FN Archimer Export Format
PT J
TI Discovery, evaluation, and implications of blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, spawning, hatching, and foraging grounds in federal (us) waters offshore of Louisiana
BT 
AF GELPI, Carey
   CONDREY, Richard E.
   FLEEGER, John W.
   DUBOIS, Stanislas
AS 1:1;2:1;3:3;4:2;
FF 1:;2:;3:;4:PDG-DOP-DCB-DYNECO-BENTHOS;
C1 Louisiana State Univ, Dept Oceanog & Coastal Sci, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA.
   DYNECO Ecol Benth, French Res Inst Exploitat Sea, F-29280 Plouzane, France.
   Louisiana State Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA.
C2 UNIV LOUISIANA STATE, USA
   IFREMER, FRANCE
   UNIV LOUISIANA STATE, USA
SI BREST
SE PDG-DOP-DCB-DYNECO-BENTHOS
IN WOS Ifremer jusqu'en 2018
   copubli-int-hors-europe
IF 1.503
TC 30
UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00014/12535/11335.pdf
   https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00014/12535/102681.pdf
LA English
DT Article
AB Although blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896, are ecologically important predators and support the world's most valuable crab fishery, little is known about their spawning and hatching migrations beyond the estuary. We discovered unexpectedly high concentrations of female blue crabs actively spawning, hatching their eggs, and foraging in federal waters within our study area, the Ship, Trinity, Tiger Shoal Complex (STTSC) >= 20 km off the Louisiana coast. During a three-year investigation, blue crab abundances were significantly higher on Ship and Trinity Shoals than the surrounding, muddy and deeper seafloor. Crabs from the STTSC compared favorably with those from nationally recognized spawning grounds in terms of condition factor (an index of health), fecundity, and abundance. Ninety percent of females possessed a sponge, large ovary, or both. Eighty-seven percent of non-ovigerous females showed evidence of a previous hatching. An analysis of ovarian development suggests that STTSC crabs produce new sponges approximately every 21 d, and at least seven broods per spawning season (similar to April-October). Monthly declines in sponge weight and a companion study of benthic macrofauna suggest fecundity may be limited by food supply in areas of high crab abundance. Symbionts did not negatively impact condition factor. Carapace width including the lateral spines was a much poorer estimator of crab weight than carapace width excluding the lateral spines, height, length, or estimated volume. Given the increasing national importance of the Louisiana blue crab fishery and declines elsewhere, we recommend that management safeguard these previously unknown spawning, hatching, and foraging grounds.
PY 2009
PD NOV
SO Bulletin Of Marine Science
SN 0007-4977
PU University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
VL 85
IS 3
UT 000272070000002
BP 203
EP 222
ID 12535
ER

EF