports

No abstract provided.

Wild And Aquaculture Populations Of The Eastern Oyster Compared Using Microsatellites, J Carlsson, Cl Morrison, Kimberly S. Reece

VIMS Articles

Five new microsatellite markers were developed for the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica), and allelic variability was compared between a wild Chesapeake Bay population (James River) and a hatchery strain (DEBY (TM)). All loci amplified readily and demonstrated allelic variability with the number of alleles ranging from 16 to 36 in the wild population and from 11 to 19 in the DEBY (TM) strain. Average observed and expected heterozygosities were estimated at 0.66 and 0.80 in the hatchery sample. The corresponding estimates were 0.91 and 0.75 in the wild sample. Results indicated lower genetic variability in the DEBY (TM) strain and …

Initial Market Assessment Of The Cultured, Non-Native Oyster C. Ariakensis, Robert A. Fisher

Reports

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of The Behavioral Responses Of Cownose Rays (Rhinoptera Bonasus) To Permanent Magnets And Electropositive Alloys, Robert A. Fisher, Eric M. Stroud, Michael M. Herrmann, Patrick H. Rice

Reports

No abstract provided.

Market Assessment And Feasibility Analysis For Small Scale Aquaculture Development In The Southside Of Virginia Aquaculture Cooperative Feasibility Study, Thomas J. Murray

Reports

No abstract provided.

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 …

Marine Pelagic Ecosystems: The West Antarctic Peninsula, Hugh Ducklow, Karen Baker, Douglas G. Martinson, Langdon B. Quetin, Robin M. Ross, Raymond C. Smith, Sharon E. Stammerjohn, Maria Vernet, William R. Fraser

VIMS Articles

The marine ecosystem of the West Antarctic Peninsula (WAP) extends from the Bellingshausen Sea to the northern tip of the peninsula and from the mostly glaciated coast across the continental shelf to the shelf break in the west. The glacially sculpted coastline along the peninsula is highly convoluted and characterized by deep embayments that are often interconnected by channels that facilitate transport of heat and nutrients into the shelf domain. The ecosystem is divided into three subregions, the continental slope, shelf and coastal regions, each with unique ocean dynamics, water mass and biological distributions. The WAP shelf lies within the …

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 …

Globally Distributed Mycobacterial Fish Pathogens Produce A Novel Plasmid-Encoded Toxic Macrolide, Mycolactone F, B S. Ranger, E A. Malone, L Mosi, S Adusumilli, R E. Lee, A Coloni, M Rhodes, Plc Small

VIMS Articles

Mycobacterium ulcerans and Mycobacterium marinum are closely related pathogens which share an aquatic environment. The pathogenesis of these organisms in humans is limited by their inability to grow above 35 degrees C. M. marinum causes systemic disease in fish but produces localized skin infections in humans. M. ulcerans causes Burulli ulcer, a severe human skin lesion. At the molecular level, M. ulcerans is distinguished from M. marinum by the presence of a virulence plasmid which encodes a macrolide toxin, mycolactone, as well as by hundreds of insertion sequences, particularly IS2404. There has been a global increase in reports of fish …

Genetic Analysis Of White Marlin (Tetrapturus Albidus) Stock Structure, John Graves, Jan Mcdowell

VIMS Articles

The genetic basis of stock structure of white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus Poey, 1860) was inferred from analyses of five tetranucleotide repeat microsatellite loci (n = 214) and the mitochondrial (mt)DNA control region (n = 99) of white marlin from four geographic regions in the Atlantic Ocean. Considerable genetic variation was present in all collections for all molecular markers. Analysis of replicate collections taken in different years from three regions revealed no significant differences in the distribution of allele frequencies among years within regions. The value of global F-statistics for both multilocus microsatellite data and mtDNA control region sequences approached significance …

Microbial Abundance, Composition And Enzymatic Activity During Decomposition Of Copepod Carcasses, Kw Tang, Kml Hutalle, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Literature suggests that zooplankton carcasses are prevalent at times in both freshwater and marine environments, and could be important substrate sources for water column microbes (Dubovskaya et al. 2003, Hydrobiologia 504:223-227; Tang et al. 2006b, Estuar Coast Shelf Sci 68:499-508). We conducted laboratory experiments to investigate the decomposition of copepod carcasses by ambient microbes from Lake Dagow, Germany. Bacteria rapidly colonized and decomposed the carcasses, mainly from the inside. The ambient bacterial abundance increased 2-fold or more at the peak of decomposition, but decreased afterward, presumably due to protozoan grazing. Initial increase in ambient bacteria was faster at 20 degrees …

Comparison Of Cell‐Specific Activity Between Free‐Living And Attached Bacteria Using Isolates And Natural Assemblages, Hans-Peter Grossart, Kam W. Tang, Thomas Kiorboe, Helle Ploug

VIMS Articles

Marine snow aggregates are microbial hotspots that support high bacterial abundance and activities. We conducted laboratory experiments to compare cell‐specific bacterial protein production (BPP) and protease activity between free‐living and attached bacteria. Natural bacterial assemblages attached to model aggregates (agar spheres) had threefold higher BPP and two orders of magnitude higher protease activity than their free‐living counterpart. These observations could be explained by preferential colonization of the agar spheres by bacteria with inherently higher metabolic activity and/or individual bacteria increasing their metabolism upon attachment to surfaces. In subsequent experiments, we used four strains of marine snow bacteria isolates to test …

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In Selected Areas Of Georges Bank And The Mid-Atlantic Part I: Abundance, Distribution And Biomass Part Ii: Selectivity Of A New Bedford Style Sea Scallop Dredge, William D. Dupaul, David Rudders, Noelle Yochum

Reports

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In Selected Areas Of Georges Bank And The Mid-Atlantic Part Ii: Selectivity Of A New Bedford Style Sea Scallop Dredge, Noelle Yochum, William D. Dupaul, David B. Rudders

Reports

No abstract provided.

