1. 5 Status of Shell Disease 



The status and severity of shell disease in offshore waters 

 of the eastern United States has not been assessed on a sound 

 scientific basis, but appears to be of concern to commercial 

 fishermen. Their reports of shell disease in crabs and lobsters 

 from offshore waters refer to those captured in deepwater canyons 

 along the shelf break -- primarily Hudson, Block, and Atlantis 

 Canyons. Although the disease has been documented from shelf 

 canyons, there is a void in our knowledge of the condition at the 

 106 Mile Site and its surrounding areas. Therefore, our present 

 assessment of the severity of shell disease in commercially 

 valuable crustaceans is based principally on reports of the 

 condition as recorded from waters of the New York Bight apex. 

 Preliminary findings with a deepwater species, the red crab 

 Geryon quinquedens . are included to document the geographical 

 distribution of shell disease in commercial resources of the 

 continental shelf. 



The latest data on the maximum prevalence of shell disease 

 in commercially valuable crustaceans from the New York Bight is 

 summarized in the following table: 



Maximum Percent Severe 



Species Shell Disease 



Lobster (near 12 Mile Site)* 14% 



Rock Crab (near 12 Mile Site) 22% 



Rock Crab (Hudson Shelf Valley - "Mud Hole") 12% 



Rock Crab (Sandy Hook Bay) 11% 



Red Crab (Hudson, Block and Atlantis Canyons) 30% 



Shrimp (Crangon) 30% 



* Post-dumping surveys are in progress. 



2.0 SEVERITY OF THE SHELL DISEASE PROBLEM IN THE NEW YORK BIGHT 



Data on the effects of ocean pollution on waters, sediments, 

 and infaunal biota of the New York Bight have been accumulating 

 for almost two decades. Microbiological studies have shown that 

 antibiotic resistant bacteria and enteric viruses are readily 

 identified from water and sediments. Commercially valuable 



