Aquaculture in the Baltic Sea area – A concept for joint research of Baltic Sea abutters

A concept for joint research on aquaculture in the Baltic Sea area is presented. It consists of three major parts, the promotion of an aquaculture-based-fisheries, the development of low-output land-based aquaculture systems, and the search for sustainably produced substances from aquatic organisms to be used for different processes. They include substitutes for feeding stuffs or products of importance for medical, biotechnological and industrial applications.

Magnitude and extent of sediment toxicity in selected estuaries of South Carolina and Georgia

Toxic chemicals can enter the marine environment through numerous routes: stormwater runoff, industrial point source discharges, municipal wastewater discharges, atmospheric deposition, accidental spills, illegal dumping, pesticide applications and agricultural practices. Once they enter a receiving system, toxicants often become bound to suspended particles and increase in density sufficiently to sink to the bottom. Sediments are one of the major repositories of contaminants in aquatic envronments. Furthermore, if they become sufficiently contaminated sediments can act as sources of toxicants to important biota. Sediment quality data are direct indicators of the health of coastal aquatic habitats. Sediment quality investigations conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and others have indicated that toxic chemicals are found in the sediments and biota of some estuaries in South Carolina and Georgia (NOAA, 1992). This report documents the toxicity of sediments collected within five selected estuaries: Savannah River, Winyah Bay, Charleston Harbor, St. Simons Sound, and Leadenwah Creek (Figure 1). (PDF contains 292 pages)

Applications of in situ Fluorometers in Nearshore waters, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, February 2-4,2005: workshop proceedings

The Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT) Workshop "Applications of in situ Fluorometers in Nearshore Waters" was held in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, February 2-4,2005, with sponsorship by the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS), one of the ACT partner organization. The purpose of the workshop was to explore recent trends in fluorometry as it relates to resource management applications in nearshore environments. Participants included representatives from state and federal environmental management agencies as well as research institutions, many of whom are currently using this technology in their research and management applications. Manufacturers and developers of fluorometric measuring systems also attended the meeting. The Workshop attendees discussed the historical and present uses of fluorometry technology and identified the great potential for its use by coastal managers to fulfill their regulatory and management objectives. Participants also identified some of the challenges associated with the correct use of Fluorometers to estimate biomass and the rate of primary productivity. The Workshop concluded that in order to expand the existing use of fluorometers in both academic and resource management disciplines, several issues concerning data collection, instrument calibration, and data interpretation needed to be addressed. Participants identified twelve recommendations, the top five of which are listed below: Recommendations 1) Develop a "Guide" that describes the most important aspects of fluorescence measurements. This guide should be written by an expert party, with both research and industry input, and should be distributed by all manufacturers with their instrumentation. The guide should also be made available on the ACT website as well as those of other relevant organizations. The guide should include discussions on the following topics: The benefits of using fluorometers in research and resource management applications; What fluorometers can and cannot provide in terms of measurements; The necessary assumptions required before applying fluorometry; Characterization and calibration of fluorometers; (pdf contains 32 pages)

Field applications of the second-generation Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) for remote detection of harmful algae: 2006-2007

We assess the application of the second-generation Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) for the detection of harmful algal bloom (HAB) species in field and laboratory settings using two molecular probe techniques: a sandwich hybridization assay (SHA) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). During spring 2006, the first time this new instrument was deployed, the ESP successfully automated application of DNA probe arrays for various HAB species and other planktonic taxa, but non-specific background binding on the SHA probe array support made results interpretation problematic. Following 2006, the DNA array support membrane that we were using was replaced with a different membrane, and the SHA chemistry was adjusted. The sensitivity and dynamic range of these modifications were assessed using 96-well plate and ESP array SHA formats for several HAB species found commonly in Monterey Bay over a range of concentrations; responses were significantly correlated (p < 0.01). Modified arrays were deployed in 2007. Compared to 2006, probe arrays showed improved signal:noise, and remote detection of various HAB species was demonstrated. We confirmed that the ESP and affiliated assays can detect HAB populations at levels below those posing human health concerns, and results can be related to prevailing environmental conditions in near real-time.

Effects of gamma radiation on nutritional and microbial quality of Pampus chinensis (Euphrasen 1788)

To evaluate the efficiency of gamma radiation in combination with low temperature Chinese pomfret, Pampus chinensis were preserved by the treatment of different doses of gamma radiation (3, 5 and 8 KGy) at freezing temperature (-20°C) during 90 days of storage period. Quality assessments for fish were carried out at an interval of 15 days during the storage period. Quality assessments were done by organoleptic, chemical (Total Volatile Nitrogen, TVN and Trimethylamine, TMA) and microbiological (Total Bacterial Count, TBC and Total Mould Count, TMC) evaluation. From the analysis of all parameters, maximum shelf-life was observed for irradiated (8 KGy) sample. It remained acceptable up to 75 days and that was the highest duration among 4 types of samples.

Seaweeds: utilization and product applications

Seaweeds have been used as food, medicine, fertilizers, soil conditioner and source of salt. Realizing the potentials of seaweeds, research and development thrusts have been geared towards improving and developing its product applications. Today, various applications of seaweeds have been developed and improved. The major success in the seaweed industry is the development of phycocolloids with the following specific applications: 1) agar; 2) carrageenans; and, 3) alginates.