ebook img

Marine Fisheries Review 2009: Vol 71 Iss 3 PDF

2009·22.5 MB·English
by  
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview Marine Fisheries Review 2009: Vol 71 Iss 3

wr )S S< 4 “ ENT OF G w % %. q Mar ine LL.A L ‘—® - ips a * cc A A“ > Bay Scallops in Eastern North America Part Il Fisheries Marine or =e II 1 / : 4 \ ; aA W. L. Hobart, Editor J. A. Strader, Managing Editor On the cover: Top to bottom, left to right Town of Nan- tucket and Nantucket Harbor, Mass., cour- tesy of Nantucket Historical Society: shell- fish law enforcement patch; northern bay scallop seed attached to small stone: scallop aquaculture harvest, C. L. MacKenzie, Jr.: eelgrass transplanted into Narragansett Bay, R. I., Jay Preshoso: bay scallop seed attached to eelgrass blades, C. L. MacKenzie, Jr. 71(3), 2009 Articles The Bay Scallop, Argopecten irradians, in Florida Coastal Waters William S. Arnold Bay Scallops, Argopecten irradians, in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas) Kim Withers and Matt Hubner The Bay Scallop, Argopecten irradians amplicostatus, in Northeastern Mexico Armando T. Wakida-Kusunoki The Status of Eelgrass, Zostera marina, as Bay Scallop Habitat: Consequences for the Fishery in the Western Atlantic Mark S. Fonseca and Amy V. Uhrin Geomorphological Evolution of Estuaries: The Dynamic Basis for Morpho-Sedimentary Units in Selected Estuaries in the Northeastern United States Norbert P. Psuty and Tanya M. Silveira Small-scale Commercial Culturing of Northern Bay Scallops, Argopecten irradians irradians, i 1 Atlantic United States and Canada Clyde L. MacKenzie, Jr. History of Molluscan Fishery Regulations and the Shellfish Officer Service in Massachusetts Henry Lind U.S. DEPARTMENT The Marine Fisheries Review (ISSN 0090-1830) is pub- printing this periodical has been approved by the Director of OF COMMERCE lished quarterly by the Scientific Publications Office, Na the Office of Management and Budget. tional Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, 7600 Sand Point The NMFS does not approve, recommend, or endorse any Gary Locke, Way N.E., BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115. Annual subscrip proprietary product or proprietary material mentioned in this Secretary tions are sold by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S publication. No reference shall be made to the NMFS, or to Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. The this publication furnished by the NMFS, in any advertising annual subscription price is $21.00 domestic, $29.40 foreign or sales promotion which would indicate or imply that the NATIONAL OCEANIC AND Single copies are $12.00 domestic, $16.80 foreign. For new NMFS approves. recommends, or endorses any proprietary ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION subscriptions write: New Orders, Superintendent of Docu product or proprietary material mentioned herein, or which Jane Lubchenco, ments, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954 has as its purpose an intent to cause directly or indirectly the Although the contents of this publication have not been advertised product to be used or purchased because of this Under Secretary copyrighted and may be reprinted entirely, reference to NMFS publication. POSTMASTER: Send address changes for Oceans and Atmosphere source is appreciated for subscriptions for this journal to: Marine Fisheries Re- Publication of material from sources outside the NMFS is view, c/o Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government National Marine Fisheries Service not an endorsement, and the NMFS is not responsible for the Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. This issue, volume accuracy of facts, views, or opinions of the sources. The Sec- 71 number 3, was printed and distributed in November 2009 James W. Balsiger. retary of Commerce has determined that the publication of Acting Assistant Administrator this periodical is necessary for the transaction of public busi- This publication is available online at for Fisheries ness required by law of this Department. Use of the funds for http://spo.nwr.noaa.gov/mcontent.htm The Bay Scallop, Argopecten irradians, in Florida Coastal Waters WILLIAM S. ARNOLD Introduction tions by transplantation of field-collect- the grass blades and assume a benthic ed specimens or by rearing scallops ina existence. They achieve a shell height The bay scallop, Argopecten irradi- hatchery setting and then planting them of 50-55 mm by June of the follow- ans, supports one of the most popular at sites targeted for restoration (Arnold ing year, at which time growth slows and family-oriented fisheries currently et al., 2005). Regardless of the methods considerably and energy is devoted to pursued in Florida coastal waters. Har- used to restore scallop populations in reproductive development and spawn- vesting bay scallops has a long history Florida, the species remains imperiled in ing (Barber and Blake, 1983). in both peninsular (Marelli and Arnold, the face of continued human population Species Distribution and Status 2001) and panhandle (Mikell, 1992; growth and concomitant loss of suitable 1994; Thomas and Campbell, 1993) bay scallop habitat. Three species of Argopecten occur Florida dating to at least A.D. 900, but in Florida including the calico scallop, Life History in recent years the popularity of the Argopecten gibbus; the nucleus scal- scallops as a target for recreational and Bay scallops are short-lived, and in lop, Argopecten nucleus; and the bay commercial fishermen appears to have Florida their life span rarely exceeds scallop, Argopecten irradians (Abbott, contributed to local declines and the 18 months (Barber and Blake, 1985). 1974). The calico scallop inhabits implementation of more stringent man- Their primary habitat is seagrass beds, deeper offshore waters and has been agement measures (Arnold et al., 1998). particularly Thallassia and Syringo- the target of an occasionally lucrative Those declines also have instigated dium, but it is not uncommon for scal- commercial fishery (Moyer and Blake, many efforts to rebuild scallop popula- lops to be found in open sand areas or 1986; Blake and Moyer, 1991). In con- lying on algal mats among the seagrass trast, the bay scallop and the nucleus beds. Bay scallops may or may not have scallop inhabit shallow inshore waters. William S. Arnold was with the Fish and Wild- life Research Institute, Florida Fish and Wildlife the physiological apparatus to support Their range appears to overlap in south Conservation Commission, 100 Eighth Avenue gregarious behavior, but they are com- Florida and particularly Biscayne Bay S.E., St. Petersburg, FL 33701. His current monly found in patches that are densely (Waller, 1969), but otherwise the range address is the Southeast Regional Office, NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service, 263 13th Ave. populated relative to background abun- of the nucleus scallop is more southerly South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (email: Bill. dance. The patchy distribution pattern than that of the bay scallop. Arnold @noaa.gov). may facilitate successful reproduction. Nucleus scallops occur throughout Scallops are broadcast spawners, so the the Caribbean and northern South likelihood of successful fertilization America (Waller, 1969) whereas the is enhanced by proximity (Levitan, most southerly record of the bay scallop ABSTRACT—The bay scallop, Argopec- ten irradians, supported a small commer- 1995). is from Tuxpan in the Veracruz region cial fishery in Florida from the late 1920's Peak spawning activity appears to of Mexico (Wakida-Kusunoki, 2009). through the 1940’s; peak landings were occur in the fall season in Florida, in There are published reports of calico in 1946 (214,366 lbs of meats), but it cur- contrast to the situation with bay scal- scallops occurring in Biscayne Bay rently supports one of the most popular and family-oriented fisheries along the west lops in New York to Massachusetts (Coleman et al., 1994), thus creating coast of Florida. The primary habitat of where spawning is a summer or even a situation where all three species co- the short-lived (18 months) bay scallop is spring event. However, ongoing studies occur, and the author has many records seagrass beds. Peak spawning occurs in the by the author show that spring spawning of calico scallop recruits collected from fall. Human population growth and coastal development that caused habitat changes occurs In some years, and recruitment inshore bays on both the east and west and reduced water quality probably are the has been recorded in almost every coast of Florida. main causes of a large decline in the scallop’s month of the year. Fertilized larvae Within the species Argopecten ir- abundance. Bay scallop restoration efforts spend about two weeks in the pelagos, radians, three extant subspecies are in bays where they have become scarce after which they settle and attach to recognized including A. i. irradians have centered on releasing pediveligers seagrass blades. At a shell height of from the northeastern United States, A. and juveniles into grass beds and holding scallops in cages where they would spawn. about 15-20 mm, the scallops drop off i. concentricus trom the Mid-Atlantic region and eastern Gulfo f Mexico, and north, somewhat consistent with human ing, and wet weather during the spring, \. i. amplicostatus from the western development patterns in the state. Bay but no definitive correlations could be Gulf of Mexico including Mexico. A scallops appear to have disappeared discerned. fourth subspecies (A. i. taylorae) oc- first from the southeast coast of the Bay scallop population density sur- cupying Florida and the eastern Gulf state, then from Pine Island Sound in veys were initiated at several sites along of Mexico has been suggested but not southwest Florida, followed by loss of the Gulf of Mexico coast of Florida codified (Marelli et al., 1997a). If that populations in Sarasota Bay and Tampa beginning in 1993 and have continued subspecific designation is accepted, Bay, then Anclote, and finally Homosas- to the present. Survey sites were selected then the A. i. concentricus designation sa and Crystal River (Fig. |). However, based upon the historical and anecdotal would be dropped and bay scallops from bay scallops also have disappeared from information described above and have North Carolina north would be lumped western panhandle Florida, suggesting been continued (and expanded) since into the A. i. irradians group (Marelli a more complex pattern of loss. their initiation at Homosassa in 1993. et al., 1997b). Anecdotal information gleaned from At each survey site, 20 stations were The three subspecies are in many telephone and personal interviews with randomly selected from within the 2 ft respects similar in appearance al- fishermen, owners of marine-dependent to 6 ft (0.61 m to 1.83 m) depth contours though they can be distinguished by businesses (dive shops, bait shops, ma- (Arnold et al., 1998). At each station, morphological details such as hinge rinas), and coastal managers conducted two scuba divers swam the length of a width and the number of ribs on the during 1991, 1992, and 1993 supports 984 ft (300 m) transect line and counted shell surface (Waller, 1969). They also the pattern of disappearance described all scallops within 1.1 yds (1 m) on share a dependence on marine seagrass above (Arnold and Marelli'). Responses either side of the line, thus surveying an as a habitat (Thayer and Stuart, 1974), were divided into three geographically area of 718 yds? (600 m2) at each station although the particular species of sea- representative areas including south- or 14,352 yds? (12,000 m2) at each site. grass upon which the scallop depends west Florida (from Tampa Bay south), At the Cedar Key site, where the extent differs from site to site according to the central west coast of Florida (i.e. of seagrass beds is relatively small, only seagrass distribution patterns. That the Big Bend, from Tampa Bay north 6 rather than 20 stations were surveyed dependence upon seagrass has con- to approximately Apalachicola Bay), each year. tributed to the decline of bay scallops and northwest Florida (from Apala- Initial survey results supported the in Florida and throughout the range of chicola Bay to the Florida—Alabama historical and anecdotal information the species, because the seagrasses are state line). reported above. Scallops have been becoming scarcer. In the southwest region, scallops were essentially nonexistent in Pine Island Museum collections indicate that the reported only from Pine Island Sound, Sound (Table 1) in southwest Florida distribution of bay scallops in Florida where they were scarce and their inter- and in Pensacola Bay and St. Andrew once extended from Palm Beach on the annual abundance was inconsistent. In Bay in northwest Florida. In the central southwest coast of the state to Pensacola the central region, scallops were rare region, scallops were rare in the Homo- and westward to the Chandeleur Islands from Tampa Bay north to the Pepperfish sassa/Crystal River area through 1998 in Louisiana (Waller, 1969). Although Keys area, but from Pepperfish Keys but abundance has been highly variable no definitive information is available, it north to Keaton Beach (i.e. the Stein- in Anclote. In contrast, although interan- is likely that the scallops were not con- hatchee area) scallops were abundant, nual fluctuations are apparent at both the tinuously distributed within this range. although abundance varied from year to St. Joseph Bay and Steinhatchee study Instead, the population was composed year. Respondents reported that scallops sites, at least through 1998 scallop abun- of many discretely distributed sub- “used to be” abundant in areas such as dance at those sites has been an order populations that inhabited the bays and Anclote and Homosassa and suggested of magnitude greater than at most other estuaries that characterize the Florida that declines in these populations were sites during most years. Since 1998, coast. In recent years, many of those relatively recent. some increases in scallop abundance at local populations have disappeared in In the northwest region, scallops several sites have occurred. Events that response to a variety of factors including remained abundant in St. Joseph Bay may have contributed to the increases habitat loss, deteriorating water quality, and occasionally could be found in are discussed in the “Population Resto- and overfishing. St. Andrew Bay, but otherwise they ration Efforts” section below. According to Arnold et al. (1998), by had largely disappeared from the area. the mid 1990's only two consistently Various explanations were offered by the Causes of Population Loss productive local populations remained respondents for any observed declines, There appears to be no single expla- in Florida, one located in the coastal including increased turbidity, overfish- nation or event that led to the depletion waters near Steinhatchee and the other of bay scallops in coastal Florida. The located within St. Joseph Bay (Fig. 1). ‘Arnold, W. S., and D. C. Marelli. 1991. Assess- available explanations are based largely The loss of these local populations ap- ment of bay scallop populations on the west coast upon anecdotal information rather than of Florida. Internal Report IHR1991-001, Fla. pears to have occurred from south to Mar. Res. Inst., 19 p. hard data. In southeast Florida, where Marine Fisheries Review » ste Atlantic Pensacola . Ree : ? Ocean St. Andrew Bay St. Joseph Bay * Chandeleur Islands Cedar Key Homosassa Hernando Anclote Tampa Bay ' Gulf of Mexico Sarasota Bay Palm Beach Pine Island we “ZN @ Bay Scallop Spring Survey Sites V7) Bay Scallop Open Harvest Area Figure |.—Bay scallops, Argopecten irradians, in Florida, including their historic range from West Palm Beach to the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana, the location of summer adult abundance survey sites, and the present (2009) open recreational harvest area along the west coast. Table 1.—Mean abundance of adult bay scallops, Argopecten irradians, at various sites along the Florida west coast. Sample locations are depicted in Figure 1. Adult abundance (SD) is calculated as the mean of the abundance at each of twenty 718 yd? (600 m2) survey transects determined by scuba divers, except at Cedar Key where only six stations were surveyed each year. Site 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Pine Island 0 2.4 0.8 2.3 2.4 2.6 2. 55 0.6 0.6 (0) (7.7) (2.1) (3.9) (5.7) (6.1) (10.5) (1.6) (1.1) Anciote 14.6 0.2 3.4 47.4 20.3 2.5 y 5.9 37.2 35.8 (26.8) (5.8) (74.0) (69.8) (3.8) ‘ (8.0) (63.7) (49.8) Hernando 14.2 0.6 5.7 2.2 46.1 7.2 8.0 (33.1) (1.5) (11.8) (44.9) (124.2) (3.9) (16.8) Homosassa < ) 3 15.2 3.0 28.6 242.8 299.3 51.8 125.6 (16.0) (7.9) (48.1) (290) (305.4) (38.9) (149.8) Cedar Key af 0.3 7.7 2.3 6.0 (2.8) (0.5) (9.4) (2.6) (4.2) Steinhatchee Z 27.3 164.4 218.3 122.8 138.7 61.3 (227.3) (388.5) (190.0) (136.9) St. Joseph Bay ra fe 3.4 31.1 3.8 12.1 (48.2) (6.3) (37.6) St. Andrew Bay 56 y 2.4 1.2 0.1 (3.0) (2.6) (0.2) Pensacola Bay bay scallops occurred at least during resupply of populations both north and lops were planted in each of five cages at the early part of the century (see “Fish- south of Tampa Bay. each of those stations. Scallops planted ery and Harvest Regulations” section The depletion of scallop populations in spring at a shell height of about 20 below), intensive human population in the Anclote and Homosassa/Crystal mm grew slowly and did not achieve growth and concomitant development River area may be the result of indirect full adult shell height until the following have led to obvious and substantial effects that contributed to a lack of larval spring, but they did appear to develop changes to habitat and water quality supply to these areas. Scallops are an and spawn normally. that certainly contributed to the scallop’s annual species in Florida, so extreme Plantings were conducted in 1998, decline. population fluctuations occur. It is 1999, and 2000, and contemporane- In southwest Florida, construction of therefore not the collapse in abundance ous sampling (Table 1) suggests that a causeway from the mainland to Sani- that is of concern but rather the lack of at least at the Homosassa and Crystal bel Island is popularly considered to be recovery. When bay scallop populations River sites an increase in abundance of the causative agent of decline of the Pine fall below a certain level of abundance, wild scallops resulted from the restora- Island Sound scallop population. How- they appear to be no longer capable of tion efforts. However, a genetic study ever, Dr. Peter Sheng? at the University producing enough larvae to support self- designed to detect contributions from of Florida suggests that, based upon his seeding (Arnold et al., 1998). the planted scallops to subsequent gen- hydrodynamic modeling of Pine Island At that point, allochthonous larval erations of wild scallops failed to detect Sound, dredging the Intracoastal Water- inputs are necessary to rebuild the any significant contribution (Seyoum way through Pine Island Sound led to population, but as the external sources et al., 2003; Wilbur et al., 2005). Given increased transport of fresh water north of such larvae are lost (e.g. as scallop the extreme fluctuations in scallop from the Caloosahatchee River into the populations in Tampa Bay and other abundance observed from long-term sound rather than south into the Gulf areas become depleted) the likelihood fisheries landings (Fig. 2) and from the of Mexico. of larval supply is lessened. A “domino adult scallop monitoring program (Table Since the Sanibel Causeway lies effect” comes into play; as more popula- 1), natural fluctuations as an explana- just south of the mouth of the Caloo- tions are lost the remaining populations tion of the sudden resurgence cannot sahatchee River and likely contributes become increasingly imperiled. This be ruled out. to blocking the exit of fresh water concept of population collapse, based A novel approach to rebuilding scal- from the river into the Gulf of Mexico, upon the theory of metapopulation ecol- lop populations has recently been de- it is possible that channelization and ogy (Levins, 1969; Hanski, 1991) has veloped and was applied in Pine Island causeway construction acted synergis- formed the basis of bay scallop popula- Sound during November 2003 (Leve- tically to increase freshwater inputs tion restoration efforts in Florida. rone et al., 2004; Arnold, 2008). For into Pine Island Sound. The increase this effort, adult scallops were collected Population Restoration Efforts in fresh water would lower the sound’s from Pine Island Sound and induced to salinity and thereby reduce the suitable Efforts to rebuild bay scallop popu- spawn in a hatchery. Resultant larvae bay scallop habitat, because scallops lations in Florida have been ongoing were raised to the pediveliger stage, at require salinities above 20%c for proper on a sporadic basis since at least the which time they are anticipated to set embryological and larval development 1970's, but a more concerted effort was within approximately 24 hours. The (Castagna, 1975). initiated by Dr. Norman J. Blake at the larvae were then transported to the field In Tampa Bay, it is likely that dredge- University of South Florida beginning in and released into three pre-established and-fill operations, causeway construc- the early 1990's (Blake, 1996; 1998; Lu enclosures constructed from sediment tion, and human population growth and Blake, 1997). Those efforts involved containment booms (Fig. 3). Larvae indirectly contributed to