Concerns about the status of the Atlantic menhaden stock have led the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to identify 4 broad research questions that must be answered in order to evaluate whether "localized depletion" of Atlantic menhaden is occurring in Chesapeake Bay. Researchers at VIMS are involved in several projects designed to answer these and other questions and to provide the data needed to manage Chesapeake Bay menhaden stocks in a sustainable manner.
VIMS researchers are working to:
- Determine the abundance of menhaden in Chesapeake Bay
- Quantify the role of menhaden in water-column filtration and as major prey in Chesapeake Bay
- Better understand recruitment dynamics by determining the adundance of juvenile menhaden, and
- Assess the social and economic value of menhaden.
VIMS researchers have also conducted studies to determine the cause of skin lesions in menhaden.
Click on the links above or visit our research and Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) pages to learn more.