scholarly journals Evaluating habitat-fishery interactions: Submerged aquatic vegetation and blue crab fishery in the Chesapeake Bay

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-217
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Mykoniatis ◽  
◽  
Richard Ready ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Blue Crab ◽  
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Model Misspecification ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Biased Estimates ◽  
Species Productivity

This paper investigates habitat-fisheries interaction between two important resources in the Chesapeake Bay: blue crabs and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). A habitat can be essential to a species (the species is driven to extinction without it), facultative (more habitat means more of the species, but species can exist at some level without any of the habitat) or irrelevant (more habitat is not associated with more of the species). An empirical bioeconomic model that allows for all three possible relationships was estimated and two alternative approaches were used to test whether SAV matters for the crab stock. Our results indicate that a model that incorrectly assumes that habitat is essential to a species can result in model misspecification and biased estimates of the impact of habitat on species productivity. Using a model that assumes an essential relationship, we find that SAV has a significant positive impact on blue crab productivity (p<0.001). However, in a more general model, we failed to reject the null hypothesis that SAV is irrelevant for crabs in the Bay (p>0.05).

Mute Swans' Impact on Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in Chesapeake Bay

2007 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 1431-1439 ◽  
Author(s):  
KETAN S. TATU ◽  
JAMES T. ANDERSON ◽  
LARRY J. HINDMAN ◽  
GEORGE SEIDEL
Keyword(s):  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Mute Swans

A Geospatial Approach for Estimating Suitable Habitat and Population Size of the Invasive Northern Snakehead

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph W. Love ◽  
Joshua J. Newhard ◽  
Brett Greenfield
Keyword(s):  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Tidal Freshwater ◽  
Predatory Fish ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Potomac River ◽  
Chesapeake Bay Watershed

Abstract Northern snakehead Channa argus, an invasive predatory fish species from Asia, may continue to establish itself throughout temperate areas of the eastern United States, particularly in shallow vegetated habitats of ponds and streams. The species was first collected in the Potomac River in 2004 and has become successfully established in several major rivers within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The objectives of this work were to develop habitat suitability criteria using a novel methodology that combines geographic information systems technology and fish surveys to estimate population sizes. A combination of catch data and reported or empirically derived habitat relationships were used to analyze seasonal distributions (March–October) in two tidal freshwater tributaries of the Potomac River: Nanjemoy Creek (2013) and Chopawamsic Creek (2010–2013). Adults were collected in relatively deeper sections of the streams (average depth 0.7–1.0 m) with a low cover of submerged aquatic vegetation (0–21% of site). Using additional distributional data, we identified suitability criteria as: 1) edges of submerged aquatic vegetation that included 5 m of vegetation and 5 m of adjacent open water; 2) less than 30% of mid-channel distance from shore, which may or may not include submerged aquatic vegetation; and 3) the upper 15% of the tidal freshwater stream. An adult population estimate derived from a suitable area in Pomonkey Creek (a tributary of the Potomac River) and estimated densities from Nanjemoy Creek and Chopawamsic Creek (i.e., three adults/ha) was not different from that expected using electrofishing surveys. Assuming approximately 7,093 ha of suitable habitat and three adults/ha, the number of adults was predicted to be 21,279 for 44 major tidal freshwater tributaries of the Potomac River. This is our first estimate of population size of northern snakehead for any river of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and its accuracy will undoubtedly improve as additional studies report variation in density for other tributaries. Because of the species’ ability to establish itself in temperate climates, it is important to engage the public to prevent additional releases of northern snakehead, especially to vulnerable habitats.

The response of fishes to submerged aquatic vegetation complexity in two ecoregions of the mid-Atlantic bight: Buzzards Bay and Chesapeake Bay

Estuaries ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason C. Wyda ◽  
Linda A. Deegan ◽  
Jeffrey E. Hughes ◽  
Melissa J. Weaver
Keyword(s):  
Chesapeake Bay ◽  
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation

Nematode Community Structure and Biodiversity in Relation to Submerged Aquatic Vegetation at Currituck Sound, North Carolina

2019 ◽  
Vol 135 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Jessica Goninan ◽  
Jeremiah Lancaster ◽  
Eyualem Abebe
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Dissolved Oxygen ◽  
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Coastal Habitats ◽  
Nematode Communities ◽  
Genus Level ◽  
Currituck Sound ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Submerged Aquatic Vegetation (SAV) in coastal habitats plays critical roles because it protects coastlines, prevents erosion, provides nursery habitat, and dissolved oxygen. Meiobenthic communities in these habitats also play a key role in ecosystems processes. However, currently SAV loss continues unabated globally. Our understanding of the impact this loss has on meiobenthic communities is limited. To assess the impact of SAV cover on nematode communities, we studied nematode communities at Currituck Sound, NC, by comparing communities at an unvegetated and at an SAV site. Nematodes were identified to genus level morphologically. Our results showed that general diversity was low compared to other comparable sites with only 10 genera at both sites. Diversity and community structure were distinct at the two sites indicating that submerged aquatic vegetation may impact community structure of nematodes.

scholarly journals Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Patch Size Affects Fish Communities in a Turbid-Algal Lake

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Looby ◽  
Laura K. Reynolds ◽  
Carrie Reinhardt Adams ◽  
Charles W. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Fish Habitat ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Impact

Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) is declining worldwide, leading to subsequent reductions in the ecological functions associated with SAV in shallow aquatic ecosystems, including providing habitat for fishes. Extensive restoration efforts are required to reverse this trend, but studies focusing on aquatic vegetation have been uncommon in recent years relative to other primary producers. Evaluations of the most beneficial SAV species and characteristics for fishes are especially rare. Because of the potentially complex and inconsistent responses of fish to different management actions, further research is necessary to evaluate the species-specific and community-level effects of SAV to inform restoration decision-making. To examine what SAV characteristics increase fish habitat use in a turbid-algal lake undergoing restoration, we sampled 29 areas around Lake Apopka, Florida (USA) with fyke nets and trotlines. We examined the impact of eight environmental variables on fish abundance, biomass, community structure, and predation potential. For each approximated 0.6 m2 increase in SAV patch size, total fish biomass catch increased 6.5 g hr−1. Fish community composition based on abundance also changed with an increase in SAV patch size. The number of bait items missing from trotlines, a measure of predation potential, was most affected by water temperature, wind speed, and time of day, but not by the SAV variables tested. These results expand existing knowledge of fish habitat use of SAV and will inform future management efforts to conserve and restore fish communities by focusing on specific SAV characteristics such as patch size.

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