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Ocean Re.sources; Living A Staff Working Paper Richard A. Kantor U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NOA COASTAL SERVICES CENTER 2234 SOUTH HOBSON AVENUE CHARLESTON, SC 29405-24 13 January, 1977 Property of CSC Library New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Division of Marine Services Office of Coastal Zone Management P. O. Box 1889 Trenton, New Jersey 08625 co Note: This staff working paper is one of a series of Issue and Policy Alternative Papers presenting facts, analyses, and conceptual policy alternatives on coastal resources and coastal land and water uses. The purpose of this draft document is to stimulate discussion and comments that will assist preparation of the.management program for the New Jersey coastal zone. This report was prepared in part with financial assistance fro theonat Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the federal Coastal Zone Management Act, P.L. 92-583. Comments, criticisms, additions, and suggestions are welcome and should be addressed to the New Jersey Office of Coastal Zone Management. CONTENTS PAGE Introduction. ........................ 1 I. Issues ......................... 3 II. Policy Alternatives ... ..................4 III. Physical Characteristics and Natural Processes .....7 A. Bathymetric Features................7 B. Circulation Pattern . ............ ...9 C. Fisheries Resources ................12 1. Recreational Marine Fisheries .......12 2. Commercial Marine Fisheries ........1 3. Potential Fishery Resources ........17 D. Marine Wildlife Resources ............ 19 1. Marine Birds.. ................ 19 2. Marine Mammals ...............20 3. Marine Reptiles...............21 IV. Analysis..........................23 A. Commercial and Recreational Fishing.......23 B. Energy Developments .................27 C. Water Qual ity Degradation . . . ...... . . ..27 Appendices A. Tables and Figures .................... 30 B. References ........................4 I. Introduction Living marine resources such as finfish and shellfish resources are important in maintaining the ecological balance of the marine environment and have provided recreation, employment and expenditures in local, regional, and state economies. Finfish and shellfish products are important for intrastate consumption and interstate export. Overfishing of certain desirable species and water quality degradation have contributed to an alarming rate of decline in fishery harvests and changes in the ecological balance. The management of living marine resources is the central issue. Multiple pressures face the valuable living marine resources. These include the following: 1. Ocean dumping of domestic wastes (sewage sludge), contaminated dredge spoils, and industrial waste chemicals have reduced available shellfish harvest areas and may have stimulated the algal boom which resulted in the extensive fish kill during the summer of 1976. 2. Energy developments in offshore and nearshore waters from OCS oil and gas extraction, proposed floating nuclear power plants, and offshore oil ports pose potential adverse environmental impacts. Potential im- pacts of offshore energy facilities include accidental and chronic oil spills, release of radioactive substances and thermal discharges. 3. Intensive harvest of living marine resources by domestic and foreign fishing activities may have damaged the renewable quality of certain fish stocks. This paper is intended to further debate on important living marine resource issues. The first sections briefly defines these issues in the coastal area and then presents alternative policies which could be past of the coastal zone management program in New Jersey. Section III describes physical characteristics of New Jersey's marine environmeift which influence living marine resources. Each group of living marine resources are briefly described along with the utilization groups. Section IV analyes the present and potential problems impacting living marine resources. Two appendices conclude the paper. The first presents tables and figures and the last lists reference sources. -2- I. Issue Conservation, management, and proper utilization of living marine resources of New Jersey is a large question which has yet to be addressed through a cohesive state or regional policy. There is little question that certain marine fish stocks have be~en adversely affected through ocean and estuarine water quality degradation and overfishing by domestic and foreign commercial fishermen. Harvest of most important recreational finfish species are unregulated, while others only have minimal regulation. Proposed energy developments in New Jre's coastal zone have the potential to adversly impact living marine resources. -3- II. Policy Alternatives Marine fishing and shellfishing activities are valuable to recreational and commercial fishermen and local coastal communities, but only certain species and fishing methods are presently regulated by the State. State laws mostly cover the commercial industry, while few regulations apply to recreational fishermen. Harvest of such finfish species as striped bass, summer flounder, shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon, American shad, and Atlantic menhaden is regulated either through licensing of commercial netters, size or daily limits, or restricted seasons. Sport fishing harvests of most species, however, exceed commercial harvests. The ocean shellfishing controls which do exist were enacted only after the industry was threatened with collapse. The State could address the viability of the marine ecology and of its recreational and commercial fishing industries with the following policies: 1. Cooperate fully with NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service in establishing Regional Fishery Management Councils, under the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976. These regional regional councils aim to establish management techniques for migratory fish species which cannot be adequately managed by one state alone. -4- 2. Establish an intrastate marine fisheries conser- vation program. This might best be accomplished by sponsoring a regular series of meetings on marine related problems between researchers and state personnel. Up to date information on New Jersey's marine environ- mental conditions could be exchanged in order to formulate state management policies. 3. Expand state management of marine fishes to cover all important migratory species. Cooperation and coordination with all Atlantic Coastal states is essential for the success of any marine fisheries management program. The following information should be collected for each species as part of a management program. a. Total distribution of the species b. Racial composition (identity of populations) C. Spawning grounds and habits d. Migratory routes e. Growth rate and longevity f. Food habits g. Predators and competitors h. Behavioral patterns i. Abundance j. Fishing intensity k. Size and age composition of total catch 1. Measures of natural and fishing mortality Conservation laws covering migratory species in one state along will have little positive effect unless established in consort with other Atlantic coastal states. 4. Foster communication between oil companies develop- ing OCS oil and gas reserves and state commercial fishing industries. This would include charter and party boat operators as well as commercial netters and shellfish fishermen. This communication could aid siting and planning decisions for onshore bases for OCS exploration and development. 1II. Physical Characteristics and Natural Functions A. General Oceanographic Characteristics of New Jersey's Marine Environment. The Atlantic Ocean bordering the state of New Jersey is known as the New York Bight. The Bight extends seaward over 15,000 square miles (39,000 sq. km.) south from Long Island to Cape May, New Jersey, out to the edge of the continental shelf about 100 miles offshore. The boundaries of this region are illustrated in Figure 1. Water depths over the relatively smooth shelf range from 6 to 200 meters (20 to 600 feet). Water depths plunge to 6,000 feet into the deep ocean basin known as the abyssal plain, eastward of the continental shelf break. The bathymetry of the continental shelf is rather uniform, although a variety of geomorphologic features, such as relict drainage channels, scarps and terraces, systems of sand xidges and smaller bedforms exist. Virtually the entire shelf is covered by a veneer of sand, up to several meters thick. The frequent storm tracks coupled with the predominant southerly drift of water has induced the formation of submarine sand ridges separated by clay lined depression, called swales. These bathymetric features are important congregation points for migratory marine fishes and shellfish habitat. The shelf surface also displays a series of scarps and terraces which were formed in response to erosion and deposition during periods of a lower constant sea level. These relict features suggest there has been little deposition of sediments on the shelf since the last sea level rise (EPA, 1976). -7- During colder climatic periods, vast amounts of water were tied up in huge glacial ice sheets which covered most continental land masses in the northern hemisphere, with a corresponding lowering of sea level. The continental shelf was then exposed dry land. Continued discharges of the major rivers; Hudson, Delaware, Susquehanna, during warmer climatic periods gouged channels across the shelf and formed the submarine canyons along the shelf break. Many of these shelf channels have since been filled with sediments from upland erosion and deposition by an advancing and retreating ocean, and near-shore currents. Today, the submarine canyons and channels are important migratory routes for pelagic marine fishes and excellent lobster habitat. Submarine rock outcroppings are limited to one area of the New Jersey coastal sea. This area is known as the Shrewsbury Rocks and is located of f Monmouth Beach. The majority of this more extensive reef is covered with sediments. A more detailed description of the geology of the continental shelf is presented in the Environmental Issue and Policy Alternative paper entitled, "Ocean Resources: Mineral". B. Circulation Pattern of New Jersey's Marine Waters Circulation of the waters of the New York Eight can be generally described as a counter-clockwise gyre (circular motion) although it is much more complex. The predominant surface drift is westward along Long Island, turning southward paralleling the New Jersey coastline. This circulation pattern is strongly influenced by the predominant influx of freshwater, northwesterly winds, by mixing of the shelf water with more saline oceanic waters near the shelf edge, and the northeasterly Gulf Stream Current. Predominant surface currents and inferred bottom drift are illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The waters of the New York Bight are an extremely fertile part of the world's oceans partially as a result of the circulation pattern. The shelf water mass tends to exhibit a two-layer profile. In winter, Bight waters are characterized by well- mixed conditions, due to low volume river runoff and wind driven vertical mixing. Coldest water temperatures occur near shore and increase steadily offshore, as a result of Gulf Stream eddies mixing along the continental slope. Consequently, slope waters are important wintering areas for coastal fishes. Many species of estuarine dependent and marine fishes exhibit an annual inshore-offshore migration pattern. Finfish which winter in the warmer shelf waters include: Atlantic, mackerel, Atlantic menhaden, black seabass, bluefish, butterfish, red hake, scup, summer flounder (fluke), and silver hake (whiting) (DEP, 1975B). During the warmer months, shelf waters become progressively more stratified, due to greater river runoff and calm weather conditions. An enormous mass of cool bottom water extends from Montauk, Long Island to just south of Delaware Bay. This is believed to be left over winter water, which had been chilled during the preceeding winter and remained cold even after the spring warming of the surface waters. A thermocline, a layer of rapid changing temperature, sharply separates the warmer surface water from cooler bottom water. This cold water bubble, known as the Middle Atlantic cold cell, lays near the bottom of the shelf, below the thermocline at depths of 15 to 30 meters. The Middle Atlantic Cold Cell is shaped roughly similar to a triangle, with the vertex 6 to 10 miles off Asbury Park; the northern point is about 20 miles off Montauk, and the south point is about 45 miles off Delaware Bay (Freeman and Walford, 1974). The ocean surface water temperature may reach 70-750F, whereas deeper waters below the thermocline, water temperatures remain about 10�F cooler. Finfish diversity is greatly enhanced by the presence of the Middle Atlantic Cold Cell. Boreal or cold-water species are permanent residents in this region rather than casual visitors, and may belong to southern races of their respective species (Freeman and Walford, 1974). Boreal fishes include: cod, redfish (ocean perch), and pollock. In addition to these demersal species, tropical oceanic (pelagic) fishes such as the tunas (bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, skipjack, -10- and albacore), bonito, mackerel scad, white and blue marlin, mako shark, and dolphin tend to concentrate just above the thermocline where they are able to find an abundance of food, particularly along the slopes of the submarine canyons (Freeman and Walford, 1974). The New York Bight lies adjacent to the heavily urban- ized/industrialized New York City/North New Jersey and Philadelphia/Wilmington/Camden metropolitan areas and consequently receives the largest volume of ocean dumping of sewage sludge, dredge spoils and industrial chemical wastes in the nation. Additional massive pollution loads are received in the Bight through urban runoff, gaged runoff, coastal municipalities sewage outfalls, and atmospheric fallout. The various sources of water pollution in the Bight are illustrated in Figure 4. Sinderman (1975) states that as a rule, the degree of estuarine and coastal pollution is directly proportional to human population density in the adjacent land areas. Even though extensive areas of coastal and estuarine waters of New Jersey are severely contaminated at the present time, the New York Bight continues to be an extremely valuable finfish, shellfish, and marine wildlife resource area. C. Fisheries Resources The Atlantic Ocean bordering the State of New Jersey is one of the richest fish, shellfish, and wildlife resource areas of the world. This great fertility is due in part to the extensive width of the continental shelf, discharge of nutrient rich rivers, extensive shallow tidal estuarine habitat, and ocean water circulation pattern and consequent temperature regime. The physical characteristics and natural processes has long ago established the New York Bight as a major domestic fishing and more recently a foreign fishing area. Marine fishery resources of New Jersey are harvested by two distinctly different groups of fishermen: sport and commnercial. Some fish species are harvested by both groups, while others are almost exclusively sport species or commerical species. 