Chesapeake Bay Status of Stocks Report 1988-89 : Virginia Juvenile Finfish Trawl Data

The results presented here are the tabular Catch-per-Unit-gffort (CPUE) Virginia trawl data for young of the year and yearling finfish from the inception date of the survey (1954) to the present. These data will also be the basis for developing a Virginia juvenile finfish index in 1989-1990

The trophic dynamics of summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) in Chesapeake Bay

Data on the trophic dynamics of fishes are needed for management of ecosystems such as Chesapeake Bay. Summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) are an abundant seasonal resident of the bay and have the potential to impact foodweb dynamics. Analyses of diet data for late juvenile and adult summer flounder collected from 2002−2006 in Chesapeake Bay were conducted to characterize the role of this flatfish in this estuary and to contribute to our understanding of summer flounder trophic dynamics throughout its range. Despite the diversity of prey, nearly half of the diet comprised mysid shrimp (Neomysis spp.) and bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli). Ontogenetic differences in diet and an increase in diet diversity with increasing fish size were documented. Temporal (inter- and intra-annual) changes were also detected, as well as trends in diet reflecting peaks in abundance and diversity of prey. The preponderance of fishes in the diet of summer flounder indicates that this species is an important piscivorous predator in Chesapeake Bay

Effects of the June 1995 Freshet on The Main Virginia Tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay

Environmental conditions in the Virginian waters of the Chesapeake Bay area during the summerof 1995 have been characterized as a severe drought. This drought was punctuated on 27 June with a headwater (James and Rappahannock River) rain storm that produced a freshet . Although it did not rain in the Tidewater area of Virginia, surface salinities were depressed by the run-off, and main-stem bottom ox}\u27gen levels dropped to z.ero in the James and Rappahannock rivers. The effects of the reduced oxygen were apparent on the James River oyster stock, particularly the reduction in spatfall, and to a lesser degree on the Rappahannock River young-of-the-year striped bass index. Long-term effects of the June flood and/or the drought must be monitored

Spatiotemporal trends and drivers of fish condition in Chesapeake Bay

Measures of condition in fishes are often used to assess the general well-being of fish populations since condition reflects the biotic and abiotic factors experienced by individuals over moderate time scales. Fish condition can also be used as an indicator of ecosystem suitability in the context of ecosystem-based management. From an ecosystem perspective, evaluation of fish condition is best described over multiple spatiotemporal scales and in a multi-species context. This study analyzed 14 yr (2002-2015) of fisheries-independent trawl survey data to evaluate trends in condition for 16 demersal fishes inhabiting Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the USA. Seasonal and spatial variability in condition were inferred from linear mixed-effects models, while dynamic factor analysis (DFA) was used to reveal coherence among and drivers of annual trends in condition across all species and for 3 subgroups representing trophic guilds. Patterns of intra-annual condition varied among species, likely reflecting life history strategies and physiological responses to seasonal environmental conditions, while spatial patterns showed improved condition for both coastal and oligohaline species with increasing distance from their source. Annual trends in condition showed remarkable coherence for all fishes and for species within each trophic guild, suggesting that factors influencing condition-based indicators of ecosystem suitability operate at the community level. Spring mean surface chl a concentration was included in the selected DFA model for nearly all groups (exception: benthivores) and was statistically significant for several species, indicating the importance of bottom-up processes on bay-wide annual fish condition

Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP) Mid-Atlantic Nearshore Trawl Program Pilot Survey Completion Report

Concerns regarding the status of fishery-independent data collection from the continental shelf waters between Cape Hatteras, North Carolina and the U.S. / Canadian border led the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) Management and Science Committee (MSC) to draft a resolution in 1997 calling for the formation the Northeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (NEAMAP) (ASMFC 2002). NEAMAP is a cooperative state-federal program modeled after the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP), which had been coordinating fishery-independent data collection south of Cape Hatteras since the mid-1980s (Rester 2001). The four main goals of this new program directly address the deficiencies noted by the MSC for this region and include 1) developing fishery-independent surveys where current sampling is either inadequate or absent 2) coordinating data collection amongst existing surveys as well as any new surveys 3) providing for efficient management and dissemination of data and 4) establishing outreach programs (ASMFC 2002). The NEAMAP Memorandum of Understanding was signed by all partner agencies by July 2004

