Reproductive Biology of Amblema neislerii, Elliptoideus sloatianus, Lampsilis subangulata, Medionidus penicillatus, and Pleurobema pyriforme (Bivalvia: Unionidae): final report

A study on the reproductive biology of Amblema neislerii, Elliptoideus sloatianus, Lampsilis subangulata, Medionidus penicillatus, and Pleurobema pyriforme was conducted from May 1995 to May 1997. The objectives of this study were as follows: 1) determine period of gravidity for each of the five mussel species, 2) determine host fish via laboratory experiments, 3) test whether unionid glochidia will transform on a nonidingenous fish, and 4) describe the glochidial morphology for each of the five mussel species using a scanning electron microscope. Amblema neislerii are tachytictic breeders and were found with mature glochidia in May. Elliptoideus sloatianus are tachytictic breeders and were found with mature glochidia from late February to early April. Lampsilis subangulata are bradytictic breeders and were found with mature glochidia from December to August. Superconglutinates were released by L. subangulata from late May to early July. Medionidus penicillatus are bradytictic breeders and were found with mature glochidia in November and February to April. Pleurobema pyriforme are tachytictic breeders and were found with mature glochidia from March to July. The following fish species served as hosts for A. neislerii: Notropis texanus, Lepomis macrochirus, L. microlophus, Micropterus salmoides, and Percina nigrofasciata. The following fish species served as hosts for E. sloatianus: Gambusia holbrooki, Poecilia reticulata, and P. nigrofasciata. The following fish species served as hosts for L. subangulata: G. holbrooki, P. reticulata, L. macrochirus, Micropterus punctulatus, and M. salmoides. The following fish species served as hosts for M. penicillatus: G. holbrooki, P. reticulata, Etheostoma edwini, and P. nigrofasciata. The following fish species served as hosts for P. pyriforme: Pteronotropis hypselopterus, G. holbrooki, and P. reticulata. Poecilia reticulata, a nonindigenous fish, served as a host for E. sloatianus, L. subangulata, M. penicillatus, and P. pyriforme. (76 page document)

Biology and Fishery of Florida's commercial sponges

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Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Conservation and Biology, 2-6 March 1999 South Padre Island, Texas, U.S.A.

The 19th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation was the largest to date. The beautiful venue was the South Padre Island Convention Centre on South Padre Island, Texas from March 2-6, 1999. Key features of the 19th were invited talks on the theme The Promise, the Pain, and the Progress of 50 years of Sea Turtle Research and Conservation, a mini-symposium on the Kemp's ridley and an increased emphasis on high quality poster sessions. Hosts for the meeting included Texas A&M University, the Texas Sea Grant College Program, The Gladys Porter Zoo and Sea Turtle, Inc. Co-sponsors included the National Marine Fisheries Service-Southeast Fisheries Science Center, the National Marine Fisheries Service-Protected Resources Branch, Padre Island National Seashore and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. With the assistance of Jack Frazier, we were fortunate to obtain a $30,000 grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. This grant provided travel support to 49 individuals from 24 nations who presented a total of 50 presentations. (PDF contains 309 pages)

Proceedings of the Twenty-second Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, 4-7 April, 2002, Miami, Florida

The 22nd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation was held April 4-7, 2002 in Miami, Florida and hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 22nd symposium was the most globally diverse ever with 839 individuals from 73 countries attending the symposium and associated regional meetings. One third of the attendees were from outside the United States. This diverse attendance was made possible in large part because of substantial donations from The Packard Foundation, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Convention on Migratory Species, Oceanic Research Foundation, and International Sea Turtle Society which supported travel grants for 170 international travelers. (PDF contains 336 pages)

Biology and fisheries of swordfish, Xiphias gladius: Papers from the International Symposium on Pacific Swordfish, Ensenada, Mexico, 11-14 December 1994

The swordfish, Xiphias gladius, is a large migratory oceanic species. It is widely distributed in tropical, temperate, and sometimes cold waters of all oceans, and is usually found in areas with sea-surface temperatures above 13°C. It can reach a maximum size of 540 kg, and is a favorite food fish in many countries. It is excellent for steaks, canning, or teriyaki, the Japanese dish of meat grilled with sugar, soy sauce, and rice wine. Swordfish is harvested commercially throughout its distribution, in both coastal and high-seas fisheries. Sport fisheries for swordfish are very small compared to those for other billfishes, accounting for no more than a few hundred fish per year. (PDF file contains 284 pages.)

