Switching Regimes in the Term Structure of Interest Rates During U.S. Post-War: A case for the Lucas proof equilibrium?

Published as an article in: Studies in Nonlinear Dynamics & Econometrics, 2004, vol. 8, issue 1, pages 5.

Persistence and Non-target Impact of Imazapyr Associated with Smooth Cordgrass Control in an Estuary

The herbicide (±-2-[4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)- 5-oxo-1 H -imidazol-2-yl]-3-pyridinecarboxylic acid (imazapyr) has shown potential to control smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel), a noxious weed in many estuaries throughout the world. Research was conducted under tidal estuary conditions in Willapa Bay, Washington, to determine imazapyr’s persistence and aquatic risk and impact to non-target estuary species. Persistence of imazapyr in water and sediment followed an exponential decay.(PDF has 6 pages.)

Effect of Cattail (Typha domingensis) Extracts, Leachates, and Selected Phenolic Compounds on Rates of Oxygen Production by Salvinia (Salvinia minima)

Salvinia (Salvinia minima Willd.) is a water fern found in Florida waters, usually associated with Lemna and other small free-floating species. Due to its buoyancy and mat-forming abilities, it is spread by moving waters. In 1994, salvinia was reported to be present in 247 water bodies in the state (out of 451 surveyed public waters, Schardt 1997). It is a small, rapidly growing species that can become a nuisance due to its explosive growth rates and its ability to shade underwater life (Oliver 1993). Any efforts toward management of salvinia populations must consider that, in reasonable amounts, its presence is desirable since it plays an important role in the overall ecosystem balance. New management alternatives need to be explored besides the conventional herbicide treatments; for example, it has been shown that the growth of S. molesta can be inhibited by extracts of the tropical weed parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) and its purified toxin parthenin (Pande 1994, 1996). We believe that cattail, Typha spp. may be a candidate for control of S. minima infestations. Cattail is an aggressive aquatic plant, and has the ability to expand over areas that weren't previously occupied by other species (Gallardo et al. 1998a and references cited there). In South Florida, T. domingensis is a natural component of the Everglades ecosystem, but in many cases it has become the dominant marsh species, outcompeting other native plants. In Florida public waters, this cattail species is the most dominant emergent species of aquatic plants (Schardt 1997). Several factors enable it to accomplish opportunistic expansion, including size, growth habits, adaptability to changes in the surroundings, and the release of compounds that can prevent the growth and development of other species. We have been concerned in the past with the inhibitory effects of the T. domingensis extracts, and the phenolic compounds mentioned before, towards the growth and propagation of S. minima (Gallardo et al. 1998b). This investigation deals with the impact of cattail materials on the rates of oxygen production of salvinia, as determined through a series of Warburg experiments (Martin et al. 1987, Prindle and Martin 1996).

Longevity and Persistence of Triploid Grass Carp Stocked into the Santee Cooper Reservoirs of South Carolina

This study evaluated longevity and population persistence of 768,500 triploid grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella Valenciennes) stocked in the 70,000-ha Santee Cooper system in South Carolina from 1989 through 1996 to control hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata (L.f.) Royle).

Estimations, from tagging experiments, of mortality rates and other parameters respecting yellowfin and skipjack tuna

ENGLISH: In this paper, a method of analysis described by Gulland (1963) has been used to estimate the fishing mortality rates of tagged yellowfin and skipjack tuna for specific areas and years. Fishing mortality rates obtained for tagged tunas will also represent those for the entire population from which the tagged fishes were drawn, provided the assumptions used and corrections made for these analyses are valid. Total mortality rates of tagged fishes have also been computed. These are not assumed to be directly equivalent to the total mortality rates of the untagged populations,since tagged fishes are subject to additional types of attrition. These additional sources of mortality are also examined in this study. SPANISH: En el presente trabajo se ha usado un método de análisis descrito por Gulland (1963), para estimar las tasas de mortalidad de pesca de los atunes aleta amarilla y barrilete marcados en áreas y años específicos. Las tasas de mortalidad de pesca obtenidas en atunes marcados representarán también las de toda la población, de la cual fueron extraídos, previendo que las suposiciones usadas y las correcciones hechas para estos análisis sean válidas. Las tasas de mortalidad total de los peces marcados también han sido computadas. No se supone que éstas sean directamente equivalentes a las tasas de mortalidad total de las poblaciones no marcadas, ya que los peces marcados están sujetos también a otros tipos de pérdida. Estas otras causas de mortalidad son examinadas también en el presente estudio.

