Growth and Yield-Per-Recruit Modeling of Spot (<i>Leiostomus xanthurus</i>) in the Chesapeake Bay, and a Comparison of Biological Reference Points

<p>Spot were sampled from the Chesapeake Bay commercial fishery from 1993–1995 to determine if spot are overfished. Transversely sectioned otoliths were determined to be the most appropriate structure for ageing spot. It was determined that spot have a high natural mortality rate (M = 0.9) and fast growth (K = 0.6). This combination of M and K makes spot relatively impervious to growth overfishing as determined by yield-per-recruit modeling. Because spot are nearly impervious to growth overfishing, management thresholds based on yield-per-recruit modeling may be inappropriate. In addition, the combination of high M and fast K makes it possible to completely fish out a cohort before it reaches its first potential spawning event and still not growth overfish the stock. Spawner Potential Ratios (SPR) per recruit were developed to assess the potential of recruitment overfishing spot. At current levels of fishing mortality (F), less than 20% of the potential reproductive effort of a cohort is available for spawning. Levels of F should be reduced to F = 1, to allow SPR = 20%. Levels of F should not, however, be reduced much below F = 1 to avoid under-utilizing the potential cohort biomass.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biological Sciences

Year dc:date.available

1999

Author dc:creator

• Piner, Kevin Ray

Contributors dc:contributor

• Cynthia M. Jones
• Kent Carpenter
• Michael J. Doviak

• Chesapeake Bay
• Leiostomus xanthurus
• Overfishing
• Yield-per-recruit
• Aquaculture and Fisheries
• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Statement dc:rights

• <p>In Copyright. URI: <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).</p>

Identifier

9780599754683

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.odu.edu:biology_etds-1073