Biology and Management of Sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria: Papers from the International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Sablefish, Seattle, Washington, 13-15 April 1993

At its june 1990 annual meeting, the Technical Subcommittee (TSC) of the Canada-U.S. Groundfish Committee recommended that scientists and managers working on sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria, issues convene to present and discuss the results of their recent research. Thorough knowledge of the biology and population dynamics of this species is essential for its effective management, especially considering its commercial importance. TSC representatives from both countries recognized that a great deal ofactive research has been conducted on this species since the International Sablefish Symposium was held in Anchorage, Alaska, in March 1983 (Melteff, 1983). As a result of this recommendation, the International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Sablefish (ISBMS) was convened April 13-15, 1993, at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington. (PDF file contains 286 pages.)

Conservation Biology of Elasmobranchs

Elasmobranchs are vital and valuable components of the marine biota. From an ecological perspective they occupy the role of top predators within marine food webs, providing a regulatory control that helps balance the ecosystem. From an evolutionary perspective, this group represents an early divergence along the vertebrate line that produced many unusual, but highly successful, adaptations in function and form. From man's perspective, elasmobranchs have been considered both an unavoidable nuisance, and an exploitable fishery resource. A few of the large shark species have earned a dubious notoriety because of sporadic attacks on humans that occur in coastal areas each year worldwide; the hysteria surrounding an encounter with a shark can be costly to the tourist industry. More importantly, elasmobranchs are often considered a detriment to commercial fishing operations; they cause significant economic damage to catches and fishing gear. On the other hand, consumer attitudes have changed concerning many previously unpopular food fishes, including elasmobranchs, and this group of fishes has been increasingly used by both recreational and commercial fishing interests. Many elasmobranchs have become a popular target of recreational fishermen for food and sport because of their abundance, size, and availability in coastal waters. Similarly, commercial fisheries for elasmobranchs have developed or expanded from an increased demand for elasmobranch food products. (PDF file contains 108 pages.)

Biology, Oceanography, and Fisheries of the North Pacific Transition Zone and Subarctic Frontal Zone: Papers from the North Pacific Transition Zone Workshop, Honolulu, Hawaii, 9-11 May 1988

In the past few years, large-scale, high-seas driftnet fishing has sparked intense debate and political conflict in many oceanic regions. In the Pacific Ocean the driftnet controversy first emerged in the North Pacific transition zone and subarctic frontal zone, where driftnet vessels from Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan pursue their target species of neon flying squid. Other North Pacific driftnet fleets from Japan and Taiwan target stocks of tunas and billfishes. Both types of driftnet fishing incidentally kill valued non-target species of marine life, including fish, mammals, birds, and turtles. In response to public concerns about driftnet fishing, government scientists began early on to assemble available information and consider what new data were required to assess impacts on North Pacific marine resources and the broader pelagic ecosystem. Accordingly, a workshop was convened at the NMFS Honolulu Laboratory in May 1988 to review current information on the biology, oceanography, and fisheries of the North Pacific transition zone and subarctic frontal zone. The workshop participants, from the United States and Canada, also developed a strategic plan to guide NMFS in developing a program of driftnet fishery research and impact assessment. This volume contains a selection of scientific review papers presented at the 1988 Honolulu workshop. The papers represent part of the small kernel of information available then, prior to the expansion of cooperative international scientific programs. Subsequent driftnet fishery monitoring and research by the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan have added much new data. Nevertheless, this collection of papers provides a historical perspective and contains useful information not readily available elsewhere. (PDF file contains 118 pages.)

Elasmobranchs as living resources: Advances in the biology, ecology, systematics, and the status of the fisheries

This report owes its genesis to the foresight and enthusiam of Dr. Kazuhiro Mizue. By happy circumstance, Professor Mizue contacted me in 1983 with his visionary ideas on cooperative programs. He noted that the time was right because the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and the National Science Foundation had mutually given priority to cooperative programs in marine biology. I therefore agreed to act as the U.S. coordinator and proposed to NSF, a short trip to Japan to negotiate site visits and timing with ten previously appointed Japanese scientists and, if that trip were successful, to negotiate a joint research project, possibly followed by a joint seminar. (PDF file contains 528 pages.)

New and innovative advances in biology/engineering with potential for use in aquaculture: Proceedings of the Fourteenth U.S.-Japan Meeting on Aquaculture, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, October 16-17, 1985

The United States and Japanese counterpart panels on aquaculture were formed in 1969 under the United States-Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources (UJNR). The panels currently include specialists drawn from the federal departments most concerned with aquaculture. Charged with exploring and developing bilateral cooperation, the panels have focused their efforts on exchanging information related to aquaculture which could be of benefit to both countries. The UJNR was begun during the Third Cabinet-Level Meeting of the Joint United States-Japan Committee on Trade and Economic Affairs in January 1964. In addition to aquaculture, current subjects in the program include desalination of seawater, toxic microorganisms, air pollution, energy, forage crops, national park management, mycoplasmosis, wind and seismic effects, protein resources, forestry, and several joint panels and committees in marine resources research, development, and utilization. Accomplishments include: Increased communication and cooperation among technical specialists; exchanges of information, data, and research findings; annual meetings of the panels, a policy-coordinative body; administrative staff meetings; exchanges of equipment, materials, and samples; several major technical conferences; and beneficial effects on international relations. (PDF file contains 76 pages.)

Status, biology, and ecology of fur seals: Proceedings of an International Symposium and Workshop Cambridge, England, 23-27 April 1984

The 1984 International Symposium and Workshop on the Biology of Fur Seals originated in informal talks in 1981. However, the scope and focus of the symposium remained unclear until an informal workshop was held in San Diego in June 1983. This meeting synthesised data on the foraging and pup attendance activities of six species of fur seals, and attempted to formulate a coherent framework for the adaptations associated with their maternal strategies (Gentry et al. 1986). During the workshop it was clear that comparative data on many key aspects of fur seal biology and ecology were missing. This absence of data applied not only to less well known species, for some of which considerable unpublished data existed, but also to better known species for which research in some areas had either been neglected or unreported. The value of applying the comparative method to seals, especially comparisons integrating physiology, ecology, and reproductive biology, was amply demonstrated by the results of the 1983 workshop (Gentry and Kooyman 1986). However, we were also aware that many other problems outside the area of maternal strategies could benefit from comparative data, such as recovery of populations from the effects of harvesting. Therefore, to accommodate the range of potential research, we organized this symposium to produce an up-to-date synthesis of relevant information for all species of fur seals. It was also clear that fur seal research could benefit from increased communication and collaboration among its practitioners. To foster the spread of ideas, we held oral presentations on some topics of current research and techniques and organized workshops on specific topics, in addition to providing opportunities for informal talks among participants. Thanks to generous support from the British Antarctic Survey, the National Marine Fisheries Service of the United States, and the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, the International Fur Seal Symposium was held at the British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, England, 23-27 April 1984. The 36 participants are shown in Figure 1. A list of Symposium participants and authors is presented in Appendix 1 of the Proceedings. (PDF file contains 220 pages.)

