Juvenile striped bass spawned in the Chesapeake Bay were at a
record low at the end of the summer. The Maryland Department of
Natural Resources recently completed its annual young of the
year survey and found far fewer juvenile fish than a year ago.
Scientists believe the factors are more tied to unusually warm
weather conditions in the Chesapeake than to the number of adult
fish spawning in the bay. The annual survey of fish spawned in
the summer is called the young of the year index, and is used to
gauge the health of stocks born in that year. The annual index,
collected over more than 50 years, has had many highs and lows.
This year’s index, the lowest recorded, was .89. Last year’s
index of 11.9 was the fourth highest. Nearly all striped bass
found in Vineyard waters come from the Chesapeake. It can take
from four to six years for a female striped bass to reach sexual
maturity. Dan McKiernan, deputy director of the state Division
of Marine Fisheries, called the low index troubling and said it
may be tied