Benthic habitat mapping in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: Classification of side scan sonar data from survey HMPR-108-2002-01: Version I

In September 2002, side scan sonar was used to image a portion of the sea floor in the northern OCNMS and was mosaiced at 1-meter pixel resolution using 100 kHz data collected at 300-meter range scale. Video from a remotely-operated vehicle (ROV), bathymetry data, sedimentary samples, and sonar mapping have been integrated to describe geological and biological aspects of habitat and polygon features have been created and attributed with a hierarchical deep-water marine benthic classification scheme (Greene et al. 1999). The data can be used with geographic information system (GIS) software for display, query, and analysis. Textural analysis of the sonar images provided a relatively automated method for delineating substrate into three broad classes representing soft, mixed sediment, and hard bottom. Microhabitat and presence of certain biologic attributes were also populated into the polygon features, but strictly limited to areas where video groundtruthing occurred. Further groundtruthing work in specific areas would improve confidence in the classified habitat map. (PDF contains 22 pages.)

Deep reef fish surveys by submersible on Alderdice, McGrail, and Sonnier Banks in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Submersible surveys at numerous reefs and banks in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGOM) were conducted as part of the Sustainable Seas Expedition (SSE) during July/August 2002 to identify reef fish communities, characterize benthic habitats, and identify deep coral reef ecosystems. To identify the spatial extent of hard bottom reef communities, the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mapped approximately 2000 km2 of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGOM) continental shelf during June 2002 with high-resolution multibeam bathymetry. Previous investigations conducted on the features of interest (with the exceptions of East and West Flower Garden and Sonnier Banks, accessible by SCUBA) had not been conducted since the 1970s and 1980s, and did not have the use of high-resolution maps to target survey sites. The base maps were instrumental in navigating submersibles to specific features at each study site during the Sustainable Seas Expedition (SSE)—a submersible effort culminating from a partnership between the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) and the National Geographic Society (NGS). We report the initial findings of our submersible surveys, including habitat and reef fish diversity at McGrail, Alderdice, and Sonnier Banks. A total of 120 species and 40,724 individuals were identified from video surveys at the three banks. Planktivorous fishes constituted over 87% by number for the three banks, ranging from 81.4% at Sonnier Banks to 94.3% at Alderdice Bank, indicating a direct link to pelagic prey communities, particularly in the deep reef zones. High numbers of groupers, snappers, jacks, and other fishery species were observed on all three features. These sites were nominated as Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (HAPC) by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Council in March 2004. Data obtained during this project will contribute to benthic habitat characterization and assessment of the associated fish communities through future SCUBA, ROV, and submersible missions, and allow comparisons to other deep reef ecosystems found throughout the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic Ocean.

Freshwater survey of the ditches around Hinkley Point Power Station, 20 June 1985

Sampling was concentrated on the North Moor region and the series of ditches which drained this area to the Bristol Channel. Although most ditches were not deep the mud substratum precluded sampling from within the habitat. All samples were taken with a pond net from the banks. Efforts were made to sample each part of the habitat although in some ditches the macrophyte growth was so intense as to make sampling difficult particularly of the sediments. Organisms were identified on the 10 sampling sites.

Fishery-independent Bottom Trawl Surveys for Deep-water Fishes and Invertebrates of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, 2002–08

From 2002 through 2008, the Mississippi Laboratories of the NMFS Southeast Fisheries Science Center, NOAA, conducted fishery-independent bottom trawl surveys for continental shelf and outer-continental shelf deep-water fishes and invertebrates of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (50–500 m bottom depths). Five-hundred and ninety species were captured at 797 bottom trawl locations. Standardized survey gear and randomly selected survey sites have facilitated development of a fishery-independent time series that characterizes species diversity, distributions, and catch per unit effort. The fishery-independent surveys provide synoptic descriptions of deep-water fauna potentially impacted by various anthropogenic factors.