Effects of temperature on the biology of the northern shrimp, Pandalus borealis, in the Gulf of Maine

Length-frequency data collected from inshore and offshore locations in the Gulf of Maine in 1966-1968 indicated that ovigerous female northern shrimp (Pandalus borealis) first appeared offshore in August and September and migrated inshore in the fall and winter. Once eggs hatched, surviving females returned offshore. Juveniles and males migrated offshore during their first two years of life. Sex transition occurred in both inshore and oll'shore waters, but most males changed sex offshore during their third and fourth years. Most shrimp changed sex and matured as females for the first time in their fourth year. Smaller females and females exposed to colder bottom temperatures spawned first. The incidence of egg parasitism peaked in January and was higher for shrimp exposed to warmer bottom temperatures. Accelerated growth at higher temperatures appeared to result in earlier or more rapid sex transition. Males and non-ovigerous females were observed to make diurnal vertical migrations, but were not found in near- surface waters where the temperature exceeded 6°C. Ovigerous females fed more heavily on benthic molluscs in inshore waters in the winter, presumably because the egg masses they were carrying prevented them from migrating vertically at night. Northern shrimp were more abundant in the southwestern region of the Gulf of Maine where bottom temperatures remain low throughout the year. Bottom trawl catch rates were highest in Jeffreys Basin where bottom temperatures were lower than at any other sampling location. Catch rates throughout the study area were inversely related to bottom temperature and reached a maximum at 3°C. An increase of 40% in fecundity between 1973 and 1979 was associated with a decline of 2-3°C in April-July offshore bottom temperatures. Furthermore, a decrease in mean fecundity per 25 mm female between 1965 and 1970 was linearly related to reduced landings between 1969 and 1974. It is hypothesized that temperature-induced changes in fecundity and, possibly, in the extent of egg mortality due to parasitism, may provide a mechanism which could partially account for changes in the size of the Gulf of Maine northern shrimp population during the last thirty years. (PDF file contains 28 pages.)

Biology, ecology, control and management of the invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish: An updated integrated assessment

Venomous Indo-Pacific lionfish (Pterois miles and P. volitans) are now established along the Southeast U.S.A. and parts of the Caribbean and pose a serious threat to reef fish communities of these regions. Lionfish are likely to invade the Gulf of Mexico and potentially South America in the near future. Introductions of lionfish were noted since the 1980s along south Florida and by 2000 lionfish were established off the coast of North Carolina. Lionfish are now one of the more numerous predatory reef fishes at some locations off the Southeast U.S.A. and Caribbean. Lionfish are largely piscivores that feed occasionally on economically important reef fishes. The trophic impacts of lionfish could alter the structure of native reef fish communities and potentially hamper stock rebuilding efforts of the Snapper –Grouper Complex. Additional effects of the lionfish invasion are far-reaching and could increase coral reef ecosystem stress, threaten human health, and ultimately impact the marine aquarium industry. Control strategies for lionfish are needed to mitigate impacts, especially in protected areas. This integrated assessment provides a general overview of the biology and ecology of lionfish including genetics, taxonomy, reproductive biology, early life history and dispersal, venom defense and predation, and feeding ecology. In addition, alternative management actions for mitigating the negative impacts of lionfish, approaches for reducing the risk of future invasions, and directions for future research are provided.

Proceedings of the Twenty-third Annual Symposium on sea turtle biology and conservation, 17 to 21 March 2003, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The 23rd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation was held between 17 and 21 March 2003 at The Legend Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hosted by the Community Conservation Network, Hawaii, and WWF-Malaysia. The meeting was attended by slightly more than 300 participants representing 73 countries, a dramatic drop in participation from previous years brought about in no small part by the looming war in the middle east region and concerns over travel safety. For 22 years the Symposium had bee an Americas-based event, even though it is the annual gathering of the "international" sea turtle society, and with the move to Malaysia, the Symposium hoped to raise the awareness among the general public of the plight of amrine turtles in Southeast Asia, and share the enormous exspertise of the world authorities on sea turtles with this so-far underrepresented region. Adopting the thems, "Living With Turtles", the Symposium had a very personal flavour, and the smaller number of participants made it possible to make and renew acquaintances, and have time for discussion between sessions. While the travel safety concern excuse was often quoted, it was a pity, particularly to the large contingent of people who attended the event for the first time from underrepresented regions, that many of the household names linked to marine turtle biology and conservation were not present to share their knowledge and promote the global concerns on the plight of turtle populations.