Animal Sciences Commons^™

Annual Report To The Governer And General Assembly Of Virginia: Virginia Fishery Resource Grant Program 2009, Virginia Sea Grant

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Western Rock Lobster Fishing On The Deepwater Ecosystems Of The West Coast Of Western Australia, Lynda Bellchambers Dr

Fisheries research reports

Objectives 1. To identify gradients in the density/size distribution of western rock lobster to enable selection of representative areas. 2. To assess the catchability of western rock lobster and its relationship with population abundance and size structure. 3. To identify the relationship between the deep-water habitat and the density/size distribution of western rock lobster to enable a preliminary evaluation of the impact of lobster biomass removal in the deep-water.

The Efficacy Of Sanctuary Areas For The Management Of Fish Stocks And Biodiversity In Wa Waters, James W. Penn, Warrick J. Fletcher

Fisheries research reports

Debate concerning the relative benefits of marine protected areas (MPAs) for the management of marine resources can often reflect unrecognized differences in the scope, scale and definitions of the objectives being sought by various Government or community bodies. There can also be different opinions on the level of protection required for an area to be considered an ‘MPA’ and functional definitions for both the biological diversity and ecosystems within these areas are often lacking. This paper seeks to outline the relative efficiency and effectiveness of MPAs, especially no-take sanctuary areas, compared to other strategies currently employed to help achieve the …

Evaluation Of Striped Bass Stocks In Virginia, Monitoring And Tagging Studies, 2005-2009 Annual Report, 1 September 2008 - 31 August 2009, Philip W. Sadler, Matthew W. Smith, John M. Hoenig, Robert E. Harris, Lydia M. Goins, Rebecca J. Wilk

Reports

This report presents the results of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) tagging and monitoring activities in Virginia during the period 1 September 2008 through 31 August 2009. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2009 spring spawning run, estimates of annual survival and fishing mortality based on annual spring tagging, and the results of the 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 management plan for …

Retention, Movement, And The Biotic Response To Large Woody Debris In The Channelized Missouri River, Michael W. Archer

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Large woody debris (LWD) is an important component of a healthy aquatic ecosystem. However, little is known about the dynamics of LWD in a large, channelized river such as the Missouri River. My objectives were to first, assess the abundance of LWD found along the channelized portion of the Missouri River. Second, I documented movement of LWD that entered the river. Lastly, using PRIMER software I analyzed what effect, if any, river segments, bend types, and LWD had on the community composition of the macroinvertebrate and fish that inhabit the river. Abundance of LWD was greater along bends that have …

The Lobster Bulletin, Winter 2010, Lobster Institute, University Of Maine

Lobster Bulletin

The Lobster Bulletin newsletter includes research updates, and information on lobsters and the lobster industry. The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine is dedicated to protecting and conserving the lobster resource, and enhancing lobstering as an industry and a way of life.

Headlines in the Winter 2010 issue include:

• Lobster Institute to Host 2010 Canadian/U.S. Lobstermen's Town Meeting, March 26-27
• Factors Affecting the Post-Capture Survivability of the Lobster Homarus americanus
• 2009 Friends of the Lobster Institute
• Research Report: Maine Sea Grant Announces NOAA Funding
• Research Report: Maine Sensors, Inc. Exploring a New Technique to Gauge Lobster Vitality
• Boat Raffle …

Threadfin Shad Impacts Phytoplankton And Zooplankton Community Structures In Channel Catfish Ponds, Bartholomew W. Green, Peter Perschbacher, Gerald Ludwig, Sara E. Duke

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Plankton community structure and chlorophyll a concentration were compared in 12 0.1-ha earthen ponds co-stocked with channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus Rafinesque, 1818) in multiple-batch culture (initial biomass = 5,458 kg ha^-1) and a planktivore, threadfin shad (Dorosoma petenense Güther, 1867; initial biomass = 449 kg ha^-1), during the April-November growing season. We used a completely randomized design in 2 x 2 factorial arrangement to test planktivore level (presence or absence of threadfin shad) and channel catfish feeding frequency (daily or every 3^rd d). Channel catfish were fed a 32% protein feed to apparent …

Environmental And Endogenous Factors Influencing Emigration In Juvenile Anadromous Alewives, Benjamin I. Gahagan, Eric T. Schultz, Katie E. Gherard

