Fisheries of the United States / U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries.

2004

Fisheries of the United States / U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries.

1992

Sistema de Informació i Gestió Integral de la Producció Pesquera Internacional (SIGIPPI)

Des de la ciència geogràfica combinada amb el coneixement biològic i comercial, aquest projecte pretén crear una eina basada en la biogeografia i les últimes tecnologies de la Informació Geogràfica, que permetrà a l’usuari disposar de informació actualitzada per cada espècie amb interès comercial. El projecte es basa en el desenvolupament d’una aplicació web de consulta, entrada i actualització de dades referents a la producció pesquera internacional. Les eines utilitzades són les bases de dades MySQL i PostgreSQL i programació web amb html, php i javacript. Aquesta aplicació està pensada per ser accessible des de qualsevol ordinador amb connexió a internet i es subdivideix en tres sub-aplicacions. La primera sub-aplicació es basa en l’entrada d’espècies a partir de l’estructura taxonòmica. Partint de l’arbre taxonòmic, l’usuari té la possibilitat d’entrar, eliminar o modificar qualsevol tàxon o espècie. La segona subaplicació és una eina de digitalització cartogràfica on-line on l’usuari podrà marcar, eliminar o modificar sobre un mapa les localitzacions de les espècies que estiguin entrades en la sub-aplicació anterior. Finalment, la tercera sub-aplicació és una eina d’entrada de dades quinzenals referent als comportaments pel que fa tan a les dimensions com a les disponibilitats de pesca per cada espècie i localització.

Intermediate hosts of schistosoma mansoni in Brazil

The Brazilian planorbidical chart is slowly but progressively been increased by new data. Distribution of vector species of Schistosoma mansoni, according to Paraense, 1986, may be thus resumed: Biomphalaria glabrata - delimited by paralells 13 and 21-S and meridians 39 and 45-W, area of greater dominance (Southerst Bahia, oriental half of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo). It is observed along the coast line of the state of Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte. Starting from there, it is found towards the southwest, in the direction to the Sao Francisco River and South-Center of Minas Gerais. Isolated population may be observed in other states. Its presence is probably, associated to the transmission of schistosomiasis in all areas where it occurs. B. tenagophila - extends it self through a wide strip of coast-line the South of Bahia (17-45"S, 39-15'W), RS(33-41'S, 53-27'W). In Sao Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul states it is found further inland. It is important in schistosomiasis transmission in the Paraíba valley (SP). Isolated populations are observed in the Federal District and Minas Gerais state. B. straminea - better adapter species to climatic variation, having a more dense ditribution in the northeast (41-Wand 110-S), south of Bahia and northeast of Minas Gerais (150 and 180-S, 400 and 440-W) It is less susceptible than B. glabrata, being however the most important responsible for the transmission of S. mansoni in the northeast, chiefly in the northeastern dry area, where it is almost the only transmissive species.

Toward partial reorientation of land management for sustainability in view of material circulation: biophysical and historical analysis

This paper explores two major issues, from biophysical and historical viewpoints. We examine land management, which we define as the long-term fertility maintenance of land in relation to agriculture, fishery and forestry. We also explore humans’ positive role as agents aiming to reinforce harmonious materials circulation within the land. Liebig’s view on nature, agriculture and land, emphasizes the maintenance of long-term land fertility based on his agronomical thought that the circulation of matter in agricultural fields must be maintained with manure as much as possible. The thoughts of several classical economists, on nature, agriculture and land are reassessed from Liebig’s view point. Then, the land management problem is discussed at a much more fundamental level, to understand the necessary conditions for life in relation to land management. This point is analyzed in terms of two mechanisms: entropy disposal on the earth, and material circulation against gravitational field. Finally from the historical example of the metropolis of Edo, it is shown that there is yet another necessary condition for the sustainable management of land based on the creation of harmonious material cycles among cities, farm land, forests and surrounding sea areas in which humans play a vital role as agent.

Change in individual growth rate and its link to gill-net fishing in two sympatric whitefish species

Size-selective fishing is expected to affect traits such as individual growth rate, but the relationship between the fishery-linked selection differentials and the corresponding phenotypic changes is not well understood. We analysed a 25-year monitoring survey of sympatric populations of the two Alpine whitefish Coregonus albellus and C. fatioi. We determined the fishing-induced selection differentials on growth rates, the actual change of growth rates over time, and potential indicators of reproductive strategies that may change over time. We found marked declines in adult growth rate and significant selection differentials that may partly explain the observed declines. However, when comparing the two sympatric species, the selection differentials on adult growth were stronger in C. albellus while the decline in adult growth rate seemed more pronounced in C. fatioi. Moreover, the selection differential on juvenile growth was significant in C. albellus but not in C. fatioi, while a significant reduction in juvenile growth over the last 25 years was only found in C. fatioi. