Julie A. Lively
Professor Louisiana State University
- Baton Rouge LA
Dr. Lively's work centers around commercial fisheries in the Southeast region.
Areas of Expertise
Biography
Research Focus
Commercial Fisheries Sustainability & Blue Crab Biology
Dr. Lively’s research focuses on Gulf Coast commercial-fisheries sustainability—blue-crab biology, shrimp post-harvest processes, and derelict trap mitigation. As executive director of Louisiana Sea Grant, she pairs field fishery surveys, disease-and-bait experiments, and stakeholder extension to strengthen seafood-industry resilience and coastal stewardship.
Answers
- What are the biggest challenges facing Gulf Coast shrimpers and crabbers right now, and what solutions are being developed?
Both species have healthy population levels, but both sectors are facing major challenges. Gulf Coast shrimp is really impacted by imported product. With 80-90% of shrimp imported, domestic shrimp can’t set the price point. An influx of imports over the years has dropped prices to record lows. Crab price is better, but both crabbers and shrimpers are facing the same price increases on everything, just like we are at the store. Diesel or gas, bait, etc. have all gone up, including insurance. Labor has become a major program as both sectors face graying of the fleet with very few young people entering the fisheries. Many boats can’t find enough deckhand labor. This is also the case for processors on land. Both are also impact by storms. Between cost, insurance (or lack thereof), and an aging industry, infrastructure for both shrimp and crab is decreasing across the coast.
Education
Truman State University
B.S.
Biology
University of Delaware
Ph.D.
Marine Biology/Biochemistry
Media Appearances
Lake Pontchartrain’s fresh water surge changes ecology
Washington Times online
2019-07-17
For a lot of animals, we expect they can adapt,” said Julie Anderson Lively, a fisheries specialist and assistant professor at LSU, who noted that most marine life will simply swim to places where the water is more to their suiting
Black lines under shrimp shell
Eat Or Toss online
2022-07-11
It’s also possible, fisheries specialist Julie Anderson Lively told me, that this is simply some naturally occurring discoloration on the shrimp. Just as animals of the same species can have different color patterns (think of the wide variety of coats cats can have, for example), this shrimp may have just been programmed a bit differently.
Can you eat the dark line or “vein” on shrimp?
Eat Or Toss online
2023-10-31
Julie Anderson Lively, executive director of the Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, said the look of the “vein” varies based on the shrimp’s diet. A brownish, blackish color is common, but if the shrimp enjoyed a more colorful meal, you might see the evidence.
Unlocking The Secrets Of Crab Shedding: A Cajun Delicacy Revealed
KPEL online
2024-07-25
While tough, the business has potential to pay well. A soft-shell crab is worth seven times the value of a regular blue crab, Julie Anderson Lively, AgCenter and Sea Grant specialist said. And demand is much higher than supply. Louisiana crab shedders regularly get calls from restaurants in other states searching for soft-shells.
Articles
Discards and bycatch: A review of wasted fishing.
Advances in Marine Biology2023
Bycatch and discards are a significant issue for global fisheries, with discards considered unnecessary mortality and wasted fishing. Discards have declined due to more selective gear and changes in regulations, but data on discard rates and species remains challenging to collect. Addressing discards is crucial to minimize food waste and increase seafood production. We provide an up-to-date overview of research on wasted fishing through bycatch and discards since 2012, including pots/traps, trawls, gillnets, and lines. By highlighting the challenges of collecting data on discard rates, species, and reasons, we emphasize the need for an adaptive approach to monitoring and reducing discards.
Investigating conspecific CsRV1 transmission in Callinectes sapidus
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology2023
A reo-like virus, CsRV1, is found in blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, from every North American location assessed, including Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, USA and associated with blue crabs in softshell production. CsRV1-associated crab mortality is prevalent in captive crabs, but it is still unknown how CsRV1 is transmitted. The purpose of this study was to examine the role that conspecific predation or scavenging may play in per os transmission in single exposure and repeated exposure experiments. For viruses without cell culture propagation, repeated exposure experiments have the challenge of presenting the virus consistently during the experiment and across time replicates. In a single-exposure experiment, none of the crabs fed muscle tissue of crabs carrying intense infections of CsRV1 developed CsRV1 infections.
Detection of pathogenic bacteria in retailed shrimp from Bangladesh
Food Science & Nutrition2024
The presence of pathogenic bacteria is a problem that might be present in farmed shrimp due to exposure in the environment or post‐harvest handling. Retail farmed shrimp in Bangladesh (Penaeus monodon and Macrobrachium rosenbergii) were tested for common pathogenic bacteria namely Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, Vibrio spp., and E. coli. None of these bacteria were found and instead Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia fergusonii, Proteus penneri, Klebsiella aerogenes, Enterococcus faecalis, Serratia marcescens, Citrobacter freundii, and Aeromonas dhakensis were detected. Pathogenic bacteria found in Bangladeshi shrimp may be due to the farm environment, poor handling during harvest or post‐harvest, or unhygienic market conditions.
The state of Louisiana’s freshwater commercial fishery: a study of fishermen’s attitudes towards fishing and their future
Maritime Studies2024
As an important contributor to Louisiana’s economy, the commercial freshwater fisheries have been the subject of growing attention in recent years by resource managers as the industry appears to be on the brink of collapse. Fewer participants are entering the field, fish buyers and processors are closing, and market prices remain stagnant. To better understand this industry, we conducted a study to characterize the commercial freshwater fisheries in Louisiana including the fishermen, the fishing operations, the effort across the state, local knowledge on management issue and barriers and opportunities for the future of the industry. We completed structured interviews at fish houses across Louisiana. The average full-time fisherman was 56 years old with about 34 years of commercial fishing experience, and catfish (Ictaluridae spp.) and buffalo (Ictobius spp.) appear to be the most sought-after finfish; however, this slightly differs by region.
Detecting sulfite residue in Louisiana, United States of America and Bangladesh shrimp production
Food Research2024
Samples of wild shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus and Farfantepenaeus aztecus) from Louisiana, USA and farmed Bangladesh shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergii, Penaeus monodon, Macrobrachium villosimanus, and Macrobrachium malcomsonii) were screened for sulfite residue and compared to control shrimp treated with known amounts of sulfites. Sulfite residues of> 10 ppm (detection limit) were observed in 17 to 33% of Louisiana shrimp and 10 to 20% of Bangladesh shrimp. However, not all treated control shrimp tested positive for sulfite residue. For Louisiana shrimp, 30 to 80% of replicate shrimp within a positive control sample tested> 10 ppm. In Bangladesh, 20 to 40% of replicate shrimp within a positive control sample tested> 10 ppm. This work indicated that sulfite use is still common, and anyone with a sulfite-triggered health issue should take caution in consuming shrimp from only trusted sulfite-free sources.
Media
