The Atlantic sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) fishery on the Northeast U.S. continental shelf generates approximately USD 500 million ex-vessel revenues annually, making it one of the most valuable single species fisheries in the United States. Wind energy development is planned for key areas on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic shelf where the Atlantic sea scallop fishery operates, creating novel challenges in managing trade-offs between traditional users like fisheries and new users like offshore wind energy. An agent-based modeling framework that integrates spatial dynamics in Atlantic sea scallop stock biology, fishing fleet behavior, and federal management decisions, was implemented to investigate how offshore wind energy infrastructure may directly affect the Atlantic sea scallop fishery. The effect of current and planned wind energy lease areas on Atlantic sea scallop was evaluated with simulations that restricted Atlantic sea scallop fishing in lease areas, transiting lease areas by the fishing fleet, or both. The relative effects of these restrictions were measured against a simulation without any restrictions. Simulations indicated that wind energy lease areas have minor impacts on the present-day fishery, with changes in days fished, landings per unit effort, and total fishing trips under 5% with impacts varying across development scenarios and fishing ports. These results suggest offshore wind development may have limited impacts on fishing. However, these changes can be magnified by the value of the Atlantic sea scallop fishery, resulting in substantial economic impacts. Imposed restrictions on fishing location and transiting lease areas resulted in spatial shifts in fishing trips, with larger changes associated with the larger proposed wind lease area footprints, particularly in the southern part of the Atlantic sea scallop range. The largest negative effect of wind restrictions was the reduction in Atlantic sea scallop biomass outside of the lease areas (similar to 4-9%), likely due to effort displacement, even though the total stock biomass remained relatively unchanged. The simulation results highlight the need for a holistic approach to assessing the complex interactions between offshore wind energy lease areas, Atlantic sea scallop stock dynamics, and fishing vessel transit routes to accurately identify and address potential impacts. This information is critical for fishers and managers to assess mitigation approaches and serves as a valuable tool for future planning amid interactions between commercial fisheries, the offshore wind energy industry, and changing environmental conditions.

The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is an economically and ecologically important species. Reefs in western Mississippi Sound historically have been subjected to multiple mass mortalities, with the most recent in 2019. Larval recruitment is essential for populations to rebound; however, larval success depends on environmental conditions, and suboptimal food supplies may limit recruitment events for Mississippi reefs. To better understand potential limitations on larval performance, this study evaluates oyster larval food quality and quantity estimates using analyses of total lipid, protein, and labile carbohydrate throughout the spawning season over three years. This study provides an insight into the variability among reefs, sampling times, and yearly timescales for these potential food resources for oyster larvae. Analyses reveal significant differences in food metrics across the months and years sampled, but no significant differences among reefs. Surprisingly, bulk particulate organic matter did not provide an alternative metric for oyster larval food supply. Understanding the year-to-year differences in planktonic food supply is imperative for understanding yearly and subyearly variations in recruitment and to better inform management on options for reef rehabilitation and sustainable management of the oyster fishery.

Oysters produce critical biogenic habitat in estuaries and have throughout their evolutionary history. Early Holocene coastal environments experienced rapid rates of relative sea level rise, which dramatically shifted the physical footprint of estuaries and intertidal habitat for sessile species. The study objectives were to: 1) describe the distribution and density of fossil oyster shell on the mid-Atlantic continental shelf; 2) identify time since death; 3) construct an age-length-shell weight relationship; and from these 4) simulate population dynamics and habitat production for an early Holocene oyster reef. We conducted dredge surveys on the mid-Atlantic continental shelf and collected 859 fossil oyster shells and shell fragments. Selected shells were radiocarbon dated to 11,072 to 8472 cal yr BP. Using preserved material, we established an age-length-weight relationship to calculate the average shell weight (g) for a given age at death. We simulated early Holocene oyster populations under 300 scenarios, which included three recruitment levels (high, medium, low) and 100 natural mortality levels ranging from similar to 10 to 50% mortality yr(-1) (M = 0.1 to 0.7). Simulated oyster populations were more resilient to relative sea level rise under high recruitment and low natural mortality scenarios. High recruitment and low natural mortality enabled oyster populations to maintain higher mean population size (# m(-2)), mean population biomass (g m(-2)), mean annual carbonate production (g m(-2) yr(-1)) from growth of living oysters, and mean annual gross reef accretion (g m(-2) yr(-1) and mm yr(-1)) from mortality, which was critical for reefs to accrete rapidly to match relative sea level rise.

Warming bottom water temperatures increasingly impact sensitive sedentary bivalves within the Mid-Atlantic, including the economically important Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima. A primary characteristic of the surfclam is the regional variability in average maximum size measured by the von Bertalanffy parameter L-infinity (L infinity), varying from around 100 mm to above 170 mm. Variation in maximum length is likely due to the influence of bottom water temperature on surfclam maximum size, a manifestation of the temperature-size rule, which states that animals of larger size will be found in cooler climates. As climate warming persists, the challenge is to evaluate the influence of temperature-determined variations in surfclam size frequency relative to fishery performance under the present regulatory framework that includes a landing size limit of 4.75 '' (approximately 120 mm). A reduction in clam size in the southern portion of the range as warming continues fosters increased landing of smaller clams, thereby increasing the probability of the landings size limit impacting the fishery. Simulations using an agent-based fisheries model, the Spatially Explicit Fishery Economics Simulator, using a range of dredge selectivities, for time periods from present day to the end of the 21st century, with the size limit enforced or absent, are used to directly evaluate the impact of size-limited growth on fishery performance. Simulations show minimal effects on landings, fishing mortality rate, the fraction of landings less than 120 mm, and lifetime fecundity of the stock. The influence of the fishery on lifetime fecundity, about 7%-8%, with or without the size limit, is high in comparison with the fishing mortality rate of about 0.015 y-1, although still slight in terms of population dynamics. The differential originates from the importance of large clams in the catch. Large clams contribute significantly to spawning capacity due to their long lifespan and annual spawning. As large clams are also preferentially targeted, the impact on lifetime fecundity can be expected to exceed the impact of the fishery on stock biomass. Thus, the long lifespan of the Atlantic surfclam, its early maturity, and the dynamic interplay with a volume-based fishery inherently targeting large animals for a range of economic reasons minimize the influence of any regulation designed to limit the take of small clams, sufficiently so as to pose the question: why have a size limit?

The universality of the allometric model for describing the length-weight relationship in marine species has been questioned, particularly for some invertebrates such as sea urchins, clams, and barnacles. In such cases, nonparametric regression models may offer improved flexibility and capture specific patterns-such as inflection points in growth curves-not identified by standard parametric models. These features can support the identification of biologically meaningful thresholds relevant to fisheries, including size-dependent yield. Nonparametric quantile regression further enhances inference by characterizing variability across the entire distribution of body condition. Here, we assess the comparative performance of parametric and nonparametric regression models for the Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, using data collected from three regions along the U.S. Atlantic coast (Virginia, Delaware/Maryland, and New Jersey). First, we compare two mean regression approaches -a classic allometric model and a kernel-based nonparametric alternative- using a bootstrap-based procedure. Second, we apply quantile regression to both parametric and nonparametric frameworks to investigate size-dependent variation in growth patterns. Model selection for mean regressions was based on a hypothesis test contrasting the allometric model versus a general nonparametric alternative, while the quantile regressions were evaluated using a goodness-of-fit test derived from the cumulative sum of the gradient vector. Our results indicate that the allometric model provides a better fit in the mean regression context, while the nonparametric model proves more effective for quantile regression, particularly in detecting condition-dependent deviations and regional variability. Other long-lived marine bivalves, such as Arctica islandica and Mercenaria mercenaria, which show environmentally driven variation in growth and condition, may similarly benefit from modeling approaches that distinguish central from marginal populations.