1. Recreational Marine Fisheries Marine sport fishing is a major industry of the coastal areas of the Mid-Atlantic States, providing household food, vast recreational opportunities, and expenditures into local economies. The 1970 Salt-Water Angling Survey (Deuel, 1973) estimated that 3.4 million anglers fished from Maine to Cape Hatteras, in 1970. A more recent survey by Ridgely and Deuel (1975) covering the same area estimated there were 10.8 million marine anglers during 1973-74. This large increase reflects both a real increase in marine fishing participants and an expanded sampling method. -12- Over 2.7 million people annually participate in marine sport fishing and shellfishing in New Jersey (Ridgely and Deuel, 1975). This represents the highest number of parti- cipants in any state sampled, from Maine to Maryland. Of that total, 1.6 million people reside in New Jersey, with the remaining number mostly coming from Pennsylvania and New York (792,000 and 300,000) respectively (Ridgely and Deuel, 1975). The New Jersey Bureau of Fisheries Management (Pyle, personal communication) estimates marine fishing provides 83 million/man days of recreation in New Jersey with approximately $10.42 expenditures/day yielding a total of $86.5 million to the state economy. Of this total, fin fishing yielded approxi- mately $50 million and shellfishing $36.5 million (which is predominantly an estuarine activity). Important sport fishing species and harvest rates are summarized in Tables 1 and 2. Estimated number of participants and man/days of recreation provided to New Jersey residents by the marine environment. Participants Man/days recreation Ocean fishing 493,000 17,000,000 Estuarine fishing 483,000 20,000,000 Surf fishing 231,000 11,000,000 Crabbing 645,000 25,000,000 Clamming 16,000 10,000,000 1,868,000 Total 83,000,000 Total Source: Figley (1976) -13- 2. Commercial Marine Fisheries Saila and Pratt (1973) and Gusey (1976) report there are approximately 300 species of marine fishes are known to occur in the waters of the Mid-Atlantic Bight, with one half of that number consistently found from year-to-year. About 80 species of finfish and shellfish are listed in commer- cial fisheries statistics compiled the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Only 30 species of marine and estuarine finfishes and shellfish are of signi- ficant commercial value to New Jersey. These are listed in Table 3. Commercial fishermen operating out of New Jersey, New York, and Delaware, during 1974, landed 210 million pounds of fish and shellfish, valued at $43 million (Gusey, 1976). These figures include estuarine species. The total harvest from the Mid-Atlantic Bight (Cape Cod to Cape Hatteras including George's Bank) amounted to 1.8 billion pounds landed by United States commercial fishermen. An additional 200 million pounds of finfish were harvested by foreign fleets (Gusey, 1976). The total harvest for the Mid- Atlantic Bight is estimated in excess of 2.1 billion pounds of fish and shellfish. Nearly 9,000 men and more than 5,000 vessels and boats participate in commercial fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. New Jersey ranked seventh nationally in commercial fisheries landings by weight, totaling over 209 million pounds, and valued at $18.4 million. 1956 was the record year for commercial fishing in New Jersey, with more than one half a billion pounds (540 million) landed. The bulk of this record catch was Atlantic menhaden, an industrial fish which processed into high. protein animals feed and oil which is used in margarine and paints. As Table 3 indicates, the total weight of marine fish and shellfish landed in New Jersey was 209.7 and 166.9 million pounds for the years 1973 and 1974, respectively. These annual harvests yielded $18.4 million and $16.9 million dock-side values to New Jersey commercial fishermen (NOAA, 1975). Marine fisheries harvests for the years 1973 and 1974, contributed approximately $184 million and $166.9 million to the state economy, which represents approximately .3% of the 1974 gross state product (Silver, personal com- munication), based on a standard resource multiplier developed by University of Rhode Island. In New Jersey alone, there were 2,693 full-time and part-time fishermen during 1973 (NOAA, 1974). An additional 2,066 people were employed in 102 processing and wholesale establishments during 1972 (NOAA, 1974) in New Jersey. Secondary industries dependent on marine resources include fishing tackle stores, marinas and boat supply houses, seafood resturants and retail seafood outlets. Statistics for the entire state of number of establishments, sales, payroll, and number of employees, for retail seafood outlets, sporting good stores, and boat dealers are summarized in Table 4. -15- Table 5 ranks by weight landed, most important marine and estuarine commercial finfish species in New Jersey during 1973 and 1974. It can be seen from this table that relative ranks do not vary greatly from year to year. Also, although the menhaden harvest was in excess of 100 million pounds, the value of catch by weight was worth about $.02/lb., whereas fluke yielded nearly $.32/lb., the highest for fin- fishes. Table 6 summarizes landing values and rank of marine and estuarine shellfish. Surf clams harvests in 1974 totaled 22 million pounds valued at nearly $3 million. Lobster were the second most valuable shellfish, at nearly $2 million. Hard clams and oysters were New Jersey's most valuable estuarine shellfish each harvest totaling in excess of $1 million. Although crabs and squid harvests weights exceeded other shellfish species, their landing values were lower. Values of finfish and shellfish ranked by price/pound are summarized in Table 7. Lobsters were most valuable fishery resource, followed closely by other shellfish. Fluke (summer flounder) was most valuable marine fish ranked by price/lb. Menhaden was lowest price/lb. finfish, reflexing the industrial uses of this species. -16- 3. Potential Fisheries Regources Not all presently important sport or commercial fin- fish or shellfish have a long history of intensive fishing. Surf clams, haddock, and whiting were formerly only of marginal importance, with little market acceptance. Other species not harvested today have moderate to high potential value. This would include such shellfish as the ocean quahog, northern shrimp, red and rock crabs. There are vast untapped 'standing stocks of ocean quahogs offshore New Jersey, but there is little interest outside of use as fish bait, consequently only $109,387 were harvested in 1945 (Wigley and Emery, 1968). Surf clam gear might be used to harvest this species, although they are usually found in deeper waters. The north shrimp and red crabs and rock crabs could have a higher value if properly marketed. Red crabs are found in deep continental slope waters. This species is somewhat similar to the Alaskan king crab, although smaller. Finfish species of presently low commercial importance, which have greater potential value are: Altantic herring, spiny dogfish, and squid. These species have little esteem as food fish in the U.S. Sea herring, Atlantic mackerel, and squid have been intensely harvested by foreign trawling fleets in the Mid-Atlantic Bight in recent years. These fish stocks could become an important export product, if direct foreign harvest were prohibited within the 200 mile limit. -17- In the past year, there has been a tremendous increase in angling for sharks. People who a short time ago would never dream of wasting their time fishing for them, are now sailing offshore almost daily and spending large sums of money to catch one (Freeman, 1976). In a matter of a few months after the accidental rod and reel catch of tilefish in 1967 off New Jersey, some twenty large party, charter, and private-boats began making the necessary 200 mile round trip to the edge of the continental shelf. Fifty years ago, giant bluefin tuna, weighing 300-1,000 pounds, were looked upon as a nuisance. These large fish, along with smaller fish called "footballs", are now a bases for an important fishery (Freeman), 1976). Regulations allocating catch of bluefin have recently been enacted. Mariculture or aquaculture is another potential marine/ estuarine industry in New Jersey. This state has extensive estuarine areas which would be suitable for expansion of this industry. oysters are presently cultivated in Delaware Bay, and formerly in Raritan Bay before pollution extinguished the industry there. Other species which have greater potential and good market value are: hard clams and blue-claw crabs. These estuarine species are generally more tolerent of adverse environmental conditions and have a rapid growth rate. Much more research is needed on the life cycles and environmental requirements of all potential mariculture species before this industry could expand successfully in New Jersey. D. Marine'Wildlife Resources There are three main groups of marine wildlife found in New Jersey's nearshore and offshore oceanic waters; marine birds, marine mammals, and marine reptiles. The first group is by far the most numerous. 