Artisanal containers and transportation for smoke-dried fish in Nigeria

The packaging containers and means of transportation for Nigerian smoke-dried fish from harvesting all through the post-harvest chain were described. Sacks, paper cartons, wooden rackets, cane and bamboo baskets were predominantly used packaging containers. Means of transportation ranged from wheelbarrows, motorcycle, lorries, to pick-up vehicles and trucks. The major area of improvement is seen in packaging at the wholesale level. To overcome the constraints within the system, both the public and private sectors must provide effective services that benefit fishermen, processors, wholesalers, retailers, organisation and other key participants that make the work. Suggestions for reducing post harvest losses and improving the efficiency of the existing distribution system, based on the various need of the stake holders and the socio-cultural settings of the application were proffered

Design for Survival: Sustainability for Planet and Structure

Buildings in Port Aransas encounter drastic environmental challenges: the potential catastrophic storm surge and high winds from a hurricane, and daily conditions hostile to buildings, vehicles, and even most vegetation. Its location a few hundred feet from the Gulf of Mexico and near-tropical latitude expose buildings to continuous high humidity, winds laden with scouring sand and corrosive salt, and extremes of temperature and ultraviolet light. Building construction methods are able to address each of these, but doing so in a sustainable way creates significant challenges. The new research building at the Marine Science Institute has been designed and is being constructed to meet the demand for both survivability and sustainability. It is tracking towards formal certification as a LEED Gold structure while being robust and resistant to the harsh coastal environment. The effects of a hurricane are mitigated by elevating buildings and providing a windproof envelope. Ground-level enclosures are designed to be sacrificial and non-structural so they can wash or blow away without imposing damage on the upper portions of the building, and only non-critical functions and equipment will be supported within them. Design features that integrate survivability with sustainability include: orientation of building axis; integral shading from direct summer sunlight; light wells; photovoltaic arrays; collection of rainwater and air conditioning condensate for use in landscape irrigation; reduced impervious cover; xeriscaping and indigenous plants; recycling of waste heat from air conditioning systems; roofing system that reflects light and heat; long life, low maintenance stainless steel, high-tensile vinyl, hard-anodized aluminum and hot-dipped galvanized mountings throughout; chloride-resistant concrete; reduced visual impact; recycling of construction materials.

Annual report 1993

The report provides an account of the activities carried out by the Lake Kariba Fisheries Research Institute during the year 1993 under the following headings: Institute finances; Staffing and staff training; Staff housing; Infrastructure and institute expansion; Vehicles and vessels; and, Fisheries and fishery management. Individual reports regarding the various project activities conducted during the year are also included.

Annual report 1994

The report provides an account of the activities carried out by the Lake Kariba Fisheries Research Institute during the year 1994 under the following headings: Institute finances; Staffing and staff training; Staff housing; Infrastructure and institute expansion; Vehicles and vessels; and, Fisheries and fishery management. Individual reports regarding the various project activities conducted during the year are also included.

Annual report 1998

The report provides an account of the activities of the Lake Kariba Fisheries Research Institute of Zimbabwe during the period July 1997 to December 1998. It is presented under the following major headings: 1) Introduction; 2) Institute finances; 3) Staffing and staff training; 4) Infrastructure; 5) Vehicles and vessels; 6) Fisheries management -- kapenta management, inshore fisheries management, law enforcement; 7) Kariba Lakeshore Combination Masterplan; 8) Joint protocol; 9) Research work; and, 10) Publications and presentations.

A guide to the deep-water sponges of the Aleutian Island Archipelago

The first dedicated collections of deep-water (>80 m) sponges from the central Aleutian Islands revealed a rich fauna including 28 novel species and geographical range extensions for 53 others. Based on these collections and the published literature, we now confirm the presence of 125 species (or subspecies)of deep-water sponges in the Aleutian Islands. Clearly the deep-water sponge fauna of the Aleutian Islands is extraordinarily rich and largely understudied. Submersible observations revealed that sponges, rather than deep-water corals, are the dominant feature shaping benthic habitats in the region and that they provide important refuge habitat for many species of fish and invertebrates including juvenile rockfish (Sebastes spp.) and king crabs (Lithodes sp). Examination of video footage collected along 127 km of the seafloor further indicate that there are likely hundreds of species still uncollected from the region, and many unknown to science. Furthermore, sponges are extremely fragile and easily damaged by contact with fishing gear. High rates of fishery bycatch clearly indicate a strong interaction between existing fisheries and sponge habitat. Bycatch in fisheries and fisheries-independent surveys can be a major source of information on the location of the sponge fauna, but current monitoring programs are greatly hampered by the inability of deck personnel to identify bycatch. This guide contains detailed species descriptions for 112 sponges collected in Alaska, principally in the central Aleutian Islands. It addresses bycatch identification challenges by providing fisheries observers and scientists with the information necessary to adequately identify sponge fauna. Using that identification data, areas of high abundance can be mapped and the locations of indicator species of vulnerable marine ecosystems can be determined. The guide is also designed for use by scientists making observations of the fauna in situ with submersibles, including remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicles.