The possible identification and introduction of metallothionein in Persian Sturgeon (Acipenser persicus)

Due to anthropogenic activities, toxic metals still represent a threat for various marine organisms. Metallothionein (MT) and cadmium concentration in gills, liver, and kidney tissues and cadmium partitioning in soluble (cytosol) and insoluble fractions of mentioned tissues of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) were determined following exposure to sub-lethal levels of waterborne cadmium (Cd) (50, 400 and 1000 μg L-1) after 1, 2, 4 and 14 days. The increases of MT from background levels in comparison to controls were 4.6-, 3-, and 2.8-fold for kidney, liver, and gills, respectively after 14 days. The matallothionein concentration in liver was in the range of 56.89-168.44 μgL-1 and for kidney and gills, 39.78-189.30 and 28.15-91.20 μgL-1, respectively. The results showed that MT level change in the kidney is time and concentration dependent. Also, cortisol measurement revealed elevation at the day 1 of exposure and that followed by MT increase in the liver. Cd concentrations in the cytosol of experimental tissues were measured and the results indicated that Cd levels in the cytosol of liver, kidney, and gills increased 240.71-, 32.05-, and 40.16-fold, respectively 14 days after exposure to 1000 μgL-1 Cd. The accumulation of Cd in cytosol of tissues is in the order of liver > gills > kidney. Spearman correlation coefficients showed the MT content in kidney is correlated with Cd concentration, the value of which is more than in liver and gills. Thus, kidney can be considered as a tissue indicator in Acipenser persicus for waterborne Cd contamination. Also, tissue metal accumulations (gills, liver, kidney and muscle) in Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) were compared following exposure to sublethal levels of waterborne Cd (50, 400 and 1000 μg L-1) after periods of 1, 2, 4 and 14 days. Meanwhile, the trends of Cd concentration increase in different tissues during the exposure periods and concentrations were modelled as equations. The obtained results indicate that at the end of 4 and 14 days of exposure, total tissue cadmium concentration followed the pattern: liver> gill> kidney> muscle. Calculation of bioconcentration factor (BCF) after 14 days exposure showed that at low and high concentrations, highest BCFs were found in kidney and liver, respectively. According to the results, the accumulation capacity of muscle was the lowest at all exposure concentrations. The hematological parameters including osmolarity, total protein, cortisol and glucose of plasma were measured, too. Total protein of plasma was in the range of 416.90-1068.10 mg dl-1 plasma.Total protein decreased not significantly (P≥0.05) after exposure to Cd. Cortisol increased after 1 day exposure that followed by significant (P≤0.05) elevation of glucose. The range of cortisol was very vast and it was determined between 0.03 to 16.21 ng mL-1. The content of plasma osmolarity was in the range of 282.33-294.20 mOsmol L-1.Osmolarity of treated fish plasma showed no significant decrease (P≥0.05). Total protein in gills, liver, and kidney showed that at high concentrations of metal, protein content decreased significantly (P≤0.05) in the liver after 4 and 14 days exposure. Thus, total protein of liver and glucose of plasma can be used as general biomarkers of exposure to Cd. Also, the metallothionein and cadmium were measured in gills, kidney and liver of 8 wild Persian sturgeon caught in coast of Guilan Province. According to the results, the concentration of metallothionein was in the range of 45.87-154.66 microgram per liter with the maximum and minimum concentrations in liver and gills, respectively. The trend of cadmium concentration in cytosol of tissues was: liver> kidney> gills. The results of Spearman correlation test showed that there was a significant positive correlation between metallothionein and cadmium in cytosol of liver (r2= 0.850, p≤ 0.01). In the kidney, the correlation between cadmium and metallothionein was significantly positive (r2= 0.731, p≥ 0.05). But there was not such significant correlation in the gills (p≥ 0.05).