1. marine Birds Marine birds whether pelagic (open ocean inhabitants usually more than 5 miles offshore) or littoral (nearshore inhabitants not usually greater than 5 miles offshore) are frequently overlooked when considering living marine resources. Pelagic bird species which spend virtually their entire lives over the open ocean, except for onshore breeding, are usually out of sight of land and human inhabitants. Littoral species, such as gulls and terns, which inhabit beaches and inlets, have much wider contact with humans. Table 8 summarizes species, habitat frequency, and general abundance of marine birds which occur in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. As a group, their cumulative impact on the marine environment must be substantial. Very little documentation is available on population numbers, environmental require- ments, and ecological relationships. Three hundred and eighty species of birds have been observed within the Mid- Atlantic Bight, which is the area lying between Cape Cod and Cape Hatteras. This includes estuarine and upland species as well (Heppren and Gould, 1973 and Gusey, 1976). Approxi- mately 80% of this number occur regularly as year-around residents, seasonal residents, or as regular migrants. Within the New York Bight approximately 30 pelagic birds species and 41 littoral bird species are known to occur (Heppner and Gould, 1973). Predominantly estuarine and wetland bird species, are discussed in a separate paper on the estuarine environment. The petroleum industry estimates there are 75 avian species which may be effected by petroleum activities in the Mid-Atlantic region (Gusey, 1976). These include pelagic, littoral, and estuarine birds, and form the bulk of the total avial population in nearshore and offshore waters. 2. Marine Mammals Marine mammals (seals, whales, and porpoises) are fairly common in the New York Bight. Pilson and Goldstein (1973) report that 36 species of marine mammal occurred within the New York Bight in the past. The right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, so called because it was the right one to hunt being slow and easy to kill, was once plentiful in the Mid-Atlantic coastal seas in former days. This species supported the whaling ports of Long Island during the early 1800's until populations were extin- guished and interests shifted to the sperm whale. Today, marine mammals are of no economic importance in the United States, since enactment of the federal Marine Mammals Pro- tection Act of 1972, 16 U.S.C. -20- This act established a moratorium on the taking of marine mammals and a ban on the importation of marine mammal products. Gusey (1976) states that with few exceptions, information about the number of any species of marine mammal which may be found within the Mid-Atlantic Eight is unknown. What information is available is based on solely upon casual sightings or strandings. Hence, for many animals, one can not definitely say that the species in question occurs with any regularity today within the Mid-Atlantic Bight (Gusey, 1976). Marine mammals have been designated by this Department as endangered, threatened, or peripheral. Table 9 lists marine mammals which have occured or may occur in the Mid- Atlantic Bight. 3. Marine Reptiles Sea turtles are the only group of marine reptiles found in New Jersey's marine environment. While not common in near or offshore waters, some do appear each year, probably traveling north with the Gulf Stream. These large animals have been taken for food and for their shells. They are also preyed upon by sharks, and, as they must come ashore to deposit eggs an the beach, the eggs are taken for food and young turtles are preyed upon by gulls and fish. Sea turtles are not known to breed in New Jersey. Five species of sea turtles are known to occur in New Jersey's coastal waters, these are listed below. Each species has been designated by the Department as endangered or peripheral, and therefore deserve special protection. Marine Reptiles of New Jersey Status* Atlantic green turtle, Chelonia mydas E Atlantic hawkbill, Eretmochelys imbricata E Atlantic ridley, Lepidochelys kempi E Atlantic leatherback, Dermochelys coriocea E Atlantic loggerhead, Caretta caretta P *Endangered, Threatened, Peripheral and Undetermined Wild- life Species in New Jersey - Official List. New Jersey Register Vol. 7 (1975). -22- IV. Analysis A. Commercial and Recreational Fishing The commercial marine fishing industry in New Jersey is in a period of decline, while recreational marine fishing has increased significantly. The 1973 commercial harvest totaled 209.7 million pounds. This total does not represent the historic peak in commercial fishing harvests or activities, but rather points on a trend of diminishing values of this industry. Figure 5 depicts recent trends in finfish and shellfish landings for New Jersey, New York and Delaware. it is obvious that commercial fisheries have lost economic importance in these states. Concurrent with diminishing landing wieghts and values of fish and shellfish, has been a loss in employment and diversity of local economies. During 1951, there were 13,382 commerical fishermen in these three states. This number has declined to 8,611 by 1973 (Gusey, 1976). Edwards (1975) estimates that, for the period 1963-65, about 22% of the available fin fishery resources of the Mid- Atlantic region were being harvested. in the period 1964-67 the standing crops of fish decreased about 40%, indicating that the ecosystem was probably being harvested near the maximum rate. Grosslein (1975) draws attention to the heavy foreign fishing in the 1960's, which may have caused signifi- cant declines in the biomass (standing crop) of most species of finfish in the continental shelf waters from Hudson Canyon north to Nova Scotia. He estimates that the standing crop of commercial finfish and squid has declined well over 50% since 1967. Species most severely affected include: -23- sea herring, flounders, hakes, and haddock. Grosslein postulates that these declines are a result of heavy foreign fishing, especially by unselective bottom trawls in winter and spring, when may species are concentrated offshore on the Mid-Atlantic shelf. Gusey (1976) states that foreign competition and exploitation has had a profound effect upon the North Atlantic fisheries, especially those of New England states. He further draws attention to the inequity in fishing vessels. The best of the U.S. trawler fleets consists of vessels under 150 feet in length with a crew of 17 or less, while Soviet factory ships are 270 feet with crews of 100 men. It should be noted that a significant portion of the U.S. catch are nearshore and estuarine species of f in- fish and shellfish, while foreign landings are almost exclu- sively finfish on the continental shelf. it is popular today to discuss fishing resources in terms of commercial or recreational species. But, with rare exception, no species of finfish is harvested wholly by one group or the other. It is true, however, that certain species or groups are predominantly taken by one group of fishermen. While both commercial fishermen and anglers strive to catch fish, commercial men need to catch substantial quantities in order to stay in business. As a result, commercial operators have concentrated on pelagic fishes which live mainly in the upper levels of the sea and which form dense schools, such as: menhaden, tunas, mackerels, and herring'. The demersal species, which congregate close to the bottom, include: flounders, Atlantic cod, haddock and hakes (Freeman, 1976), are also taken in great numbers. -24- Recreational fishermen tend to catch a greater variety of species. They usually concentrate on predatory species such as: bluefish, striped bass, Atlantic mackerel, weakfish, fluke, billfish and tunas. Figure 6 depicts finfish harvest of the Atlantic coast yielding 10 million pounds or more to recreational and commercial fishermen in 1960 and 1970. All fishing activities are dependent on the same resource base. Forage fishes (herbivorous or omnivorous species which are usually preyed upon by larger species) such as Atlantic menhaden serve to illustrate this point. This species is the largest commercial harvest is the principal food of bluefish, which is the largest recreational harvest. In addition, menhaden are used as cut bait or ground into chum by sport fishermen. Menhaden, as are other forage species (alewife, anchovies, killfish, shinners, and a host of invertebrates) are estuarine dependent. All but a very few of important marine finfishes are migratory. Their movements can be correlated to a con- siderable degree with water temperature, or other factors such as: location and availability of food or suitable spawning habitat. Migrations are usually north-south along the coast or inshore-offshore. These migratory patterns present a considerable problem for fisheries management. In order for any marine fisheries management program to succeed, it is essential that all government agencies within -25- whose jurisdiction a species passes, collaborate in designing an effective system of regulatory measures. Conservation laws covering a migratory species in one state alone will have little effect, unless developed in consort with all other Atlantic coastal states. Regulation must cover the range of harvesting activities, and not be directed towards only one group. As part of any management program the following informa- tion is essential for each species to be managed: 1. Total distribution of the species 2. Racial composition (identity of populations) 3. Spawning grounds and habits 4. Migratory routes 5. Growth rates and longevity 6. Feeding habits 7. Predators and competitors 8. Behavior patterns 9. Abundance 10. Fishing intensity 11. Size and age composition of total catch 12. Measures of natural and fishing mortality Much of this information for the majority of marine fishes is not well known. Figure 7 illustrates the extent of present knowledge of some important species. This chart was prepared in cooperation with Mr. Bruce Freeman, NOAA/NMFS and Dr. Lionel Walford, N.J. Marine Science Consortium. -26- B. Energy Developments The potential impacts of energy developments and marine mineral extractions on marine fish and shellfish has been elaborated iji Issue and Policy Alternative Paper, Ocean Resources: Mineral. The potential adverse impacts on marine wildlife, especially marine birds could be enormous. Oil spills are the great est threat to marine birds. Mortal- ities have been high in these species in Santa Barbara and the British Isles, resulting form massive oil spills. Very little quantitative information is presently available on pelagic birds inhabiting offshore New Jersey waters, on the effects on hydrocarbon contamination of marine food chains and sub-lethal effects of oil on marine organisms. C. Water Quality Degradation Ocean water quality degradation has eliminated 85,650 acres of productive nearshore ocean waters from harvest by surf clam fishermen in New Jersey. Areas of heavy metal and organic contamination are shown in Figure 8. Pollution has been documented to cause fin rot and shell erosion in marine organisms in New Jersey. The reader should consult Issue and Policy Alternative Paper, Estuarine and Wetland Resources for a more detailed discussion of marine and estuarine diseases. Quantification of loss of finfish, shellfish, wildlife resources though water born disease is not presently available. -27- The recent massive fish and shellfish kill in New Jersey's offshore waters during the summer of 1976 points out the magnitude of this problem. This most recent kill affected an area over 3,000 square miles, as shown in Figure 9. Sport divers first became aware of an environmental disturbance in the vicinity of wrecks off Long Branch during July 4 week-end (Yananton, personal communication). Finfish and shellfish were observed behaving abnormally. Later observations at same sites revealed many dead and decaying demersal marine species. Scuba divers reported the fish kill to move south and east, away from the sewage dump site. Commercial trawlers reported catching dead finfish, up to 75% of their catch. Catches of American lobsters dropped by 30%, with some fishermen returning to port with nothing. Surf clam mortalities may have exceeded 50% in the affected area, thus affecting reproductive potential of depleated stocks for years to come. The exact cause of this kill has been determined to have resulted from an explosive algal bloom of the dino- flagellate, Ceratium tripos, in the thermocline. Massive quantities of dead algal material rained down onto the ocean bottom, coating it with a slimy layer. Bacteria decomposition of alage reduced dissolved oxygen levels on the ocean resulting in anoxic waters. After all dissolved oxygen was removed, bacteria switched to anaerobic metabolism which releases hydrogen sulfide which is highly toxic to marine organisms. As a result, many species of benthic shellfish (surf clams and lobsters) and demersal fish (hake, ocean pout, fluke, -28- and sea bass) died from suffocation (Paulson, 1976). The oxygen levels in surface water were unaffected. Surface finfish species such as bluefish,' striped bass and menhaden exhibited little mortality. The exact causes stimulating this bloom have not been determined. Ocean disposal of sewage sludge and dredge spoils have been implicated as contributing factors, along with calm weather conditions, successive sunny days, and stratification of the water column (Paulson, 1976). This is not the first marine fish kill which has occurred offshore New Jersey. Previous fish kills have occurred during 1968, 1973 and 1974. The extent of these kills was not documented. The economic cost of this most recent fish kill has been estimated at $92.5 million to the fishing industry in New Jersey. This total is broken down below: Estimated Cost of the 1976 Fish Kill. $ 25,000,000 Loss in sport fishing revenues 1,445,000 Loss in commercial finfish stocks (over 4 year period) 2,070,000 Loss in commercial lobster catch (over 4 year period) 65,000,000 Loss in commercial sea clam stocks (over 7 year period)* 171,300,000 Loss in associated economy due to reduced commercial landings. $264,815,000 Total *Based upon estimate that only 70% of last stocks are harvestable. Source: New Jersey Division of Fish, Game and Shellfisheries -29- Appendix A Tables and Figures Table 1. - Important Marine Sport Fishing Species Taken in New Jersey. (Estuarine dependent sport species are listed in Table 2) Common Name Ranks by Weight Number Caught* Estimated Weight (pounds)* Black Sea Bass 4 3,844,000 6,710,000 Bonitos 12 54,000 282,000 Cod 13 154,000 230,000 Red Drum 14 97,000 83,000 Red Hake 10 497,000 904,000 Silver Hake 9 912,000 1,436,000 Kingfish 6 1,911,000 2,402,000 Atlantic Mackerel 1 18,441,000 29,250,000 Puffers 2 27,608,000 16,568,000 Sea Robins 3 5,831,000 6,741,000 Sharks (all species) 7 245,000 1,680,000 Tautog 8 - 383,000 1,619,000 Tunas 11 54,000 886,000 Miscellaneous 5 2,634,000 3,947,000 Source: 1970 Salt-water Angling Survey (Deuel, 1973). * Harvest totals given are for Mid-Atlantic States: New Jersey to Cape Hatteras, N.C., will represent best statistics presently available. Table 2 - Harvest of Important Estuarine Dependent Fishes of New Jersey. Sport Fishing(1) (1970) Commercial Fishing(2)(1974) Rank by Rank by Common Name Weight Number Estimated Weight (lbs) Weight Weight (lbs) Land Value (dollars) Alewife & Blueback Herring - ---- ---- 12 10,600 $ 424 Bluefish 1 12,351,000 49,720,000 5 1,003,115 115,100 Croaker 7 4,617,000 3,831,000 10 45,180 6,470 Black Drum 8 26,000 1,454,000 11 33,317 3,095 American Eel 7 367,000 740,000 6 216,214 75,.586 Summer Flounder 8 .4,191,000 7,742,000 2 3,499,419 1,153,421 (fluke) Winter Flounder 5 7,496,000 12,881,000 8 140,242 17,136 Menhaden ----- ---- 1 107,307,501 2,734,831 White Perch 6 15,072,000 12,592,000 9 102,011 23,123 American Shad 5 1,541,000 4,231,000 7 121,558 26,144 Striped Bass 2 9,857,000 27,262,000 5 713,616 177,203 Scaup (porgy) 6 1,188,000 2,127,000 3 6,039,977 879,679 Spot 3 32,952,000 21,573,000 13 10,522 1,438 Sturgeon ----- ---- 14 9,972 1,965 Weakfish 4 9,397,000 14,039,000 4 2,686,175 312,221 Sources: 1. 1970 Salt-water Angling Survey (Deuel, 1973). Sport harvests are for Mid-Atlantic States: New Jersey to Cape Hatteras, N.C. 2. New Jersey Landings - Annual Summary 1974 (NOAA, 1975) . S. N. 01 PA G 3 S. NO 8713 Table 3. - NEW. JERSEY LANCINGSo L913 AND 1974 P~ SPECIES I 1~~~ ~ ~~~~~~973 A1914 F ~~~~I pemQLASPUD n I g ALEWIVES- - 7,000 280 10,600 424 %MG2R JACK . f 5s 4,7 663 39 %N.L~~~~~~~~~~~~3 EzR I S1 .3 21351 9 slUtElw[Sh. . afi?256 132.755 I1,003,115 115.160 3ENI1 TO . 891 L ai Z .211 453 dLTTERtF St%. LINCLASS1 FIED . 1.. 029,933 157.59.3 .1979.337 1359203 CARP. . 10.. 8. uadza44d 47,693 3.113 CATFISH . . 12.214 L :903 *'16,862 11007 COO * I 8~~~~~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~5.004 26.501 / I337.284 82.125 RCVALLE * I ~~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- I567 30 ~jk3.UNCLASSIFIED . . .7,06I 7.401. 45,180 4,470 NEct. . . . ... I .14C 7 I298 15 CPU1. '3LACA . . . ... 24.423 2.033. 33.317 3.1395 --ELS. CCMI.f'L. . ....I 230.278 54,760 26147.51 S A.S. CC&CER.. I 6.193 1,033 I5,316 949 FLOjUNOERS. tLAC96ACK. . . 159.492 15,923 140,242 I 1T.13-b FLCUNGEIRS. FLUKE .......3. C9 1,5 A1 1.103,242 I3.499,419 ,5 3. -ta Ft.Lt.-NOE A. GRAY SCL-9. UNCL *I36.218 6.L49 I3.0 ,6 CL,;lOR S. LEMCA SCLE .. Ila 13 I-- LCLNOEAS.SAN .I Z10C 234 I - ft-'UNCERS, YELLC.TALL. UNCL L ,Is 22.51Z 25,1 48,925 HA00;.CR. 'ACLASSIFIEC ....1,638 561 I366 125 MAKE. AEC ..... . . 1116,4G4 d7,900 S 93.396 54.495 i4AYRi. WHITE. uhCLASSLFIEC I 61,378 W1,535 I57.815 11,112 116LIEUT . . . . ... 26 13 1- - ,.IRRING. SCA. . . 114,012 2.579 I346.615 L14.04a 14ZNt MACK2REL . . . I :: 1.0 54 54Z 279 56 KING WI'ITI:.%t.l -, KINGF[SI-. 1,608 231 I 04 100 MACKESE1L, ATLANTIC. . . I. t1514.SCI 93.647 I774,C39 1091,01.3 MNAIN. .....I 154,483,25C 393'9,309 I 1,01,307,501 .734,8131 JCEAN PINCH, ATLANTIC . . .I - I75 Li OCE&N.PCUT. . . . . . I 26 1 PrLLOCK . . . . ... 893 151 11,348 L 32 SCuP GR PC:RIt. LI.CLASSLFIEO . 2,570,040c 772,910 I6,039,977 879,679 SE& BASS. LNtLASSLFU0 . . . . 693.92! 268.863 I 777.59 25L.480 SEA ACBIN . . ,,. .8 3 4 I 967 48 SEA TROUT. .REY ih *.LL^ 2. 62.545 3 38, 772 I2.686,1.75 312,221. S-r. .........I I4's,183 21,371 121,558 26,144 SHfAAKS, GRAYFIS . . . 5. ...431 255 75a .42 S,4A91.S. UJCLASS IF Hr. ... . 3,394 231 1.803 159 SearTEs . . . . .... - - I2,4.35 123 SF6A1411S MaACKEREL .105... c 35 1 ,634 306 Sp]T . . . I . .527 .3 5 I10,522 1,438 STRIPac lA Ss .. . .. I 168,183i I 214,877 713,615 , 177.203 S TUP'eu.3 . . . 1 . ... 18.42! 2,998 I9.972 1,965 so'GRuF Isti. . . . .. 4.7!2 5,095 I 7,208 12,337 T.%uTOu . . . . ... 22.588 1,058 I21.532 1.040G TILEFISH . . . . . ... 71L.125 Z.33, it0 I 838216 262,969 T1.96. SLUEFIN 1. .......251.757 2 Z61,166 I 872,578 231,788 TLNA, LITTLE . . . 8 54 48 I ,427 150 TUNJA. UNCLASSIrIEC . . ..I 201 13 I- 'AMITE PERC'4 . . . ... 141,195 31,236 I102,011 23,123 W FIT ING. . . ....I 6,4.49,617 -joa,295 I7,022,206, 58 7,9208 UNCLASSIFIED FCR FCCr . . . 6,452 d5o LI11429 1,776 UNCLASSIFIED FCF INCLSTRIAL . I - 6,078 423 TrjTAL. F ISH I 9.4i 31.3Z. L346.A-134 SrL~i, E l IN CRABS. OLU6. NAFL . . . 2,1.0 5.100. 2,745,160 671.205 CRABS. tSLUE,-5CFT ASC PEELig. 1 22,913 1,5,528 I 15,515 52,918 CRISS, REC . . . ... 26.6t3 1,564 125,263 1.860 "AAas. RCCK%. . . 9,8 1111 . L' 34.5.693 22.212 'cBSTERS. AE41ICAN. UICL . . . 1,363.148 2,234,391 I 1,191.297 1,915.S56 i~iRI,,P. SALTWATER Li-EA4S-CNI. 1 14.9s2 2,974 1-- CLAMS. MARC (HEATS) . . I... 1,893,66! 1.640,505 1 .14L.Cao 1,739.312 CLAMS. SCFT. PI.8LIC ImEATSI . I 17,29i 18,914 a 87,2400 72,700O CLAMS. SURF (MEATS) . . I . . 21,5d8,249; 2.709,121 I22,.656,648 2,948,367 CCNC,,S (MEATS1 . . ....I 150,167 38.305 107.114. 31,790 MILSSELS. SEA (MEATS) . . . . . 7,050 3.755 J.YSThQS iMEATS) . . ...I 1,.391,728 1,329,232 L.1009,914 1,028,102 SCALLOPS. SAY IF-EATS) . . ..6C,844 71,628 16,2148 24,372 SCALLOPS. SEA 0-6ATS)J.t_. LS 45551 rb0,263 I327,686 506.860o SQUI~~~~~~~~, .. I ~~~~~~~~84 433 134, 914 I.288,819 237,034 TERRAPIt . .I . .... 5CC 250 I500 250 TLRTLES. LCC.GEPI-EAO . . ac 2 I- - TUOTLES. SLIDERS .5 25 53 I600 60 TUATLES. SNAPPER . . I . .. 25,519 5,067 I27,181 5.502 TLRTLES. UhNCLASSIFIEC . . .I 45C 32 I1.705 I146 TUTAL SkI'LLF ISM . I � I J03.1Q1 ~ &Z-1- - 2.2111 -11 PGTE...I'.t SC.FI AP-E PIA111 (LIVE1 A11r~!. ECE~rP A- 1OTED. 4tEI'II 11 SCALLOP~ 11 WEII~r OrCfL VtIC G- E*~~Or. Ll- from :NOAA (1975) -32- Table 4). -'Some secondary marine resource dependent industries in New Jersey. Number of Number of Establishments Sales Payroll Employees Retail Seafood 83 $14,038,000 $1,204,000 227 Outlets Sporting Goods 594 $89,419,000 $9,700,000 1,699 Stores Boat Dealers 121 $48,971,000 $4,639,000 622 Source: U.S. Department of Commerce (1974) Table 5. - Landing values and rank of ten largest dollar catches of commercial marine fish landed in New Jersey during 1973 and 1974. 1973 1974 Species Value Rank Weight(pounds) Species Value Rank Weight(pounds) Menhaden 3,939,000 #1 154,483,000 Menhaden 2,734,000 #1 107,307,000 Fluke (summer flounder) 1,103,000 2 3,091,000 Fluke 1,153,000 2 3,499,000 Whiting (Silver 886,000 3 6,449,000 Scup(porgy) 879,000 3 6,039,000 Hake), Scup(porgy) 772,000 4 2,970,000 Whiting 587,000 4 7,022,000 Weakfish (seatrout) 338,000 5 2,562,000 Weakfish 312,000 5 2,686,000 Sea Bass 268,000 6 693,000 Tilefish 262,000 6 838,000 vp Bluefin Tuna 267,000 7 1,251,000 Sea Bass 251,480 7 777,000 Tilefish 233,000 8 711,000 Bluefin Tuna 231,000 8 872,000 Striped Bass 210,000 9 766,000 Striped Bass 177,000 9 713,000 Butterfish 157,000 10 1,029,000 Butterfish 135,000 10 979,000 Source: New Jersey Landings - Annual summary 1974 (NOAA, 1975) Table 6.- Landing values and rank of ten largest dollar catches of marine and estuarine shellfish in-New Jersey during 1974. MARINE SPECIES Value Rank Weight(pounds) $/pound Surf Clams $2,948,000 #1 22,656,000 .13 Lobster 1,915,000 2 1,191,000 1.60 Sea Scallops 506,000 6 327,000 1.54 Squid 237,000 7 1,286,000 .18 Conch 31,000 9 107,000 .29 ESTUARINE SPECIES Hard Clams 1,739,000 3 1,741,000 .99 Oysters 1,028,000 4 1,009,000 1.01 Crabs (hard and soft) 724,000 5 2,870,000 .25 Soft Clams 72,000 8 87,000 .82 Bay Scallops 24,000 10 16,000 1.50 source: NOAA (1975) *Note: Values are calculated on basis of shell-closing muscle only. Table 7. - Rank by value/pound of twenty most valuable species of finfish and shell- fish landed in New Jersey by commercial fishermen during 1974. Rank Species $/lb. Rank Species S/lb. # 1 American Lobster 1.60 11 Bluefin Tuna .26 #2 Sea Scallops * 1.54 12 Blue Claw Crabs .25 # 3 Bay Scallops * 1.50 13 Striped Bass .24 # 4 Oysters 1.01 14 Squid .18 # 5 Hard Clams .99 15 Scup (porgy) .14 # 6 Soft Clams .82 16 Surf Clams .13 # 7 Fluke .32 17 Butterfish .13 # 8 Sea Bass .32 18 Weakfish .11 # 9 Tilefish .31 19 Whiting (Silver Lake) .08 /lo0 Conch .29 20 Menhaden .02 * Note: Values are calculated on basis of shell-closing muscle only. source: NOAA (1975) TABLE 8.- MIGRATORY WATERFOWL AND OTHER MARINE BIRDS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC BIGHT * P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ElAGIrl" it floll1`01i ON PERIOIGt OF GRE~ATEST 01'FU(11TAll 'All0h diOlib RAYS FIIEQIUFtlCY [AITS ABUNDANCE AN;, > 4 ,1 -tE <5 mil,,G .ttLou I N AREA PRPEtITr ElTLRtAflEJ IfWRliS Covnon t~oan x onnn abutndust, migrant, Winter ea-round April. Novmember 100 Red- throtated Loon X tX tmn abundan1t, Migrant, Winter N-o., Dec., April Nov. & April Soo Becd-necked Grebe taa,,Firly rvnmigrantf, Irregular tit. - April WI iter lao lIartied Grebe A A Cuvaon, a bunlanrt, migr-ant, Winter O c t. - lee. 1, oo t'tell~billed Grette Fat ny co'mmon, mIgrnSetu n Winter Sept. 1A April Spebr100 Whlntling Swan A 1ncmtn , Winter st#igrat _tv March iDO Carta'da O~oume A Ahundant, mtgrttt, Winter visitor Marcci - Novm. March 10,000 ianstL X Abundant, migrant, Winter visitor )-c, - April 400,000 itiallard A vvn abundant, resident & migrant All year Soo Ilack Rick A Aiuntlant Vail migrltnt, Winter istrAll year A:lIring - 5,000 * ~~~~~~~~~~~European Widgeon A .... 'atmr,n, migrant winter vial or QCt - March 100 American Widgeon A X ss abu,~aatt nigratit, Winter visitor FePt. -April 5,000 Ring-nec-ked Stack X silly cuvant,o, abundant miarant, Winter visitor Oct. -Mid-April 500 Onatnamback it Eonwinter Visitor (r,-early April 1,000 ia ~~~~~Greater Scaup X AbandanL, Wititer visitor All year 100,000 Lesser ScauP S Fairly comlSpritig migrant, r-re Winter- visitor Cotmmon Goldeneye X. A Commtn or abundant Winter visitor tI",. early April 5,000 Bufflehead A A1 Locally eatanin, abundant Winter visitor till-oct. - April 500 Oldapaaw X X Common, ocanlonally abundant Winter visitor All year 5,000 Common Elder X X Cottatoi, abundant elarant, Wintier Visitor 0.t, - April 100,000 White-winged Seater X X Abundant migrant 11ov. - tarch 100,000 Surf Scoter XA I osabundjant mlgrant Ue t. April 100,000) Comnon Seater X X oamnabundant migrant Jet. -April 100,000 * ~~~~~~~~~~Ruddy, (tuck X tfovvvon, abundant Fall migrant, Winter visitor Oct. -March 1,000 Flooded tMerganser X Covaom, abundant vigrant Oct. -April 100 Ried-brested Merganser X Cannon, abutndant migrant Nov. -Marcl, 10,000 Common Merganser X Itliconmot,, Winter visitor Niov . April 100 American Coot X Canmon, abndn,,1ai. migranlt, Winter visitor All year 1, 000 Fulmar X Ac, [le nd al Oct. Jan. 100 lory'a Shearwater X A Cmmo~n - abundant, late Summter & Fall visitor July -Mlid No,. ta.te Aug. -Late Oct. (North Atlantic Sbrarwat er) 1,000 Great Shearwater A P eMr, o-avos Oev-er visitor Itate Mlay -early Oct. 500G S!ooty Shearwater Y. X Casual - batant Iste isito~r Late Flay -Mid Sept. le ak, late May-early June 5400 Audubon'a Sbeartwater X 7 Ma.s Sheanwater X Camrol ? Leach's Storm Petrel X X Canol, I 'Umm, & tall visitor Early May -early Nov. Wilmaon' a Storm-Petrel X ~sm Abundant, 3-aer visitor Late May -late Aug. 10,000 Frigat~e Storm- Petrel X s- llarcaurt'mi Stormt-Petrel X Visoal Bermuda Petrel XAvel lental from: G3usey (1976) TABLE 8~(Continued) * ~~~~~~~~MIGRATORY WATERFOWL AND OTHER MARINE BIRDS OF THE MID-ATLANTIC BIGHT *~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~EA 1.01' I LIThIORM. ONI 11iti..D0 1,1 GREAIEST Blat-k.~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~> mljeI <te 5 m~sl x "ilaIIIA V CSJT4I4II, w.I~~~~~~~a untijl mldriail LiCI 4.d R -0 Hill Hey ].Aie t.&. tucrly fe.Q l-el 1I1e-ler'pe A x ~.I fferv ilgrlia't Isitt Hal.11-1.te AprIl, eH.eri.. 5,0 * I. ~~~~~~4rit-~en fi~ularz-.. X x X lir. 1,all eouunll, casual ziprif.d mieril.Cf JULY - 6.pl4. L o u 10 i~~r~artr~~e J'.e,~~~er .. f~~t.~~nrns~~, rere t~~~ldf4.UL le~rly Hay - MIA4 tj,,veubcr -0 ;~r sttii jae,.8er X Ikegular nl,rlmrut Stary Hfey - faii 1l..veebcr 100 -fle- 41-1le Jue-Ir C"Use ,uidse:,s 1.41 Hay - early Julie Early Aud. - eerly iejpt. 'lu~sJel in x vnQ eve, rave - redlalr 11501cr Pu ral et ... L ou ,~latal Still 4 x ileee,,, regulun, Hill.e visit,,r 1e.-Han:1, Ie... Feb. 100 Ore l -Baz1i,~ Gull A 4 m-it, aubwid~at residee ~.nt mda AllI Yc.., Cpt. 5,000 cv,.:uJul x S fiey lebulldam r.gijeet All ytevr ic. -al Feb 10,000 he-. ll1 1 u I '!.I I Abl.t ml,~rfttt Wi,,ter Vit.1 AMl Y.Ur Aug. - 11,v. 1,000 00 ~~~~~ Gull .4 Ii.>unn c..ru I-flute LsiL,jcu ebllv late Heref.IL 0 -hSughi0 Gill I X sirafa amw viall..r All I rLut. arh Hrt-iUI Die.. b1nftP.x1,, C ull I. Cewn-ti, elua,busl~l tadrunt, Winter visitl u.L. fl.'y 1O,U00 * *filu.,k- Le'.,~~~~~~i Ktt iueee *: Itraelie,, vetnWIlltr visit."r lady. -FeL. .;00 aull-9%t1el Tern x 1,ure, Inrre:Ullr :2 rilld & Fell Viiltor Early Jul.e - Hid a,,pt.10 f-rester's 'Iern x a.,,a. -- o ecure1u mielru.t, .luueer resiletn. Soo .em, ,.eri X Abu.Lt rdrtlhetrstull- m a y - Hid cet,,ber5,0 Arlx LI2rt,. A A,-t iutitll iseat, :ern A I~~~~~t~e~~na~~n, et~~uu,. - I..gp'~' rlasij.,s, F,,1l midit,,t HiiiHy- ip. ,0 itch~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~~~~~~~ * r.Ac-,u, etLul.jalaicdtt Vil y <'iiu ulir Hey - Hid aSti. 0 9 e~~~~~~~~1ys& ferin .4 v r, ;uwiu I_ lul Visite July - jet. Lou 3.1.,nv~h !,re X Co.."l -eL ~~aehtsn tern .v A iii .,aiin st~~..nt, .uueer eA lle IN .J. AU4-.... L. Nlu1 * 11<.~~~~~~~~~. irt x 14,-m-i,i ,ccsiwtiolly ebtleuilUt liftlei'utlj tL.W Hey - eurly i.50 fileel SI-Imer x A_ ~ Icu uwe fvai&-u, Hidn Hbtlut ilfty - 4.I . t.,000 b.,.rbill Auk A A lure, 11,rululr Wilatr vlsit~i Lilt. lie. - curly IOUk,30 -ee~n Nwre. A I C,.iuel 100 t1c-btlliA Hut-re X v he xrvaa dilmr.1 .l, te Fb.L10 * .1 ~~~A W li."e eNvlrWie cli.111 MIl NOeV. - early Herk.I t oo Bj..ik Guilleu.t. x CAUed, rusljiur vslin~ II.V. toot10 :..eeen 11ivf'i' x A casutI, Wlinter visit.', rwv. Havelck 100 1,1it-. Ua."leby x 11'r.44 elr,~ue t Cal'. Iiet.Litrus *'taeDim C.,,u , erca.relifnus from: Gusey (1976) Ta') Ii 9. 13 irn o K.I 1!-iaa 'IiI ft II oOh hv ~rr ed o r K.&y Oc r lie In th Fe Fd-At 2.ntle (JftI..ptcd from I'lleon And 4denote"i thf)%e that occur or hive been reported In the area In recent times. denotes chose that occur or have been reported In the area in recent times and are 'endangered Spottiest' (U.S. Department of Interior, 1974) Odobenida. Odobenus rosmarus Walrus Phocidae 5Phoca vitulina Harbor seal Halichoerus, &rypus Cray seat Pagophilus groetilandicus Harp sent. *C~ystophora cristata Hooded seal Trichechidae Trichechus manatus manatee Balaenidae *Eubalaena glacialis* Right whale Eschrichtiidamt Eschrichtius robustus Cray whale flalaenopteridae kgalacnoptera acutorostrata Mink. whale Balaertaptera borealis Sei whale *Balaenoptera 2.hysaillski Finl whale Balaenoaptera musculus Blue whale *1Megaptera novaeangliae* Hump-backed whale Delphinidae Steno bredanensis Rough-tcoothed dolphin tTriasCruncatus Bottle-nosed dolphin *Orampus griseus Grampus or Risso's dolphin *Lagenorhynchus albirostris White-beaked dolphin Lagenorphynchus acutus White-aided dolphin *Stenella dubia Spotted dolphin Sti-encls caeruleoalba Striped dolphin *Dlelphinus depi Common dolphin Pseudorca croassidens False killer whale *Clobtcephala melaena Pilot whale Globicephala macrorrhyncha Short-finned pilot whale *Orcinus orca, Killer whale I'hocoana phocoena Harbor porpoise lionodontidam Delphinapterus Ieucas Beltiga or white whale Physeterida. Physetee catodon Sperm whale k~a~,ia breviceps Pyany Sperm whale Kogin sinus *Dwarf sperm whale Ziphiidas f~scrodon hidens North Sea beaked whale *~j~j~ij~ ciiropei~s Antrllein beaked whale Itesop.iodon minis Trite's beaked whale 11oioploodon dineisrostris flonse-beaiked whale "Ll pI11-1-1 iwi ravirorin Goiode-beaked whale Hyperoodrin ampulilatuo, North Atlancte bottled-mosed whale .source: BIM (1976) -39- 11* 74* 735~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I- N. BIGHT APEX LIMITS 40 000 ~~~~~k I HTe56 LIMITS f 2o caolls 10Aton CHEMICAL 0 Ip ~a DUMP SITE 0 mo za Stoo Figure.- THE NEW YORK BIGHT Source: EPA .(1976) -40- C ~igr Z. - Figure 2. - GULF STREAM .AND GYRAL CURRENTS j~ ~~1 .-. ...c~ -__ ,,_,pu. _ - ~,- , , IL_~ ., lo l A' / /, "f a ... so / I / / , a 1/ .// / / d L.,i 1970 -- 1~~~~' --' -- II� p -4- .... � ///~~~~~~~. f~~~~~~~~~~~~~hprom: 197y 196 tbl - f C 4~~~~ - PSt)t II-- //~i //f I Shairo 197 from: Gusey (1976) lb~l921-41-- 4 4 4 - 4t 4 . 4 4 N - 4 . C~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~' 73* &PONTA [~ ~~4v (Lama ISLANO SQUAIJPiN ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~11I LONG ISLANO ~~ K~~~~ ~ARE >00 I nLW ~~~~~ERSEI I c'~HER./ . AYLA~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~AE IC VTqE7~1 NA ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~cap-rcuis IN MEIER$ 1 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~LI H I I C L ' 1 ; i i - i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~*L I S r r v l -I tl AL-ONG -THE BOTTOM OF THE NEW YORK SIGHT NOTE : 'MA ~~~~~~ SHADED AREA INDI~CATES L.INE OF 01VERGEN'CE ?JOE:IIGIITUDE IS NOT IPLIEDS 8; LENGTH OF ARROWS OF ONSHORE AN OFFSRE FLOW SOURCES: BUAPUS 1965; CHARLEORT H, 1968. fo EPA (1976) -42- S~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~o~ - .4 . . -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~GGE MAEILNRUNOFF MATERIAL% SUSPENDED SOLIDS ORGANIC CARBON r AIR .to~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I kit~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I S. NITROGEN PHOSPHORUS -~ ~~ IAL Figure 4.