Inlet stability and case histories, Part II

Inlets which require frequent channel dredging due to gradual shoaling, exhibit migration, or shoal up during storms, are in general unstable and pose a problem to the engineer. This problem of inlet stability is a complex one, because of the rather large number of variables that go into defining stability. The reference here is to inlets on sandy coasts only, because the absence of sand or similar sedimentary material the problem does not arise. Shell is also found in varying proportions with sand. Some of this is. new, whereas in some areas it is ancient reworked material whose size distribution is close to that of the sand with which it is associated. (PDF has 24 pages.)

A Floristic and ecological survey of Assateague Island, Virgina-Maryland

Assateague Island is an offshore bar comprising the south-eastern coast of Maryland and the northeastern coast of Virgina. It is part of the system of discontinuous barrier reefs or bars which occupy most of the Atlantic shoreline from Florida to Massachusetts. These are unstable bars, continuously influenced by storm winds and tides which provide a distinct and rigorous habitat for the vegetation there. General floras of the Delmarva Peninusla do not mention Assateague Island specifically. The objective is to prepare a catalog of the vascular plants of Assateague Island and to describe the communities in which they are found, in the hope it will add to the knowledge of barrier reef vegetation.

An evaluation of geographic and annual variation in morphometric characters and gill-raker counts of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, from the Pacific Ocean

ENGLISH: Samples of yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares, collected from five areas of the Pacific Ocean (Mexico, Ecuador, Australia, Japan, and Hawaii) between January and May of 1988 and 1990 were examined for spatiotemporal variation in morphometric characters and gill-raker counts. 'Iwo-factor analysis of variance, with area and year treated as grouping factors, indicated a significant difference in the means of the total gill-raker counts among fish from different areas, but no significant difference between fish caught in different years. The morphometric data were adjusted by allometric formulae to remove size effects. The correct classification rates for the five groups, using discriminant function analysis, based on adjusted morphometric characters, were 77.60/0 for the samples from 1988 and 74.40/0 for those from 1990. These are 72.00/0 and 68.00/0 (Cohen's kappa statistic) better than would have occurred chance. The pattern of geographic variability, however, is unstable for these two years, thus requiring separate discriminant functions for each year. Although there is annual variability in the morphometric characters, these results demonstrate that the stocks examined are morphometrically distinguishable and that their phenetic relationships reflect their geographic origin. SPANISH: Se examinaron muestras de atún aleta amarilla, Thunnus albacares, tomadas de cinco áreas del Océano Pacífico (México, Ecuador, Australia, Japón, y Hawaii) entre enero y mayo de 1988 y 1990, para descubrir variaciones espaciotemporales en las características morfométricas y los conteos de branquiespinas. Un análisis de varianza de dos factores, con área y año como factores de agrupación, indicó una diferencia significativa en los promedios de los conteos de branquiespinas totales entre peces de distintas áreas, pero ninguna entre peces capturados en distintos años. Se ajustaron los datos morfométricos con fórmulas alométricas para eliminar los efectos de la talla del pez. En un análisis de función discriminante, las tasas de clasificación correcta de los cinco grupos, basadas en características morfométricas ajustadas, fueron 77.60/0 para las muestras de 1988 y 74.40/0 para aquellas de 1990. Estas cifras son 72.00/0 y 68.00/0 (estadístico de kappa de Cohen) mejores de lo que se hubiera obtenido al azar. Sin embargo, la variabilidad geográfica es inestable en estos dos años, requiriendo por lo tanto funciones discriminantes separadas para cada año. Aunque existe variabilidad anual en las características morfométricas, estos resultados demuestran que los stocks examinados son morfamétricamente distinguibles, y que su relación fenética refleja su origen geográfico. (PDF contains 31 pages.)

