scholarly journals Atlantic sturgeon movements in relation to a cutterhead dredge in the James River, Virginia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Balazik ◽  
Safra Altman ◽  
Kevin Reine ◽  
Alan Katzenmeyer
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Field Study ◽  
Technical Note ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
James River ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus ◽  
Reduced Water

This technical note describes a field study investigating the movements of federally endangered Atlantic sturgeon, Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus (ATS), during the summer and fall of 2017 near a cutterhead dredge working in the James River, Virginia, to provide data addressing the concern about the potential impacts of dredging activities (for example, excavation, transit, disposal, sounds, reduced water quality) on the ATS.

scholarly journals Changes in age composition and growth characteristics of Atlantic sturgeon ( Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus ) over 400 years

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 708-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew T. Balazik ◽  
Greg C. Garman ◽  
Michael L. Fine ◽  
Christian H. Hager ◽  
Stephen P. McIninch
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Past Century ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Age Composition ◽  
James River ◽  
Modern Population ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus ◽  
Uncertain Boundary

Populations of sturgeon (Acipenseridae) have experienced global declines, and in some cases extirpation, during the past century. In the current era of climate change and over-harvesting of fishery resources, climate models, based on uncertain boundary conditions, are being used to predict future effects on the Earth's biota. A collection of approximately 400-year-old Atlantic sturgeon spines from a midden in colonial Jamestown, VA, USA, allowed us to compare the age structure and growth rate for a pre-industrial population during a ‘mini-ice age’ with samples collected from the modern population in the same reach of the James River. Compared with modern fish, the colonial population was characterized by larger and older individuals and exhibited significantly slower growth rates, which were comparable with modern populations at higher latitudes of North America. These results may relate to higher population densities and/or colder water temperatures during colonial times.

Oil pollution and fisheries

1982 ◽  
Vol 297 (1087) ◽  
pp. 401-411 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Oil Pollution ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Fish Stocks ◽  
Local Impacts ◽  
Reduced Water ◽  
Long Term Adverse Effects

The term ‘pollution’ is taken in its broadest sense and effects are recognized to be due to interference, tainting and toxicity. Each of these types of impact is discussed and assessed. It is concluded that no long-term adverse effects on fish stocks can be attributed to oil but that local impacts can be extremely damaging in the short term and that produce from specific localities can be tainted and unmarketable for long periods. In some coastal areas oil can be one among several contributors to reduced water quality, and the implications of this are discussed.

The Influence of Storms on Water Quality and Phytoplankton Dynamics in the Tidal James River

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine C. Filippino ◽  
Todd A. Egerton ◽  
William S. Hunley ◽  
Margaret R. Mulholland
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Phytoplankton Dynamics ◽  
James River

Contemporary and historical effective population sizes of Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Waldman ◽  
S. Elizabeth Alter ◽  
Douglas Peterson ◽  
Lorraine Maceda ◽  
Nirmal Roy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Effective Population ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus

Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus surfacing behaviour

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. 929-943
Author(s):  
L. M. Logan-Chesney ◽  
M. J. Dadswell ◽  
R. H. Karsten ◽  
I. Wirgin ◽  
M. J. W. Stokesbury
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus

Anadromous Sturgeons: Habitats, Threats, and Management

2007 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Brackish Water ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Water Interface ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Gill Net ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Class Strength ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus

<em>Abstract</em>.—The anadromous Atlantic sturgeon <em>Acipenser oxyrinchus</em> once supported an important commercial fishery throughout its range (northern Florida, USA, to Labrador, Canada). All surviving populations are apparently depleted, presumably due to overfishing, pollution, and dam construction. A complete moratorium on the fishery has been established in U.S. waters. Unfortunately, population status is unknown for nearly all systems. Several 1994–2001 data sets from South Carolina rivers were examined for their potential in development of recruitment (year-class abundance) indices. Because Atlantic sturgeon often begin leaving their natal systems at age 2, after which they occupy other systems and then presumably return to natal areas at sexual maturity several years later, a valid river-specific abundance index must be based on either age0–1 or adult fish. Working with three former commercial Atlantic sturgeon fishermen to collect adults in two rivers during the spring and fall of 1998 resulted in collection of only 39 fish in 13 nominal age-classes. In another river, 2 years of monthly sampling with multipanel, anchored gill nets and otter trawls at eight stations throughout the estuary produced only 31 juvenile Atlantic sturgeon. Neither of these study designs provided adequate sample sizes. However, sampling in a clean-bottom section at the freshwater–brackish water interface of the Edisto River with a modified drift gill net produced large numbers of small Atlantic sturgeon. More than 3,000 juveniles have been collected and tagged since 1994. The 1,331 nominal age-1 Atlantic sturgeon that were captured displayed a distinct bimodal length frequency distribution, supporting the hypothesis that there are both spring and fall spawning events. A period of record drought impeded sampling efforts during a portion of this study. However, when flows and bottom configurations allow nets to be fished at the freshwater–brackish water interface, the gears and methods employed in the Edisto River can produce an age-1 Atlantic sturgeon catch per unit effort that is high enough to be used in estimating relative year-class strength.

