Abstract
Bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) populations existed in Chesapeake Bay until 1933, when they declined dramatically due to a loss of seagrass habitat. Since then, there have been no documented populations within the Bay. However, some anecdotal observations of live bay scallops within the lower Bay suggest that restoration of the bay scallop is feasible. We therefore tested whether translocated adults of the southern bay scallop, Argopecten irradians concentricus, could survive during the reproductive season in vegetated and unvegetated habitats of the Lynnhaven River sub-estuary of lower Chesapeake Bay in the absence of predation. Manipulative field experiments evaluated survival of translocated, caged adult scallops in eelgrass Zostera marina, macroalgae Gracilaria spp., oyster shell, and rubble plots at three locations. After a 3-week experimental period, scallop survival was high in vegetated habitats, ranging from 98% in their preferred habitat, Z. marina, to 90% in Gracilaria spp. Survival in Z. marina was significantly higher than that in rubble (76%) and oyster shell (78%). These findings indicate that reproductive individuals can survive in vegetated habitats of lower Chesapeake Bay when protected from predators and that establishment of bay scallop populations within Chesapeake Bay may be viable.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Ambrose Jr., W.G., and E.A. Irlandi. 1992. Height of attachment on seagrass leads to trade-off between growth and survival in the bay scallop Argopecten irradians. Marine Ecology Progress Series 90: 45–51.
Belding, D.L. 1910. A report upon the scallop fishery of Massachusetts, including the habits. Life history of Pecten irradians, its rate of growth, and other facts of economic value. Boston: Wright & Potter Printing Co.
Bourgeois, M., J.C. Brêthes, and M. Nadeau. 2006. Substrate effects on survival, growth and dispersal of juvenile sea scallop, Placopecten magellanicus (Gmelin 1791). Journal of Shellfish Research 25(1): 43–49.
Cahalan, J.A., S.E. Siddall, and M.W. Luckenbach. 1989. Effects of flow velocity, food concentration and particle flux on growth rates of juvenile bay scallops Argopecten irradians. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 129: 45–60.
Carroll, J.M., B.J. Peterson, D. Bonal, A. Weinstock, C.F. Christopher, and S.T. Tettelbach. 2010. Comparative survival of bay scallops in eelgrass and the introduced alga, Codium fragile, in a New York estuary. Marine Biology 157: 249–259.
Castagna, M. 1975. Culture of the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians, in Virginia. Marine Fisheries Review 37(1): 19–24.
Castagna, M., and P. Chanley. 1973. Salinity tolerance of some marine bivalves from inshore and estuarine environments in Virginia waters on the western mid-Atlantic coast. Malacologia 12(1): 47–96.
Chintala, M., E. Hinchey, T. Gleason, and W. Berry. 2005. Juvenile bay scallop (Argopecten irradians) habitat preferences. Presentation at National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI.
Craig, L.J. 2005. Oyster restoration in the southeast region of the United States: lessons learned. Journal of Shellfish Research 24: 319–320.
Eckman, J.E. 1987. The role of hydrodynamics in recruitment, growth, and survival of Argopecten irradians (L.) and Anomia simplex (D’Orbigny) within eelgrass meadows. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 106: 165–191.
Fay, C.W., R.J. Neves, and G.B. Pardue. 1983. Species profiles: life histories and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (mid-Atlantic): bay scallop. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Biological Services, FWS/OBS-82/11.12. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, EL-82-4. 17 pp.
Fegley, S.R., C.H. Peterson, N.R. Geraldi, and D.W. Gaskill. 2009. Enhancing the potential for population recovery: restoration options for bay scallop populations, Argopecten irradians concentricus, in North Carolina. Journal of Shellfish Research 28(3): 477–489.
Gutsell, J.S. 1930. Natural history of the bay scallop. Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries 46: 569–632.
Hovel, K.A., and R.N. Lipcius. 2002. Effects of seagrass habitat fragmentation on juvenile blue crab survival and abundance. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 271: 75–98.
