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Fishery Bulletin 112(2-3) 
Figure 6 
Tag return locations of Striped Bass ( Morone saxatilis) <600 mm in total length in North Carolina and Virginia coastal waters by 
stock abundance in the year of release: (A) annual abundance values of 1.0-1. 1 million fish (n = 138 returns), (B) annual abun- 
dance values of 1.4-1. 7 million fish (n=169 returns), and (C) annual abundance values of 1. 8-2.0 million fish (n = 713 returns). 
Bubble sizes represent the number of tag returns from each location (within each abundance group) as indicated in the legend. 
The star in panel A denotes the location where Striped Bass were tagged and released during annual spring electrofishing surveys 
in the Roanoke River in 1991-2008. Only those tag returns that occurred after the first 2 weeks but within the end of the first 
calendar year at liberty were included in analyses and are shown. The location of 20 tag returns (of the 1040 total) could be as- 
signed to only 1 of the 4 broad geographic recapture areas (shown in Fig. 2B) and are, therefore, not shown. 
beneficial, and, therefore, it does not manifest in the 
AR stock because of high inshore water temperatures 
during summer that would be unsuitable for “resident” 
fish once they attain a large size. The possibility for 
latitudinal differences in the frequency of contingent 
behavior in Striped Bass and other fishes warrants fu- 
ture investigation. 
Effects of stock abundance on recapture area 
Stock abundance in the year of release was includ- 
ed in the best model explaining where Striped Bass 
were recaptured. This effect was primarily a result 
of smaller Striped Bass being recaptured in the ad- 
jacent estuarine systems of Pamlico Sound and lower 
Chesapeake Bay only in the years of highest abun- 
dance (Fig. 60. Also, evidence of recapture patterns 
within the Albemarle Sound estuary were indicative 
of a density effect. Namely, tag returns were much 
more common in the eastern portions of Albemarle 
Sound, particularly in Currituck Sound (6% vs. 1% of 
returns) and Croatan and Roanoke sounds (32% vs. 
6%), during years in which stock abundance exceed- 
ed 1.4 million fish in contrast to years when it was 
below this level (Fig. 6). Therefore, although adults 
generally may remain inshore until they reach larg- 
er sizes (>600 mm TL), the distances they disperse 
within estuarine habitats, after spawning, tend to 
increase with the abundance of conspecifics, presum- 
ably because of density-dependent mechanisms. These 
movements likely are important ecologically to prey 
of Striped Bass because the smallest size groups 
(<600 mm TL) are the most numerous in this popu- 
lation (i.e., predation effects may change with stock 
abundance). Future research should investigate these 
possibilities and better isolate the effects of density 
by controlling for environmental covariates, such as 
the abundance of competitor species and changing 
habitat suitability, as suggested by Shepherd and Lit- 
vak (2004). 
Management implications 
Results from this study have important implications 
for the management of Striped Bass along the East 
Coast of the United States. With current assessment 
strategies, Striped Bass from the AR stock are assumed 
not to contribute to the Atlantic Ocean mixed stock 
