Impact of Harvesting on Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus Stackhouse) Frond Size-Class Structure
Irish moss (Chondrus crispus Stackhouse) is cropped annually by dragrakes in certain southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Marine Plant Harvesting Districts (MPHD). Mean annual yield declined between 1972 and 1979, from peak years 1966–71, through a standing crop decrease. The present study compares frond size-class structure between three dragraked districts (light, moderate, and intense harvesting pressure) and two non-dragraked districts. Fronds, sampled by hand, were classified by pattern of dichotomy (branch) number; both mean frond weight and length were determined for each district. Frond size-class frequency distributions were bimodal from the moderate and intensely dragraked districts. Densities peaked at Classes 0 (no branching) and 5 or 6 (five or six branches), mean frond dry weights ranged from 0.09 g (intensely dragraked) to 0.18 g, mean frond length was between ~7 and ~10 cm, and mean frond dichotomy number was between ~3.6 and ~5.2. Frond size-class frequency distributions were unimodal from the non-dragraked and lightly dragraked districts, peaks were at Classes 6–8, mean frond dry weight per district was 0.40 g, mean frond length was between ~8 and ~12 cm, and mean frond dichotomy number was 7.5–8.2. The hypothesis that frond size-class frequency, mean frond dry weights, and mean frond dichotomy number were similar between intensely dragraked and non-dragraked beds was rejected. It was concluded that annual yield in the former beds would be substantially higher, were the mean frond size-class of the harvest increased by even one dichotomy. Frond length per class was not significantly different between intensely dragraked and non-dragraked beds. However, fronds higher than Class 6 from the former beds were heavier than those from the latter beds. These results are discussed in relation to dragrake selection pressure.