Metallothionein as an indicator of water quality: assessment of the bioavailability of cadmium, copper, mercury and zinc in aquatic animals at the cellular level

The study of metallothioneins (MTs) has greatly improved our understanding of body burdens, metal storage and detoxification in aquatic organisms subjected to contamination by the toxic heavy metals, Cd, Cu, Hg and Zn. These studies have shown that in certain organisms MT status can be used to assess impact of these metals at the cellular level and, whilst validation is currently limited to a few examples, this stress response may be linked to higher levels of organisation, thus indicating its potential for environmental quality assessment. Molluscs, such as Mytilus spp., and several commonly occurring teleost species, are the most promising of the indicator species tested. Natural variability of MT levels caused by the organism's size, condition, age, position in the sexual cycle, temperature and various stressors, can lead to difficulties in interpretation of field data as a definitive response-indicator of metal contamination unless a critical appraisal of these variables is available. From laboratory and field studies these data are almost complete for teleost fish. Whilst for molluscs much of this information is lacking, when suitable controls are utilised and MT measurements are combined with observations of metal partitioning, current studies indicate that they are nevertheless a powerful tool in the interpretation of impact, and may prove useful in water quality assessment.

Changes in mid-troposphere snow accumulation on Mt. Logan, Yukon, over the last three centuries

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): A net snow accumulation time series is presented. It is derived from a 102.5 m ice core retrieved from Mt. Logan at an altitude of 5340 m a.s.l. Annual increments are identified using stable isotopes, trace chemistry, and beta activity. ... The resulting time series of nearly 300 years seems to indicate a lower mean accumulation from AD 1700 to the mid-19th century than after that time. The last 100 years of the series correlates significantly with certain instrumental station records at mid-northern latitudes.

Optimization of dose of methyltestosterone (MT) hormone for sex reversal in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

This paper describes the optimization of dose of methyltestosteronei (MT) hormone for masculinization of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Five treatments (i.e. T1 T2, T2, T4 and T5) with different doses such as 0, 40, 50, 60 and 65 mg of MT hormone were mixed with per kg of feed for each treatment and fed the fry four times a day up to satiation for a period of 30 days. The stocking density was maintained 10 spawn/liter of water. The growth of fry at different treatments was recorded weekly and mortality was recorded daily. At the end of hormone feeding the fry were reared in hapas fixed in ponds for another 70 days and at the 100th day the fish were sexed by the gonad squashing and aceto-carmine staining method. The analysis of growth data did not show any significant variation in length and weight of fish among the different treatments. High mortality of fry ranging 66% to 81.6% was observed in different treatments and highest mortality was observed during the first twelve days of the experiment. The sex ratio analysis showed that T2 (40 mg/kg) and T5 (65 mg/kg) produced 93.33% of sex reversed male and T3 (50 mg/kg) and T4 (60 mg/kg) produced 96.66% sex reversed male, and these ratios were significantly (p<0.05) different from 1:1 male: female sex ratio. The control, T1 (0 mg/kg) contained 43.33% male progeny. From these results it is suggested that either 50 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg of MT with a feeding period of 30 days could be considered as an optimum dose for masculinization of tilapia (O. niloticus).

Ichthyological ecoregions of Argentina

The Argentine Republic is situated in the southernmost portion of the American continent, occupying over 2,785,600 km2 not including the Antarctic territory. The country ranges from subtropical areas (21º46’S) to subantarctic regions (55º03’S), extending latitudinally over about 4,000 km. It possesses significant latitudinal and altitudinal variation (33º of latitudinal range, and heights from Bajo de San Julián in Santa Cruz province at 105 m below sea level, up to Mt. Aconcagua, 6,959 m over sea level), as well as two gradients of physical variability, extending in north-south and east-west directions. Owing to these features, the country presents a wide range of climates and soil types, being one of the countries with greatest diversity of biogeographical units (Lean et al., 1990, In: Bertonatti & Corcuera, 2000). There are four main hydrographic systems: Río de la Plata basin, the Atlantic and Pacific drainages, and several endorrheic systems. Within these basins, the ichthyofaunistic assemblage is well represented, with different magnitude in accordance with the different taxonomic groupings and regions considered. From an ichthyogeographic standpoint, and according to the works of Ringuelet (1975) and Arratia et al. (1983), Argentina is included in the Brasilic and Austral Subregions. The first of these is represented by two domains: the Andean Domain, comprising the southernmost portion of Titicaca Province, and the Paranensean Domain, including part of Alto Paraná and Paranoplatensean Provinces. The Austral Subregion is represented in Argentina by the Subandean-Cuyan and Patagonian Provinces. The present survey indicates that there are about 441 fish species in Argentina, distributed throughout the country; this number represents less than 10% of the total fish species occurring in the Neotropical Region. There is a recognizable trend of faunal impoverishment, both in North-South and East-West direction, reaching its maximum expression in the provinces of Tierra del Fuego (situated at approximately 52º30’S to 55ºS, and 65ºS to 68º50’W) and San Juan (approximately 28º50’S and 67ºW to 70º45’W), which have 4 and 5 fish species respectively. In north-south direction, one of the regional indicators of this phenomenon is the Salado river basin in Buenos Aires province, which constitutes the southern distributional boundary for the majority of the paranoplatensean ichthyofauna; 12 of the families occurring in the Paraná-Plata system are absent from this pauperized paranensean ichthyofaunal assemblage. Most of the continental fish fauna of Argentina belongs to the primary division of Myers (1949), while some elements are included in the secondary division and others in an amphibiotic or ‘marine penetration’ category. This ichthyofaunistic scope encompasses a wide range of morphological, biological, ecological and ethological types (benthic and pelagic, migrating and sedentary, haematophagous or parasites, annual species, inhabitants of plains or heights, estivation-adapted, etc.) inhabiting different regions within the national territory.

Assessment of cobia, Rachycentron canadum, in the waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico

This assessment applies to cobia (Rachycentron canadum) located in the territorial waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Separation of the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean is defined by the seaward extension of the Dade/Monroe county line in south Florida. Mixing of fish between the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico occurs in the Florida Keys during winter months. Cobia annually migrate north in early spring in the Gulf to spawning grounds in the northern Gulf of Mexico, returning to the Florida Keys by winter. Catches of cobia in the Gulf of Mexico are dominated by recreational landings, accounting for nearly 90% of the total. Since 1980, the landings of cobia in the recreational fishery have remained fairly stable at around 400-600 mt with a slight peak of 1,014 mt in 1997. The recreational fishery was estimated to have landed 471 mt in 2000. The landings from the commercial fishery have shown a steady increase from 45 mt in 1980 to a peak of 120 mt in 1994, followed by a decline to 62 mt in 2000. The previous assessment of cobia occurred in 1996 using a virtual population analysis (VPA) model. For this analysis a surplus-production model (ASPIC) and a forward-projecting, age-structured population model programmed in the AD Model Builder (ADMB) software were applied to cobia data from the Gulf of Mexico. The primary data consisted of four catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) indices derived from the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS) (1981-1999), Southeast region headboat survey (1986-1999), Texas creel survey (1983-1999), and shrimp bycatch estimates (1980-1999). Length samples were available from the commercial (1983-2000) and recreational (1981-2000) fisheries. The ASPIC model applied to the cobia data provided unsatisfactory results. The ADMB model fit described the observed length composition data and fishery landings fairly well based on graphical examination of model residuals. The CPUE indices indicated some disagreement for various years, but the model fit an overall increasing trend from 1992-1997 for the MRFSS, headboat, and Texas creel indices. The shrimp bycatch CPUE was treated as a recruitment index in the model. The fit to these data followed an upward trend in recruitment from 1988-1997, but did not fit the 1994-1997 data points very well. This was likely the result of conflicting information from other data sources. Natural mortality (M) for cobia is unknown. As a result, a range of values for M from 0.2-0.4, based on longevity and growth parameters, were selected for use in the age-structured model. The choice of natural mortality appears to greatly influence the perceived status of the population. Population status as measured by spawning stock biomass in the last year relative to the value at maximum sustainable yield (SSB2000/SSBMSY), spawning stock biomass in the last year relative to virgin spawning stock biomass (SSB2000/S0), and static spawning stock biomass per recruit (SSBR) all indicate the population is either depleted, near MSY, or well above MSY depending on the choice of M. The variance estimates for these benchmarks are very large and in most cases ranges from depleted to very healthy status. The only statement that can be made with any degree of certainty about cobia in the Gulf of Mexico is that the population has increased since the 1980s. (PDF contains 61 pages)

