Distribution of red deepsea crab (Chaceon quinquedens) by size and sex in the Gulf of Mexico

The red deepsea crab (Chaceon quinquedens (Smith, 1879)) has supported a commercial fishery off the coast of New England since the 1970s (Wigley et al., 1975) and has had annual harvests from 400 metric tons (t) (1996) to 4000 t (2001) (NEFMC, 2002). In 2002, a fishery management plan for the northeast fishery on the Atlantic coast was implemented and total allowable catch was reduced to approximately 2500 t (NEFMC, 2002). Although there are management plans for the golden crab (C. fenneri) and the red deep sea crab for Atlantic coast regions, there is no fishery management plan for red deepsea crabs in the Gulf of Mexico. Successful management for sustainable harvests should be based on a knowledge of the life history of the species, but C. quinquedens has been a difficult species for which to obtain life history and abundance information because of its deep distribution.

Survey on the idle capacity of fish processing (freezing) plants in India - 1. West Coast

The extent of idle capacity in fish processing (freezing) plants estimated by stratified random sampling is reported. The estimates for 1978 and 1979 for the processing plants on the west coast of India were 76.9 % and 73.2 % respectively at the rate of 250 working days per annum and two shifts per day. The percentage error of estimates worked out to 6.04 for 1978 and 6.98 for 1979. Substantial under utilization of processing plants noticed in all the states accounts mainly to the non-availability of raw material (prawn), high cost of production and shortage of power.

Selectivity of Metsulfuron Methyl to Six Common Littoral Species in Florida

Many Central Florida lakes, particularly those in the Kissimmee River watershed, are maintained 0.5 to 1.0 m lower than historic (pre-1960) levels during the summer hurricane season for flood control purposes. These lower water levels have allowed proliferation and formation of dense monotypic populations of pickerelweed ( Pontederia cordata L.) and other broadleaf species that out compete more desirable native grasses (Hulon, pers. comm., 2002). Due to the limited availability of data on the effects of metsulfuron methyl on wetland plants, particularly in Florida, the present study was carried out with the objective of testing its phytotoxicity on six wetland species, to determine the feasibility of its use for primary pickerelweed control.

On the occurrence of Pithophora oedogonia (Mont.) Wittr. var. polyspora Rendle et West fil (Cladophoraceae) in the pond of the Wroclaw Botanical Garden [Translation from: Fragmenta Floristica et Geobotanica 22 255-260, 1976]

Species of Pithophora occasionally appear in Europe and are associated mostly with the tropical, higher water plants, cultivated in numerous botanical gardens. In June 1973 pale green, branched threads were discovered in the pond of the Wroclaw Botanical Garden, amongst filaments of Spirogyra crassa (Kutz.) Czurda emend. and Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kutz. floating on the water surface. They were maintained for several weeks in crude cultures and produced numerous, dark akinetes tightly packed with reserve material. This collected material was found to be a member of the family Pithophora, Wittr. Further examinations identified the material as Pithophora oedogonia. The findings point out that it is probable, that species of Pithophora Wittr. can become acclimatized in Europe, primarily in ponds of botanical gardens, where consequently they are able to tangle easily with higher tropical plants.

Accuracy of sex determination for northeastern Pacific Ocean thornyheads (Sebastolobus altivelis and S. alascanus)

Determining the sex of thornyheads (Sebastolobus alascanus and S. altivelis) can be difficult under field conditions. We assessed our ability to correctly assign sex in the field by comparing results from field observations to results obtained in the laboratory through both macroscopic and microscopic examination of gonads. Sex of longspine thornyheads was more difficult to determine than that of shortspine thornyheads and correct determination of sex was signif icantly related to size. By restricting the minimum size of thornyheads to 18 cm for macroscopic determination of sex we reduced the number of fish with misidentified sex by approximately 65%.

