Fishes of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula, N.C area utilization and potential impacts

[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development - Division of Marine Fisheries

SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC REPORT NO. 4
CEIP REPORT NO. 23 1984

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1984

FISHES OF THE PAMLICO-ALBEMARLE PENINSULA, N.C.

AREA UTILIZATION AND POTENTIAL IMPACTS

Sheryan P. Epperly

North Carolina Department of Natural Resources

and Community Development

Division of marine Fisheries

Morehead City, N.C. 28557

Special Scientific Report No. 42

CEIP Report No. 23

July 1984

The preparation of this report was financed through a Coastal Energy
Impact Program grant provided by the North Carolina Coastal Management
Program, through funds provided by the Coastal Zone Management Act of
1972, as amended, which is administered by the Office of Coastal Zone
Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This CEIP
grant was part of NOAA grant NA-79-AA-D-CZ097.

US Department of Connereo
ROAA Coastal Services Center Libr"y
2234 South Hobson Avenue
Charleston, SC 29405-2413
T-1

ABSTRACT

Fisheries data from the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula, N.C. were
compiled and digitized as part of the North Carolina Division of Marine
Fisheries biological monitoring database. Four species of commercially
important invertebrates and 132 species of fish were collected on the
peninsula, usually across a broad range of salinities. Seven life
history strategies were illustrated by the nekton. Most species were
transient primary freshwater or marine species but the migratory marine
species were the most abundant.

Spatial and temporal partitioning of the waters of the peninsula
were evident. Primary freshwater species, freshwater transients, and
anadromous species were most abundant in the oligohaline waters of
Albemarle Sound, the upper Pungo River and Lake Mattamuskeet, and in the
limnetic inland lakes. Migratory marine species, marine transients, and
estuarine residents, except white perch, were more abundant in the
mesohaline waters of Pamlico Sound. Distributions of some species
indicated differences between northern and western Pamlico Sound basins.
Some species such as weakfish were more abundant in deeper water whereas
others such as the spottail shiner and atherinids were inhabitants of
the shallow nearshore environment; some were pelagic (e.g. Atlantic
menhaden) while others were benthic (e.g. brown shrimp). Utilization of
the estuarine nursery areas was intense and simultaneous for several
species groups. Recruitment was high in the spring (spot, croaker,
brown shrimp, river herring) , and in the summer (white perch, white
catfish, weakfish, silver perch).

More than 90% of North Carolina's commercial fisheries landings are
comprised of estuarine dependent species. The Pamlico-Albemarle
Peninsula provides a diverse habitat for estuarine nekton and is one of
the most productive nursery areas in the state. Changing land use
practices on the peninsula could significantly alter the productivity of
the area. Assessment of impacts, however will be difficult until we
have a consistent database and know more about environmental stress and
the role of advective processes and biologically relevant abiotic
factors.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Materials and methods

Data Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Data Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Results

Hydrography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Nekton of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . 24

Life History Strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Profiles of the Most Common Species . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

Potential Impacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Footnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Literature Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

Appendix A. North Carolina commercial marine fisheries landings
(in thousands of pounds) by species 1962-1983 for Beaufort,
Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington counties . . . . . . . . 121

Appendix B. North Carolina commercial marine fisheries landings
(in thousands of pounds and dollars) by gear 1962-1983 for
Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington counties . . . 127

INTRODUCTION

over one-half of the U.S. commercial fisheries catch is comprised
of estuarine dependent species. The proportion of estuarine dependent

species in the North Carolina landings is much higher than the national

average, exceeding 90% annually (Ross and Epperly in press). North
Carolina's largest estuary or lagoon is the Pamlico-Albemarle Sound

system encompassing an area of 6,630 km2 (2,560 mi2) (Gross 1972); it is

the third largest in North America.

The Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula is a 4,232 km2 (1,634 Mi2) land

mass situated between Albemarle Sound to the north, Croatan Sound to the

east, and Pamlico River and Sound to the south (Figure 1). Within this

area is the largest continuous wetland in the state and one of the

largest in the nation (Heath 1975). The area is relatively flat, low

and swampy with the majority of the wetland less than 3 m (10 ft) above

sea level. Two-thirds of the area, mostly in the eastern half, is less

than 1.5 m (5 ft) above sea level (Heath 1975). Natural drainage into
the surrounding sounds is provided primarily by overland drainage into
Mackeys (Kendricks) Creek, Scuppernong and Alligator rivers to the

north, and Pungo River and Pamlico Sound embayments to the south. The

water table is close to the surface and consequently during wet periods
saturation occurs quickly. Because of the land's relatively flat
profile, overland runoff moves very slowly, often requiring days or

weeks.

Artificial drainage on the peninsula began in the late 1600's to
allow for agricultural production, and periods of active land
development have continued to the present (Skaggs et al. 1980). The
latest period of increased activities began in the early 1970's, raising

concerns about the effects of land development, particularly on the rate

and distribution of runoff and hence on the water quality of the

surrounding sounds and their fisheries production.

Fishery resources are important to the economy of the peninsula and

to the state. The dockside value of landings in Beaufort, Dare, Hyde,
Tyrrell and Washington counties has averaged greater than $18 million
over the last five years, or more than one third of the value of the
state's edible seafood landings (Table 1). A large proportion of the

Table 1. North Carolina cutuercial nwine fishezies lxxUrvgs (in Uxuwxxiss of powds and dol2ars) 1962-19M for B-uf-t, Dare, Qj&, lynel-l, ad Was@yftcn counties. Tandings
data do jvt include mfftzd-n oy. Uread herring and county data rxior to 1978 do not include irclassafied ncn-edible Lwrlings. lzrrlhxp- by species and gear are gLven in
Pffendix A and B, zespectively. North Carolina general cam-as data firxu thp N.C. Vivisim Fishexips arr] the Naticral Marim Figxaries Service.

Oxmty Totals
00inties of the
PmUCD-Albeuarle
BeMffcrt Dare NY& D-11. Penins%ila North Carolina
YG-%r MWAS value MAIrds WILO Flowtic vialle vCUMIR Value Fmads Value i;lrr s Value FOLIFAS Valur.

.1962 3,106.8 352.3 8,194.2 708.6 1,135.0 370. 4 657.6 66.0 683.1 26.1 13,864.0 1,523.3 59,486.0 6,754T
1%3 3,892.8 302.1 9,294.7 766.9 1,443.6 208. 3 612.2 63.0 4(A.9 25.0 15,659.0 1,365.4 66,438.0 7,0,15.0
19@A 4,415.7 407.6 12,692.7 1,103.7 1,653.5 2-%.7 271.3 36.4 329.4 30.6 19,582.5 1,835.3 65,587.0 5,744.0
1965 5,577.6 492.1 1.2,559.5 1,372.4 1,883.1 269.4 1118.4 33.2 310.6 28.5 20,658.4 2,X)(,.7 72,291.0 7,155.0
1966 3,855.8 455.5 11,398.6 9B9.6 3,384.8 305.9 664.3 EO). 1 330.5 45.7 19,647.6 1,877.0 66,061.0 6,996.0
1%7 3,538.0 422.5 9,216.8 953.2 2,970.1 290.0 657.2 84.6 493.0 69.5 16,895.1 1,809.6 68,300.0 6,565.0
1%.B 3,936.8 557.0 10,548.5 1,340.6 3,3U.4 574.8 1,339.8 131.0 638.1 163.5 10,024.6 2,776.8 62,262.0 7,71.3.0
L%9 4,387.8 649.7 10, 504.9 1,4133.8 5,-,-,4.3 1,214.4 1,012.1 123.1 408M 66.8 22,077.1 3,537.5 69,357.0 10,237.0

1970 5,655.1 551.3 9,055.7 1,247.1 4,781.1 654.6 1,091.0 154.8 232.4 36.4 20,815.3 2,644.2 60,046.0 7,711.0
1971 4,219.5 612.7 9,066.8 1,489.2 2,944.1 913.6 1,656.0 146.6 295.8 43.4 18,182.2 3,205.6 57,705.0 10,(r,3.0
1972 2f7QO.O 589.4 9,565.8 1,505.3 2,448.7 531.4 1,068.0 131.4 270.8 38.1 16,14-1. 1 2,795.7 69,695.0 1.0,253.0
1973 2,971.6 733.5 11,699.0 2,175.3 2,224.9 615.9 11M.6 146.4 269.6 32.8 18, 2-5. 7 3,743.9 67,205.0 13,357.0
lq74 3,437.3 733.6 14,254.4 2,470.0 3,633.5 924.5 778.6 92.7 368.4 66.0 22,153.4 4,297.8 81,081.0 14,475.0
19"s 3,801.8 916.7 16,372.4 3,706.6 3,203.7 769.9 765.7 143.1 604.3 87.8 24,327.8 5,203.5 77,654.0 16,519.0
197G 5,936.9 2,202.9 20, M. 3 5,017.9 2,875.6 939.0 748.8 2D:).4 597.3 123.7 30,303.6 8,483.8 80,160.0 22,453.0
ign 5,8(A.9 1,983.4 18,411.5 5,035.1 4,993.4 1,6D4.0 1,001.7 240.1 484.9 110.9 30,756.8 8,973.6 &3,253.0 24,099.0
1978* 4,735.9 1,525.1 22,563.7 9,083.6 8,327.5 1,865.7 1,729.1 440.3 533.4 126.6 37,888.9 13,061A 1051,547.0 33,042.0
1979* 7,147.1 1,9941.9 34,564.2 12,%7.8 8,014.8 2,040.3 1,2.%.l 276.6 380.1 6B.9 51,354.4 17,315.6 117,382.0 49,955.0

1900* 6,867.8 2,732.9 41,585.0 13,731.2 13,055.7 4,182.0 976.1 2283 531.7 100.2 63,016.3 20,974.5 153,805.0 61,391.0
1981* 6,895.2 2,006.4 39,421.9 1.2,893.0 10,251.8 2,956.5 1,466.2 328.0 824.7 IM.6 58,859.7 18,318.5 121.666.0 47,453.0
1982* 5,552.4 2,446.7 32,476.7 12,999.0 9,537.1 3,457.3 1,535.8 361.4 1,138.7 150.3 !io,240.7 19,414.6 120,869.0 58,049.0
1983* 4,729.2 1,944.5 27,018.2 9,387.3 9,190.4 3,632.1 1,637.1 455.5 827.7 95.7 43,402.6 15,515.0 106,746.0 51.140.0

*PreLlmnary lanlimp. Data subject to revisicri in the Fidmy StatUtics of the U.S.

state's primary nursery areas designated by the North Carolina Marine

Fisheries Commission are located along the southern perimeter of the
peninsula (Figure 1). The low salinity waters of the peninsula serve as

spawning and nursery areas for anadromous fish species (Figure 1)

(Street and Pate 1975; Marshall 1976; Johnson et al. 1977; Johnson et

al. 1981). Decreased fisheries production due to alteration of
fisheries habitat on the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula could potentially
affect the economy of the peninsula and of the state. It was therefore

important to assess the status of the fisheries resources on the
peninsula in order to evaluate potential impacts.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data Sources

There are several sources of fisheries data for the peninsula. The

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has collected data in the Mattamuskeet

National Wildlife Refuge and the Pungo National Wildlife Refuge at
irregular intervals since the mid 1900's. Their efforts were usually
short term and the results were not published. In summer 1964 the

Inland Fisheries Division of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources

Commission surveyed the waters of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula

(Bayless and Shannon 1965; Smith and Baker 1965). The same Division
also visited Lake Phelps in 1965 and 1976 and established trawl stations

in the lake during 1978 (Kornegay and Dineen 1979). Environmental

Science and Engineering, Inc. (ESE) sampled the upper Pungo River on

four occasions between November 1981 and February 1983 to conduct a

preliminary assessment for Peat Methanol Associates (Environmental
Science and Engineering 1982a,b, unpubl. data).
The North Carolina Division of marine Fisheries (DMF) began

preliminary surveys of anadromous resources in Albemarle and Croatan
sounds and tributaries during 1972 and sampled established stations

monthly from 1973 through 1978; areas east of the Scuppernong River were

sampled only in September or October in subsequent years (Street and

Pate 1975; Johnson et al. 1977; Johnson et al. 1981; Winslow and

Sanderlin 1983). The purpose of this survey was to identify anadromous
fish nursery areas and monitor juvenile populations. Seines have been
used throughout the survey, but in July 1974 the wing trawl replaced the
1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl that was used initially. This survey also
included sampling in the open waters of Croatan Sound, Alligator River,
Bull Bay and southern Albemarle Sound during 1972-1974 using a 3.0 m
(10 ft) Cobb twawl (Hester and Copeland 1975; Street and Pate 1975). In

1982 a semi-balloon trawl was used at two Albemarle Sound stations.

This juvenile anadromous fish survey was extended to include the Pungo

River area during 1974-1975 and continued at much reduced levels in the

Pungo River through 1977 (Marshall 1976, Division of Marine Fisheries,

unpubl. data). In the Pungo River survey a 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl

was used in addition to the seine and the wing trawl. Tow times and

gears were not consistent and occasionally a trawl was pulled at the
surface. Anadromous fish spawning areas on the peninsula have been

identif ied through: 1) the capture or observation of running ripe
females, 2) the observation of spawning activity, or 3) the capture of

eggs or larvae (Street and Pate 1975; Marshall 1976; Johnson et al.

1977; Johnson et al. 1981).

The DMF began a monthly survey of northern Pamlico Sound (excluding

Pungo River) nursery areas using a 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl in 1974

which continued until Fall 1975 (Purvis 1976). The area was sampled

with reduced effort until 1978 when a statewide juvenile stock

assessment survey (including Pungo River) was somewhat standardized
(Carpenter 1979; Carpenter and Ross 1979; Ross 1980a; Ross and Carpenter
1983; Hawkins 1982); tow times were standardized in 1979, and beginning

in 1981 actual lengths were measured instead of modal lengths. Stations
sampled with a 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl were added in 1978 and in 1981
the tailbag mesh size of this trawl was changed from 19.0 mm (0.75 in)
bar mesh to 6.4 mm (0.25 in) bar mesh, effectively changing the profile

of its catches. Juvenile stock assessment stations on the peninsula
sampled with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl were invariably in shallow
water in narrow, upper stream areas with silt and clay sized substrate.
Stations sampled with the larger trawl were in deeper, more open waters.
A project to investigate the effects of freshwater drainage was
conducted by the DMF during 1977-1980, in Rose and Swanquarter bays

[Albemarle Sound

Scuppernon('I
Mac s Cr River "<Yy
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Fairfield Canal
Woupopin ng Shoal
Canal
Pun iver River
Lake mattamuskeet -Far Cr.
Rose BoyI
Canal La ke
Landing
Canal
LL -XI-Z,
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@,Omz- Abel *, *
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Co e Bay Bay f Primary Nursery Area
Juvenile Anadromous Fish Capture Site
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Figure 1. North Carolina Priniary nursery areas and anadromous fish
spawning and nursery areas located on the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula.

(Pate and Jones 1981; Jones and Sholar 1981) Stations indicative of

altered and unaltered environments were sampled with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft)

flat trawl two or three times a week during May-October.

other fisheries collections have been made on the peninsula. In
1979 North Carolina State University staff and students under the
direction of Dr. John Miller began sampling Rose Bay (Gerry 1981;

Woodward 1981; Sutherland 1982; Currin 1984; Miller et al. in press).

Nine stations were sampled with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl at two

week intervals in 1979 and twice a year thereafter. In 1982 and 1983

intensive effort was concentrated in East Rose Bay Creek. The emphasis
in 1982 was on species' distributions as related to salinity and in

1983, on predator-prey relationships. Allen et al. (1979) made
collections at Durants Island in 1979, and during 1978-1981 the Inland
Fisheries Division conducted a food habits study of piscivorous fishes

in Lake Phelps (Kornegay 1981).

Data Analysis

Data were coded and digitized as a part of the DMF biological

monitoring data file (Epperly 1984), and analyzed using SAS version 82.3

(SAS Institute 1982a, b) . Because of the differences in the various

sampling programs several analytical problems were incurred and resolved

in the following manner:

1) Data from programs which did not include information on

all species of the catch were not used quantitatively.
2) Taxa not identified to species were eliminated from the

analyses.

3) All non-commercial invertebrates were eliminated from the

analyses because of identification problems and lack of

consistent data on their occurrence.

4) Several species identifications were changed, especially

in the Inland Fisheries 1964 stream survey data. Fundulus
diaphanus (banded killifish) was totally absent in survey
reports for the peninsula but was probably misreported as F.
ocellaris, which in this area is now considered a junior

synonym of F. pulverus (bayou killifish) F. pulverus is a
relatively rare species in North Carolina and was not reported
from any other collections on the peninsula. Individuals are
sexually dimorphic with female F. pulverus resembling F.
diaphanus. The records of F. pulverus were analyzed as F.

diaphanus. F. stellifer (southern studfish) is endemic to the

Alabama and Chattahoochee river systems of Georgia and
Alabama, but was reported in the Inland Fisheries stream
surveys. Because of the rare likelihood of this species
occurring on the peninsula it was coded as Fundulus sp.
Native populations of Lepomis megalotis (longear sunfish) are

west of the Appalachians. It was unlikely that this species

was introduced despite the Inland Fisheries stream survey

record and therefore it was coded as Lepomis sp. Paralichthys

dentatus (summer flounder) and P. lethostigma (southern

flounder) were both reported in the 1964 survey but P.

dentatus was the more abundant species and was reported in the

lowest salinities. This is opposite of the DMF's findings

throughout the state. Because it was likely that the species

were confused in the 1964 survey, flounder data from those

surveys were analysed as Paralichthys sp. Citharichthys

arctifrons (Gulf Stream flounder) is an offshore marine

species generally found in depths exceeding 100 m (328 ft) .
The record of C. arctifrons from the peninsula is probably

invalid and was a misreported C. spilopterus (bay whiff) , a
relatively common species in the higher salinity areas of the
estuary which was notably absent from the survey's species
list. Gobionellus stigmaticus (spottail goby) was analyzed as

Gobionellus sp. Verified records of Gobionellus stigmaticus

in North Carolina are restricted to the southern area of the

state (Gilbert and Randall 1979). Records of Etheostoma

nigrum (johnny darter) on the peninsula were changed to E.

olmstedi (tessalated darter) . Menhinick (1975) reported the

distribution of Etheostoma nigrum as restricted to the

northern central area of the state whereas E. olmstedi is

distributed throughout the state east of the Appalachians,

but overlaps with E. nigrum. in four areas.
5) Depending on the program, actual lengths of a
representative species subsample may have been measured, but
frequently only a range or modal lengths were recorded. When
other than a range of lengths were recorded, lengths were
expressed as frequencies of 10 mm modal groups.
6) All gill nets were analyzed as one gear regardless of
type, size and set times and given an effort of one unit for
each station sampled. This was necessary because type, size
or set information was frequently missing and because of the
difficulty in comparing efficiency between two different nets.
7) All seines were analyzed as one gear regardless of type
and size and given an effort of one unit for each haul.
Again, frequent lack of specific gear details precluded
comparing different seines. However, the majority of seine
effort was with a 28 m (60 ft) bag seine.

8) Because the area or volume of water sampled was usually
not recorded, all rotenone collections were assigned a single

unit effort for each station rotenoned.

9) Trawl effort was the number of minutes towed.

Two insurmountable problems were the lack of consistent data from

the same gear throughout the entire peninsula and inconsistent sampling
effort with the same gear. Seventeen unique gears were used to sample

the fishes of the peninsula (Table 2). Gears have different

efficiencies for different species and sized individuals. Surveys were

designed for target species and different surveys did not sample with

the same gear. Even data collected by the same trawl towed for

different amounts of time cannot be standardized (per unit effort) and
compared because nekton species are distributed randomly throughout a

uniform area but individuals of a species are aggregated (Leaman 1981).

For example, data from a 0.5 minute tow cannot be multiplied by two to

estimate what the catch would have been if the trawl had been towed for

one minute. Although the anadromous. fish survey in the Albemarle Sound

had consistent gear, tow durations, and sampling frequencies during

1974-1978, tour times with a different gear in the Pamlico Sound juvenile

stock assessment survey were not consistent until 1979. There are no

110

Table 2. Distribution of sampling effort in each of the major sounds and lakes of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula.

Sound Lake
Albemarle Croatan N. Pamlico W. Pamlico Lake New Lake Pungo
Gear (effort unit) Sound Sound Sound Sound Phelps Lake Mattamuskeet Lake

Fyke net (sets) 2

Gill nets (sets) 4 1 56 38 7

Seines (hauls) 369 115 4 139 35 1

Cast net (stations) 3

Trawls (minutes):
surface towed-
1.8m Cobb trawl 10.0
3.2m flat trawl 30.0 4.5
7.9m wing trawl 102.0

bottom towed-
1.8m Cobb trawl 3,396.0 440.0
3.Om Cobb trawl 1,258.0 135.0
3.2m flat trawl 17.0 1,471.3 3,976.5
4.9m flat trawl 15
6.1m flat trawl
(19.0mm bar tailbag) 737.0 1,094.0
6.1m flat trawl
(6.4mm bar tailbag) 50.0 550.0 890.0
6.1m semi-balloon trawl 1,041.0
7.9m wing trawl 5,796.5 735.0 37.0 1,140.0

Rotenone (stations) 36 5 41 6 1 25 7

Electric shocker (stations) 2

years of overlap between the consistent (within survey) samples in the

two areas.

Species' catch-per-unit-ef forts (CPUE) were calculated for each
unique gear by adding the number of individuals collected of a species
and dividing the sum by the total amount of effort expended by that
gear. Although not valid for quantitative analyses, the resulting CPUE
should illustrate trends and differences among areas or gears.
For analyses, the peninsula was divided into broad geographic areas
and further divided into drainages of similar characteristics or in
close proximity. These areas are described in the following pages.
sampling sites are shown in Figure 2.

Albemarle Sound

Albemarle Sound is a drowned river valley isolated from the

Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks. Outflow from Albemarle Sound is
relatively large (490 M3/S or 17,300 ft 3/S) creating sufficient flow to

effectively block saline water entering through Oregon Inlet (Giese et

al. 1979). Because of the large distance to the nearest inlet, lunar
tidal amplitude is dampened and overshadowed by wind tides. It is an

oligohaline body of water (Hester and Copeland 1975) encompassing an
area of 1820 kM2 (703 Mi2) and averages 4.5-6 m (15-20 ft) in depth
(Roelofs and Bumpus 1953). Bottom sediments grade from fine sand along
the southern shore to silts and clays in the central basin (Pels 1967).

The shorelines of Washington County are primarily low bank and swamp

forest with some high bank whereas Tyrrell County shorelines are

predominately low bank and secondarily swamp forest (Copeland et al.

1983).

Sampling effort in the sound consisted of 51.2 hours towed with the
wing trawl, 10.6 hours towed with the 1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl, 12.8

hours towed with the 3.0 m (10 ft) Cobb trawl, 17.4 hours towed with the

semi-balloon trawl, and 224 seine hauls. Most stations have been

sampled consistently since 1973.

