Browsing by Author "KirbySmith, William"

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Open Access
A Comparison of Groundfish Management on the East and West Coasts of the United States
(2004) Strader, Rachel
The groundfish fisheries of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the US are valuable economically and ecologically. The industries in the two locations have faced depleted stocks and increased regulations by the New England and Pacific Fishery Management Councils over the years. Both fisheries contain a varied array of demersal fish in separate ecosystem contexts, and similar gear types are used in both locations. However, the community and geographical structures, composition and interactions of the Fishery Management Councils, industry organization, and activism create a different historical perspective with which to view management failures and successes. In New England, factors such as a greater value of independence, a lack of cooperation and coordination between stakeholders and scientists, and a longer history of fishery decline have contributed to the current management climate. The Pacific groundfishery has experienced a more recent illumination of overexploitation, but there is a longer history of cooperation between states, fishermen, and scientists. In addition, differences in the Pacific Fishery Management Council structure and process have created a distinct management picture. The management measures enacted by the two councils since the implementation of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act have differed, but neither has been successful—as evidenced by overexploited stocks. Recently, both fisheries management plans have undergone changes in response to the declines and subsequent lawsuits by stakeholder groups. From comparing the characteristics of the two council systems, their methods, and their participants, important lessons can be learned as fisheries management on both sides of the US continues, out of necessity, to evolve.
Open Access
A GIS Approach to Habitat Restoration Site Selection and Prioritization in the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary
(2005) Kunert, Kelly
The New York-New Jersey Harbor is an urban estuary that has suffered the effects of industrial pollution, urban development, and harbor dredging. One of the most prominent issues arising from the Harbor’s urban history is the loss of wetland habitat. The New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program (HEP) has made it a priority to protect and restore habitat in the Harbor. The current method employed by the HEP to identify and prioritize habitats for restoration is a consensus decision approach. While this approach has been effective for identifying approximately 60 acquisition sites and 88 restoration projects, concern has been expressed by representatives from the agencies that fund these restoration projects that the current method is not scientifically grounded. This paper explores an alternate approach to habitat restoration site selection and prioritization in the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary using a geographic information system (GIS). A set of habitat restoration criteria was developed and criteria grids depicting the developed parameters were created and analyzed using ArcGIS 9.0. The analysis results in three maps, identifying wetland sites, HEP acquisition sites, and HEP restoration sites that are most suitable for restoration efforts. From the maps, ten sites were identified as recommended sites for inclusion on the HEP Priority Acquisition and Restoration Sites List. Two accompanying tables prioritize the HEP acquisition and restoration sites based on their final suitability values indicated by the maps. Grids of the current HEP restoration and acquisition sites were overlain on the final wetlands suitability grid to compare the current restoration site selection method with the GIS approach. The comparison indicates that three wetland sites identified as top priority restoration sites by the GIS method were also identified by the current HWG consensus planning method. Seven of the GIS-selected sites are not currently listed on the HEP Priority Acquisition and Restoration Sites List.
Open Access
Closing the Cycle: Captive Breeding for the Gastropod Strombus
(2001) Shawl, Amber
The large gastropod queen conch, Strombus gigas, is a valuable food source throughout the Caribbean and the Florida region. The markets for S. gigas are adult meat for chowders and fritters, and shells for decoration. Excessive over-fishing of S. gigas has led to its listing on Appendix II of CITES and mandated a statewide fishing moratorium in the Florida waters. To help preserve the species, biologists are successfully culturing queen conch from egg stage to market. However, the cycle is not closed. Egg masses are collected from reproductively active adult populations in the field. This means that the aquaculturist is heavily reliant upon spawning aggregations for continued culturing success of this threatened species.
