An ecological correction to marine reserves boundaries in the US Virgin Islands

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are important tools for management of marine ecosystems. While desired, ecological and biological criteria are not always feasible to consider when establishing protected areas. In 2001, the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (VICR) in St. John, US Virgin Islands was established by Executive Order. VICR boundaries were based on administrative determination of Territorial Sea boundaries and land ownership at the time of the Territorial Submerged Lands Act of 1974. VICR prohibits almost all fishing and other extractive uses. Surveys of habitat and fishes inside and outside of VICR were conducted in 2002-07. Based on these surveys, areas outside VICR had significantly more hard corals; greater habitat complexity; and greater richness, abundance and biomass of reef fishes than areas within VICR, further supporting results from 2002-2004 (Monaco et al., 2007). The administrative (political) process used to establish VICR did not allow a robust ecological characterization of the area to determine the boundaries of the MPA. Efforts are underway to increase amounts of complex reef habitat within VICR by swapping a part of VICR that has little coral reef habitat for a Territorially-owned area within VICR that contains a coral reef with higher coral cover.

Scientific assessment of hypoxia in U.S. coastal waters

The occurrence of hypoxia, or low dissolved oxygen, is increasing in coastal waters worldwide and represents a significant threat to the health and economy of our Nation’s coasts and Great Lakes. This trend is exemplified most dramatically off the coast of Louisiana and Texas, where the second largest eutrophication-related hypoxic zone in the world is associated with the nutrient pollutant load discharged by the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. Aquatic organisms require adequate dissolved oxygen to survive. The term “dead zone” is often used in reference to the absence of life (other than bacteria) from habitats that are devoid of oxygen. The inability to escape low oxygen areas makes immobile species, such as oysters and mussels, particularly vulnerable to hypoxia. These organisms can become stressed and may die due to hypoxia, resulting in significant impacts on marine food webs and the economy. Mobile organisms can flee the affected area when dissolved oxygen becomes too low. Nevertheless, fish kills can result from hypoxia, especially when the concentration of dissolved oxygen drops rapidly. New research is clarifying when hypoxia will cause fish kills as opposed to triggering avoidance behavior by fish. Further, new studies are better illustrating how habitat loss associated with hypoxia avoidance can impose ecological and economic costs, such as reduced growth in commercially harvested species and loss of biodiversity, habitat, and biomass. Transient or “diel-cycling” hypoxia, where conditions cycle from supersaturation of oxygen late in the afternoon to hypoxia or anoxia near dawn, most often occurs in shallow, eutrophic systems (e.g., nursery ground habitats) and may have pervasive impacts on living resources because of both its location and frequency of occurrence.

Ecological condition of coastal ocean waters along the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Bight: 2006

In May 2006, the NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS), in conjunction with the EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory (NHEERL), conducted an assessment of the status of ecological condition of soft-bottom habitat and overlying waters throughout the mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) portion of the eastern U.S. continental shelf. The study area encompassed the region from Cape Cod, MA and Nantucket Shoals in the northeast to Cape Hatteras in the south, and was defined using a one nautical mile buffer of the shoreline extended seaward to the shelf break (~100-m depth contour). A total of 50 stations were targeted for sampling using standard methods and indicators applied in prior NOAA coastal studies and EPA’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) and National Coastal Assessment (NCA). A key feature adopted from these studies was the incorporation of a random probabilistic sampling design. Such a design provides a basis for making unbiased statistical estimates of the spatial extent of ecological condition relative to various measured indicators and corresponding thresholds of concern. Indicators included multiple measures of water quality, sediment quality, and biological condition (benthic fauna). Through coordination with the NOAA Fisheries Service/Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NFS/NEFSC), samples of summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) also were obtained from 30 winter 2007 bottom-trawl survey stations in overlapping portions of the study area and used for analysis of chemical-contaminant body burdens.

Opportunistic feeding of longhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus): Are scallop fishery discards an important food subsidy for scavengers on Georges Bank?