Mackeys Creek (Kendricks Creek)
Mackeys Creek is a small tributary which receives heavy
agricultural drainage. Except for a small sandy beach at the mouth, the
main creek is bordered by swamp forests. The predominant land use of
surrounding areas is agriculture but a wooded buffer was retained along
the banks of the creek. Depths at the mouth average 2 m (5-6 f t) but
rapidly decrease to less than 1 m (2 ft) in the farm land areas. This
tributary was sampled at three rotenone stations in 1964 by the Inland

Fisheries Division and in 1972 by DMF with four tows made with the 1.8 m

(6 ft) Cobb trawl.

Scuppernong River
The Scuppernong River is a lower coastal plain stream lined by

swamp forests (McDonald and Ash 1981). Depths range from 2.4 to 4.6 m

(8-15 ft) and the bottom is mostly mud and detritus (Street and Pate
1975). The Scuppernong River area includes Bull Bay. In 1964 Inland

Fisheries rotenoned seven stations and set gill nets at one. The DMF

has made 130 seine hauls, and trawled for 15.4 hours with the wing

trawl, 5.6 hours with the 1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl and 3.1 hours with the

3.0 m (10 ft) Cobb trawl. Four stations in the river and bay (two seine
and two wing trawl) have been sampled consistently since 1974.

Alligator River
The shorelines of Alligator River are bordered primarily by swamp
forest and pocosins, although a low bank with a sandspit occurs at the

mouth on the western shore (McDonald and Ash 1981; Peacock and Lynch
1982; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1982). The river between Kilkenny
Landing and New Lake Fork is bordered by freshwater marsh (McDonald and
Ash 1981). The Alligator River was divided into six areas as described

below:

Alligator River north of the highway 64 bridge
This area includes Little Alligator River and East and South lakes
and was sampled by Inland Fisheries with nine rotenone samples and one
gill net set in 1964 and by the DMF during 1972-1974. Effort during the

Albemorle unjd
_@o

-q)- 0

000 0
0 0
04 0
0 0
0
0-9"

Cost net
I-J
0 1.8 m Cobb trawl

3.Om Cobb trawl

3.2m flat trawl

4.9m flat trawl

6.1m flat trawl

Fyke net 6.1 m semi -balloon trawl
Gill net 7.9m wing trawl
[@amlico Sound
28m bag seine Rotenone
DI Unclassified seine E@] Electric shocker

Figure 2. Sampling locations on the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula.

1972-1974 period included 19.2 hours towed with the 1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb

trawl, 2.3 hours towed with the 3.0 m (10 ft) Cobb trawl, and 15 seine
hauls. One station in Little Alligator River was continued as a wing

trawl station and has been sampled for 6.3 hours.

Alligator River between the highway 64 bridge and the Frying Pan
Straits/Stumpy Point
This area includes Second Creek and the Frying Pan to the west and
Milltail Creek to the east. The area was sampled by the DMF with the

1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl in 1972 for a total of 5 hours. Inland

Fisheries rotenoned five areas and set one gill net in 1964. During

1972-1973, 2.6 hours were trawled with the 3.0 m (10 ft) Cobb trawl.

One station in the middle of the river has been sampled since 1972

changing from a 1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl station (3.3 hours of effort) to

a wing trawl station in 1974 (5.8 hours of effort).

Alligator River between Frying Pan Straits/Stumpy Point and a line
connecting Newport News Point and marker R"10"
Stations in the river, and in Whipping Creek and Lake were sampled
by the DMF in 1972-1973 with the 1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl, expending 8

hours of effort. Sampling at a single station in the river was

continued after 1973 with the wing trawl (5.8 hours of effort). Inland
Fisheries rotenoned five stations within this area, including two in

Swan Creek and Lake and set one gill net in the river.

Alligator River between Newport News Point/marker R"10" and the

Northwest Fork Alligator River
The intracoastal waterway connecting the Pungo River joins
Alligator River within this area. In 1972-1973 DMF stations were
sampled for 4.2 hours with the 1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl. Two stations
were retained after 1973 and sampled with the wing trawl (12 hours of

effort). Inland Fisheries rotenoned and set a gill net at one location

in 1964.

Alligator River above the Northwest Fork

The DMF sampled this area in 1972 with the 1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl

(0.5 hours of effort) and Inland Fisheries rotenoned three sites in

1964.

Northwest Fork Alligator River

This area includes the Northwest and Southwest forks which drain

the upper Alligator River Pocosin. The DMF sampled four stations in

1972 (0.4 hours) with the 1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl. Inland Fisheries

rotenoned three sites in 1964.

Croatan Sound

Croatan and Roanoke sounds connect Albemarle Sound to Oregon Inlet

and the more saline waters of Pamlico Sound. Croatan Sound differs from

the portion of Albemarle Sound already discussed in that it is a

relatively small body of water emcompassing 120 kM2 (46 mi2) (Roelofs
and Bumpus 1953) and is bordered by brackish marsh. Water depths are

generally shallow, seldom exceeding 3 m (10 ft) . Only mainland or open
water samples from Croatan Sound are included, as all Roanoke Island

stations are not within the area considered in this report.

Preliminary juvenile anadromous fish sampling in 1972-1973 by the

DMF used a 1.8 m (6 ft) Cobb trawl (7.3 hours) and a seine. The 3.0 m

(10 ft) Cobb trawl was used to sample an open water station from April

1972-June 1974 and was towed for a total of 2.3 hours. After 1973 two

wing trawl stations and two seine stations were retained. The wing

trawl was towed for 12.3 hours. Seines were hauled in the sound 115

times. In 1983 four stations were added in Croatan Sound for the DMF

juvenile stock assessment program conducted in Pamlico Sound and other

North Carolina estuaries to the south. Two of the stations were trawled

with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl and two were trawled with the 6.1 m

(20 ft) flat trawl for a total effort of 0.2 and 0.8 hours,

respectively.

Pamlico Sound

Pamlico Sound and adjacent tributaries cover an area of 4350 kM2

(168 mi2) and form the second largest estuarine system in the United

States. It is a large, bar-built embayment consisting of A complex of
drowned river valleys. This lagoonal area is separated from the ocean
by barrier beaches breached by the small and shifting Oregon, Hatteras
and Ocracoke inlets. The Tar-Pamlico and Neuse rivers are the major
sources of freshwater inflow, which can be periodically high, but on a
long-term basis Pamlico Sound's hydrography is dominated by tidal
(oceanic) and wind (lagoon) generated flow (Giese et al. 1979). Depths
are very shallow with a maximum of 7.5 m (25 ft).
Bluff Shoal divides Pamlico Sound into two basins (Folger 1972;
Giese et al. 1979) . Division of Marine Fisheries data (Ross and

Epperly in press) illustrate distinct biological patterns north and west
of the shoal indicating a real separation of the sound, at least during
some seasons. Because of the potential differences between stations on

either side of the shoal, fisheries data were analyzed by basin.

Pamlico Sound North of Bluff Shoal

Stumpy Point Bay
Stumpy Point Bay differs from other northern Pamlico Sound
embayments because it has no natural tributaries. Stations were located

in the deep channel of the bay; station depths ranged from 2.4 to 4.6 m

(8-15 ft). The area was sampled by the DMF for nursery area delineation
and juvenile stock assessment with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl. One

3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl station was continued after 1977 and one

nursery area station was changed to a 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl station

in 1978. Effort for the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) trawl was 4.1 hours, and was

2.4 hours and 1.8 hours, respectively, for the 6.1 m (20 ft) trawl with

the large and small mesh tailbag.

Parched Corn Bay, Long Shoal River, Otter Creek

Numerous nursery area stations were sampled in these areas by DMF

beginning in 1974. Juvenile stock assessment stations sampled after

1978 (four 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl stations and two 6.1 m (20 ft)

flat trawl stations) did not include samples in Parched Corn Bay, and

Otter Creek sampling was conducted only in 1983. A single seine haul

was made in March 1978. Effort in these areas included 8 hours towed

with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl, 5 hours towed using the 6.1 m (20
ft) flat trawl with the large mesh tailbag and 3.6 hours towed using the
same trawl with the small mesh tailbag.

Far Creek, Middletown Anchorage, Brooks Creek
These areas have been sampled by DMF since 1974, although only two
stations have been sampled consistently with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat

trawl. The site in Brooks Creek was sampled for nursery area
designations in 1974-1975, but was sampled in the juvenile stock
assessment program only in March 1983.. Far Creek stations were
generally located in the channel; an open water 6.1 m (20 ft) trawl

station was added in 1978. Effort in these areas included 4.8 hours

towed using the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) trawl, 2.5 hours towed using the 6.1 m

(20 ft) trawl with the large mesh tailbag, and 1.9 hours trawled by the

6.1 m (20 ft) trawl with the small mesh tailbag. Inland Fisheries

rotenoned one site in Middletown Creek in 1964.

Wysocking Bay
. Inland Fisheries rotenoned one site each in Wysocking Bay and Lake

Landing Canal during their stream survey of 1964, and the U.S. Fish and

Vildlife Service made a gill net set in Lake Landing Canal in July 1982.
The DMF began nursery sampling in 1974, continuing two 3.2 m (10.5 ft)

flat trawl stations after 1976 and adding a 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl

station in 1978. The 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl station in Hickory

Creek was sampled only in 1982. Trawling effort in Wysocking Bay
included 5.1 hours by the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl, 2.4 hours by the
6.1 m (20 ft) trawl with the large mesh tailbag and 1.8 hours by the

6.1 m (20 ft) trawl with the small mesh tailbag. Three seine hauls were

made during March - May 1978.

Outfall Canal, East Bluff Bax
The Outfall Canal is a drainage outlet for Lake, Mattamuskeet.

Inland Fisheries rotenoned two.sites in the canal in 1964 and the DMF

sampled a 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl station. at its mouth during

1974-1977. A second station established in Harbor Creek in 1974 is

still sampled. The 3.2 m (10.5 ft) trawl was towed 2.5 hours in this

area.

Pamlico Sound West of Bluff Shoal

West Bluff Bay, Cunning Harbor, Juniper Bay
Inland Fisheries rotenoned a single site in Judges Quarter Canal
during their 1964 survey. The DMF nursery area stations sampled with

the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) trawl were established in 1974; two stations in
Juniper Bay were retained and sampled consistently as juvenile stock

assessment stations, one as a 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl station. Two

stations, one in Cunning Harbor and one in Buck Creek, were sampled in
1982 and 1983, respectively, with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl. Trawl
effort was 4.8 hours using the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) trawl, 2.4 hours using
the 6.1 m (20 ft) trawl with the large mesh tailbag and 1.8 hours using

the 6.1 m (20 ft) trawl with the small mesh tailbag.

Swanquarter Bay

One site in Swanquarter Bay was rotenoned in 1964 by Inland
Fisheries. Several DMF nursery stations were established in 1974, three

of which were continued as juvenile stock assessment stations with one

of those stations changing to a 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl station. An

additional nursery area station in Eastern Bay was sampled as a juvenile

stock assessment station 1982. In 1977 three stations, one of which was

a former nursery area station, were established for the freshwater
drainage project and were sampled through 1980 with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft)

flat trawl. Trawl effort totalled 13.6 hours for the 3.2 m (10.5 ft)

flat trawl, 2.3 hours for the 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl with the large
mesh tailbag, and 1.9 hours for the 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl with the

small mesh tailbag.

Deep Cove, White Perch Bay
Four DMF nursery area stations were sampled in this area; none
except the Blowout station sampled in 1982 were retained as juvenile

stock assessment stations. The 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl was towed for

a a total of 2.0 hours in this area.

Rose Bay

Three rotenone samples were taken by Inland Fisheries in 1964 and a
site in Rose Bay Canal was rotenoned and sampled with a gill net by the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in July 1982. Several nursery area
stations were established by DMF in 1974; three were retained and

sampled consistently as juvenile stock assessment stations, one as a

6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl station. In addition, the Broad Creek and
Lightwood Snag Bay stations were sampled in 1982 and 1983, respectively.
Freshwater drainage project stations were established in 1977 in Rose
Bay and Tooley creeks. Cumulative trawl effort was 20.1 hours for the

3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl, 2.1 hours for the 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl

with the large mesh tailbag and 1.8 hours for the 6.1 m (20 ft) flat

trawl with the small mesh tailbag.

Spencer Bay

Long Creek was rotenoned in 1964 by Inland Fisheries. In 1974 DMF
began nursery area sampling in the Spencer Bay area and retained two

stations in Germantown Bay for juvenile stock assessment, one as a 6.1 m
(20 ft) flat trawl station. Sampling of the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl

station was discontinued after 1982. In 1978 an additional juvenile

stock assessment station was established as a 3.2 m (10.5 ft) trawl

station and sampled in subsequent years. Three additional juvenile
stock assessment stations in Spencer Bay were sampled in 1982 and 1983:

one in 1982, one in 1983, and one in both years. Two freshwater

drainage project stations were located in Swan Creek. Cumulative trawl

effort was 7.5 hours for the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) trawl, 2.0 hours for the
6.1 m (20 ft) trawl with the large mesh tailbag and 1.8 hours for the

6.1 m (20 ft) trawl with the small mesh tailbag.

Abel Bay, Crooked Creek

Two sites in Abel Bay were established by DMF as nursery area
sampling stations and continued in the juvenile stock assessment
program, although one was sampled with a 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl in the
latter program. The juvenile stock assessment station in Crooked Creek
was sampled only in 1983. Inland Fisheries rotenoned one site in Abel

Bay during their 1964 stream survey. Cumulative trawl effort was 2.4

hours for the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl, 2.3 hours for the 6.1 m (20

ft) trawl with the large mesh tailbag and 1.9 hours for the 6.1 m (20
ft) trawl with the small mesh tailbag.

Pungo River from mouth to Field Point/Sandy Point

The Inland Fisheries took four rotenone samples and set one gill
net in the lower Pungo. The DMF conducted anadromous and juvenile stock
assessment surveys in the area and, except for two seine stations, the

3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl was used exclusively in this area during the
anadromous fish survey and at the Warner Creek station during both
surveys; cumulative effort for this gear was 4.4 hours. One seine

station from the 1974-1975 anadromous survey was retained in the
juvenile stock assessment program through 1979; 40 seine hauls were

made. The 6.1 m (20 ft) flat trawl was used at the juvenile stock

assessment program stations in Fortescue and Wrights creeks and

accounted for 4.7 hours of effort for the trawl with the large mesh

tailbag and 3.7 hours of effort for the trawl with the small mesh

tailbag.

Pungo River from Field Point/Sandy Point to Durants Point/Windmill Point
In their 1964 stream survey, Inland Fisheries rotenoned one site
each in each Jordan Creek, Slade Creek and the Pungo River. The DMF

made 11 seine hauls at an anadromous survey station in the river and

towed the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl at anadromous fish stations in the

river, and in Slade, Fishing and Jordan creeks. The Wood Creek

anadromous station was continued in the juvenile stock assessment
program; an additional station sampled with the 6.1 m (20 ft) trawl was

established in Slade Creek in 1978. Cumulative trawl effort was 3.2

hours for the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl, 2.4 hours for the 6.1 m (20

ft) flat trawl with the large mesh tailbag and 1.8 hours for the same

trawl with the small mesh tailbag.

Pantego Creek, Pungo Creek

Inland Fisheries rotenoned 5 and 4 sites in Pantego and Pungo
creeks, respectively. The 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl, and 7.9 m (26 ft)

wing trawl were used to sample most anadromous fish stations in the two
creeks. A seine station and 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl station in Pungo
Creek were sampled in both the anadromous fish and juvenile stock

assessment surveys, but the seine and trawl stations were discontinued

after 1980 and 1981, respectively. Trawl effort in these creeks was 4.3

hours for the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl towed on the bottom, 0.4 hours
for the bottom towed wing trawl, 3 min for the surface towed 3.2 m (10.5

ft) flat trawl and 1.7 hours for the surface towed wing trawl. Seines

were hauled 43 times.

Pungo River between Durants Point/Windmill Point and highway 264 bridge

at Leechville

Eight sites were rotenoned by Inland Fisheries in 1964, and on 3
occasions in 1981 and 1982 Environmental Science and Engineering sampled

two sites in the river for Peat Methanol Associates using gill nets, the

3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl and/or a 4.9 m (16 ft) flat trawl. The DMF

sampled the river and tributary creeks with the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat

trawl, the wing trawl and seines for the anadromous fish program. The
seine station in the river and two trawl stations in Scranton and Upper
Dowry creeks were also sampled in the juvenile stock assessment program,

although the seine station and Upper Dowry Creek trawl station were
discontinued after 1979 and 1981, respectively. Seines were hauled 40

times, gill nets were set 6 times, the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) trawl was towed

for 4.3 hours, a 4.9 m (16 ft) flat trawl was towed (by ESE) for 5

minutes, and the wing trawl was towed for 10 minutes.

Pungo River above Leechville
Rotenone was used by Inland Fisheries to sample two sites in the
river and the DMF sampled three stations in the river with the 3.2 m

(10.5 ft) trawl and used the wing trawl at one. ESE visited the river

on four occasions during 1981-1983 and sampled several stations in the
river with gill nets, a 4.9 m (16 ft) flat trawl or the 3.2 m (10.5 ft)

trawl. They also used gill nets in Clark Mill Creek and Canal D, and
f ive seine hauls were also made in the latter. A total of 41 gill net

sets were made and trawl effort was 1.0 hour for the 3.2 m (10.5 ft)

trawl, 10 minutes for the 4.9 m (16 ft) flat trawl and 1 minute for the

wing trawl.

Inland Lakes

The Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula contains four natural lakes which,

under natural conditions, were landlocked. Lake bottom altitudes exceed

sea level in all lakes except Lake Mattamuskeet (Heath 1975). All four

lakes are at least partially surrounded by a ridge of land which was
likely formed with sand and silt eroded from the lake bottom and
probably represents the pre-drainage canal extents of the lakes (Heath
1975). Attempts to lower the water levels of these lakes began with the
completion of a canal connecting Lake Phelps and the Scuppernong River
in 1787. With monies provided by the State Literary Board in the late

18301s, drainage canals for Mattamuskeet (Lake Landing Canal), New and

Pungo lakes were completed (Heath 1975). Physicochemical data for each

lake were given in Heath (1975).

Lake Phelps
Lake Phelps is a 65 km2 (25 mi2) natural lake of relatively clear
water whose northern border is the Pettigrew State Park. The lake's
perimeter offers a flooded woodland/aquatic macrophyte fisheries habitat
in contrast to the barren sand/mud bottom which comprises most of the
midlake (Kornegay and Dineen 1979). The maximum depth is approximately

2 m (7 ft) but the average depth is 1.5 m (5 ft) (Heath 1975). The area
analyzed as Lake Phelps included the lake itself and all canals around

its perimeter, including those connecting the lake to the Scuppernong

River.

In their 1964 stream survey, Inland Fisheries rotenoned a site in

both moccasin (western) and Batava canals. In June of the following
year the same Division returned to rotenone two sites in Lake Phelps.
They also rotenoned an area in the northeast corner of the lake in their

March 1976 visit. An electric shocker was used at the same site and

along the southern shore in the March 1976 sampling. In November 1976,
they sampled 12 stations within the lake using the wing trawl (10 minute
tows) and during April through October 1978 sampled 20 stations at
night, monthly with the same trawl. In addition, angling,

electrof ishing and gill nets were used to supplement the monthly trawl
catches for a piscivorous game fish food habits study (Kornegay 1981).
Effort with the wing trawl was 19 hours.

New Lake (Alligator Lake)
New Lake is a shallow lake with a mean depth of 1 m (3 ft) and a
surface area of 19.9 kM2 (7.7 Mi2) (Heath 1975). Natural drainage was
towards the Alligator River. Turbidity is high in the lake because of
erosion of the hard, black clay bottom. Fisheries data from the lake is
represented solely by one rotenone sample taken by Inland Fisheries in

1964.

Lake Mattamuskeet

Lake Mattamuskeet is the largest natural lake in the state

encompassing an area of 172.8 km2 (66.7 mi2) (Heath 1975). Natural
drainage was to the north, towards the Alligator River. Depths in the
lake average less than 1 m (2.5 ft) and the bottom is predominantly sand
(Heath 1975). Since the completion of Lake Landing Canal in 1838, other
canals connecting the lake to Pamlico Sound (Waupopin, Outfall, and Rose
Bay canals) and Alligator River (Fairfield Canal) have been dug. In

1913 the lake was drained via an extensive network of canals, ditches
and a pumping station for agricultural use of the fertile bottom. In

1933 the ambitious project was abandoned and in 1934 the lake and

adjoining land was purchased to form the Mattamuskeet National wildlife

Refuge. The lake has been managed since for waterfowl (Heath 1975).

The earliest fisheries data were collected in 1901, and Huish (1979)

summarized sources of Lake Mattamuskeet fisheries data through 1979.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made seine collections in the

lake in June 1949 and 1956. In July 1958 and October 1959 a variety of

gears including seines, gill nets and rotenone were used, but data were

not reported by gear. Rotenone and gill nets were used in their August

1961 visit to the lake. In 1964 Inland Fisheries rotenoned areas in

Fairfield and Carters canals. Beginning in 1965 the North Carolina

Cooperative Fisheries Unit under the direction of Dr. F. E. Hester
sampled the lake. In May 1965 rotenone and seines were used while in
October of the same year gill nets were set and during October through

December 1966 gill nets, rotenone and seines were used. The unit
visited the lake nearly monthly, sometimes more frequently, February
1967 to June 1969 using the same gears and supplementing with cast and
fyke nets. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service set gill nets in the lake
in July 1982 and used seines and rotenone in the canals and management
impoundments. Effort for the above mentioned collections totalled 35
seine hauls, 25 rotenone sites, 38 gill net sets, 2 cast net samples and

3 fyke net sets.

Pungo Lake
Pungo Lake is the smallest of the peninsula's natural lakes,
encompassing a surface area of 11.4 km2 (4.4 mi2) (Heath 1975).

Although once landlocked, the lake's natural drainage was towards the

Pungo River. The lake's drainage was hastened by drainage canals dug

between 1839 and 1843 and the depth of the lake now averages less than

1 m (3 ft) (Heath 1975). Because of the area's peat deposits turbidity

is high and pH is low (Boaze 1980). The lake and surrounding lands were
incorporated as the Pungo National Wildlife Refuge in 1963.

The area analyzed as Pungo Lake includes the lake, the Pungo Lake

Canal and the canals within the refuge. Two rotenone samples were taken

in 1964 in the Pungo Lake Canal by Inland Fisheries and in may 1965 the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rotenoned two sites in the lake (one in

the center and one along the shore) , set experimental gill nets in the

center, and seined along shore. They returned to the refuge in July

19 80, rotenoning two sites in the lake and one site in the Duck Pen Road

Ditch, and set gill nets in the lake and surrounding canals. In July
1982 they recorded temperature and pH at 17 sites within the lake and

canals. Effort in this area totalled seven rotenone stations, one seine

collection, and seven gill net collections.

RESULTS

Hydrography
Water temperatures on the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula closely
follow air temperatures with maxima typically occurring in late summer
and minima occurring in January (Giese et al. 1979). Salinities are

less variable but follow a seasonal cycle of reduced salinities in the

early spring as a result of heavy winter runoff and higher salinities in

the late summer coincident with reduced summer runoff. Winds dominate

the short term horizontal patterns of salinity distribution (Roelofs and
Bumpus 1953).