Effects of commercial fishing regulations on stranding rates of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).

Fisheries management actions taken to protect one species can have unintended, and sometimes positive, consequences on other species. For example, regulatory measures to reduce fishing effort in the winter gillnet fishery for spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) off North Carolina (NC) also led to decreases in the number of bycaught bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). This study found that a marked decrease in fishing effort for spiny dogfish in NC also corresponded with a marked decrease in winter stranding rates of bottlenose dolphins with entanglement lesions (P= 0.002). Furthermore, from 1997 through 2002, there was a significant positive correlation (r2 = 0.79; P= 0.0003) between seasonal bycatch estimates of bottlenose dolphins in gill nets and rates of stranded dolphins with entanglement lesions. With this information, stranding thresholds were developed that would enable the detection of those increases in bycatch in near real-time. This approach is valuable because updated bycatch estimates from observer data usually have a time-lag of two or more years. Threshold values could be used to detect increases in stranding rates, triggering managers immediately to direct observer effort to areas of potentially high bycatch or to institute mitigation measures. Thus, observer coverage and stranding investigations can be used in concert for more effective fishery management.

A comparison of seafloor habitats and associated benthic fauna in areas open and closed to bottom trawling along the central California Continental Shelf

Executive Summary: A number of studies have shown that mobile, bottom-contact fishing gear (such as otter trawls) can alter seafloor habitats and associated biota. Considerably less is known about the recovery of these resources following such disturbances, though this information is critical for successful management. In part, this paucity of information can be attributed to the lack of access to adequate control sites – areas of the seafloor that are closed to fishing activity. Recent closures along the coast of central California provide an excellent opportunity to track the recovery of historically trawled areas and to compare recovery rates to adjacent areas that continue to be trawled. In June 2006 we initiated a multi-year study of the recovery of seafloor microhabitats and associated benthic fauna inside and outside two new Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) closures within the Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries. Study sites inside the EFH closure at Cordell Bank were located in historically active areas of fishing effort, which had not been trawled since 2003. Sites outside the EFH closure in the Gulf of Farallones were located in an area that continues to be actively trawled. All sites were located in unconsolidated sands at equivalent water depths. Video and still photographic data collected via a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) were used to quantify the abundance, richness, and diversity of microhabitats and epifaunal macro-invertebrates at recovering and actively trawled sites, while bottom grabs and conductivity/temperature/depth (CTD) casts were used to quantify infaunal diversity and to characterize local environmental conditions. Analysis of still photos found differences in common seafloor microhabitats between the recovering and actively trawled areas, while analysis of videographic data indicated that biogenic mound and biogenic depression microhabitats were significantly less abundant at trawled sites. Each of these features provides structure with which demersal fishes, across a wide range of size classes, have been observed to associate. Epifaunal macro-invertebrates were sparsely distributed and occurred in low numbers in both treatments. However, their total abundance was significantly different between treatments, which was attributable to lower densities at trawled sites. In addition, the dominant taxa were different between the two sites. Patchily-distributed buried brittle stars dominated the recovering site, and sea whips (Halipteris cf. willemoesi) were most numerous at the trawled site though they occurred in only five of ten transects. Numerical classification (cluster analysis) of the infaunal samples also revealed a clear difference between benthic assemblages in the recovering vs. trawled areas due to differences in the relative abundances of component species. There were no major differences in infaunal species richness, H′ diversity, or J′ evenness between recovering vs. trawled site groups. However, total infaunal abundance showed a significant difference attributable to much lower densities at trawled sites. This pattern was driven largely by the small oweniid polychaete Myriochele gracilis, which was the most abundant species in the overall study region though significantly less abundant at trawled sites. Other taxa that were significantly less abundant at trawled sites included the polychaete M. olgae and the polychaete family Terebellidae. In contrast, the thyasirid bivalve Axinopsida serricata and the polychaetes Spiophanes spp. (mostly S. duplex), Prionospio spp., and Scoloplos armiger all had significantly to near significantly higher abundances at trawled sites. As a result of such contrasting species patterns, there also was a significant difference in the overall dominance structure of infaunal assemblages between the two treatments. It is suggested that the observed biological patterns were the result of trawling impacts and varying levels of recovery due to the difference in trawling status between the two areas. The EFH closure was established in June 2006, within a month of when sampling was conducted for the present study, however, the stations within this closure area are at sites that actually have experienced little trawling since 2003, based on National Marine Fishery Service trawl records. Thus, the three-year period would be sufficient time for some post-trawling changes to have occurred. Other results from this study (e.g., similarly moderate numbers of infaunal species in both areas that are lower than values recorded elsewhere in comparable habitats along the California continental shelf) also indicate that recovery within the closure area is not yet complete. Additional sampling is needed to evaluate subsequent recovery trends and persistence of effects. Furthermore, to date, the study has been limited to unconsolidated substrates. Ultimately, the goal of this project is to characterize the recovery trajectories of a wide spectrum of seafloor habitats and communities and to link that recovery to the dynamics of exploited marine fishes. (PDF has 48 pages.)