the depletion of culturing locally collected scallops in a were allowed 72 hours to settle, after scallops in that estuary. Those activities hatchery setting (Lu and Blake, 1997), which the containment booms were led to a loss of about 80% of the seagrass then either releasing the resulting juve- removed and the scallops were allowed beds in Tampa Bay (Lewis et al., 1985). niles into grass beds or planting them to grow to adult size and to spawn ina Such a loss of essential scallop habitat into cages deployed throughout Tampa natural setting. (Thayer and Stuart, 1974) would proba- Bay (Blake, 1996; 1998). This approach is designed to emulate bly result in an equivalent or greater loss Bay scallop population restoration the caging approach, with each enclo- of scallops. The loss of the Tampa Bay efforts in Florida were expanded in sure serving the same purpose as a set scallop population may have imperiled 1997 to include several additional loca- of five cages at each of the stations men- other populations along the west coast of tions including Anclote, Homosassa, tioned above. In both cases, the idea is Florida, because that estuary may have and Crystal River (Arnold et al., 2005). to establish a concentration of spawning acted as a source of larvae for periodic For the latter effort, ten stations were individuals and ultimately to maximize established within each of the Tampa the fertilization success of the scallops Bay, Anclote, Homosassa, and Crystal that do successfully survive to spawning. Sheng, P. Physical oceanographer, Coastal Eng. Dep., Univ. Fla. Gainesville. Personal commun. River study areas and from 50-300 scal- However, the larval release approach Marine Fisheries Review achieves that goal with considerably Bay Scallop Commercial Landings less cost and effort and with the scallops Florida West Coast proceeding through their growth and development in a natural manner. The larval release approach appears 500000 Tr to have been successful. Recruit col- lectors deployed within the enclosures captured an average of 1.5 scallop 400000- recruits, whereas no recruits could be found on collectors deployed outside of the enclosures or within a control enclo- 300000 sure that received no larvae. Moreover, during June 2004 we found an average of 20 scallops within the footprint of the three treatment enclosures versus only PoMfeo autnsd s three scallops within the footprint of the control enclosure. 100000 Finally, surveys conducted in Pine Island Sound during June 2005, when offspring from the June 2004 adults 7a hl = would be expected to have achieved 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 adult size themselves, revealed that Year scallop density in Pine Island Sound increased by two orders of magnitude Figure 2.—Bay scallop, Argopecten irradians, commercial fishery landings from the relative to the previous I1 years of west coast of Florida during 1950-93. The commercial fishery was closed by regula- tion beginning in 1994, Data are courtesy of the Florida FWCC Fish and Wildlife monitoring (Table |). Scallop density in Conservation Commission’s Fisheries Dependent Monitoring group. Pine Island Sound decreased by an order of magnitude in 2006 relative to 2005, suggesting that restoration outcomes may be short-lived and may need to be continuous to be successful. As with the previous restoration ef- forts, despite apparent success we have no absolute evidence of a connection between our restoration efforts and the resultant resurgence of scallops in Pine Island Sound. Given the vagaries of population abundance characteristic of this short-lived animal, it is possible that the increase in scallop abundance observed during 2005 simply reflected natural variation. The 2003-05 effort in Pine Island Sound was designed to be low-cost so no genetic assessment was included, but we are refining and applying genetic assessment in our Figure 3.—Sediment containment booms formed into enclosures for receipt of ongoing restoration program. Genetic bay scallop, Argopecten irradians, larvae in Pine Island Sound, Fla. For the study described in the text, one of the four enclosures served as a control and received no assessments are a costly but necessary larvae. Photo from the author’s archives. component of population rebuilding pro- grams as they provide the best assurance that perceived success is a reality. once active along both coasts of Florida. of those counties are located along the Most production came from Pine Island east central coast of Florida, well north Fishery and Harvest Regulations Sound and St. Joseph Bay (Table 2), of reported northernmost distribution of Apparently beginning in the late but landings were recorded from sev- the species on the east coast of Florida 1920’s (Murdock, 1955), an occasion- eral other counties including Brevard, (Waller, 1969). This fishery was some- ally substantial commercial fishery was Volusia, Flagler, and St. Johns. All four times substantial; in 1936 over 332,000 Table 2.