Widow rockfish: Proceedings of a workshop, Tiburon, California, December 11-12, 1980

This workshop was organized because of the increase between 1978 and 1980 in coastwide landings of widow rockfish, from less than 1,000 mt to more than 20,000 mt, and because of scientists' concern with the lack of knowledge both of the fishery and biology of the species. Most scientists active in research on Pacific groundfish, as well as some members of the fishing industry and fishery managers, attended the workshop. These proceedings contain the report of the workshop discussion panel, status reports on California, Oregon, and Washington fisheries through 1980, and a collection of seven papers presented at the workshop. The status reports provide an historical perspective of the development of an important fishery. The papers present a fairly complete survey of biological knowledge of widow rockfish, economic status of the fishery, and fishery-independent methods for estimation of abundance. The papers also contain some information developed after the workshop. Since the workshop, the fishery has matured. Largest landings were made in 1981, when more than 28,000 mt were landed. Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) is estimated to be slightly less than 10,000 mt, and the stock appeared to be at about the MSY level in 1985. The Pacific Fishery Management Council and National Marine Fisheries Service have implemented regulations that have maintained landings since 1983 at approximately the maximum sustainable yield level. Fishery-dependent stock assessments are being made on an annual basis for the Pacific Fishery Management Council. While these assessments are considered to be the best possible with available data, scientists responsible for the assessment have chosen to delay their publication in the formal scientific literature until more data are obtained. However, the stock assessment reports are available from the Pacific Fishery Management Council. In addition to the papers in this collection, three papers have been published on widow rockfish since 1980. BoehIert, Barss, and Lamberson (1982) estimate fecundity of the species off Oregon; Gunderson (1984) describes the fishery and management actions; and Laroche and Richardson (1981) describe the morphology and distribution of juvenile widow rockfish off Oregon. During the past decade, the fishery for widow rockfish has developed from a minor fishery to one of the more important on the Pacific Coast. Our knowledge of the biology and dynamics of the species has progressed from minimal to relatively extensive for a groundfish species. It is our intention in preparing this collection of papers to make this knowledge readily available to the scientific community. (PDF file contains 63 pages.)

A preliminary investigation into the effects of a sex-reversal androgen, methyltestosterone, on food utilization and growth of Sarotherodon niloticus (L) fry

Three groups of Sarotherodon niloticus fry were fed for 8 weeks on diets either treated with 17- & methyltestosterone (MT), alcohol (CA), or untreated (CO). Growth rate and food utilization in the different groups were compared. Results indicate that the best growth, Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) and Mean Growth Rate (MGR) were obtained with the MT diet. There was no significant difference (P 0.05) in growth and food utilization of the CA and CO fry, nor in the mortality rate of the 3 treatments. The androgen, methyltestosterone promotes growth and protein anabolism without producing toxic effects in S. niloticus

Feasibility of adopting integrated rice-cum-fish culture system to enhance the development of conventional aquaculture participation in Niger State

