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Fishery Bulletin 113(4) 
Table 3 
Abundance of derelict crab pots (DCPs) retrieved for collection of bycatch data during surveys of marsh 
creek, estuarine edge, and adjacent Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) habitats in Bogue, Core, Ma- 
sonboro, and Topsail Sounds and the Cape Fear and Newport rivers in North Carolina from April to 
November 2010. Note that the ICW does not traverse Core Sound and was not sampled in Cape Fear 
River because depths were >4 m. 
Waterbody 
Habitat type 
Total number of 
DCPs retrieved 
Marsh creek 
Estuarine edge 
Adjacent ICW 
Bogue Sound 
4 
1 
1 
6 
Cape Fear River 
13 
9 
- 
22 
Core Sound 
5 
6 
- 
11 
Masonboro Sound 
20 
19 
4 
43 
Newport River 
0 
1 
0 
1 
Topsail Sound 
1 
4 
4 
9 
Total DCPs retrieved 
43 
40 
9 
92 
lum Bryozoa), tunicates (subphylum Urochordata), and 
estuarine algae also were growing on retrieved DCPs. 
Recruitment of derelict crab pots 
Surveys of DCPs 1 year after meticulous removal of 
DCPs present in 4 cells (each 1 km 2 , all 100% open 
water) resulted in the finding of 6 new pots: 1 in each 
of 3 cleared cells (Bogue and Masonboro sounds and 
Newport River) and 3 in the cleared cell near Figure 
Eight Island in Topsail Sound. On the basis of these 
recoveries, we estimated an annual DCP recruitment 
rate of 1.0 DCP/km 2 in Bogue and Masonboro sounds 
and Newport River and of 3 DCP/km 2 in Topsail Sound. 
From this survey of only four 1-km 2 cells, we found an 
overall annual mean DCP recruitment rate of 1.5 DCPs/ 
km 2 (SD 1.0), yielding lower and upper 95% confidence 
levels of -0.09 and 3.09 DCPs/km 2 , respectively. Of the 
Table 4 
Faunal bycatch (trapped and unrestricted) species and number caught in 92 derelict crab pots retrieved 
between April and November 2010 from Bogue, Core, Masonboro, and Topsail Sounds and the Cape Fear 
and Newport rivers in North Carolina. Trapped organisms were those that were confined, and escape 
was unlikely, once they entered pots. Unrestricted organisms were those that were free to pass through 
pot walls yet were captured when the pots were retrieved. 
Common name 
Taxonomic name 
Number of 
organisms trapped 
Number of 
unrestricted organisms 
Blue crab 
Callinectes sapidus 
25 
0 
Florida stone crab 
Menippe mercenaria 
46 
23 
Mud crabs 
Xanthidae. 
0 
267 
Spider crabs 
Majidae. 
15 
0 
Oyster toadfish 
Opsanus tau 
40 
0 
Sheepshead 
Archosargus probatocephalus 
4 
0 
Blennies. 
Suborder Blennioidei 
0 
47 
Black sea bass 
Centropristis striata 
1 
0 
Pinfish 
Lagodon rhomboides 
1 
0 
Snapping shrimps 
Alpheoidea 
0 
27 
Banded tulip 
Fasciolaria liliurn 
0 
1 
Polychaetes 
Polychaeta 
0 
4 
Brittle star 
Ophiuroidea 
0 
20 
Anemone 
Anemone 
0 
1 
Clapper rail 
Rallus crepitans 
1 
0 
Diamondback terrapin 
Malaclemys terrapin 
5 
0 
Hermit crabs 
Paguroidea 
0 
2 
Purple sea urchin 
Strongylocentrotus purpuratus 
0 
1 
