Browsing by Author "Zemeckis, Douglas"
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Item A Pilot Trap Survey of Artificial Reefs in New Jersey for Monitoring of Black Sea Bass, Tautog, and American Lobster: Research Project Summary(Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research, 2021-04) Jensen, Olaf P.; Zemeckis, Douglas; Ruppel, BruceThe data generated from this research were used to characterize the seasonal and spatial variation in community composition and relative abundance of structure-associated species on artificial reefs along the coast of New Jersey. These results also provided the information necessary to design a statistically robust trap survey for three targeted recreational and commercial important fish species (Black Sea Bass, Tautog and American lobster). This research provides immediate utility for New Jersey fishery managers through a characterization of seasonal changes in the fish and invertebrate communities inhabiting two existing artificial reefs (Sea Girt and Little Egg Inlet Reefs) and one artificial reef site from pre-construction through construction (Manasquan Inlet Reef). In addition, data on the targeted species and other species (Scup, Jonah crab and rock crab) were generated for a comparison of fish and invertebrate abundance that utilize different artificial reef material, including metal, concrete, and sand. These data are necessary in the development of reliable and efficient trap surveys that can stand up to the rigorous peer review process associated with stock assessments.Item A Pilot Trap Survey of Artificial Reefs in New Jersey for Monitoring of Black Sea Bass, Tautog, and Lobster(Trenton, N.J. : New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, 2021) Jensen, Olaf; Zemeckis, Douglas; Clarke, PeterThree of the most important target species of commercial and recreational fisheries in New Jersey are structure-associated species that may not be sampled effectively by existing scientific trawl surveys. Black sea bass (Centropristis striata) are commonly targeted by commercial and recreational fisheries along the U.S. Atlantic coast. In 2015, black sea bass were the second most commonly caught target species by recreational anglers both along the entire Atlantic coast (13 million fish: NMFS, 2016) and in New Jersey (2.4 million fish: NMFS, 2017). Similarly, Tautog (Tautoga onitis) are also one of the most important target species of marine recreational fisheries in New Jersey (i.e., #5 by numbers: NMFS, 2017). American lobster (Homerus americanus) support a valuable commercial fishery in New Jersey, with the dockside value ranging from $2.2-$4 million in recent years (NMFS, 2017). While all three of these species are captured in trawl surveys, they are believed to primarily inhabit rocky reefs and wrecks, which are generally avoided by vessels fishing with bottom trawls. As a result, the reliability of scientific bottom trawl surveys for providing an index of relative abundance for these species is uncertain.