Description of economic data collected with a random sample of commercial reef fish boats in the Florida Keys

This study summarizes the results of a survey designed to provide economic information about the financial status of commercial reef fish boats with homeports in the Florida Keys. A survey questionnaire was administered in the summer and fall of 1994 by interviewers in face-to-face meetings with owners or operators of randomly selected boats. Fishermen were asked for background information about themselves and their boats, their capital investments in boats and equipment, and about their average catches, revenues, and costs per trip for their two most important kinds of fishing trips during 1993 for species in the reef fish fishery. Respondents were characterized with regard to their dependence on the reef fish fishery as a source of household income. Boats were described in terms of their physical and financial characteristics. Different kinds of fishing trips were identified by the species that generated the greatest revenue. Trips were grouped into the following categories: yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus); mutton snapper (Lutjanus analis), black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci), or red grouper (Epinephelus morio); gray snapper (Lutjanus griseus); deeper water groupers and tilefishes; greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili); spiny lobster (Panulirus argus); king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla); and dolphin (Coryphaena hippurus). Average catches, revenues, routine trip costs, and net operating revenues per boat per trip and per boat per year were estimated for each category of fishing trips. In addition to its descriptive value, data collected during this study will aid in future examinations of the economic effects of various regulations on commercial reef fish fishermen.(PDF file contains 48 pages.)

Biology and Management of Sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria: Papers from the International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Sablefish, Seattle, Washington, 13-15 April 1993

At its june 1990 annual meeting, the Technical Subcommittee (TSC) of the Canada-U.S. Groundfish Committee recommended that scientists and managers working on sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria, issues convene to present and discuss the results of their recent research. Thorough knowledge of the biology and population dynamics of this species is essential for its effective management, especially considering its commercial importance. TSC representatives from both countries recognized that a great deal ofactive research has been conducted on this species since the International Sablefish Symposium was held in Anchorage, Alaska, in March 1983 (Melteff, 1983). As a result of this recommendation, the International Symposium on the Biology and Management of Sablefish (ISBMS) was convened April 13-15, 1993, at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, Washington. (PDF file contains 286 pages.)

Proceedings of the International Workshop on age determination of oceanic pelagic fishes: Tunas, billfishes, and sharks, Miami, Florida, February 15-18,1982

Accurate and precise estimates of age and growth rates are essential parameters in understanding the population dynamics of fishes. Some of the more sophisticated stock assessment models, such as virtual population analysis, require age and growth information to partition catch data by age. Stock assessment efforts by regulatory agencies are usually directed at specific fisheries which are being heavily exploited and are suspected of being overfished. Interest in stock assessment of some of the oceanic pelagic fishes (tunas, billfishes, and sharks) has developed only over the last decade, during which exploitation has increased steadily in response to increases in worldwide demand for these resources. Traditionally, estimating the age of fishes has been done by enumerating growth bands on skeletal hardparts, through length frequency analysis, tag and recapture studies, and raising fish in enclosures. However, problems related to determining the age of some of the oceanic pelagic fishes are unique compared with other species. For example, sampling is difficult for these large, highly mobile fishes because of their size, extensive distributions throughout the world's oceans, and for some, such as the marlins, infrequent catches. In addition, movements of oceanic pelagic fishes often transect temperate as well as tropical oceans, making interpretation of growth bands on skeletal hardparts more difficult than with more sedentary temperate species. Many oceanic pelagics are also long-lived, attaining ages in excess of 30 yr, and more often than not, their life cycles do not lend themselves easily to artificial propagation and culture. These factors contribute to the difficulty of determining ages and are generally characteristic of this group-the tunas, billfishes, and sharks. Accordingly, the rapidly growing international concern in managing oceanic pelagic fishes, as well as unique difficulties in ageing these species, prompted us to hold this workshop. Our two major objectives for this workshop are to: I) Encourage the interchange of ideas on this subject, and 2) establish the "state of the art." A total of 65 scientists from 10 states in the continental United States and Hawaii, three provinces in Canada, France, Republic of Senegal, Spain, Mexico, Ivory Coast, and New South Wales (Australia) attended the workshop held at the Southeast Fisheries Center, Miami, Fla., 15-18 February 1982. Our first objective, encouraging the interchange of ideas, is well illustrated in the summaries of the Round Table Discussions and in the Glossary, which defines terms used in this volume. The majority of the workshop participants agreed that the lack of validation of age estimates and the means to accomplish the same are serious problems preventing advancements in assessing the age and growth of fishes, particularly oceanic pelagics. The alternatives relating to the validation problem were exhaustively reviewed during the Round Table Discussions and are a major highlight of this workshop. How well we accomplished our second objective, to establish the "state of the art" on age determination of oceanic pelagic fishes, will probably best be judged on the basis of these proceedings and whether future research efforts are directed at the problem areas we have identified. In order to produce high-quality papers, workshop participants served as referees for the manuscripts published in this volume. Several papers given orally at the workshop, and included in these proceedings, were summarized from full-length manuscripts, which have been submitted to or published in other scientific outlets-these papers are designated as SUMMARY PAPERS. In addition, the SUMMARY PAPER designation was also assigned to workshop papers that represented very preliminary or initial stages of research, cursory progress reports, papers that were data shy, or provide only brief reviews on general topics. Bilingual abstracts were included for all papers that required translation. We gratefully acknowledge the support of everyone involved in this workshop. Funding was provided by the Southeast Fisheries Center, and Jack C. Javech did the scientific illustrations appearing on the cover, between major sections, and in the Glossary. (PDF file contains 228 pages.)