EEB Articles

We analyzed juvenile anadromous alewife migration at Bride Lake, a coastal lake in Connecticut, during summer 2006 and found that migration on 24-hour and seasonal timescales was influenced by conditions of the environment and characteristics of the individual. To identify environmental cues of juvenile migration, we continuously video recorded fish at the lake outflow and employed information-theoretic model selection to identify the best predictors of daily migration rate. More than 80% of the approximately 320,000 juveniles that migrated from mid-June to mid-August departed in three pulses lasting one or two days. Pulses of migration were associated with precipitation events, transient …

Einige Bemerkungen Zur Biologie Der Wüstenkröte (Bufo Raddei), Ellen Driechciarz, René Driechciarz

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Some localities in the Taatsyn river in the valley of the Great Lakes in the South of Changaj in Mongolia were found to harbor Bufo raddei. The authors collected data on population density and tadpole holes of the larvae, collected for the first time from this Asian amphibian species.

The Influence Of Didymosphenia Geminate On Fisheries Resources In Rapid Creek, South Dakota – An Eight Year History, D.A. James, S.R. Chipps

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The aquatic nuisance diatom Didymosphenia geminata was established in Rapid Creek in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 2002. Shortly thereafter, large declines (>50%) of the naturalized brown trout Salmo trutta population were observed. We evaluated the influence of water resources and D. geminata on (1) declines in brown trout biomass, (2) changes in food resources, and (3) diet of brown trout in Black Hills streams. Drought conditions were largely responsible for trout declines in Black Hills streams. However, comparison of brown trout sizestructure between the pre-D. geminata and post-D. geminata periods revealed that juvenile brown …

Diel Fish Habitat Selection In A Tributary Stream, Andria K. Salas, Eric B. Snyder

Peer Reviewed Publications

This study investigated the location and diel habitat preferences (at 100 m reach scale) of fish in a small tributary stream in late spring, early summer. During the day, coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) preferred areas with more cover (deeper, greater extent of undercut banks) vs. night when LWD was preferred (Pearson correlation and step-wise MLR). Chinook (O. tshawytscha) exhibited an opposite pattern, preferring LWD during the day vs. higher velocity at night. This suggests these two potadromous species may be partitioning resources. Pooling coho, chinook and rainbow trout (O. mykiss) indicated reaches with more LWD …

Fishes Of The Columbia And Snake River Basins In Eastern Washington, Allan T. Scholz, Holly J. Mclellan, Fisheries Research Center, Eastern Washington University

Biology Faculty Publications

"This book was prepared through a grant from the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM)."

Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Checklist of Fishes Found in Eastern Washington, Chapter 3 Fish Identification and Classification Aids to Identification of Fishes, Chapter 4 Key to Families of Eastern Washington Fishes, Chapter 5 Family Petromyzontidae: Lampreys, Chapter 6 Family Acipenseridae: Sturgeon, Chapter 7 Family Clupeidae: Herrings, Chapter 8 Family Cyprinidae: Carps and Minnows, Chapter 9 Family Catostomidae: Suckers, Chapter 10 Family Ictaluridae: Bullhead Catfishes, Chapter 11 Family Esocidae: Pikes, Chapter 12 Family Salmonidae: Salmon, Trout, Whitefish, Grayling, Chapter 13 …

The Index Of Biological Integrity And The Bootstrap: Can Random Sampling Error Affect Stream Impairment Decisions?, Christine L. Dolph, Aleksey Y. Sheshukov, Christopher J. Chizinski, Bruce Vondracek, Bruce N. Wilson

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Multimetric indices, such as the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI), are increasingly used bymanagement agencies to determine whether surface water quality is impaired. However, important questions about the variability of these indices have not been thoroughly addressed in the scientific literature. In this study, we used a bootstrap approach to quantify variability associated with fish IBIs developed for streams in two Minnesota river basins. We further placed this variability into a management context by comparing it to impairment thresholds currently used in water quality determinations for Minnesota streams. We found that 95% confidence intervals ranged as high as 40 points …

Observations Of Distribution, Size, And Sex Ratio Of Mature Blue Crabs, Callinectes Sapidus, From A Chesapeake Bay Tributary In Relation To Oyster Habitat And Environmental Factors, Jm Harding, R Mann

VIMS Articles

Blue crabs Callinectes sapidus (Rathbun, 1896) > 100 mm carapace width were sampled from a constructed oyster reef (1996 and 1997), a sand bar (1997) and a natural oyster bar (1997) in the Piankatank River, Chesapeake Bay, USA to describe habitat use, sex ratios, and demographics across a gradient of habitat types. Patterns of blue crab catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE), and demographics were similar on the oyster reef in 1996 and 1997. Average annual CPUE on the reef was 6-8 crabs pot(-1) with maximum CPUE of 15 crabs pot(-1). Daylength and water temperature significantly affected reef CPUE with more crabs observed in late …

Bacteria Dispersal By Hitchhiking On Zooplankton, Hp Grossart, C Dziallas, F Leunert, Kw Tang

VIMS Articles

Microorganisms and zooplankton are both important components of aquatic food webs. Although both inhabit the same environment, they are often regarded as separate functional units that are indirectly connected through nutrient cycling and trophic cascade. However, research on pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria has shown that direct association with zooplankton has significant influences on the bacteria's physiology and ecology. We used stratified migration columns to study vertical dispersal of hitchhiking bacteria through migrating zooplankton across a density gradient that was otherwise impenetrable for bacteria in both upward and downward directions (conveyor-belt hypothesis). The strength of our experiments is to permit quantitative …

An Expansion Of The Msvpa Approach For Quantifying Predator-Prey Interactions In Exploited Fish Communities, Lp Garrison, Js Link, Dp Kilduff, Md Cieri, B Maffley, Rj Latour, Et Al.

VIMS Articles

Ecosystem-based fisheries management requires tools to place fish-stock dynamics in the broader context of fishery, predator, and competitive removals. Multispecies virtual population analysis (MSVPA) is an approach to quantifying predator prey interactions and estimating the rates of predation mortality for exploited fish populations. Here, an extended MSVPA (MSVPA-X) is presented as an alternative to existing MSVPA approaches. Notably, MSVPA-X uses index-tuned VPA methods, applies a more flexible feeding model, and includes an alternative functional feeding response. The MSVPA-X model is applied to a western Atlantic fish community, focusing on Atlantic menhaden and its major fish predators, and a sensitivity analysis …

Ulcerative Disease Outbreak In Crayfish Orconectes Propinquus Linked To Saprolegnia Australis In Big Muskellunge Lake, Wisconsin, L Krugner-Higby, D Haak, Ptj Johnson, Jeffrey D. Shields, Wm Jones, Kimberly S. Reece, Et Al.

VIMS Articles

Crayfish populations in the area of the North Temperate Lakes Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project, Wisconsin, USA, have been monitored for >25 yr. In 2005, native crayfish Orconectes propinquus from Big Muskellunge Lake were found with ulcerated lesions in the cuticle In 2006, lesions occurred in 9 5% of sampled crayfish from the lake (n = 3146). Ulcers generally occurred on the appendages of affected individuals but varied in location and severity. The prevalence of ulcers varied widely among sites, sample depths, and sampling dates, ranging from 20% The prevalence of ulcers in crayfish increased from a minimum in …

Effluent Organic Nitrogen (Eon): Bioavailability And Photochemical And Salinity-Mediated Release, Da Bronk, Qn Roberts, Mp Sanderson, Ea Canuel, Pg Hatcher, Et Al.

VIMS Articles

The goal of this study was to investigate three potential ways that the soluble organic nitrogen (N) fraction of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents, termed effluent organic N (EON), could contribute to coastal eutrophication - direct biological removal, photochemical release of labile compounds, and salinity-mediated release of ammonium (NH4+). Effluents from two WWTPs were used in the experiments. For the bioassays, EON was added to water from four salinities (similar to 0 to 30) collected from the James River (VA) in August 2008, and then concentrations of N and phosphorus compounds were measured periodically over 48 h. Bioassay results, based …

The Strength Of B Cell Interaction With Antigen Determines The Degree Of Igm Polymerization, Jm Ye, Es Bromage, Sl Kaattari

VIMS Articles

The induction of variable disulfide polymerization of IgM in the trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and its effect on its half-life were examined. An association between greater Ab affinity and increased disulfide polymerization was first indicated by the observation of this increased IgM disulfide polymerization during the process of affinity maturation. A direct association between Ab affinity and disulfide polymerization was then established by the fractionation of individual sera into high- and low-affinity subpopulations, which also resulted in the partitioning of high and low degrees of disulfide polymerization. The ability of high-affinity B cells to produce more highly polymerized Abs upon Ag …

Subtle Biological Responses To Increased Co2 Concentrations By Phaeocystis Globosa Scherffel, A Harmful Algal Bloom Species, Y Wang, Wo Smith, Xd Wang, Ss Li

