The hydrography of Elkhorn Slough: a shallow California coastal Eebayment: Annual Report, Part 2, 1973

From October 1970 through February 1972, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, secchi depth and five major nutrients were observed at approximately monthly intervals in Elkhorn Slough and Moss Landing Harbor. In addition, similar hourly observations were made during two tidal studies during the wet and dry seasons. From the salinity measurements during the summer, a salt balance for Elkhorn Slough is formulated and rnean eddy diffusion coefficients are determined. The diffusion nlodel applied to longitudinal phosphate distributions yielded a mean diffusive flux of 12 kg P04/day (140 pg-at/m^2/day) for the area above the mean tidal prism. Consistent differences, apparently due to differing regenerati on ra tes, were observed in the phosphate and nitrogen distributions. Bottom sediments are proposed as a possible source for phosphate and as a sink for fixed nitrogen. Dairy farms located along central Elkhorn Slough are apparently a source for reduced nitrogen. During summer, nitrogen was found to be the limiting nutrient for primary production in the upper slough. Tidal observations indicated fresh water of high nutrient concentration consistently entered the harbor from fresh water sources to the south. This source water had a probable phosphate concentration of 40 to 60 ug-at/l and seasonally varying P:N ratio of 1:16 and 1:5 during the winter and summer respectively. Net production and respiration rates are calculated from diurnal variations in dissolved oxygen levels observed in upper Elkhorn Slough. Changes in phosphate associated with the variations in oxygen was close to the accepted ratio of 1:276 by atoms. Document is 88 pages.

Descriptions of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Bottom Longline and Vertical Line Fisheries Based on Observer Data

In July 2006, a mandatory observer program was implemented to characterize the commercial reef fish fishery operating in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. The primary gear types assessed included bottom longline and vertical line (bandit and handline). A total of 73,205 fish (183 taxa) were observed in the longline fishery. Most (66%) were red grouper, Epinephelus morio, and yellowedge grouper, E. flavolimbatus. In the vertical line fishery, 89,015 fish (178 taxa) were observed of which most (60%) were red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus, and vermilion snapper, Rhomboplites aurorubens. Based on surface observations of discarded under-sized target and unwanted species, the majority of fish were released alive; minimum assumed mortality was 23% for the vertical line and 24% for the bottom longline fishery. Of the individuals released alive in the longline fishery, 42% had visual signs of barotrauma stress (air bladder expansion/and or eyes protruding). In the vertical line fishery, 35% of the fish were released in a stressed state. Red grouper and red snapper size composition by depth and gear type were determined. Catch-per-unit-effort for dominant species in both fisheries, illustrated spatial differences in distribution between the eastern and western Gulf. Hot Spot Analyses for red grouper and red snapper identified areas with significant clustering of high or low CPUE values.

Simulation of Tail Weight Distributions in Biological Year 1986–2006 Landings of Brown Shrimp, Farfantepenaeus aztecus, from the Northern Gulf of Mexico Fishery

Size distribution within re- ported landings is an important aspect of northern Gulf of Mexico penaeid shrimp stock assessments. It reflects shrimp population characteristics such as numerical abundance of various sizes, age structure, and vital rates (e.g. recruitment, growth, and mortality), as well as effects of fishing, fishing power, fishing practices, sampling, size-grading, etc. The usual measure of shrimp size in archived landings data is count (C) the number of shrimp tails (abdomen or edible portion) per pound (0.4536 kg). Shrimp are marketed and landings reported in pounds within tail count categories. Statistically, these count categories are count class intervals or bins with upper and lower limits expressed in C. Count categories vary in width, overlap, and frequency of occurrence within the landings. The upper and lower limits of most count class intervals can be transformed to lower and upper limits (respectively) of class intervals expressed in pounds per shrimp tail, w, the reciprocal of C (i.e. w = 1/C). Age based stock assessments have relied on various algorithms to estimate numbers of shrimp from pounds landed within count categories. These algorithms required un- derlying explicit or implicit assumptions about the distribution of C or w. However, no attempts were made to assess the actual distribution of C or w. Therefore, validity of the algorithms and assumptions could not be determined. When different algorithms were applied to landings within the same size categories, they produced different estimates of numbers of shrimp. This paper demonstrates a method of simulating the distribution of w in reported biological year landings of shrimp. We used, as examples, landings of brown shrimp, Farfantepenaeus aztecus, from the northern Gulf of Mexico fishery in biological years 1986–2006. Brown shrimp biological year, Ti, is defined as beginning on 1 May of the same calendar year as Ti and ending on 30 April of the next calendar year, where subscript i is the place marker for biological year. Biological year landings encompass most if not all of the brown shrimp life cycle and life span. Simulated distributions of w reflect all factors influencing sizes of brown shrimp in the landings within a given biological year. Our method does not require a priori assumptions about the parent distributions of w or C, and it takes into account the variability in width, overlap, and frequency of occurrence of count categories within the landings. Simulated biological year distributions of w can be transformed to equivalent distributions of C. Our method may be useful in future testing of previously applied algorithms and development of new estimators based on statistical estimation theory and the underlying distribution of w or C. We also examine some applications of biological year distributions of w, and additional variables derived from them.