Design of a Sensor Based on Plastic Optical Fibre (POF) to Measure Fluid Flow and Turbidity

Although many optical fibre applications are based on their capacity to transmit optical signals with low losses, it can also be desirable for the optical fibre to be strongly affected by a certain physical parameter in the environment. In this way, it can be used as a sensor for this parameter. There are many strong arguments for the use of POFs as sensors. In addition to being easy to handle and low cost, they demonstrate advantages common to all multimode optical fibres. These specifically include flexibility, small size, good electromagnetic compatibility behaviour, and in general, the possibility of measuring any phenomenon without physically interacting with it. In this paper, a sensor based on POF is designed and analysed with the aim of measuring the volume and turbidity of a low viscosity fluid, in this case water, as it passes through a pipe. A comparative study with a commercial sensor is provided to validate the proven flow measurement. Likewise, turbidity is measured using different colour dyes. Finally, this paper will present the most significant results and conclusions from all the tests which are carried out.

The potentials for commercial production of fish feeds in Nigeria

Studies in fish feed technology revealed that there is a potential for big time investment into fish feed production and marketing in view of the growing awareness of fish farming in Nigeria. Intensification of aquaculture is one of the primary methods of food (finfish) production which requires technical knowledge and expertise in the formulation and manufacture of adequate feeds for the cultured species. Studies also revealed that all sort of food items were used by fish farmers ranging from animal dung, groundnut cake etc, to culture fish to table size because of non-availability of rightly prepared feeds. Inadequate knowledge of detailed requirements of tropical cultured species was found to pose a hindrance to formulation despite the fact that a lot has been accumulated in terms of biochemical and nutritive values of food sources in Nigeria. The investigation further revealed the challenges posed to researchers in aquaculture, fish nutritionists and fisheries biologists among others to elucidate the complete requirements of local fish species in terms of their protein, lipid and carbohydrate requirements such that their patents could be made available to companies like PFIZER, IBRU etc, and individuals alike to make commercialization of fish feeds a reality

The avifauna of Laguna Llancanelo (Mendoza, Argentina), a South American wetland of international importance

Laguna Llancanelo is a large (40,000 ha), very shallow (less than 3 m deep), inland saline waterbody, located in southern Mendoza, Argentina. A survey of the avifauna was undertaken during 1983 to 1985; field trips were made mostly to the northeastern and central-western sectors of the lagoon, in the months of April, May, September, October and December. Complementary studies were made by an aerial survey and assessments of terrestrial birds in the surroundings of the lagoon. A total of 64 species in 22 families of birds usually associated with aquatic environments were recorded. The best-represented families of aquatic birds in terms of numbers of species were: Anatidae (13 swans, geese, ducks), Scolopacidae (7 sandpipers and other small waders), Ardeidae (6 herons, bitterns, egrets, Podicipedidae (4 grebes), Rallidae (4 rails, coots) and Charadriidae (4 plovers, lapwings). The most abundant nesting birds on the lagoon were: Black-necked swan Cygnus melancoryphus (824), silvery grebe Podiceps occipitalis (202) and black-crowned night heron Nycticorax nycticorax (100).

Determination of optimum stocking density of Macrobrachium rosenbergii larvae using multiple feed in a commercial hatchery at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh

Experimental stocking density of Macrobrachium rosenbergii in larval rearing was conducted in A.G. Aqua Hatchery, Chakaria, Bangladesh to study the effect of different stocking densities on growth, survival rate and diseases stress under hatchery condition. The research work was conducted using six cemented rectangular tanks having 3m3 capacity (1.5mX2mX1m) each. Stocking density were maintained in three experimental setup as 200, 150 and 100ind/L of the T1, T2 and T3 respectively with one replicate each. The larvae were fed with Artemia nauplii, Custard, Maxima and brine shrimp flakes. Water quality was maintained by exchanging 20-30% (12ppt saline water) daily. During the study period, temperature, pH, DO, salinity, nitrite-nitrogen, ammonia and alkalinity were maintained from 28.5-31.5ºC, 7.5-7.8, 5.8-5.9mg/L, 12-13ppt, 0.14-0.2 mg/L, 0.22-0.3mg/L, and 140-160mg/L respectively. The growth rates of larvae at 11th stage were recorded in terms of body length 0.115, 0.136, and 0.169 mm/day whereas body weight were observed 0.000115, 0.000180, and 0.000240g/day. The survival rate of larvae were found 21.8%, 30.4% and 51.3% in treatments T1, T2 and T3 respectively. PL was obtained as 43, 45, and 51PL/L and days required of 41, 38 and 34 days in stocking density of 200, 150, and 100ind/L respectively. It was found that the minimum of 34 days was required to attain the PL (12th stage) using the stocking density of 100 individuals/L. Cannibalism, Zoothamnium, Exuvia Entrapment Disease (EED), and Bacterial Necrosis (BN) were found to be the threat to the commercial hatchery operation that might responsible for potential larval damages which can be reduced by lowering the stocking densities in larval rearing tank that also increased the survival and growth rate.

How central are clients in sexual networks created by commercial sex?

Sex workers are traditionally considered important vectors of transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI). The role of clients is commonly overlooked, partially due to the lack of evidence on clients' position in the sexual network created by commercial sex. Contrasting the diffusion importance of sex workers and their clients in the map of their sexual encounters in two Web-mediated communities, we find that from diffusion perspective, clients are as important as sex workers. Their diffusion importance is closely linked to the geography of the sexual encounters: as a result of different movement patterns, travelling clients shorten network distances between distant network neighborhoods and thus facilitate contagion among them more than sex workers, and find themselves more often in the core of the network by which they could contribute to the persistence of STIs in the community. These findings position clients into the set of the key actors and highlight the role of human mobility in the transmission of STIs in commercial sexual networks.

Increased antiparkinson efficacy of the combined administration of VEGF- and GDNF-loaded nanospheres in a partial lesion model of Parkinson's disease

Current research efforts are focused on the application of growth factors, such as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), as neuroregenerative approaches that will prevent the neurodegenerative process in Parkinson's disease. Continuing a previous work published by our research group, and with the aim to overcome different limitations related to growth factor administration, VEGF and GDNF were encapsulated in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanospheres (NS). This strategy facilitates the combined administration of the VEGF and GDNF into the brain of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) partially lesioned rats, resulting in a continuous and simultaneous drug release. The NS particle size was about 200 nm and the simultaneous addition of VEGF NS and GDNF NS resulted in significant protection of the PC-12 cell line against 6-OHDA in vitro. Once the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) NS were implanted into the striatum of 6-OHDA partially lesioned rats, the amphetamine rotation behavior test was carried out over 10 weeks, in order to check for in vivo efficacy. The results showed that VEGF NS and GDNF NS significantly decreased the number of amphetamine-induced rotations at the end of the study. In addition, tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemical analysis in the striatum and the external substantia nigra confirmed a significant enhancement of neurons in the VEGF NS and GDNF NS treatment group. The synergistic effect of VEGF NS and GDNF NS allows for a reduction of the dose by half, and may be a valuable neurogenerative/neuroreparative approach for treating Parkinson's disease.

Development of nucleic acid vaccines: use of self-amplifying RNA in lipid nanoparticles

Self-amplifying RNA or RNA replicon is a form of nucleic acid-based vaccine derived from either positive-strand or negative-strand RNA viruses. The gene sequences encoding structural proteins in these RNA viruses are replaced by mRNA encoding antigens of interest as well as by RNA polymerase for replication and transcription. This kind of vaccine has been successfully assayed with many different antigens as vaccines candidates, and has been shown to be potent in several animal species, including mice, nonhuman primates, and humans. A key challenge to realizing the broad potential of self-amplifying vaccines is the need for safe and effective delivery methods. Ideally, an RNA nanocarrier should provide protection from blood nucleases and extended blood circulation, which ultimately would increase the possibility of reaching the target tissue. The delivery system must then be internalized by the target cell and, upon receptor-mediated endocytosis, must be able to escape from the endosomal compartment into the cell cytoplasm, where the RNA machinery is located, while avoiding degradation by lysosomal enzymes. Further, delivery systems for systemic administration ought to be well tolerated upon administration. They should be safe, enabling the multiadministration treatment modalities required for improved clinical outcomes and, from a developmental point of view, production of large batches with reproducible specifications is also desirable. In this review, the concept of self-amplifying RNA vaccines and the most promising lipid-based delivery systems are discussed.