Oyster aquaculture in deep (>6 m) Delaware Bay waters offers a unique opportunity to enhance production, although expansion offshore prevents use of traditional nearshore growing technologies, such as rack-and-bag techniques. Challenges such as inclement water conditions, biofouling, and the costs of gear and stock maintenance hinder the successful production of high-quality oysters for half-shell markets in deepwater aquaculture. One Delaware Bay oyster farm patented a bottom-deployed gear design specifically to employ the high tidal energy present in this estuary to autonomously rotate cages holding the stock. The novel design offers the potential to reduce husbandry frequency, thereby enhancing operation efficiency and reducing labor costs, but performance of this new gear type has not been documented scientifically. Performance of various triploid seed lines (DEBY, NEH, and LOLA) at low and high cage stocking densities (150 and 200 oysters per basket, respectively) were compared to evaluate performance in this recently developed subtidal gear. Performance metrics included final dimensions, growth, condition, shell shape (fan and cup ratios), condition index, mortality, and disease prevalence. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) indicated that genetic line imposed a significant (P <= 0.05) effect on most metrics, which likely resulted from differential sizes across lines at the onset of the experiment. Interestingly, stocking density did not impose a significant influence on oyster size, shape, or mortality. Overall, DEBY and LOLA lines outperformed the NEH lines in most morphometrics. Low density DEBY cages generally exhibited the lower mortality, whereas high density NEH cages generally exhibited higher mortality. Metrics of shell shape and market quality all fell within acceptable aesthetic limits. Along with evaluating genetic line and stocking density effects, this study demonstrates that the novel aquaculture gear evaluated in this study is an effective farming approach for deepwater estuarine settings characterized by relatively high tidal flows.

Eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) populations are declining due to habitat degradation, overharvesting, and disease. One factor of potentially equal importance that has received little focus is the impact of food quantity and size composition of the seston supporting larval development, survival, and success at metamorphosis. Phytoplankton serve as a primary source of nutrition for oyster larvae; its size composition and content tend to fluctuate with environmental conditions. These fluctuations, in turn, may significantly impact larval performance. To investigate the potential of variations in the size composition of the seston determining the dynamics of larval performance, simulations are developed to project larval success in relation to variations in three size classes of planktonic food, <5, 5-20, and >20 mu m. A biochemically-based larval performance model is implemented to track key outcomes, defined as the success rate at metamorphosis, mortality during development due to suboptimal food supply, and mortality due to egg quality characteristics supporting early development. The results support the potential of variations in the size composition of planktonic food as a key driver of outcomes, potentially explaining some of the well-described year-to-year volatility in recruitment. The results point to a number of key influences on larval performance including the critical need for sufficient availability of small food particles at the end of the trochophore stage, suggesting a potentially key match-mismatch point in larval development. The results point to the influence of larger food particles later in larval life in supporting increased size at metamorphosis and in reducing planktonic lifetimes, thereby reducing exposure to predation. Simulations also show the influence of egg size and larval physiology supporting increased survival when food size composition is suboptimal. Given the outcomes of this study, increased interest in the size-composition of seston in the field relative to larval performance metrics would seem warranted.

A dominant theme explaining intraspecific latitudinal size gradients is the temperature-size rule which states that growth rates decline but maximum sizes increase with declining temperatures over a species' range. Herein, the demographics of the Atlantic surfclam Spisula solidissima are evaluated relative to the temperature-size rule, followed by contemplations on the impact of climate change on its management. Analysis of latitudinal trends in size-frequency identifies the anticipated trend of increasing maximum size with decreasing temperature. A metabolic energetics model shows that variations in size accrue from the physiological impact of geographic variations in temperature modulated by variations in food supply. Lifetime fecundity declines with increasing temperature. Implications include the decline in maximum size towards the south limiting the southern stock as a larval source. As temperature increases, the more rapid early growth rate does not counterweigh the cap on size imposed by temperature. Thus, higher temperatures rob the species of reproductive potential. Management measures based on the size frequency are discussed, and specifically regulatory size limits on landings are identified as incompatible with the temperature-size rule.

Trends in Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) population demographic parameters were analyzed using age and length observations obtained from NOAA stock surveys conducted from the 1980s to 2010s in six regions distributed along the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) continental shelf. Atlantic surfclam asymptotic length and specific growth rate were estimated for each survey region and decade using the von Bertalanffy growth function. Specific mortality rates were estimated using a linearized negative exponential relationship and the maximum Atlantic surfclam age observed in each survey region for each decade. The estimated Atlantic surfclam mean length in the southern regions of the MAB decreased from 127 to 103 mm, about a 19% decrease, over the four decades. The mean length remained stable at about 130-135 mm in the central survey regions in contrast to the mean length of the Georges Bank Atlantic surfclam population which showed an increase from 101 to 135 mm over the four decades. The asymptotic length estimated for the southernmost survey region declined by 20% and remained relatively constant for the other survey regions over the four decades. Estimated specific growth rates remained unchanged for most of the survey regions, with the overall regional mean decreasing from about 0.25 y(-1) in the 1980s to 0.20 y(-1) by the 2010s. Specific mortality rates were not significantly different across the survey regions, although the maximum age estimated for the population in the southern survey region decreased by about 36%. This study provides a quantitative assessment of past and ongoing changes in MAB Atlantic surfclam population demographics that can be used to develop projections of responses to stresses imposed by climate change and commercial fishing.

