MAP CAMP Project "Lebanon": final integrated project document

(287 page document)

Using Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Technologies to Detect and Map Two Aquatic Macrophytes

This paper describes the light reflectance characteristics ofwaterhyacinth [Eichhornia crassipes (Mort.) Solms] and hydrilla [Hydrilla verticillata (L.F.) Royle] and the application of airborned videography with global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies for distinguishing and mapping the distribution of these two aquatic weeds in waterways of southern Texas. Field reflectance measurements made at several locations showed that waterhyacinth generally had higher near-infrared (NIR) reflectance than associated plant species and water. Hydrilla had lower NIR reflectance than associated plant species and higher NIR reflectance than water. Reflectance measurements made on hydrilla plants submerged below the water surface had similar spectral characteristics to water. Waterhyacinth and hydrilla could be distinguished in color-infrared (CIR) video imagery where they had bright orange-red and reddish-brown image responses, respectively. Computer analysis of the imagery showed that waterhyacinth and hydrilla infestaions could be quantified. An accuracy assessment performed on the classified image showed an overall accuracy of 87.7%. Integration of the GPS with the video imagery permitted latitude/longitude coordinates of waterhyacinth and hydrilla infestation to be recorded on each image. A portion of the Rio Grande River in extreme southern Texas was flown with the video system to detect waterhyacinth and hydrilla infestaions. The GPS coordinates on the CIR video scenes depicting waterhyacinth and hydrilla infestations were entered into a GIS to map the distribution of these two noxious weeds in the Rio Grande River.

WEFTA interlaboratory comparison on nitrogen determination by Kjeldahl digestion in fishery products and standard substances

14 Laboratorien aus 12 europäischen Ländern nahmen an einer Laborvergleichsuntersuchung zur Stickstoffbestimmung in Fischerzeugnissen und Standardsubstanzen nach Kjeldahl teil. 13 Laboratorien erzielten dabei Ergebnisse, die alle in engen Grenzen um die gefundenen Mittelwerte streuten. Der von den einzelnen Teilnehmern erzielte Variationskoeffizient war mit etwa 0,5 % gering. Auch die Standardsubstanzen mit bekanntem Stickstoffgehalt konnten überwiegend mit hinreichender Genauigkeit (98 % der vom Hertsteller angegebenen Gehalte) analysiert werden. Der ideale Kjeldahlaufschluß ist durch kurze Aufschlußzeiten (ca. 120 min), eine Aufschlußtemperatur bei 430° C und durch die Wahl des für die jeweilige Matrix geeigneten Katalysators gekennzeichnet.

Aspects of the washout of salmonid eggs. 4. Effects of a standard mechanical shock, applied at different stage of development, upon survival and development of eggs of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.)

It is generally accepted by fish culturists that salmonid eggs are sensitive to mechanical shock and that the sensitivity varies with the stage of development of the eggs. In general, the period of greatest sensitivity is thought to occur between fertilization and ”eyeing”. However, it is reasonable to expect that, during a period (perhaps of several hours) following fertilization, sensitivity will be low because in nature during this period the eggs may be subject to some mechanical shock caused by the parent fish covering them with gravel. In 1983-4 and 1984-5 experiments were performed on brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) eggs to examine the effect of a standard mechanical shock (c. 2,500 eggs in 1983-4 and c. 8,400 eggs in 1984-5) at various stages of development upon survival to hatching and time of hatching.The results of these experiments are reported in this study.

Standard and routine metabolic rates of juvenile sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus), including the effects of body mass and acute temperature change*

Standard and routine metabolic rates (SMRs and RMRs, respectively) of juvenile sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) were measured over a range of body sizes (n=34) and temperatures normally associated with western Atlantic coastal nursery areas. The mean SMR Q10 (increase in metabolic rate with temperature) was 2.9 ±0.2. Heart rate decreased with increasing body mass but increased with temperature at a Q10 of 1.8−2.2. Self-paired measures of SMR and RMR were obtained for 15 individuals. Routine metabolic rate averaged 1.8 ±0.1 times the SMR and was not correlated with body mass. Assuming the maximum metabolic rate of sandbar sharks is 1.8−2.75 times the SMR (as is observed in other elasmobranch species), sandbar sharks are using between 34% and 100% of their metabolic scope just to sustain their routine continuous activity. This limitation may help to explain their slow individual and population growth rates, as well as the slow recoveries from overfishing of many shark stocks worl

Analyzing standard curves in the chemistry of waters used for aquaculture

A practical guide is given to help aquaculture researchers identify and correct common problems associated with the colorimetric analysis of water. Hints in making standard solutions, choosing standard concentrations for making a standard curve and making measurements are included. Various types of standard curves and some problems are outlined and details provided regarding the evaluation of standard curves.

A standard format for design and evaluation of pond experiments

Details are given of a standard format used by the Pond Dynamics/Aquaculture Collaborative Research Support Program of the US Agency for International Development for the communication of experimental ideas. An example is given of the "Preliminary Proposal Format," which contains a list of information categories or headings as follows: Title; Objectives: Significance; Experimental design; Pond facilities; Stocking rate; Other inputs; Sampling plan; Hypotheses; Statistical methods; Duration; Water management; and Schedule.

Comparison of Standard Length, Fork Length, and Total Length for Measuring West Coast Marine Fishes

Measurements of adult marine fishes on the U.S. west coast are usually made using one of three methods: standard length, fork length, or total length. Each method has advantages and disadvantages. In this paper we attempt to determine whether one method is faster and/or more reliable than the other methods. We found that all three methods were comparable. There was no appreciable difference in the time it took to measure fish using the different methods. Fork length had the most reproducible results; however, it had the highest level of bias between researchers. We therefore suggest that selection of measurement type be based on what other researchers have used for the species under study. The best improvement in measurement reliability probably occurs by adequate training of personnel and not type of measurement used.

