Do Blue Crab Spawning Sanctuaries in North Carolina Protect the Spawning Stock

2009 ◽  
Vol 138 (3) ◽  
pp. 581-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Eggleston ◽  
Geoffrey W. Bell ◽  
Steven P. Searcy
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Blue Crab ◽  
Spawning Stock

Quality Characteristics of Fresh Blue Crab Meat Held at 0 and 4°C in Tamper-Evident Containers

1996 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
KEITH W. GATES ◽  
YAO-WEN HUANG ◽  
AMANDA H. PARKER ◽  
DAVID P. GREEN
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Shelf Life ◽  
Blue Crab ◽  
Clostridium Botulinum ◽  
Sensory Quality ◽  
Microbial Growth ◽  
Toxin Production ◽  
Quality Characteristics ◽  
Industry Standard ◽  
Crab Meat

There has been a regulatory movement toward the required use of tamper-evident containers for fresh blue crab meat. North Carolina passed tamper-evident regulations in 1993. Blue crab processors had little information on possible changes in head-space gases, microbial growth, chemical decomposition, sensory quality, or shelf life caused by the new containers. Chemical, microbiological, physical, and sensory changes in fresh crab meat were monitored during 18 days of storage in ice and 13 days of storage refrigerated at 4°C. “Special” blue crab meat, chosen for the study, is the least expensive commercial form of white crab meat. The crab meat was packaged in four retail containers: copolymer polyethylene cups with polyethylene snap-on lids, copolymer polyethylene cups with snap-on polyethylene lids fastened to the cup with heat-shrink low-density polypropylene seals, copolymer polyethylene cans with aluminum easy-open ends, and copolymer polypropylene cups with a tamper-evident pull-tab on the lid. Control samples packaged in industry standard copolymer polyethylene cups maintained higher oxygen levels than meat stored in tamper-evident containers. No consistent differences in quality or shelf life were detected among the containers. Market shelf life was limited to 6 days for meat held at 4°C and 15 days for meat held at 0°C. Sensory quality deteriorated 6 days earlier for crab meat held at 4°C than meat held at 0°C. Collateral work showed that toxin production by Clostridium botulinum neither occurred following 18 days of storage at 4°C nor after 15 days of storage at 10°C. Definite spoilage occurred before any toxin production. The study suggests that blue crab processors can safely use the new tamper-evident packaging, which has little or no effect on product quality or shelf life. Processors may choose appropriate packaging options using price, packaging quality, market appearance, and ease of production as the deciding criteria.

A comparison of blue crab and bivalve δ15N tissue enrichment in two North Carolina estuaries

2007 ◽  
Vol 145 (1) ◽  
pp. 299-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Bucci ◽  
S. Rebach ◽  
D. DeMaster ◽  
W.J. Showers
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Blue Crab

Recruitment overfishing in a bivalve mollusc fishery: hard clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) in North Carolina

2002 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles H Peterson
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Marine Invertebrate ◽  
Mercenaria Mercenaria ◽  
Bivalve Mollusc ◽  
Hard Clam ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Adult Density ◽  
High Fecundity ◽  
Stock Biomass ◽  
Spawning Stock

Because of their high fecundity, marine invertebrate fisheries are rarely considered at risk to recruitment overfishing. This presumption can be criticized on population theoretic grounds and conflicts with growing evidence of recruitment limitation in a variety of marine invertebrate populations. Sampling in 11 years spanning a 24-year period from 1978 to 2001 reveals that hard clam (Mercenaria mercenaria (L.)) recruitment declined significantly by 65–72% within the fishing grounds of central North Carolina. This 24-year period began when high demand and prices drove increased clamming effort. Accordingly, landings grew rapidly 5-fold, a yield that was not sustained and subsequently fell by over 50% from 1983 to 2000. Fishery-independent sampling repeated identically in three representative habitats demonstrates declines of 17, 79, and 95% in hard clam density and of 24, 46, and 83% in spawning stock biomass during the 18+ years of 1980–1997. Small-scale experiments and measurements in depleted habitats show no compensatory enhancement of hard clam recruitment with local reduction in adult density. Consequently, the hard clam in North Carolina serves as perhaps the most compelling example of unsustainable fishing mortality leading to recruitment overfishing in a bivalve mollusc stock. Spawner sanctuaries could serve to restore and protect spawning stock biomass in this and other invertebrate fisheries.

scholarly journals Barnacle Fouling of the Blue Crab Callinectes Sapidus at Beaufort, North Carolina

1997 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 424-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus M. Key ◽  
Jared W. Volpe ◽  
William B. Jeffries ◽  
Harold K. Voris
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Blue Crab ◽  
Callinectes Sapidus
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