Ingersoll, E. 1886. The scallop and its fishery. American Naturalist 12: 1001–1006.
Lipcius, R.N., D.B. Eggleston, S.J. Schreiber, R.D. Seitz, J. Shen, M. Sisson, W.T. Stockhausen, and H.V. Wang. 2008. Importance of metapopulation connectivity to restocking and restoration of marine species. Reviews in Fisheries Science 16(1–3): 101–110.
Marshall, N. 1947. An abundance of bay scallops in the absence of eelgrass. Ecology 28(3): 321–322.
Nestlerode, J.A., M.W. Luckenbach, and F.X. O’Beirn. 2007. Settlement and survival of the oyster Crassostrea virginica on created oyster reef habitats in Chesapeake Bay. Restoration Ecology 15: 273–283.
Orth, R.J., and K.A. Moore. 1984. Distribution and abundance of submerged aquatic vegetation in Chesapeake Bay: an historical perspective. Estuaries 7(4B): 531–540.
Orth, R.J., and K.A. Moore. 1986. Seasonal and year-to-year variations in the growth of Zostera marina L. (eelgrass) in the lower Chesapeake Bay. Aquatic Botany 24: 335–341.
Orth, R.J., K.L. Heck Jr., and J. van Montfrans. 1984. Faunal communities in seagrass beds: a review of the influence of plant structure and prey characteristics on predator–prey relationships. Estuaries 7(4A): 339–350.
Orth, R.J., S.R. Marion, K.A. Moore, and D.J. Wilcox. 2010. Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) trends in the Chesapeake Bay region of mid-Atlantic coast of the USA: challenges in conservation and restoration. Estuaries and Coasts 33: 139–150.
Pacheco, A., and W.B. Stotz. 2006. Will providing a filamentous substratum in the water column and shell litter on the bottom increase settlement and post-larval survival of the scallop Argopecten purpuratus? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 333: 27–39.
Peterson, C.H., and H.C. Summerson. 1992. Basin-scale coherence of population dynamics of an exploited marine invertebrate, the bay scallop: implications of recruitment limitations. Marine Ecology Progress Series 90: 257–272.
Peterson, C.H., H.C. Summerson, and R.A. Luettich Jr. 1996. Response of bay scallops to spawner transplants: a test of recruitment limitation. Marine Ecology Progress Series 132: 93–107.
Pohle, D.G., V.M. Bricelj, and Z. Garcia-Esquivel. 1991. The eelgrass canopy: an above-bottom refuge from benthic predators for juvenile bay scallops Argopecten irradians. Marine Ecology Progress Series 74: 47–59.
Smith, I., M.S. Fonseca, J.A. Rivera, and K.A. Rittmaster. 1988. Habitat value of natural versus recently transplanted eelgrass, Zostera marina, for the bay scallop, Argopecten irradians. Fishery Bulletin, U.S. 87: 189–196.
Thayer, G.W., and H.H. Stuart. 1974. The bay scallop makes its bed of seagrass. Marine Fisheries Review 36(7): 27–30.
Thomsen, M.S., K.J. McGlathery, A. Schwarzschild, and B.R. Silliman. 2009. Distribution and ecological role of the non-native macroalga Gracilaria vermiculophylla in Virginia salt marshes. Biological Invasions 11: 2303–2316.
Acknowledgments
Funding was provided by grants from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District; by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science; by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, to the Blue Crab Advanced Research Consortium; and by NOAA Office of Sea Grant, under Award Number NA 07OAR4170047 through Virginia Sea Grant. This is contribution number 3233 from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hernández Cordero, A.L., Seitz, R.D., Lipcius, R.N. et al. Habitat Affects Survival of Translocated Bay Scallops, Argopecten irradians concentricus (Say 1822), in Lower Chesapeake Bay. Estuaries and Coasts 35, 1340–1345 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9510-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-012-9510-2