VIMS Articles

Recent investigations into the role of carbon dioxide on phytoplankton growth and composition have clearly shown differential effects among species and assemblages, suggesting that increases in oceanic CO2 may play a critical role in structuring lower trophic levels of marine systems in the future. Furthermore, alarming increases in the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in coastal waters have been observed, and while not uniform among systems, appear in some manner to be linked to human impacts (eutrophication) on coastal systems. Models of HABs are in their infancy and do not at present include sophisticated biological effects or their environmental …

Kin Structure, Ecology And The Evolution Of Social Organization In Shrimp: A Comparative Analysis, Je Duffy, Ks Macdonald

VIMS Articles

Eusocial societies present a Darwinian paradox, yet they have evolved independently in insects, mole-rats and symbiotic shrimp. Historically, eusociality has been thought to arise as a response to ecological challenges, mediated by kin selection, but the role of kin selection has recently been questioned. Here we use phylogenetically independent contrasts to test the association of eusociality with ecological performance and genetic structure (via life history) among 20 species of sponge-dwelling shrimp (Synalpheus) in Belize. Consistent with hypotheses that cooperative groups enjoy an advantage in challenging habitats, we show that eusocial species are more abundant, occupy more sponges and have broader …

Production Of Dissolved Organic Matter And Inorganic Nutrients By Gelatinous Zooplankton In The York River Estuary, Chesapeake Bay, Rh Condon, Dk Steinberg, Da Bronk

VIMS Articles

Large "blooms" of ctenophores (Mnemiopsis leidyi) and scyphomedusae (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) occur throughout the York River, a sub-estuary of Chesapeake Bay. These gelatinous zooplankton blooms can influence carbon (C) and nutrient cycling through excretion of dissolved organic matter (DOM), and inorganic nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). We measured dissolved organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus (DOC, DON and DOP), ammonium (NH(4)(+)) and phosphate (PO(4)(3-)) released by M. leidyi and C. quinquecirrha in the laboratory, and estimated their contribution to in situ DOC and inorganic pools. Both species released high amounts of DOC compared with DON and DOP. DOM released by Mnemiopsis was …

Comparative Visual Function In Four Piscivorous Fishes Inhabiting Chesapeake Bay, Az Horodysky, Rw Brill, Ej Warrant, Ja Musick, Rj Latour

VIMS Articles

Maintaining optimal visual performance is a difficult task in photodynamic coastal and estuarine waters because of the unavoidable tradeoffs between luminous sensitivity and spatial and temporal resolution, yet the visual systems of coastal piscivores remain understudied despite differences in their ecomorphology and microhabitat use. We therefore used electroretinographic techniques to describe the light sensitivities, temporal properties and spectral sensitivities of the visual systems of four piscivorous fishes common to coastal and estuarine waters of the western North Atlantic: striped bass (Morone saxatilis), bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix), summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) and cobia (Rachycentron canadum). Benthic summer flounder exhibited higher luminous sensitivity …

Nitrogen Uptake By Phytoplankton And Bacteria During An Induced Phaeocystis Pouchetii Bloom, Measured Using Size Fractionation And Flow Cytometric Sorting, Pb Bradley, Mp Sanderson, Jc Nejstgaard, Af Sazhin, Me Frischer, Lm Killberg-Thoreson, Pg Verity, L Campbell, Da Bronk

VIMS Articles

Uptake of inorganic and organic nitrogen (N) by phytoplankton and bacteria was investigated during a mesocosm study conducted in Raunefjord, Norway in April 2005. One mesocosm was fertilized with nitrate and phosphate at a ratio of 16:1 and maintained in the light, while one unamended light mesocosm served as a control. Dissolved nutrients, phytoplankton and bacterial biomass, and phytoplankton community composition were monitored throughout the 26 d experiment. Uptake of (15)N-labeled ammonium and nitrate, and dual-labeled ((15)N and (13)C) urea and dissolved free amino acids (DFAA) was measured for phytoplankton and bacteria using 2 methods: size fractionation into 0.2-0.8 and …

Linkage Between Crustacean Zooplankton And Aquatic Bacteria, Kw Tang, V Turk, Hp Grossart

VIMS Articles

Bacteria and metazoan zooplankton (mainly crustaceans) are often viewed as 2 separate functional groups in the pelagic food webs indirectly linked via nutrient cycling and trophic cascades. Yet a zooplankter's body carries a high abundance of diverse bacteria, often at an equivalent concentration orders of magnitude higher than the ambient bacterial concentration. Zooplankton bodies are organic-rich micro-environments that support fast bacterial growth. Their physical-chemical conditions differ from those in the surrounding water and therefore select for different bacterial communities, including anaerobic bacteria that otherwise may not thrive in a well-oxygenated water column. The zooplankton body provides protection to the associated …

Asymmetric Conservation Benefits Of Circle Hooks In Multispecies Billfish Recreational Fisheries: A Synthesis Of Hook Performance And Analysis Of Blue Marlin (Makaira Nigricans) Postrelease Survival, John E. Graves, Andrij Z. Horodysky

VIMS Articles

We evaluated the conservation benefits of the use of circle hooks compared with standard J hooks in the recreational fishery for Atlantic istiophorid billfishes, noting hooking location and the presence of trauma (bleeding) for 123 blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), 272 white marlin (Kajikia albida), and 132 sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) caught on natural baits rigged with one of the two hook types. In addition, we used pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) to follow the fate of 61 blue marlin caught on natural baits rigged with circle hooks or on a combination of artificial lure and natural bait rigged with J hooks. …

Observations Of Blue Crabs (Callinectes Sapidus, Rathbun 1896) On Shell Bar Oyster Reef, Great Wicomico River, Virginia, Juliana Harding, Melissa Southworth, Roger L. Mann

VIMS Articles

Blue crabs (Callinectes sapidus, Rathbun 1896) were sampled with commercial crab pots on Shell Bar oyster reef in the Great Wicomico River, VA, from May through October during 2006 and 2007. Weekly catch per unit effort (CPUE), sex ratio, and size (carapace width, measured in millimeters) were evaluated in the context of water temperature (measured in degrees Celsius), salinity, and daylength (measured in hours) conditions on the reef. The total number of crabs collected in 2006 and 2007 was 5,221 and 3,303, respectively. Blue crab CPU E was highest from mid-June through mid-September at water temperatures at or more than …

Bycatch Reduction Device Conserves Diamondback Terrapin Without Affecting Catch Of Blue Crab, Megan A. Rook, Rn Lipcius, Bret M. Bronner, Randolph Chambers

VIMS Articles

Bycatch mortality of non-target species in fisheries is a major threat to the conservation and restoration of marine and estuarine species. Attempts to reduce bycatch by fitting fishing gear with excluder devices have typically been met with resistance due to reductions in catch of target species. We examined the possibility that conservation and fishery goals could be met simultaneously. In lower Chesapeake Bay, we tested a mechanism for reducing bycatch of diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin in blue-crab traps without affecting crab catch. Over 23 sampling dates during summer 2008, we compared terrapin captures at 2 shallow-water sites typical of recreational …

High Particle Export Over The Continental Shelf Of The West Antarctic Peninsula, Ko Buesseler, Amp Mcdonnell, Ome Schofield, Dk Steinberg, Hw Ducklow

VIMS Articles

Drifting cylindrical traps and the flux proxy Th-234 indicate more than an order of magnitude higher sinking fluxes of particulate carbon and Th-234 in January 2009 than measured by a time-series conical trap used regularly on the shelf of the west Antarctic Peninsula (WAP). The higher fluxes measured in this study have several implications for our understanding of the WAP ecosystem. Larger sinking fluxes result in a revised export efficiency of at least 10% (C flux/net primary production) and a requisite lower regeneration efficiency in surface waters. High fluxes also result in a large supply of sinking organic matter to …

Quantitative Pcr Assay For Mycobacterium Pseudoshottsii And Mycobacterium Shottsii And Application To Environmental Samples And Fishes From The Chesapeake Bay, Dt Gauthier, Kimberly S. Reece, J Xiao, Mw Rhodes, Hi Kator, Rj Latour, C F. Bonzek, J Hoenig, W. K. Vogelbein

VIMS Articles

Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) in the Chesapeake Bay are currently experiencing a very high prevalence of mycobacteriosis associated with newly described Mycobacterium species, Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii and M. shottsii. The ecology of these mycobacteria outside the striped bass host is currently unknown. In this work, we developed quantitative real-time PCR assays for M. pseudoshottsii and M. shottsii and applied these assays to DNA extracts from Chesapeake Bay water and sediment samples, as well as to tissues from two dominant prey of striped bass, Atlantic menhaden (Brevoortia tyrannus) and bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli). Mycobacterium pseudoshottsii was found to be ubiquitous in water …