Peconic Bay Scallops

[shemandr]

The local newspaper in Southold, The Suffolk Times, is reporting that the DEC (Of NY?) has determined that the cause of the die off of bay scallops last summer was due to a virus (Or single cell protozoan). This topic worked its way into the High Water thread but I'm posting in a new thread because that is 13 pages to wade through for those interested. The DEC also says that the high water temps last Summer were likely a contributing factor. Here is the article:

Parasite linked to scallops die-off in Peconic Bay, DEC says

Researchers have discovered what they believe is a contributing cause of the “near-unprecedented” Peconic Bay scallop die-off of 2019: a parasite found in a sample of adult bay scallops. This is the first time the coccidian parasite has been seen in New York waters, according state Department of...

suffolktimes.timesreview.com

Sadly I think the article states that the virus is still being found in doomed now living scallops and that this isn't over. The water temps are not 85 degrees now. I think the depletion of O2 theory is debunked. Or not?

 

[dlochner]

Sadly I think the article states that the virus is still being found in doomed now living scallops and that this isn't over. The water temps are not 85 degrees now. I think the depletion of O2 theory is debunked. Or not?

The article seems to suggest that it was a combination of factors, reproductive stress, low oxygen levels, high water temperatures, and the single cell protozoan. Remove any one of this items and perhaps the die off would not have been as severe. And who knew scallops had kidneys?

 

[TomY]

Thanks for posting that. I'm a fishing-follower. I hope they come back.

The rising seawater temperature will be tough on their future: “We think that the timing of scallop reproduction, which is actually a very physiologically stressful event for scallops, may have been more aligned with the highest water temperatures,” Mr. Tettelbach said at the time. “But the water temperatures in Flanders Bay and the western part of Peconic Bay [in 2019] were over 85 degrees and that’s getting very close to the lethal limit for bay scallops.” He added then that scallops are very environmentally sensitive compared to certain other shellfish species.

Just a few weeks ago, the Maine Department of Marine Resources put an emergency closure on much of the scallop fishery here. The fishery was strong but the DMR does spot checks of the boats. They realized some alarming results: In just a few weeks time, the size of the meats began to shrink(smaller scallops). Further, in just a few weeks, the number of boats out fishing doubled.

No connection yet but I suspect the reason is simple: The lobster catch was way down in early winter (usually a high yield time). The actual numbers won't be out until March but word on our wharf is the catch took a good dive in 2019. Lobsters are migrating Northward as ocean temperatures rise. March will tell the current state of the lobster fishery but if the catch in fact was down, I would expect lobstermen, most of which hang up their gear in mid winter, are putting divers onboard and pulling up scallops. It's all connected out there in the sea.

These are the areas the DMR closed to scallop fishing in Penobscot Bay-eastward: