Document Type
Report
Department/Program
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Publication Date
2024
Abstract
Excerpt from publication: “The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) adopted the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the American Eel in November 1999. The FMP focuses on increasing coastal states’ efforts to collect American Eel data through both fishery-dependent and fishery-independent studies. Consequently, member jurisdictions agreed to implement an annual survey for young-of-year (YOY) American Eels. The survey is intended to “…characterize trends in annual recruitment of the YOY eels over time [to produce a] qualitative appraisal of the annual recruitment of American Eel to the U.S. Atlantic Coast” (ASMFC 2000). The development of these surveys began in 2000 with full implementation in 2001. Survey results provide necessary data on coastal recruitment success and contribute to the understanding of American Eel population dynamics. The American Eel Benchmark Stock Assessment report (ASMFC 2012) emphasized the importance of the coast-wide survey for providing data useful in calculating an index of recruitment over the historical coastal range and for serving as an early warning of potential range contraction of the species. The most recent American Eel Benchmark Assessment (2023) recommends the continuation of glass eel sampling, but eliminates the requirement to measure length, weight, and pigment stage for glass eels because no discernable trends in these metrics were observed during 20 years of sampling. Funding for the Virginia Institute of Marine Science’s spring survey in the Potomac River was provided by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, thereby ensuring compliance with the 1999 ASMFC Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eels.”
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25773/n4g7-7p17
Keywords
Eels, Fisheries, Potomac, Chesapeake Bay
Publication Statement
Submitted to Potomac River Fisheries Commission, January 2024-Septemeber 2024
Funding
This project was funded by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission.
Recommended Citation
Tuckey, T. D., Royster, D.S., & Fabrizio, M. C. (2024) Evaluating Recruitment of American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, in the Potomac River: Spring 2024. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary. https://www.doi.org/10.25773/n4g7-7p17