—Statewide Florida commercial landings of bay Scallops were shucked by hand, and harvest and the area from the mouth of scallops, Argopecten irradians, from 1928 through 1950. the women and high school girls and St. Joseph Bay west to the Florida—Ala- Data are from Murdock (1955) who provides additional information on the various sources of these data. * indi- boys employed could shuck a bushel in bama line was closed to harvest due to cates missing data or no production less than an hour (Murdock, 1955). The low scallop abundance in the estuaries of resultant meats were washed to remove that area. As of 2009, those regulations any shell and visceral fragments and remain in effect. placed in metal bins with fresh water As noted, considerable effort has and ice for an initial chilling. The meats been expended on restoring bay scallop absorbed some water, which increased populations in various Florida estuar- their volumes and also improved their ies, but no definitive evidence can be appearance by whitening them. The offered regarding the success of those meats then were packed in |-gallon tins efforts. One reason for advising cau- 32,523 » 499 which were subsequently packed on ice tion in the interpretation of the possible 10,593 in barrels or boxes for shipment to local outcomes of those efforts relates to the 10,948 17,497 or out-of-state markets. changes that have occurred in harvesting There were no regulations regarding regulations contemporaneous with those this fishery (Murdock, 1955), with the restoration efforts. Possibly, changes in predictable result that by the 1960's management strategies, the restoration 21,600 landings were decreasing. By the 1970's, efforts, or a combination of the two will the fishery was artisanal at best. The be adequate to maintain functional bay first substantial regulations regarding scallop populations in Florida coastal 7,180 commercial or recreational bay scallop waters in the face of continued human harvests in Florida were implemented population growth. The loss of bay lbs of meats were landed and in 1951 in 1985, when a statewide closed season scallops from Florida waters would be a over 250,000 Ibs of meats were landed. from | April through 30 June of each disappointment because the species sup- However, the fishery was also very spo- year was instituted. A recreational bag ports an enjoyable and family-oriented radic, and Murdock (1955) suggests that limit of five gallons of whole scallops recreation, and that loss would signal that at least some of this variance was due to also was put into effect and allowable serious environmental problems within red tide, Karenia brevis, events that still dimensions for commercial harvest gear the seagrass community are occurring. severely affect bay scallop populations were defined. Acknowledgments in Florida. As scallop populations continued to Vessels involved in this fishery were decline statewide, more stringent harvest Many people have contributed to our typically 15-20 ft (4.5—6 m) long, they regulations were instituted beginning in understanding of the history and ecology had shallow drafts suitable for running 1994. That year the commercial fishery of bay scallops in Florida waters, includ- in shallow water, and each was manned was closed and commercial sale of bay ing numerous citizens who contributed by one fisherman (Murdock, 1955). scallops harvested from Florida waters their memories and knowledge of scal- Their engines were centrally located, was prohibited. In addition, the recre- lop distribution and abundance. Specific and a culling board was attached to the ational harvest was limited to the area acknowledgment goes to Alcee Taylor stern gunwhale. Dredges, constructed north of the Suwannee River and only from Cortez, Florida, for the time he from a triangular iron frame of maxi- during the period | July—30 Sept. of each spent discussing the history of scallops mum dimensions 28 in (70 cm) wide year. In 1995 the recreational harvest and to Dr. Norm Blake and his students x 24 in (60 cm) high, with a 2 2/3 in season was further limited to the period for establishing research baselines for (7 cm) stretch mesh net attached to the | July—30 Aug., and the bag limit was bay scallops in Florida. Florida FWCC distal end of the frame, were the harvest reduced to 2 gallons of whole scallops or staff who have been instrumental in gear of choice. The dredges could hold | pint of meats/person. A boat limit of 10 developing our knowledge of this im- about one bushel; two dredges were gallons of whole scallops (1/2 gallon of portant and charismatic species include towed from each vessel. In Pine Island meats) was included, the prohibition on Dan Marelli, Catherine Bray, Melissa Sound, a maximum of perhaps 40 fish- commercial sale was continued, and the Harrison, Kate Hagner, Melanie Parker, ermen moved in and out of this fishery use of any mechanical gear for harvest Sarah Stephenson, Steve Geiger, Janessa depending upon scallop abundance was outlawed. Cobb, Mark Gambordella, Bill Teehan, and the abundance of other harvestable In 1997 the recreational season was and others too numerous to mention. species such as blue crabs, Callinectes extended to 10 Sept. to include the Labor sapidus. No information was provided Day holiday, but all other regulations Literature Cited regarding the number of fishermen were left intact. Finally, in 2002, the area Abbott, R. T. 1974. American seashells: The engaged in the fishery in other Florida from the Suwannee River south to the marine mollusca of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North America, second edition. Van areas (Murdock, 1955). Weeki Wachee River was reopened to Nostrand Reinhold Co., N.Y., 663 p. Marine Fisheries Review Arnold, W. S. 2008. Application of the larval Coleman, F. C., C. C. Koenig, and W. F. Herrn- pecten irradians concentricus (Say, 1822) and life history phase for restoration of coastal kind. 1994. Survey of Florida inshore shrimp of the bay scallops of Florida. The Nautilus marine bivalve populations. Rev. Fish. Sci. trawler by-catch. Second annual report, Fla. 110:42-44. 