An economic overview of the fish and shrimp production of the Nigeria fish trawling industry under the structural adjustment programme

Over the years, Nigeria have witnessed different government with different policy measures. Against the negative consequences of the past policies, the structural adjustment was initiated in 1986. Its aims is to effectively altar and restructure the consumption patterns of the economy as well as to eliminate price distortions and heavy dependence on the oil and the imports of consumer goods and services. Within the period of implementation, there has been a decreasing trend in yearly fish catch landings and sizes but the reverse in shrimping. There is also a gradual shift from fishing to shrimping, from the vessels purchased with 83.3% increase of shrimpers from 1985 to 1989. Decreasing fish catch sizes and quantity aggravated by the present high cost of fishing coupled with the favourable export market for Nigeria shrimp tend to influence the sift. This economic situation is the result of the supply measures of SAP through the devaluation of the Naira. There is also overconcentration of vessels on the inshore waters as majority of the vessels are old and low powers hence incapable of fishing on the deep sea. Rotterdam price being paid for automotive gas oil (AGO) by fishing industries is observed to be discriminating and unhealthy to the growth of the industry as it is exceedingly high and unstable thus affecting planning for fishing operation. Fuel alone takes 43% of the total cost of operation. The overall consequences is that fishing days are loss and therefore higher overhead cost. It was concluded that for a healthy growth and sustainable resources of our marine fishery under the structural adjustment programme licensing of new fishing vessels should be stopped immediately and the demand side of SAP should be employed by subsidizing high powered fishing vessels which can operate effectively on the deep sea

The past history and present trends in the fisheries of Lake Chad

Lake Chad is a very large, shallow eutrophic lake shared by Chad, Nigeria, Niger and Cameroun. It supplies approximately 13% of Nigeria's inland fish. It however lies in an unstable ecological environment characterised by intermittent period of rainfall and drought. This creates a very large draw down area. Consequently, the fisheries are affected by the oscillation in the size of lake due to the drought. Other factors affecting the volume of water are the numerous dams on the inflow rivers. The fishery is also subjected to intense overfishing and may be affected by pollution and other land use practices. The paper discusses changes that took place over the years as a result of the factors of drought, effect of dams on the inflow rivers. The fishery is also subjected to intense overfishing and may be affected by pollution and other land use practices. The paper discusses changes that took place over the years as a result of the factors of drought, effects of dams and overexploitation. Previous records of fish production, species composition and distribution, the status of the fish stocks, their sizes are compared with more recent data. The status of the fishery before and after the contraction of the lake is discussed. Suggestion for a national exploitation of the lake based on habitat improvement, increasing the volume of the water in the lake through controlled use of the influent rivers as well as reduction in overfishing are made

The survey of Lake Victoria's fishers

The findings are presented of a survey conducted regarding the fishers of Lake Victoria, which examined the relationships affecting supply flows of raw material on to the market, and also the characteristics of fishing activities and their effects on fish quality and distribution. Fish marketing plays a vital role in the lives of much of the lake basin's population, both in terms of employment and nutrition. The results of the survey comprise, in part, a base-line data set which will facilitate further research, analysis and management decision-making in relation to stakeholders of the lake's resources. Data collection, methods and research difficulties encountered are described and details given of a profile of a boat owner/renter and aslo of a profile of a crew member. The survey shows that Lake Victoria's fishery is one of very limited diversity. The fishers recount that they consistently target one or more of the 3 most common species within the lake (Nile perch, tilapia and dagaa) and very rarely consider any other species type. The largest proportion of fishers on the lake are Nile perch fishers; there is considerable demand for this species, and hence fishers have little incentive to either target alternative fish species, not to try and establish firm marketing outlets through the creation of arrangements with their principal buyers. In Kenyan waters, however, the number of Nile perch fishers is equaled by the number of dagaa fishers; this fish now commands a considerable portion of the market for fish from Lake Victoria through its availability as well as its relatively low prices. The tilapia fishery is in decline, and all 3 riparian states would not appear to be attracting investment almost certainly as a result of declining catches. For many of those working in Lake Victoria's fishery, the problems faced appear most often to be associated with the vagaries of an unstable market which may rise or fall depending on the state of the international market or the state of access roads to fish landings. (PDF contains 42 pages)