In response to the need for specimens for aquaculture, we began a captive breeding program for Strombus species in June 2000 at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, Ft. Pierce, Florida. A breeding arena was built in a large round tank (4.5 m dia x 0.9 m height). The tank was divided into 4 equivalent sections (4.1m^2) and filled with water to 0.42 m above the substrate. This recirculating tank system is equipped with an undergravel filter system, comprised of coarse Bahamian aragonite sand (1-3 mm) at a depth of 10 cm. The tank was located in a greenhouse structure, allowing for natural photoperiod during our experiment. The mean water temperature was 27°C and salinity 34 ppt.
There are seven species of Strombus in the Caribbean and Florida region. We chose 3 non-restricted species (Strombus costatus, milk conch; Strombus raninus, hawkwing; and Strombus alatus; Florida fighting conch) as well as S. gigas to begin our breeding program. These smaller, less threatened Strombus may also prove to be a premium food item and a successful aquarium animal. A total of 24 adult conch were collected: five S. costatus (3 female, 2 male), seven S. raninus (5 females, 2 males), eight S. alatus (4 females, 4 males), and four S. gigas (1 female, 3 males) from the Florida Keys and placed into their respective quadrants on June 16 and July 16 (for S. gigas).
The number of copulating pairs and spawning females were noted on a daily basis for the first 49 days (7 weeks). Collected egg masses were measured for size, number of eggs, and egg capsule and strand diameter. In 36 weeks we collected 401 egg masses. S. raninus began breeding on day 2 and continued to breed persistently through early November. S. raninus laid 336 egg masses. We also had success with S. alatus, 44 egg masses; S. costatus laid a total of 19 egg masses, and we were able to get S. gigas to lay two egg masses in mid-February. The viability of the eggs was confirmed as we successfully hatched several egg masses from all four species and raised them through juvenile stage. Based on breeding success of these species we hope to establish the commercial ability of a captive breeding program, and establish alternative aquarium and juvenile queen conch market.
Open Access
Community-Integrated GIS in the Bay of Fundy Groundfishery
(2002) Hooker, Brian R
This paper is designed examine the development of Community-Integrated Geographic Information Systems (CIGIS) in the marine environment. Through a review of a mapping project, whose information base is Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of spawning and nursery areas of the groundfishery in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, recommendations on data collection, database development, and data visualization are made for their incorporation into a GIS. This paper addresses how CIGIS may be useful not only for the constituents whose knowledge is the basis of the database, but for the fisheries managers who should consider this data in the overall framework of the decision-making process. Conclusions indicate that database development needs to start with the highest resolution possible. In dealing with local knowledge the dataset needs to be fully inclusive of all responses even when the information may not be validated by another source. A ranking system would separate unsubstantiated responses and validated responses. Visualization of local knowledge should also follow the same level of resolution as the database and, where possible, be confined to a single data point. More detailed information on the site should be incorporated as text into the metadata or as an actual record in the attribute table.
Open Access
Identifying Strategic Marine Fisheries Habitat in North Carolina
(2005) Smith, Jeff
In 2004 North Carolinas Department of Environment and Natural Resources Regulatory Commissions adopted the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP). One of the primary goals of the CHPP is to identify, designate, and protect Strategic Habitat Areas (SHAs) areas of fish habitat that provide exceptional habitat functions for fishery and fishery dependent species managed in North Carolina. This analysis uses habitat surrogates and a spatially explicit siting algorithm to identify a network of areas that meet conservation goals for SHAs within the White Oak River Basin. The analysis further identifies focal areas of wetlands, submerged aquatic vegetation, and shellfish strata that occur in an ideal reserve design and a sensible ecological placement within the Basin. NC DENR can use these focal areas as potential Strategic Habitat Areas for socioeconomic evaluation by managers, resource users, and other stakeholders.