16:65-71. Dept. Nat. Resour., Fla. Mar. Res. Inst., DNR Mikell, G. A. 1992. 80KS: A coastal Weeden = , N. J. Blake, M. M. Harrison, D. C. contract #C-7779, 56 p. Island village in northwest Florida. The Fla. Marelli, M. L. Parker, S. C. Peters, and D. Hanski, I. 1991. Single-species metapopulation Anthropol. 45: 195-220 E. Sweat. 2005. Restoration of bay scallop dynamics: concepts, models and observa- 1994. 8WL38, A protohistoric vil- (Argopecten irradians (Lamarck)) popula- tions. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 42:17-38. lage site on Choctawhatchee Bay. The Fla. tions in Florida coastal waters: Planting Leverone, J. R., W. S. Arnold, S. P. Geiger, and Anthropol. 47:233-267. techniques and the growth, mortality and J. Greenawalt. 2004. Restoration of bay scal- Moyer, M. A., and N. J. Blake. 1986. Fluctua reproductive development of planted scal- lop populations in Pine Island Sound: Compe- tions in calico scallop production (Argopecten lops. J. Shellfish Res. 24:883-904. tent larval release strategy. Final report to the gibbus). Proc. 11th Annu. Trop. Subtropical ____, D.C. Marelli, C. P Bray, and M. M. Charlotte Harbor Natl. Est. Prog. Mote Mar. Fish. Conf. Am., p. 45-58 Harrison. 1998. Recruitment of bay scal- Lab. Tech. Rep. 974, 13 p. Murdock, J. F. 1955. Investigation of the Lee lops Argopecten irradians in Floridan Gulf Levins, R. 1969. Some demographic and genetic County bay scallop fishery. Rep. 55-13, The of Mexico waters: scales of coherence. Mar. consequences of environmental heterogene- Mar. Lab., Univ. Miami, Fla., 10 p. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 170:143-157. ity for biological control. Bull. Entomol. Soc Seyoum, S., T. M. Bert, A. Wilbur, C. Crawford, Barber, B. J., and N. J. Blake. 1983. Growth and Am. 15:237-240. and W. S. Arnold. 2003. Development, assess reproduction of the bay scallop, Argopecten Levitan, D. R. 1995. The ecology of fertilization in ment, and application of a mitochondrial DNA irradians (Lamarck) at its southern distribu- free-spawning invertebrates. /n L. McEdward genetic tag for the bay scallop, Argopecten tional limit. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol. 66:247 (Editor), Ecology of marine invertebrate larvae, irradians. J. Shellfish Res. 22:1 11-117 256. p. 123-156. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla. Thayer, G. W., and H. H. Stuart. 1974. The bay —s and . 1985. Substrate Lewis, R. R., M. J. Durako, M. D. Moffler, and scallop makes its bed of seagrass. Mar. Fish catabolism related to reproduction in the bay R. C. Phillips. 1985. Seagrass meadows in Rev. 36(7):27—30. scallop, Argopecten irradians concentricus, Tampa Bay-a review. /n S. A. F. Treat, J. L. Thomas, P. L., and L. J. Campbell. 1993. Eglin as determined by O/N and RQ physiological Simon, R. R. Lewis II, and R. L. Whitman, Air Force Base historic preservation plan, indexes. Mar. Biol. 87:13-18. Jr. (Editors), Proceedings Tampa Bay Area Technical synthesis of cultural resources Blake, N. J. 1996. Demonstration of large-scale Scientific Information Symposium, p. 210 investigations at Eglin, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa reintroduction of the southern bay scallop 246. Fla. Sea Grant Coll. Rep. 65. and Walton Counties, Florida. New World to Tampa Bay, Florida. Final Rep. Tampa Lu, Y., and N. J. Blake. 1997. The culture of the Res., Inc., Rep. Invest. 192. Chap. 8, Prehis- Bay Natl. Est. Prog., St. Petersburg, Fla., southern bay scallop in Tampa Bay, an urban toric Interpret., p. 489-637 28 p. Florida estuary. Aqua. Intern. 5:439-450. Wakida-Kusunoki, A. T. 2009. The bay scallop, 2 __. 1998. The potential for reestablishing Marelli, D. C., and W. S. Arnold. 2001. Shell rgopecten irradians amplicostatus, in north bay scallops to the estuaries of the west coast morphologies of bay scallops, Argopecten eastern Mexico. Mar. Fish. Rev. 71(3):17-19. of Florida. Trans. 63rd No. Am. Wildl. and irradians, from extant and prehistoric popula- Waller, T. R. 1969. The evolution of the Argo- Natur. Resour. Cont., p. 184-189. tions from the Florida Gulf coast: Implications pecten gibbus stock (Mollusca: Bivalvia), ____—s and ~*M. A. Moyer 1991. The calico for the biology of past and present metapopu- with emphasis on the tertiary and quater- scallop, Argopecten gibbus, fishery of Cape lations. J. Archaeoi. Sci. 28:577-586. nary species of eastern North America. The Canaveral, Florida. /n S.E. Shumway (Editor), . M. K. Krause, W. S. Arnold, and W. Paleontological Society Memoir 3(43):1 Scallops: biology, ecology and aquaculture, p. G. Lyons. 1997a. Systematic relationships 125. 899-911. Develop. Aquacult. Fish. Sci., Vol. among Florida populations of Argopecten Wilbur, A. E., S. Seyoum, T. M. Bert, and W. S 21, Elsevier, N.Y., irradians (Lamarck, 1819) (Bivalvia: Pectini- Arnold. 2005. A genetic assessment of bay Castagna, M. 1975. Culture of the bay scallop, dae). The Nautilus 110:31-41. scallop (Argopecten irradians) restoration Argopecten irradians, in Virginia. Mar. Fish. . W. G. Lyons, W. S. Arnold, and M efforts in Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coastal Rev. 37(1):19-24. K. Krause. 1997b. Subspecific status of Argo- waters (USA). Cons. Gen. 6:11 1—122 Bay Scallops, Argopecten irradians, in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico (Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas) KIM WITHERS and MATT HUBNER Introduction began being published in 1950.' Texas (Ricklis, 1995), but on the Louisiana reported its only commercial catches Chenier plain, middens can be difficult Two subspecies of bay scallops in- (since 1895) in 1984 and 1985 (Culbert- to separate from natural accumulations habit the northwestern Gulf of Mexico son et al., 2004). The landings for both of shell (Henderson et al., 2002). coast: Argopecten irradians concentri- years combined were 2.4 metric tons Scallops do not appear in middens cus on the west coast of Florida to the (t) with a market value of $2,746.00. In from Louisiana (e.g. Poverty Point Site; Chandeleur Islands, Lousiana, and A. the same years, 13,437 t of bay scallops Gagliano and Saucier, 1963) but they i. amplicostatus from Galveston Bay, with a total value of $35,842.00 were are acommon component of middens in Texas, south to northern Mexico. Abun- landed in Florida.' Texas is the only northwestern Florida (Russo and Quit- dance of bay scallops in the northwest- state in the northwestern Gulf that regu- myer, 1996) and Texas (Table |). We ern Gulfi s typically much lower than on lates recreational harvesting of scallops could find no record of marine/estuarine the west coast of Florida and the Atlantic (TPWD, 2002, 2006). Scallops can only shell middens or bay scallop artifacts in coast. Alabama, Mississippi, and Loui- be harvested from waters approved by either Mississippi or Alabama. Rangia siana have not reported a commercial the Texas Department of Health. They or freshwater forms dominate the few scallop catch since harvest statistics can be taken year-round by hand, using middens in Louisiana that have been dip nets, rakes, or dredging and there are studied (Henderson et al., 2002), sug- Kim Withers and Matt Hubner are with the no size or bag limits. gesting that estuarine salinities may Center for Coastal Studies. Texas A&M Uni- Since there is no fishery on the north- have been too low outside of Texas and versity-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Dr., Unit 5866, Corpus Christi, TX 78412 (email: Kim. western Gulfo f Mexico, this paper will Florida to support large prehistoric scal- Withers @tamucc.edu) focus on what is known about past and lop populations. present bay scallop distribution and Bay scallops are one of five species abundance in the northwestern Gulf of marine/estuarine mollusks that were (primarily Texas, Fig. 1) and the reasons exploited by prehistoric inhabitants of ABSTRACT—There is no evidence that a why a commercial fishery is unlikely to the Texas coastline. Their shells are commercial bay scallop fishery exists any- develop. often co-dominant with oyster shells where in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. No data concerning scallop abundance or (Ricklis, 1995), but they are not usually Prehistoric Scallop Usage distribution was found for Alabama, Missis- associated with middens dominated by sippi, and Louisiana. Texas is the only state Shell middens composed primarily of rangia shells. Bay scallops are infre- west of Florida where bay scallop popula- eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, or quently found in middens on the upper tions have been documented. These records come from a variety of literature sources rangia, Rangia cuneata and/or R.f lexuo- Texas coast and are much more abundant and the fisheries-independent data col- sus, Shells are common along much of from Matagorda Bay southward (Steele, lected by Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart- the northwestern Gulf of Mexico coast. 1987; Table 1). The majority of bay scal- ment (1982-2005). Although common in The predominant species depends on lop shells found in archeological sites the diet of prehistoric peoples living on the Texas coast, recent (last ~50 years) bay whether they were deposited in low are unmodified, even articulated, and scallop population densities tend to be low salinity areas near river deltas and bay in large enough quantities to suggest and exhibit “boom-—bust” cycles of about heads (rangia), or in areas of higher they were a significant and integral food 10-15 years. The Laguna Madre, is the salinity closer to the Gulf along bay source (Steele, 1987; Ricklis, 1996). only place on the Texas coast where scal- margins and barrier islands (oysters). Scallops were apparently not used for lops are relatively abundant; this is likely due to extensive seagrasses cover (>70%) Texas shell middens usually represent tools or ornaments since possibly modi- and salinities that typically exceed 35 psu. Sites of repeated seasonal occupation fied shells were only found at two sites The lack of bay scallop fishery development (Steele, 1987). in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico is prob- 'Landings statistics have been published by the Bay scallops are most abundant in ably due to variable but generally low den- National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, in middens that date to the early Archaic sities of the species combined with a limited various issues of the Current Fisheries Statistics amount of suitable (i.e. seagrass) habitat. series period (~7500—4500 YBP). At that Marine Fisheries Review

See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.