Nekton collections on the peninsula were taken in salinities
ranging from 0-30.2 0/oo , although most effort was expended in waters of
less than 18 0/oo (Table 3). Salinities were highest in Pamlico Sound
0
and tributaries (Figure 3) and averaged 2-3 Yoo higher at stations

north of Bluff Shoal than at stations located west of Bluff Shoal. Mean

salinities of the Pungo River area below the highway 264 bridge and of

Croatan Sound were in the lower meschaline range, whereas Albemarle

Sound and tributary waters and the upper Pungo River were oligohaline.

Lake Phelps, New Lake and Pungo Lake were essentially fresh water but

salinities in Lake Mattamuskeet, when measured, were high enough to

classify that lake as oligohaline.

Nekton of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula

Collections on the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula have yielded four
species of commercially important invertebrate nekton and 132 species of

fishes (Table 4). Eleven species accounted for more than 95% of the

total number of individuals captured and three of those species (bay
anchovy, spot and Atlantic menhaden) together accounted for greater than
75%. Most species were collected across a broad range of salinities
(Table 5), but distributions relative to salinity are difficult to

discern because effort was not distributed equally across the range of

salinities encountered (Table 3).

Life History Strategies

Seven life history strategies were represented by the nekton

collected on the peninsula (Table 6). Few species were collected
strictly in freshwater and, in most instances, these were represented by
single individuals. Three species of this group, Lepomis microlophus,
L. cyanellus and Ictalurus melas, are not endemic to the area (Lee et
al. 1980); it is uncertain whether the Lake Phelps occurrence of the
endangered Fundulus waccamensis represents a fourth introduction (Shute

Table 3. Distribution of sampling effort across discrete salinity zones.

Salinity Zone
Lower Upper Lower Upper
Limnetic Oligohaline Mesohaline Mesohaline Polyhaline Polyhaline Euhaline
0 0
Gear (effort unit) 0-0.50/o, 0. 5-5.0 0/0 05.0-10.0 0/0 0 10.0-18.0 0/00 18.0-25.0 0/00 25.0-30.0 /oo 30 /oo

Fyke net (sets) 2

Gill nets (sets) 45 3 1

Seines (hauls) 222 238 94 26

Cast net (stations) 3

Trawls (minutes):
surface towed-
1.8m Cobb trawl 10.0
3.2m flat trawl 1.0 0.5
7.9m wing trawl 35.0 13.0 8.0 7.0

bottom towed- -
1.8m Cobb trawl 2,030.0 270.0 20.0 10.0 20.0
3.Om Cobb trawl 560.0 603.0 75.0 20.0 10.0
3.2m flat trawl 51.0 486.0 1,579.5 2,706.5 254.5 2.0
4.9m flat trawl
6.1m flat trawl
(19.Omm bar tailbag) 275.0 822.0 574.0 75.0
6.1m flat trawl
(6.4mm bar tailbag) 5.0 115.0 245.0 880.0 190.0
6.1m semi-balloon trawl 640.0 205.0
7.9m wing trawl 3,796.0 3,064.0 502.5 173.0 10.0

Rotenone (stations) 45 37 15 10 4 1 1

Electric shocker (stations) 2

MEAN BOTTOM SALINITY

/>
114
@ qj,

LEGEND: SAI TNITY I M N ETT C 0L TGOHN.-INE
'LOWER MESOHAI INE ur;r:-F.@r@. Ml::@.TOHAL. INI-1
zl@

Figure 3. Mean bottom Salinities on the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula.

Table 4. Nekton species collected in each of the major sounds and lakes of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula.
Numbers of individuals captured are indicated for each species.

Sound Lake
Albemarle Croatan N. Pamlico W. Pamlico Lake New Lake Pungo
Species Sound Sound Sound Sound Phelps Lake Mattamuskeet Lake
Penaeus aztecus 14 169 20,675 34,075
Penaeus duorarum 1 106 2,314 704
Penaeus setiferus 4 63 3,446 765
Callinectes sapidus 1,718 1,388 11,835 15,448 4 218
Dasyatis sabina 1 1
Rhinoptera bonasus 1
Acipenser oxyrhynchus 2
Lepisosteus osseus 27 15 170 5 403 7
Amia calva 7 21 3 38 15
Elops saurus 7 8 92 43 5
Anguilla rostrata 189 16 117 333 5 59 2
Myrophis punctatus 2
Alosa aestivalis 22,405 900 195 279 1,099
Alosa mediocris 22 1 9
Alosa pseudoharengus 5,319 12 188 488 1,969 1,175 11
Alosa sapidissima 24 2 256
Brevoortia tyrannus 18,004 1,787 42,812 280,940 4 65
Dorosoma cepedianum 90 8 102 298 23 214 12
Dorosoma petenense 4 5 3
Opisthonema oglinum 7 2 39 33
Anchoa hepsetus 80 2,506 674 1,140
Anchoa mitchilli 26,419 86,453 200,172 275,897 90 10
Umbra pygmaea 4 1 1
Esox a. americanus 25 23 51 2 8
Esox lucius x
Esox niger 70 178 7 11
Carassius auratus 1
Cyprinus carpio 22 1 7 87 3
Hybognathus regius 773 2
Notemigonus crysoleucas 1,038 257 5 86 75
Notropis analostanus 5
Notropis chalybaeus 1
Notropis cummingsae 25
Notropis hudsonius 1,088 1
Notropis procne 17

Table 4. (continued) CO

Sound Lake
Albemarle Croatan N. Pamlico W. Pamlico Lake New Lake Pungo
Species Sound Sound Sound Sound Phelps Lake Mattamuskeet Lake
Erimyzon sucetta* 244 45 56 6
Moxostoma macrolepidotum 2
Synodus foetens 30 45
Ictalurus brunneus 1
Ictalurus catus 2,249 10 1 166 2 8 22
Ictalurus melas 1
Ictalurus natalis 207 1 21 157 2 64
Ictalurus nebulosus 383 15 3 80 70 27 6
T ctalurus punctatus 220 112 33 35 130
1
Noturus gyrinus 238 1 10 72 10 26
Chologaster cornuta 1
Aphredoderus sayanus 1,250 1,756 17 12 13
Opsanus tau 1 29 10
Gobiesox strumosus 1 1 2 7
Urophycis regia 17 2
Ophidion marginatum 1
Strongylura marina 372 262 4 57 26
Cyprinodon variegatus 2 9
Fundulus diaphanus 106 12 1 69 1 105
Fundulus h. heteroclitus 6 25 21
Fundulus majalis 6 8 2
Fundulus waccamensis 6
Lucania parva 400 10
Gambusia affinis 43 21 64 22 1 390 88
Membras martinica 256 479 1 478
Menidia beryllina 14,579 3,277 1,013 7,441 642
Menidia menidia 197 1,206 62 86
Syngnathus floridae 1
Syngnathus fuscus 83 149 8 28
Syngnathus louisianae I
Morone americana 25,430 40 314 972 6541 1,891 10
Morone saxatilis 484 1 2 12 x 84
Centropristis striata 75 1
Diplectrum formosum 13
Acantharchus pomotis 12 7
Centrarchus macropterus 174 171 8 1 61

Table 4. (continued)

Sound Lake
Albemarle Croatan N. Pamlico W. Pamlico Lake New Lake Pungo
Species Sound Sound Sound Sound Phelps Lake Mattamuskeet Lake
Enneacanthus chaetodon 85
Enneacanthus gloriosus 209 3 518 18 24 4
Enneacanthus obesus 654 2 85 75 33 46
Lepomis auritus 50 1 1
Lepomis cyanellus 1
Lepomis gibbosus 733 26 28 1,137 283 114 6
Lepomis gulosus 301 3 121 49 46 18
Lepomis macrochirus 745 2 30 284 492 137 15
Lepomis marginatus 2 42
Lepomis microlophus
Micropterus salmoides 148 7 94 44 226 1
Pomoxis annularis
Pomoxis nigromaculatus 614 1 90 11 26 21
Etheostoma fusiforme 743 89 24 3 3
Etheostoma olmstedi 94 1 13
Etheostoma serriferum 27 34 1
Perca flavescens 1,608 12 27 173 451 123 2
Pomatomous saltatrix 62 48 72 238
Caranx hippos 26 9 162 155
Chloroscombrus chrysurus 2
Selene vomer 4 7 3
Trachinotus falcatus 1 3 1
Lutjanus analis 3
Lutjanus griseus 1 6 83 3
Lutjanus synagris 1
Diapterus auratus 1 1 69 113
Eucinostomus argenteus 2 3 7 34
Eucinostomus gula 20 37 94 147
Orthopristis chrysoptera 2 4 54 14
Lagodon rhomboides 20 46 334 5,889 1
Archosargus probatocephalus 31 34
Bairdiella chrysoura 816 390 12,459 9,789 3
Cynoscion nebulosus 8 26 527 432
Cynoscion regalis 18 85 11,726 6,040
Leiostomus xanthurus 5,867 1,775 75,506 331,675 11 128
Menticirrhus americanus 5 10 1

W
Table 4. (continued) 0

Sound Lake
Albemarle Croatan N. Pamlico W. Pamlico Lake New Lake Pungo
Species Sound Sound Sound Sound Phelps Lake Mattamuskeet Lake
Menticirrhus saxatilis 3 9 2
Micropogonias undulatus 9,988 4,214 57,166 69,282 1
Pogonias cromis 2 1
Sciaenops ocellatus 33 21 71 100
Stellifer lanceolatus 2
Chaetodipterus faber 67 24
Mugil cephalus 771 162 256 2,889 73
Mugil curema 7
Chasmodes bosquianus 3
Hypleurochilus geminatus 1
Hypsoblennius hentzi 2 2
Gobionellus hastatus 17 8
Gobiosoma bosci 9 7 112 766
Microgobius thalassinus 3 478 1,315 14
Trichiurus lepturus 3
Scomberomorus maculatus 9 9
Peprilus alepidotus 1 14 349 187
Peprilus triacanthus 8 3 1
Prionotus carolinus 1
Prionotus evolans 4
Prionotus tribulus 2
Citharichthys spilopterus 4 126 61
Paralichthys dentatus 18 34 120 42
Paralichthys lethostigma 169 17 1,891 3,880 2
Scophthalmus aquosus 1
Trinectes maculatus 1,004 102 557 2,621 15
Symphurus plagiusa 1 97 7
Aluterus schoepfi 2
Monocanthus hispidus 2 1
Sphoeroides maculatus 1, 2

*All chubsuckers were reported as E. sucetta. It is likely that an unknown proportion were E. oblongus.
1Unsuccessful introduction attempt (Kornegay and Dineen 1979).

Table 5. Species' abundances as related to salinity. Data from many inland collections are not included because
salinities were not recorded. Number of individuals are tabulated.

Salinity Zone
Lower Upper Lower Upper Salinity
Limnetic Oligohaline Mesohaline Mesohaline Polyhaline Polyhaline Euhaline Range
Species 0-0.50/oo 0.5-5.0 0/00 5.0-10.0 0/00 10.0-18.00/0018.0-25.00/0025-30.00/,, 300/... (0/,,,,)
Penaeus aztecus 26 2,247 17,746 31,471 2,305 2 0-28.8
Penaeus duorarum 44 41 186 2,137 295 3 0-28.8
Penaeus setiferus 6 95 502 3,521 97 0-24.1
Callinectes sapidus 1,018 3,915 9,043 13,220 1,932 19 0-28.8
Dasyatis sabina 2 17.0-18.0
Acipenser oxyrhynchus 2 0.2- 0.3
Lepisosteus osseus 419 26 9 3 0-17.4
Amia calva 57 7 2 0- 9.9
Elops saurus 11 24 47 61 11 0-19.5
Anguilla rostrata 161 180 187 131 24 0-23.0
Alosa aestivalis 15,509 6,336 595 181 16 0-24.0
Alosa mediocris 21 2 5 1.8-14.0
Alosa pseudoharengus 7,376 1,144 307 76 50 1 1 0-30.2
Alosa sapidissima 12 7 3 253 0-18.0
Brevoortia tyrannus 47,447 30,628 85,369 102,168 47,673 27 24,500 0-30.2
Dorosoma cepedianum 327 110 77 69 10 11 0-30.2
Dorosoma petenense 4 1 1 4 2 0.2-21.0
Opisthonema oglinum 11 5 9 37 5 0-19.0
Anchoa hepsetus 97 1,034 1,863 1,191 128 0-22.0
Anchoa mitchilli 11,119 104,030 94,440 313,543 34,785 5,514 5,000 0-30.2
Umbra pygmaea 5 1 0.9- 5.5
Esox a. americanus 32 27 1 0- 9.9
Esox niger 56 70 63 74 0-16.3
Carassius auratus 1 0.0
Cyprinus carpio 110 5 2 0- 7.0
Hybognathus regius 106 645 1 0- 5.2
Notemigonus crysoleucas 810 1,062 12 1 0-11.8
Notropis analostanus 3 2 0- 0.9
Notropis chalybaeus 1 0.1
Notropis cummingsae 25 0.1
Notropis hudsonius 530 223 1 0- 5.4
Notropis procne 13 3 0- 1.2
Erimyzon sucetta* 217 131 0- 3.2

Table 5. (continued)

Salinity Zone
Lower Upper Lower Upper Salinity
Limnetic Oligohaline Mesohaline Mesohaline Polyhaline Polyhal ne Euha ine Rgnge
Species 0-0.50 /oo 0.5-5.00/oo 5.0-10.0 0/oo 10.0-18.0 0/ool8.0-25.00/oo25-30.0 /oo 30 /00 /00)
Moxostoma. macrolepidotum 2 0- 0.2
Synodus foetens 2 63 9 6.5-19.0
Ictalurus brunneus 1 0.0
Ictalurus catus 1,114 1,061 100 1 0-10.7
Ictalurus melas 1 3.2
Ictalurus natalis 91 346 6 0- 8.0
Ictalurus nebulosus 237 287 34 7 0-11.8
Ictalurus punctatus 356 159 10 0- 9.9
Noturus gyrinus 88 262 1 0- 7.2
Chologaster cornuta 1 1 0.1- 4.5
Aphredoderus sayanus 2,015 988 33 0- 8.7
Opsanus tau 12 23 3 6.0-24.1
Gobiesox strumosus 1 4 6 4.5-18.0
Urophycis regia 2 7 8.0-16.5
Ophidion marginatum 1 17.1
Strongylura marina 258 230 52 135 8 2 0-26.5
Cyprinodon variegatus 9 1 1 0-14.0
Fundulus diaphanus 171 84 19 14 1 1 0-26.5
Fundulus h. heteroclitus 21 1 13 17 0-16.3
Fundulus majalis 2 1 1 11 0-15.8
Fundulus waccamensis 6 0.0
Lucania parva 10 23 38 299 0-18.0-
Gambusia affinis 528 50 8 39 3 0-23.9
Membras martinica 37 245 714 185 0-13.6
Menidia beryllina 6,592 10,835 5,619 1,851 132 37 21 0-30.2
Menidia menidia 158 594 289 401 18 0-19.0
Syngnathus floridae, 1 1 16.0-26.5
Syngnathus fuscus 80 157 12 14 5 0-20.0
Syngnathus louisianae 1 12.0
Morone americana 21,874 4,752 927 247 58 8 16 0-30.2
Morone saxatilis 297 225 2 1 0-12.5
Centropristis striata 75 1 5-15.5
Diplectrum formosum 12 1 9.0-13.0
Acantharchus pomotis 8 11 0.1- 2.0

Table 5. (continued)

Salinity Zone
Lower Upper Lower Upper Salinity
Limnetic Olgohaline mesohaline Mesolialine Polyhaline Polyhaline Euhaline Range
.Species 0-0.5 0/oo 0.5-5.0 0/oo 5.0-10.0 0/00 10.0-18.0 0/ool8.0-25.00/o,,25-30.00/0. 300/00 (0/00)
Centrarchus macropterus 96 222 77 0- 9.0
Enneacanthus chaetodon 85 0.2
Enneacanthus gloriosus 141 237 338 35 5 0-20.6
Enneacanthus obesus 311 548 25 8 0-16.3
Lepomis auritus 5 47 0- 4.8
Lepomis cyanellus 1 0.1
Lepomis gibbosus 468 721 608 498 0-18.0
Lepomis gulosus 154 363 15 0- 8.7
Lepomis macrochirus 782 763 79 8 0-15.8
Lepomis microlophus 42 0.0
Micropterus salmoides 292 139 65 15 0-16.3
Pomoxis annularis 1
Pomoxis nigromaculatus 257 451 43 0- 8.7
Etheostoma fusiforme 89 762 7 0- 8.7
Etheostoma olmstedi 30 77 0- 4.8
Etheostoma serriferum 45 17 0.1- 0.9
Perca flavescens 1,283 770 225 30 0-16.3
Pomatomous saltatrix 6 122 113 122 18 2 0-26.5
Caranx hippos 10 30 99 147 23 30 0-30.2
Chloroscombrus chrysurus 2 20.0-21.0
Selene vomer 4 7 1 8.0-19.0
Trachinotus falcatus 1 3 1 0-16.0
Lutjanus analis 3 13.5-17.4
Lutjanus griseus 2 5 85 1 4.7-19.0
Lutjanus synagris 1 15.5
Diapterus auratus 4 10 162 1 1.2-20.0
Eucinostomus argenteus 2 12 29 1.4-15.5
Eucinostomus gula 16 4 54 206 9 7 0-30.2
Orthopristis chrysoptera 1 6 11 36 19 0-23.0
Lagodon rhomboides 12 82 1,861 3,992 209 1 6 0-30.2
Archosargus probatocephalus 3 34 19 7 4.1-19.2
Bairdiella chrysoura 17 801 1,704 14,948 2,805 15 7 0-30.2
Cynoscion nebulosus 3 37 104 720 48 7 0-30.2
Cynoscion regalis 1 144 11193 9,248 6,775 0-24.1
Leiostomus xanthurus 3,328 53,046 145,845 179,409 18,189 361 48 0-30.2

Table 5. (continued)

Salinity Zone
Lower Upper Lower Upper Salinity
Limne8ic OligohaAine Mesohaliee Meschaline Polyhaline Polyhaline Euhaline Range
species 0-0.5 /oo 0.5-5.0 /oo 5.0-10.0 /oo 10.0-18.0 0/ool8.0-25.0 0 /oc,25-30.00/oo 300/00 (0/00)
menticirrhus ainericanus 4 1 10 1.0-18.0
Menticirrhus saxatilis 3 10 1 5.8-22.0
micropogonias undulatus 5,580 36,237 40,260 44,052 6,778 78 23 0-30.2
Pogonias cromis 2 1 11.0-18.8
Sciaenops ocellatus 9 26 44 121 9 0-20.0
Stellifer lanceolatus 2 11.7
Chaetodipterus faber 1 72 14 8.0-21.5
mugil cephalus 592 1,441 867 497 88 1 16 0-30.2
Mugil curema 7 2.0
Chasmodes bosquianus 3 16.0
Hypsoblennius hentzi 1 2 7.0-17.7
Gobionellus hastatus 9 13 2 5.7-20.0
Gobiosoma bosci 4 90 373 378 41 0-23.9
microgobius thalassinus 14 80 348 1,130 190 1 0-26.5
Trichiurus lepturus 3 11.5-17.0
Scomberomorus maculatus 1 11 3 9.8-21.0
Peprilus alepidotus 11 8 411 114 0.9-21.5
Peprilus triacanthus 1 11 8.0-18.0
Prionotus carolinus 1 15.0
Prionotus evolans 7 1 15.8-21.5
Prionotus tribulus 2 17.5-17.6
Citharichthys spilopterus 11 61 104 6 2.0-24.0
Paralichthys dentatus 8 34 26 106 28 0-24.1
Paralichthys lethostigma 90 553 2F138 2,738 219 3 0-28.0
Scophthalmus aquosus 1 15.0
Trinectes maculatus 416 954 10,158 1,293 99 0-24.1
Symphurus plagiusa 1 15 69 16 5.0-23.0
Aluterus schoepfi 1 1 17.0-19.5
Monocanthus hispidus 3 10.2-15.0
Sphoeroides maculatus 1 1 1 1.5-15-.5

*All chubsuckers were reported as E. sucetta. It is likely that an unknown proportion were E. oblongus.

1980) or a relict population (Bailey 1977) These stenchaline primary
freshwater fishes were generally restricted to Albemarle Sound, the

Pungo River or the inland lakes.

A large proportion of the species encountered were transient,
primary freshwater fish. These species commonly entered low salinity
waters, but were rarely found at salinities greater than 18 0/00. Most
were captured in Albemarle Sound, Pungo River or the inland lakes.
Carassius auratus and Cyprinus carpio are introduced species (Lee et al.
1980). Although generally more recreationally than commercially
important, the group had a dockside value of $235,705 (N.C. Division of
Mar. Fish. 1984) in North Carolina's 1983 commercial landings.
Many nekton species are indigenous to the estuary, generally
completing their life cycle within the lower salinity waters of the
estuary. They are considered residents even though they are commonly
found in the coastal ocean environment. These species have a tolerance

to a wide range of salinities and are often distributed ubiquitously.
They are important prey items for many species utilizing the estuary

(Darnell 1958; Carr and Adams 1973; Overstreet and Heard 1982). Most

resident species are abundant and, except for blue crabs and white
perch, they are not commercially important. Estuarine residents,
including sessile shellfish species, had a 1983 dockside value of
$15,876,665 in North Carolina's commercial landings (N,C. Div, of Mar.

Fish. 1984).

Anadromous fish spend most of their life at sea, but adults migrate
to freshwater during spring spawning runs. Offspring utilize the low
salinity waters as nurseries, and most species usually emigrate during
their first fall. Striped bass are generally considered an anadromous
species which remains in the estuary until reaching sexual maturity.
However, populations in Albemarle Sound may complete their entire life
cycle within the estuary (Street and Pate 1975). Adults of all
anadromous species are commercially and recreationally important, and in

1983 were worth $1,170,419 to North Carolina's commercial fishermen

(N.C. Div. of Mar. Fish. 1984)

The American eel is catadromous, spending most of its life in fresh

or brackish waters. Upon reaching sexual maturity it migrates to the
Sargasso Sea to spawn. Pelagic leptocephali are carried inshore and
after transforming into elvers migrate into the estuaries, where they

Table 6. Life history strategies of nekton collected on the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula. Number
of individuals captured are indicated for each species.
Freshwater Estuarine Migratory Marine
Species Freshwater transient indigenous Anadromous Catadromous marine transient
Penaeus aztecus 54,933
Penaeus duorarum 3,125
Penaeus setiferus 4,278
Callinectes sapidus 30,611
Dasyatis sabina 2
Rhinoptera bonasus 1
Acipenser oxyrhynchus 2
Lepisosteus osseus 627
Amia calva 84
Elops saurus 155
Anguilla rostrata 721
Myrophis punctatus 2
Alosa aestivalis 24,878
Alosa mediocris 32
Alosa pseudoharencjus 9,152
Alosa sapidissima 282
Brevoortia tyrannus 343,612
Dorosoma cepedianum 747
Dorosoma petenense 12
Opisthonema oglinum 81
Anchoa hepsetus 4,400
Anchoa mitchilli 589,041
Umbra pygmaea 6
Esox a. americanus 63
Esox niger 266
Carassius auratus 1
Cyprinus carpio 120
Hybognathus regius 775
Notemigonus crysoleucas 1,933
Notropis analostanus 5
Notropis chalybaeus I
Notropis cummingsae 25
Notropis hudsonius 1,089
Notropis procne 17
Erimyzon sucetta* 351
Moxostoma macrolepidotum 2

Table 6. (continued)

Freshwater Estuarine Migratory Marine
Species Freshwater transient indigenous Anadromous Catadromous marine transient
Synodus foetens 75
Ictalurus brunneus 1
Ictalurus catus 2,458
Ictalurus melas I
Ictalurus natalis 452
Ictalurus nebulosus 584
Ictalurus punctatus 530
Noturus gyrinus 357
Chologaster cornuta 2
Aphredoderus sayanus 3,048
Opsanus tau 40
Gobiesox strumosus 11
Urophycis regia 19
Ophidion marginatum 1
Strongylura marina 721
Cyprinodon variegatus 11
Fundulus diaphanus 294
Fundulus h. heteroclitus 52
Fundulus majalis 16
Fundulus waccamensis 6
Lucania parva 410
Gambusia affinis 629
Membras martinica 1,214
Menidia beryllina 26,952
Menidia menidia 1,551
Syngnathus floridae 2
Syngnathus fuscus 268
Syngnathus louisianae 1
Morone americana 29,311
Morone saxatilis 583
centropristis striata 76
Diplectrum formosum 13
Acantharchus pomotis 19
Centrarchus macropterus 415
Enneacanthus chaetodon 85
Enneacanthus gloriosus 776
Enneacanthus obesus 895

W
Table 6. (continued) OD

Freshwater Estuarine Migratory Marine
Species Freshwater transient indigenous Anadromous Catadromous marine transient
Lepomis auritus 52
Lepomis cyanellus 1
Lepomis gibbosus 2,327
Lepomis gulosus 538
Lepomis macrochirus 1,705
Lepomis marginatus 2
Lepomis microlophus 42
micropterus salmoides 519
Pomoxis annularis 1
Pomoxis nigromaculatus 763
Etheostoma fusiforme 862
Etheostoma olmstedi 108
Etheostoma serriferum 62
Perca flavescens 2,396
Pomatomous saltatrix 420
Caranx hippos 352
Chloroscombrus chrysurus 2
Selene vomer 14
Trachinotus falcatus 5
Lutjanus analis 3
Lutjanus griseus 93
Lutjanus synagris 1
Diapterus auratus 184
Eucinostomus argenteus 46
Eucinostomus gula 298
Orthopristis chrysoptera 74
Lagodon rhomboides 6,320
Archosargus probatocephalus 65
Bairdiella chrysoura 23,457
Cynoscion nebulosus 993
Cynoscion regalis 17,869
Leiostomus xanthurus 414,962
Menticirrhus americanus 16
menticirrhus saxatilis 14
Micropogonias undulatus 140,651
Pogonias cromis 3
Sciaenops ocellatus 225

Table 6. (continued)

Freshwater Estuarine Migratory Marine
Species Freshwater transient indigenous Anadromous Catadromous marine transient
Stellifer lanceolatus 2
Chaetodipterus faber 91
Mugil cephalus 4,151
Mugil curema 7
Chasmodes bosquianus 3
Hypleurochilus geminatus 1
Hypsoblennius hentzi 4
Gobionellus hastatus 25
Gobiosoma bosci 894
Microgobius thalassinus 1,810
Trichiurus lepturus 3
Scomberomorus maculatus 18
Peprilus alepidotus 551
Peprilus triacanthus 12
Prionotus carolinus 1
Prionotus evolans 8
Prionotus tribulus 2
Citharichthys spilopterus 191
Paralichthys dentatus 214
Paralichthys lethostigma. 5,959
Scophthalmus aquosus 1
Trinectes maculatus 4,299
Symphurus plagiusa 105
Aluterus schoepfi 2
Monocanthus hispidus 3
Sphoeroides maculatus 3

*All chubsuckers were reported as E. sucetta. It is likely that an unknown proportion were -E. -oblongus.

may remain for 7 to 20 years (Hardy 1978a) North Carolina's 1983
dockside value of American eels was $270,708 (N.C. Div. Mar. Fish.

1984).

The majority of individuals collected on the peninsula represented
the migratory marine life history strategy; estuarine nursery areas are
requisite for the early life history stages of this group. Most species
spawn at sea during the winter when onshore transport is maximal (Miller

et al. in press); however, several species such as those of the genus
Cynoscion are spring and summer spawners in the nearshore or estuarine

environment. Juveniles of all migratory marine species utilize the
estuarine nurseries and as young-of -the -year migrate to higher salinity

areas. This species group accounts for over 50% of the value of North

Carolina's commercial landings and is also an important species group

for recreational fisheries. In 1983 its commercial dockside value was

$33,873,102 (N.C. Div. Mar. Fish. 1984).

A large number of marine transient species were collected on the

peninsula. These species were not common and were usually taken in the

higher salinity areas. They have little or no direct dependence on the

estuary but may be abundant seasonally in the open waters of North
Carolina's large sounds (Higgins and Pearson 1928; Schwartz 1973;

DeVries 1980).

Profiles of the Most Common Species
Three gears, the seine, the 3.2 m (10.5 ft) flat trawl and the wing
trawl, were employed concurrently for several years and had broad
geographic coverage. Species' CPUE were calculated for each of these
gears and expressed as catch-per-ef fort based on the normal effort
expended by a gear at a single station (seine - 1 haul; wing trawl - 10
min.; flat trawl - 1 min.) . Only trawl data from bottom tows and from

collections of a known duration were used in the calculations. Total

effort for each gear and area is given in Table 7. Twenty species
averaged greater than one individual per effort in one of the three
gears (Table 8) and are discussed in detail in the following pages.
Recruitment, as used in the discussion of these commonly occurring

species, refers to recruitment to the various gears.

Table 7. Seine, wing trawl and flat trawl (3.2 m) sampling effort in

each area of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula.

Gear
Wing Flat
Seine trawl trawl
Area (hauls) (minutes)
(minutes)
Albemarle Sound 224 3,074.5
Mackeys Creek
Scuppernong River 130 925.0
Alligator River
north of hwy 64 bridge 15 377.0
hwy 64 bridge to Frying Pan 350.0
Straits/Stumpy Pt.
Frying Pan Straits/Stumpy Pt. 350.0
to Newport News Pt./Marker
R1110"
Newport News Pt./Marker 720.0
R"10" to the Northwest Fork
above the Northwest Fork
Northwest Fork
Croatan Sound 115 735.0 17.0
Pamlico Sound
north of Bluff Shoal
Stumpy Point Bay 247.0
Parched Corn Bay, Long Shoal River, 1 480.3
Otter creak 287.3
Far Cr. Middletown Anchorage,
Brooks Creek 287.3
Wysocking Bay 3 308.0
Outfall Canal, East Bluff Bay 148.8
west of Bluff Shoal
West Bluff Bay, Cunning Harbor, 289.5
Juniper Bay
Swanquarter Bay 817.5
Deep Cove, White Perch Bay 122.0
Rose Bay 1,204.3
Spencer Bay 447.5
Abel Bay, Crooked Creek 142.5
Pungo River
below Field Point/Sandy Point 40 263.0
Field Point/Sandy Point to 11 193.8
Durants Point/Windmill Pt.
Pantego Creek, Pungo Creek 43 26.0 259.5
Durants Pt./Windmill Pt. to 40 10.0 174.0
hwy 264 bridge
above hwy 264 bridge 5 1.0 63.0
Inland Lakes
Lake Phelps 1,140.0
New Lake
Lake Mattamuskeet 35
Pungo Lake 1

Table 8. Seine, flat trawl and wing trawl catch-per-unit effort for
species collected on the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula. Only
bottom towed trawl data are used in calculating trawl CPUE.
Rank indicates the relative position of a species based on its
CPUE with the particular gear.

Seine 3.2 m flat trawl 7.9 m wing trawl
Species Rank CPUE Rank CPUE Rank CPUE*10
Penaeus aztecus 25 0.14 5 7.86 27 0.05

Penaeus duorarum. 53 0.01 13 0.44

Penaeus setiferus 36 0.04 11 0.73 62

Callinectes sapidus 18 0.54 6 3.46 10 0.81

Dasyatis sabina 75
Acipenser oxyrhynchus 54
Lepisosteus osseus 65 56 37 0.01

Amia calva 61

Elops saurus 42 0.02 35 0.02
Anguilla rostrata 33 0.05 21 0.06 24 0.08
Myrophis punctatus 83

Alosa aestivalis 4 17.51 24 0.06 3 10.76

Alosa mediocris 40 0.03 61 43 0.01

Alosa pseudoharengus 13 1.50 22 0.06 6 4.91
Alosa sapidissima 41 0.03 25 0.05 53
Brevoortia tyrranus 3 35.20 4 8.26 9 0.83
Dorosoma cepedianum 25 0.06
Dorosoma petenese 32 0.07 60 45
Opisthonema oglinum 61 44 0.01 52
Anchoa hepsetus 9 3.71 20 0.08 11 0.80

Anchoa mitchilli 1 131.49 1 64.12 1 36.69

Esox a. americanus 72
Esox niger 40 0.01
Cyprinus carpio 74 30 0.02
Hybognathus regius 16 0.98 28 0.03
Notemigonus crysoleucas 35 0.05 35 0.01
Notropis hudsonius 14 1.36 93 15 0.30
Notropis procne 54 0.01
Moxostoma macrolepidotum 51
Synodus foetens 52 0.01

Ictalurus catus 44 0.02 36 0.02 7 2.06

Table 8 (continued)

Seine 3.2 m flat trawl 7.9 m wing trawl

Rank CPUE Rank CPUE Rank CPUE*10

Ictalurus melas 60

Ictalurus natalis 82 42 0.01

Ictalurus nebulosus 49 0.01 14 0.36

Ictalurus punctatus 60 19 0.18

Noturus gyrinus 44
Aphredoderus sayanus 17 0.19
Opsanus tau 55

Gobiesox strumosus 59 73

Strongylura marina 15 1.04 92
Cyprinodon variegatus 81
Fundulus diaphanus 24 0.17 48 0.01 59

Fundulus h. heteroclitus 71 62

Fundulus majalis 64 64

Fundulus waccamensis 41 0.01

Lucania parva 70 23 0.06

Gambusia affinis 26 0.12 91

Membras martinica 11 1.92 68

Menidia beryllina 2 38.59 19 0.10 22 0.13

Menidia menidia 10 2.37 42 0.01

Syngnathus fuscus 19 0.38 54
Syngnathus louisianae 90

Morone americana 7 4.98 17 0.16 2 22.51

Morone saxatilis 20 0.33 67 16 0.29

Centropristis striata 27 0.12
Diplectrum formosum 57
Centrarchus macropterus 45 0.02 34 0.02
Enneacanthus gloriosus 52 0.01 39 0.01

Enneacanthus obesus 58
Lepomis auritus 39 0.03 58
Lepomis gibbosus 21 0.21 26 0.04 18 0.19
Lepomis gulosus 63 36 0.01
Lepomis macrochirus 22 0.20 37 0. 12 0.59

Table 8 (continued)

Species Seine 3.2 m flat trawl 7.9 m wing trawl

Rank CPUE Rank CPUE Rank CPUE*10

micropterus salmoides 28 0.11 80 50

Pomoxis nigromaculatus 69 66 13 0.58

Etheostoma olmstedi 57 39 0.01

Perca flavescens 17 0.77 41 0.01 8 0.84

Pomatomous saltatrix 23 0.18 28 0.04 32 0.02

Caranx hippos 34 0.05 31 0.03 34 0.01

Selene vomer 63 71 57

Trachinotus falcatus 56 88

Lutjanus analis 79

Lutjanus griseus 49 0.01 38 0.02

Lutjanus synagris 87

Diapterus auratus 67 29 0.03 55

Eucinostomus argenteus 68 46 0.01 56

Eucinostomus gula 31 0.09 27 0.04 47

Orthopristis chrysoptera 50 0.01 47 0.01

Lagodon rhomboides 29 0.10 9 1.05 26 0.05

Archosargus probatocephalus 45 0.01

Bairdiella chrysoura 12 1.82 7 2.66 20 0.14

Cynoscion nebulosus 37 0.04 16 0.16 46
Cynoscion regalis 38 0.03 8 1.64 23 0.11

Leiostomus xanthurus 5 14.32 2 53.66 5 5.99

menticirrhus americanus 51 0.01 58

Menticirrhus saxatilis 55 59

Micropogonias undulatus 6 8.27 3 13.58 4 7.64

Pogonias cromis 78
Sciaenops ocellatus 30 0.0.9 30 0.03

Stellifer lanceolatus 49

Chaetodipterus faber 51 0.01
mugil cephalus 8 4.24 15 0.17
mugil curema 48 0.01

Chasmodes bosquianus 69
Hypleurochilus geminatus 86

Table 8 (continued)

species Seine 3.2 m flat trawl .7.9 m wing trawl

Rank CPUE Rank CPUE Rank CPUE*10

Hypsoblennius hentzi 70

Gobionellus hastatus 53

Gobiosoma bosci 62 18 0.14

Microgobius thalassinus 14 0.30

Trichiurus lepturus 85

Scomberomorus maculatus 65

Peprilus alepidotus 32 0.03 38 0.02
Peprilus triacanthus 38 0.01

Prionotus carolinus 89

Prionotus evolans 72

Citharichthys spilopterus 66 33 0.02
Paralichthys dentatus 46 0.01 40 0.01 33 0.01
Paralichthys lethostigma 47 0.01 10 0.92 29 0.02

Scophthalmus aquosus 84

Trinectes maculatus 43 0.02 12 0.44 21 0.14

Symphurus plagiusa 43 0.01
Aluterus schoepfi 77
Monocanthus hispidus 48
Sphoeroides maculatus 76

*less than 0.01 individual per effort.

Penaeus.aztecus
Brown shrimp have an annual life cycle, spawning at sea in late
winter (Perez Farfante 1969). Larvae are carried by onshore currents
into estuarine nursery areas where as postlarvae, they occur most often
on loose, fine grained substrates, typical of the upper estuary nursery
areas (Williams 1958). Juveniles are first found in April (Figure 4)
(Williams 1955) and continue recruiting into the summer, reaching peak
abundance in June (Figure 5). Upon attaining maturity in mid to late
summer, brown shrimp migrate toward the nearest inlet (McCoy 1968).
Wing trawl and seine catches of brown shrimp were negligible (Figure 6).
Most were taken in the mesohaline waters of Pamlico Sound by the 3.2 m
(10.5 ft) flat trawl. Although monthly CPUE of brown shrimp appears
higher in northern Pamlico Sound than in western Pamlico Sound (Figure
5), the latter area includes the Pungo River area which is usually not a

productive brown shrimp nursery area, probably due to its lower
salinities (J. H. Hawkins pers. comm.). When the Pungo River area is

excluded, the CPUE at stations in the northern and western basins were
similar (Figure 6).
Shrimp are a valuable resource to the peninsula (Appendix A) and
1
are taken predominately in shrimp trawls . The annularity of the brown

shrimp crop is reflected by the yearly fluctuations in North Carolina's

commercial landings. on the average brown shrimp comprise nearly 70% of
the state's shrimp landings and most are taken in Pamlico *Sound (N.C.
Div. Mar. Fish. 1983). Pamlico Sound and tributary spring catches of P.

aztecus in the DMF juvenile stock assessment program are highly
correlated with brown shrimp landings in Pamlico and Core Sounds

(DeVries 1984).

Callinectes sapidus
The spawning season of blue crabs is quite long, extending from
mid-March through October in North Carolina (Williams 1984). After
mating in low salinity waters, females migrate into the high salinity

waters near the inlets where the eggs hatch and zoeae develop. Once

near the sea, the mature females tend to remain there whereas males

remain in the low salinity areas of the estuary (Williams 1984; Fischler
1965). After transforming to the megalops stage, the young crabs

PENAEUS AZTECUS 51 PENAELIS AZTECUS
IVIONTLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES N. Pamlico Sound
% 4
FLAT TRAWL
60-
45
3-

a
30- n =244 +
_
15-
2
0
30
n=9843
15- P4
30-
n=20018
47
15-' ell
=D -mmOL -9175 t
W. Pamlico Sound
15
=2950
3
A
15-
LLJ n=615
15 2-.:
15
-77
C>
30
n=3
o15

00
100 2
J
LENGTH (mm) 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
Figure 4. Monthly length frequencies SEINE 10.5 FOOT FLAT TRAWL .....4CAROLINA WING TRAWL
n

of Penaeus.aztecus. Figure 5. -PenaeuS aztecus monthly catch per effort.

EEIVAEUS AZ CATCH PER EFFORT CALLINECTES SAPIDUS
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL
60-
WING TRAWL 45- n=13 nz-256
< 30-
15- Is JOIN
60-
co 45- n=3 nz214
W 30-
U-
15-
60
45 n--I n=1739
< 30-
15-
FLAT TRAWL
a: 30- n--50 n=2026
CL
15-
n=34- n=18 n=3768
15

2 15. n=49 n=3381

15 lb_p=69 4=2386
15
amam nzR2 n4 . . .
I . I . i, "i@ . mftpp-@
30-
15 37 n= 131 nz-934
SEINE

30
nz37 n =92 n=1079
C> 15
60
45 nzI n=55 n = 1088
30
at 15
c-> 45 =8 n=247
Uj
m 30
LOGCPUE: '0 =1 cz:32 =3 =4 @5 160' 260 100 200 100 200
LENGTH(mm)
137
P
I

@-34
.AL.9 @-40
n 58

n
r
nz37

zI
n
t

Figure 6. Geographical distribution of Figure 7. Monthly length frequencies
Penaeus aztecus catches. of Callinectes.sapidus.

migrate up the estuary, undergoing an estimated 18 to 20 more molts in
less than 1@ years before reaching maturity (Williams 1965).

Despite the protracted spawning season, recruitment into the

estuarine nursery areas is lowest during the summer months and highest
in the spring (Figure 7) (Ross and Epperly in press). Blue crabs were
present throughout the year in the low salinity waters of the peninsula,
but were most abundant in the spring recruitment months, particularly at
Pamlico Sound flat trawl stations (Figure 8). Catches in Pamlico Sound

stations north of Bluff Shoal were consistently higher than catches at

stations west of the shoal (Figure 9).

Blue crabs are taken commercially in pots, trawls, dredges and on

trot lines and rank second to menhaden in volume landed in North
Carolina. 1 North Carolina commercial landings (Street 1984) and
peninsula landings (Appendix A) peaked in 1981 and 1982 coincident with
peak catches of blue crabs in the DMF juvenile stock assessment program
conducted on the peninsula (Figure 8). Most landings are taken from

Pamlico Sound but the Albemarle Sound fishery has been expanding (Street

1984).

Alosa aestivalis

The blueback herring is an anadromous species spending most of its
life at sea. In the early spring, they migrate to freshwater to spawn,
arriving later than the alewife on the spawning grounds (Street and Pate

1975; Marshall 1976; Johnson et al. 1977; Johnson et al. 1981; Winslow
and Sanderlin 1983). Juveniles begin recruiting to the various sampling
gears in early summer (Figure 10) , utilizing the freshwater and low

salinity areas as nurseries but move seaward with increasing age. Most

emigrate by late fall, but as evidenced by the length frequency
histograms (Figure 10), some overwinter within the estuary.
Commercial landings of river herring from northern Pamlico Sound
and the Tar-Pamlico are insignificant relative to the Albemarle Sound

landings (Marshall 1976; Winslow and Sanderlin 1983). The
disproportionate population sizes are also reflected in the juvenile
catches in the two areas. Juvenile blueback herring catches outside of

the Albemarle Sound area were low and inconsistent (Figure 11) . The

rare occurrences of blueback herring in the flat trawl catches of

CALLINECTES SAPIDUS
4-.
N.Pamlico Sound
Albemarle Sound

+
E- 2-.

Croatan Sound W. Pamlico Sound

3-
AN

a
1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982

SEINE 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL CAROUNA WING TRAWL

Figure B. Callinectes sapidus monthly catch per effort.

CALLINECTES SAPIDUS CATCH PER EFFORT ALOSA AESTIVALIS MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
O/o SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL
60
45 n@263 n-26
WING TRAWL 3
z
0

60
Uj 45 n-550 n@6
30
15
601
45- n =380
30
15-
60
Cx 45 n- 166
CL
z30
15
60. 12
45
30
FLAT TRAWL 15

45 n-212
30
5
60,
45 t n-2292
30 n-1044
15
6
kD 45
30
15
60
45 n=1174 n - 1213
30
15
SEINE I
60
r, 45 n - 3042 -
n-267
30
15
60@
n-742
x30
15
J
45 nz786 nz45
C.

60
45 n-558 n-442 n @68
C--, n30
15
I
n-26

.,3,
n

100 200 100 200 160 r 200
LOGCPUE: 0 1 2 3 =4 @5 LENGTH (mm)

Figure 9. Geographical distribution of Figure 10. Monthly length frequencies
Callinectes sapidus catches. of Alosa aestivalis.

Pamlico Sound were exclusively overwintering young-of -the-year. Seine
catches were generally higher than wing trawl catches; both were

generally bimodal within a year (Figure 12) and were highest in
Albemarle Sound proper, particularly in the f all. The f irst peak in
abundance occurred in the early summer and was predominately new
recruits. The second, fall peak probably represents the emigration of

individuals from the western Albemarle Sound tributaries. The 1981

juvenile catch was extremely low relative to other years and may be
attributed to drought conditions which allowed farther than normal

penetration of saline waters, causing juveniles to occupy nursery areas
farther upstream than those included in the regular sampling program

(Winslow and Sanderlin 1983).

Alosa pseudoharengus
The alewife is an anadromous species generally ascending freshwater

earlier in the spring than the blueback herring (Tyus 1971; Street and

Pate 1975; Marshall 1976; Johnson et al. 1977; Johnson et al. 1981;

Winslow and Sanderlin 1983). offspring utilize the upper estuary as
nurseries and begin recruiting in June (Figure 13). They emigrate by
late fall but some overwintering occurs. Juvenile survey catches
outside the Albemarle Sound area were insignificant; the majority of

alewives taken in the flat trawl catches of Pamlico Sound were collected

in the early summer and were young-of-the-year (Figure 14). Catches in

Albemarle Sound were inconsistent as to which gear (the seine or the

wing trawl) produced higher catches but were generally bimodal within a

year reflecting the summer recruitment period and the fall emigration of
alewives from western Albemarle Sound tributaries (Figure 15). Overall
catches were highest in the seine collections in Albemarle Sound proper
and were lower in 1981-1983 than in previous years. Alewives were not

as abundant as blueback herring.

Brevoortia tyrannus
Atlantic menhaden is a coastal, pelagic, schooling species which in

the South Atlantic Bight spawns at sea throughout the winter (Higham and

Nicholson 1964) . Offspring migrate into the low salinity estuarine

waters, recruiting as early as February (Figure 16) and reach peak

ALOSA AESTIVAUS CATCH PER EFFORT

WING TRAWL
71 ALOSA AESTIVALIS
-z@ ro Albemarle Sound
+ 5-

d
FLAT TRAWL f
C)

1974 1976 1978 1980 198
SIM 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL (a CAROLINA WING TRAWL

SEINE

Fiaure 12.
Alosa aestivalis monthly catch per effort.