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

Historic map of the River Lune Fishery District.

Mapping reef fish and the seascape: using acoustics and spatial modeling to guide coastal management

Reef fish distributions are patchy in time and space with some coral reef habitats supporting higher densities (i.e., aggregations) of fish than others. Identifying and quantifying fish aggregations (particularly during spawning events) are often top priorities for coastal managers. However, the rapid mapping of these aggregations using conventional survey methods (e.g., non-technical SCUBA diving and remotely operated cameras) are limited by depth, visibility and time. Acoustic sensors (i.e., splitbeam and multibeam echosounders) are not constrained by these same limitations, and were used to concurrently map and quantify the location, density and size of reef fish along with seafloor structure in two, separate locations in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Reef fish aggregations were documented along the shelf edge, an ecologically important ecotone in the region. Fish were grouped into three classes according to body size, and relationships with the benthic seascape were modeled in one area using Boosted Regression Trees. These models were validated in a second area to test their predictive performance in locations where fish have not been mapped. Models predicting the density of large fish (≥29 cm) performed well (i.e., AUC = 0.77). Water depth and standard deviation of depth were the most influential predictors at two spatial scales (100 and 300 m). Models of small (≤11 cm) and medium (12–28 cm) fish performed poorly (i.e., AUC = 0.49 to 0.68) due to the high prevalence (45–79%) of smaller fish in both locations, and the unequal prevalence of smaller fish in the training and validation areas. Integrating acoustic sensors with spatial modeling offers a new and reliable approach to rapidly identify fish aggregations and to predict the density large fish in un-surveyed locations. This integrative approach will help coastal managers to prioritize sites, and focus their limited resources on areas that may be of higher conservation value.

Baseline assessment of Fish and Coral bays, St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands in support of watershed restoration activities, part I: fish, coral and benthic habitats

This report provides baseline biological data on fishes, corals and habitats in Coral and Fish Bays, St. John, USVI. A similar report with data on nutrients and contaminants in the same bays is planned to be completed in 2013. Data from NOAA’s long-term Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring program was compiled to provide a baseline assessment of corals, fishes and habitats from 2001 to 2010, data needed to assess the impacts of erosion control projects installed from 2010 to 2011. The baseline data supplement other information collected as part of the USVI Watershed Stabilization Project, a project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and distributed through the NOAA Restoration Center, but uses data which is not within the scope of ARRA funded work. We present data on 16 ecological indicators of fishes, corals and habitats. These indicators were chosen because of their sensitivity to changes in water quality noted in the scientific literature (e.g., Rogers 1990, Larsen and Webb 2009). We report long-term averages and corresponding standard errors, plot annual averages, map indicator values and list inventories of coral and fish species identified among surveys. Similar data will be needed in the future to make rigorous comparisons and determine the magnitude of any impacts from watershed stabilization.

Patterns of scale-dependency and the influence of map resolution on the seascape ecology of reef fish

Detection and perception of ecological relationships between biota and their surrounding habitats is sensitive to analysis scale and resolution of habitat data. We measured strength of univariate linear correlations between reef fish and seascape variables at multiple spatial scales (25 to 800 m). Correlation strength was used to identify the scale that best associates fish to their surrounding habitat. To evaluate the influence of map resolution, seascape variables were calculated based on 4 separate benthic maps produced using 2 levels of spatial and thematic resolution, respectively. Individual seascape variables explained only 25% of the variability in fish distributions. Length of reef edge was correlated with more aspects of the fish assemblage than other features. Area of seagrass and bare sand correlated with distribution of many fish, not just obligate users. No fish variables correlated with habitat diversity. Individual fish species achieved a wider range of correlations than mobility guilds or the entire fish assemblage. Scales of peak correlation were the same for juveniles and adults in a majority of comparisons. Highly mobile species exhibited broader scales of peak correlation than either resident or moderately mobile fish. Use of different input maps changed perception of the strength and even the scale of peak correlations for many comparisons involving hard bottom edge length and area of sand, whereas results were consistent regardless of map type for comparisons involving area of seagrass and habitat diversity.

Sequential analysis for testing quality standard of fish ham and sausage

Fish sausages are finely ground fish flesh, either of a single species or mixed, homogenised with starch, sugar, fat, spices and preservatives, generally filled in cylindrical synthetic or natural casings and pasteurised. Similar products containing small pieces of quality fish and lard are termed "fish ham". They are highly relished products in Japan, annual consumption exceeding 2 lakh tones. Preliminary studies have shown that they can catch a lucrative market in our country. However, being a pasteurised product which is often consumed as such without any further cooking, strict quality control measures have to be enforced so as to avoid food poisoning hazards. Besides physical characteristics like absence of damages, pin-holes, curliness and air pockets as well as jelly strength, texture and flavour, chemical characteristics like pH and acid values, moisture, carbohydrate and fat contents and volatile bases have to be assessed. A very important test that has to be carried out along with the above, before passing a lot for free distribution is the bacteriological examination to avoid the presence of pathogenic organisms.

Import substitution of combination wire rope. Part 3: Comparison of standard Cift-CWR and imported combination wire rope

Tensile and extension properties of standard Cift-CWR and imported combination wire ropes from Japan, Norway and Denmark are studied and the analysis is presented in the paper. Tensile and chemical properties of steel wire, tensile and abrasive properties of PP covering, effect of twist on material at different stages are worked out and reported.