Oysters have been part of Louisiana’s economy since the 1800s.
Louisiana regularly leads the nati... more Oysters have been part of Louisiana’s economy since the 1800s. Louisiana regularly leads the nation in oyster production, accounting for an average of 34 percent of annual landings of all oysters in the United States from 1997 through 2017 also show that the value of landed oysters differs regionally. Louisiana commercial fishermen have harvested more than 11 million pounds of oysters every year since 2010, including 13.3 million pounds in 2017 (LDWF data). Among the Gulf of Mexico states, Louisiana consistently ranks first in landings, accounting for 75.3 percent of all oysters landed in the region in 2017. Historically, public oyster areas were considered the backbone of Louisiana’s oyster resource. These areas were a valuable contributor to overall Louisiana oyster landings each year, while also supplying seed oysters transplanted to private leases for grow-out purposes. However, the trend from 1970 to 1992 showed the majority of Louisiana oyster landings came from private reefs. From 1992 to 2001, the oyster stock size on public areas generally increased, and landings from the public oyster areas increased as well. In 2009, harvest levels on the public oyster areas significantly decreased from 2008 levels, with the public oyster areas producing only 22 percent of all oyster landings for the calendar year. Production from the public oyster areas did not recover from 2009 to 2017, and data showed only 3.6 percent of all oysters landed in Louisiana came from public oyster areas in 2017.
Louisiana’s vast coastal wetlands provide ample habitat where Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virgin... more Louisiana’s vast coastal wetlands provide ample habitat where Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) thrive under a variety of environmental conditions. Louisiana’s Eastern oyster resource is one of the largest oyster resources in the nation, supporting one of state’s largest and most valuable fisheries and providing important ecological services to the state. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is charged with managing the state’s oyster resource by closely monitoring the size and health of oyster populations on nearly 1.7 million acres of public oyster areas (Figure 1) as well as setting oyster seasons, monitoring harvest levels, and enhancing habitat (e.g., cultch planting, reef building, etc.). The oyster industry has historically used Louisiana’s public oyster areas as a source of seed oysters (less than 3 inches height) to transplant to private oyster leases and grow out to market size. In Louisiana, there are approximately 404,000 acres of private oyster leases that are managed by leaseholders. The public oyster areas also yield a supply of market-size oysters (greater than or equal to 3 inches height), which may be taken directly to market. Louisiana leads the nation in oyster production largely due to this public/private oyster production system. Annual dockside sales have reached as much as $85 million in recent years. LDWF manages public oyster areas to balance the economic opportunity of the fishery with the biological sustainability of the resource. Management depends on obtaining the best fishery dependent and independent data available through monitoring harvest and resource availability throughout the oyster season and performing yearly stock assessments. The annual individual Coastal Study Area (CSA) oyster stock assessment reports help fulfill these data needs as they provide estimates of the current stock size of the oyster resource within each CSA. The information these data provide allow resource managers to implement management changes to both effectively use the current resource and protect its long-term viability.
The Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis, is a Southern Hemisphere species of balaenop... more The Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis, is a Southern Hemisphere species of balaenopterid whale generally found south of 60°S in austral summer. In the Atlantic Ocean, they migrate north during austral winter as far as approximately 7°S. On 05 February, 2013, a 7.7 m baleen whale was observed floating dead off of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, USA in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
—Bothrops mattogrossensis occurs in open wet habitats in the Pantanal of western Brazil. As part ... more —Bothrops mattogrossensis occurs in open wet habitats in the Pantanal of western Brazil. As part of a series of studies focusing on how ecological characters evolved in the genus Bothrops, we gathered information on diet, reproduction, and morphology for B. mattogrossensis using museum specimens. Bothrops mattogrossensis has a generalized diet (anurans, small mammals, lizards, snakes, and centipedes), a plesiomorphic character in the genus Bothrops. We found no evidence of an ontogenetic shift in diet from ectothermic to endothermic prey, as observed in other species of Bothrops. Feeding frequency is high (68.8%) compared to other Bothrops spp. Reproduction is seasonal, with a vitellogenic period concentrated at the end of the dry season. Fecundity is relatively high, with clutch size varying from 18–37. Females are significantly larger in snout–vent length and have significantly shorter tails and relatively larger heads than males. Although mostly terrestrial, B. mattogrossensis is relatively slender and has a longer tail than other terrestrial Bothrops, possibly an adaptation for climbing into vegetation during seasonal floods. Recent studies have resulted in the accumulation of information on the natural history of several species of
Abstract Bothrops mattogrossensis occurs in open wet habitats in the Pantanal of western Brazil. ... more Abstract Bothrops mattogrossensis occurs in open wet habitats in the Pantanal of western Brazil. As part of a series of studies focusing on how ecological characters evolved in the genus Bothrops, we gathered information on diet, reproduction, and morphology for B. mattogrossensis using museum specimens. Bothrops mattogrossensis has a generalized diet (anurans, small mammals, lizards, snakes, and centipedes), a plesiomorphic character in the genus Bothrops.