In a survey conducted to find out the status of integrated rice-cum-fish culture in Niger State, Nigeria, 0.37 ha of Fadama wetlands was utilized for rice-cum-fish culture and at experimental stage. In the case study of this rice-cum-fish model, the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was involved. The result was that 1,4720 kg/ha/yr could be produced using chick manure application under rice-cum-fish culture model. The available records reveal that 233,079 ha out of 495,000 ha of estimated Fadama in Niger State was used for rice cultivation in 1997. If 233,079 ha were to be used for integrated rice-cum fish culture, it is estimated that 343,092 mt of fish (Oreochromis niloticus) could be produced per year. The fish demand in Niger State in 2002 was 50,000 mt. The NPK application under rice-cum-fish production gave the best rice production estimated at 43,968.0 kg/ha/yr. The percentage increase in rice yield as well as increase in net income due to introduction of fish was 10.1 % and 54.4% respectively. The culture system is therefore recommended for adoption towards greater participation in aquaculture development by the farmers

The resource appraisal survey of clupeids in Kainji Lake, Nigeria

This study includes an analysis of the trawl survey that was carried out by the Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project in May, 1997. The objective of the survey was to assess the biomass and the potential yield of clupeids and the carrying capacity of the beach seine fishery in the entire Kainji Lake (Nigeria). The biomass of the beach seine by-catch was also estimated. The density (kg /km super(3)) of the clupeids was higher in the Bussa and Foge than in the other stations. The lowest density of clupeids was in the Anfani station followed by Jetty, both in the southern basin. These stations were the deepest parts of all the areas trawled, measuring between 37-120 m of depth. There was an inverse correlation between depth trawled and the catch rates of clupeids, though the correlation was poor. The average annual biomass of the clupeids was estimated at 36,769.85 Mt in the entire Lake with an MSY of 11,705.95 Mt. The smaller species, Sierrathrissa leonensis, made up about 97% of the total clupeid population in the lake and occurred at a shallower depth than the larger species Pellonula afzeliusi. From the clupeid production statistics in 1996, it is estimated that the MSY is already overshot by 34%. Therefore, about 698 beach seines instead of the present 810 would be sufficient for sustainable exploitation of the clupeid stocks. Because of the substantial by-catch in the beach seines, this fishing method was banned from Kainji Lake in 1997. An offshore open water seine net is recommended to replace the beach seines on the lake. The number of these nets should not exceed 500. The current ban on beach seine is supported by this study. Nevertheless, and since the ban may not be 100% effective, effort should concentrate on maintaining that the number of beach seines must be kept at most at the present level. Recommendation is made against the introduction of the pair trawling not only from an economic point of view but also for resource conservation, legal and social reasons. The development of this fishery could pose a serious danger to continuity of stocks. It is proposed that priority be given to the development of an open water seine which is at the same level of exploitation as the beach seine and requires similar cost to acquire. (PDF contains 39 pages)

Home range and habitat use by Kemp's Ridley turtles in West-Central Florida

The Kemp's ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii) is an endangered species whose recovery depends in part on the identification and protection of required habitats. We used radio and sonic telemetry on subadult Kemp's ridley turtles to investigate home-range size and habitat use in the coastal waters of west-central Florida from 1994 to 1996. We tracked 9 turtles during May-August up to 70 days after release and fou.ld they occupied 5-30 km2 foraging ranges. Compositional analyses indicated that turtles used rock outcroppings in their foraging ranges at a significantly higher proportion than expected. based on availability within the study area. Additionally. turtles used live bottom (e.g .• sessile invertebrates) and green macroalgae habitats significantly more than seagrass habitat. Similar studies are needed through'mt the Kemp's ridley turtles' range to investigate regional and stage-specific differences in habitat use. which can then be used to conserve important foraging areas.