LOGCPUE: 0 1 2 3 =4 =5

Figure 11.
Geographical distribution of Alosa aestivalis catches. Ln

ALOSA PSEUDOHARENGUS
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES ALOSA PSEUDOHARENGUS CATCH PER EFFORT
% SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL
60
45 WING TRAWL
30
15

30
15

30
CL 15

60-
z 45- n-181 n =992
30-
15 FLAT TRAWL
45- nz401I n-857 67
-j 30.
15-

30. nz65 n=871 n,14
< 15-
60-
45 n n-397 - n=I
30
15*
45 n=59 n=301
cj 3KO
SEINE

45.
30. n=21 n=152 n=10
z 15.
60
45
30
C5 15
100 200 100 200 100 200 300 LOGCPUE:- 0 1 2 3 =4 5
LENGTH (mm)
n-181

Figure 13. Monthly length frequencies Figure 14. Geographical distribution of
of Alosa pseudoharengus. Alosa pseudoharengus catches.

BREVOORTIA TYRANNUS
MONTHLY LENGTH FREGUENCIES
% SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL
30

ALOSA PSEUDOHARENGUS M 45 n: 2069
LUJ 30
57 15
'01
6
fl: 28
-4 Albemarle Sound 4 n 1767 47'
30
+ 4- 15
60 . . . . . .
451 nz8854 n-8084
30
15
60
n:7642 n: 16050
n-4
45
30
It 15 . . .
2 6
4 n: 1284 n=165 8211

15
30

6
45
30
15
45 nzB32 n: 76 n:1077
---------- 30
1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 < 15 AL
45 n@ 16T
SEINE 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL (a CAROLINA WING TRAWL 30 309
LU 15 k
Cn

30 n-704 i n:375
Figure 15. 15
Alosa pseudoharengus monthly catch per effort. 60
45 n-I n=6 n=712
30
15
601
45 n=157
Uj 30
Cn 15

100 200 100 200 100 200
LENGTH (mm)

Figure 16. Monthly length frequencies
of Brevoortia tyrannus. Ln
i Ln
,@,,:1214
20

n-80'4

n_ '6050

82'

328,
I
@4
n_3705

abundance in late spring (Figure 17) Juveniles move downstream with
increasing size and most emigrate by late fall.
The species is ubiquitously distributed throughout the peninsula
(Figure 18) and may be present year round. It is one of the most

abundant species collected on the peninsula and in the state (Carpenter

1979; Carpenter and Ross 1979; Ross 1980a; Ross and Carpenter 1983;

Hawkins 1982; Ross and Epperly in press). Because bottom trawls do not
efficiently sample pelagic, schooling species, seine catches were
consistently higher but quite variable in all areas.

The combined commercial fisheries for Atlantic and Gulf menhaden

comprise the largest fishery, by volume, in the United States. The meal
and condensed solubles are rich in proteins and are used for poultry and
livestock food supplements. The oil is used in various industrial

products including paints, soaps, and lubricants. There are no

reduction plants an the peninsula. Atlantic menhaden are very abundant
in the open waters of Pamlico and Core sounds and the menhaden industry
often deploy their purse seines in the inshore waters. It is also one

of the most common species taken in the long haul seine and pound net

fisheries (DeVries 1980; Ross 1982) and is an important source of bait
for the state's crab pot fishery.

Anchoa hepsetus

Striped anchovies form large schools in nearshore and estuarine

pelagic environments. Spawning occurs in late spring and early summer

(Jones et al. 1978) but recruitment on the peninsula was not well
defined. Catches with all gears were relatively low, inconsistent and

insignificant in all areas except in Croatan Sound and the mouth of the
Pungo River where seine catches were sporadically high (Figure 19).

Anchoa mitchilli

The bay anchovy is an abundant schooling estuarine resident which
spawns in shallow water in the spring and summer (Jones et al. 1978).

Juveniles are recruited first in June in the seine and flat trawl

catches followed by July recruitment to the wing trawl (Figure 20).
Bay anchovies were the most abundant species collected in each
sound by each gear and were also taken in Lake Phelps and Lake

8- BREVOORTIA TYRANNUS
7- Albemarle Sound N. Pamlico Sound
6'

3-
LT@
2-

1A V4
7
6 Croatan Sound W. Pamlico Sound
5

a> 3

04 2 f

V,
W*

1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
SEINE (--) 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL (&""') CAROLINA WING TRAWL (* ---4

Figure 17. Brevoortia tyrannus Monthly catch per effort.

Ln
00

BREVOORTIA TYRANNUS CATCH PER EFFORT ANCHOA HEPSETUS CATCH PER EFFORT

WING TRAWL
WING TRAWL

FLAT TRAWL FLAT TRAWL

SEINE SEINE

LOGCPUE: cz@,O @-I -2 -3 @-,n4 C=5 LOGCPUE: -0 1 -2 3 4 5

Figure 18. Geographical distribution of Figure 19. Geographical distribution of
Brevoortia tyrannus catches. Anchoa hepsetus catches.

ANCHOA MiTCHILLI ANCHOA MITCHILLI CATCH PER EFFORT
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL
60
45 n=36 n=327 n -13384 WING TRAWL
30
15
60
w 45 nz37 n:7
30
15 Nt
30 222
< 15

w 30 n=2017 n-10356
IL
< 15
60
45 FLAT TRAWL
zi 30 n=3389 nz15 nzI5431
15 Q

30 n-13149
n=655 n=151
15
60 t
45 nZ1209
nz646 n=32155
30
15

45
30
4 07 nz6581 n=64162
15

30
n=33174 n=11193 n=466
15
Cn 45 SEINE
30
L) n=2072
0 15 1
45
> 30 n=134 n 3010 n=26345
z 15

45
L) 30
15 1
-3189

,=11193 JLO@=4667-22
tk:-3665
L43423
n=134 tV- 30_10 n=2634'
@n 1462'
100 200 100 200 100 200 LOGCPUE: 0 1 -2 =3 --4 =5
LENGTH (mm)

Figure 20. Monthly length frequencies Figure 21. Geographical distribution of
of Anchoa mitchilli. Anchoa mitchilli catches. Ln

ANCHOA MITCHILLI
8
T Albemarle Sound N. Pamlico Sound

+ 5- A
4-
Ilk
3-
2-

W. Pamlico Sound
Croatan Sound
6-
5-
-1 Pt
v

3-
2

1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
SEINE 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL CAROLINA WING TRAWL

Figure 22. Anchoa,mitchilli monthly catch per effort.

Mattamuskeet. The species was collected over an extremely broad range
of salinities but showed some geographical differences in distribution.

Flat trawl catches in northern Pamlico Sound generally were higher than

flat trawl catches of western Pamlico Sound and Croatan Sound seine and

wing trawl catches were higher than Albemarle Sound catches (Figures 21,

22). Trawl catches in any area were usually comparable to and more

consistent than the seine catches despite the inherent problems
associated with sampling a pelagic species with a bottom trawl.

Notropis hudsonius

The spottail shiner is a bottom dwelling fish that is usually
solitary but schools when spawning (Scott and Crossman 1973). The

spawning season is protracted from late spring through summer (Jones et

al. 1978) and juveniles begin recruiting in June (Figure 23).

N. hudsonius was abundant in Albemarle Sound collections taken

either in the sound or near tributary mouths (Figure 24) at salinities
less than 5.00/00- The flat trawl collection in Pungo River was of a

single individual taken in September 1974; all other catches were in
Albemarle Sound and tributaries (Figure 24). Seine catches invariably

exceeded wing trawl catches (Figure 25) indicating the species is an

inhabitant of shallow nearshore areas.

Ictalurus catus

The white catfish is a coastal plain species common in waters of
less than 50/00salinity. Avoiding vegetation, it is frequently found
over heavily silted areas. Spawning occurs in late spring in nests
built near sand or gravel banks and offspring are guarded initially by
the parents (Jones et al. 1978). Juveniles are recruited during
June-September (Figure 26) and reach maturity in one to two years (Jones

et al. 1978). Seine and flat trawl catches of I. catus were
insignificant when compared to wing trawl catches in Albemarle Sound
except for sporadically high catches in the upper Pungo River
(Figure 27). Low catches in the spring, reflecting their spawning
behavior, were followed by high summer catches of new recruits
(Figure 28). Wing trawl catches in Albemarle Sound have declined since

the mid to late 1970's.

NOTROPIS HUDSONJUS NOTROPI HUDSONIUS CATCH PER EFFORT
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE WING TRAWL
45 n=8 n=6 WING TRAWL
X 30
3 15
co 451
uj 30
LL- 15

60
45
CL 30
15

FLAT TRAWL
30 n=4
15

30
22, 15 102 n-39
30
15 n=75 n=46

45 n=101 n=30
CL 30
Uj
151
30
n=366 n=37 SEINE
15

45
30 n=115 n=16
JR 15

30
m 15

100 200 100 200
LENGTH (mm) LOGCPUE: mmO =31 @-2 =3 ==4 =5
U n 2.73,
L
n =102
LAMIL,
n"2@7

4Ln z @37

Figure 23. Monthly length frequencies Figure 24. Geographical distribution of
of Notropis hudsonius. Notropis hudsonius catches.

ICTALURUS CATUS
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% WING TRAWL
15 n=109
NOTROPIS HUDSONIUS 30 AAP&q -
51 - 'I I
M
w 15.
Albemarle Sound LL- n=14
+ q V I I r-1

E-
C4
3-

30- n=10
2
M 15-

15
n=

15
j n=104
1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 15 n 178
SEINE 10.3 FOOT FLAT TRAWL . ..... CAROLINA 1"INC TPAWL (4 ---- i Cx
n=261
Figure 25. 15 1 1
Notropis hudsonius monthly catch per effort. n=260
ILI I"I .-I I-1
-"-n=337
"1�4
LIJ - n-
66 @6o
LENGTH(mm)

Figure 26. Monthly length frequencies
of Ictalurus catus.

ICTALURUS CATUS CATCH PER EFFORT

WING TRAWL
ICTALURUS CATUS

Albemarle Sound

FLAT TRAWL

J
till,
1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
SEINE 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL CAROLINA WING TRAWL

SEINE
Figure 28.
Ictalurus catus monthly catch per effort.

LOGCPUE: @O =1 2 3 =4 =5

Figure 27. Geographical distribution of
Ictalurus catus catches.

The Albemarle Sound area contributes approximately 90% of North
Carolina's catfish landings (Harriss 1982). Catfish are taken primarily
in pound nets, gill nets, and fish pots. I. catus and I. punctatus are
the dominant species in the catches; white catfish are usually more
common than channel catfish (Keefe and Harriss 1980). Catfish landings

on the peninsula have varied by over 100%, peaking in recent years
during 1977 (Appendix A). White catfish do not grow as large or live as
long as channel catfish and those landed in the 1980 and 1981 commercial
fishery were predominantly age 3 and 4 (Harriss 1982), reflecting the

relatively large year classes of I. catus also represented in DMF

sampling on the peninsula in the middle to late 1970's.

Strongylura marina

The Atlantic needlefish is primarily an inshore, shallow water

species that frequently enters freshwater. Spawning occurs in the
spring inside the estuary (Hardy 1978a) and young recruits are first

encountered in seine collections in May (Figure 29). Juveniles utilize

the low salinity areas, emigrating in the fall. Because individuals are
upper water column residents and are extremely agile, trawl catches of

S. marina were almost non-existent and do not reflect the abundance of

the species in an area (Figure 30). The trawl collection of S. marina
in the lower Pungo River represents a single individual. Adults utilize
the peninsula's waters but because of their agility were not usually
captured with a seine. Hence, the monthly seine CPUE catches
(Figure 31) primarily reflect the abundance of juvenile Atlantic

needlefish.

Membras martinica

The rough silverside is an estuarine resident commonly found in the
higher salinity areas of the estuary. Spawning is protracted from late
spring to fall and probably occurs among vegetation (Hildebrand and
Schroeder 1928). Young-o f -the -year recruit into seine collections from
June through October (Figure 32). The rough silverside is a pelagic
species which schools in shallow water and was not vulnerable to trawl

efforts. Seine collections of M. martinica were highest in Croatan
Sound and in the Pungo River, but were quite variable in all areas

ON
STRONGYLURA MARINA STRONGYLURA MARINA CATCH PER EFFORT
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% 'SEINE
30- FLAT TRAWL
15- n

30-
n=101
15-

30-

15- n =219
31 30- IL A - - d
n=145
15 SEINE
< LL I - .
30- n=107

15-
Cn

n=33
15-
Jill I.,
I
100 500
LENGTH (mm) LOGCPUE: 0 =1 -7:--.-2 !---3 4 =5

Figure 29. Monthly length frequencies Figure 30. Geographical distribution of
of Stronqylura marina. Strongylura marina catches.

3 STRONGYLURA MARINA MEMBRAS MARTINICA
Albemarle Sound MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE
2 30 n=20
+ 15

;2-' 30
n=209
15
30 n=341
0-47
w q 15
Croatan Sound
4:)
e4
3. 30 - n =224
15 -

2. 30-
CL j n=219
Uj 15-
V)
30-
LD
15- n= 126
0
30
n=10
------ .-A C> 15-
1974 1976' 1978 1980 1981 . M I a
SEINE 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL (a ..... CAROLINA WING TRAWL (* ----) 100 26o
LENGTH (mm)
n --2 9

Figure 31. Figure 32. Monthly length frequencies
Strongylura marina monthly catch per effort. of Membras martinica.

m
00
MEMBRAS MARTINICA CATCH PER EFFORT MENIDIA BERYLLINA
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE FLAT TRAWL
45 n=987 n=308
30
FLAT TRAWL 15
45-
CD 30 n:292 n:11
Lj
15.

45. n=959 11-71
Ix 30-
x
15-
45 :7 9
Cr 30 nz632
Cz 15

30 n=1534 rr 37
15
60.
x 45- nz2785 nz25
30-
15--

30 n=13
n=2353
=D 15
SEINE

cD 3 3666 n=5
15 L

45. n=2009' n=2
CL
uwj 30
15

45
30- kh =5239 n=2
15.

45-
> 30- n:2448 -
X 15-
301 n=1366
151 k&.
100 200 100 200
LOGCPUE: -0 1 2 3 4 5 LENGTH (mm)
, 1

Figure 33. Geographical distribution of Figure 34. Monthly length frequencies
Membras martinica catches. of Menidia beryllina.

(Figure 33), precluding definition of its seasonal abundance on the

peninsula.

Menidia beryllina

The inland silverside is an abundant, pelagic, estuarine resident

of shallow coastal waters and is usually found in fresher waters than

the rough and Atlantic silversides. The spawning season has been

reported to extend throughout the spring and summer, with some
individuals spawning more than once (Hildebrand 1922; Hardy 1978a), but
recruitment as evidenced by the seine catches occurs every month on the
Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula (Figure 34). Although variable, seine
catches indicated a pattern of peak abundance in the summer and higher
catches in the lower salinity waters of Albemarle Sound and western

Pamlico Sound (Figure 35). Few were collected in northern Pamlico
Sound, primarily due to the lack of seine effort in that area (Figure
36), but when effort was made, -the inland silverside was very abundant.

Trawl catches of the inland silverside were insignificant when compared

to the seine catches.

Menidia menidia

The Atlantic silverside is an abundant pelagic species inhabiting
shallow marine and brackish waters. Menidia menidia spawns from early
spring to late summer among vegetation, particularily among Zostera in

high salinity areas, and probably spawns more than once during a season
(Hildebrand 1922). Recruiting young-of-the-year first appear in June

(Figure 37). The Atlantic silverside was seldom taken in the flat trawl

collections and only then at stations north of Bluff Shoal; it was never

collected with the wing trawl (Figure 38). Although it does enter

freshwater, it was most common nearest the closest inlet, in Croatan

Sound. Monthly CPUE was sporadic in all areas but M. menidia was

consistently captured in Croatan Sound seine collections (Figure 39).

Morone americana

North Carolina populations of white perch are considered estuarine
residents (Conover 1958). Spawning occurs in April through June (Hardy
1978b) with juvenile recruits first appearing in June (Figure 40).

0
MENIDIA BERYLLINA
7-
6- Albemarle Sound N. Pamlico Sound

;T-4 2-

7-
Croatan Sound W. Pamlico Sound

0
4

cc>
3

1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
SEINE 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL CAROLINA WING TRAWL (11-4

Figure 35. Menidia beryllina monthly catch per effort.

MENIDIA BERYLLINA CATCH PER EFFORT MENIDA MENIDA
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE
WING TRAWL
C 30 n=54
15

m 15
w
LL- 45-
cr 30-
-< 15-

45-
cc 30- n=22
a@- 15-
60-
45- n=10
30-
FLAT TRAWL 15-
60
45
30
15

45
30
15

45
30 n=137
ml
15
R,
t: 30 n=403
SEINE LU 15
U)

t- 30 n=194
15

30
n=80
L
15

45
30
15
n=105
t"u-10,
__v
n=21

=10
tn
IL=46

100 200
LOGCPUE: -0 -1 =2 =3 ==4 =5 LENGTH(mm)

Figure 36. Geographical distribution of Figure 37. Monthly length frequencies
Menidia beryllina catches. of Menidia menidia.

MENIDIA MENIDIA CATCH PER EFFORT

FLAT TRAWL MENIDIA MENIDIA
5
Croatan Sound

+ 4

0:4 2 7

SEINE

1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
SEINE 1--) 10.5 FOOT FLAT TRAWL 14 ..... 4 CAROLINA WING TRAWL

Figure 39.
Menidia menidia monthly catch per effort.
@N

LOGCPUE-. -0 -.1 -2 3 4 5
4

Figure 38.
Geographical distribution of Menidia menidia catches.

MORONE AMERICANA MORONE AMERICANA CATCH PER EFFORT
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL WING TRAWL tli
30 n=(O n=54 18
< 15 LL
D
60.
C3 45- n=3 n n=6
Lu 30-
U- 15-

cr
15 4
60.
CC 45- n=18 nz24 n =58
a- 30
15 FLAT TRAWL
30 n=80 nz63 n=86
15
ILA, fo,
45
z 30 n=370 nzf668 n=217
15

45-
-J 30 n=648 - n=3605 n=143
D
15
(D 15 n=689 n=5846 An-53

'
30 n n=17
7 SEINE
a =712 n=2242
w 15 MR 11
30
n=1393 n=31
15 Lm ham
>
0 15 n 1279 n=72
z
45
L) 30 n=103
w
15
_n = '217
_T
L3
n-14

@-53
j@n=712 t
kn,=411
_ __ I '
L 1179
AOL, - 0.,
100 200 100 200 100 200 LOGCPUE: -0 @I @2 =3 =4 5
LENGTH (mm)

Figure 40. Monthly length frequencies Figure 41. Geographical distribution of
of Morone americana. Morone americana catches.

Although most abundant in fresh and low salinity waters, individuals
were collected at salinities as high as 300/oo and in all areas of the

peninsula except New Lake (Figure 41). Wing trawl and seine collections

in Albemarle Sound were much higher than catches in all other areas

except Lake Mattamuskeet. Monthly CPUE data from Albemarle Sound
collections illustrate a peak abundance in the summer coinciding with
recruiting young-of-the-year and a spring and fall migration,
respectively, into and out of the study area (Figure 42). White perch
migrate to the western Albemarle Sound basin and reach peak biomass in

the sound during the winter months (Hester and Copeland 1975). The
populations of white perch in Lake Phelps and Lake Mattamuskeet showed a

peak in abundance in the summer. Seine and wing trawl catches during

1978-1981 were high relative to the other years (Figure 42).

The majority of the state's white perch landings are from the

Albemarle Sound area where they are captured in haul seines, pound nets
and gill nets. 1 Landings on the peninsula in five of the last six years
have been higher than in any of the previous 15 years (Appendix A).

Harriss (1982) noted that white perch in the Albemarle Sound 1978-1981

commercial landings were predominately ages 3 and 4.

Lagodon rhomboides
Pinfish spawn offshore in late fall and winter (Johnson 1978).
Pelagic larvae are carried into the estuary by onshore currents and
juveniles begin recruiting as early as February (Figure 43). Abundance
peaks in late June (Figure 44) declining thereafter as young-of-the-year
move to deeper water with growth (Johnson 1978). Some individuals

remain in shallow water throughout the winter. Wing trawl and seine

catches of L. rhomboides in Albemarle Sound and Croatan Sounds were low

and always occurred in the fall (Figure 45). Flat trawl catches in
Pamlico Sound were high, with stations west of Bluff Shoal having a

consistently higher CPUE than stations north of the shoal.

Bairdiella chrysoura
Silver perch spend most of their lives within the estuary but
regularly migrate to deeper waters and offshore in the winter (Johnson
1978). Spawning occurs within the estuarine zone between late April and

LAGODON RHOMBOIDES
MORONE AMERICANA MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
67 % SEINE FLAT TRAWL
z 30 n=3
Albemarle Sound 15
45-
51 30. n=29
+ LLJ
U- 15-

45
30 n=180
15
60
LT-1 3
45 n=306
30
15
6-1 2
45
n=4 n=1846
30
15
30
n=12 n - 1701
15
-j 30 111
15
60
45 n=19 n=524
W. Pamlico Sound
30
2 15
I =9 158
15
4D
'n 60@
:3
45 n=I In 144
30.
0
15.
1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 > n=28
0 15
SEINE 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL CAROLINA WING TRAWL z
45 n=4
w
c, 30
Figure 42. 15
U OL-
morone americana monthly catch per effort. 100 200 100 ' 20'0
LENGTH(mm)

Figure 43. Monthly length frequencies
of Lagodon.rhomboides.
Un
nzilul

n 831
=,9

-=19

Li@@9
LAL141

LAGODON RHOMBOIDES LAGODON RHOMBOIDES CATCH P.ER EFFORT
N. Pamlico Sound WING TRAWL

E-
94

W. Pamlico Sound

2,
FLAT TRAWL

0
IL A
1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 SEINE

SEINE 10.5 FOOT FLAT TRAWL CAR01INA WING TRAWL

Figure 44.
Lagodon rhomboides monthly catch per effort.

LOGCPUE: -0 1 -2 -3 =4 @5

Figure 45. Geographical distribution of
Lagodon rhomboides catches.

the middle of July (Hildebrand and Cable 1930) and juveniles are first
captured in June (Figure 46). Abundance patterns reflect the high

summer recruitment of young-of-the-year and the seasonal migration of
yearlings and older fish into the peninsula's waters in the spring and
emigration in the fall (Figure 47). Although tolerant of a broad range
of salinities, most individuals were taken in the higher salinity waters
of northern Pamlico Sound. Seine and wing trawl catches in Croatan and

Albemarle sounds were sporadically high, but did not illustrate any
pattern of abundance in those areas (Figure 48).

Cynoscion regalis

Weakfish are an important component of the nearshore environment,

utilizing the estuary for spawning and juvenile nurseries, and moving
offshore in the winter (Merriner 1973). Spawning occurs in the estuary

and nearshore areas from March to October peaking primarily in May or

June and secondarily in late July or August (Merriner 1976). Juveniles

are most abundant over soft muddy substrates in deeper water (Johnson

1978; Hawkins 1982) and recruit in late spring through fall (Figure 49).

Weakfish prefer high salinity water and were captured most frequently in

Pamlico Sound stations located north of Bluff Shoal (Figure 50). Seine

and wing trawl catches (mainly in shallow or low salinity areas) were
small, emphasizing the juveniles' preference for deeper, higher salinity
areas. Monthly CPUE data indicated a regular pattern of
young-of-the-year recruitment peaking in the summer, followed by their
emigration in the fall (Figure 51); some juveniles overwintered.

Weakfish are primarily caught in the winter trawl fishery off

Virginia and 'North Carolina (Mercer 1983) but gill net, pound net and
haul seine fisheries also contribute significantly to North Carolina's
landings.1 The dramatic increase in weakfish landings on the peninsula
corresponds to greatly increased winter trawl landings beginning in 1972

(Appendix A).

Leiostomus xanthurus

Spot is a migratory marine species spawning offshore during October
through February, but principally in December and January (Johnson
1978). Juveniles begin recruiting in February (Figure 52) reaching peak

BAIRDIELLA CHRYSOURA BAIRDIELLA CHRYSOURA
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES 57
% SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL
z 45 n=2 N. Pamlico Sound
30
15
11 4-
60.
CD 45-
LLJ 30-
U-
15-
30 n=32 +
15
30 2-
n=19
CL 15
. 1 "4
60-
45- n=2 n-14 R
30-
15-
451
:2171
30
5 7
15
45- n=612 n:51 @459'
30-
: W. Pamlico Sound
15- 4-
30-Lin=334 n =2 3' n-3386 Z
15-
I L
3
'C-L- 30 n=128 n=22 43
15

30 nz72 n=19
2.
0 15

=2
45-
n=32
C@o 30-
15-
60
45
Lu 30
15
1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
100 200 160 260 100 200 SEINE 10.5 FOOT FLAT TRAWL (a CAROLINA WING TRAWL ( ------)
LENGTH (mm)
Lkn@22
4@1 2@1 . . . . .
L@ LL t4@
I

Figure 46. Monthly length frequencies Figure 47.
of Bairdiella chrysoura. Bairdiella chrysoura monthly catch per effort.

BAIRDIELLA CHRYSOURA CATCH PER EFFORT CYNOSCION REGALIS
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
WING TRAWL % SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL
60-
45-
n=I
< 30-
15-
601
cr 45 n=1
cL 30
15

30
15 J=15
60.
45- n=3361
30-
FLAT TRAWL 15-
60
45- n-29 n=3217
30 n=14
15
301 n1752
15

45-
30 n=4 n=36 n=516
Uj
to 15 dam
SEINE n 111
15 n=4
60.
45- n=17
Co 30-
15- ji
60
45 n=I
30
C1 15 n=10
, @=10
L --31

100 200 100 200 300 160 260 '300
LOGCPLIE: @O 1 =2 =3 =4 =5 LENGTH (mm)

Figure 48. Geographical distribution of Figure 49. Monthly length frequencies
Bairdiella chrysoura catches. of Cynoscion regalis.

00
0

CYNOSCION REGAILIS CATCH PER EFFORT
WING TRAWL 5 CYNOSCION REGALIS
i N. Pamlico Sound
4-

FLAT TRAWL

@4
W. Pamlico Sound
2
b

SEINE

A
A d4
< 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
SEINE 10.5 FOOT FIAT TRAWL CAROLINA WING TRAWL

LOGCPUE: =@O i-21 --2 7-3 =-@4 ---=:n5 Figure 51.
Cynoscion regalis monthly catch per effort.
L

Figure 50. Geographical distribution of
Cynoscion regalis catches.

LEIOSTOMUS XANTHURUS
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL
60-
dm 45- =21 n=579
30-
15-

45- n=6 - n=828
m 30- -
w
U- 15-
60-
cr 45- n=304 - n=26001
30- -
15- - 1
60-
ir 45- n1419
30-
15-
>- 45- n1707 n 103912
30-
15-

45 - n=713 n=1244 n 56656
30-
15-
-1 30 n=@4i n=680 =2251
m
151
45-
30- n=448 n=903
15-

1.- 45- n=550 n=771 n:4965
30-
15-

30 n=208 n=606 n -4300
151 '1
0
451
>; 30 In=' 47' n = 313 n=1452
C)
m 15
601 1 1
45 n=1 n= 17 n=106
W 30
m
15

100 200 100 200 100 200
n=6

n30 45
n
tn,=1 I
@n4
=' '9

n=1 707

n=713

11611

t,Am,,--606
n -- 14 5,'

LENGTH (mm)

Figure 52. Monthly length frequencies of Leiostomus xanthurus.

abundance in May (Figure 53). Catches throughout the year are
predominately of young-of -the-year, but overwintering yearlings were
present in late winter and early spring. Monthly CPUE data reflect the
spring recruitment, which occurred first in northern Pamlico Sound, and
also reflects the late summer and fall emigration of the
young-of-the-year. Spot were distributed throughout the peninsula in
all areas except Lake Phelps, New Lake and Pungo Lake (Figure 54). It
was one of the most common species collected but was most abundant in
Pamlico Sound, particularly at stations west of Bluff Shoal.
Most spot landed in North Carolina are taken in the Pamlico and
Core sounds long haul seine fishery and were the most abundant species
sampled in that fishery (DeVries 1980). Most spot landed in the long
haul fishery are age 1, but they begin to recruit to the fishery during
their first fall after leaving the nursery areas (Ross 1982). L.
xanthurus is also taken in significant quantities in the pound net, gill
net and winter trawl fisheries. I State landings peaked in 1979 and 1980
which were also years of high spot landings on the peninsula (Appendix
A).

Micropogonias undulatus
Spawning of Atlantic croaker off North Carolina is protracted,
occurring from September to March, but peaking in October (Warlen 1980).
Juvenile recruitment occurs in all except the summer months but is
highest in the spring (Figure 55). A second peak in recruitment occurs
during the fall but is generally restricted to the northern Pamlico
Sound stations (Figure 56). Late winter and spring recruited croaker
leave the nursery areas at the end of the summer and in the fall, but a
few may overwinter with the fall recruits. Like spot, croaker were
distributed throughout the peninsula but unlike spot, they were most
abundant in Pamlico Sound north of Bluff Shoal (Figure 57).
The winter trawl and long haul fisheries jointly account for most
of North Carolina's croaker landings, although in recent years the sink
net and pound net fisheries have also contributed significantly to the
landings.I Croaker are fully recruited to the fisheries by age I but
young-of-the-year begin recruiting by their first fall. Most croaker
landed in North Carolina are yearlings although at least seven age

LE10STOMUS XANTHURUS
T
Albemarle Sound N. Pamlico Sound
6.

+ 4-

3-1

2
kil

Croaton Sound W. Pamlico Sound

4
A
3J
ti
2-

1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
SEINE (--) 10.5 FOOT FLAT TRAWL (&--) CAROLINA WING TRAWL (* ----)

Figure 53. Leiostomus xanthurus monthly catch per effort. Co
w

LEIOSTOMUS XANTHURUS CATCH PER EFFORT MICROPOGONIAS UNDULATUS
MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE WING TRAWL FLAT TRAWL
WING TRAWL 60
45 n=11 n=66
30
15 IL
6
45- nzI135 n=2 -1532
Uj 30-
U- 15-
60-
Ir 45- n=122 n=3726
< 30
15
60.
FLAT TRAWL cc 45- n=1015 n 13840
0- 30.
15-

15- JL n=196 n 449 n=21453
30-
z
n=713 n=15340
15 ALL A

15 nz 1010
n 899 7081
A6n
30 jn22471
)5 n=654 Nn=3089
30 n=712 560 n=1837
SEINE Uj 15

n-60
15 _,&n=346 n=1983
0 a I @ I
> 30 n=3 n =247 n=1140
z
60-
45 n=I n:109 n=270
uJ 30
15
LOGCPUE. -0 -1 -2 --=-3 i6o '260 100 200 160 ' 260'
LENGTH (mm)
tn,=1726

tL ILL

Figure 54. Geographical distribution of Figure 55. Monthly length frequencies
Leiostomus xanthurus catches. of Micropogonias undulatus.

MICROPOGONIAS UNDULATUS
6 1, Albemarle Sound N. Pamlico Sound
5

4
+
3

71
Croatan Sound W. Pamlico Sound
6

41
A
3,

1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1974 i97b 1978 1980 1982
SEINE (--) 10.5 FOOT FLAT MAWL (a ..... ) CAROUNA WMC TRAWL

Figure 56. Micropogonias undulatus monthly catch per effort. Co
Ln

MUGIL CEPHALUS
MICROPOGONIAS UNDULATUS CATCH PER EFFORT MONTHLY LENGTH FREQUENCIES
% SEINE FLAT TRAWL
60-
WING TRAWL CR 45- n=48 n:245
cr 30-
15-
60.
45"
m nz217
Uj 30.
U_ 15.
60@
45-
n=649 n=151
30--
15
60,
cr_ 45- n=127
a- 30-
FLAT TRAWL -Z
15-

45-
G Zi 30 n-302 n=163

30
1' n=422 n=29
151
_j 30
15 n=218 45
301
n= 122
15 JL

8
15 n:64
SEINE U1
V, 60 . . . . ..
45 n 13 -
3 n=52
30
C>
@`Z
n:22
15 LIL
C)
30. v15 n 13
Uj 15.
9m It, do E I
16o' 260 300 100 200 300
LOGCPUE 0 1 2 3 4 5 LENGTH (mm)
",,'n @ 29

Figure 57. Geographical distribution of Figure 58. Monthly length frequencies
Micropogonias undulatus catches. of Mugil cephalus.

classes have been identified in the commercial catches (Ross 1982,pers.
comm.). North Carolina and peninsula landings peaked in 1979 and 1980

(Appendix A).

Mugil cephalus

The striped mullet is a pelagic migratory species utilizing the
shallow estuarine areas for juvenile nurseries and as adult feeding
grounds. Spawning occurs offshore in the late fall and early winter
(Martin and Drewry 1978) with juveniles first appearing in the nursery
areas in January (Figure 58). Juveniles and adults emigrate from the
estuary in fall but a few may overwinter. Because striped mullet are

pelagic inhabitants of shallow nearshore waters, trawl catches of the

species were sporadic and seldom approached the numbers collected with

the seine (Figure 59). Striped mullet were collected throughout the
peninsula, including Lake Mattamuskeet, but were least abundant in

Croatan Sound (Figure 60). Conversely, M. curema, which are usually

found in high salinity waters near the inlet, were collected only in
Croatan Sound. The M. curema reported in a June 1969 rotenone sample in
Lake Mattamuskeet were probably M. cephalus and were analyzed as striped

mullet. Lack of seining effort in northern Pamlico Sound precluded

comparing the abundance of striped mullet in the two Pamlico Sound

basins.

Gill nets and common seines are the major gears that catch mullet.
Although most are taken in the Atlantic ocean, significant quantities
are taken in the state's inshore waters. 1 Mullet landings on the

peninsula peaked in 1976 (Appendix A) when Albemarle Sound landings

reached 200,000 pounds (90,800 kg), nearly a five fold increase over the

average for the preceding five years.
The remaining species were less abundant on the peninsula and
generally occurred too infrequently to illustrate area specific seasonal
patterns (Table 9). However, when combined with information from the

literature, some of these species can be profiled.
Spawning by Penaeus duorarum is protracted and recruitment occurs
during late May through summer (Hawkins 1982; this study) . Pink shrimp
CPUE is highest in the fall when the species supports a commercial
fishery (Carpenter 1979; Carpenter and Ross 1979; Carpenter 1980;

CD
co
MUGIL CEPHALUS
5-
Albemarle Sound N. Pamlico Sound
4

A. 4
61
Croatan Sound W. Pamlico Sound
5

1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982
SEINE 10.5 FOOT FLAT TRAWL (&--) CAROLINA WING TRAWL
L -,A

Figure 59. Mugil cephalus monthly catch per effort.

MUGIL CEPHALUS CATCH PER EFFORT

FLAT TRAWL

SEI NE

LOGCPUE,. 0 1 2 3 4 5

Figure 60. Geographical distribution of Mugil cephalus catches.

Table 9. Seine, flat trawl (3.2 m) arxi wing bmwl catch-per-effort for selocted species oollected in each of the major sounds and LAP-- of the pamiioD-Albemarle
Peninsula. Only botton bowed trawl data are used in calculatug trawl caE.

Seine Flat trzwl Wing trawl
Albemarle Croatan N. Pamlico w. Paraico, L3ke P-90 Oxatan N. PmUM W. Panlico Albemarle Croatan W. Pamlico Lake
4vicies SOUMI SMInd Sound So" Flattanuskeet Lake SOLVAS Sound Sound Sound Sound Sou:XI PI&lPs

Penaeus durxarin 0 0.04 0 0 0 1.29 1.20 0.15 0 0 0 0

Penaeus setifenis 0 0.17 0.05 0 0 0 0.06 2.29 0.16 0 0 0
!IjIxxjnath.IS regius 1.66 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.04 0 0 0
Ictalurus; nebulosus 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.01 0.45 0.20 0 0
Ictaluzus punctatus 0.01 0 0 0.01 0.06 0 0 0 0 0.24 @O 0 0
A#--xbd- sayans 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.25 0 0 0

Mattrv-- saxatilis 0.54 0.01 0 0.04 0.43 0 0 0.39 0 0 0
Lepanis gibL- 0.34 0.12 0 0.03 0.31 0 0.94 0 0.05 0.07 b 0 0.90
Lepamis macruchirus 0.24 0 0 0.19 0.97 0 0.12 0 0.03 0.02 0 0 3.15
PGMxLq nign"aculaouss 0 0 0 0.37 0 0 0 0.77 0 0 0
Perca flavescens 1.29 0.04 0 0.03 1.09 0 0.29 0.01 OXII 0.73 0.03 0 1.99
Cpx)scicn netxAmis 0.12 0.15 0 0.01 0 0 0 0.34 0.10 0.04 0 0 0
Gcbiosoaa LxlsrA 0 0.01 0 0.01 0 0 0 0.07 0.17 0 0 0 0
Mi,xogbius &a1ASSInUS 0.01 0 0 0 0 0 0.18 0.32 0.30 0 0 0 0
Paralididrys leftstigma 0 0 0 0.05 0 0 0.06 1.11 0.86 0.02 0.03 1.35 0
Trinqct@ea macalatus; 0.02 0 0.03 0.29 0 0.06 0.29 0.50 0.18 0.03 1.08 0

*less than 0.01 individual pw effort

Hawkins 1982; Ross and Carpenter 1983; Ross and Epperly in press, this
study) . The species may overwinter and depending on winter conditions,
support a spring/early summer commercial fishery. Pink shrimp were
restricted to Pamlico and Croatan sounds and were much more abundant

north of Bluff Shoal. The life history of P. setiferus is similar to
that of P. duorarum except that its recruitment period is shorter,
beginning in June, and white shrimp do not overwinter appreciably. It
is caught commercially in the fall. White shrimp were also most

abundant in northern Pamlico Sound.

The southern flounder, Paralichthys lethostigma was the most
abundant flatfish collected on the peninsula. Winter-spawned
young-of-the-year first recruit in March and reach peak abundance by
April or may (Carpenter 1979, Carpenter and Ross 1979; Ross 1980a;
Hawkins 1982; Ross and Carpenter 1983; Ross and Epperly in press; this
study). Southern flounder were most abundant in Pamlico Sound but the

species occurred throughout the peninsula and in Lake Mattamuskeet. it

supports a directed pound net fishery off the mouth of Alligator River,

in Croatan Sound, and behind Hatteras Island, in addition to the larger

Core Sound flounder pound net fishery. Southern flounder are also taken

in gill nets, crab trawls, haul seines and to a lesser extent, in the

winter trawl fishery (Sholar 1979a, b; DeVries 1980; Ross 1980b, 1982;
Ross 1984). 1

DISCUSSION

The mesohaline waters of Pamlico Sound are quite productive and

like the estuaries of other Atlantic and Gulf states (Livingston 1976;

Tagatz 1968; Dahlberg 1972; Cain and Dean 1976; Weinstein and Brooks
1983) are seasonally dominated by migratory marine species. Ross and
Epperly (in press) analyzed monthly catch data from 51 DMF juvenile
stock assessment stations sampled throughout Pamlico and Core sounds in
1981 and 1982, and reported that the stations along the southern
perimeter of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula were among the most
productive in the Pamlico Sound area. The 51 stations were classified
into five well-defined groups based on the distributions and abundances

of the 24 most abundant demersal species. Except for tidal influence
with its resulting higher salinities, the physicochemical environments
of the stations were similar and individual parameters could not be used
to separate the station groups. Two station groups, located primarily
in Core Sound, were highly influenced by the presence of aquatic
vegetation and by high, tidally fluctuating salinities. The remaining
three station groups were located in the non-tidal portion of Pamlico
Sound and were generally separated in the vicinity of Bluff Shoal
corresponding to the northern and western basins. Stations in the

western basin were further distinguished by their proximity to the open
waters of Pamlico Sound. Those stations farther from open waters were
the least productive. Species' abundance and composition were similar

between the stations of northern Pamlico Sound and the western Pamlico

Sound stations in close proximity to open waters, and both station
groups were generally highly productive for most of the commercially

important species.

The two Pamlico Sound basins exhibited some differing biological
patterns (Ross and Epperly in press; this study) . Catches of blue

crabs, bay anchovies, croaker, weakfish, spotted seatrout and silver
perch were higher in the northern basin, and spot and pinfish catches

were greater in western Pamlico Sound. Spot recruitment was earliest in

stations north of Bluff Shoal and recruitment of croaker during fall

1974-1983 was significantly higher in the same area. Separate

circulatory gyres in the two basins, set up by W-WNW or E-ESE winds (L.
J. Pietrafesa pers. comm.) , may lead to the divergent biological

patterns observed in Pamlico Sound.

Albemarle Sound is the most important spawning and nursery area
for anadromous and freshwater species, although other estuaries of the
state support populations of these species (Marshall 1976; Hawkins 1980;
Judy and Hawkins 1983; Fischer 1983). The spring influx of anadromous

fish from the sea is an important component of the sound's fauna, but

nekton biomass in the open waters of Albemarle Sound peaks during the
winter months in the western portion and is a result of white perch and
white catfish migration into the deep waters of the area (Hester and
Copeland 1975). Trends in juvenile alosine catch-per-unit effort
statistics at the stations located on the peninsula have been similar to

trends in indices of juvenile abundance in Albemarle Sound area for both
the blueback herring and the alewife (Winslow and Sanderlin 1983).
The inland lakes of the peninsula offer unique habitats for fishes
in the region. Although once landlocked, these lakes now have dredged
channels allowing immigration of estuarine, anadromous and marine
species. The canals leading to Lake Phelps support a population of
river herring that differs significantly from the Albemarle Sound and
Pamlico Sound populations in that alewives are more abundant than
blueback herring; some may enter the lake. The nearshore areas of Lake
Phelps support a large population of forage fish, comprised mainly of
cyprinids, Fundulus spp., Etheostoma spp., and juvenile Morone

americana, Perca flavescens, and centrarchids; whereas the mid-lake area

is nearly devoid of forage fish (Kornegay and Dineen 1979). The
dominant predators in the Lake Phelps system are largemouth bass, white
perch, bluegill and pumpkinseed, all of recreational importance. The
1950's stocking of the northern pike and the 1960's and 1970's stocking
of striped bass were unsuccessful (Kornegay 1981).

Lake Mattamuskeet underwent a succession of changes after
reflooding in 1934 (Holloway 1948). During the post-flooding period of

1936-1947, annual angler catches of the following species peaked in
sequence: largemouth bass, black crappie, sunfishes, white perch and
carp. Carp and catfish were taken commercially beginning in 1939. In
1949 striped bass and bluegills (accidently) were introduced as a means
to control the forage fish populations and enhance sport fishing in the

lake. Angler catches increased as a result of continued striped bass
and largemouth bass stocking and vegetation and water clarity improved
as the forage fish populations declined. Channel catfish have been
stocked in recent years in addition to striped bass and largemouth bass

(Boaze 1982). Lake Mattamuskeet experiences a regular influx of fauna

from Pamlico Sound. Blue crabs, silversides and killifish, are common
inhabitants. Striped bass (Geddings 1970) and alewives (Tyus 1971) are
seasonally abundant and support recreational fisheries in the lake and
surrounding canals, respectively. A portion of the white perch
population, one of the most abundant species in the lake, may also

migrate out of the lake.

New Lake and Pungo Lake are the smallest lakes on the peninsula.

New Lake is not being managed by either a state or federal agency, in
part because of its limited accessibility, shallow depths, and low

productivity. These factors, combined with the difficulty in sampling
the lake because of the many cypress stumps, account for the limited

fisheries data from the lake. In contrast to New Lake Fork which Smith

and Baker (1965) classified as excellent for sportsfishing, New Lake

collections have yielded only the golden shiner and the mosquitofish.

It has supported some commercial catfishing (Smith and Baker 1965).
The fauna of Pungo Lake is primarily comprised of freshwater
species, but menhaden, white perch and alewives enter the lake. The

waters of the Pungo National Wildlife Refuge have been closed to fishing

but reproducing populations of certain catfish and centrarchids could

support a sport fishery (Boaze 1980). To decrease turbidity and allow

stands of aquatic vegetation to be established, Boaze (1980) recommended

stocking largemouth bass to feed on the forage fish.

The Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula is an important nursery area for
many species. Even though there has been a suggestion of partitioning
in estuarine nurseries through temporal, spatial and trophic segregation
(Livingston et al. 1976; Sheridan and Livingston 1979; Weinstein et al.
1980), utilization of the peninsula is usually intense, involving the
simultaneous occurrence of a large number of individuals of relatively
few species, all with similar trophic and life history patterns. If any
one resource were limiting, competition would be predictably high.
Young-of-the-year spot, Atlantic croaker, Atlantic menhaden,
pinfish, striped mullet, southern flounder, brown shrimp, alewives and
blueback herring recruit in late winter and early spring, whereas
young-of-the-year spottail shiners, white perch, white catfish,
weakfish, silver perch, atherinids and anchovies recruit in late spring
and summer. Atlantic croaker also recruit during the fall in areas

north of Bluff Shoal. There was some spatial partitioning among these
major species. Alewives, blueback herring, spottail shiners, white
perch and white catfish were most abundant in the limnetic and
oligohaline reaches of the estuary; the others were more abundant in the
mesohaline waters of the peninsula. Some species, such as Atlantic
menhaden, striped mullet, atherinids, anchovies and spottail shiners,

were pelagic and/or nearshore inhabitants, whereas juvenile weakfish,
silver perch, and summer flounder are apparently most abundant in the
deeper, more open waters of Pamlico Sound (Powell and Schwartz 1977,
Carpenter 1979; Carpenter and Ross 1979; Ross 1980a; Hawkins 1982; Ross
and Carpenter 1983). Abundance of some species differed between basins

of the Pamlico Sound.

Juvenile fishes in estuaries are trophic generalists (Miller and
Dunn 1980) and many fish species including spot and croaker (Woodward
1981), are able to mitigate competition for food resources by decreasing

their diet overlap in the absence of their commonly preferred prey
(Nilsson 1967). Food, at least in non-tidal Rose Bay (Currin 1984) and
the tidal Newport River area grass beds (Adams 1976; Thayer et al.

