The conundrum of biont-free substrates on a high-energy continental shelf: Burial and scour on Nantucket Shoals, Great South Channel

Rising water temperatures along the northeastern U.S. continental shelf have resulted in an offshore range shift of the Atlantic surfclam Spisula solidissima to waters still occupied by ocean quahogs Arctica islandica. Fishers presently are prohibited from landing both Atlantic surfclams and ocean quahogs in the same catch, thus limiting fishing to locations where the target species can be sorted on deck. Wind energy development on and around the fishing grounds will further restrict the fishery. A spatially explicit model of the Atlantic surfclam fishery (Spatially Explicit Fishery

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“…2015; Powell et al. 2017, 2021), or between fisheries and other industries (Soniat 1988; Ruhl 2005; Abramic et al. 2021; Marín et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interactive Effects of Climate Change‐Induced Range Shifts and Wind Energy Development on Future Economic Conditions of the Atlantic Surfclam Fishery

et al. 2023

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What Is the Future of the Atlantic Surfclam (Spisula solidissima) Fishery Under Climate‐Induced Warming on the Mid‐Atlantic Bight Continental Shelf: A Multidecadal Assessment

Spencer,

Powell,

Klinck

et al. 2024

Fisheries Oceanography

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The Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima supports a lucrative commercial fishery in the Mid‐Atlantic Bight (MAB) worth roughly $30 million in revenue per year. Rapid climate change is expected to modify the geographic range of the Atlantic surfclam, with consequences for the surfclam fishery. This study evaluated fishery‐based indicators projected from 2020 through 2095 based on anticipated changes in the geographic range and biomass of the Atlantic surfclam, using a Spatially Explicit, agent‐based Fisheries and Economics Simulator (SEFES). Simulations generally showed a positive trend in Atlantic surfclam biomass throughout the next three‐quarters of the 21st century as the clam's range continues to shift offshore and northward along the continental shelf. A general decrease in fishing mortality rate is projected given the present fleet capacity, with a simultaneous increase in catch and landings per unit effort (LPUE), signaling future potential growth in the surfclam fishery. Regionally, forecasts show biomass expanding into deeper waters particularly off New Jersey, Long Island, and southern New England starting in the early 2050s, whereas populations on Georges Bank and off Delmarva gradually decline. Trends in time spent fishing, catch, and LPUE parallel those of biomass in each region. These results can inform managers and business interests that rely on this fishery, as well as other users of the continental shelf, to provide a basis for the development of anticipatory management for the socio‐ecological and economic impacts that may result from future changes in the Atlantic surfclam range and carrying capacity consequent of climate change.

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Potential Future Impacts (2016–2055) of Offshore Wind Energy Development on the Atlantic Surfclam, Spisula solidissima, Fishery in the US Mid‐Atlantic Bight Continental Shelf

Moya,

Powell,

Scheld

et al. 2024

Fisheries Oceanography

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Offshore wind energy development on the Mid‐Atlantic Bight (MAB) portion of the Northwestern Atlantic continental shelf could have adverse impacts on the future of the Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, fishery. The current and potential future areas designated for offshore wind energy development overlap with the present‐day and projected Atlantic surfclam fishing grounds and so could limit the fishery. Fishery impacts imposed by displacement of fishing outside wind farm areas and possible restrictions on vessel transit through the wind farms were simulated using a spatially explicit fishery model. The distribution of catch, hours fished, landings per unit effort (LPUE), time at sea, fishing mortality, and the number of fishing trips were projected for five time periods encompassing the period of 2016–2055. Simulations showed a significant decline in the mean of all fishery metrics (apart from LPUE) as the area of wind farm restrictions increased in scale. Impacts were consistently larger when vessel transit through and fishing within offshore wind areas were prohibited. Impacts were also larger for MAB regions off New Jersey and Delmarva than regions farther north and east. These simulations highlight the necessity of evaluating future conditions as warming temperatures shift the surfclam range relative to the immobile wind farm locations. The offshore wind industry must consider projected long‐term impacts of developmental expansion on surrounding sedentary benthic species and the commercially important fisheries that rely on them.

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The conundrum of biont-free substrates on a high-energy continental shelf: Burial and scour on Nantucket Shoals, Great South Channel

Cited by 3 publications

References 111 publications

Interactive Effects of Climate Change‐Induced Range Shifts and Wind Energy Development on Future Economic Conditions of the Atlantic Surfclam Fishery

Interactive Effects of Climate Change‐Induced Range Shifts and Wind Energy Development on Future Economic Conditions of the Atlantic Surfclam Fishery

What Is the Future of the Atlantic Surfclam (Spisula solidissima) Fishery Under Climate‐Induced Warming on the Mid‐Atlantic Bight Continental Shelf: A Multidecadal Assessment

Potential Future Impacts (2016–2055) of Offshore Wind Energy Development on the Atlantic Surfclam, Spisula solidissima, Fishery in the US Mid‐Atlantic Bight Continental Shelf

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