We evaluated the spatial distribution of otter trawl fishing effort and catches resulting from the imposition in 1994 of year-round and seasonal groundfish closed areas off the NE USA. Vessel locations were available from logbooks, vessel monitoring system (VMS) data from many of the largest vessels, and from observer records. There was high spatial coherence between VMS-and observer-derived trawling locations. Prior to establishment, 31% of trawl effort (1991e1993) occurred within the 22 000 km 2 of area that would eventually be closed year-round. In 2001e2003 about 10% of effort targeting groundfish was deployed within 1 km of the marine protected area (MPA) boundaries, and about 25% within 5 km. Density gradients, consistent with spill-over from MPAs, were apparent for some species. Average revenue per hour trawled was about twice as high within 4 km of the boundary, than for more distant catches, but the catch variability was greater nearer closed area boundaries. Seasonal closed areas attracted more fishing effort after opening than prior to closure even while average cpue was the same or lower. Spatial resolution of traditional data sources (e.g., logbooks) was too crude to discern detailed MPA-related effects, as revealed by high-resolution vessel positions from VMS and catch data obtained by observers.

Stocks of anadromous striped bass Morone saxatilis of the Atlantic coast have supported important fisheries since colonial times. Commercial landings reached a record high in 1973, then declined by almost 90% during the following decade. Juvenile production by the Chesapeake Bay stock, a major contributor to coastal fisheries, was depressed during the 1970s. These patterns prompted efforts to identify why striped bass had declined and to rebuild the Chesapeake Bay stock. We review the history of the striped bass decline and the science, management, and legislation that led to its recovery. Historical data and modeling results indicated that recruitment overfishing was a major factor in the decline. Juvenile production may have been further depressed by water quality problems that reduced survival of early life stages. Mathematical models demonstrated that reducing fishing mortality would immediately increase population growth rate, regardless of the decline's cause. An Interstate Fishery Management Plan (the Plan) was adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission in 1981 and amended in 1985 to protect females until 95% could spawn at least once, thus increasing age at entry from 2 to 8 years. The Plan was strengthened in 1984 by the Striped Bass Conservation Act (Public Law 98‐613), which required states to comply with the Plan or submit to federal moratoria. In 1985, states imposed moratoria or began a progressive increase in minimum size limits scheduled to reach 97 cm (38 in) in total length by 1990. Hatchery‐reared striped bass were stocked in the Chesapeake Bay beginning in 1985 and may have accelerated recovery, though the benefits of stocking were far outweighed by the benefits of reducing fishing mortality. Abundance of females on spawning grounds in Maryland doubled between 1985 and 1988, and recruitment began to improve in 1989. Coastwide recreational catches increased more than 400% between 1985 and 1989. Regulations were relaxed in 1990 and an adaptive management scheme was adopted to allow limited harvest while the stock continued to recover. Recruitment continued to improve and the Chesapeake Bay stock was declared fully recovered in 1995, 10 years after stringent management measures were implemented.

Biomass and commercial catch rates of Atlantic sea scallops Placopecten magellanicus in the USA generally declined from the 1960s through the mid‐1990s as fishing mortality increased. Sporadic large recruitment events temporarily increased landings but also encouraged higher overall fishing effort and thereby contributed to the long‐term declines in resource abundance. In 1994, a number of new management measures were introduced, including a moratorium on new permits, limitations on days at sea, gear and crew restrictions, and year‐round closed areas. During 1994–2005, the biomass of sea scallops in the U.S. sector of Georges Bank increased by a factor of about 18, while the biomass of sea scallops in the Middle Atlantic Bight increased by about eight times. These increases were primarily due to the area closures. Biomass in the Georges Bank closed areas was 25 times higher in 2005 than in 1994, and the 2005 level constituted over 80% of the biomass in the U.S. portion of Georges Bank. Substantial increases in sea scallop abundance and biomass also occurred in two of the three areas in the Middle Atlantic Bight that were closed rotationally to sea scallop fishing for 3 years. Mean recruitment on Georges Bank did not significantly increase since the closures there, but very strong recruitment has been observed downstream of one of the mid‐Atlantic rotational closures. In the open areas, responses to effort reduction measures were minimal until 1999, but biomass, commercial catch rates, and landings substantially increased during 1999–2005 due to effort controls and increased recruitment in the Middle Atlantic Bight. The recovery of U.S. sea scallop populations demonstrates that the combination of effort controls and area management can rapidly rebuild severely depleted fisheries.