Manual for starch gel electrophoresis: A method for the detection of genetic variation

The procedure to conduct horizontal starch gel electrophoresis on enzymes is described in detail. Areas covered are (I) collection and storage of specimens, (2) preparation of tissues, (3) preparation of a starch gel, (4) application of enzyme extracts to a gel, (5) setting up a gel for electrophoresis, (6) slicing a gel, and (7) staining a gel. Recipes are also included for 47 enzyme stains and 3 selected gel buffers. (PDF file contains 26 pages.)

Effect of modified starch on the shelf life of frozen fish Kamaboko with prepared spinach

Fish kamaboko with spinach was prepared by mixing fish kamaboko with spinach prepared with different combinations of ordinary starch (OS) and modified starch (MS), viz., 40:60, 50:50, 60:40, 100%) MS and 100% OS. The products were frozen at -40°C and stored at -20°C, and subjected to biochemical (peroxide value, total titratable acidity, pH and moisture) organoleptic (appearance, taste and colour), microbiological (total plate count) and physical (folding and expressible water) tests at monthly intervals. Among the different combinations tried, it was observed that fish kamaboko with spinach prepared with 50:50 and 60:40 combinations of OS and MS could be stored for six months at-20°C.

Effects of crude, semipurified and purified starch of sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) on the water stability of pelleted shrimp diets

A study was conducted to determine the comparative effectiveness of purified, semipurified and crude starch of sago as binders for pelleted shrimp diets. The diet containing semipurified sago starch had the highest water stability (79.1%). The values were nearly the same for the pellets bound with purified and crude sago starch. Reasons for the low binding capacity of purified and crude sago could be that the gel of purified sago is weakened due to purification, and that of the crude sago is due to the spongy material present in the product. Thus, semipurified sago starch is a better source of binder and purified crude sago. From the economic viewpoint, the cost of purified sago is prohibitive for use as binder. Both semipurified and crude sago palm starch are acceptable. Composition of shrimp diets containing various sources of sago palm starch, and binder cost and water stability of shrimp diets containing various sources of sago palm starch tested at 3, 6 and 12 hours, are tabulated.

Gum arabic, carrageenan of various types and sago palm starch as binders in prawn diets

An experiment was undertaken in order to investigate the use of sago palm starch, gum arabic and carrageenans as binders in prawn diets. Water stability data are presented; EPT-2 carrageenan was found to be the best binder for both steamed and unsteamed pellets.

Report of the 2004 Workshop on In Situ Iron Enrichment Experiments in the Eastern and Western Subarctic Pacific

Foreword 1. BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES (pdf, 0.1 Mb) 2. 2004 WORKSHOP SUMMARY (pdf, < 0.1 Mb) 2.1. What have we learned from the enrichment experiments? 2.2 What are the outstanding questions? 2.3 Recommendations for SEEDS-II 3. EXTENDED ABSTRACTS OF THE 2004 WORKSHOP 3.1 Synthesis of the Iron Enrichment Experiments: SEEDS and SERIES (pdf, 0.5 Mb) Iron fertilization experiment in the western subarctic Pacific (SEEDS) by Atsushi Tsuda The response of N and Si to iron enrichment in the Northeast Pacific Ocean: Results from SERIES by David Timothy, C.S. Wong, Yukihiro Nojiri, Frank A. Whitney, W. Keith Johnson and Janet Barwell-Clarke 3.2 Biological and Physiological Responses (pdf, 0.2 Mb) Zooplankton responses during SEEDS by Hiroaki Saito Phytoplankton community response to iron and temperature gradient in the NW and NE subarctic Pacific Ocean by Isao Kudo, Yoshifumi Noiri, Jun Nishioka, Hiroshi Kiyosawa and Atsushi Tsuda SERIES: Copepod grazing on diatoms by Frank A. Whitney, Moira Galbraith, Janet Barwell-Clarke and Akash Sastri The Southern Ocean Iron Enrichment Experiment: The nitrogen uptake response by William P. Cochlan and Raphael M. Kudela 3.3 Biogeochemical Responses (pdf, 0.5 Mb) What have we learned regarding iron biogeochemistry from iron enrichment experiments? by Jun Nishioka, Shigenobu Takeda and W. Keith Johnson Iron dynamics and temporal changes of iron speciation in SERIES by W. Keith Johnson, C.S. Wong, Nes Sutherland and Jun Nishioka Dissolved organic matter dynamics during SEEDS and SERIES experiments by Takeshi Yoshimura and Hiroshi Ogawa Formation of transparent exopolymer particles during the in-situ iron enrichment experiment in the western subarctic Pacific (SEEDS) by Shigenobu Takeda, Neelam Ramaiah, Ken Furuya and Takeshi Yoshimura Atmospheric measurement by Mitsuo Uematsu 3.4 Prediction from Models (pdf, 0.3 Mb) Modelling iron limitation in the North Pacific by Kenneth L. Denman and M. Angelica Peña A proposed model of the SERIES iron fertilization patch by Debby Ianson, Christoph Voelker and Kenneth L. Denman 4. LIST OF PARTICIPANTS FOR THE 2004 WORKSHOP (pdf, < 0.1 Mb) APPENDIX 1 Report of the 2000 Planning Workshop on Designing the Iron Fertilization Experiment in the Subarctic Pacific (pdf, 1 Mb) APPENDIX 2 Terms of Reference for the Advisory Panel on Iron fertilization experiment in the subarctic Pacific Ocean (pdf, < 0.1 Mb) APPENDIX 3 Historical List of Advisory Panel Members on Iron fertilization experiment in the subarctic Pacific Ocean (pdf, < 0.1 Mb) APPENDIX 4 IFEP-AP Annual Reports (pdf, 0.1 Mb) APPENDIX 5 PICES Press Articles (pdf, 0.6 Mb) (194 page document)