There has been much recent interest in the effects of fishing on habitat and non-target species, as well as in protecting certain areas of the seabed from these effects (e.g. Jennings and Kaiser, 1998; Benaka, 1999; Langton and Auster, 1999; Kaiser and de Groot, 2000). As part of an effort to determine the effectiveness of marine closed areas in promoting recovery of commercial species (e.g. haddock, Melanogrammus aegelfinus; sea scallops, Placopecten magellanicus; yellowtail flounder, Limanda ferruginea; cod, Gadus morhua), nontarget species, and habitat, a multidisciplinary research cruise was conducted by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC), National Marine Fisheries Service. The cruise was conducted in closed area II (CA-II) of the eastern portion of Georges Bank during 19–29 June 2000 (Fig. 1). The area has historically produced high landings of scallops but was closed in 1994 principally for groundfish recovery (Fogarty and Murawski, 1998). The southern portion of the area was reopened to scallop fishing from 15 June to 12 November 1999, and again from 15 June to 15 August 2000. While conducting our planned sampling, we observed scallop viscera (the noncalcareous remains from scallops that have been shucked by commercial fishermen at sea) in the stomachs of several fish species at some of these locations, namely little skate (Raja erinacea), winter skate (R. ocellata), red hake (Urophycis chuss), and longhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus octodecemspinosus). We examined the stomach contents of a known scavenger, the longhorn sculpin, to evaluate and document the extent of this phenomenon.

Impact of community-based fisheries management practices on production and species diversity in Turag-Bangshi basin floodplains in Kaliakoir, Gazipur, Bangladesh

The study was conducted to investigate the communities perception and compliance to community-based fisheries management (CBFM) in Turag-Bangshi floodplains under Kaliakoir, Gazipur District. Measures such as ban on use of the harmful fishing gears, seasonal fishing closure, halt of fry fishing, halt of dewatering of beels and the impact of establishment of sanctuaries on fish production and species diversity were introduced by MACH project. Almost all members of the communities in Turag-Bangshi MACH (Management of Aquatic Ecosystem through Community Husbandry) site welcomed the introduction and complied with the implementation of all management measures which helped stopped use of harmful fishing gears, ensured survival and breeding of brood fish in the rainy season, protected and allowed fry to grow big, restored lost and degraded fisheries and organized communities for sustainable development of the fisheries. A total of 51 species of fishes were found in Makosh beel (natural depression). Among these, small indigenous species (SIS) under Cyprinidae family (Puntius sophore) was the most dominant. Many species available in the past recorded disappeared from the Makosh beel due to loss of habitat and industrial pollution that damaged spawning and nursery grounds of fish. Introduction of some selective native endangered species (Nandus nandus, Notopterus notopterus, Ompok pabda and Labeo calbasu) by MACH in the Turag-Bangshi water bodies increased diversity of species from 82 to 95. Over a period of five years during MACH intervention, the average production remained nearly 200% higher than the baseline production of 57 kg/ha to present 207 kg/ha due to maintaining sanctuaries and the closed fishing seasons. Per capita daily fish consumption of the surrounding communities also increased by 78% (from 27 to 48 g/person/day) which is much higher than the national average fish consumption in Bangladesh. The implementation of community-based MACH project management measures substantially improved fish habitat, production, consumption and socio-economic conditions of the surrounding communities. The model can be used to improve the floodplains of Bangladesh.

Diversity, abundance distribution and secondary production of intertidal and subtidal benthic macrofauna of Bushehr Province with emphasis on annelida groups