Introduction Louisiana's vast coastal wetlands provide ample habitat where Eastern oysters (Crass... more Introduction Louisiana's vast coastal wetlands provide ample habitat where Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) thrive under a variety of environmental conditions. Louisiana's Eastern oyster stock is one of the largest oyster stocks in the nation, supporting one of the state's largest and most valuable fisheries, and providing important ecological services to the state. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is charged with managing the state's oyster resource by closely monitoring the size and health of oyster populations on nearly 1.7 million acres of public oyster areas as well as setting oyster seasons, monitoring harvest levels, and enhancing habitat (e.g., cultch planting, reef building, etc.). Oysters also play an important ecological role in the estuarine ecosystem. Oyster reefs provide the majority of hard substrate required by other sessile invertebrate species such as barnacles, bryozoans, tunicates, and anemones. Many species of invertebrates and fish also use oyster reefs as shelter and forage habitat. The oyster's filter-feeding activities enhance estuarine water quality, and reefs can also help stabilize shorelines.
Oysters have been part of Louisiana’s economy since the 1800s.
Louisiana regularly leads the nati... more Oysters have been part of Louisiana’s economy since the 1800s. Louisiana regularly leads the nation in oyster production, accounting for an average of 34 percent of annual landings of all oysters in the United States from 1997 through 2017 also show that the value of landed oysters differs regionally. Louisiana commercial fishermen have harvested more than 11 million pounds of oysters every year since 2010, including 13.3 million pounds in 2017 (LDWF data). Among the Gulf of Mexico states, Louisiana consistently ranks first in landings, accounting for 75.3 percent of all oysters landed in the region in 2017. Historically, public oyster areas were considered the backbone of Louisiana’s oyster resource. These areas were a valuable contributor to overall Louisiana oyster landings each year, while also supplying seed oysters transplanted to private leases for grow-out purposes. However, the trend from 1970 to 1992 showed the majority of Louisiana oyster landings came from private reefs. From 1992 to 2001, the oyster stock size on public areas generally increased, and landings from the public oyster areas increased as well. In 2009, harvest levels on the public oyster areas significantly decreased from 2008 levels, with the public oyster areas producing only 22 percent of all oyster landings for the calendar year. Production from the public oyster areas did not recover from 2009 to 2017, and data showed only 3.6 percent of all oysters landed in Louisiana came from public oyster areas in 2017.
Louisiana’s vast coastal wetlands provide ample habitat where Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virgin... more Louisiana’s vast coastal wetlands provide ample habitat where Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) thrive under a variety of environmental conditions. Louisiana’s Eastern oyster resource is one of the largest oyster resources in the nation, supporting one of state’s largest and most valuable fisheries and providing important ecological services to the state. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is charged with managing the state’s oyster resource by closely monitoring the size and health of oyster populations on nearly 1.7 million acres of public oyster areas (Figure 1) as well as setting oyster seasons, monitoring harvest levels, and enhancing habitat (e.g., cultch planting, reef building, etc.). The oyster industry has historically used Louisiana’s public oyster areas as a source of seed oysters (less than 3 inches height) to transplant to private oyster leases and grow out to market size. In Louisiana, there are approximately 404,000 acres of private oyster leases that are managed by leaseholders. The public oyster areas also yield a supply of market-size oysters (greater than or equal to 3 inches height), which may be taken directly to market. Louisiana leads the nation in oyster production largely due to this public/private oyster production system. Annual dockside sales have reached as much as $85 million in recent years. LDWF manages public oyster areas to balance the economic opportunity of the fishery with the biological sustainability of the resource. Management depends on obtaining the best fishery dependent and independent data available through monitoring harvest and resource availability throughout the oyster season and performing yearly stock assessments. The annual individual Coastal Study Area (CSA) oyster stock assessment reports help fulfill these data needs as they provide estimates of the current stock size of the oyster resource within each CSA. The information these data provide allow resource managers to implement management changes to both effectively use the current resource and protect its long-term viability.
The Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis, is a Southern Hemisphere species of balaenop... more The Antarctic minke whale, Balaenoptera bonaerensis, is a Southern Hemisphere species of balaenopterid whale generally found south of 60°S in austral summer. In the Atlantic Ocean, they migrate north during austral winter as far as approximately 7°S. On 05 February, 2013, a 7.7 m baleen whale was observed floating dead off of Iberia Parish, Louisiana, USA in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
—Bothrops mattogrossensis occurs in open wet habitats in the Pantanal of western Brazil. As part ... more —Bothrops mattogrossensis occurs in open wet habitats in the Pantanal of western Brazil. As part of a series of studies focusing on how ecological characters evolved in the genus Bothrops, we gathered information on diet, reproduction, and morphology for B. mattogrossensis using museum specimens. Bothrops mattogrossensis has a generalized diet (anurans, small mammals, lizards, snakes, and centipedes), a plesiomorphic character in the genus Bothrops. We found no evidence of an ontogenetic shift in diet from ectothermic to endothermic prey, as observed in other species of Bothrops. Feeding frequency is high (68.8%) compared to other Bothrops spp. Reproduction is seasonal, with a vitellogenic period concentrated at the end of the dry season. Fecundity is relatively high, with clutch size varying from 18–37. Females are significantly larger in snout–vent length and have significantly shorter tails and relatively larger heads than males. Although mostly terrestrial, B. mattogrossensis is relatively slender and has a longer tail than other terrestrial Bothrops, possibly an adaptation for climbing into vegetation during seasonal floods. Recent studies have resulted in the accumulation of information on the natural history of several species of
Abstract Bothrops mattogrossensis occurs in open wet habitats in the Pantanal of western Brazil. ... more Abstract Bothrops mattogrossensis occurs in open wet habitats in the Pantanal of western Brazil. As part of a series of studies focusing on how ecological characters evolved in the genus Bothrops, we gathered information on diet, reproduction, and morphology for B. mattogrossensis using museum specimens. Bothrops mattogrossensis has a generalized diet (anurans, small mammals, lizards, snakes, and centipedes), a plesiomorphic character in the genus Bothrops.
Introduction Louisiana's vast coastal wetlands provide ample habitat where Eastern oysters (Crass... more Introduction Louisiana's vast coastal wetlands provide ample habitat where Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) thrive under a variety of environmental conditions. Louisiana's Eastern oyster stock is one of the largest oyster stocks in the nation, supporting one of the state's largest and most valuable fisheries, and providing important ecological services to the state. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is charged with managing the state's oyster resource by closely monitoring the size and health of oyster populations on nearly 1.7 million acres of public oyster areas as well as setting oyster seasons, monitoring harvest levels, and enhancing habitat (e.g., cultch planting, reef building, etc.). Oysters also play an important ecological role in the estuarine ecosystem. Oyster reefs provide the majority of hard substrate required by other sessile invertebrate species such as barnacles, bryozoans, tunicates, and anemones. Many species of invertebrates and fish also use oyster reefs as shelter and forage habitat. The oyster's filter-feeding activities enhance estuarine water quality, and reefs can also help stabilize shorelines.
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Louisiana regularly leads the nation in oyster production,
accounting for an average of 34 percent of annual landings of
all oysters in the United States from 1997 through 2017 also show that the value of landed oysters
differs regionally. Louisiana commercial fishermen have harvested
more than 11 million pounds of oysters every year since 2010,
including 13.3 million pounds in 2017 (LDWF data). Among the
Gulf of Mexico states, Louisiana consistently ranks first in landings,
accounting for 75.3 percent of all oysters landed in the region in
2017.
Historically, public oyster areas were considered the backbone of
Louisiana’s oyster resource. These areas were a valuable contributor
to overall Louisiana oyster landings each year, while also supplying
seed oysters transplanted to private leases for grow-out purposes.
However, the trend from 1970 to 1992 showed the majority of
Louisiana oyster landings came from private reefs. From 1992 to
2001, the oyster stock size on public areas generally increased, and
landings from the public oyster areas increased as well. In 2009,
harvest levels on the public oyster areas significantly decreased
from 2008 levels, with the public oyster areas producing only 22
percent of all oyster landings for the calendar year. Production
from the public oyster areas did not recover from 2009 to 2017,
and data showed only 3.6 percent of all oysters landed in Louisiana
came from public oyster areas in 2017.
environmental conditions. Louisiana’s Eastern oyster resource is one of the largest oyster resources in the nation, supporting
one of state’s largest and most valuable fisheries and providing important ecological services to the state. The Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is charged with managing the state’s oyster resource by closely monitoring
the size and health of oyster populations on nearly 1.7 million acres of public oyster areas (Figure 1) as well as setting oyster
seasons, monitoring harvest levels, and enhancing habitat (e.g., cultch planting, reef building, etc.).
The oyster industry has historically used Louisiana’s public oyster areas as a source of seed oysters (less than 3 inches height)
to transplant to private oyster leases and grow out to market size. In Louisiana, there are approximately 404,000 acres of
private oyster leases that are managed by leaseholders. The public oyster areas also yield a supply of market-size oysters
(greater than or equal to 3 inches height), which may be taken directly to market. Louisiana leads the nation in oyster
production largely due to this public/private oyster production system. Annual dockside sales have reached as much as $85
million in recent years.
LDWF manages public oyster areas to balance the economic opportunity of the fishery with the biological sustainability
of the resource. Management depends on obtaining the best fishery dependent and independent data available through
monitoring harvest and resource availability throughout the oyster season and performing yearly stock assessments. The
annual individual Coastal Study Area (CSA) oyster stock assessment reports help fulfill these data needs as they provide
estimates of the current stock size of the oyster resource within each CSA. The information these data provide allow
resource managers to implement management changes to both effectively use the current resource and protect its long-term
viability.
Louisiana regularly leads the nation in oyster production,
accounting for an average of 34 percent of annual landings of
all oysters in the United States from 1997 through 2017 also show that the value of landed oysters
differs regionally. Louisiana commercial fishermen have harvested
more than 11 million pounds of oysters every year since 2010,
including 13.3 million pounds in 2017 (LDWF data). Among the
Gulf of Mexico states, Louisiana consistently ranks first in landings,
accounting for 75.3 percent of all oysters landed in the region in
2017.
Historically, public oyster areas were considered the backbone of
Louisiana’s oyster resource. These areas were a valuable contributor
to overall Louisiana oyster landings each year, while also supplying
seed oysters transplanted to private leases for grow-out purposes.
However, the trend from 1970 to 1992 showed the majority of
Louisiana oyster landings came from private reefs. From 1992 to
2001, the oyster stock size on public areas generally increased, and
landings from the public oyster areas increased as well. In 2009,
harvest levels on the public oyster areas significantly decreased
from 2008 levels, with the public oyster areas producing only 22
percent of all oyster landings for the calendar year. Production
from the public oyster areas did not recover from 2009 to 2017,
and data showed only 3.6 percent of all oysters landed in Louisiana
came from public oyster areas in 2017.
environmental conditions. Louisiana’s Eastern oyster resource is one of the largest oyster resources in the nation, supporting
one of state’s largest and most valuable fisheries and providing important ecological services to the state. The Louisiana
Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is charged with managing the state’s oyster resource by closely monitoring
the size and health of oyster populations on nearly 1.7 million acres of public oyster areas (Figure 1) as well as setting oyster
seasons, monitoring harvest levels, and enhancing habitat (e.g., cultch planting, reef building, etc.).
The oyster industry has historically used Louisiana’s public oyster areas as a source of seed oysters (less than 3 inches height)
to transplant to private oyster leases and grow out to market size. In Louisiana, there are approximately 404,000 acres of
private oyster leases that are managed by leaseholders. The public oyster areas also yield a supply of market-size oysters
(greater than or equal to 3 inches height), which may be taken directly to market. Louisiana leads the nation in oyster
production largely due to this public/private oyster production system. Annual dockside sales have reached as much as $85
million in recent years.
LDWF manages public oyster areas to balance the economic opportunity of the fishery with the biological sustainability
of the resource. Management depends on obtaining the best fishery dependent and independent data available through
monitoring harvest and resource availability throughout the oyster season and performing yearly stock assessments. The
annual individual Coastal Study Area (CSA) oyster stock assessment reports help fulfill these data needs as they provide
estimates of the current stock size of the oyster resource within each CSA. The information these data provide allow
resource managers to implement management changes to both effectively use the current resource and protect its long-term
viability.