Penaeid Shrimp in Chesapeake Bay: Population Growth and Black Gill Disease Syndrome

Abstract

Since 1991, the number of penaeid shrimp occurring in Virginia waters of Chesapeake Bay has steadily increased, prompting an interest in developing a fishery. Although development of a shrimp fishery in the Chesapeake Bay region could bring economic benefits, the fishery may be hampered by the presence of a disease syndrome known as shrimp black gill (sBG). The objectives of our study were to (1) describe the spatial distribution and abundance patterns of shrimp in Chesapeake Bay, (2) relate relative abundance of shrimp to habitat characteristics, and (3) determine the presence and seasonality of sBG to better understand disease dynamics in the region. Subadult penaeid shrimp were collected monthly from Virginia waters by trawl from 1991 to 2017, and individuals were identified to species and counted. White shrimp Litopenaeus setiferus were the most numerous species captured, followed by brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus and pink shrimp F. duorarum. Shrimp were captured primarily from July to December. White shrimp were the only species that exhibited visible signs of sBG, which was first observed in October 2016 (13.4% prevalence); the condition continued into November and recurred the following year. Shrimp with visible signs of gill disease were examined by microscopy, histology, and PCR assay and were diagnosed with infections of a histophagous apostome ciliate, presumably Hyalophysa lynni. Any impacts of sBG on shrimp survival or marketability should be considered in fishery management plans to ensure sustainability of the resource.

Environmental and climate variability drive population size of annual penaeid shrimp in a large lagoonal estuary

“…The relationship between spawning biomass and shrimp in the Pamlico Sound was strongest for white shrimp where the spring CPUE of white shrimp captured in the SEAMAP survey on the North Carolina shelf was the most important variable explaining the estimated abundance of white shrimp in the Fall in the Pamlico Sound (Fig 8c). This same relationship has been observed in the Chesapeake Bay, where the SEAMAP CPUE of white shrimp is positively correlated with the CPUE for Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) trawl survey [70] and South Carolina's ACE basin [61], suggesting this relationship is not exclusive to North Carolina or local conditions. Similarly, researchers in the Chesapeake Bay found the relationship between indices of adult abundance and subsequent juvenile recruitment was strongest for white shrimp relative to brown and pink shrimp [70].…”

“…This same relationship has been observed in the Chesapeake Bay, where the SEAMAP CPUE of white shrimp is positively correlated with the CPUE for Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) trawl survey [70] and South Carolina's ACE basin [61], suggesting this relationship is not exclusive to North Carolina or local conditions. Similarly, researchers in the Chesapeake Bay found the relationship between indices of adult abundance and subsequent juvenile recruitment was strongest for white shrimp relative to brown and pink shrimp [70]. In the present study we found the spring spawning biomass of white shrimp was highly correlated with winter water temperature, suggesting that although the spawner-recruit relationship was dominant for white shrimp, temperature was an underlying factor in that relationship.…”

“…White shrimp have also been shown to move north and increase population biomass on the southeast continental shelf in response to mild winters [ 29 , 69 ]. In recent years white shrimp have been in greater abundance in northern regions prompting the Virginia Marine Resources Commission to establish a shrimp fishery in Virginia waters for the first time in 2019 [ 70 ].…”

Cap. 21. Noreste. En: La Quinta Evaluación Nacional del Clima

“…Se espera que la abundancia de especies subtropicales como el pinfish y el camarón blanco aumente en la Bahía de Chesapeake y en las lagunas costeras, mientras que las especies más templadas, como la almeja blanda y el camarón de arena, podrían disminuir 97,98 . En la Bahía de Chesapeake, se ha observado un aumento de la abundancia de camarón blanco 99 , que se relacionó con condiciones medioambientales favorables, incluido el aumento de las temperaturas. Las proyecciones de períodos invernales más cortos y temperaturas invernales más cálidas en la Bahía de Chesapeake sugieren que en 2100 los cangrejos azules crecerán más rápido y mejorarán su supervivencia durante el invierno, lo que aumenta la productividad de la población 100 .…”

Ontogenetic and spatial variability in parasite communities of white shrimp Penaeus setiferus (Decapoda: Penaeidae)

“…Hollebone, 2006 ; Shearman and Lentz, 2010 ). Among these biotic changes is the increased prevalence of a condition known as black gill (Fowler et al ., 2018 ; Swinford and Anderson, 2021 ; Tuckey et al ., 2021 ). This condition refers to the melanization of gill tissues that occurs as part of an immune response against irritants or pathogens (Vaseeharan and Ramasamy, 2003 ; Johnson et al ., 2011 ; Burnett and Burnett, 2015 ; Karthikeyan et al ., 2015 ; Frischer et al ., 2022 ).…”