The present investigation was undertaken to establish a reference situation for future use, to identify temporal and spatial composition of macrofauna and estimate some ecological indices in the sub tidal waters along the Bushehr coastal waters in Persian Gulf. Six transects were selected including Genaveh, Farakeh, Shif, Bandargah, Rostami and Asalouyeh, at each transect 3 station were sampled in depths of zero, 5 and 10 metres. Sampling was seasonally carried out by a VAN VEEN grab 0.0225 m2, during summer 2008 until spring 2009. Samples were wet sieved immediately using 0.5 mm mesh size sieves and sediment retained in the sieve was preserved in 4% buffered formalin solution. Macrofauna specimen were separated from the sediments using decantation and elutriation methods, enumerated and identified up to the Genus level. Environmental factors such as temperature. pH, and salinity were recorded in field using sensitive probs and refractometer (for salinity) and also sediment samples were taken for TOM and grain size analysis in all the stations. 5611 specimens belonging to 66 genera were collected during the present study. Polychaetes were dominant both in terms of genus number (31) and relative abundance (74 % of total macrofaunal abundance). The other dominant groups were Artheropoda, (16.1%), Molusca (2.8%), Echinodermata (1.29%) and others including Nematoda, Nemertina, Echiura and Turbellaria (5.8%). Thirty one Genera belong of 27 families of polychaeta, one genus and family of Subphylum Chlicerata,19 genera belong to 14 families of Crustacea, 8 genera belong to 6 families of Molusca, were indentified in the studied region. 1 family (Polygordidae) and 3 genera (Flabeligera, Pilargis and Polygordius) of Polychaeta, 1 family (Nymphonidae) and genus (Nymphon) of Chelicerata, 1 Family (Nematoplanidae) and genus (Nematoplana) of Turbellaria, were identified for the first time in Persian Gulf area. The result indicated that macrofauna organism have strong relationship with the grain size characteristics of the sediments they inhabit. The most surface deposit feeder specimens such as Prionospio and Cossura were found in zero meters depth of Genaveh, Farakeh, Bandargah, Rostami and Asalouyeh stations with sandy substratum, however the most burrowing deposit feeder and scavenger specimens such as Capitella and Petaloproctus were collected in 5 and 10 meter depths of stations with silty–clay substratum. The annual mean abundance, Shanon- weiner diversity and evenness of macrofauna were estimated1152.73 N/ m² , 2.72 and 0.792 respectively .The annual average biomass and secondary production were computed 1.797 gDW m² and 3.594 gDW m² y-1 .The average of water temperature, salinity, pH and oxygen concentration were recorded between 16.37-36.05 °C, 38-42 g/l, 7.89-8.76 and 4.23-8.23 mg/l, respectively during this study in 6 studied region. Among of investigated stations Asalouyeh adjacent of effluent canal of Gas and petrochemical industry sewage and Farakeh regions adjacent the Helleh estuary had the lowets and the highest community indices. The average of diversity and density in 5 meters depth stations with moderate of sand, silt and clay were slightly more than 2 other depths stations, it seems that 5 meters stations are made a transition habitats between 2 sandy and clay habitats, that can be used by 2 groups of surface and borrowing deposit feeders. Based on the data provided in this survey, the temperature variation, sediment texture, TOM, type habitat and manmade factors of Gas and petrochemical industries have had the most effect on the macrofauna community structure in the studied region during sampling periods.

Mergui Archipelago Joint Stakeholder Workshop report, Phuket, Thailand, 18-19 January, 2011

Data, information gaps and related monitoring requirements including trans-boundry issues; alternative livelihoods; critical habitat and develoment issues; policy, planning and institutional development.

Trophic interrelationships and food-webs among the fishes in ecosystems of the Victoria and Kyoga lake basin

The Victoria and Kyoga lake basins had a high fish species diversity with many fish species that were found only in these lakes. Two Tilapiines species Oreochromis esculentus and Oreochromis variabilis were the most important commercial species in these lakes and were found nowhere else on earth except in the Victoria and Kyoga lake basins (Graham 1929, Worthington 1929). Lakes Kyoga and Nabugabo also had endemic haplochromine species (Worthington 1929, Trewavas 1933, Greenwood 1965, 1966). As stocks of introduced species increased, stocks of most of the native species declined rapidly or disappeared altogether. The study was carried out on Lakes Victoria and Kyoga, River Nile, some selected satellite lakes from the two basins namely Lakes Mburo, Kachera, Wamala, Kayanja, Kayugi, Nabugabo, Victoria, Victoria nile and River Sio(Victoria lake basin). Lakes Kyoga (Iyingo), Nawampasa, Nakuwa, Gigati, Nyaguo, Agu, Kawi and Lemwa (Kyoga lake basin). Species composillon and relative abundance of fishes were estimated by detennining the overall average total number of each species encountered. A trophic consists of species using the same food category. Shannon-Weaver Index of diversity H (Pielou, 1969) and number of trophic groups, were used to estimate the Trophic diversity of various fish species in the lakes. Food analysis has been done on some fishes in some of the sampled lakes and is still going on, on remaining fishes and in some lakes. Generally fish ingested detritus, Spirulina, Melosira, filamentous algae, Planktolyngbya, Microcysists, Anabaena, Merismopedia, Spirogyra, higher plant material, rotifers, Ostracodes, Chironomid larvae and pupae, Choaborus larvae, Odonata, Povilla, Insect remains, Caridina, fish eggs and fish. Eight trophic groups were identified from thes food items ingestes. These included detritivores, algae eaters, higher plant eaters, zooplanktivores, insectivores, molluscivores, prawn eaters, paedophages and piscivores. Trophic diversity by number of trophic groups was highest in Lake Kyoga (6) followed by lakes Kayugi, Nabugabo, River Nile and Mburo (3) and the lowest number was recorded in kachera (2).

