A review of some common Indo-Malayan and western Pacific species of Chthamalus barnacles (Crustacea: Cirripedia)

The type specimens of the common tropical intertidal barnacles Chthamalus malayensis and C. moro, were re-investigated and compared with other specimens of Chthamalus from the Indian Ocean, Indo-Malaya, northern Australia, Vietnam, China and the western Pacific, using ‘arthropodal’ as well as shell characters. Chthamalus malayensis occurs widely in Indo-Malayan and tropical Australian waters. It ranges westwards in the Indian Ocean to East Africa and northwards in the Pacific to Vietnam, China and the Ryukyu Islands. Chthamalus malayensis has the arthropodal characters attributed to it by Pope (1965); conical spines on cirrus 1 and serrate setae with basal guards on cirrus 2. Chthamalus moro is currently fully validated only for the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Xisha (Paracel) Islands, the Ryukyu Islands, the Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands, Fiji and Samoa. It is a small species of the ‘challengeri’ subgroup, lacking conical spines on cirrus 1 and bearing pectinate setae without basal guards on cirrus 2. It may be a ‘relict’ insular species. Chthamalus challengeri also lacks conical spines on cirrus 1 and has pectinate setae without basal guards on cirrus 2. Records of C. challengeri south of Japan are probably erroneous. However, there is an undescribed species of the ‘challengeri’ subgroup in the Indian Ocean, Indo-Malaya, Vietnam and southern China and yet more may occur in the western Pacific. The subgroups ‘malayensis’ and ‘challengeri’ require genetic investigation. Some comments are included on the arthropodal characters and geographical distributions of Chthamalus antennatus, C. dalli and C. stellatus

Fishery Exploitation and Stock Assessment of the Endangered Nassau Grouper, Epinephelus Striatus (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Serranidae), in the Turks and Caicos Islands

The Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus (Bloch, 1792), is an endangered species that has been historically overexploited in numerous fisheries throughout its range in the Caribbean and tropical West Atlantic. Data relating fishery exploitation levels to stock abundance of the species are deficient, and protective regulations for the Nassau grouper are yet to be implemented in the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI). The goal of this study was to conduct a stock assessment and evaluate the exploitation status of the Nassau grouper in the TCI. Materials and methods. Calibrated length cohort analysis was applied to published fisheries data on Nassau grouper landings in the TCI. The total lengths of Nassau groupers among the catches of spearfishers, lobster trappers, and deep sea fishers on the island of South Caicos during 2006 and 2008 were used with estimates of growth, natural mortality, and total annual landings to derive exploitation benchmarks. Results. The TCI stock experienced low to moderate fishing mortality (0.28, 0.18) and exploitation rates (0.49, 0.38) during the period of the study (2006, 2008). However, 21.2%-64.4% of all landings were reproductively immature. Spearfishing appeared to contribute most to fishing mortality relative to the use of lobster traps or hydraulic reels along bank drop-offs. Conclusion. In comparison with available fisheries data for the wider Caribbean, the results reveal the TCI as one of the remaining sites, in addition to the Bahamas, with a substantial Nassau grouper stock. In light of increasing development and tourism in the TCI, continued monitoring is essential to maintain sustainable harvesting practices.

Satellite monitoring of harmful algal blooms (HABs) to protect the aquaculture industry

Harmful algal blooms (HABs) can cause sudden and considerable losses to fish farms, for example 500,000 salmon during one bloom in Shetland, and also present a threat to human health. Early warning allows the industry to take protective measures. PML's satellite monitoring of HABs is now funded by the Scottish aquaculture industry. The service involves processing EO ocean colour data from NASA and ESA in near-real time, and applying novel techniques for discriminating certain harmful blooms from harmless algae. Within the AQUA-USERS project we are extending this capability to further HAB species within several European countries.

NEODAAS: Providing satellite data for efficient research

The NERC Earth Observation Data Acquisition and Analysis Service (NEODAAS) provides a central point of Earth Observation (EO) satellite data access and expertise for UK researchers. The service is tailored to individual users’ requirements to ensure that researchers can focus effort on their science, rather than struggling with correct use of unfamiliar satellite data.