Estimation of juvenile striped bass relative abundance in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay, January 2011-December 2011 : annual progress report

The 2011 striped bass juvenile abundance index is 27.09 and is significantly higher than the historic average of 7.92. Unlike previous years, the 2011 York River index was the highest among Virginia watersheds with high recruitment in both the Pamunkey and Mattaponi rivers. All individual river JAI values were significantly higher than their respective historic averages except for the Chickahominy River which was not significantly different from its historic average. This suggests a strong year class was produced in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay in 2011. Sampling of auxiliary stations provides greater spatial coverage of the nursery grounds and suggests that juvenile striped bass occupied upstream sites in higher abundances during 2011 compared with these sites historic averages. Several important changes were incorporated into the 2011 annual report. Samples collected within the currently established sampling season (early-July through mid-September) were used to estimate annual recruitment indices for 1967 – 1973; we omitted samples taken outside the established sampling time frame to improve our ability to compare contemporary indices with those from the late 1960s to early 1970s. In addition, the historic average is now properly calculated as the geometric mean of annual juvenile abundance estimates. Previously, the historic average was simply the mean over all stations sampled over time; the previous method therefore weighted the mean by the number of stations sampled in any given year and because the survey sampled fewer stations prior to 1988, the previous (incorrect) historic average was biased by recent abundance estimates. A juvenile white perch recruitment index has been developed for each major Virginia tributary to Chesapeake Bay

Estimation of juvenile striped bass relative abundance in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay, January 2012-December 2012 : annual progress report

The 2012 Striped Bass juvenile abundance index is 2.68 and is significantly lower than the historic average of 6.96. Recruitment failure, as defined by Addendum II to Amendment 6 of the FMP, occurred during 2012. All individual watershed JAI values were below their historic mean. The Rappahannock, Pamunkey and Chickahominy River JAI values were significantly lower than their respective historic averages. Although lower JAI values were reported for the James and Mattaponi rivers, annual JAI confidence intervals overlapped with historic confidence intervals suggesting juvenile abundance in these two rivers was not significantly different from the longterm average abundance. Based on our sampling of auxiliary stations juvenile Striped Bass generally did not occupy sites outside of the core nursery zone during 2012. Pilot sampling prior to the 2012 field season revealed that juvenile Striped Bass and White Perch of the size commonly encountered in early July were available to the seine in early June. Therefore, seine survey sampling commenced one week earlier than the traditional start period to ensure sampling of similar sized individuals. The historic average is now properly reported as the geometric mean of annual juvenile abundance estimates in this report and that for 2011. Previous to 2011, the historic average was calculated as the mean abundance across all stations sampled over all years; this method effectively weighted the mean by the number of stations sampled in any given year, and because the survey sampled fewer stations prior to 1988, positively biased the historic mean towards recent abundance estimates. A JAI has been provided for Atlantic Croaker for 2012. Also new to the 2012 report is the use of the revised naming convention for common names of fishes recently adopted by the American Fisheries Society and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists

Estimation of juvenile striped bass relative abundance in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay, January 2007-December 2007 : annual progress report

The primary objective of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science juvenile striped bass survey is to monitor the relative annual recruitment success of juvenile striped bass in the major Virginia nursery areas of lower Chesapeake Bay. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initially funded the survey from 1967 to 1973. After a hiatus ending in 1980, funds were provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Emergency Striped Bass Study program. Commencing with the 1988 annual survey, the work was jointly supported by Wallop-Breaux funds (Sport Fish Restoration Act) administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. This report summarizes the results of the 2007 sampling period and compares these results with previous years

ARTiculation

As my major is Art with an emphasis in Graphic Design, and my minor is English, with Departmental Honors and a focus on poetry, my Honors Senior thesis, ARTiculation, exists as a link between these two arts. This collection of essays explores the similarities and relationships between painting and poetry, and the influences each has on the other. The format in which I have chosen to present my writing in is editorial layout of periodical publication, a medium of communication where the visual and written arts overlap in technique and style