Most research on the early life history of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, has been conducted in large partially stratified estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, little is known about the recruitment dynamics or habitat requirements of blue crab postlarvae (megalopae) in shallow well-mixed lagoonal systems that make up a considerable part of the species' range. In Virginia's coastal lagoons, planktonic blue crab megalopae are most abundant at night on flooding tides, and are not abundant during the daytime or on ebbing tides. This appears to enhance retention within the lagoons, despite the short residence time of water in the system.
Seagrasses are largely absent from the lagoons and megalopae use benthic macroalgae as a settlement habitat. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that macroalgae is an effective refuge from predation for newly settled megalopae. Megalopae appear to recognize waterborne cues in the lagoon that enhance recruitment by initiating premolt and reducing the time spent in the megalopal stage within the lagoons. Intermolt megalopae exposed to lagoon water quickly advance to premolt and molt to the juvenile stage in approximately 2 days. In contrast, intermolt megalopae held in shore waters appear to delay metamorphosis until estuarine cues are recognized.
The results of this study illustrate some of the adaptations that aid blue crab megalopae in the recruitment to coastal habitats. These adaptations include the ability to recognize and distinguish between inshore and offshore waters, the ability to modify swimming behavior in inshore waters to effect landward transport, and the ability to utilize alternative settlement substrates in the absence of seagrasses.
","abstract_html":"<p>Most research on the early life history of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, has been conducted in large partially stratified estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, little is known about the recruitment dynamics or habitat requirements of blue crab postlarvae (megalopae) in shallow well-mixed lagoonal systems that make up a considerable part of the species' range. In Virginia's coastal lagoons, planktonic blue crab megalopae are most abundant at night on flooding tides, and are not abundant during the daytime or on ebbing tides. This appears to enhance retention within the lagoons, despite the short residence time of water in the system.</p> <p>Seagrasses are largely absent from the lagoons and megalopae use benthic macroalgae as a settlement habitat. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that macroalgae is an effective refuge from predation for newly settled megalopae. Megalopae appear to recognize waterborne cues in the lagoon that enhance recruitment by initiating premolt and reducing the time spent in the megalopal stage within the lagoons. Intermolt megalopae exposed to lagoon water quickly advance to premolt and molt to the juvenile stage in approximately 2 days. In contrast, intermolt megalopae held in shore waters appear to delay metamorphosis until estuarine cues are recognized.</p> <p>The results of this study illustrate some of the adaptations that aid blue crab megalopae in the recruitment to coastal habitats. These adaptations include the ability to recognize and distinguish between inshore and offshore waters, the ability to modify swimming behavior in inshore waters to effect landward transport, and the ability to utilize alternative settlement substrates in the absence of seagrasses.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Brumbaugh, Robert D."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Ocean & Earth Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["John R. McConaugha","Mark J. Butler IV","Richard B. Forward, Jr.","Anthony J. Provenzano"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1996,"date_issued":"1996-04-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"1996-04-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:34:39Z","subjects":["Blue crab","Eastern Shore (Virginia)","Lagoons","Aquaculture and Fisheries","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Oceanography"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ 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).
"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_etds/23","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["John R. McConaugha","Mark J. Butler IV","Richard B. Forward, Jr.","Anthony J. Provenzano"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Brumbaugh, Robert D."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-04-11T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Ocean & Earth Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Blue crab","Eastern Shore (Virginia)","Lagoons","Aquaculture and Fisheries","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Oceanography"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ 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).
"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_etds/23"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Most research on the early life history of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, has been conducted in large partially stratified estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, little is known about the recruitment dynamics or habitat requirements of blue crab postlarvae (megalopae) in shallow well-mixed lagoonal systems that make up a considerable part of the species' range. In Virginia's coastal lagoons, planktonic blue crab megalopae are most abundant at night on flooding tides, and are not abundant during the daytime or on ebbing tides. This appears to enhance retention within the lagoons, despite the short residence time of water in the system.
Seagrasses are largely absent from the lagoons and megalopae use benthic macroalgae as a settlement habitat. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that macroalgae is an effective refuge from predation for newly settled megalopae. Megalopae appear to recognize waterborne cues in the lagoon that enhance recruitment by initiating premolt and reducing the time spent in the megalopal stage within the lagoons. Intermolt megalopae exposed to lagoon water quickly advance to premolt and molt to the juvenile stage in approximately 2 days. In contrast, intermolt megalopae held in shore waters appear to delay metamorphosis until estuarine cues are recognized.
The results of this study illustrate some of the adaptations that aid blue crab megalopae in the recruitment to coastal habitats. These adaptations include the ability to recognize and distinguish between inshore and offshore waters, the ability to modify swimming behavior in inshore waters to effect landward transport, and the ability to utilize alternative settlement substrates in the absence of seagrasses.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Recruitment of Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus, Postlarvae to the Back-Barrier Lagoons of Virginia's Eastern Shore"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["John R. McConaugha","Mark J. Butler IV","Richard B. Forward, Jr.","Anthony J. Provenzano"],"dc:creator":["Brumbaugh, Robert D."],"dc:date.available":["2019-04-11T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Most research on the early life history of the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, has been conducted in large partially stratified estuaries such as the Chesapeake Bay. In contrast, little is known about the recruitment dynamics or habitat requirements of blue crab postlarvae (megalopae) in shallow well-mixed lagoonal systems that make up a considerable part of the species' range. In Virginia's coastal lagoons, planktonic blue crab megalopae are most abundant at night on flooding tides, and are not abundant during the daytime or on ebbing tides. This appears to enhance retention within the lagoons, despite the short residence time of water in the system.
Seagrasses are largely absent from the lagoons and megalopae use benthic macroalgae as a settlement habitat. Laboratory experiments demonstrate that macroalgae is an effective refuge from predation for newly settled megalopae. Megalopae appear to recognize waterborne cues in the lagoon that enhance recruitment by initiating premolt and reducing the time spent in the megalopal stage within the lagoons. Intermolt megalopae exposed to lagoon water quickly advance to premolt and molt to the juvenile stage in approximately 2 days. In contrast, intermolt megalopae held in shore waters appear to delay metamorphosis until estuarine cues are recognized.
The results of this study illustrate some of the adaptations that aid blue crab megalopae in the recruitment to coastal habitats. These adaptations include the ability to recognize and distinguish between inshore and offshore waters, the ability to modify swimming behavior in inshore waters to effect landward transport, and the ability to utilize alternative settlement substrates in the absence of seagrasses.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/oeas_etds/23"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ 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).
"],"dc:subject":["Blue crab","Eastern Shore (Virginia)","Lagoons","Aquaculture and Fisheries","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Oceanography"],"dc:title":["Recruitment of Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus, Postlarvae to the Back-Barrier Lagoons of Virginia's Eastern Shore"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Ocean & Earth Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:34:39Z"}