HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT #4, Fall 2005                                                         FISHERIES

DUE Tuesday, November 22 by 5 pm

 

Data from the National Marine Fisheries Service have been collected for you on the number of pounds of blue crabs and oysters caught commercially in both Virginia and South Carolina from 1950 until 2003.  The data are presented in a spreadsheet format. 

 

(1)   Examine the data for each state.  Please process the data in some way that helps to demonstrate changes in the commercial catch from 1950 until the present.   You may wish to make another table or a figure, but remember to process the data.  That means that you should not simply graph the data given. 

 

(2)   Assume that blue crabs and oysters live in approximately the same areas - the marshes and estuaries along the coasts of both states.  Remember that blue crabs are mobile while oysters are stationary.  Based on what you know about the changes in human population and water quality along coastlines during the time period presented, discuss some possible reasons for the patterns you observe in the data.  Did both states show the same patterns?  Did both organisms show the same patterns? 

 

(3)   Have we done a good job of managing blue crab and oyster “fishing”?  You may wish to read sections from your text for insights on fisheries.  What suggestions do you have for these two industries?  Would you have the same suggestions for both states? 

 

You will be graded both on your content and on your writing.  Use the rubric to guide you. 

 

SOUTH CAROLINA:   Data adapted from National Marine Fisheries Service

Commercial fisheries report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year

Blue Crabs

Eastern Oysters

 

 

 

 

 

millions of lbs

milliions of lbs.

 

 

 

 

1950

2.87

1.37

 

 

 

 

1951

2.55

1.93

 

 

 

 

1952

2.61

2.25

 

 

 

 

1953

3.77

2.25

 

 

 

 

1954

2.49

2.56

 

 

 

 

1955

4.64

1.34

 

 

 

 

1956

1.90

2.19

 

 

 

 

1957

3.58

1.85

 

 

 

 

1958

4.84

1.44

 

 

 

 

1959

4.77

1.92

 

 

 

 

1960

7.12

2.63

 

 

 

 

1961

4.67

2.54

 

 

 

 

1962

6.34

2.67

 

 

 

 

1963

8.84

3.83

 

 

 

 

1964

9.44

2.51

 

 

 

 

1965

7.42

2.81

 

 

 

 

1966

5.73

2.62

 

 

 

 

1967

5.25

2.26

 

 

 

 

1968

3.86

2.12

 

 

 

 

1969

8.25

0.96

 

 

 

 

1970

6.95

0.85

 

 

 

 

1971

7.51

1.10

 

 

 

 

1972

7.42

1.12

 

 

 

 

1973

7.95

0.88

 

 

 

 

1974

7.55

1.19

 

 

 

 

1975

6.39

1.04

 

 

 

 

1976

5.74

1.19

 

 

 

 

1977

7.33

1.28

 

 

 

 

1978

9.40

1.54

 

 

 

 

1979

7.73

1.69

 

 

 

 

1980

6.22

1.44

 

 

 

 

1981

3.11

1.47

 

 

 

 

1982

6.31

1.62

 

 

 

 

1983

5.59

1.81

 

 

 

 

1984

4.23

1.66

 

 

 

 

1985

4.45

1.28

 

 

 

 

1986

5.95

0.66

 

 

 

 

1987

5.40

0.43

 

 

 

 

1988

6.87

0.30

 

 

 

 

1989

5.70

0.40

 

 

 

 

1990

5.20

0.23

 

 

 

 

1991

5.49

0.37

 

 

 

 

1992

7.22

0.34

 

 

 

 

1993

6.13

0.36

 

 

 

 

1994

7.14

0.30

 

 

 

 

1995

7.04

0.28

 

 

 

 

1996

5.88

0.26

 

 

 

 

1997

6.15

0.20

 

 

 

 

1998

7.46

0.20

 

 

 

 

1999

6.52

0.25

 

 

 

 

2000

5.67

0.27

 

 

 

 

2001

5.43

0.27

 

 

 

 

2002

4.36

0.26

 

 

 

 

2003

4.33

0.28

 

 

 

 

 

VIRGINIA:   Data adapted from National Marine Fisheries Service

Commercial fisheries report

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Year

Blue Crabs

Eastern Oysters

 

 

 

 

millions of lbs

milliions of lbs.

 

 

 

1950

46.40

15.55

 

 

 

1951

37.58

15.08

 

 

 

1952

33.54

18.13

 

 

 

1953

32.33

19.51

 

 

 

1954

32.47

21.22

 

 

 

1955

26.89

21.96

 

 

 

1956

25.75

21.22

 

 

 

1957

24.88

20.09

 

 

 

1958

17.75

25.50

 

 

 

1959

21.15

21.36

 

 

 

1960

39.27

15.34

 

 

 

1961

43.98

17.16

 

 

 

1962

53.67

11.80

 

 

 

1963

46.14

10.52

 

 

 

1964

51.57

14.15

 

 

 

1965

50.56

12.57

 

 

 

1966

63.73

9.44

 

 

 

1967

54.82

9.06

 

 

 

1968

44.84

7.81

 

 

 

1969

33.64

7.44

 

 

 

1970

42.42

8.04

 

 

 

1971

47.81

8.44

 

 

 

1972

48.55

5.01

 

 

 

1973

36.75

4.98

 

 

 

1974

40.85

6.74

 

 

 

1975

34.82

6.24

 

 

 

1976

25.76

6.08

 

 

 

1977

37.18

4.99

 

 

 

1978

36.05

8.09

 

 

 

1979

39.83

8.20

 

 

 

1980

37.69

7.85

 

 

 

1981

42.04

5.88

 

 

 

1982

44.03

5.25

 

 

 

1983

46.10

4.19

 

 

 

1984

49.46

4.32

 

 

 

1985

40.73

4.52

 

 

 

1986

37.52

5.78

 

 

 

1987

32.05

4.83

 

 

 

1988

36.23

2.93

 

 

 

1989

43.25

1.97

 

 

 

1990

49.01

1.63

 

 

 

1991

43.58

1.70

 

 

 

1992

23.31

0.73

 

 

 

1993

51.40

0.41

 

 

 

1994

34.02

0.30

 

 

 

1995

30.80

0.40

 

 

 

1996

32.52

0.16

 

 

 

1997

37.00

0.30

 

 

 

1998

32.15

0.22

 

 

 

1999

29.34

0.35

 

 

 

2000

26.77

0.16

 

 

 

2001

22.69

0.21

 

 

 

2002

25.17

0.10

 

 

 

2003

19.86

0.08