1975), is usually abundant.

The commercial fishing industry depends on estuarine dependent

species and their successful production in the nursery areas. Although
estuarine waters in adjacent states are also very productive (Tagatz
1968; Hackney et al. 1976; Cain and Dean 1976; Chao and Musick 1977; de
Sylva et al. 1962), commercially exploitable concentrations of large

adults of the most abundant fishes in these systems occur between Sandy
Hook, N.J. and Cape Fear, N.C. (Street and McClees 1981; Wilk 1981).
The degree of latitudinal mixing is not known. In North Carolina, when

Atlantic menhaden landings are excluded, most of the commercial and
recreational landings are taken from inshore waters (DeVries 1980;

Street and McClees 1981); even in Dare County, the base of the offshore

winter trawl fishery, 50% of the landings, are taken from inshore
1
waters . Landings by gear are given in Appendix B.

Long haul seines, crab pots, trawls, pound nets and dredges account
for most of the inshore waters' landings. 1 Eel pots are set in the low

salinity (oligohaline) waters of the peninsula during the spring and
fall (Figure 61) (S. E. Winslow and J. H. Hawkins pers. comm.), and hook
and line catches occur throughout the peninsula. White perch,
largemouth bass and other centrarchids, catfishes, and striped bass are
the most common species taken by hook and line in Albemarle Sound

(Mullis and Guier 1981). Sciaenids, bluefish, mackerels and flounder

are the most common salt water species caught by hook and line in North
Carolina2.

Shellfish are taken from Croatan and Pamlico Sounds with rakes,
tongs, dredges and infrequently by clam trawls (Figure 62). Most (>90%)
of the sounds' oyster catches are landed in the peninsula counties, 1 but

clams are infrequently landed in those same counties (Appendix A).
Long haul seines are used throughout Croatan Sound and Pamlico Sound
north of Wysocking Bay, including the deep waters north of Long Shoal
(Figure 61). They are also used in the shallow waters west of Wysocking
3
Bay in areas where, by regulation , crab pots cannot be set. The
fishery operates during April through October and spot, Atlantic
croaker, Atlantic menhaden, weakfish, pinfish and bluefish are the
species most commonly captured (Sholar 1979a,b; DeVries 1980; Ross

1980b, 1982; Ross and Carpenter 1983; Ross 1984). Seines are also
hauled during the late winter, early spring, and fall in western

Albemarle Sound and during the winter in eastern Albemarle Sound where

they are used to capture catfish and white perch (S. E. Winslow pers.

comm.) and in Lake Mattamuskeet where they are used to capture forage

fish.

More than 50% of the crabs landed in North Carolina are taken from
the Pamlico and Croatan sounds areas. 1 Crab pots are the major gear
used and are set during spring through fall throughout eastern Albemarle

Sound, Croatan Sound and Pamlico Sound, except where prohibited (Figure

61). In Croatan and Pamlico sounds crab trawling is another source of

crabs (Figure 62), but this method accounted for less than 25% of the
area's total crab landings during the last three years. 1 Crab trawling
occurs throughout the year but crabs are generally caught in the spring
through fall. Southern flounder catches in the crab trawls are
significant and rank second to pound net catches for this species. 1
Shrimp trawling occurs throughout Croatan and Pamlico sounds.
Activity in the Pungo River is usually below Durants Point (Figure 62)
(J. H. Hawkins pers. comm.). Approximately 70% of the Pamlico Sound
shrimp landings are summer caught brown shrimp (N.C. Div. Mar. Fish.
1983). Depending on the year, fall catches of pink and white shrimps
and spring catches of pink shrimp may be significant.
The majority of pound nets set in Pamlico Sound along the
Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula are bait pounds and are generally fished in
the fall (Figure 62) (J. H. Hawkins pers. comm.). In the past only a

.....................

le ...
@@:-X':.X

\\X --------
NR

Haul Seine Areas
Crab Pot Areas

Z)UUI lu Eel Pot Areas
\\MMMMM@

Figure 61. Haul seine, crab pot and eel pot fishing areas
in the vicinity of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula.

Albemarle Sound

...........

.................

.................
........................

. .. ........
...........

............. ....... ......

............ /-
.................... ...../ ......
................

...... Shellfish Producing Areas
....... Trawling Areas
Po nd Netting Areas
u
rp7amlico Sound

Figure 62. Shellfish, trawling and pound net fishing
areas in the vicinity of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula.

few have been set for foodfish, mainly for sciaenids and southern
flounder. Pound nets are set for in the fall in Croatan Sound (J. L.
Ross pers. comm.) and at the mouth of Alligator River for flounder, and
in the late winter and spring for anadromous fish in Croatan and
Albemarle sounds. (S. E. Winslow pers. comm.)
Gill nets are set throughout the bays, tributaries and open waters
of Croatan, Pamlico, and Albemarle sounds (J. H. Hawkins, S. E. Winslow
and J. L. Ross pers. comm.). Flounder (mostly southern flounder) and
sciaenids are taken during spring through fall in Croatan and Pamlico
sounds. Directed fisheries for flounder occur in the spring and fall in
Abel Bay, Spencer Bay, Rose Bay, Pungo River, and in the fall in Croatan

Sound and eastern Albemarle Sound. White perch, catfish and striped
bass are caught in Albemarle Sound throughout the year. Mullet are
sought in the fall and winter in the Pungo River and eastern Albemarle

Sound and gill nets are set for anadromous fish in the late winter and

early spring throughout the waters of the peninsula.

Albemarle Sound has traditionally provided most of North Carolina's
anadromous (Winslow and Sanderlin 1983) and freshwater fish landings

(Harriss 1982). Landings of these species have been decreasing,
probably due to a combination of overfishing and deteriorating water
quality in the western portion of Albemarle Sound (Mullis and Guier
1981; Street 1984). Catfish, white perch, and anadromous fish landings

in the five counties of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula have followed

the falling trend (Appendix A) , except that peninsula landings of
alewife and blueback herring have not mirrored the decline. However,
access and fishing pressure along the southern portion of Albemarle

Sound are limited, and catches there may not be indicative of the river

herrings' population sizes in the area (Johnson et al. 1977).

POTENTIAL IMPACTS

Estuaries are very dynamic systems, and are comparatively
productive (Ketchum 1967; Odum and Heald 1975; Adams 1976). They have
been colonized by several groups of organisms that have evolved
efficient adaptive and compensatory strategies to withstand the
potential stress of the environment Winne 1967; Potts and Parry 1964).

100

many factors such as age, nutritional, reproductive, and acclimation
state and genetics must be considered when evaluating an organism's
response to stress (Costlow et al. 1960; Levinton 1980) and seldom can
one stress factor be evaluated without considering its interaction with

other factors (Livingston 1979). Effects of stress can be acute

(lethal) or sublethal, but a sublethal effect can be critical to the

survival of a population even though it is not fatal to the organism.
Because we know little about the natural variability and trophic
dynamics in coastal ecosystems or the role of advective processes and

abiotic factors in the distribution and abundance of estuarine biota, it

may be difficult to detect changes in estuarine communities and

attribute any changes to specific sources of stress. However, there are

some data available to address certain issues concerned with the

potential impacts of land development on fisheries.
The amount and seasonality of dissolved solids is critical to the

functioning of the estuarine nursery areas. Land development in the

coastal region alters the hydrology of an area and while the increase in
annual outflow may be slight, peak runoff occurs sooner and is much
higher on developed lands than on undeveloped lands (Skaggs et al.
1980). Therefore, the salinities of the receiving waters are less

stable. Rapidly fluctuating salinities are stressful for many estuarine
organisms (Hochachka 1965; Hoar 1966; Day 1967; Livingstone et al. 1979)
and some, like the spot and croaker, exhibit strong avoidance reactions
to fluctuating salinities (Gerry 1981). Pate and Jones (1981) reported

catches of spot, croaker, southern flounder, blue crab and brown shrimp

to be significantly lower at stations exhibiting the most unstable
salinity patterns. High salinities as a result of decreased freshwater

inflow (see Cross and Williams 1981 for a review) have been associated

with complex changes in estuarine nursery areas and their decreased
productivity (Benson 1981). Conversely, the lowest salinity areas of
the estuary are typically less diverse and less productive than the
relatively higher salinity areas (Gunter 1977). A salt marsh's

resiliency is limited and sustained levels of increased runoff may leach

sediment salts, causing permanent changes in the flora and fauna of the

coastal wetlands (Zedler 1983). Decreased inland water levels as a

result of drainage for development could decrease the area of freshwater

101

fisheries habitat. Alteration of natural ambient water temperatures due

to heated effluents is also a concern because the altered temperature
regime could potentially impact biological cycles which may be keyed
on temperature, such as spawning or emigration.
Drainage waters from developed lands have a higher sediment load
than waters draining undeveloped lands (Kirby-Smith and Barber 1979;
Skaggs et al. 1980). A certain amount of sediment is necessary to
nourish estuarine communities but too much may be detrimental. Although
small when compared to the Piedmont area, the potential annual sediment
loss of 5.6 X 10 4 kg/m2 (@t ton/acre) estimated for an area of mainland
Dare County (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1982) may be significant when
distributed into the receiving waters of the peninsula. Decreased light

levels as a result of the increased turbidity can significantly impact
primary production, decreasing oxygen production (Russell-Hunter 1970).
Elevated BOD levels due to increased microbial activity on the suspended
particles could lead to oxygen stress in the estuarine waters. High
levels of suspended sediment have been demonstrated to reduce the
survival of fish eggs and larvae (Auld and Schubel 1978) and interfere

with the reproduction of sessile shellfish (Galstaff 1964). Buried
oyster beds are a testimony to the effect of high depositional rates on
a benthic community (Galstoff 1964). Coliform bacteria, which are used
as indicator organisms for the presence of animal-borne disease, are
also more abundant in runoff waters from developed lands (Skaggs et al.

1980).

The largest peat deposits in North Carolina are found on the

Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula and represent the accumulation of organic

matter in the pocosins (Otte and Ingram 1980). The peat naturally
contains a number of heavy metals (Environmental Science and
Engineering, Inc. 1982a) which may be leached from the land during
development or in effluent as a result of peat processing. Some metals
such as copper, zinc and iron are used by aquatic organisms as enzyme
cofactors but may be a toxicant when found in excess (Moore and
Ramamoorthy 1984) . Heavy metal concentrations above threshold levels
are known to be toxic to aquatic life (Ruivo 1972; Vernberg and Vernberg

1974; Lockwood 1976; Giam 1977; Vernberg et al. 1977; Cole 1979) and the
toxicity is frequently taxa specific (Moore and Ramamoorthy 1984). Most

102

effects are tested in laboratory toxicity tests but chronic, sublethal
concentrations of pollutants may have long-term effects which are
difficult to evaluate or predict from laboratory toxicity tests
(McIntyre and Mills 1975). Sublethal effects in marine organisms include
inhibition of enzyme synthesis; decreased reproductive potential,
growth, sensory abilities, and osmoregulation; and behavioral changes
(Moore and Ramamoorthy 1984; Cole 1979). Frequently metals have
synergistic effects on each other (Moore and Ramamoorthy 1984;
Ramamoorthy and Blumhagen 1984). The chemical form of a metal is very
important but speciation of trace metals can be highly variable and is
dependent on metal concentration and environmental parameters such as
organic matter, salinity and pH (Engel et al. 1981). The taxicities of

these metals are a function of such parameters as the metal
concentration and its forms, temperature, dissolved oxygen and exposure
time (Moore and Ramamoorthy 1984). For example, mercury is most toxic
when the mercuric form binds with a methyl group from a donor molecule,
which is a commonly occurring biological end product in many aquatic
systems. Under reducing conditions, the concentration of the mercuric
form is relatively depressed and when the temperature is low or the

concentration of organic matter is high, the same concentration of

methyl mercury is. not as toxic as when temperatures are higher or
organic matter concentrations are lower (Moore and Ramamoorthy 1984);
Ramamoorthy and Blumhagen 1984). Some metals such as mercury and copper
accumulate through the food chain whereas bioaccumulation of metals such

as lead, chromium and nickel is undocumented.
Currently the major land uses of the peninsula are for agriculture
and forestry (North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management
1981); agriculture has been proposed as reclamation for peat-mined
lands. Nutrient loading in estuarine waters of North Carolina has

increased at least one order of magnitude over that of predevelopment
conditions (Kirby-Smith and Barber 1979), and has been implicated in
the eutrophication of coastal waters (Paerl 1982) and in the promotion
of Aeromonas, a bacteria causing red sore disease in fishes (Esch and
Hazen 1980). Pesticides and organochemicals are used in forestry and
agriculture, and may pose a threat to the estuarine organisms because of
their ability to kill or stress the organisms and because they may

103

persist in the environment (Eisler 1972). Toxicity may be acute or
sublethal and include such effects as death; decreased growth and
reproductive potential; and behavior changes (Eisler 1972; Mitrovic
1972). Bioaccumulation may be high, reaching a factor of 70,000 for

some shellfish (Butler 1966).
The fishes of the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula could be affected by
land development in the area, but because environmental degradation is

usually insidious and cumulative (Odum 1970), impacts are difficult to
predict. It is assumed that all effects of such degradation are
deleterious, but not demonstrable for relatively low exposures.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The following Division of Marine Fisheries personnel participated
in sampling the Pamlico-Albemarle Peninsula: J. Bahen, R. Brown,

B. Burns, D. Crocker, R. Harriss, C. Harvell, J. Hawkins, H. Johnson,

R. Jones, G. Judy, S. Keefe, M. Marshall, D. Mumford, P. Pate,
C. Purvis, R. Rouse, N. Sanderlin, T. Sholar, M. Street, D. Sykes,

L. Tyson, and S. Winslow. P. Kornegay and T. Mullis of the Inland
Fisheries Division were quite helpful in providing data for Lake Phelps
and from the 1964 stream surveys. J. Boaze, L. Ditto and D. Kitts of
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided recent data from Lake
Mattamuskeet and Pungo Lake collections. I thank M. Huish of the North
Carolina State University (NCSU) Cooperative Fish Unit for allowing me

access to his files on historical Lake -Mattamuskeet collections and

J. Miller, M. Currin and J. Reed, also of NCSU, for the summaries of
their Rose Bay work. F. Rhode provided invaluable advice on freshwater

taxonomic problems and information on their life histories and S. Ross

aided in marine species identification problems. I appreciate the

advice of C. Harvell, J. Hawkins, H. Johnson, G. Judy, J. Ross, T.
Sholar and S. Winslow on the fisheries of the peninsula and would like

to thank E. Barber, J. Hawkins, H. Johnson, L. Mercer, S. Ross, T.

Sholar, M. Street and S. Winslow for reviewing the manuscript. Most of

the data were coded and/or keyentered by E. Barber, L. Boddie, N.

Brown, L. Davis, and L. Gilstrap. K. West provided the commercial
landings data which were then compiled by D. Heatwole. L. Gilstrap and

104

V. Page provided the drafting and H. Page did the photography. Lastly,
I thank S. Sanchez and M. Stafford for typing this manuscript and L.
Gilstrap, for helping compile many of the data summaries.

105

FOOTNOTES

1. North Carolina general canvas data from the N.C. Division of marine
Fisheries and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

2. National Marine Fisheries Service marine recreational fishery
statistics surveys, 1979-1982, unpubl. data.

3. N.C. Department of Natural Resources and Community Development,
Division of Marine Fisheries. North Carolina Fisheries Regulations
for Coastal Waters 1984. Regulation 3B.0504.

106

LITERATURE CITED

Adams, S. M.
1976. Feeding ecology of eelgrass fish communities. Trans. Am.
Fish. Soc. 105(4):514-519.

Allen, C., M. Corcoran, L. McDade, J. Travis and D. Wheeler.
1979. An ecological survey of selected inland Dare County sites,
with evaluation for conservation potential. Duke University Dept.s
of Botany and Zoology Report to the North Carolina Natural Heritage
Program, 53 p.

Auld, A. H. and J. R. Schubel.
1978. Effects of suspended sediment on fish eggs and larvae: a
laboratory assessment. Estuarine Coastal Mar. Sci. 6:153-164.

Bailey, J. R.
1977. Freshwater fishes, p. 265-298. In Cooper, J. E., S. S.
Robinson and J. B. Funderburg, eds. En7d-angered and Threatened
Plants and Animals of North Carolina. N.C. State Museum of Natural
History, Raleigh.

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Livingston, R. L., ed. Ecological Processes in Coastal Tnd marine
Systems, Plenum Press, N.Y.

Sholar, T. M.
1979a. Adult stock assessment, p. 24-49. in A Plan for Management
of North Carolina's Estuarine Fishes - Phase I. Semiannual Report
for North Carolina's Office of Coastal Zone Management Fisheries
Assistance Program Grant, March-September 1978. N.C. Dep. Nat.
Resour. Comm. Devel., Div. Mar. Fish.

1979b. Adult Stock Assessment, p. 12-27. In A Plan for Management
of North Carolina's Estuarine Fishes - Phase I. Semiannual Report
for North Carolina's Office of Coastal Zone Management Fisheries
Assistance Program Grant, October 1978-February 1979. N.C. Dep.
Nat. Resour. Comm. Devel., Div. Mar. Fish.

Shute, P. W.
1980. Fundulus waccamensis, p. 530. In Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert,
C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer,
Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American Freshwater Fishes. N. C. Biol.
Surv. Publ. No. 1980-12, 867 p.

Skaggs, R. W., J. W. Gilliam, T. J. Sheets, and J. S. Barnes.
1980. Effect of agricultural land development on drainage waters
in the North Carolina tidewater region. Water Resour. Res. Inst.
Rep. No. 159, 274 p.

Smith, W. B. and W. D. Baker.
1965. Survey and Classification of the Alligator-Scuppernong
Watershed North Carolina. N.C. Wildl. Res. Comm. Final Report
Federal Aid in Fish Restoration, Job 1-5, Project F-14-R.

119

Street, M. W.
1984. A look at the 1983 commercial catch. N.C. Dep. Nat. Resour.
Comm. Devel., Div. Mar. Fish. N. C. Tar Heel Coast 19(2).

Street, M. W. and J. D. McClees.
1981. North Carolina's coastal fishing industry and the influence
of coastal alterations, p. 238-251. In Richardson, C. J., ed.
Pocosin Wetlands. Hutchinson Ross Publ. Co., Stroudsburg, PA.

Street, M. W. and P. P. Pate, Jr.,
1975. Albemarle Sound and tributaries, 235 p. In Street, M. W.,
P. P. Pate, B. F. Holland, Jr. and A. B. Powell. Anadromous
Fisheries Research Program, Northern Coastal Region. N.C. Dep.
Nat. Econ. Resour., Div. Mar. Fish. Completion Report for Project
AFCS-8.

Sutherland, W. C.
1982. Growth of two species of Macoma bivalves as affected by
predation on their siphons by juvenile spot, Leiostomus xanthurus,
and croaker, Micropogon undulatus. M.S. Thesis, N.C. State Univ.,
Raleigh, 39 p.

Tagatz, M. E.
1968. Fishes of the St. Johns River, Florida. Q. J. Fla. Acad.
Sci. 30(l):25-50.

Thayer, G. W., D. E. HOSS, M. A. Kjelson, W. F. Hettler, Jr., and
M. W. LaCroix.
1974. Biomass of zooplankton in the Newport River estuary and the
influence of post-larval fishes. Chesapeake Sci. 15(l):9-16.

Tyus, H. M.
1971. Population size, harvest and movements of alewives, Alosa
pseudoharengus (Wilson) during spawning migrations to Lake
Mattamuskeet, North Carolina. Ph.D. Diss., N. C. State Univ.,
77 p.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
1982. Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Prulean Farms, Inc.,
Dare County, 451 p.

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1974. Pollution and Physiology of Marine Organisms. Academic
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Vernberg, F. J., A. Calabrese, F. P. Thurberg, and W. V. Vernberg, eds.
1977. Physiological Responses of Marine Biota to Pollutants.
Academic Press, N.Y. 462 p.

Warlen, S. M.
1980. Age and growth of larvae and spawning time of Atlantic
croaker in North Carolina. Proc. Annu. Conf. Southeast Assoc.
Fish and Wildl. Agencies 34: 204-214.

120

Weinstein, M. P. and H. A. Brooks.
1983. Comparative ecology of nekton residing in a tidal creek and
adjacent seagrass meadow: community composition and structure.
Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 12:15-27.

Weinstein, M. P., S. L. Weiss, and M. F. Walters.
1980. Multiple determinants of community structure in shallow
marsh habitats, Cape Fear River estuary, North Carolina. Mar.
Biol. 58:227-243.

Wilk, s. j.
1981. The fisheries for Atlantic croaker, spot, and weakfish.
p. 15-27. In Clepper, H., ed. Proc. 6th Ann. Mar. Recreational
Fish. Symposlum. Houston, Texas, March 19 and 20, 1981. Sport
Fishing Institute. Washington, D.C.

Williams, A. B.
1955. A contribution to the life histories of commercial shrimps
(Penaeidae) in North Carolina. Bull. Mar. Sci. Gulf Caribbean
5(2):116-146.

1958. Substrates as a factor in shrimp distribution. Limnol.
Oceanogr. 3(3):283-290.

1965. marine decapod crustaceans of the Carolinas. U.S. Fish
Wildl. Serv. Fish. Bull. 65(l), 298 p.

1984. Shrimps, lobsters and crabs of the Atlantic coast of the
eastern United States, Maine to Florida. Smithsonian Institution
Press, Washington, D.C., 550 p.

Winslow, S. E. and N. S. Sanderlin.
1983. Albemarle Sound shad and river herring assessment,
p. 51-151. In Winslow, S.E., N. S. Sanderlin, G. W. Judy, J. H.
Hawkins, B. T Holland, Jr., C. A. Fischer, and R. A. Rulifson.
North Carolina Anadromous Fisheries Management Program, N.C. Dep.
Nat. Resour. Comm. Devel., Div. Mar. Fish. Completion Report for
Project AFCS-16.

Woodward, J. L.
1981. Enclosure studies of food resource partitioning between
juvenile spot and croaker. M.S. Thesis, N.C. State Univ., Raleigh,
42 p.

Zedler, J. B.
1983. Freshwater impacts in normally hypersaline marshes.
Estuaries 6(4):346-355.