Effects of Gear Modifications on the Trawl Performance and Catching Efficiency of the West Coast Upper Continental Slope Groundfish Survey Trawl

Since 1984, annual bottom trawl surveys of the west coast (California–Washington) upper continental slope (WCUCS) have provided information on the abundance, distribution, and biological characteristics of groundfish resources. Slope species of the deep-water complex (DWC) are of particular importance and include Dover sole, Microstomus pacificus; sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria; shortspine thornyhead, Sebastolobus alascanus; and longspine thornyhead, S. altivelis. In the fall of 1994, we conducted an experimental gear research cruise in lieu of our normal survey because of concerns about the performance of the survey trawl. The experiment was conducted on a soft mud bottom at depths of 460–490 m off the central Oregon coast. Treatments included different combinations of door-bridle rigging, groundgear weight, and scope length. The experimental design was a 2 ´ 2 ´ 2 factorial within a randomized complete-block. Analysis of variance was used to examine the effects of gear modifications on the engineering performance of the trawl (i.e. trawl dimensions, variation in trawl dimensions, and door attitude) and to determine if catch rates in terms of weight and number of DWC species and invertebrates were affected by the gear modifications. Trawl performance was highly variable for the historically used standard trawl configuration. Improvements were observed with the addition of either a 2-bridle door or lighter ground gear. Changes in scope length had relatively little effect on trawl performance. The interaction of door bridle and ground gear weight had the most effect on trawl performance. In spite of the standard trawl’s erratic performance, catch rates of all four DWC species and invertebrates were not significantly different than the 2-bridle/heavy combination, which did the best in terms of engineering performance. The most important factor affecting DWC catch rates was ground gear. Scope length and the type of door bridle had little effect on DWC catch rates. Subsequent revisions to survey gear and towing protocol and their impact on the continuity of the slope survey time series are discussed.

A pilot survey of deepwater coral/sponge assemblages and their susceptibility to fishing/harvest impacts at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS). Cruise report for NOAA Ship McARTHUR II Cruise AR-04-04: Leg 2 (June 1-12, 2004)

The offshore shelf and canyon habitats of the OCNMS are areas of high primary productivity and biodiversity that support extensive groundfish fisheries. Recent acoustic surveys conducted in these waters have indicated the presence of hard-bottom substrates believed to harbor unique deep-sea coral and sponge assemblages. Such fauna are often associated with shallow tropical waters, however an increasing number of studies around the world have recorded them in deeper, cold-water habitats in both northern and southern latitudes. These habitats are of tremendous value as sites of recruitment for commercially important fishes. Yet, ironically, studies have shown how the gear used in offshore demersal fishing, as well as other commercial operations on the seafloor, can cause severe physical disturbances to resident benthic fauna. Due to their exposed structure, slow growth and recruitment rates, and long life spans, deep-sea corals and sponges may be especially vulnerable to such disturbances, requiring very long periods to recover. Potential effects of fishing and other commercial operations in such critical habitats, and the need to define appropriate strategies for the protection of these resources, have been identified as a high-priority management issue for the sanctuary.

Demersal fishery resources of Sri Lanka and its present level of exploitation with special reference to off-shore and deep-sea waters

Following a brief review of development of demersal fishing off Sri Lanka, the author reviews the fishing grounds of the Wadge Bank, the Pedro Bank, and the Mannar Bank. He reviews the deepwater trawling fisheries particularly in relation to the 1972 survey conducted by the 'Optimist' and also small boat trawling in coastal waters. Lastly he considers handlining for groundfish, which is principally conducted by fishermen operating traditional craft.

