Development and growth of hatchery-reared larval Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus)

Although the Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) is a prime candidate for aquaculture, the problematic production of juveniles remains a major impediment to commercial culture of this species. In order to improve the understanding of larval development and to refine hatchery production techniques, this study was conducted to characterize development and growth of Florida pompano from hatching through metamorphosis by using digital photography and image analysis. Newly hatched larvae were transparent and had a large, elongate yolk sac and single oil globule. The lower and upper jaws as well as the digestive tract were not fully developed at hatching. Rotifers were observed in the stomach of larvae at three days after hatching (DAH), and Artemia spp. were observed in the stomach of larvae at 14 DAH. Growth rates calculated from total length measurements were 0.22 ±0.04, 0.23 ±0.12, and 0.35 ±0.09 mm/d for each of the larval rearing trials. The mouth gape of larvae was 0.266 ±0.075 mm at first feeding and increased with a growth rate of 0.13 ± 0.04 mm/d. Predicted values for optimal prey sizes ranged from 80 to 130 μm at 3 DAH, 160 to 267 μm at 5 DAH, and 454 to 757 μm at 10 DAH. Based on the findings of this study, a refined feeding regime was developed to provide stage- and size-specific guidelines for feeding Florida pompano larvae reared under hatchery con

The Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department of SEAFDEC

The Marine Fishery Resources Development and Management Department of SEAFDEC (Malaysia), its objectives and activities are briefly presented.

Impact of development and dissemination of Integrated Aquaculture-Agriculture (IAA) Technologies in Malawi

Malawi is a small but densely populated country in Southern Africa. Fish is an important part of the nutrition of Malawians, providing essential protein and micronutrients. However, per capita fish consumption has halved over the ten-year period between 1988 to 1998 due to over-fishing in the lakes and doubling of the population since the 1970s, accompanied by an increase in the price of fish. This has worsened access to food insecurity, especially in rural areas, in a country where an estimated 66 per cent of the population consume less than the minimum daily calorie requirement. This paper presents an ex-post impact assessment of the development and dissemination of smallscale integrated aquaculture-agriculture technologies by The WorldFish Center and its national and international partners over more than 15 years in Malawi. The impact study measures the effects of these outputs on the degree of integrated aquaculture-agriculture (IAA) technology adoption and diffusion, the effects on farm income and health of household members, and the welfare effects of increased fish supply on the Malawian economy.

Skimmers: Their Development and Use in Coastal Louisiana

The origin, development, and utilization of the skimmer net is reviewed along with other historical shrimp gears used in coastal Louisiana. The skimmer was developed to catch white shrimp, Penaeus setiferus, observed jumping over the cork line (headrope) of trawls being worked in shallow waters. A description of the gear is presented including basic components and various frame designs used by fishermen during its development. The advantages of skimmers over bottom trawls include: multiple use as both trawl and butterfly net (wing net), ease of deployment, increased maneuverability, reduction and greater survivability of bycatch, and ability to cover more area due to increased speed and continuous fishing capability. Disadvantages may include compromising vessel stability when stored upright on the deck, possible damage to water bottoms when improperly rigged, and limitation to a 12-foot (3.6 m) maximum depth due to size restrictions. The growing popularity of the skimmer net is evident by its introduction into North Carolina and inquiries from other southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coast states.

The Development and Decline of Hawaii's Skipjack Tuna Fishery

The pole-and-line fishery for skipjack tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis, was the largest commercial fishery in Hawaii until its decline in the 1970's and 1980's. The development and decline of the fishery were strongly affected by fish availability and marketing. A sustained drop in the availability of large fish in the mid-1970's appears to have been due in part to a sustained environmental change. Availability of large fish subsequently increased, but the fishery continued its decline owing to low profitability and lack of markets. The tuna cannery in Honolulu that fostered the fishery's expansion in the 1930's closed in 1984. Unless efforts to increase the marketf or skipjack tuna become effective, landings will probably remain at current levels of about 1,000 metric tons per year. The existing pole-and-line fleet may continue to decline with age, and the local market may eventually be supplied by other fishing methods (e.g., trolling), by new vessels, or by imports.