The changing ecosystem of Lake Victoria, East Africa

Dramatic changes are occurring in the Lake Victoria ecosystem. Two-thirds of the endemic haplochromine cichlid species, of international interest for studies of evolution, have disappeared, an event associated with the sudden population explosion of piscivorous Nile perch (Lates: order Perciformes, family Centropomidae) introduced to the lake some thirty years ago. The total fish yield has, however, increased 5-fold from 1970 to 1990, but this yield is now dominated by just three fish species: the introduced Nile perch (Lates niloticus), Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), and a small endemic pelagic cyprinid (Rastrineobola argentea); these three have replaced a multispecies fishery. Contemporaneously the lake is becoming increasingly eutrophic with associated deoxygenation of the bottom waters, thereby reducing fish habitats. Conditions appear to be unstable.

Multiple stable reference points in oyster populations: biological relationships for the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) in Delaware Bay

Abstract—In the first of two companion papers, a 54-yr time series for the oyster population in the New Jersey waters of Delaware Bay was analyzed to develop biological relationships necessary to evaluate maximum sustainable yield (MSY) reference points and to consider how multiple stable points affect reference point-based management. The time series encompassed two regime shifts, one circa 1970 that ushered in a 15-yr period of high abundance, and a second in 1985 that ushered in a 20-yr period of low abundance. The intervening and succeeding periods have the attributes of alternate stable states. The biological relationships between abundance, recruitment, and mortality were unusual in four ways. First, the broodstock–recruitment relationship at low abundance may have been driven more by the provision of settlement sites for larvae by the adults than by fecundity. Second, the natural mortality rate was temporally unstable and bore a nonlinear relationship to abundance. Third, combined high abundance and low mortality, though likely requiring favorable environmental conditions, seemed also to be a self-reinforcing phenomenon. As a consequence, the abundance –mortality relationship exhibited both compensatory and depensatory components. Fourth, the geographic distribution of the stock was intertwined with abundance and mortality, such that interrelationships were functions both of spatial organization and inherent populatio

The structure and margins of the Lake Chilwa fisheries in Malawi: a value chain analysis

Small freshwater pelagic fisheries in closed lakes are very important to millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa providing livelihoods and nutritional security. However, returns from these fisheries have been shown to �uctuate in response to climatic variability. In order to understand the impact of these fluctuations on the livelihoods of people dependant on these fisheries, there is a need for information on how the fish value chain is organized and how it functions in response to variation in supplies. The results will feed into strategies that build resilience in fishing households against the uncertainties arising from unstable ecosystems. The Lake Chilwa fishery value chain is composed of fishers, processors, traders, fish transporters, boat owners, owners of fish processing shades, fisheries associations, gear owners, gear makers, firewood sellers, and traders of fishing gear and equipment. The value chain employs many people and local authorities can consider using this information in the design of rural development strategies for employment generation in small-scale fishing communities. The findings from this study have a number of implications for the improvement of the livelihood of fishers and enhancing their capacity to mitigate against the effects of climate change.

Anomalies in North American climate: the South Asian-tropical west Pacific connection

How do tropical heating fluctuations create North American climate anomalies? We propose some answers using the results from a simplified global atmospheric model. We find that the South Asian-tropical west Pacific area is especially effective at stimulating North American responses. The relatively strong tropical/extratropical interaction between these two areas is the result of two major processes acting on the Rossby wave signal induced by the tropical heating fluctuations. These factors are: 1) Wave guiding by the Asian-north Pacific subtropical jet; and 2) Wave amplification within unstable regions of the jet flank. These factors allow relatively small, remote, and short-term tropical fluctuations to have relatively large impacts on North American climate.

