Eggleston/LaCroce Publish Article on Bay Scallops

Congratulations to Melissa LaCroce, NC State University research assistant at the NC State Center for Marine Sciences and Technology (CMAST), and Dr. David Eggleston, director of CMAST, who have published an article on the population density and size of bay scallops in North Carolina (NC) Sounds.  The article, titled, Patterns and Processes Underlying Spatiotemporala Patiotemporal Variation in Bay Scallop Density and Size Structure within three NC Sounds was published earlier this month by the National Shellfisheries Association in the Journal of Shellfish Research. 

The last assessment of scallop density and distribution in NC sounds was conducted more than thirty years ago after a red tide event in 1987. LaCroce and Eggleston’s current study surveyed bay scallop densities and sizes in seagrass beds in southern Core Sound, Back Sound, and Bogue Sound, NC. 

The water quality in all three sounds was found to be appropriate to sustain healthy scallop populations. Visual surveys were conducted from May and November 2022. Findings showed a correlation between the density of seagrass and the density of scallops. In addition, the overall size of the bay scallops was found to have increased from May to August 2022.

This study serves as an update on the bay scallop population in NC sounds and provides information for the purpose of managing sustainable harvest or restoration of bay scallops.  The entire article is available HERE.