Evaluation of Striped Bass Stocks in Virginia: Monitoring and Tagging Studies, 2019 Progress Report - 1 December 2018 - 31 November 2019

This report presents the results of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) tagging and monitoring activities in Virginia during the period 1 December 2018 through 31 November 2019. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2019 spring spawning run and estimates of annual survival and fishing mortality based on annual spring tagging. 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 striped bass in Virginia, and along the eastern seaboard. This report includes 2018 striped bass Benchmark Assessment data

ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT - 2006 Data collection and analysis in support of single and multispecies stock assessments in Chesapeake Bay: The Chesapeake Bay Multispecies Monitoring and Assessment Program

Historically, fisheries management has been based on the results of single-species stock assessment models that focus on the interplay between exploitation level and sustainability. There currently exists a suite of standard and accepted analytical frameworks (e.g., virtual population analysis (VPA), biomass dynamic production modeling, delay difference models, etc.) for assessing the stocks, projecting future stock size, evaluating recovery schedules and rebuilding strategies for overfished stocks, setting allowable catches, and estimating fishing mortality or exploitation rates. A variety of methods also exist to integrate the biological system and the fisheries resource system, thereby enabling the evaluation of alternative management strategies on stock status and fishery performance. These well-established approaches have specific data requirements involving biological (life history), fisheries-dependent, and fisheries-independent data (Table 1). From these, there are two classes of stock assessment or modeling approaches used in fisheries: partial assessment based solely on understanding the biology of a species, and full analytical assessment including both biological and fisheries data

Design and redesign of a bottom trawl survey in Chesapeake Bay, USA

Fisheries-independent surveys that reliably sample a broad size range of exploited and ecologically important species provide valuable data in support of fisheries management and ecosystem science. The operational consistency of surveys over time and space is fundamental to the interpretation of data in the contexts of population dynamics processes, community interactions, policy impacts, and environmental forcing. However, the need to maintain historic sampling protocols over extended time periods limits the utilization of new technologies that could lead to improved data collection. Survey vessel replacements also become inevitable as the maturity of sampling programs becomes multidecadal. This case study describes the motivational origin, initial design, and redesign of a bottom trawl survey operating in Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States. Regional aspirations to consider ecosystem principles in fisheries management aided initial development of the survey, and the need to collect specific data types to support that endeavor impacted several early design elements. Following the beginning years of full-scale survey operations, a consistently evolving awareness of potential areas of improvement for the survey grew from formal efforts to engage with scientific and industry partners on trawl gear design, leverage the program for additional survey opportunities, utilize gear testing technology, and analyze extant data. When the delivery of a new, state-of-the-art research vessel forced the transfer of survey operations to a new platform, all potential changes were incorporated simultaneously. A subsequent paired-tow experiment was conducted to build a calibration database that successfully provided estimates of relative selectivity for routinely sampled taxa. This experience yielded several lessons learned that are intended to aid investigators faced with adopting structural changes to fisheries-independent surveys in the future

Chesapeake Bay Trophic Interactions Laboratory Services (CTILS): : project RF 05-12, June 2003-June 2006, Final Report

Stomach samples or whole fish were obtained from a network of up to eight participating fisheries surveys in the Chesapeake Bay area. Field supplies and sample transport were provided by CTILS. Whole fish were processed for length, weight, and sex determination. Stomachs were removed and analyzed in the laboratory and prey types determined. In support of ecosystem-based fisheries management, estimates of locationspecific diet composition were produced for each species. Comparisons of dietary habits of each species among a range of habitats in the Bay and throughout various time frames were made

Evaluation of Striped Bass Stocks in Virginia: Monitoring and Tagging Studies, 2020 Progress Report - 1 December 2019 - 30 November 2020

This report presents the results of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) tagging and monitoring activities in Virginia during the period 1 December 2019 through 30 November 2020. It includes an assessment of the biological characteristics of striped bass taken from the 2020 spring spawning run and estimates of annual survival and fishing mortality based on annual spring tagging. 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 striped bass in Virginia, and along the eastern seaboar