Survival of white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) released from commercial pelagic longline gear in the western North Atlantic

To estimate postrelease survival of white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus) caught incidentally in regular commercial pelagic longline fishing operations targeting swordfish and tunas, short-duration popup satellite archival tags (PSATs) were deployed on captured animals for periods of 5−43 days. Twenty (71.4%) of 28 tags transmitted data at the preprogrammed time, including one tag that separated from the fish shortly after release and was omitted from subsequent analyses. Transmitted data from 17 of 19 tags were consistent with survival of those animals for the duration of the tag deployment. Postrelease survival estimates ranged from 63.0% (assuming all nontransmitting tags were evidence of mortality) to 89.5% (excluding nontransmitting tags from the analysis). These results indicate that white marlin can survive the trauma resulting from interaction with pelagic longline gear, and indicate that current domestic and international management measures requiring the release of live white marlin from this fishery will reduce fishing mortality on the Atlantic-wide stock.

Identification of Sex and Female’s Reproductive Stage in Commercial Fish Species through the Quantification of Ribosomal Transcripts in Gonads

The estimation of maturity and sex of fish stocks in European waters is a requirement of the EU Data Collection Framework as part of the policy to improve fisheries management. On the other hand, research on fish biology is increasingly focused in molecular approaches, researchers needing correct identification of fish sex and reproductive stage without necessarily having in house the histological know-how necessary for the task. Taking advantage of the differential gene transcription occurring during fish sex differentiation and gametogenesis, the utility of 5S ribosomal RNA (5S rRNA) and General transcription factor IIIA (gtf3a) in the molecular identification of sex and gametogenic stage was tested in different economically-relevant fish species from the Bay of Biscay. Gonads of 9 fish species (, Atlantic, Atlantic-chub and horse mackerel, blue whiting, bogue, European anchovy, hake and pilchard and megrim), collected from local commercial fishing vessels were histologically sexed and 5S and 18S rRNA concentrations were quantified by capillary electrophoresis to calculate a 5S/18S rRNA index. Degenerate primers permitted cloning and sequencing of gtf3a fragments in 7 of the studied species. 5S rRNA and gtf3a transcript levels, together with 5S/18S rRNA index, distinguished clearly ovaries from testis in all of the studied species. The values were always higher in females than in males. 5S/18S rRNA index values in females were always highest when fish were captured in early phases of ovary development whilst, in later vitellogenic stages, the values decreased significantly. In megrim and European anchovy, where gonads in different oogenesis stages were obtained, the 5S/18S rRNA index identified clearly gametogenic stage. This approach, to the sexing and the quantitative non-subjective identification of the maturity stage of female fish, could have multiple applications in the study of fish stock dynamics, fish reproduction and fecundity and fish biology in general.

The establishment of a commercial fishery for Haplochromis in the Uganda waters of Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria, straddling the Equator, is the second largest lake in the world, with a surface area of approximately 26,000 square miles (41,500 square kilometers) and a maximum depth of about 300 feet. Uganda possesses most of the north end of the lake which consists of a long, indented coastline and a chain of offshore islands on the edge of a 'continental shelf' separating relatively shallow sheltered inshore waters from the deeper open waters of the lake. At the present time the lake is harvested mainly by a native gill net fishery confined almost entirely to the shallow sheltered inshore waters. The annual production of all species from Uganda waters is in the region of 24,000 tons per annum, and Tilapia(Cichlidae)is commercially the most important genus. Haplochromis, a close relative of Tilapia, but generally much smaller, contributes only a small amount to this annual production; see Table 1, although they are probably the most abundant group of fish present in the lake. Through international aid programmes Uganda has been offered a canning plant and it is thought that Haplochromis is the most suitable type of fish to be utilized by such a plant. The Uganda Fisheries Department are conducting research into processing techniques and marketing and the East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization was asked to conduct a survey of the Haplochromis stocks of the lake with a view to estimating the ability or otherwise of these stocks to support a commercial canning industry.

Defining product-service network configurations and location roles: A current and future state analysis framework for international engineering operations

Many manufacturing firms have developed a service dimension to their product portfolio. In response to this growing trend of servitisation, organisations, often involved in complex, long-lifecycle product-service system (PSS) provision, need to reconfigure their global engineering networks to support integrated PSS offerings. Drawing on parallel concepts in 'production' networks, the idea of 'location role' now becomes increasingly complex, in terms of service delivery. As new markets develop, locations in a specific region may need to grow/adapt engineering service 'competencies' along the value chain, from design and build to support and service, in order to serve future location-specific requirements and, potentially, those requirements of the overall network. The purpose of this paper is to advance understanding of how best to design complex multi-organisational engineering service networks, through extension of the 'production' network location role concept to a PSS context, capturing both traditional engineering 'design and build' and engineering 'service' requirements. Copyright © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.