Striped Bass Egg Abundance and Viability in the Roanoke River, North Carolina, and Young-of-Year Survivorship, for 1993

Abstract

Striped bass spawning activity in the Roanoke River, North Carolina, was documented in 1993 by sampling for eggs at Barnhill's Landing (River Mile 117), which is just downstream of the spawning grounds between the towns of Halifax (RM 120) and Weldon (RM 130). Egg sampling was conducted every four hours near the surface and bottom from 16 April to 16 June 1993. Water quality and changes in instream flow caused by water releases from Roanoke Rapids Reservoir at RM 137 also were monitored every four hours. During the summer and fall, age-O (young-of-year) striped bass were collected by beach seine in western Albemarle Sound, and by trawl surveys in western and central Albemarle Sound. All fish retained in samples were weighed, measured, and aged by counting rings on otoliths. The date of spawn for each fish was backcalculated, and each fish was assigned to a daily cohort for calculations of survival rates relative to daily egg production estimates.