Proceedings of the Ninth and Tenth U.S.-Japan Meetings on Aquaculture

The United States and Japanese counterpart panels on aquaculture were formed in 1969 under the United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources (UJNR). The panels currently include specialists drawn from the federal departments most concerned with aquaculture. Charged with exploring and developing bilateral cooperation, the panels have focused their efforts on exchanging information related to aquaculture which could be of benefit to both countries. The UJNR was started by a proposal made during the Third Cabinet-Level Meeting of the Joint United States-Japan Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs in January 1964. In addition to aquaculture, current subjects in the program are desalination of seawater, toxic microorganisms, air pollution, energy, forage crops, national park management, mycoplasmosis, wind and seismic effects, protein resources, forestry, and several joint panels and committees in marine resources research, development, and utilization. Accomplishments include: Increased communications and cooperation among technical specialists; exchanges of information, data, and research findings; annual meetings of the panels, a policy coordinative body; administration staff meetings; exchanges of equipment, materials, and samples; several major technical conferences; and beneficial effects on international relations. (PDF file contains 98 pages.)

Proceedings of the Seventh U.S.-Japan Meeting on Aquaculture, Marine Finfish Culture, Tokyo, Japan, October 3-4, 1978

The United States and Japanese counterpart panels on aquaculture were formed in 1969 under the United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources (UJNR). The panels currently include specialists drawn from the federal departments most concerned with aquaculture. Charged with exploring and developing bilateral cooperation, the panels have focused their efforts on exchanging information related to aquaculture which could be of benefit to both countries. The UJNR was started by a proposal made during the Third Cabinet-Level Meeting of the Joint United States-Japan Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs in January 1964. In addition to aquaculture, current subjects in the program are desalination of seawater, toxic microorganisms, air pollution, energy, forage crops, national park management, mycoplasmosis, wind and seismic effects, protein resources, forestry, and several joint panels and committees in marine resources research, development, and utilization. Accomplishments include: Increased communications and cooperation among technical specialists; exchanges of information, data, and research findings; annual meetings of the panels, a policy coordinative body;' administration staff meetings; exchanges of equipment, materials, and samples; several major technical conferences; and beneficial effects on international relations.(PDF file contains 37 pages.)

Good Morning, America! The explosive U.S. awakening to the need for adaptation

Since the early years of the 21st century, and in particular since 2007, the U.S. has been awakening rapidly to the fact that climate change is underway and that even if stringent efforts are undertaken to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, adaptation to the unavoidable impacts from the existing commitment to climate change is still needed and needs to be begun now. This report provides an historical overview of the public, political, and scientific concern with adaptation in the United States. It begins by briefly distinguishing ongoing, historical adaptation to environmental circumstances from deliberate adaptation to human‐induced climate change. It then describes the shift from the early concerns with climate change and adaptation to the more recent awakening to the need for a comprehensive approach to managing the risks from climate change. Ranging from the treatment of the topic in the news media to the drafting of bills in Congress, to state and local government activities with considerable engagement of NGOs, scientists and consultants, it is apparent that adaptation has finally, and explosively, emerged on the political agenda as a legitimate and needed subject for debate. At the same time, the current policy rush is not underlain by widespread public engagement and mobilization nor does it rest on a solid research foundation. Funding for vulnerability and adaptation research, establishing adequate decision support institutions, as well as the building of the necessary capacity in science, the consulting world, and in government agencies, lags far behind the need. (PDF contains 42 pages)

Assessing societal vulnerability of U.S. Pacific Northwest communities to storm induced coastal change

Progressive increases in storm intensities and extreme wave heights have been documented along the U.S. West Coast. Paired with global sea level rise and the potential for an increase in El Niño occurrences, these trends have substantial implications for the vulnerability of coastal communities to natural coastal hazards. Community vulnerability to hazards is characterized by the exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of human-environmental systems that influence potential impacts. To demonstrate how societal vulnerability to coastal hazards varies with both physical and social factors, we compared community exposure and sensitivity to storm-induced coastal change scenarios in Tillamook (Oregon) and Pacific (Washington) Counties. While both are backed by low-lying coastal dunes, communities in these two counties have experienced different shoreline change histories and have chosen to use the adjacent land in different ways. Therefore, community vulnerability varies significantly between the two counties. Identifying the reasons for this variability can help land-use managers make decisions to increase community resilience and reduce vulnerability in spite of a changing climate. (PDF contains 4 pages)

The South Atlantic Alliance: A southeastern U.S. state Governors initiative to address opportunities and challenges embodied in the region's coastal and ocean domain