Larval development and identification of the genus Triglops (Scorpaeniformes: Cottidae)

Prior to Pietsch’s (1993) revision of the genus Triglops, identification of their larvae was difficult; six species co-occur in the eastern North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea and three co-occur in the western North Atlantic Ocean. We examined larvae from collections of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Atlantic Reference Centre and used updated meristic data, pigment patterns, and morphological characters to identify larvae of Triglops forficatus, T. macellus, T. murrayi, T. nybelini, T. pingeli, and T. scepticus; larvae of T. metopias, T. dorothy, T. jordani, and T. xenostethus have yet to be identified and are thus not included in this paper. Larval Triglops are characterized by a high myomere count (42–54), heavy dorsolateral pigmentation on the gut, and a pointed snout. Among species co-occurring in the eastern North Pacific Ocean, T. forficatus, T. macellus, and T. pingeli larvae are distinguished from each other by meristic counts and presence or absence of a series of postanal ventral melanophores. Triglops scepticus is differentiated from other eastern North Pacific Ocean larvae by having 0–3 postanal ventral melanophores, a large eye, and a large body depth. Among species co-occurring in the western North Atlantic Ocean, T. murrayi and T. pingeli larvae are distinguished from each other by meristic counts (vertebrae, dorsal-fin rays, and anal-fin rays once formed), number of postanal ventral melanophores, and first appearance and size of head spines. Triglops nybelini is distinguished from T. murrayi and T. pingeli by a large eye, pigment on the lateral line and dorsal midline in flexion larvae, and a greater number of dorsal-fin rays and pectoral-fin rays once formed.

Methodologies and mechanisms for management of cumulative coastal environmental impacts. Part I: Synthesis, with annotated bibliography; Part II: Development and application of a cumulative impacts assessment protocol

What Are ~umulat iveE ffects? Coastal managers now recognize that many of the most serious resource degradation problems have built up gradually as the combined outcome of numerous actions and choices which alone may have had relatively minor impacts. For example, alteration of essential habitat through wetland loss, degradation of water quality from nonpoint source pollution, and changes in salinity of estuarine waters from water diversion projects can be attributed to numerous small actions and choices. These incremental losses have broad spatial and temporal dimensions, resulting in the gradual alteration of structure and functioning of biophysical systems. In the environmental management field, the term "cumulative effects" is generally used to describe this phenomenon of changes in the environment that result from numerous, small-scale alterations.

A GIS analysis of coastal development and trends in bottlenose dolphin strandings in Charleston, SC: implications for coastal marine spatial planning

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) inhabit estuarine waters near Charleston, South Carolina (SC) feeding, nursing and socializing. While in these waters, dolphins are exposed to multiple direct and indirect threats such as anthropogenic impacts (egs. harassment with boat traffic and entanglements in fishing gear) and environmental degradation. Bottlenose dolphins are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Over the years, the percentage of strandings in the estuaries has increased in South Carolina and, specifically, recent stranding data shows an increase in strandings occurring in Charleston, SC near areas of residential development. During the same timeframe, Charleston experienced a shift in human population towards the coastline. These two trends, rise in estuarine dolphin strandings and shift in human population, have raised questions on whether the increase in strandings is a result of more detectable strandings being reported, or a true increase in stranding events. Using GIS, the trends in strandings were compared to residential growth, boat permits, fishing permits, and dock permits in Charleston County from 1994-2009. A simple linear regression analysis was performed to determine if there were any significant relationships between strandings, boat permits, commercial fishing permits, and crabpot permits. The results of this analysis show the stranding trend moves toward Charleston Harbor and adjacent rivers over time which suggests the increase in strandings is related to the strandings becoming more detectable. The statistical analysis shows that the factors that cause human interaction strandings such as boats, commercial fishing, and crabpot line entanglements are not significantly related to strandings further supporting the hypothesis that the increase in strandings are due to increased observations on the water as human coastal population increases and are not a natural phenomenon. This study has local and potentially regional marine spatial planning implications to protect coastal natural resources, such as the bottlenose dolphin, while balancing coastal development.