Anadromous Sturgeons: Habitats, Threats, and Management

2007 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Management Plan ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Coastal Fisheries ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus ◽  
The U.S

<em>Abstract.</em>—Large-scale commercial fisheries for Atlantic sturgeon <em>Acipenser oxyrinchus</em> in the late 1880s eventually led to substantial reductions in the population size. The coastwide Atlantic sturgeon population of the United States has not recovered to the levels seen prior to the 1900s. A number of factors have contributed to the slow recovery or continued decline of Atlantic sturgeon populations, including continued commercial fishing and the targeting of females for caviar, bycatch in other fisheries, and changes in habitat due to dam construction and water quality degradation. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) developed the first coastwide management plan for Atlantic sturgeon in 1990. In response to the shortcomings of that plan, the ASMFC applied new standards and the authority granted to it by the U.S. Congress to adopt a coastwide moratorium on all harvesting in 1998. A federal status review conducted in 1998 concluded that the continued existence of Atlantic sturgeon was not threatened given the situation at the time. Since then, monitoring programs have indicated varying levels of relative abundance in several water bodies along the Atlantic coast. The U.S. government is responsible for undertaking a status review to document any changes since the last review and determining whether those findings warrant a threatened or endangered listing for the species. The government’s findings may have far-reaching effects on many other Atlantic coastal fisheries.

Life in the Slow Lane: Ecology and Conservation of Long-Lived Marine Animals

1999 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Fisheries Management ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Ionization Mass ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Marine Animals ◽  
Accuracy And Precision ◽  
Fin Ray ◽  
Ion Exchange Separation ◽  
Radiometric Ages ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus

<em>Abstract.</em> —Radiometric aging of fishes is a recently developed technique using the disequilibria of <sup>210</sup> Pb:<sup>226</sup> Ra in calcified structures to determine age. It has been applied successfully to several fish species, but certain limitations have made improvements desirable. Because <sup>226</sup> Ra can be measured directly by counting atoms using isotope-dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), a new ion-exchange separation technique was developed to isolate small quantities of radium from calcified structures for TIMS determination. The advantages of this new technique are reduced sample mass and processing time, and greater accuracy and precision of radium quantification. We applied this technique to calcified structures from three fish species: otolith cores of Pacific grenadier <em>Coryphaenoides acrolepis </em> and tarpon <em>Megalops atlanticus, </em> and pectoral fin ray cores of Atlantic sturgeon <em>Acipenser oxyrinchus. </em> Annulus-derived age estimates for <em>C. acrolepis </em> were accurate with a confirmed longevity of at least 48 years. Although annulus-derived ages for <em>M. atlanticus </em> were inconsistent with radiometric ages, radiometric aging confirmed that tarpon are longlived; females may exceed 82 years. Radiometric age could not be determined for <em>A. oxyrinchus </em> because <sup>210</sup> Pb activities were greater than could be supported by ingrowth from <sup>226</sup> Ra decay. In this paper we discuss the application and limitations of this technique and its relevance to fisheries management.

Growth and Survival of Hatchery-Produced Atlantic Sturgeon Released as Young-of-Year into the Hudson River, New York

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerre W. Mohler ◽  
John A. Sweka ◽  
Andrew Kahnle ◽  
Kathryn Hattala ◽  
Amanda Higgs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
Hudson River ◽  
Atlantic Sturgeon ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
New York Bight ◽  
Hatchery Fish ◽  
Pectoral Spine ◽  
Acipenser Oxyrinchus ◽  
Pelvic Fin

Abstract In 2007, a team of U.S. scientists performed a status review of Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus and concluded that the species would likely become endangered (U.S. Endangered Species Act 1973, as amended) in the foreseeable future over much of its range, including populations of the New York Bight, which is comprised of the Hudson and Delaware rivers. Therefore, we evaluated an experimental release of hatchery-produced Atlantic sturgeon that took place in 1994 to determine the value of using stocked fish as a population recovery tool. We obtained recapture data on hatchery fish (identified by presence of pelvic fin removal) from the Atlantic Coast Sturgeon Tagging Database. Our evaluation of retention for a pelvic fin removal mark on hatchery fish showed that 36% of clipped individuals retained a clean fin clip after 49 d. The minimum survival rate for hatchery fish to age 5 was estimated to be in the range of 0.49–0.66% using documented recaptures (N  =  24), known number of fish stocked, and results of the pelvic fin removal evaluation. Length and weight-at-age for recaptured hatchery fish at known ages 5–17 were within the range of values reported for wild fish whose ages were estimated by pectoral spine analysis. We also report that one ripe male hatchery fish at age 15 was captured along with other spermiating males at its parental spawning area in the Hudson River in 2009.

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