Phylogeny Of Recent Billfishes (Xiphioidei), Bb Collette, Jan Mcdowell, John Graves

VIMS Articles

Billfishes are genetically and morphologically distinct enough from scombroids to merit placement in a separate suborder, Xiphioidei. Two extant families are usually recognized: Xiphiidae (swordfish, Xiphias) and Istiophoridae, currently containing three genera, Istiophorus (sailfishes), Makaira (marlins), and Tetrapturus (spearfishes, white, and striped marlins). Phylogenetic analyses of molecular data from mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences (mitochondrial control region, ND2, 12S, and nuclear MN 32 regions) show a different picture of relationships. Makaira is not monophyletic: blue marlin cluster with sailfish and placement of black marlin is unstable. Accepting the molecular phylogeny gives two possible classifications: (1) two genera: blue marlin + …

Detection Of Panulirus Argus Virus 1 (Pav1) In The Caribbean Spiny Lobster Using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (Fish), Cw Li, Jeffrey D. Shields, Hamish J. Small, Kimberly S. Reece, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Panulirus argus Virus 1 (PaV1) is the first virus known to be pathogenic to a wild lobster. It infects the Caribbean spiny lobster P. argus from the Florida Keys, and has a predilection for juveniles. The monitoring of the virus in wild populations and study of its behavior in the laboratory require the development of reliable diagnostic tools. A sensitive and specific fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay was developed for detection of PaV1. The lower detection limit using a 110 bp DNA probe in a dot-blot hybridization for PaV1 DNA was 10 pg of cloned template PaV1 DNA and …

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In The Elephant Trunk Closed Area: June 2006, William D. Dupaul, David Rudders

Reports

No abstract provided.

Estimating Relative Juvenile Abundance Of Recreationally Important Finfish And Crustaceans In The Virginia Portion Of Chesapeake Bay (Project No. Rf 05-02) June 2005-May 2006, Marcel M. Montaine, Mary C. Fabrizio

Reports

No abstract provided.

Chesapeake Bay Trophic Interactions Laboratory Services (Ctils): : Project Rf 05-12, June 2003-June 2006, Final Report, Debra Parthree, Christopher F. Bonzek, Robert J. Latour

Reports

Stomach samples or whole fish were obtained from a network of up to eight participating fisheries surveys in the Chesapeake Bay area. Field supplies and sample transport were provided by CTILS. Whole fish were processed for length, weight, and sex determination. Stomachs were removed and analyzed in the laboratory and prey types determined. In support of ecosystem-based fisheries management, estimates of locationspecific diet composition were produced for each species. Comparisons of dietary habits of each species among a range of habitats in the Bay and throughout various time frames were made.

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 …

Viability, Infectivity And Fatty Acid Synthetic Activity Of Perkinsus Marinus Meront Cells Incubated In Estuarine And Artificial Seawater, Fle Chu, Ed Lund

VIMS Articles

We investigated the viability and fatty acid synthetic activity of in vitro cultured Perkinsus marinus (Dermo) in lipid-free medium and estuarine water, and the infectivity of P. marinus maintained in artificial seawater (ASW). Viability and fatty acid synthetic activity in 7 d old R marinus meronts maintained in lipid-free medium and estuarine water were tested. The infectivity of meronts incubated in ASW was examined by first incubating P. marinus meronts in ASW for 2, 3 or 7 d, and then inoculating viable ASW-incubated meronts into the shell cavity of individual oysters Crassostrea virginica. P. marinus infection prevalence and intensity in …

Genetic Heterogeneity Of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Caught In The Eastern North Atlantic Ocean South Of Iceland, J Carlsson, Jr Mcdowell, Et Al

VIMS Articles

Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) are currently managed by the member nations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) as distinct western and eastern stocks, separated by the 45 degrees W meridian. Previous studies of Atlantic bluefin tuna caught in the northeast Atlantic south of Nor-way suggested mixing of putative stocks in the region, based on abrupt shifts in the size and condition of fish during the fishing season. By contrast, more recent studies south of Iceland reported only small differences in size of tuna caught at different times of the season in that area. To …

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.

An Assessment Of Sea Scallop Abundance And Distribution In Selected Areas Of Georges Bank And The Mid-Atlantic, William D. Dupaul, David Rudders

Reports

No abstract provided.

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 …

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

Vims Researchers Anticipate High Levels Of Dermo In 2006, Ryan Carnegie, Gene Burreson, Erin Seiling

Reports

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

Assessing A Decade Of Implementing Water Quality Best Management Practices (Bmps) At Virginia Marinas 1994 Vs. 2005, Thomas J. Murray

Reports

No abstract provided.