Estimating Relative Abundance of the Female Blue Crab Spawning Stock in North Carolina

Rittschof, Dan; Darnell, M. Zachary; Darnell, Kelly M.; Goldman, Meghan C.; Ogburn, Matthew B.; McDowell, Ruth E.

doi:10.4027/bmecpcc.2010.21

Cited by 7 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…, 2008). We suspect that the settlement model could be improved by including spawning stock biomass and larval mortality, but adequate data on year‐to‐year variability in these factors are unfortunately not available for NC (Rittschof et al. , 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Successful prediction of the timing of settlement pulses is consistent with the conceptual model that shoreward transport of blue crab megalopae occurs during synoptic-scale downwelling-favorable wind events coincident with nighttime flood tides , and with other modeling studies . We suspect that the settlement model could be improved by including spawning stock biomass and larval mortality, but adequate data on year-to-year variability in these factors are unfortunately not available for NC (Rittschof et al, 2010).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) larval settlement in North Carolina: environmental forcing, recruit–stock relationships, and numerical modeling

Ogburn

Hall

Forward

2011

Fisheries Oceanography

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Ecosystem-based fishery management requires an understanding of relationships between fisheries and environmental variability. The purposes of this study were to investigate (1) how environmental forcing drives variability in larval settlement of the blue crab Callinectes sapidus, (2) whether larval settlement data are useful for determining recruit-stock relationships, and (3) whether environmental data can be used to predict settlement. Megalopae settling on passive collectors in the Newport River estuary, NC, were collected nightly from September to November for 13 yr from 1993 to 2009. Observed settlement was compared with winds, tides, and predicted settlement (numerical model derived from environmental data) using cross-correlation analysis. Weather events associated with settlement pulses were also identified. Recruit-stock relationships were developed by comparing observed and predicted settlement indices to lagged NC fishery data. Settlement was positively correlated with winds from the northeast, southeast and south in 12 of 13 yr and with maximum duration nighttime flood tides in all years. Settlement pulses occurred when high pressure systems formed over the southeast USA (58% of pulses) or hurricanes (25%), and nearly all occurred during nighttime flood tides (85%). Significant recruit-stock relationships occurred between observed settlement and fishery landings (r 2 = 0.96) and effort (r 2 = 0.94) in wet years and catch per unit effort (r 2 = 0.98) during dry years. The timing of settlement pulses, but not the magnitude of annual settlement, was successfully predicted using the settlement model. These results suggest that blue crab fisheries in NC are influenced both by larval settlement and post-settlement processes (freshwater inflow).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) larval settlement in North Carolina: environmental forcing, recruit–stock relationships, and numerical modeling

Ogburn

Hall

Forward

2011

Fisheries Oceanography

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“…Female crabs maturing in such lower‐salinity areas may thus initiate seaward movement earlier than crabs maturing in higher‐salinity areas (e.g., the North River) that are suitable spawning habitat (Rittschof et al. ) or within very close range of suitable spawning habitat. It is possible that female blue crabs move seaward to salinities exceeding 20‰ prior to extruding the first clutch of eggs (Rittschof et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is possible that female blue crabs move seaward to salinities exceeding 20‰ prior to extruding the first clutch of eggs (Rittschof et al. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Large‐Scale Movements of Postcopulatory Female Blue Crabs Callinectes sapidus in Tidal and Nontidal Estuaries of North Carolina

Darnell

Kemberling

2018

Trans Am Fish Soc

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For migratory species, understanding the timing, direction, and mechanism of migration is critical for successful fisheries management. We investigated migratory movements of postcopulatory female blue crabs Callinectes sapidus in three estuaries with different tidal regimes in North Carolina using a mark–recapture study. All crabs tagged were within about 2 weeks of the terminal molt to maturity (mating generally takes place immediately after the molt). In general, distances traveled (mean ± SE = 6.8 ± 0.6 km) and net movement rates (0.5 ± 0.05 km/d) were quite low compared to those in previous studies of mature (but not necessarily recently molted) female crabs, suggesting that rapid seaward migration does not take place until several weeks after mating, presumably upon production of a clutch of eggs. Although most crabs moved short distances (85% moved < 15 km), movement was generally oriented seaward, indicating that some down‐estuary movement occurs prior to oviposition, especially in crabs mating in low‐salinity estuaries that would be unsuitable for embryonic and larval development. Crabs moving seaward in the weeks between molting/mating and first oviposition were likely walking rather than swimming and taking advantage of seaward currents, as indicated by the low movement rates and similarities among the three areas.

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The influence of blue crab movement on mark–recapture estimates of recreational harvest and exploitation

Semmler

Ogburn

Aguilar

et al. 2021

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

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Despite the need to quantify total catch to support sustainable fisheries management, estimating harvests of recreational fishers remains a challenge. Harvest estimates from mark–recapture studies have proven valuable, yet animal movements and migrations may bias some of these estimates. To improve recreational harvest estimates, explore seasonal and spatial harvest patterns, and understand the influence of animal movement on exploitation rates, we conducted a mark–recapture experiment for the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) fishery in Maryland waters of Chesapeake Bay, USA. Data were analyzed with standard tag-return methods and with revised equations that accounted for crab movement between reporting areas. Using standard calculations, state-wide recreational harvest was estimated to be 4.04 million crabs. When movement was included in the calculations, the estimate was 5.39 million, an increase of 34%. With crab movement, recreational harvest in Maryland was estimated to be 6.5% of commercial harvest, a finding consistent with previous effort surveys. The new methods presented herein are broadly applicable for estimating recreational harvest in fisheries that target mobile species and for which spatial variation in commercial harvest is known.

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Estimating Relative Abundance of the Female Blue Crab Spawning Stock in North Carolina

Cited by 7 publications

References 16 publications

Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) larval settlement in North Carolina: environmental forcing, recruit–stock relationships, and numerical modeling

Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) larval settlement in North Carolina: environmental forcing, recruit–stock relationships, and numerical modeling

Large‐Scale Movements of Postcopulatory Female Blue Crabs Callinectes sapidus in Tidal and Nontidal Estuaries of North Carolina

The influence of blue crab movement on mark–recapture estimates of recreational harvest and exploitation

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