Linefish resources annual report for the year 2000. Part 1: fisheries assessment

This work reflects the activities of line and trap fishing in Southern Mozambique in 2000. The catch in line fishing has been estimated at 441 mt, according to the DNAP records. The same sources indicated that 1767 days were spent at sea and the estimated catch rate was 250 Kg per boaticlay. Most of the line fishing effort shifted away from Maputo and moved to Inhambane region. The monthly analysis of fishing vessels, stricter controls over catch and effort data submission, development of long-term research programme and the continuation of the on board sampling to improve the data collection are the recommendation for line fishing. The catch of trap vessels increases from 30mt in 1997 to 172 mt in 2000, during which the total number of traps increased from 25 to 300. During this time the number of fishing days has remained relatively constant, as well the soak time. These data sets are thus not compatible with each other, reflecting an increase in daily catch from 243 Kg to 791 kg. The species composition is mainly dominated by P. coeruleopunctatus, C. puniceus, C. nufar and E. andersoni.

Climatic indicators in an ice core from the Yukon [abstract]

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): Stable isotope data obtained from snow and ice cores retrieved from an altitude of 5340m on Mt. Logan (60°30'N; 140°36'W) indicate that "isotopic seasons" are not generally in phase with calendar seasons. The former are phase lagged with respect to the latter by up to several months and appear to be correlated with SST'S and ocean heat transfer curves and/or the position of the Aleutian low rather than with air temperature or the temperature difference between the ocean surface and the core site.

An ecological characterization of the marine resources of Vieques, Puerto Rico. Part I: Historical data synthesis

From the 1940s until 2003, portions of the island of Vieques, a municipality within the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, were used by the US Navy as a base and training facility, resulting in development and zoning history that differ in comparison to other Caribbean islands. The majority of former Navy lands are now under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service as a National Wildlife Refuge, while a smaller percentage of land was transferred to the Vieques municipality and the Puerto Rico Conservation Trust. An analysis of the distribution and status of the marine resources is timely in light of the recent land transfer, increases in development and tourism, and potential changes in marine zoning around the island. To meet this need, NOAA’s Biogeography Branch, in cooperation with the Office of Response and Restoration and other local and regional partners, conducted Part I of an ecological characterization to integrate historical data and research into a synthesis report. The overall objective of this report is to provide resource managers and residents a comprehensive characterization of the marine resources of Vieques to support research, monitoring, and management. For example, knowledge of the spatial distribution of physical features, habitats, and biological communities is necessary to make an informed decision of the establishment and placement of a marine protected area (MPA). The report is divided into chapters based on the physical environment (e.g., climate, geology, bathymetry), habitat types (e.g., reefs and hardbottom, seagrasses, mangroves) and major faunal groups (e.g. fish, turtles, birds). Each section includes five subsections: an overview, description of the relevant literature, methods of analysis, information on the distribution, status and trends of the particular resource, and a discussion of ecological linkages with other components of the Vieques marine ecosystem and surrounding environment. The physical environment of Vieques is similar to other islands within the Greater Antilles chain, with some distinctions. The warm, tropical climate of Vieques, mediated by the northeasterly trade winds, is characterized by a dry season (December-April) and a rainy season (May-November), the latter of which is characterized by the occasional passage of tropical cyclones. Compared to mainland Puerto Rico, Vieques is characterized by lower elevation, less annual precipitation, and higher average temperatures. The amount of annual precipitation also varies spatially within Vieques, with the western portion of the island receiving higher amounts of rainfall than further east. While the North Equatorial Current dominates the circulation pattern in the Greater Antilles region, small scale current patterns specific to Vieques are not as well characterized. These physical processes are important factors mitigating the distribution and composition of marine benthic habitats around Vieques. In general, the topography of Vieques is characterized by rolling hills. Mt. Pirata, the tallest point at 301 m, is located near the southwest coast. In the absence of island wide sedimentation measurements, information on land cover, slope, precipitation, and soil type were used to estimate relative erosion potential and sediment delivery for each watershed. While slope and precipitation amount are the primary driving factors controlling runoff, land use practices such as urban development, military activity, road construction, and agriculture can increase the delivery of pollution and sediments to coastal waters. Due to the recent land transfer, increased development and tourism is expected, which may result in changes in the input of sediments to the coastal environment.