Panama City Fisheries Resources Office: FY 2008 Annual Report

HIGHLIGHTS FOR FY 2008 1. Completed the first of a two-year Gulf sturgeon population study on the Choctawhatchee River, Florida. The sub adult and adult Gulf sturgeon population was estimated at 2,800 fish. 2. Gulf sturgeon eggs were collected at three hard bottom sites in the Apalachicola River, Florida; two sites were previously confirmed spawning areas and one was a newly confirmed spawning area. 3. Documented 55 potential environmental threats to Gulf sturgeon spawning habitat in the Pea River, Florida and Alabama. 4. Assigned the Eglin AFB Road-Stream Crossing Working Group to guide the closure, repair and maintenance of roads and road stream crossings that impact threatened and endangered species. 5. Conducted 81 assessments of fish and stream invertebrates on and in watersheds surrounding Eglin AFB. 6. Provided technical support for the 5-year status review and reclassification proposed rule for the Okaloosa darter. 7. Initiated an intensive population genetic analysis of the Okaloosa darter throughout its range. Tissues from over 200 Okaloosa darters were collected and analyzed. 8. Established a GIS database to serve as a host for data from any sites sampled for mussels in Northeast Gulf of Mexico drainages. 9. Conducted habitat surveys at 115 locations in the Apalachicola River to assess the effects of drought-related mussel mortality and strandings, evaluate habitat conditions, and assess population demography. 10. A land use/aerial imagery threats assessment data analysis was completed for the Chipola River. A total of 266 impoundments/borrow pits and 471 unpaved road crossings were identified among the threats. 11. Okaloosa darters marked with elastomeric dyes were monitored in Mill Creek, Eglin AFB, to determine movement and habitat use following completion of a fish passage project. 3 12. Partners for Fish and Wildlife funded a streambank and riparian restoration project on Econfina Creek consisting of 3,900 feet of streambank fencing to exclude cattle access. One acre of riparian floodplain was planted with native trees. 13. We provided design and on-the-ground assistance for restoring surface hydrology at St. Vincent NWR. The project restored approximately 1.5 miles of tidal stream and 100 acres of wetlands. 14. A study was completed on 11 coastal streams to document large wood debris relationships with fluvial geomorphic characteristics. 15. We developed a Population Viability Analysis model for the fat threeridge mussel to determine current and future risk of extinction. 17. A Gulf Sturgeon Friends Group, “Gulf Sturgeon Preservation Society” was organized in FY 08. 18. Multiple outreach projects were completed to detail aquatic resource conservation needs and opportunities, including National Fishing Week, Earth Day, several festivals and school outreach.

Preliminary investigation into implication of a single cell organism in fish feed bouyancy and flotation

Two Isocaloric Isoproteic 30% crude protein diets were formulated for Clariid catfish and Tilapia with wheat grain starch (WGS) and cassava tuber starch (CTS) incorporated at 10 percent as binding agents. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was included at 2% as floating additive. The water stability, nutrient retention and flotation of pelleted feeds were observed for 60 minutes. There were generally decreasing trends in stability and retention at increasing time of immersion in water. The lipid retention was higher (P>0.05) than proteins in both diets. WGS diet was better (P>0.05) than CTS diet in flotation, which has attributed to the presence of gluten protein in wheat products. It is envisaged that a break through in floating feed development in Nigeria aquaculture would save the Nigeria economy from extruded (floating) feed importation

Genetic variation of rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus) and shortraker rockfish (S. borealis) inferred from allozymes

Rougheye rockfish (Sebastes aleutianus) and shortraker rockfish (Sebastes borealis) were collected from the Washington coast, the Gulf of Alaska, the southern Bering Sea, and the eastern Kamchatka coast of Russia (areas encompassing most of their geographic distribution) for population genetic analyses. Using starch gel electrophoresis, we analyzed 1027 rougheye rockfish and 615 shortraker rockfish for variation at 29 proteincoding loci. No genetic heterogeneity was found among shortraker rockfish throughout the sampled regions, although shortraker in the Aleutian Islands region, captured at deeper depths, were found to be significantly smaller in size than the shortraker caught in shallower waters from Southeast Alaska. Genetic analysis of the rougheye rockfish revealed two evolutionary lineages that exist in sympatry with little or no gene f low between them. When analyzed as two distinct species, neither lineage exhibited heterogeneity among regions. Sebastes aleutianus seems to inhabit waters throughout the Gulf of Alaska and more southern waters, whereas S. sp. cf. aleutianus inhabits waters throughout the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, and Asia. The distribution of the two rougheye rockfish lineages may be related to depth where they are sympatric. The paler color morph, S. aleutianus, is found more abundantly in shallower waters and the darker color morph, Sebastes sp. cf. aleutianus, inhabits deeper waters. Sebastes sp. cf. aleutianus, also exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of two parasites, N. robusta and T. trituba, than did Sebastes aleutianus, in the 2001 samples, indicating a possible difference in habitat and (or) resource use between the two lineages.

Species management in aquatic habitats WRc RD Interim 1997

This is the Species management in aquatic Habitats WRc Interim 1997 document produced by the Environment Agency in 1997. This document reports progress on R&D Project 640, which aims to provide information on species of conservation value of particular relevance to the Environment Agency, in relation to its activities affecting aquatic environments. A range of stand-alone outputs is being produced, comprising Species Action Plans, practical management guidelines for Agency staff and third parties, and various research outputs to improve the knowledge base on the status and ecological requirements of priority species. The species of conservation values are: water shrew, daubenton’s bat, Kingfisher, yellow wagtail, Grey wagtail, sand martin, reed bunting, dipper, marsh warbler, great crested new, spined loach, brook lamprey, river lamprey, sea lamprey, shining rams-horn snail, little whirlpool rams-horn snail, depressed river mussel, a freshwater pea mussel, native crayfish, and triangular club-rush. The process of species selection was altered during the course of the project by the report on biodiversity by the UK Biodiversity Steering Group (1995). Whilst still including species that were not particularly endangered but were greatly influenced by the activities of the Agency, the project addressed species on the ‘short’ and ‘middle’ priority lists of the Biodiversity report, particularly those for which the Agency had specific responsibilities.

Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet (1914 1982): Una síntesis de su trayectoria con énfasis en sus contribuciones a la Ictiología y Limnología.

Historia de la Ciencia fue una materia ofrecida en 2003, por el curso de Posgrado en Ciencias Ambientales (PEA) de la Universidad Estadual de Maringá, PR, Brasil, dictada por la profesora Luiza Marta Bellini. Durante el curso de la misma, se discutía sobre la historia y filosofía de vida de los científicos que brillaron o, por el contrario, pasaron desapercibidos por la historia del pensamiento humano. Al final del término de la materia, se logró compilar un libro llamado Ecólogos e suas histórias: Um olhar sobre a construção das ideas ecológicas (Pelicice et al., 2010). El capitulo diez del libro, es un comentario sobre algunos pioneros que contribuyeron para el desarrollo de la Limnología fluvial en Sudamérica. Dos fueron tratados en ese capítulo, Harald Sioli y Juan José Neiff (ver Arenas‐Ibarra et al., 2010). Sin embargo, la idea principal del capítulo era incluir también a los doctores Argentino Aurelio Bonetto y Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet, pero cuestiones relativas al formato y espacio de cada capítulo, impidieron mantener la integridad original de éste y el mayor conocimiento de las contribuciones de estos dos destacados investigadores argentinos en tierras brasileras. Si bien esta omisión fue compensada en parte por el artículo de Arenas‐Ibarra & Souza‐Filho (2010) en el que se resaltan las figuras de Bonetto y Rzóska como precursores de la Limnología fluvial, quedó aún pendiente este reconocimiento por parte de los autores de este documento a Raúl Ringuelet. Con motivo de que en el transcurso de este año se cumplieron treinta años del fallecimiento del Dr. Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet, decidimos, por invitación de Hugo Luis López, publicar el material recopilado durante la materia cursada en la Universidad Estadual de Maringá (UEM, Brasil), actualizándola con nuevos datos proporcionados por Hugo López y Juan José Neiff. Este trabajo es una síntesis de las ideas de Raúl Adolfo Ringuelet, quien sin duda se encuentra entre los pioneros de la ictio‐limnología local y sudamericana.