The pressures placed on the natural, environmental, economic, and cultural sectors from continued growth, population shifts, weather and climate, and environmental quality are increasing exponentially in the southeastern U.S. region. Our growing understanding of the relationship of humans with the marine environment is leading us to explore new ecosystem-based approaches to coastal management, marine resources planning, and coastal adaptation that engages multiple state jurisdictions. The urgency of the situation calls for coordinated regional actions by the states, in conjunction with supporting partners and leveraging a diversity of resources, to address critical issues in sustaining our coastal and ocean ecosystems and enhancing the quality of life of our citizens. The South Atlantic Alliance (www.southatlanticalliance.org) was formally established on October 19, 2009 to “implement science-based policies and solutions that enhance and protect the value of coastal and ocean resources of the southeastern United States which support the region's culture and economy now and for future generations.” The Alliance, which includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, will provide a regional mechanism for collaborating, coordinating, and sharing information in support of resource sustainability; improved regional alignment; cooperative planning and leveraging of resources; integrated research, observations, and mapping; increased awareness of the challenges facing the South Atlantic region; and inclusiveness and integration at all levels. Although I am preparing and presenting this overview of the South Atlantic Alliance and its current status, there are a host of representatives from agencies within the four states, universities, NGOs, and ongoing southeastern regional ocean and coastal programs that are contributing significant time, expertise, and energy to the success of the Alliance; information presented herein and to be presented in my oral presentation was generated by the collaborative efforts of these professionals. I also wish to acknowledge the wisdom and foresight of the Governors of the four states in establishing this exciting regional ocean partnership. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Panel discussion: U.S. EPA using modeling and ecosystem services to enhance coastal decision making

This panel will discuss the research being conducted, and the models being used in three current coastal EPA studies being conducted on ecosystem services in Tampa Bay, the Chesapeake Bay and the Coastal Carolinas. These studies are intended to provide a broader and more comprehensive approach to policy and decision-making affecting coastal ecosystems as well as provide an account of valued services that have heretofore been largely unrecognized. Interim research products, including updated and integrated spatial data, models and model frameworks, and interactive decision support systems will be demonstrated to engage potential users and to elicit feedback. It is anticipated that the near-term impact of the projects will be to increase the awareness by coastal communities and coastal managers of the implications of their actions and to foster partnerships for ecosystem services research and applications. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Some data on the predacious behaviour of tendipidae larvae [Translation from: C. R. Acad. Sci. U.R.S.S. 111, 466-4, 1956]

A study has been made primarily of the food of the chironomid Procladius nigriventris: this includes Alona affinis, Bosmina coregoni, Camptocercus, Eucyclops serrulatus, Paracyclops fimbriatus, Acanthocyclops viridis, Harpacticoida, Diaptomus graciloides, Ostracods, Chironomus sp, Polypedilum sp and Tanytarsus sp. Chironomus larvae usually found in the gut are in their 1st or 2nd instars , though occasional 3rd instars are present. The study summarises other findings on the feeding behaviour of Procladius nigriventris.

On the number of generations of tendipes in collective ponds in Kuibyshchevskoi district [Translation from: C.R. Acad.Sci. U.R.S.S. 95, 1113-1115, 1954]

Three ponds were chosen for this study. The two lower ones were of 2 - 4 hectares in area, the depth of the littoral zone was 2.5 - 3 metres at the time of maximum flooding and the mud which covered the floor of the ponds was homogeneous and autochthonous in nature with very few vegetable remnants. The ponds which were originally set up in 1950. were intended for water supply and populated with Crucian Carp (for human consumption). A survey was done in the ponds in order to establish number and biomass of Tendipes semireductus. The author concludes that in these ponds T.semireductus has 2-3 generations per year.

Sphaerotilus natans: description of the morphology, growth and systematics of [Translation from: Schr. Ver. Zellstoff u. Pap.-Chem. u. -Ing., 26, 20-37, 1956]

The morphology, increase and systematica of Sphaerotilus natans is studied and culture methods examined.

Salmon and freshwater fisheries in the Solway Firth. Report of the Working Party of North West Water Authority and the Annan District Salmon Fishery Board.

The Workinq Party of North West Water Authority and the Annan District Salmon Fishery Board's aims were to identify the current problems relating to the salmon and freshwater fisheries in the Solway Firth and its tributaries (embracing the catchments of the Annan, Kirtle Water, Sark, Esk, Eden, Wampool and Waver - and possibly also the Lochar Water and the Nith) to produce agreed outline solutions, and to consider the financial aspects of the future administration of these fisheries.

Variations in eastern North Pacific demersal fish biomass based on the U.S. west coast groundfish bottom trawl survey (2003–2010)

In response to declining biomass of Northeast Pacific groundfish in the late 1990s and to improve the scientific basis for management of the fishery, the Northwest Fisheries Science Center standardized and enhanced their annual bottom trawl survey in 2003. The survey was expanded to include the entire area along the U.S. west coast at depths of 55–1280 m. Coast-wide biomass and species richness significantly decreased during the first eight years (2003–10) of this fishery-independent survey. We observed an overall tendency toward declining biomass for 62 dominant taxa combined (fishery target and nontarget species) and four of seven subgroups (including cartilaginous fish, flatfishes, shelf rockfishes, and other shelf species), despite increasing or variable biomass trends in individual species. These decreases occurred during a period of reduced catch for groundfish along the shelf and upper slope regions relative to historical rates. We used information from multiple stock assessments to aggregate species into three groups: 1) with strong recruitment, 2) without strong recruitment in 1999, and 3) with unknown recruitment level. For each group, we evaluated whether declining biomass was primarily related to depletion (using year as a proxy) or environmental factors (i.e., variation in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation). According to Akaike’s information criterion, changes in aggregate biomass for species with strong recruitment were more closely related to year, whereas those with no strong recruitment were more closely related to climate. The significant decline in biomass for species without strong recruitment confirms that factors other than depletion of the exceptional 1999 year class may be responsible for the observed decrease in biomass along the U.S. west coast.