Towed vehicles: undulating platforms as tools for maping coastal processes and water quality assessment, Seaside, California, February 5-7,2007. Workshop proceedings

The Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT) Workshop on Towed Vehicles: Undulating Platforms As Tools for Mapping Coastal Processes and Water Quality Assessment was convened February 5-7,2007 at The Embassy Suites Hotel, Seaside, California and sponsored by the ACT-Pacific Coast partnership at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML). The TUV workshop was co-chaired by Richard Burt (Chelsea Technology Group) and Stewart Lamerdin (MLML Marine Operations). Invited participants were selected to provide a uniform representation of the academic researchers, private sector product developers, and existing and potential data product users from the resource management community to enable development of broad consensus opinions on the application of TUV platforms in coastal resource assessment and management. The workshop was organized to address recognized limitations of point-based monitoring programs, which, while providing valuable data, are incapable of describing the spatial heterogeneity and the extent of features distributed in the bulk solution. This is particularly true as surveys approach the coastal zone where tidal and estuarine influences result in spatially and temporally heterogeneous water masses and entrained biological components. Aerial or satellite based remote sensing can provide an assessment of the aerial extent of plumes and blooms, yet provide no information regarding the third dimension of these features. Towed vehicles offer a cost-effective solution to this problem by providing platforms, which can sample in the horizontal, vertical, and time-based domains. Towed undulating vehicles (henceforth TUVs) represent useful platforms for event-response characterization. This workshop reviewed the current status of towed vehicle technology focusing on limitations of depth, data telemetry, instrument power demands, and ship requirements in an attempt to identify means to incorporate such technology more routinely in monitoring and event-response programs. Specifically, the participants were charged to address the following: (1) Summarize the state of the art in TUV technologies; (2) Identify how TUV platforms are used and how they can assist coastal managers in fulfilling their regulatory and management responsibilities; (3) Identify barriers and challenges to the application of TUV technologies in management and research activities, and (4) Recommend a series of community actions to overcome identified barriers and challenges. A series of plenary presentation were provided to enhance subsequent breakout discussions by the participants. Dave Nelson (University of Rhode Island) provided extensive summaries and real-world assessment of the operational features of a variety of TUV platforms available in the UNOLs scientific fleet. Dr. Burke Hales (Oregon State University) described the modification of TUV to provide a novel sampling platform for high resolution mapping of chemical distributions in near real time. Dr. Sonia Batten (Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Sciences) provided an overview on the deployment of specialized towed vehicles equipped with rugged continuous plankton recorders on ships of opportunity to obtain long-term, basin wide surveys of zooplankton community structure, enhancing our understanding of trends in secondary production in the upper ocean. [PDF contains 32 pages]

Aquatic Vegetation, Largemouth Bass and Water Quality Responses to Low-Dose Fluridone Two Years Post Treatment

Whole-lake techniques are increasingly being used to selectively remove exotic plants, including Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum L.). Fluridone (1-methyl-3-phenyl- 5-[3-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-4(1 H )-pyridinone), a systemic whole-lake herbicide, is selective for Eurasian watermilfoil within a narrow low concentration range. Because fluridone applications have the potential for large effects on plant assemblages and lake food webs, they should be evaluated at the whole-lake scale. We examined effects of low-dose (5 to 8 ppb) fluridone applications by comparing submersed plant assemblages, water quality and largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ) growth rates and diets between three reference lakes and three treatment lakes one- and two-years post treatment. In the treatment lakes, fluridone reduced Eurasian watermilfoil cover without reducing native plant cover, although the duration of Eurasian watermilfoil reduction varied among treatment lakes. (PDF has 11 pages.)

Seasonal Changes in Chemical Composition of Eurasion Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) and Water Temperature at Two Sites in northern California: implications for Herbivory

We compared seasonal changes in Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) characteristics and water temperature for a shallow poind in Davis, CA, and the Truckee River, near Tahoe City, CA. Tissue C and N were 15% lower in plants from the Truckee River than in plants from the Davis pond. Seasonal fluctuations in tissue N were also different. Mean phenolic acid content of Truckee River palnts (162yM g-1) was less than those from the shallow pond (195 yM g-1). Phenolic acid content was positively related to tissue C for Truckee River and Davis pond plants and, tissue C:N ratio for Truckee River plants. Mean monthly water temperature (1990 to 1998) for the Truckee River site was less than 20 C. Water temperatures were warmer in August and September at this site. However, Eurasian watermilfoil collected during these months was characterized by lower levels of tissue N. During a 29-month period beginning January 1994, mean monthly water temperature for the Davis pond exceeded 20 C, only during July to September 1995. Tissue N was generally greater during summer for watermilfoil growing in the pond. These results imply that Eurasian watermilfoil biological control agents may have different developmental rates in these habitats, and thus different impacts on watermilfoil populations.

Combining Plant Pathogenic Fungi and the Leaf-Mining Fly, Hydrellia pakistanae, Increases Damage to Hydrilla

Four fungal species, F71PJ Acremonium sp., F531 Cylindrocarpon sp., F542, Botrytis sp., and F964 Fusarium culmorum [Wm. G. Sm.] Sacc. were recovered from hydrilla [ Hydrilla verticillata (L. f.) Royle] shoots or from soil and water surrounding hydrilla growing in ponds and lakes in Florida and shown to be capable of killing hydrilla in a bioassay. The isolates were tested singly and in combination with the leaf-mining fly, Hydrellia pakistanae (Diptera: Ephydridae), for their capability to kill or severely damage hydrilla in a bioassay.

Measures of Plant Surface-areas for Eurasian Watermilfoil and Water Stargrass

Plant surface areas were measured from samples of two common submersed aquatics with widely diverging morphologies: Eurasian watermilfoil ( Myriophyllum spicatum L.) and water stargrass ( Heteranthera dubia (Jacq.) MacM.). Measures for the highly dissected leaves of Eurasian watermilfoil involved development of a regression equation relating leaf length to direct measures of a subsample of leaf parts. Measures for the simple leaves of the stargrass were sums of measured triangles. Stem surfaces for both species were calculated as measured cylinders. Though the means of the stem length and leaf length were larger for stargrass samples, their mean surface area was 95 cm 2 which was less than the 108 cm 2 recorded for Eurasian watermilfoil samples. Relating surface area to dry weight for the stargrass was straightforward, with 1 mg of dry weight yielding an average 0.678 cm 2 of surface area. Biomass measures for the water milfoil were confounded by the additional weight of epiphytic algae persisting on cleaned samples. The results suggest that a lesstime consuming method for surface area measures of plants with highly dissected leaves and a caveat for using biomass measures to estimate surface area in such plants.

Survey of fishes and water properties of south San Francisco Bay, California, 1973-82

The objective of this study was to describe the physical and ichthyological changes occurring seasonally and annually in the south San Francisco Bay, based on the results of 2,561 otter trawl and water samples obtained between February 1973 and June 1982. Temperature varied predictably among seasons in a pattern that varied little between years. Salinity also underwent predictable seasonal changes but the pattern varied substantially between years. The most abundant species of fish were northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax), English sole (Parophrys vetulus), and shiner surfperch (Cymatogaster aggregata). The majority of the common fish species were most abundant during wet years and least abundant in dry years. Numeric diversity was highest during the spring and early summer, with no detectable interannual trends. Species composition changed extensively between seasons and between years, particularly years with extremely high or extremely low freshwater inflows. All the common species exhibited clustered spatial distributions. Such spatial clustering could affect the interpretation of data from estuarine sampling programs. Gobies (Family Gobiidae) were more abundant during flood tides than during ebb tides. English sole were significantly more abundant in shallower areas. Shiner surfperch showed significant differences in abundance between sample areas.(PDF file contains 28 pages.)

An evaluation of the trophic status of the Shen Reservoir by an analysis of phytoplankton composition and water characteristics

In an effort to evaluate the production potential of an artificial impoundment, the phytoplankton of the Shen reservoir was sampled from November 1981 to June 1982 at three stations during three periods of distinct seasonal hydrographic characteristics. The samples were subsampled and quantified. Most of the phytoplankton were identified to the species level. There were in all 53 species comprising Chlorophyceae contributing 36.70% with species of Volvox, Pediastrum, Closterium, Staurodesmus and Ankistrodesmus as dominant species in this group. The Cyanophyceae contributed 30.00% with species of Microcystis, Nostoc , and Oscillatoria as the dominant species. An analysis of temporal and spatial changes in composition and abundance of the various groups showed that these were influenced by water temperature, sampling period and station. Based on the trophic status of the most abundant species, the composition of the phytoplankton is indicative of a tropical reservoir with a moderate productivity for fish culture

International sources of fisheries information to enhance fish production, poverty alleviation and food security in Nigeria and developing Nigerian Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Database

The paper viewed the decline in information provision in Nigeria to poor library development, which could be attributed to poor funding. The consequence is that current journal and books are not available in nigerian fisheries libraries. Information which can be regarded as the first factor of production on which other factors like land, labour and capital depend, can only be provided at the right time when libraries are better founded. For now if there must be increase in fish production, poverty alleviation and food security in Nigeria, our fisheries scientists and policy makers will have to rely on international sources of information using the advantage of internet connectivity. Some of such sources discussed in this paper are ASFA, AGORA, FAO DOAJ, FISHBASE, IAMSLIC, INASP, INASP-PERI, INASP-AJOL, ODINAFRICA, SIFAR, WAS, and ABASFR. However, reliance on international sources must not be at the total neglect of harnessing nigerian fisheries information. For the Nigerian Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Database being developed by NIFFR to attain an international status like those enumerated above, scientists and publishers are requested to take the pain of depositing copies of their publications with NIFFR for inclusion in the Database

