The western blue groper (Achoerodus gouldii), a protogynous hermaphroditic labrid with exceptional longevity, late maturity, slow growth, and both late maturation and sex change

The western blue groper (Achoerodus gouldii) is shown to be a temperate protogynous hermaphrodite, which spawns between early winter and mid-spring. Because A. gouldii changes body color at about the time of sex change, its color can be used as a proxy for sex for estimating the size and age at sex change and for estimating growth when it is not possible to use gonads for determining the sex of this fish. The following characteristics make A. gouldii highly susceptible to overfishing: 1) exceptional longevity, with a maximum age (70 years) that is by far the greatest yet estimated for a labrid; 2) slow growth for the first 15 years and little subsequent growth by females; and 3) late maturation at a large total length (TL50 = 653 mm) and old age (~17 years) and 4) late sex change at an even greater total length (TL50 = 821 mm) and age (~35 years). The TL50 at maturity and particularly at sex change exceeded the minimum legal total length (500 mm) of A. gouldii and the lengths of many recreationally and commercially caught fish. Many of these characteristics are found in certain deep-water fishes that are likewise considered susceptible to overfishing. Indeed, although fishing effort for A. gouldii in Western Australia is not particularly high, per-recruit analyses indicate that this species is already close to or fully exploited.

Using wildlife activity and antibiotic resistance analysis to model bacterial water quality in coastal ponds

Models that help predict fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) levels in environmental waters can be important tools for resource managers. In this study, we used animal activity along with antibiotic resistance analysis (ARA), land cover, and other variables to build models that predict bacteria levels in coastal ponds that discharge into an estuary. Photographic wildlife monitoring was used to estimate terrestrial and aquatic wildlife activity prior to sampling. Increased duck activity was an important predictor of increased FCB in coastal ponds. Terrestrial animals like deer and raccoon, although abundant, were not significant in our model. Various land cover types, rainfall, tide, solar irradiation, air temperature, and season parameters, in combination with duck activity, were significant predictors of increased FCB. It appears that tidal ponds allow for settling of bacteria under most conditions. We propose that these models can be used to test different development styles and wildlife management techniques to reduce bacterial loading into downstream shellfish harvesting and contact recreation areas.

The Corogal: one of the big dredges in Culebra Cut, Panama Canal (ca. 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

First U.S. battleships through Panama Canal: Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin (postcard ca 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

Tow boat fleet at Paraiso, Panama Canal (ca. 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

View of Paraiso Yard showing dredging equipment, Panama Canal. (ca. 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

Emergency dam at Pedro Miguel, Panama Canal (ca. 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

Lantern spillway and hydroelectric plant, Panama Canal (ca. 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

U.S.S. Ohio, Panama Canal (ca. 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

Review of river fisheries valuation in tropical Asia

This study attempts to estimate the economic value of riverine fisheries in tropical Asia and quantify the economic impacts of any changes to the environment that affects rivers and hence fisheries. The value of riverine fisheries has been considered in the following two ways: firstly, through a compilation and summary of the results of existing studies on this topic; secondly, by estimating the direct use value of riverine and floodplain fishing by country using quantities and freshwater fish prices derived from various sources. Furthermore, a review of the characteristics of the fisheries is presented. These fisheries have been shown to be valuable (i.e., economically or socially important) in at least two specific ways: as a generator of commercially marketable output, and as a source of income and employment in relatively impoverished communities.

Panama Canal Twenty-fifth anniversary 1914 - Aug. 15 -1939

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Views of Panama and the Canal. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida. Booklet dedication: Published under the direction of a committee appointed by Brigadier General Clarence S. Ridley, Governor of The Panama Canal, to arrange suitable ceremonies, as authorized in Public Resolution No.5, 76th Congress, approved March 28, 1939, to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening of the Panama Canal to commerce. Prepared by Rufus Hardy, Executive Department, The Panama Canal. (120 page document)

SAMUDRA Report, No. 52, April 2009

Report: COFI Session-Securing small-scale fisheries; Statement-Contributing Significantly; Somalia: Pirate Fishing -Pirates or Saviours of the Coast?; Marine Protected Areas-Managing to Benefit; Mexico: Marine Reserves--Caught Up in Change; MPAs-Importance of Social Capital; MSC Ecolabels-Work Together for Community-based Fisheries; Netherlands: Inland Fisheries -A Management Fantasy?;Small Indigenous Species -Small is Nutritional; ICSF Resources- Information Updates

Yemaya, No. 30, March 2009

Asia / India: Women in Seafood Processing; Asia / India- Getting on the Bus; Asia / Sri Lanka - Marching for Justice; Asia / Vietnam - Setting the Agenda; Policy / India - Policy but no Practice; Yemaya Recommends - Pacific Voices: Equity and Sustainability in Pacific Island Fisheries; Milestones - Ecuador's new food sovereignty law aims to strengthen the constitutional right to food; What's New, Webby? - Womenspeak; Profile - Marie Ademar; Yemaya Mama ...tries to crack the Code.

The India MPA Workshop Proceedings. Social Dimensions of Marine Protected Areas Implementation in India: do Fishing Communities Benefit? 21-22 January 2009, IMAGE Auditorium, Chennai, India

In the current context of natural resource management, marine protected areas (MPAs) are being widely propagated as an important tool for the conservation of marine and fisheries resources. The International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) recently undertook a series of studies on MPAs in India to highlight the various legal, institutional, policy and livelihoods issues that confront fishing and coastal communities. In order to discuss the findings of these case studies and to suggest proposals for livelihood-sensitive conservation and management of coastal and fisheries resources through participatory processes, ICSF organized a two-day workshop on ‘Social Dimensions of Marine Protected Area Implementation in India: Do Fishing Communities Benefit?’ at Chennai on 21-22 January 2009. This publication—the India MPA Workshop Proceedings—contains the prospectus of the workshop, a report of the proceedings and the consensus statement that was reached by organizations and individuals who particapated in the workshop. This publication will be useful for fishworkers, non-governmental organizations, policymakers, trade unions, researchers and others interested in natural resource management and coastal and fishing communities.

Aquaculture Asia, Vol.14, No.1, pp.1-51, January-March 2009

Peter Edwards writes on rural aquaculture: Myanmar revisited. Harvesting, traditional preservation and marketing of fishes of Chalan Beel, Bangladesh, by Galib, S.M. and Samad, M.A. Role of community in production and supply of larger, quality fingerlings, by Radheyshyam, De, H.K. and Saha, G.S. Can rice-fish farming provide food security in Bangladesh? by Ahmed, N. and Luong-Van, J. Nutritional and food security for rural poor through multi-commodity production from a lake of eastern Uttar Pradesh, by Singh, S.K. Emerging boost in Sri Lankan reservoir fish production: a case of adoption of past research findings, by Amarasinghe, U.S., Weerakoon, D.E.M., Athukorala, D.A. Farming the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium malcolmsonii, by Radheyshyam Breeding and seed production of butter catfish, Ompok pabda (Siluridae) at Kalyani Centre of CIFA, India, by Chakrabarti, P.P., Chakrabarty, N.M. and Mondal, S.C. Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Magazine Use of fish in animal feeds: a fresh perspective National strategies for aquatic animal health management, by Mohan, C.V. NACA Newsletter.