Sulfide binding characteristics of blood serum in Calyptogena pacifica and Vesicomya gigas

The sulfide binding characteristics of blood serum were studied in vitro in two deep-sea vesicomyid clams, Calyptogena pacifica and Vesicomya gigas. Both the C. pacifica and the V. gigas serum concentrated sulfide at least an order of magnitude above ambient levels. V. gigas accumulated sulfide faster than C. pacifica, reaching saturation at 5000 M after an hour. C. pacifica bound sulfide at half the rate of V. gigas, reaching saturation in about two hours at a substantially higher concentration of sulfide. The observed distribution of the animals near cold seeps in the Monterey Submarine Canyon can be explained by their different sulfide binding abilities. The hypothesis that cold seeps are actually much more unstable sources of sulfide than previously assumed is explored.

East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization Annual Report 1972

Feeding habits of many animals have been used widely in animal classifications. This is so, because the type of diet an organism requires demands structural specialisation which will utilise the available resource. Many animals may however have many structural modifications to enable them to be described as omnivourous or generalised feeders such as H. empodisma and H. riponianus (GREENWOOD 1960) which may show varying degrees of structural and adaptational intermediacy between two trophic groups. Generally, however, the diet of many animals including fish changes as the animal grow larger. The change in structural modifications is usually correlated with changes in the diet. In fishes the change may involve change from tricuspid to biscuspid and finally to unicuspid type of teeth. The degree of modification in the structure depends on the diet, thus Haplochromis that feeds on soft tissues of snails only requires modifications in oral dentition while Haplochromis that feeds on both soft tissues and shells of snails require modification in the lower pharyngeal bone for grinding purposes. Other modifications connected with food utilisation may be located in the alimentary canal. (I) The fish species that are commercially exploited are Protopterus aethiopicus, Clarias mossambicus, Tilapia esculenta, Tilapia amphimelas and Tilapia hybrids. The other fish species present in the lake but not commercially exploited are: Gnathonemus sp. Alestes sp. Labeo sp., Barbus paludinoses, Barbus jacksoni, Barbus lineomaculatus, Barbus regersi, Leptogrlanis sp., Schilbe sp., Haplochromis spp. and Hemihaplochromis sp. (2) Protopterus sp. and Clarias sp. are mostly caught with hooks on long lines. There has been a steady increase in number of hooks on the lake. Since the stocks of Protopterus and C/arias in the lake have a limit, we should control the number of hooks used by each of the fishermen in order to avoid overharvesting. (3) All the previous studies on Lake Kitangiri fisheries suggested the use of gill nets with mesh size greater than 88.9 mm in order to avoid the capture of immature Ti/apia spp. But if the fishermen are to obtain economic gains from the fishery, the optimum mesh size for use is 88.9 -101.6 mm. (4) The gillnet is a passive gear with very beneficial selective characteristics. Unfortunately the drive-in fishery which exists on Lake Kitangiri more or less destroys the gillnet selectivity characteristics. It is therefore recommended that the beating of water with poles be discouraged and stopped. (5) There is need for provision of stable fishing canoes to replace the unstable bottle palm dug-out canoes which are currently being used and which are very risky to operate. (6) The fish processing facilities on Lake Kitangiri are still inadequate. Most of the fish is sun dried, Since sun drying is very difficult during the rainy season, most fishermen carry out intensive fishing during the dry season, Concentrating most of the fishing effort in anyone season instead of spreading evenly this effort over the whole year could damage the age structure of the exploitable stocks. (7) There are considerable fluctuations in the volume of water of the lake. The feasibility of regulating the water loss through the effluent Sibiti river should be investigated by the Water Development Department. (8) Damming the Sibiti river is an expensive undertaking and therefore, the Rural Development Bank of Tanzania should be asked to assess the economic feasibility of such a project.