The capacity for oyster (Crassostrea virginica) larvae to successfully develop, grow, and survive is dependent on the quantity and quality of available food. Therefore, examining food supply based upon its biochemical composition of lipid, protein, and labile carbohydrate offers critical insight into oyster larval performance and settlement potential. Biochemical analyses, however, are time-intensive, requiring that such studies be retrospective, generating a need to investigate alternative, real-time techniques to characterize food supply, such as evaluating inherent optical properties. To better understand the food assemblage available to oyster larvae, water samples from seven oyster reefs in Mississippi Sound over two years (May through October) were analyzed for temperature, salinity, particulate organic matter, biochemical properties (lipid, protein, carbohydrate), and in situ optical properties used to infer plankton abundance by size class (pico-, nano-, microplankton), total chlorophyll content, and the magnitude of absorption for colored detrital material. A subset of observations, considered to reflect conditions facilitative for oyster larval survival, clustered into four statistically distinct groups characterized by: high-microplankton, low-microplankton, high-protein, and high-salinity. Total chlorophyll content changed with abiotic conditions, with relatively high concentrations during oligohaline and mesohaline regimes, but declined during periods of changing salinity. Further, transitioning salinities co-occurred with reductions in microplankton concentration and increases in picoplankton concentration. Results of a Spearman’s rank analysis, principal components analysis, and stepwise linear regressions revealed that optical properties were not strongly associated with biochemical properties, preventing these optical data from providing an effective index of oyster larval food supply. Instead, optically-derived microplankton abundance recapitulated total chlorophyll, both of which poorly corresponded to biochemical properties. Picoplankton, colored detrital material, and particulate organic material all exhibited a similarly weak correspondence to biochemical food properties, corroborating that measurements of chlorophyll and particulates do not accurately reflect the food available to oyster larvae, and that biochemical metrics remain as superior food supply indicators.

Oyster Crassostrea virginica population recovery is critical in degraded estuarine systems, such as Mississippi Sound, USA, where repeated mass mortality events have depleted local oyster stocks. Owing to multiple recent die-offs, the western Mississippi Sound oyster population is recruitment-limited; population growth is constrained by the entry of new individuals into the extant population. Therefore, oyster recovery requires an adequate supply of larvae capable of timely development, growth, and successful metamorphosis. Larval performance and settlement potential are influenced by ambient temperature, salinity, and food supply. Food quantity is important to larvae, but so is food quality, as larvae require a balanced diet of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates to develop and survive through metamorphosis. In this study, in situ environmental and food conditions during the 2021 and 2022 spawning seasons from 7 oyster reefs in western Mississippi Sound were integrated into an established biochemically based larval performance model to estimate periods facilitative of successful metamorphosis. In 2021, model-estimated larval survivorship was suppressed through much of the spawning season by prolonged, extremely low salinity (<5 ppt) and inadequately balanced food supply. Higher seasonal salinity and more balanced food composition increased model-estimated larval survivorship in 2022, despite lower total food content, suggesting larval performance was primarily governed by the quality of available food. Model-estimated settlement windows were compared to settlement windows derived from concomitant field observations of recruitment. Strong agreement between model-estimated and observed settlement windows validates the effectiveness of the model and informs on the underlying causes of recruitment limitation in western Mississippi Sound.

Arctica islandica provide long-term records of climate change on the U.S. northeast continental shelf transgressing and regressing across the shelf numerous times synchronously with cold and warm climatic periods. The availability of A. islandica in the death assemblage over a wide geographic and temporal range makes this species well suited for documenting both spatial and temporal influences of climate change in the Mid-Atlantic through the correlation of growth rates in response to changing water conditions. This study focuses on comparing regional growth of subfossil ocean quahogs obtained offshore of the Delmarva Peninsula (Delmarva), and living during the cold periods since the Holocene Climate Optimum, with living A. islandica from offshore New Jersey, offshore Long Island, and Georges Bank. These populations exhibited different growth rates, with subfossil individuals from Delmarva death assemblages, representing previous Holocene cold periods, having growth rates as greater than or equal the growth rates of living individuals. Moreover, the growth rates for subfossil A. islandica from Delmarva that were alive from 1740 to 1940 were more rapid than contemporaneous individuals of the same age alive today. Higher growth rates for A. islandica from off Delmarva suggest that conditions supported near maximum growth during the cold periods after the Holocene Climate Optimum, possibly due to increased food supply in water shallower than that inhabited today. Unlike many bivalves, evidence for range recession of A. islandica as bottom water temperatures warm is found first in juvenile abundance, suggesting that recruitment ceases long before the population's demise: range recession in this species is a 100+ year process determined by the survivorship of the oldest and largest individuals. This study is the largest spatial and temporal growth comparison of A. islandica ever recorded and the first record of the process by which this species' inshore range regresses as temperatures rise.

The Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima supports a lucrative commercial fishery in the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) worth roughly $30 million in revenue per year. Rapid climate change is expected to modify the geographic range of the Atlantic surfclam, with consequences for the surfclam fishery. This study evaluated fishery-based indicators projected from 2020 through 2095 based on anticipated changes in the geographic range and biomass of the Atlantic surfclam, using a Spatially Explicit, agent-based Fisheries and Economics Simulator (SEFES). Simulations generally showed a positive trend in Atlantic surfclam biomass throughout the next three-quarters of the 21st century as the clam's range continues to shift offshore and northward along the continental shelf. A general decrease in fishing mortality rate is projected given the present fleet capacity, with a simultaneous increase in catch and landings per unit effort (LPUE), signaling future potential growth in the surfclam fishery. Regionally, forecasts show biomass expanding into deeper waters particularly off New Jersey, Long Island, and southern New England starting in the early 2050s, whereas populations on Georges Bank and off Delmarva gradually decline. Trends in time spent fishing, catch, and LPUE parallel those of biomass in each region. These results can inform managers and business interests that rely on this fishery, as well as other users of the continental shelf, to provide a basis for the development of anticipatory management for the socio-ecological and economic impacts that may result from future changes in the Atlantic surfclam range and carrying capacity consequent of climate change.

The Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, and ocean quahog, Arctica islandica, are biomass dominant bivalve species on the eastern North American continental shelf, both supporting lucrative commercial fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic with a combined value of about $53.6 million in ex-vessel revenue per year. The thermal tolerance of Atlantic surfclam is generally below 20 degrees C, whereas the boreal ocean quahog resides in colder waters maintained by the Mid-Atlantic Bight Cold Pool. Climate-induced warming of bottom water temperatures is thought to be linked to the observed distributional shift of the Atlantic surfclam population into waters historically dominated by ocean quahogs. As climate change is expected to continue, this study investigated the future distributions of the two species from years 2016 to 2095 using projected bottom water temperatures and a temperature-dependent population dynamics model. Simulations show the progressive colonization of Atlantic surfclams offshore into the region earlier occupied by the Cold Pool throughout the 79-year projection, beginning between the mid-2040s and mid-2050s, effectively compressing ocean quahog habitat on all sides. Ocean quahogs are shown to be vulnerable to climate-induced warming on both the southern, inshore, and offshore portions of the continental shelf, ultimately restricting their habitat by the end of the 21st century to the remaining core of the Cold Pool off Long Island. Atlantic surfclams, however, are likely to be less vulnerable to climate-induced warming, ultimately increasing their geographic footprint across the MAB. Model projections indicate a large-scale reorganization event of the continental shelf benthic community structure throughout the remainder of the 21st century.

Offshore wind energy development on the Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) portion of the Northwestern Atlantic continental shelf could have adverse impacts on the future of the Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, fishery. The current and potential future areas designated for offshore wind energy development overlap with the present-day and projected Atlantic surfclam fishing grounds and so could limit the fishery. Fishery impacts imposed by displacement of fishing outside wind farm areas and possible restrictions on vessel transit through the wind farms were simulated using a spatially explicit fishery model. The distribution of catch, hours fished, landings per unit effort (LPUE), time at sea, fishing mortality, and the number of fishing trips were projected for five time periods encompassing the period of 2016-2055. Simulations showed a significant decline in the mean of all fishery metrics (apart from LPUE) as the area of wind farm restrictions increased in scale. Impacts were consistently larger when vessel transit through and fishing within offshore wind areas were prohibited. Impacts were also larger for MAB regions off New Jersey and Delmarva than regions farther north and east. These simulations highlight the necessity of evaluating future conditions as warming temperatures shift the surfclam range relative to the immobile wind farm locations. The offshore wind industry must consider projected long-term impacts of developmental expansion on surrounding sedentary benthic species and the commercially important fisheries that rely on them.