AWmx1ix A. North Carolina a=erciAl marine fisheries landings, (in tIrxL9amIz of puirxls) I-y --fecies 1962-11983 Iar Beaafort, Dare, Hy@-, Tyrrell, and Washing= counties. lardux3s
data do not include nenhaden or thread herring and cazity data prior to 1978 do not include unclassified non-edible landirxjs. liorth Carolina gmeral canvas data fran
the N.C. Division of marine Fisheries and the Naticral Karine Fisher-ies Service.
SpFcies
Alewife and Bass Bonito, carp, Catlassfish, Drum, Dnn,
Year bluaback hen-inj Ankerjacks Argelfishes striped Bluefish. Atlantic Butterfishes ommn Catfishas C;cbia Atlantic Atlantic Atlantic Dolp'Uns black red
1962 636.5 407.6 244.2 77.0 30.3 698.4 11.2 13-1.7 54.5 17.8
1963 354.6 327.8 265.6 37.5 19.5 618.8 10.3 63.5 9.6 17.3
1964 528.1 330.6 72.4 61.3 23.1 384.2 5.4 82.2 16.4 12.9
1965 239.6 228.1 232.0 93.9 18.6 421.7 6.6 116.4 71.0 14.6
1966 274.4 274.9 207.2 176.7 17.4 651.6 5.6 113.8 20.1 11.1
1967 253.4 1,260.3 230.1 %.0 95.1 66-3.0 7.5 117.7 15.8 3.9
1968 599.9 lt522.9 264.9 38.0 22.5 557.2 4.2 50.0 9.8
L%9 270.3 1,195.9 382.2 29.2 15.6 530.1 5.9 25.6 1.8 0.6
1970 303.0 1,926.6 157.2 94.3 2.4 572.2 3.8 82.6 4.0 1.2
1971 593.3 1,258.0 245.8 39.9 10.4 629.5 9.0 141.5 1 0.6 5.3
1972 286.0 1,104.5 339.7 10.2 8.0 633.9 2.6 166.4 17.5 21.9
1973 477.2 1,468.9 840.7 5.9 2.5 294.5 1.5 833.0 9.1 35.6
1974 189.9 665.3 563.4 28.6 5.6 423-7 0.5 1,546.3 14.1 68.6
1975 494.1 805.6 869.3 19.8 62.7 436.0 1.5 2,428.0 6.5 80.2
1976 355.9 729.9 607.1 31.1 0.8 391.4 1.0 7,264.0 3.3 59.7

1977 379.0 379.0 927.9 20.1 12.0 703.0 0.1 6,WA.4 0.4 5.2
1978** 477.5 380.8 836.1 E66.3 29.6 349.7 1.5 6,470.7 2.0 20.9 2.0
1979** 379.3 237.2 1,465.9 125.7 26.5 311.6 0.8 0.1 10,216.5 44.2 24.6
1980** 464.4 5.3 214.2 3,019.3 17.2 108.8 62.3 349.3 3.7 0.6 3.1,351.5 2.9 14.2 42.4
Lcjel** 1,029.0 5.6 172.2 4,355.2 3.7 228.1 64.1 330.4 2.3 0.7 8,010.1 2.3 74.5 49.6
1982** 1,188.2 2.5 IW.3 2,798.0 2B.5 153.3 63.2 244.9 3.5 1.8 7,474.8 5.8 22.5 5.1
1983** 876.0 2.9 0.1 199.0 3,105.3 21.0 40.0 77.8 236.9 0.4 1.9 5,127.7 19.0 6.6 1.0 46.8

App-Iix A. (ccntinued)

Species
Eel, Jack, Mxkerel, Mackj--rel, Madmrel, Marlin, Perch,
Year fteriam Flaxilers Goc@ish Qv4pers Gnmts HadJock HAes Farvestfish =evalle Kingfisl-@ Atlantic king S@amsh blue ftMets sand

1962 9.9 731.8 14.1 195.1 20.3 1.7 41.6 386.7

1963 5.1 1,050.9 0.5 12.5 68.8 1.4 2.5 53.9 419.6 4.0

1964 16.6 875.7 5.9 63.7 2.5 33.5 133.0 3.3

1965 20.2 1,4%.l 85.1 132.3 5.9 46.3 115.2 0.4

1966 15.2 1,863.0 64.5 L38.3 12.5 32.5 2B.3 98.3

1967 8.2 2,005.8 5.6 122.2 80.1 0.5 5.5 18.6 74.2

1968 3.8 1,102.4 4.0 63.4 112.7 1.4 33.7 U6.5 0.1

1969 4.1 1,168.6 17.3 154.4 6.1 69.1 122.4

1970 5.0 1,483.6 18.1 206.0 5.2 27.3 106.2

1971 113.0 1,944.1 285.5 18.8 113.4 5.0 19.9 M.0 4.4

1972 45.9 1,656.2 1.5 11.7 103.4 0.7 2.1 223.0 0.5

1973 98.6 2,345.8 3.6 67.0 4.1 3.3 168.3

1974 344.7 5,084.0 2.3 5.5 72.8 7.6 3.9 525.6 0.8

1975 209.4 5,877.9 1.0 74.1 58.3 65.4 16.1 539.0 1.8

1976 450.0 4,792.7 12.9 54.4 440.3 130.9 13.1 737.2 0.2

1977 194.6 5,002.1 13.5 16.8 82.8 266.1. 228.4 14.3 410.4

1978** 412.8 5,761.0 80.6 0.1 0.6 2.5 36.9 22.6 115.0 1.3 185.1

1979** -554.9 8,566.9 250.9 817.0 7.2 129.8 27.5 285.8 9.5. 301.2

1980** 401.3 8,045.7 2BO.1 6.3 0.5 678.4 36.4 61.4 1.8 514.7 38.0 270.8

1981** 151.1 4,064.0 138.8 7.7 2.2 3,131.6 16.1 23.3 145.1 524.7 19.0 283.9
1982** 279A 3,166.2 92.9 70.0 0.6 622.4 129.7 89.3 70.5 903.5 94.5 0.2 151.8

1983** IW.5 4,006.4 45.3 25.3 0.2 28.1 S5.2 5.4 83.8 565.1 20.0 252.4

&qxmdiY. A. (omtiimjBd)

Species
Perch Perch pCq-I sea Seatr@, Shad, giad, giad, gorks,
Year vt@ite ye@ Pexmit Pigfish Pinfish Pollock Florida Porgies Puffers Wsses sFottEd American gizzard hickory 9@arks dogfi& SheePshead

1962 97.4 1.1.1 59.1 2.6 105.2 45.1 302.4 58.6 412.0 71.7 0.3 1.9
1963 64.8 17.2 21.5 3.9 45.5 15.4 203.7 86.6 487.6 100.6 0.8 1.2
1964 95.9 23.6 18.5 0.5 125.7 11.0 121.9 %.9 322.5 34.0 0.7
1965 61.9 13.2 13.6 2.1 797.3 4.8 274.2 71.5 42S.1 59.3 0.5 1.7
1966 54.5 15.2 20.2 13.5 944.3 1.3 252.4 27.4 420.2 29.1 0.7 1.6

1967 98.9 17.0 42.6 13.8 118.8 21.1 324.3 49.9 442.8 56.3 0.9 2.1

1968 75.6 13.8 27.3 2.1 53.8 1.8 269.8 25.0 465.2 38.7 0.4 0.5

1969 63.9 10.7 37.1 2.1 73.6 3.4 220.9 48.9 345.9 53.5 0.1

1-970 %.7 15.9 45.6 0.7 51.6 2.1 269.C 133.1 499.6 15.0 0.7

1971 100.8 9.3 69.4 0.7 85.6 4.7 103.1 128.1 389.7 21.7 2.0 1.2

1972 74.3 18.2 25.7 1.8 32.5 30.6 71.8 124.6 226.0 33.5 0.4

IM 38.3 3.0 16.4 5.4 10.8 95.8 196.7 134.9 25.9 0.6

1974 110.9 12.6 3.8 1.3 31.5 i0o.9 221.6 178.9 26.9 3.1

1975 66.2 2.3 3.6 4.1 106.5 453.4 227.4 12.1.6 13.5 1.1

1976 51.3 10.6 3.1 4.0 203.7 294.4 234.5 94.0 5.9 8.3

1977 96.2 35.5 0.2 0.9 1.14.7 1,076.3 67.1 52.6 11.8 1.4

1978** 143.8 9.7 0.6 0.2 1,054.1 3.5 988.2 62.2 221.7 31.0 8.6 1.6 3.5
1979** 124.4 1.9 0.6 1,284.2 2.8 709.7 39.5 122.4 2.4 20.3 0.7 6.6
I-cCG** 57.9 2.5 2.0 0.3 0.7 1,293.3 10.4 638.0 43.1 63.3 0.3 26.8 6.2 2.3 14.9

1981** 146.3 5.2 6.6 3.7 1,370.9 2.9 603.9 46.6 186.4 46.7 61.9 38.2 4.3 3.0

1982** 238.3 3.5 14.6 0.9 12.5 lf5O6.2 8.8 415.4 44.7 .197.6 79.2 11.9 23.9 6.4 8.7

1983** 181.9 4.1 15.5 2.5 1.5 664.6 1.1 184.3 80.3 180.3 35.5 30.9 46.1 13.3

4pendix A. (amtinued)

-pecies
Spaclef ish, are, nza, Tam, 7tra' ara,
Year Snappe- Atl-tic Spot Sb-,g- -%-dfish T-ftog Tilefishes Triggerfi&.es n:ipletai.1 Mz= higeye blackfin bluefin little yellafin wal=

1962 2.5 3%.9 13.4 0.2

1963
1 5.5 153.5 14.8 1.2 0.1

M4 2.1 312.2 1.6 440.7 13.0

M5 0.2 2.17.2 4.3 52D.2 59.5
1966 263.7 3.5 776.9 13.7

1967 641.4 7.9

1968 1.6 398.9 3.6

1969 0.3 239.7 14.3

1970 2.0 370.3 37.6

1971 3.5 2a3.7 19.7

1972 0.3 4096.1 26.1

1973 1.4 523.7 25.1

1974 1.6 503.3 2B.7 12.1
1975 8.2 759. 20.5 1.3
1976 7.4 565.2 0.5 1.3

1977 3.0 510.3 9.4

1978** 10.5 0.1 850.1 16.3 18.0 0.1 18.2 0.1 2.5 .2.1 2.0
1979** 1,355.8 26.3 2.5 0.3 0. 8 17.5 0.1
1980** 29.1 0.2 1,8Lc;.2 15.6 140.6 0.4 0.2 1.6 0.2 3.7 0.3 87.0 4.1 1.5
lgal-* 27.4 13.7 1,099.3 13.0 65.8 1.0 2.1 1.4 16.2 4.8 0.5
1SS2** 43.3 4.3 1,477.6 9.5 36.3 0.6 5.3 2.0 0.1 0.1 0.7 2.2 9.5 29.3 2.2
1983** 10.1 1.3 515.9 5.8 7.8 0.3 10.3 1.1 13.2 1.9 1.3 52.5 50.0 2.4

4pendix A. (omtInuod)

S-4-@ecies
Url&%Ifl@ U=Ia&@ied fish CLWS, hard aw, Ciam, Crab, blue, Crab, blie, soft Crab, tdxt@'
Year Waakfish fLsh bor B@ for in&atr2al (meats) Rangia surf hard or peeler horseshoe American Oct(*-

1%2 4209.1 4.5 6,798.0 3.1.4

1%3 279.2 1.0 10,079.9 12.4

1964 127.1 2.2 14,298.6 7.1

1965 196.9 1.5 13,595.6 2B.3

1966 175.8 1.3 12,369.8 27.1

1967 181.2 0.8 0.6 8,925.8 24.5 2.5

1968 IA.9 1.2 9.1 12,922.0 27.8 29.9

1969 131.7 0.4 14,859.2 28.5 8.9

1970 160.8 12,851.6 16.1 1.4

1971 296.6 9,2%.6 16.6 0.3

1972 1,220.3 8,147.4 22.0

1973 1,589.2 7,999.2 32.4 1.6

1974 1,384.3 8,199.8 15.9

1975 3,231.7 6,473.6 11.9

1976 3,668.4 20.4 6,887.7 11. 3

1977 3,867.5 7,503.9 10.8

1978-* 4,013.7 1,875.1 1.1,261.7 28.1 0.1

1979** 6,562.9 0.4 1.320.7 .13,818.6 27.3

198o- lo,la3.9 1,743.5 17,954.3 37.3 0.9

Lgel** 9,305.8 3,231.8 18,831.5 24.1

iga2** 5,%2.0 2,244.5 3.3 18,879.2 67.2 2.2

1983- 4,884.7 3.428.3 7.4 16,664.6 28.7 1.7 0.3

NJ
Ln

F,
Appendix A. (continued) N)
ON

species
S-11qp, bay SC&IlCpI sea -qxinps Turtle MvIks Unclassified
Yoar @@ts) @@ts) Oiaads cn) Squids srzVper (Meats) shellfi-sh

1%2 278.6 1,060.0 5.6 5.2

1963 84.4 595.5 15.7 8.5

1964 191.3 687.7 3-1.9 9.0

1965 L94.3 72.1 719.0 5.7 10.0

1966 129.0 792.6 9.0 6.8

1967 100.4 740.6 19.7 10.2

1968 70.2 0.6 41.7 826.3 20.6 13.8
1969 101.1 12.6 1,792.2 17.6 3-1.3
1970 149.7 1.4 l,Oa2.3 15.5 17.9
1971 201.5 1F601.6 5.4 15.0
1972 175.2 761.1 9.9 5.8
1973 331.5 596.9 21.0 2.5
1974 2B3.4 1,428.8 37.6 13.7
1975 215.2 494.7 40.2 2.3
1976 124.6 736.7 1,273.1 10.9 3.3
1977 198.5 155.4 155.0 1,405.9 16.1 1.9
1978** 91.8 624.0 418.9 116.1 11. 7 32.0 708.6
1979** 241.8 265.1 486.4 2.4 31.2 1,093.5
1980** 323.3 @58.- 7 1,647.2 254.3 12.1 24.5
1981** 185.3 5 322.7 229.7 0.6 6.4
19B2** 241.8 0.3 1,077.7 108.0 0.7 3.8
1983** 375.1 13.8 577.0 257.8 0.2 4.5

*Denotes less than 100 p=xIs IwAM.
**avluwlaLy Landaxgs. Data subject to zevis= in the Fisf=y StatIsLus of the U.S.

Appendix B. Narth Carolina camercial. marine fisheries landings (in drusands of puzids, and dollam) by gear 1962 - 1963 fur Beaufort, Dare, Hy&, and Washington -ties.
Lwxbxxp data do not include maliaden or earM haming and oarity data Frior to 1978 do not include unclassified nan-edible landings. North Carolina general canvas
data fran the N.C. Division of @@ine Fisheries and de Natimal Wa-ine Fisheries E4arvioe.

1962 1963 19&4 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Gears Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds value Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value POLUXIS Value

Haul seines 1,155.8 125.6 8%.6 102.3 700.6 86.4 770.0 88.5 818.6 77.8 1,667.4 149.1 .1,507.4 215.6 1,565.2 232.6
Purse seines 40.0 6.4 10.0 1.6 52.2 9.7 25.6 5.6 187.8 36.0
Trawls
SMI Ir 3,922.2 68B.8 4,074.3 498.9
crab 3,507.1 M.8 4,499.2 262.8 6,095.7 265.8 5,292.7 266.3 5,4C7.6 540.6 4,796.8 477.7
shrinp 1,411.2 295.0 1,418.0 275.7 1,131.0 419.6 931.2 309.7 1,530.8 545.0 2,424.0 1,152.6
fish 1,325.9 197.5 2,858.4 443.0 2,965.1 383.0 2,382.4 434.9 1,316.1 294.3 1,413.0 318.6
lobster 8.9 6.4
Pound nets 951.1 109.0 809.7 116.8 767.4 75.7 675.0 73.3 974.8 131.6 758.9 97.1 891.0 65.4 494.5 91.3
Flyke and hoop nets 50.8 4.0 16.2 1.4 8.6 0.8 73.2 10.7 30.0 4.0 13.7 2.0 15.1 2.1
Pots and traps 3,207.4 150.2 6,346.5 341.1 6,892.4 409.4 4,407.5 268.0 4,400.0 236.2 2,3T7.0 144.8 5,043.1 467.4 7,618.3 723.1
Gill nets
and-jor, set cr stake 983.3 99.7 863.7 98.9 665.3 70.0 700.2 92.3 834.0 Ill. 1 1,708.6 233.1 1,797.2 301.5 1,189.4 199.4
drift 44.5 5.3 18.7 777.0 10.3 413.0 6.7 0.2 2.2 0.4 40.5 1.4 4.0 0.5
runaround 171.2 18.4 185.0 18.2 1.17.3 15.5 144.0 13.1 43.0 5.2 24.5 2.3 5.4 0.5
Lines
hand 4.0 720.0 2.7 486.0 1.5 0.2 7.7 1.2 15.5 2.3 17.9 2.7 22-6 3.4
troll 15.5 2.6 5.5 1.3 1.4 0.3 6.1 1.5
longline 1.2 648.0 453.7 213.0 580.2 292.6 168.9 52.8 96.1 14.9 80.3 1-1.0 75.0 11.2
trot 3,041.3 121.7 2,346.9 IM.8 3f510.5 18B.9 4,Y66.7 246.3 2,019.2 93.0 1,416.4 69.6 2,OBO.7 192.7 2,053.3 189.4
Dip nets 73.5 1.4 P-3.3 3.9
Stpears 12.5 2.3 10.0 1.6 2.0 0.4 1.5 0.5 0.3 0.1
L-JJ9- 279.2 189.7 85.4 59.5 193.5 131.0 228.0 144.6 115.5 63.6 92.9 60.0 114.9 89.0 109.1 a3.4
Rakes 3.9 1.6 1.2 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.4 0.2
Tongs and grdbs 12.0 6.6 8.1 5.2 7.5 5.2 5.0 3.7
VIneels
Hand (01ster) 1.6 0.9
Hand (Other)

00
pavrLlix B. (oontbxied)

1970 1971 1972 3.973 lq'74 1975 1976 1977
Gears PLxn-jds Value PcL]nd.S Value Pounds. value Paurds Vallue Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value Pounds Value

Haul seines 1,601.0 251.0 1,258.5 196.5 1,779.8 314.6 3,122.5 594.0 3,145.7 521.2 3,878.5 574.0 4,327.5 696.5 3,27-7.8 435.4
Parse seines 256.2 48.3 72.5 13.6
Trwls
sc@ 736.8 939.7 310.5 450.9
crab 3,144.3 170.1 1,266.7 101.1 742.3 74.0 1,251.3 174.5 554.6 64.5 1,338.0 208.7 1,548.3 308.7 1,245.6 277.5
S@a-iw 1,998.8 1,153.2 1,140.3 620.5 771.0 640.4 1,835.5 828.5 806.3 620.1 1,601.6 1,765.3 1,BB2.6 2,052.2
fish 2,465.0 521.7 3,050.7 664.5 2,917.6 545.2 4,210.0 870.4 6,331.3 1,327.9 9,939.0 2,263.2 11,891.7 2,351.3 14,075.1 3,C64.7
lobster 1.7 2.5
Mund nLts 1,OC6.7 153.6 1,178.5 113.0 735.3 117.2 1,012.0 137.6 a24.0 154.1 1,532.8 318.4 3,594.1 666.1 1,826.2 280.6
F)Om and hoop nets 16.3 2.3 17.8 2.5
.Pcr-.s and traps 8,036.1 512.9 7,139.0 %4.0 6,883.5 724.9 6,733.9 8SA.7 7,871.3 943.0 5,258.2 731.3 4,710.6 1,103.5 6 332.0 1,111.7
Gill nets
anchor, set or stake 914.9 158.4 851.2 143.8 945.0 177.8 689.6 147.2 1,019.0 201.9 1,049.8 253.2 1,148.9 318.5 1,055.0 336.1
drift 6.4 0.9 12.5 0.4 19.6 0.8 4.8 0.7 1.1 0.4 19.5 1.4 25.8 3.3
nmaxcund 5.5 0.6 4.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 21.2 4.2 6.3 0.9
Lirys
hand 29.0 4.3 17.1 2.5 6.1 0.9 2.6 0.3 13.6 2.0 14.0 6.3 6.1 1.7 2.2 0.4
troll 8.4 1.8 5.0 1.3 0.8 0.2 4.4 1.1 8.3 4.8 60.0 36.0 132.8 92.7 235.4 119.8
longline 70.3 10.1 50.3 7.4 25.5 3.6 6.3 0.9 6.0 1.0 6.3 0.9 7.2 1.5 10.3 2.2
trot 1,601.9 108.5 1,041.4 78.8 769.0 81.6 163.8 20.1 238.4 24.3 210.7 25.1 457.9 97.4 271.5 47.1
Dip nets 36.2 1.5 16.6 4.7 3.0 1.5
SP- 0.5 0.2
Dredg-, 129.0 92.5 194.5 133.0 175.2 133.0 318.9 256.9 2a3.5 219.9 2155.3 164.8 145.1 121.0 198.6 190.9
Rakes
Tbrigs and grabs 22.1 16.2 7.0 4.9 2.7 2.4
Meels
hand (Cyster)
Hand (0djer)

41@-Iix B. (oontirwed)

1978** 1979** 19&)** 1981** 1982** 1983**
Gears Ruxuids lue Pcw-ds Value PcurrIs Value Pounds value i;@@ Value Pounds Value

Hala seines 5,073.6 651.0 8,902.4 1,604.9 10,469.9 2,027.0 8,884.7 2,427.8 7,361.0 2,300.4 7,517.7 2,112.1
Purse seines
Trawls
scallop 384.2 925.6 527.4 1,232.9 148.6 273.4
crab 1,795.3 354.7 2,923.1 539.5 3,292.6 719.9 4,060.8 939.9 3,332.6 820.8 2,902.7 998.3
&-P 1,110.6 752.9 978.8 770.5 2,381.0 3,432.6 1,023.8 966.2 2,105.2 3,289.6 1,100.8 1,716.6
fish 13,501.1 4,878.3 20,360.2 7,164.3 20,051.1 6,287.6 20,199.3 6,946.5 10,761.0 S,345.8 7,938.7 3,510.6
lobster
Pound nets 2,513.3 386.6 1,807.9 323.6 6,278.7 1,453.7 4,293.7 1,265.4 4,a33.1 1,3a2.5 2,583.5 740.5
kyke and hoop nets
Pots and traps 9,611.1 2,063.7 .11,677.0 2,321.9 16,032.8 3,106.6 15,la5.1 3,287.1 16,053.0 3,135.3 14,127.9 3,260.0
Gill nets
and=, set or stake 2,230.4 623.7 2,870.0 744.7 2,659.1 715.9 4,282.5 1,288.4 4,407.8 1,823.9 6,054.6 2,0220.7
drift 39.5 1.6 14.8 7.9 0.1 11.0 1.7
ru-baroulld 2.5 0.5 0.9 0.1 35.7 6.9 23.4 4.5 9.6 1.6 38.0 5.9
Lines
hand 5.7 1.7 8.1 4.3 22.5 18.6 8.8 7.9 18B.6 175.2 97.3 92.1
trou 121.8 80.2 282.4 203.1 557.7 396.7 400.7 344.1 81.1.9 658.7 580.4 338.2
1-jimine 20.8 33.9 0.5 0.6 166.3 212.2 125.1 160.1 40.4 91.5 8.7 23.8
tmt 8.7 2.1 27.0 4.5 7.0 1.3 26.1 5.2
Dip nets 0.5 0.3 2.1 0.4 5.9 4.3 2.1 0.3 0.1
wars 55.0 5.5 0.3 0.2
Dr-lq-- 1,469.3 2,304.8 973.8 2,392.7 862.6 2,312-7 359.7 648.3 322.4 371.2 401.3 659.7
Raks 3.3 14.8 7.4 27.7
Tcg-xgs and grabs 0.4 0.5 6.5 7.9 1.2 1.6 1.1 1.5
Mveh; 0.3 0.5
Hand (Oyster)
fL-Td (Ouwar) 0.5 0.1

*Denotes less than $100.00
**Prebminary lmduxp. Data subject to xmisim in the Fishery Statistics of the U.S.

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