National report of the frame survey 2006 in the Ugandan part of Lake Victoria

Fisheries Frame surveys have been carried out on Lake Victoria biannually since 2000 to determine· the number of fishers, fish landing sites, facilities at the landing sites. Information on the composition fishing crafts, their mode of propulsion, fishing gears and the fish species they target is also collected. This information is used to guide development and management of the lake's fisheries. The results of the four surveys carried out since 2000 show that the number of landing sites has decreased by 24% from 597 in 2000 to 481 in 2006, mainly as result of reorganisation of landing sites into Beach Management Units (BMUs). The fish landing sites continue to have inadequate facilities to service the fisheries industry e.g. in the 2006 survey only 11.2% of landing sites had fish shades; <0.6% had cold rooms; 3.5% had electricity; and only 35.5% had toilet facilities. Similarly, only 11.4% of landing sites had portable water; 2.5% had jetties, 3.7% had 'fish stores; and 36% were accessible by all weather roads. There is need to improve facilities servicing fisheries at landing sites, with major emphasis on sanitary facilities, especially toilets and portable water. The BMUs should be sensitised to prioritise the construction and utilisation of public toilet facilities at their respective landing sites. The ultimate aim should be to have public toilets at all fish landing sites. The trend of the various indicators of fishing effort has continued upwards: The total number of fishers increased by 43.5% from 37,721 in 2004 to 54,148 in 2006 and the number of fishing crafts increased (43.9%) from 16,775 in 2004 to 24,148 in 2006 over the same period. The total number of gillnets increased by 28.6% from 458,597 in 2004 to 589,777 in 2006 and the number of long line hooks increased by 136% from 968,848 to 2,285,609. The number of fishing crafts using outboard engines also increased from 3,173 in 2004 to 5,047 in 2006 suggesting that more fishers were going far in search of fish. There is still a large number of illegal gears especially beach seines, which increased by 58.8% from 954 in 2004 to 1420 in 2006. Efforts to remove these very destructive gears should be stepped up. There was also larger increase in number of illegal gillnets <5 inch mesh size. These increased by 63% from 56,246 in 2004 to 91,740 in 2006 compared with 23.8% increase of gillnets ~5 inch mesh size. There were also large increases in the numbers of gillnets of 5 and 5% inch mesh size, which increased by 48% and 130% from 2004 to 2006 implying a trend towards use of smaller gillnet mesh sizes. The number of traps which are used in shallow vegetated areas, flood plains and river mouths to target tilapiines and riverine species decreased drastically from 5,361 traps in 2004 to only 499 traps in 2006, a decrease of 974%, a phenomenon attributed to the receding water levels which have left the shallow vegetated areas dry. A total of 17,475 fishing crafts, 72% of all fishing crafts, in the Ugandan part of the lake are still using paddles and the. number of parachute crafts is also still very high, (Le. 5,064) comprising a high proportion (21 %) of the total number of fishing. There is need to promote the use of large fishing crafts with sails or a combination of sail and outboard motor. The Mukene fishery in the Ugandan waters of Lake Victoria has remained underdeveloped with only 9% of all fishing crafts operating in this fishery. Also less than 2% of fishing crafts with sails or motor operate in this fishery which implies that it is limited to near shore waters. Effort should be made to develop this fishery as it appears to have high potential, especially in deep offshore waters which are hardly fished.

Report of the baseline survey undertaken on the Chinese cage site in Napoleon Gulf, Northern Lake Victoria, 12 March 2012

The government of the People's Republic of China through a 2007 agreement with the Government of the Republic of Uganda, has establishment of an Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center (ATDC). The first phase covering the building of aquaculture infrastructure at Kajjansi ARDC is complete and the second operation phase has started in which facilities for cage culture have been set up in the Napoleon gulf, northern Lake Victoria near Jinja. The cage facility is aimed at boosting fish farming within the lake as a diversification to the traditional pond fish culture technology. NaFIRRI scientists as well as Chinese experts undertook a baseline survey in the chosen cage site on 12 March 2012. The survey covered determination of water depth, water transparency, measurement of selected physical-chemical parameters (temperature,dissolved oxygen, conductivity and pH; determination of the nutrient status and study of algae, invertebrate and fish communities at the site. Materials and methodologies used in the survey were based on the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of NaFIRRI. The study area was divided into three study sites. Site 1 (upstream) was at 8.9 metre depth while site 2 (proposed cage site) and site 3 (downstream) were 6 and 4.3 metres deep respectively. Water transparency was lowest at site 1 (1.58 m) and highest at site 3 (1.64 m). Dissolved oxygen at the three sites ranged from 6.0 to 8 mg/I. Water temperature profiles fluctuated within narrow limits between 26.5 and 27.5 DC. Measurements of pH were between 7 (neutral) and 8 (alkaline) while electrical conductivity was between 98 and 101 uS/em. These observed physical-chemical parameters at the study site were considered suitable for cage fish rearing purposes. Nitrite-nitrogen levels varied within narrow limits from 0.043 to 0.0453 mgtl. Similarly, Ammonia-nitrogen varied between 0.015 and 0.0185 mg/1. Soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) level was highest at site 3 (O.012mgll) compared to that at sites 1 and 2 (0.009mgll). Total suspended solids (TSS) were higher at site 1 (83.3mgll), thereafter decreasing to lower levels at sites 2 (24.8mgtl) and 3 (19.8mgl) respectively. The nutrient level results observed here all fall below the maximum permissible limits by NEMA and therefore the site is recommended for cage culture The algal community was constituted by four major groups: Blue greens,Greens, Cryptophytes, and Diatoms with blue greens as the common and dominant group. High algal biomass (19944961 ugtL) of the dominant blue green algae was observed at site 1 compared site 2 and 3 (58655.2 & 27487. 7 ugtL) respectively. Occurrence of toxicin producing algae: microsytis and cylindrospermopsis in the proposed cage area was considered to be of not much significance as their concentrations were below harmful levels. However, monitoring their presence, biomass and seasonality will be critical in order to follow when and where they occur and at what time of the year for ease of management of the cages

