Eelgrass Distribution in the Great Bay Estuary for 2009 : Final Report

Eelgrass in the Great Bay Estuary in 2009 was once again present only in Great Bay itself and in Portsmouth Harbor. For the second year in a row, there was no eelgrass in Little Bay or in the Piscataqua River. In 2009, there was a continued loss of eelgrass biomass in Great Bay; there has been a 66.4% loss of biomass in Great Bay since 1996 and distribution is 30% less than in 1996. Although eelgrass distribution in Great Bay itself increased between 2008 and 2009, primarily due to continued expansion from natural seeding of bare areas, the Bay’s eelgrass biomass continued to decline as a result of decreases in plant density in existing beds. Nuisance macroalgae in Great Bay continued to proliferate and impact eelgrass by smothering eelgrass shoots and reducing shoot density. In 2009, Portsmouth Harbor experienced a 16% loss of eelgrass distribution since 2008, for a loss of 31% of the Harbor’s eelgrass distribution in the past three years, an alarming trend. Although the number of acres of eelgrass has increased, driven by gains in Great Bay, even with these areal gains, biomass is down for the Bay itself and the trends of loss in Portsmouth Harbor of both eelgrass distribution and percent cover continue. Despite the increase in eelgrass distribution in Great Bay Estuary due to the increased seed recruitment in Great Bay, the loss of percent cover and biomass in Great Bay and in Portsmouth Harbor again this year (2008 – 2009) indicate the continuing adverse water quality conditions in the Estuary

Protecting Wildlife and Significant Habitat in Coastal New Hampshire

The Great Bay Resource Protection Partnership (“Partnership”) consists of organizations and agencies that are committed to protecting the important habitats of the Great Bay area. The Nature Conservancy has contracted with Dea Brickner-Wood of Blue Sky Associates to serve as the Coordinator of the Great Bay Partnership. The Great Bay Coordinator provided services to the overall operations of the Partnership, as outlined in this report

Biomass estimates of Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi, in California from the 1990-91 spawning-ground surveys

The spawning biomass of Pacific herring, Clupea pallasi, estimated from spawning-ground surveys in San Francisco Bay declined to 45,850 tons this season, following a peak of 71,000 tons in the 1989-90 season. This is the first major decline since the 1983-84 El Nino. In Tomales Bay the 1990-91 spawning biomass more than doubled to 779 tons. The spawning biomass has increased the past two seasons, while the fishery has been closed. There was no biomass estimate for Bodega Bay, but an additional 95 tons of herring were caught in Bodega Bay this season. The total herring biomass for the Tomales- Bodega area is a minimum of 874 tons. Humboldt Bay was surveyed by the Department for the first time this season, and spawning biomass was estimated to be 400 tons. January was the month of peak spawning activity in all spawning areas surveyed. In San Francisco Bay, 62% of all spawning occurred alonq the San Francisco waterfront; for the first time there was no significant spawninq in the northern part of the bay. Nearly 70% of the spawning activity in San Francisco Bay occurred on January 3-6, 1991. A total of 3.5 million m2 of eelgrass, Zostera marina, was measured in Tomales Bay this season. The change in eelgrass density this season varied from bed to bed, however the overall density of eelgrass in Tomales Bay declined. (44pp.

Biological characteristics of the catch from the 1985-86 Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, roe fishery in California

In Tomales Bay, 4-, 5-, and 6-yr-old herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, composed 70% by number of the 1985-86 season's catch. In San Francisco Bay, 2-, 3-, and 4-yr-old herring composed 78% by number of the roundhaul catch, and 4- and 5-yr-old herring composed 64% by number of the gill net catch. The percent of 4-yr-old herring in both the Tomales Bay catch (25% and San Francisco Bay gill net catch (39%) is at a high level for the second year in a row. Recruitment of 2-yr-old herring into the San Francisco Bay roundhaul fishery was about average, with 2-yr-old herring composing 33% of the catch. The mean length of herring in the San Francisco Bay roundhaul catch increased to 178 mm BL, while the mean length of the gill net catch remained 196 mm BL. The mean length of the Tomales Bay catch decreased to 198 mm BL due to the increased number of 3- and 4-yr-old herring in the catch. (18pp.

Biomass estimates of Pacific herring, Clupea harengus pallasi, in California from the 1981-82 spawning ground surveys

The spawning biomass of Pacific herring in San Francisco Bay and Tomales Bay was estimated to be 99,495 tons and 7,149 tons, respectively during the 1981-82 season. This is the highest estimate to date for San Francisco Bay and continues a rising trend in abundance. The Tomales Bay population increased to the highest level in 4 years. (22pp.

Eelgrass Distribution in the Great Bay Estuary for 2011

Eelgrass in the Great Bay Estuary declined in both distribution and biomass between 2010 and 2011. In 2011, eelgrass was once again mainly present in the Great Bay itself with limited distribution in Portsmouth Harbor and Little Bay. Eelgrass distribution in Great Bay itself decreased between 2010 and 2011 and experienced an alarming 26% loss of biomass in a single year. In Great Bay itself there has been a loss of 35% of eelgrass distribution since 1996. In 2011, despite recent consecutive excellent growing years in terms of weather, we saw a reverse of the trend of slight increases in 2009 and 2010. Nuisance macroalgae in Great Bay continued to proliferate in 2011 and impact eelgrass by smothering eelgrass shoots and reducing shoot density. For the fourth year in a row in the Piscataqua River, there was virtually no eelgrass. The eelgrass bed in Little Bay that first appeared in 2010 expanded greatly. Portsmouth Harbor also showed increased eelgrass distribution in the outer harbor. Overall, eelgrass distribution in Great Bay Estuary from 2010 to 2011 decreased 0.3%. There has been a 35% overall loss of eelgrass distribution in the Estuary since 1996. The 2011 gains seen in Portsmouth Harbor and Little Bay were largely a result of the plant reproductive response to stress and a good growing season, but could not compensate for overall losses, which created a downward trend. The long-term trend of eelgrass decline in the Great Bay Estuary continued in 2011

Factors affecting estuarine populations of Nereocystis luetkeana in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2003Nereocystis luetkeana forms extensive kelp beds in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Salinity and turbidity gradients apparently regulate kelp bed distribution throughout this estuary. The beds are large at the entrance of the bay, only solitary stands occur in the inner bay, and no kelp is found at the head of the bay. The role of salinity and turbidity on Nereocystis sporophyte growth was investigated by performing reciprocal transplants among three beds along the bay axis and regularly measuring stipe growth. The effects of salinity and light on spores were studied in the laboratory by recording sinking tendency, settlement success, germination success, and germ tube length under different salinity and light levels. Grazing effects of Lacuna vincta impacted the survival of Nereocystis transplants in-situ and on plants of different age classes in the laboratory. Overall, this study suggests a possible negative estuarine effect on sporophytes transplanted from the outer to the inner bay and on certain aspects of spore development. Herbivory pressure had significant localized effects on Nereocystis survival and was most pronounced on juvenile plants. The dynamics of Nereocystis kelp beds in Kachemak Bay results from large-scale environmental factors and local-scale biological processes