Survey- and fishery-derived estimates of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) biomass: implications for strategies to reduce interactions between groundfish fisheries and Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus)

Survey- and fishery-derived biomass estimates have indicated that the harvest indices for Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) within a portion of Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) critical habitat in February and March 2001 were five to 16 times greater than the annual rate for the entire Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands stock. A bottom trawl survey yielded a cod biomass estimate of 49,032 metric tons (t) for the entire area surveyed, of which less than half (23,329 t) was located within the area used primarily by the commercial fishery, which caught 11,631 t of Pacific cod. Leslie depletion analyses of fishery data yielded biomass estimates of approximately 14,500 t (95% confidence intervals of approximately 9,000–25,000 t), which are within the 95% confidence interval on the fished area survey estimate (12,846–33,812 t). These data indicate that Leslie analyses may be useful in estimating local fish biomass and harvest indices for certain marine fisheries that are well constrained spatially and relatively short in duration (weeks). In addition, fishery effects on prey availability within the time and space scales relevant to foraging sea lions may be much greater than the effects indicated by annual harvest rates estimated from stock assessments averaged across the range of the target spec

Indirect validation of the age-reading method for Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) using otoliths from marked and recaptured fish

Two examples of indirect validation are described for age-reading methods of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus). Aging criteria that exclude faint translucent zones (checks) in counts of annuli and criteria that include faint zones were both tested. Otoliths from marked and recaptured fish were used to back-calculate the length of each fish at the time of its release by using measurements of the area of annuli. Estimated fish size at time of release and actual observed fish size were similar, supporting the assumption that translucent zones are laid down on an annual basis. A second method for validating reading criteria used otolith age and von Bertalanffy parameters, estimated from the tagging data, to predict how much each fish grew in length after tagging. We found that otolith aging criteria applied to otoliths from tagged and recovered Pacific cod predicted quite accurately the growth increments that we observed in these specimens. These results provide further evidence that the current aging criteria are not underestimating the age of the fish and support our current interpretation of checks (i.e., as subannual marks). We expect these indirect validations to advance age determination for Pacific cod, which in turn would enhance development of stock assessment methods based on age structure for this species in the eastern Bering Sea.

A Comparison of Two Stratification Schemes Used in Sampling Canadian Atlantic Cod, Gadus morhua

Sampling is a key element in the assessment of any fish stock. It is often one of the most expensive activities of the management process; thus, improved efficiency can result in significant cost savings. In most cases a two-phase sampling strategy is employed. Two commonly used versions of such stratified random schemes were simulated using a test population based on Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua. A 1 otolith per 1 cm length frequency currently used for many flatfish and some smaller gadoids and a 3 otolith per 3 cm length frequency currently used for many of the larger gadoids. No difference was detected in the age composition or mean length at age for either scheme; however, 10 percent fewer otoliths were collected in 1 for 1 sampling than 3 for 3. There was an improvement of between 30 and 60 percent in the coefficient of variation of the estimated catch numbers at age using the 1 for 1 compared with the 3 for 3 stratified sampling. For these reasons and other operational considerations, the 1 for 1 stratified random design of sampling appears to be superior.

Construção e operação de wetland como polimento de lixiviado de aterro de resíduos sólidos urbanos.

O presente trabalho tem o objetivo de avaliar a metodologia de construção, de plantio, de manutenção, de operação e a eficiência de um sistema de tratamento por wetland construído como etapa de polimento da Estação de Tratamento de Lixiviado (ETC) de Aterro já encerrado de Resíduos Sólidos Urbanos na Região Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro. Parte do efluente tratado por lodos ativados na ETC foi direcionado e tratado no wetland construído. Foi escolhido o projeto de Fluxo Horizontal Subsuperficial e a vegetação selecionada foi a taboa (Typha latifolia) que é nativa da área do aterro. Em média, foram feitas três amostragens mensais do afluente e do efluente do wetland, de maio a outubro de 2013. A eficiência do sistema foi avaliada por meio de parâmetros físico-químicos e de parâmetros coletivos específicos. A eficiência de remoção de Demanda Química de Oxigênio (DQO) foi de 60%, nitrogênio amoniacal de 67%, nitrito de 72% e nitrato de 57%. Outro parâmetro avaliado foi a toxicidade aguda, foram utilizados os organismos teste Danio rerio (peixe), a Daphnia similis (microcrustáceo) e a Aliivibrio fischeri (bactéria luminescente). Durante o período foram coletados diariamente as vazões de entrada e saída, a condutividade elétrica e o índice pluviométrico. Os resultados mostraram que o uso de wetland como etapa de polimento pode ser uma alternativa para o tratamento de lixiviado.