Prevalence, intensity, longevity, and persistence of Anisakis sp. larvae and Lacistorhynchus tenuis metacestodes in San Francisco striped bass

Thirteen hundred and seventy-three striped bass, Marone saxatilis, were collected from the San Francisco Bay-Delta area to correlate host diet with parasitic infections and to determine the prevalence, intensity, longevity, and persistence of larval Anisakis sp. nematodes and the metacestode Lacistorhynchus tenuis. There is an increase in the prevalence and intensity of Anisakis sp. and in the intensity of L. tenuis with increase of age of the host. These increases are probably related to the diet and the persistence of tbe parasites. The infections of both species are overdispersed. San Francisco Bay striped bass are an incompatible host for both species of parasites. Degenerated Anisakis sp. will remain in lhe host for at least 8 months and L. tenuis metacestodes for 22 months. The occurrence of several other species of parasites and a tumor are also reported. (PDF file contains 10 pages.)

Growth rates of Maryland freshwater fish

Growth data obtained from a ten-year collection of scales from Maryland freshwater fish is presented, in this report,in graphs and tables especially designed to be useful for Maryland fishery management. (PDF contains 40 pages)

Estimates of the rates of mortality of yellowfin tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean derived from tagging experiments

ENGLISH: Tag release and return data for the Baja California and Gulf of Guayaquil areas were selected for this study because substantial numbers of returns resulted from these releases and because the effects of emigration are small in these areas. The returns of tags per unit of fishing effort for several experiments in each area were used to estimate the coefficients of total mortality and shedding. The coefficient of annual natural mortality was estimated to be less than 2.0, which is in agreement with a previous estimate of 0.8, but does not improve upon it. The estimates for the average coefficients of catchability are 2.02 X 10-3 for the Baja California area and 0.67 X 10-3 for the Gulf of Guayaquil area. SPANISH: Se seleccionaron para este estudio algunos da tos de liberación y retorno de marcas en las áreas de Baja California y el Golfo de Guayaquil debido a que cantidades substanciales de retornos resultaron de estas liberaciones y porque los efectos de migración son pequeños en estas áreas. Los retornos de marcas por unidad de esfuerzo de pesca de varios experimentos en cada área fueron empleados para estimar los coeficientes de mortalidad total y desprendimiento. Se estimó que el coeficiente de mortalidad natural anual fue inferior a 2.0, lo que está de acuerdo con una estimación anterior de 0.8, pero no la mejora. Las estimaciones de los coeficientes promedios de capturabilidad son 2.02 X 10-3 en el área de Baja California y 0.67 X 10-3 en el área del Golfo de Guayaquil. (PDF contains 58 pages.)

Estimates of the rates of shedding of dart tags from yellowfin tuna

ENGLISH: Return data for single-tagged fish and for double-tagged fish which had retained one or both tags were used to estimate the rates of shedding of dart tags from yellowfin tuna. The Type-1 shedding, which occurs immediately after release of the fish, is about 10 percent. The Type-2 shedding is assumed to be constant throughout the life of the fish after tagging; it occurs at an instantaneous rate of about 0.278 per year. SPANISH: Se emplearon los datos de retorno de peces marcados con una sola marca y de peces marcados con doble marca los cuales han retenido una o dos marcas para estimar las tasas de pérdida de las marcas de dardo de atunes aleta amarilla. El Tipo-l de pérdida, que ocurre inmediatamente después de haber liberado el pez, es aproximadamente del 10 por ciento. El Tipo-2 de pérdida se supone que sea constante durante la vida del pez después de marcado; ocurre en una tasa instantánea cerca de 0.278 por año. (PDF contains 24 pages.)

Entwicklung und Lage ausgewählter Fischbestände - Einschätzung des Internationalen Rates für Meeresforschung Ende 2000

During the autumn session of the ICES Advisory Committee for Fisheries Management (ACFM) the stock of the Arctic, Northern and Southern Shelf, North Sea and Skagerrak have been analysed and assessed, as well as the mackerel and horse mackerel, sardine, anchovy and Pandalus, eel and harp and hooded seals. For a number of stocks ICES recommends a reduction in fishing mortality. Moreover, ICES recommends for many stocks to establish recovery and management plans, to safe guarda continuous development of the stocks towards safe biological limits.

Die Lage der Fischbestände in Nordostatlantik, Nord- und Ostsee. Einschätzungen des Internationalen Rates für Meeresforschung im Frühjahr 2001

The spring session of ACFM gave advice for a number of stocks in the North Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic. The present assessment of the situation is given here for stocks of importance for the German fishery. These are: Blue Whiting: the stock size is rapidly decreasing due to high catches; ICES recommends a closure of the fishery. Herring (Atlanto-Scandian, Norwegian spring spawner): Stock is within save biological limits, weak recruitment of the recent years will lead to a further reduction of biomass. Herring (North Sea): revision of the assessment led to a different perception of the stock: SSB was in 2000 below Blim. Excellent recruitment will lead to an increase of SSB over Blim within this year, but ICES recommends to reduce fishing mortality on adults significantly. Herring (Baltic spring spawner in 22–24, IIIa): Still no increasing tendency is detectable. Herring (VIaNorth): stable. Redfish: generally further decreasing tendency observed, a reduction of the fishery is recommended. Signs of recovery visible only for two units. Greenland Halibut: State of the stock not quite clear, but slightly positive tendencies. The present fishing intensity should be reduced. Cod (Kattegat): Weak recruitment, outside safe biological limits. ICES recommends a closure of the fishery. Cod (22–24, Western Baltic): Stock situation unclear due to extensive migrations. F should be reduced by at least 10%.

Die lage der Fischbestände in Nordostatlantik, Nord- und Ostsee. Einschätzungen des Internationalen Rates für Meeresforschung im Frühjahr 2000

The spring session of ACFM gave advice for a number of stocks in the North Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic. The present assessment of the situation is given here for stocks of higher importance for the German fishery. These are: Blue Whiting: the stock is still relatively high, this, however, will not last very long, due to too intense fishing. Cod in Kattegat: stock is outside safe biological limits. No immediate recovery in sight. Cod in 22–24 (Baltic): stock is inside save biological limits. F, however, is above the recommendation of the IBSFC. Greenland Halibut: state of the stock not quite clear. The present fishing intensity seems to be sustainable. Herring (Atlanto- scandian, Norwegian spring spawner): stock is within safe biological limits, weak recruitment of the recent years will lead to a reduction of biomass. Herring: for Baltic spring spawner in 22–24 and IIIa still no increasing tendency detectable. North Sea Herring: further increasing tendency, with 900 000 t over B lim, good recruitment. Herring in VIa: stable. Redfish: generally decreasing tendency observed, a reduction of the fishery is recommended. Signs of recovery, however, visible for some units