Classification of Coastal Communities Reporting Commercial Fish Landings in the U.S. Northeast Region: Developing and Testing a Methodology

The National Marine Fisheries Service is required by law to conduct social impact assessments of communities impacted by fishery management plans. To facilitate this process, we developed a technique for grouping communities based on common sociocultural attributes. Multivariate data reduction techniques (e.g. principal component analyses, cluster analyses) were used to classify Northeast U.S. fishing communities based on census and fisheries data. The comparisons indicate that the clusters represent real groupings that can be verified with the profiles. We then selected communities representative of different values on these multivariate dimensions for in-depth analysis. The derived clusters are then compared based on more detailed data from fishing community profiles. Ground-truthing (e.g. visiting the communities and collecting primary information) a sample of communities from three clusters (two overlapping geographically) indicates that the more remote techniques are sufficient for typing the communities for further in-depth analyses. The in-depth analyses provide additional important information which we contend is representative of all communities within the cluster.

Concentration and distribution of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium, copper, nickel, zinc) in Karachi shore and offshore sediments

A study to measure the heavy metal pollution level in the sediment of coastal and offshore area indicates that high concentration of heavy metals were found around Manora channel and eastern coast of Karachi. In comparison with coastal areas, relatively low concentration of heavy metals was recorded in the offshore area. The result shows that sewage and industrial wastes are the main source of heavy metal pollution in the coastal area. The concentration of heavy metals in the sediments is as follows: Chromium 10.4-33.69, nickel 13.3-47.6, lead 10.0-39.04, cadmium 0.08-0.21, zinc 7.4-73.2 and copper 9.44-18.56 mg/kg. In the offshore areas strong correlation was observed between copper and organic carbon, and calcium carbonate and cadmium. In the shore area such correlation has been recorded among nickel, chromium, zinc, and chromium and copper. The Karachi. coast is viewed as moderately polluted when compared to other continental coastal areas.

Survey on the idle capacity of fish processing (freezing) plants in India - 1. West Coast

The extent of idle capacity in fish processing (freezing) plants estimated by stratified random sampling is reported. The estimates for 1978 and 1979 for the processing plants on the west coast of India were 76.9 % and 73.2 % respectively at the rate of 250 working days per annum and two shifts per day. The percentage error of estimates worked out to 6.04 for 1978 and 6.98 for 1979. Substantial under utilization of processing plants noticed in all the states accounts mainly to the non-availability of raw material (prawn), high cost of production and shortage of power.

Assessment of the heavy metals among suspended particulates and dissolved phases in Suez Canal water

The concentrations and distribution of particulate and dissolved heavy metals, viz: Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe and Mn have been determined seasonally during 2003 in water samples collected from the Suez Canal. The presented data clarifies that the metals exhibited clear differences in their distribution between particulate and dissolved forms. The concentration of particulate heavy metals ranged between 0.09-3.13, 0.57-15.02, 0.18-3.87, 0.02-0.73, 2.74-49.62 and 0.15-5.08 µg/L for Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe and Mn, respectively. In the same respect, these values for dissolved forms were 0.28-4.12, 0.57-9.08, 0.27-2.50, 0.02-1.24, 1.94-42.50 and 0.11-3.65 µg/L. The concentrations of particulate metals viz: Zn, Pb, Cd, Fe and Mn were high was compared to the dissolved forms. Dissolved copper, rather than particulate, showed the highest percentage of total copper. The particulate forms of Pb, Cd, Fe and Mn always had higher concentrations than the dissolved forms during the course of study except in the summer season. The northern part of the Suez Canal at Port Said showed mean concentrations of particulate and dissolved Cu=1.43 and 2.10, Zn=8.61 and 3.17, Pb=1.72 and 1.23, Cd=0.35 and 0.35, Fe= 23.49 and 15.83 and Mn=2.09 and 1.82 µg/L. These high concentrations may be attributed to the greater activities, particularly loading and unloading operations at Port Said harbour s industrial effluents and domestic drainage of Port Said city. In contrast, the Sinai side could be considered as reference site, as it was almost clean, i.e., without harmful outfalls, where Cu=0.16 and 0.56, Zn=2.14 and 0.94, Pb=6.29 and 3.44, Cd=0.055 and 0.088, Fe=6.29 and 3.44 and Mn=0.56 and 0.26 µg/L for particulate and dissolved metals respectively.

Aspects of the washout of salmonid eggs. 2. Effects of drifting on development and survival of eggs of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.)

At high stream discharges salmonid eggs can he displaced from the gravel and may drift downstream. It has been suggested that developing salmonid eggs may be killed by ”physical shock”, especially during the period before ”eyeing”. Similarly, a progress report by the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission (1966) states that salmonid eggs are most sensitive during the period between fertilisation and blastopore closure. However, it would seem unlikely that this sensitivity actually begins at the time of fertilisation because, in nature, a period, perhaps measured in hours, must occur during which the newly-fertilised eggs are exposed to physical shock during the deposition of gravel over them as a result of the cutting activity of the female fish. The present report describes simple channel experiments designed to answer the two questions: 1. After release of eggs from the gravel, does the process of drifting downstream, which implies some physical shock through movement and impact, decrease the survival of salmonid eggs? 2. Is the survival rate-influenced by the stage of development of the eggs?

IX Congreso de Ciencias del Mar, 29 de octubre al 2 de noviembre de 2012. Ciencias Marinas y Costeras al Servicio de la Sociedad

Contiene los trabajos presentados, el programa científico y el perfil de instituciones marinas cubanas. Contains the papers presented, the scientific program and the profile of Cuban marine institutions.