The Graphical User Interface (GUI) MarineEpi is presented as a Matlab toolbox for easily (i) constructing disease transmission models for different marine host-pathogen systems, (ii) running simulations by specifying initial conditions and model parameters, and (iii) interpreting the resulting time series of the host and pathogen population dynamics. MarineEpi users can generate models for systems in which pathogen transmission occurs through contact with infected individuals (SI), contact with dead infected individuals (SID), contact with environmental pathogens released by infected individuals (SIP), and contact with environmental pathogens released by dead infected individuals (SIPD). MarineEpi is a freely available GUI that provides the capability for marine disease researchers and managers to understand disease dynamics processes and mechanisms using a quantitative modeling framework. In addition, it can be a valuable learning tool for teaching marine disease processes in engineering, environmental science and epidemiology curricula.

Warming of the Mid-Atlantic continental shelf has resulted in a range shift of the Atlantic surfclam, Spisula solidissima, north and offshore into waters still occupied by ocean quahogs (Arctica islandica). An ecotone, a boundary transitioning between neighboring ecological systems over a wide range of space and time, now exists over much of the offshore range of the surfclam in which surfclams and ocean quahogs co-occur. Regulations prohibit fishers from landing both species in the same catch, limiting fishing to locations where the target species can be sorted on deck. An at-sea survey sampling 50+ stations in the overlap region was conducted in September 2021 with the purpose of mapping fishable concentrations of surfclams and ocean quahogs. Size frequency and density data of both species were assessed along with environmental parameters. Species overlap between surfclams and ocean quahogs was most prominent in the 40- to 55-m depth range. Density of surfclams shifted within this depth from surfclam dominant in less than 40 m to ocean quahog dominant in greater than 60 m. Atlantic surfclam length increased with increasing summer bottom water temperature, whereas densities remained stable, indicative of proportionately larger but fewer animals in warmer inshore waters. Ocean quahog size metrics and densities, on the other hand, remain relatively unresponsive to temperature and invading Atlantic surfclam populations and instead increase in size with higher latitude. Large ocean quahogs, in particular, exhibit a distinct correlation with high latitude but fail to do so with other environmental variables. This analysis emphasizes the potential for economic disruption of fisheries as climate change pushes surfclams further into the range of the ocean quahog and highlights the need for regulatory changes to allow mixed catches and landings. The study also emphasizes the importance of the relative rates of transgression and regression of range boundaries by abutting faunas in determining the degree of influence of the ecotone between them on the benthic community structure of the continental shelf.

The Atlantic surfclam Spisula solidissima fishery, which spans the U.S. Northeast continental shelf, is among the most exposed to offshore wind energy development impacts because of the overlap of fishing grounds with wind energy lease areas, the hydraulic dredges used by the fishing vessels, and the location of vessel home ports relative to the fishing grounds. The Atlantic surfclam federal assessment survey is conducted using a commercial fishing vessel in locations that overlap with the offshore wind energy development. Once wind energy turbines, cables, and scour protection are installed, survey operations within wind energy lease areas may be curtailed or eliminated due to limits on vessel access, safety requirements, and assessment survey protocols. The impact of excluding the federal assessment survey from wind energy lease areas was investigated using a spatially explicit, agent-based modeling framework that integrates Atlantic surfclam stock biology, fishery captain and fleet behavior, and federal assessment survey and management decisions. Simulations were designed to compare assessment estimates of spawning stock biomass (SSB) and fishing mortality (F) for scenarios that excluded the survey from (1) wind energy lease areas or (2) wind energy lease areas and potential wind energy lease areas ("call areas"). For the most restricted scenario, the simulated stock assessment estimated 17% lower SSB relative to an unrestricted survey, placing it below the SSB target. The simulated F increased by 7% but was still less than the accepted F threshold. Changes in biological reference points were driven by the inability to access the Atlantic surfclam biomass within the wind energy lease areas. Deviations in reference points reflected the proportion of the population excluded from the survey. Excluding the Atlantic surfclam assessment surveys from the regions designated for offshore wind development can alter long-term stock assessments by increasing uncertainty in metrics that are used to set fishing quotas.