Abstract
The Chesapeake Bay is one of the largest and most productive estuaries in the United States. The fish and shellfish harvest in 1979 totaled 284.5 × 106 kg. Although historical measures of stock size are less than optimum, commercial landings and indices of reproductive success indicate declines in several species of anadromous and semi-anadromous finfish. Causes for the declines may be due to point and non-point sources of water pollution, acid deposition or overfishing. The EPA Chesapeake Bay Study identified a number of major environmental problems in the Bay but the exact linkages between environmental problems and fish stocks have not been made.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.References
Anonymous: 1984, Emergency Striped Bass Research Study, Report for 1984, U.S. Dept. of Interior and U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Washington, D. C.
Berggren, T. J. and Lieberman, J. T.: 1978, Fish. Bull. U.S. 76, 335.
Boone, J. G.: 1985, Estuarine Fish Recruitment Survey, Md. Dept. Nat. Res. Fed. Aid Rept., F-27-R-11, July, 1985.
Boreman, John and Austin, H. M.: 1985, Trans. Am. Fish Soc. 114, 3.
Carter, W. R.: 1973, Ecological Study of Susquehanna River and Tributaries Below the Conowingo Dam, Md. Dept. of Nat. Res. Fed. Aid Rept. AFSC-I, July 1973.
Coutant, C. C.: 1985, Trans. Amer. Fish. Soc. 114, 31.
Creeco, V. A. and Savoy, T. F.: 1985a, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42, 1649.
Crecco, V. A. and Savoy, T. F.: 1985b, Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 42, 1640.
Cronin, L. E.: 1982, ‘Fisheries of Chesapeake Bay’, in L. E. Cronin (ed.), Report of Workshop on Chesapeake Bay Fisheries Statistics, Ches. Res. Consortium, October 1982, pp. 13–18.
Dadswell, M. J., Melvin, G. D., Williams, P. J., and Brown, G. S.: 1984, ‘Possible Impact of Large-Scale Tidal Power Developments in the Upper Bay of Fundy on Certain Migratory Fish Stocks of the Norhtwest Atlantic’, D. C. Gordon and M. J. Dadswell (eds.), Update on the Marine Environmental Consequences on Tidal Power Development in the Upper Reaches of the Bay of Fundy, Can. Techn. Rept. of Fish. and Aq. Sci., No. 1256.
EPA: 1983, Chesapeake Bay: A Profile of Environmental Change, U.S. Environ. Prot. Agency, Region 3, Philadelphia, September 1983.
Hildebrand, S. F.: 1963, ‘Family Clupeidae’, Fishes of the Western North Atlantic, Sears. Found. Mar. Res., Mem. 1(3), pp. 257–385, 397–442.
Hoagman, W. J.: 1981, The Marine Sport Fishery of Virginia for 1979, Va. Mar. Res. Comm. Spec. Mgt. Rept., No. 11, February 1981.
Klauda, R. J. and Palmer, R. E.: 1986, Laboratory and Field Bioassay Experiments on Blueback Herring from Maryland Coastal Plain Streams, Md. Dept. Nat. Res. Power Plant Siting Program, Publ. No. PPSP-AD-15.
Koo, T. S. Y.: 1970, Chesapeake Sci. 11, 73.
Loesch, J. G. and Kreite, W. H.: 1985, Study of Alosa Stock Composition and Year-Class Strength in Virginia, Va. Inst. Mar. Sci. Fed. Aid Rept., AFC 13-1.
Mansueti, R. J. and Kolb, H.: 1953, A Historical Review of Shad Fisheries of North America, Md. Bd. of Nat. Res. Ches. Biol. Lab., Publ. No. 97.
Mansueti, R. J.: 1961, Chesapeake Sci. 2, 142.
Maryland Interagency Working Group on Acid Deposition: 1984, The Potential Effects of Acid Deposition in Maryland, Md. Dept. of Nat. Res. and Health and Mental Hygiene, Annapolis, Md., January 1984, 106 p.
McErlean, A. J., Kerby, C., and Wass, M. L.: 1972, Chesapeake Sci. 13, Supplement 555.
NMFS: 1984, ‘Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, 1979 (revised)-1980’, Current Fish. Stat., No. 8322, NOAA-NMFS.
NMFS: 1985a, ‘Marine Recreatonal Fishery Statistics Survey, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, 1981–1982’, Current Fish. Stat., No. 8324, NOAA-NMFS. NMFS: 1985b, ‘Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey, Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, 1983–1984’, Current Fish. Stat., No. 83226, NOAA-NMFS.
Price, K. S., Flemer, D. A., Taft, J. L., Mackiernan, G., Nehlsen, W., Biggs, R., Burger, N., and Blaylock, D.: 1985, Trans. Am. Fish Soc. 114, 97.
Richkus, W. A. and DiNardo, G.: 1984, ‘Current Status and Biological Characteristics of the Anadromous Alosid Stocks of the Eastern United States: American Shad, Hickory Shad, Alewife, and Blueback Herring’, Phase I: Alosid Mgt. Plan. Atlantic States Mar. Fish. Comm., Washington, D.C.
Rotschild, B. J., Jones, P. W., and Wilson, J. S.: 1981, ‘Trends in Chesapeake Bay Fisheries’, Trans. 46th North Am. Wildl. and Nat. Res. Conf., Washington, D.C., October 1981.
Schaeffer, J. E., Jr.: 1976, ‘Age and Growth of Spawning Hickory Shad, Alosa mediocris, in Octoraro Creek, Maryland, with Comments on the Present Decline in Population Numbers’, M.S. Thesis, Univ. of Md., College Park, Md. 58 p., unpublished.
Schubel, Jr. and Zabawa, C. F.: 1972, Maritime Sediments 8, 32.
Stroup, E. E. and Lynn, R. J.: 1963, Atlas of Salinity and Temperature Distributions in Chesapeake Bay 1952–1961 and Seasonal Averages 1949–1961, Ches. Bay Inst. Johns Hopkins Univ., Ref. 63-1, February 1963.
Summers, J. K., Richkus, W. A., Ross, R. N., and Ulanowicz, R. E.: 1982, Fish. Res. 1 289.
Van Winkle, W., Kirk, B. L., and Rust, B. W.: 1979, J. Fish. Res. Bd. Can. 36, 54.
Weinrich, D. R., Dore, M. E., and Carter, W. R.: 1985, Investigation of American Shad in the Upper Chesapeake Bay, 1984, Md. Dept. Nat. Res. Fed. Aid. Rept. F-37-R, August 1985.
Williams, J. B., Smith, T. P., Speir, H. J., and Early, S.: 1983, 1980 Maryland Saltwater Sportfishing Survey, Md. Dept. Nat. Res. Tidewater Admin., Rept. No. TA-CRD-83-1.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Speir, H.J. Status of some finfish stocks in the Chesapeake Bay. Water Air Soil Pollut 35, 49–62 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00183843
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00183843