Pollution and water quality control of the River Tejo. Report on a visit to Portugal, Sep 27th - October 10th, 1987

Fundamental changes in the management of water resources in Portugal are now evolving. Five regional organisations termed Administracaos de Regiao Hidrographic (ARH), will be created to manage water resources within their respective geographical areas. These areas will be catchment based. As a fore-runner to the implementation of the five ARH's a foundation project has been established within the Direcao-Geral do Recursos Naturais to examine the practical implications of the new system. This project has been divided into a number of sub-projects and complementary projects to include the Tejo complementary project. The Tejo complementary project is the focus of this report. The report is to advise on the role of biology in the proposed ARH, to establish priorities for biological studies within the present Projecto de Gestao Integrada dos Recursos Hidricos da Bacia Hidrografica do Rio Tejo (PGIRH/T) and to assist with the planning of laboratory facilities for biology at the new PGIRH/T laboratory at Alges, Lisboa.

Freshwater biology and water supply in Britain

This paper is designed to give a general account of freshwater biology as it bears on waterworks practice. Most water that is used for consumption will commonly go through a storage reservoir. Here special reference is given to the biological relations in standing waters, the biological control of water supplies, methods of plankton estimation, the biology of slow sand filtration and the use of algicides.

The relationship between aquatic macrophytes and water quality in Nta-Wogba Stream, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

An empirical survey of macrophytes distribution and biomass from four stations, along Nta-wogba stream in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, was conducted between April and December 2007, to quantify the relationship between biomass, in stream nutrients and dissolved ions. The correlation analysis indicated that the biomass of the aquatic macrophytes under consideration, Einochloa pyramidalis; Diplazum sammatii; Cyperus difformis; Alternathera sessilis and Ludwigia decurrens were significantly (P<0.05) related to the nutrients: sulphate, ammonium; nitrate, and phosphate in all the stations. The measurement of total dissolved solid, which is correlated to ionic concentrations and turbidity, provided a rough indication of in stream light availability.

The movements of salmon in relation to variations in air and water temperatures

The temperature of water in a river system affects fish in various ways; it has an influence on feeding habits, movement and metabolism. All fish vary in their ability to tolerate fluctuations in temperature, but those that live in a reasonably stable environment are more sensitive to major changes (tropical fish) than are salmon which can tolerate abrupt changes. The body temperature of the majority of fish differs from that of the surrounding water by only 0.5 to 1.0 degrees, and changes in temperature can, in many cases, be a signalling factor for some process, for example spawning, migration or feeding. It has been found, after monitoring the activity in 2,623 salmon in the River Lune, that they live in a water temperature of 0-17 degrees. Whilst salmon ova can develop in a temperature range of 0-12 degrees, spawning takes place within a much closer range, and these tolerances will be found in the Report. This report offers data and analysis of fish movement correlated to water temperature for the years 1964/65.

Guidelines for the scoping and environmental assessment of water resources projects. The environment and water resources projects - Volume 1

The following brief is to ensure standard criteria and format are used for the scoping and environmental assessment of water resources projects leading to the production of an environmental report or Environmental Statement. This volume is one of a series giving guidance on water resources projects. The water resources projects will predominantly comprise drought orders and permits, time limited and permanent licences. Smaller projects, such as spray irrigation licences, will not require an environmental assessment. This document forms the basis for discussions between the Environment Agency North East Region, consultees and the applicant. The process aims to produce a thorough assessment. Each section addresses consecutive elements of the assessment process. Section 2 outlines the structure for a scoping document, section 3 outlines the structure for an Environmental Statement and section 4 gives guidance on the role of an Environmental Action Plan. Appendices 1 and 2 should be used in conjunction with the scoping process and cover a wide range of aspects. However, some projects may not require all of them to be included, whilst for others, the inclusion of additional factors may be appropriate.

Guidelines for the scoping and environmental assessment of water resources projects. The environment and water resources projects - Volume 2

In its role as protector of the water environment, the Environment Agency requires significant water resources abstraction applications and schemes such as drought orders, drought permits, time limited licences, and river transfers to be environmentally assessed leading to the production of an environmental report or statement. This may not take the form of a formal Environmental Assessment, but is required to provide environmental information to support applications. (See Volume 1 - Guidance for Scoping and Environmental Assessment for Water Resources Projects in North East Region). This second volume concentrates on the environmental monitoring component of environmental assessments.