Open Access
Oyster Restoration and Management in Coastal North Carolina
(2004) Haines, Andrew C
The once strong North Carolina oyster fishery has fallen on hard times over the last few decades due to overfishing, habitat loss, disease, and pollution. Currently, there are many actions being taken in an effort to reverse this downward trend. The North Carolina Coastal Federation has developed the “Oyster Action Plan,” a coast-wide effort involving many different state, federal, non-profit, and educational organizations to restore oysters and oyster habitat. As part of this effort, I worked with many of these organizations to determine and map priority areas for oyster habitat restoration along the coast. Additionally, as part of the current effort in North Carolina to create an oyster gardening program, I worked with people from other states who have existing oyster gardening programs to develop a series of recommendations for how to best go about constructing our program. This report will give the reader a background on oyster biology and ecology, as well as the history and current status of the fishery in North Carolina. Additionally, it will present my efforts within the oyster action plan, and make some general conclusions and recommendations about how to proceed in the future. The Oyster Action Plan is an ongoing process that will continue for years to come, and will hopefully be successful at returning large populations of oysters to our coast.
Open Access
Race-to-the-Top: East and Gulf Coast Ports Prepare for a Post-Panamax World
(2012-04-23) Morrison, Brandon
Kurt Nagle, president of the American Association of Port Authorities, and David Matsuda, maritime administrator for the United States Department of Transportation, have both labeled the Panama Canal expansion project as a "game-changer" for seaports in the United States. The true effects of the canal’s expansion will not be definitively known for years to come. Yet such uncertainty has not reduced the anticipation of economic benefits to a number of East and Gulf Coast ports. The prospect for increased cargo being shipped to East and Gulf Coast ports, and consequently away from West Coast ports, has generated an assortment of activity at numerous ports, as each prepares for an increase in both cargo volume and the size of incoming vessels.
Open Access
RECOMMENDED FORMULA FOR DELINEATING SHELLFISH AREA CLOSURE BOUNDARIES SURROUNDING MARINAS IN NORTH CAROLINA
(2003) Samkian, Karineh
Areas adjacent to marinas frequently have elevated counts of fecal coliform bacteria. Although the bacteria themselves may not be harmful, they indicate the presence of feces from warm-blooded animals which may contain other pathogens. Bivalve shellfish, such as oysters and clams, filter feed thereby concentrating these pathogens in their tissue, and posing a potential health threat to consumers. For this reason, North Carolina automatically closes marina waters for shellfishing, and sets the closure boundary based on a formula that includes the marina type and the number of boat slips. Though the boundary delineation has been generally successful, it fails to include other parameters recommended by national guidelines. With increasing shoreline marina development, the current method may be challenged by the different stakeholders causing conflicts with regulators. Therefore, in collaboration with the North Carolina Shellfish Sanitation Section, I recommend a more comprehensive formula that will adequately protect human health, and also maximize areas open to shellfishing. This formula was developed by examining the effectiveness of numerous other state policies, and it was tested using North Carolina marina examples. In addition, it includes parameters for which actual data exist, or uses realistic assumptions in an attempt to avoid overly conservative closure areas.
Open Access
Report on the Natural Resources of Assateague Island National Seashore and a Spatial Analysis of Shoreline Change in Relation to Off-Road Vehicle Use
(2007-05) Carlson, Michael C T
National seashores, similar to national parks, are pristine natural areas where human management proves crucial in maintaining natural resources. This paper reports on the conditions of the aquatic and terrestrial natural resources of Assateague Island National Seashore and the possible erosional effects of Off Road Vehicles (ORV) along the shore. The first exigency Assateague Island faces is negotiating many state and federal jurisdictions. The second problem is in the management of the marine and coastal floral and faunal resources. The National Park Service (NPS), on Assateague has focused much more on land-based issues; as a result, preservation of marine resources has been secondary to consideration given to terrestrial resources. The concern over vehicle use on beaches is currently much debated on coastal seashores along the east coast of the United States. The ORV analysis in this paper looks at the potential geologic shoreline changes on Assateague Island that occur as a result of driving on the beach and sand dunes. Significant previous land use analysis on Assateague Island has been done using light detecting and ranging (LIDAR) data. Although, LIDAR data helped shed light on the effect of the Ocean City inlet in North Assateague, previously it has not been used in determining impacts of beach driving. The general conclusion of this paper indicates that from the year 2000 to 2004, significant erosion occurred near areas of high ORV use.