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A STAGE-BASED POPULATION MODEL FOR BAY SCALLOPS (ARGOPECTEN IRRADIANS) AND IMPLICATIONS FOR POPULATION-LEVEL EFFECTS OF HABITAT ATLERATION.
Citation:
Hinchey, E K., M Chintala, AND T R. Gleason. A STAGE-BASED POPULATION MODEL FOR BAY SCALLOPS (ARGOPECTEN IRRADIANS) AND IMPLICATIONS FOR POPULATION-LEVEL EFFECTS OF HABITAT ATLERATION. Presented at National Shellfish Association 2004 Meeting, Honolulu, HI, March 1-5, 2004.
Description:
Bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) inhabit shallow subtidal habitats along the Atlantic coast of the United States and require settlement substrates, such as submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), for their early juvenile stages. The short lifespan of bay scallops (1-2 yr) coupled with a dependency on an essential habitat (SAV) renders this species particularly vulnerable to coastal habitat alteration.
We are investigating the effects of habitat alteration on bay scallop populations using a stage-based matrix population model, in which the life history of A. irradians is divided into five life stages (Fig. 1). By quantitatively representing the life history strategy of the bay scallop and directly incorporating stressor effects and stressor-response relationships for specific life stages into model projections, the matrix model provides a framework for evaluating the risk that habitat alteration (in the form of decline in SAV habitat quality and quantity) poses to bay scallop populations. Model output relating the response of scallop population growth rate to environmental stressors will be presented, along with simulation results of the effects of habitat alteration on scallop populations. Through elasticity analysis, the model can also be used to evaluate management strategies for population enhancement and identify data gaps most critical to understanding the population dynamics of this economically valuable and dwindling species.