Inability to produce seed commercially on a sustained basis has 

 been another limiting factor in oyster culture in the Middle Atlantic 

 area. Commercial hatcheries and utilization of salt ponds for seed 

 control hold promise for the future. Research is needed on diseases 

 and their control, techniques for control of predators, and improved 

 methods for seed production. Eventually, a substantial part of the 

 production of oysters, particularly for the raw-bar trade, will come 

 from scientifically controlled artificial systems, eliminating many 

 of the factors which limit production under natural conditions. While 

 these techniques are being perfected, suspended culture and use of 

 salt ponds where conditons can be controlled to some extent offer 

 possibilities for continued production of quality oysters. (A. A., expanded) 



Keywords: oysters, estuarine communities, environmental change, 

 U.S. coastal regions 



IV-E-17 



Reintjes, J.W. 1969. The Gulf menhadden and our changing estuaries. 

 Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 22:87-105. 



This publication contains a brief review of the role of estuaries in 

 the life cycle of Gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus . Estuaries are a 

 vital link in the life of Gulf menhaden. Surveys of 36 selected Gulf 

 coast estuaries give indexes of the relative abundance of juvenile menhaden. 

 These juveniles enter the purse seine fishery the next year and also 

 the year following as 2-year-olds. Record landings of nearly 1.2 

 billion pounds were made in 1969. Approximately 90 percent of the 

 catch are menhaden in their second and third year of life. (A. A.) 



Keywords: menhaden, estuaries, U.S. Gulf coast 



IV-E-18 



June, F.C., and J.L. Chamberlin. 1958. The role of the estuary in the 



life history and biology of Atlantic menhaden. Proceedings of the 



Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 11:41-45. 



Between Cape Canaveral and Cape Cod, there are approximately thirty- 

 eight estuarine systems that provide an environmental link in the life 

 history and biology of the Atlantic menhaden ( Brevoortia tyrannus ). 

 Larvae enter the estuaries and congregate near the upstream limits 

 of the tidal zone where they metamorphose into juveniles. After 

 spending the summer months in the estuary, the schools of juveniles 

 move out into the ocean. The one-year-olds make up the bulk of the 

 purse seine fishery along the south Atlantic Coast and in Chesapeake 

 Bay, but large numbers occur in the sounds and rivers. Part of the 

 adult population also utilizes the estuaries for feeding purposes 

 during the late winter and early spring. 



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