Commercial studies on radiation preservation of fish and shell-fish in Canada

The author describes work being undertaken at the Fisheries Research Board of Canada's Laboratory at Halifax (Nova Scotia). These studies relate particularly to the irradiation of fish and shellfish for storage, and bacterial analysis of irradiated products.

Plan of the Lune Fishery District. Map of District sealed by the Board of agriculture & fisheries

Historic map of the River Lune Fishery District.

Topic 1. Some steric-height features of the water off the Pacific coast of Canada; Topic 2. Possible warming of the water at station P in the northeast Pacific during 1956-1984 [abstract]

TOPIC 1: In terms of seasonal scale, temperature effect dominates the annual change of steric height in the open ocean whereas salinity effect controls it along the continental shelf. Large portion of the annual change of height relative to the 1000-db surface is contained in the upper 100m layer. However, in interannual scale large anomalies of steric height in the open ocean, are more often than not, caused by halosteric rather than thermosteric effect. At least in the open ocean the heights are almost totally determined by the behavior of deep water. Their interannual variability appears to be related to the cumulative effect of Eckman pumping. TOPIC 2: There is a "trend" that over the past 28 years the water at Station P has warmed. Least-square analysis indicates that this warming may be significant but shortening of the time-series data by approximately 10 years fails to show that this is the case. These "trends" have to be interpreted with care. The warming may be "apparent" in that it is not indicated clearly in the deep isopynal surfaces which, during the above period, have deepened. Thus warming at the isobaric surfaces may be the effect of the downward migration of the isopynal surfaces.

A Biogeographic assessment off North/Central California: In support of the National Marine Sanctuaries of Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay. Phase II - Environmental setting and update to marine birds and animals

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) conducts and supports research, monitoring, assessments, and technical assistance to meet NOAA’s coastal stewardship and management responsibilities. In 2001 the Biogeography Branch of NCCOS partnered with NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) to conduct biogeographic assessments to support the management plan updates for the sanctuaries. The first biogeographic assessment conducted in this partnership focused on three sanctuaries off north/ central California: Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay. Phase I of this assessment was conducted from 2001 to 2004, with the primary goal to identify and gather the best available data and information to characterize and identify important biological areas and time periods within the study area. The study area encompasses the three sanctuaries and extends along the coastal ocean off California from Pt. Arena to Pt. Sal (35°-39°N). This partnership project was lead by the NCCOS Biogeography Branch, but included over 90 contributors and 25 collaborating institutions. Phase I results include: 1) a report on the overall assessment that includes hundreds of maps, tables and analyses; 2) an ecological linkage report on the marine and estuarine ecosystems along the coast of north/central California, and 3) related geographic information system (GIS) data and other summary data files, which are available for viewing and download in several formats at the following website: http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/products/biogeography/canms_cd/welcome.html Phase II (this report) was initiated in the Fall of 2004 to complete the analyses of marine mammals and update the marine bird colony information. Phase II resulted in significant updates to the bird and mammal chapters, as well as adding an environmental settings chapter, which contains new and existing data and maps on the study area. Specifically, the following Phase II topics and items were either revised or developed new for Phase II: •environmental, ecological settings – new maps on marine physiographic features, sea surface temperature and fronts, chlorophyll and productivity •all bird colony or roost maps, including a summary of marine bird colonies •updated at-sea data CDAS data set (1980-2003) •all mammal maps and descriptions •new overall density maps for eight mammal species •new summary pinniped rookery/haulout map •new maps on at-sea richness for cetaceans and pinnipeds •most text in the mammal chapter •new summary tables for mammals on population status and spatial and temporal patterns