Preliminary chemical and physical evaluation of some formulated feeds for P. monodon

The culture of Penaeus monodon has explicitly defined the need for diet formulations or supplementary feeds that would promote optimum growth and survival of the animal. A total of 28 feed combinations were developed for P. monodon. Fish meal, shrimp head meal, squid head meal, Ascetes spp. rice bran, and soybean cake were used as primary ingredients in these feeds. The commercial vitamin mix No. 22 was added to the dry ingredients. Gelatinized corn starch and wheat flour were used as binders. The pellets were extruded using a portable kitchen grinder with a diameter of 4 mm. The products were either sun-dried for 8 hours or oven-dried overnight at 50 degree C to stabilize moisture at 8-10%. The pellets were then kept in covered glass bottles and stored in the laboratory at room temperature. The cost of the feeds excluding labour were also computed. The pellets were analyzed for protein, fat, carbohydrate, crude fiber, ash, and moisture contents using standard procedures. They were also analyzed for water stability. To test the stability of pellets in water, 2-g samples were placed in plankton nets (mesh #40) and suspended in water for two, and six hours. The undissolved samples were then vacuum-dried and the moisture determined. Cost of the feeds ranged from P1.10 to P2.60 per kg depending on the feed ingredient. Squid and Ascetes spp. were rather expensive for use as basic ingredients. Proximate analysis of dry weight showed percentage protein content ranged from 20-63 g; fat, 8-20 g; carbohydrate (by difference), 11-36 g; ash, 8-28 g; moisture, 6-11 g; and crude fiber, 5 . 13 g. Stability tests showed that after two hours, 35-88% of solids remained intact and after 6 hours, 20-55% of the pellets remained undissolved. When a pellet disintegrates easily, pollution of the water occurs. Chances for the shrimp to feed on the pellet is minimized when the pellet is unstable. Thus, the search for a more compact feed pellet has to be continued.

Structural and functional properties of the hemoglobin components from the Caspian Sea Acipenser persicus and Acipenser stellatus

Hemoglobin (Hb) variability is a commonly used index of phylogenetic differentiation and molecular adaptation in fish. In the current study, the structural and functional characteristics of Hbs from two Sturgeon species of the Southern Caspian Sea Basin were investigated. After extraction and separation of hemoglobin from whole blood , the polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE), native-PAGE and isoelectric focusing (IEF) were used to confirm Hb variability in these fishes. Ion-exchange on CM-cellulose chromatography was used for purification of the dominant Hbs from these fishes. The accuracy of the methods was confirmed by IEF and SDS-PAGE. Spectral studies using fluorescence spectrophotometery, circular dichroism spectropolarimetry (CD) analysis and UV–vis spectrophotometery. Oxygen affinities of these Hbs were compared using Hb-oxygen dissociation curves. Also, the dominant Hbs from these blood fishes were utilized for further experiments. The behavior of Hbs during the denaturation process by n-dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) is investigated by UV–vis spectrophotometer and circular dichroism spectropolarimetry. The thermal denaturation properties of the Hbs wereinvestigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Hbs aggregation performed chemically in the presence of dithiotreitol (DTT) by UV–vis spectrophotometer and chemometric study. The results demonstrate a significant relationship between stability of fish hemoglobins and the ability of fish for entering to deeper depths. The UV–Vis absorption spectra identified species of hemoglobin and showed the concentration of oxyHb and metHb decreases and deoxyHb increases upon interaction with DTAB. Besides the UV–vis spectrophotometry, the interaction of DTAB with hemoglobins has been studied using circular dichroism spectropolarimetry analysis. This experiment was utilized to measure the unfolding mechanism and compared alpha-helix secondary structure under different conditions for Hbs. The results reveal that the Acipenser stellatus Hb in comparison with Acipenser persicus Hb has more stability and more structural compactness. Besides, the results confirm the hypothesis that there is a meaningful relation between average habitat depth, partial oxygen pressure, oxygen affinity, structural compactness of Hb, and its stability.