- At0,,0 SOU RCES OF POLLUTANTS IN THE NEW YOIRK BIGHT LEAD SORC MUELLEIR AND JERIS UNPUB. from: EPA (1976) Figure 5. - FISH & SHELLFISH LANDINGS MID-ATLANTIC COAST (NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, DELAWARE) MM LBS MM LBS 1500 1500 1250 -- - - 1250 1000 1000 /7\.J'\\ _\___TOTAL SHELLFISH l____ a 1951 1955 1960 t1965 1970 1975 190so from: Gusey (1976) SOURCE: NMFS, NOAA, FISHERY STATISTICS, 1951-1974 .1_ -44- MILLIONS OF POUNDS 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 J I I I I I BLUEFISH STRIPED ;'.~a r7t> . BASS AML ATTIC ' -: r3 MAJCKEREL FLOUNER RECREATIONAL CATCH ATL COD -- . . KING PMACKEREL JACKS SPOT PUFFERS - PORGIES SUMMER FLOUNDER DOLPHIN -970 " 1970 ' SNAPPERS 1960 Q GRUNTS SPOTTED ... ? SEATROUT GROUPERS _-. SEA CATFISH KINGFISH BLACK COMMERCIAL CATCH SEA BASS SNOOK BAS S TAUTOG HADDOCK SEArTROUT. -- ALEWIVES SPANISH . - SILVER MACKEREL J I HAKE BLACDRUM J ''' ATL COD DRUM (3:141.4 . OCEAN RED XDRUM-, D &1".4 --* -4't - OCPERCH BILLFISH HERRSEA WHITE & SILVER r L' : -OUNDERS PERCH TUNA . ". ENHA.EN t60 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 'MILLIONS OF POUNDS Figure 6.- Graph showing finfishes of the Atlantic coast yielding 10 million pounds or more to recreational and commercial fishermen in 1960 and 1970. from: Freeman (1976). -45- NEW YORK- NEW JERSEY- DELAWARE Figure 7. - STATE OF KNOWLEDGE- MIDDLE ATLANTIC AND CHESAPEAKE FISHES SPECIES MIGRATION IDENTITY GROWTH MORTALITY REPRODUCTION OTHER CAUSES of ABUNDANCE CHANGE STATE of STATISTICS OF RATE RATES Spawning no. of eggs variations environmental predators artificial COMMERCIAL RECREATIONAL inchnecopttrchne STOCKS habits deposited surivl changes competitors changes coo ~ ~ !~ '.::::...:'~ ~ I~ ':"-:~ ::-:~ ~ ! ~ "::::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~........ COD : FLOUNDER(UWKE) ' " : ::.. Ii . . : SILVER HAKE 1111 . . l t (WHITING)'_ MACKEREL LI1Ill] ] 1 [11] MENHADEN - 1 l "='.1L"" SPOT i ] [ flf * E L ] [12 ~cuP ~ "':.~~~~~~~~~~~.".'-. :..'.'.'.~ I]]] ."...::'::'...'.. -'.:-."-~'..-.:: :....... BUTTERFISH 1DU E ] Ol1llfh E [ ] [ = CROAKER 1 LIII . E �f L I ,I] SEA BASS I1:'"" : " ':::: :. ...::: : : [ . 1 WEAKFISH I f i I . [ ] ALEWIFE f m I .I|l SHAD | 1 | | E = [ STRIPED BASS IDm = lilIM | T] D El] A L E W IF E' ':" ':' :"~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.. :..,...: :....:-: BLUE CRAB W1l lllD E1 IIIID 1 l LOBSTER :'~ ' -" 8EA SCALLOP l,= I HARD CLAM' _ : SOFT CLAM | l] , [i ] SURF CLAM OYSTER= - E=] SCALE OF KNOWLEDOGE source: Freeman and Walford (1976) LITTLE MUCH I 2 3 4 5 *~ ~ ~~~~~~ ,"" ' "'" "~:"-~~'''" w Lm SLAND 720N0 UN UNGI - - -~~ ~ ~~~Ho BI G H APEX S 2D I~~~~0 coo ATI.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~or1Al IC 'ITY0 0 0~~~~~~0 a ~ 3 SEWAGE SLUDGE AREAS OF HEAVY DUMP SITE *METAL AND ORGANIC' Figure 8 CONTAMINATION BOTTOM AR~AS AFFECTED -AT EXISTING' SEWAGE SLUDGE DUMP SITES IN- THE MID-ATLANTIC BIGHT '~RE:LEAR, 1973; CARMODY ET AL.;1 1973; D~B04C HATCHER AND KE ISTER, 1 975. -47-0 Jo$o 4te 39V ~J ?~74'W 737w Figure 9 - Areas of extremely low dissolved oxygen concentration on the ocean bottom. During part of the summer of 1976 oxygen concentration measured in parts per million (PPM). From: Sharp (1976) -48- . , 0 . 0 p . I C p .-0. 0' 0~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Appendix B References References Booda, L. L. Fishery Management and Enforcement Face Formidable Complications. Sea Tech., Vol. 17(6)-12-15, 1976. Deuel, D. G. 1970 Salt-Water Angling Survey. Current Fishery Stat. No. 6200, NOAA/NMFS, 1973. Edwards, R. L. Middle Atlantic Fisheries, Recent Changes in Populations and the Outlook. in Abstracts Spec. Symp. Mid. Atl. Contin. Shelf and N.Y. Bight, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., N.Y., p. 17, 1975. Figley, W. M. Fishermen Access in New Jersey's Marine Environment. N.J. Dept. Envir. Protec., Bur. Fish, Nacote Creek Res. Stat. Aug., 1976. Freeman, B. L. A Description of Recreation Finfishing in Relation to the Utilization Living Marine Resources. (in press), U.S. Dept. Comm., NOAA/NMFS, Sandy Hook Lab., 10 p. manuscript, 1976. Freeman, B. L. and L. A. Walford. (Personal Communication) NOAA/Nat. Mar. Fish. Ser. and N.J. Mar. Sci. Consortium, July, 1976. Grosslein, M. D. Some Results from Fish Serveys in the Mid-Atlantic. in Abstracts Spec. Symp. Mid. Atl. Contin. Shelf and N.Y. Bight., Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., N.Y. p. 29, 1975. Gusey, W. F. The Fish and Wildlife Resources of the Middle Atlantic Bight. Environ. Affairs, Shell Oil Co., Houston, Texas, 1976. Heppner, F. H. and L. L. Gould. Birds of the Atlantic from Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod. in Coastal and Offshore Environmental Inventory, Cape Hatteras to Nantucket Shoal., Univ. of Rhode Island, Mar. Pub. Series No. 2, 1973. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries of the United States, 1974. Current Fisheries Stat. No. 6400, U.S. Dept. Comm., Nat. Mar. Fish. Ser., Washington, D.C., 1974. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) New Jersey Landings Annual Summary 1974. Current Fisheries Stat. No. 6713, U.S. Dept. Comm, Nat. Mar. Fish. Ser., Washington, D.C., 1975. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Endangered, Threatened, Peripheral and Undetermined Wildlife Species in New Jersey. New Jersey Register Vol. 7, p. 146, April 10, 1975a. -49- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Environmental Map of New Jersey-Fisheries Resources Map B. Bureau of Geology and Topography, Trenton, N.J., 1975b. Paulson, M. E. Q. and E. Goldstein. Marine Mammals. in Coastal and Offshore Environmental Inventory, Cape Hatteras to Nantucket Shoals. Univ. of Rhode Island, Mar. Pub. Series No. 2., 1973. Pyle, L. B. (Personal Communication) N.J. Bureau of Fisheries, N.J. Dept. Envir. Prot., July, 1976. Ridgely, J. E. and D. G. Deuel. Participation in Marine Recrea- tional Fishing Northeastern United States 1973-74. Current Fisheries Stat. No. 6236, U.S. Dept. Comm., NOAA/NMFS, Statistics and Market News Div., Washington, D.C., 1975. Saila, S. B. and S. D. Pratt. Mid-Atlantic Bight Fisheries. in Coastal and Offshore Environmental Inventory, Cape Hatteras to Nantucket Shoals. Univ. of Rhode Island, Mar. Pub. Series No. 2, 1973. Sharp, J. H., ed. Anoxia on the Middle Atlantic Shelf During the Summer of 1976. Rpt. on a Workshop held in Washington, D.C. Oct., 15 and 16, 1976, Office International Decade Ocean Exp., Nat. Sci. Found., Contract N. OCE77000465, November, 1976. Sinderman, C. L. Effects of Coastal Pollution on Fish and Fisheries. in Abstracts Spec. Symp. Mid. Atl. Contin. Shelf. and N.Y. Bight., Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., N.Y. p. 63, 1975. Silver, V. Economic Contribution of the New Jersey Fishing . Industry. N.J. Dept. Envir. Prot. 13 p. memo, April 10, 1976. U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Final Environmental Statement, Proposed 1976 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Lease Sale Offshore the Mid-Atlantic States. U.S. Department of Commerce. 1972 Census of Retail Trade Area Statistics, New Jersey. RC72-A-31, Washington, D.C., 1974. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Environmental Impact Statement on the Ocean Dumping of Sewage Sludge in the New York Bight, Draft prepared by Dames & Moore. Contract No. 68-01-2834 N.Y., N.Y., February, 1976. Wigley, R. L. and K. 0 Emery. Submarine Photos of Commercial Shellfish Off Northeastern United States. Comm. Fish. Review Vol. 10(3):43-49, 1968. -50- Yananton, P.M. (Personal Camunication) Environmental Cammission, Eastern Dive Boat Association, December 1976. -51-