A survey of fingerprint classification Part II: experimental analysis and ensemble proposal

In the first part of this paper we reviewed the fingerprint classification literature from two different perspectives: the feature extraction and the classifier learning. Aiming at answering the question of which among the reviewed methods would perform better in a real implementation we end up in a discussion which showed the difficulty in answering this question. No previous comparison exists in the literature and comparisons among papers are done with different experimental frameworks. Moreover, the difficulty in implementing published methods was stated due to the lack of details in their description, parameters and the fact that no source code is shared. For this reason, in this paper we will go through a deep experimental study following the proposed double perspective. In order to do so, we have carefully implemented some of the most relevant feature extraction methods according to the explanations found in the corresponding papers and we have tested their performance with different classifiers, including those specific proposals made by the authors. Our aim is to develop an objective experimental study in a common framework, which has not been done before and which can serve as a baseline for future works on the topic. This way, we will not only test their quality, but their reusability by other researchers and will be able to indicate which proposals could be considered for future developments. Furthermore, we will show that combining different feature extraction models in an ensemble can lead to a superior performance, significantly increasing the results obtained by individual models.

Is observed variability in the long-term results of the Continuous Plankton Recorder survey a response to climate change?

In the more than 50 years that the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey has operated on a regular monthly basis in the north-east Atlantic and North Sea, large changes have been witnessed in the planktonic ecosystem. These changes have taken the form of long-term trends in abundance for certain species or stepwise changes for others, and in many cases are correlated with a mode of climatic variability in the North Atlantic, either: (1) the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a basin-scale atmospheric alteration of the pressure field between the Azores high pressure cell and the Icelandic Low; or (2) the Gulf Stream Index (GSI), which measures the latitudinal position of the north wall of the Gulf Stream. Recent work has shown that the changes in the GSI are coupled with the NAO and Pacific Southern Oscillation with a 2 year lag. The plankton variability is also possibly linked to changes observed in the distribution and flux of water masses in the surface, intermediate and deep waters of the North Atlantic. For example, in the last two decades, the extent and location of the formation of North Atlantic Deep Water, Labrador Sea Intermediate Water and Norwegian Sea intermediate and upper-layer water has altered considerably. This paper discusses the extent to which observed changes in plankton abundance and distribution may be linked to this basin-scale variability in hydrodynamics. The results are also placed within the context of global climate warming and the possible effects of the observed melting of Arctic permafrost and sea ice on the subpolar North Atlantic.

Radiolaria: Major exporters of organic carbon to the deep ocean

Very large pulses of particulate organic matter intermittently sink to the deep waters of the open ocean in the Northeast Atlantic. These pulses, measured by moored sediment traps since 1989, can contribute up to 60% of the organic flux to 3000 m in a particular year and are thus a major cause of the variability in carbon sequestration from the atmosphere in the region. Pulses occur in the late summer and are characterized by material that is very rich in organic carbon but with low concentrations of the biominerals opal and calcite. A number of independent lines of evidence have been examined to determine the causes of these pulses: (1) Data from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey show that in this region, radiolarian protozoans intermittently reach high abundances in the late summer just preceding organic pulses to depth. (2) CPR data also show that the interannual variability in radiolarian abundance since 1997 mirrors very closely the variability of deep ocean organic deposition. (3) The settling material collected in the traps displays a strong correlation between fecal pellets produced by radiolaria and the measured organic carbon flux. These all suggest that the pulses are mediated by radiolarians, a group of protozoans found throughout the world’s oceans and which are widely used by paleontologists to determine past climate conditions. Changes in the upper ocean community structure (between years and on longer timescales) may have profound effects on the ability of the oceans to sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The role of infrequent and extraordinary deep dives in leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea)

Infrequent and exceptional behaviours can provide insight into the ecology and physiology of a particular species. Here we examined extraordinarily deep (300-1250 m) and protracted (>1h) dives made by critically endangered leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) in the context of three previously suggested hypotheses: predator evasion, thermoregulation and exploration for gelatinous prey. Data were obtained via satellite relay data loggers attached to adult turtles at nesting beaches (N=11) and temperate foraging grounds (N=2), constituting a combined tracking period of 9.6 years (N=26,146 dives) and spanning the entire North Atlantic Ocean. Of the dives, 99.6% (N=26,051) were to depths <300 m with only 0.4% (N=95) extending to greater depths (subsequently termed 'deep dives'). Analysis suggested that deep dives: (1) were normally distributed around midday; (2) may exceed the inferred aerobic dive limit for the species; (3) displayed slow vertical descent rates and protracted durations; (4) were much deeper than the thermocline; and (5) occurred predominantly during transit, yet ceased once seasonal residence on foraging grounds began. These findings support the hypothesis that deep dives are periodically employed to survey the water column for diurnally descending gelatinous prey. If a suitable patch is encountered then the turtle may cease transit and remain within that area, waiting for prey to approach the surface at night. If unsuccessful, then migration may continue until a more suitable site is encountered. Additional studies using a meta-analytical approach are nonetheless recommended to further resolve this matter.

Larval Transport Modeling of Deep-Sea Invertebrates Can Aid the Search for Undiscovered Populations

Background: Many deep-sea benthic animals occur in patchy distributions separated by thousands of kilometres, yet because deep-sea habitats are remote, little is known about their larval dispersal. Our novel method simulates dispersal by combining data from the Argo array of autonomous oceanographic probes, deep-sea ecological surveys, and comparative invertebrate physiology. The predicted particle tracks allow quantitative, testable predictions about the dispersal of benthic invertebrate larvae in the south-west Pacific. Principal Findings: In a test case presented here, using non-feeding, non-swimming (lecithotrophic trochophore) larvae of polyplacophoran molluscs (chitons), we show that the likely dispersal pathways in a single generation are significantly shorter than the distances between the three known population centres in our study region. The large-scale density of chiton populations throughout our study region is potentially much greater than present survey data suggest, with intermediate ‘stepping stone’ populations yet to be discovered. Conclusions/Significance: We present a new method that is broadly applicable to studies of the dispersal of deep-sea organisms. This test case demonstrates the power and potential applications of our new method, in generating quantitative, testable hypotheses at multiple levels to solve the mismatch between observed and expected distributions: probabilistic predictions of locations of intermediate populations, potential alternative dispersal mechanisms, and expected population genetic structure. The global Argo data have never previously been used to address benthic biology, and our method can be applied to any non-swimming larvae of the deep-sea, giving information upon dispersal corridors and population densities in habitats that remain intrinsically difficult to assess.

Classical novae from the POINT-AGAPE microlensing survey of M31 - I. The nova catalogue

The POINT-AGAPE (Pixel-lensing Observations with the Isaac Newton Telescope-Andromeda Galaxy Amplified Pixels Experiment) survey is an optical search for gravitational microlensing events towards the Andromeda galaxy (M31). As well as microlensing, the survey is sensitive to many different classes of variable stars and transients. Here we describe the automated detection and selection pipeline used to identify M31 classical novae (CNe) and we present the resulting catalogue of 20 CN candidates observed over three seasons. CNe are observed both in the bulge region as well as over a wide area of the M31 disc. Nine of the CNe are caught during the final rise phase and all are well sampled in at least two colours. The excellent light-curve coverage has allowed us to detect and classify CNe over a wide range of speed class, from very fast to very slow. Among the light curves is a moderately fast CN exhibiting entry into a deep transition minimum, followed by its final decline. We have also observed in detail a very slow CN which faded by only 0.01 mag d(-1) over a 150-d period. We detect other interesting variable objects, including one of the longest period and most luminous Mira variables. The CN catalogue constitutes a uniquely well-sampled and objectively-selected data set with which to study the statistical properties of CNe in M31, such as the global nova rate, the reliability of novae as standard-candle distance indicators and the dependence of the nova population on stellar environment. The findings of this statistical study will be reported in a follow-up paper.