Fishing gear selectivity of Lates niloticus L. (Nile perch), Oreochromis niloticus L. (Nile tilapia) and Rastrineobola argentea Pellegrin (Mukene) in lakes Victoria, Kyoga and Nabugabo

Catch effort data on which fisheries management regulations are sometimes based are not available for most lakes in Uganda. However, failure to regulate fishing gears and methods has been a major cause of collapse of fisheries in the country. Fisheries have been damaged by destructive and non-selective fishing gears and methods such as trawling and beach seining, by use of gill nets of mesh size which crop immature fish and by introduction of mechanised fishing. Selectivity of the gears used to crop Lates niloticus 1. (Nile perch), Oreochromis niloticus 1. (Nile tilapia) and Rastrineobola argentea (Mukene) which are currently the most important commercial species in Uganda were examined in order to recommend the most suitable types, sizes and methods that should be used in exploiting these fisheries . Gill nets of less than 127 mm mainly cropped immature Nile ti1apia and Nile perch. To protect these fisheries, the minimum mesh size of gill nets should be set at 127 mm. Seine nets of 5 mm do catch high proportions of immature Mukene while those of 10 mm catch mainly mature Mukene. When operated inshore, both sizes catch immature Nile perch and Nile ti1apia as by-catch. To protect the Mukene fishery and avoid catching immature byecatch, a minimum mesh size of the Mukene net should have been 10 mm operated as Lampara type net offshore but since most fishennen have been using the 5 mm seine for over five years the minimum size should not be allowed to drop below 5 mm pending further thorough investigations. Beach seining, trawling and are destructive to fisheries and should be prohibited until data that may justify their use is available.

A baseline survey of water quality, invertebrates, fisheries and socioeconomics on Lake Edward for proposed seismic surveys in block 4B : Final report

The National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) on behalf of OPEP Consult Ltd undertook a baseline survey of the transition zone (basically along the shoreline) and near shore habitats of the Uganda apart of Lake Edward and Kazinga channel during December 2007 to January 2008. A major objective of the baseline survey was to generate baseline information on the aquatic ecosystem features related to the fisheries and socio-economics of the fish catch including issues raised by residents in the fish landing sites. Therefore, the baseline survey captured information on water quality, the aquatic invertebrate fauna, aspects of fish biology and ecology, the fish catch including facilities at fish landings, value in the catch and related fisheries socio-economic issues perceived by residents in the settled areas along the shores.

Some major unsolved aspects of the dynamics of African fisheries as related to questions of rational development and management

Studies of fish and fisheries in Africa fall in to four phases: the period of fisheries expeditions, ecological investigations, the development phase, and the period of mechanized exploitation. There is need to establish the taxonomic status and ecology of the varied components of the potentially important Haplochromis in Lake Victoria. A comprehensive study of their bionomics and life history, population structure, natality, recruitment and mortality coefficients should be undertaken. Emphasis lo be laid on the study of the ecology, especially breeding behaviour of the economically important c1upeids (Stolothrissa tanganciae and Limnothrissa miodon), in Lake Tanganyika. A comprehensive investigation into the migratory and shoaling behaviour of the Lake Victoria Tilapia to be initiated. Pre-impoundment studies to be undertaken to assess effects of hydroelectric projects of fisheries. Studies on parasites of economically important fishes to be stepped up to assess pathological effects and the biological basis for their control. The role of predators, e.g., Hydrocyon, Lates and Micropterus salmoides in commercial fish populations should be evaluated, and the knowledge gaincd used to effectively manage the fisheries in favour of the more desirable fish stocks.