A survey of process hygiene in the Sri Lankan prawn industry. 3. Critical control points

Of fifteen processing plants surveyed in Sri Lanka, only five were found to have a prawn process which was adequately controlled. Most common process faults were: inadequate chilling of prawns after a wash in 30°C, mains water, the use of large blocks of ice to cool prawns, and high ratios of prawns to ice. There was also ample scope for cross-contamination of the processed prawns.

The search for exudates from Eurasian watermilfoil and hydrilla

Secondary metabolites are produced by aquatic plants, and in some instances, exudation of these metabolites into the surrounding water has been detected. To determine whether infestations of Eurasian watermilfoil or hydrilla produce such exudates, plant tissues and water samples were collected from laboratory cultures and pond populations and were analyzed using solid phase extraction, HPLC, and various methods of mass spectrometry including electrospray ionization, GC/MS, electron impact and chemical ionization. Previously reported compounds such as tellimagrandin II (from Eurasian watermilfoil) and a caffeic acid ester (from hvdrilla), along with a newly discovered flavonoid, cyanidin 3 dimalonyl glucoside (from hydrilla), were readily detected in plant tissues used in this research but were not detected in any of the water samples. If compounds are being released, as suggested by researchers using axenic cultures, we hypothesize that they may be rapidly degraded by bacteria and therefore undetectable.

Influence of Sediment Nutrients on Growth of Emergent Hygrophila

Hygrophila ( Hygrophila polysperma (Roxb.) T. Anderson) is a plants which forms serious aquatic weed problems. Both submerged and emergent growth forms occur. Nutritional studies with a controlled release fertilizer and sediments collected from hygrophila-infested areas were conducted with the emergent growth habit to provide insights into growth of this introduced plant. Plant dry weights for experimental 16- week culture periods with low average temperatures were associated with low amounts of hygrophila biomass as compared to culture periods with high average temperatures. Hygrophila cultured in sand rooting media with the controlled release fertilizer produced as much as 20 times more dry weight than plants cultured in sediments only. First-degree linear regression statistics showed hygrophila dry weights were highly related to ammonia nitrogen, magnesium, sodium, and pH values in the sediments. These findings show the close relationship of the emergent growth habit of hygrophila to sediment nutrients. Analyses for certain sediment characteristics may provide an indication of the potential growth that may be expected for weed infestations of this plant. Hygrophila grows year round in south Florida; however, visual observations of canals and other bodies of water indicate that lower amounts of hygrophila plants occur during the cooler months of year than during the summer season. These findings show the seasonal growth of emergent hygrophila occurs with biomass dependent on both sediment nutrients and temperature.

Gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, Purse Seine Fishery, 1974-85, with a brief discussion of age and size composition of the landings

Routine biostatistical port sampling data and landings records collected from the gulf menhaden purse seine fishery between 1974 and 1985 are updated. During most of the period, a total of 11 menhaden reduction plants operated in Mississippi and Louisiana, and the number of vessels in the purse seine fleet varied from 71 to 82. Total annual landings ranged from 447,100 metric tons in 1977 to the record landings for the fishery of 982,800 metric tons in 1984. Age-I and -2 gulf menhaden annually comprised almost 96% of the landings. Estimated total numbers of menhaden landed varied from 4,510.5 million in 1975 to 11,154.9 million in 1985. Annual mean lengths and weights of sampled fish-at-age showed lillie variation. Nominal or observed fishing effort gradually increased through Ihe 1970s and 1980s, reaching 655,800 vessel-ton-weeks in 1983. (PDF file contains 14 pages.)

Aquatic weeds, their impacts on fisheries and environment, and their control

Weeds are plants growing in environments where they are undesirable. Aquatic weeds in fresh waters are nuisance or noxious plants growing in association with water in lakes, impoundment, rivers, canals, wetlands, etc. Some waterweeds cause very big financial loss through the socio economic, environmental and ecological impacts they inflict; and through the effort and expense required for their control. Other waterweeds are simply nuisance plants that cause minimal impacts. This paper is intended to introduce aquatic weeds outlining their characteristics, the main socio-economic and environmental impacts associated with them, and the control strategies often applied for their management.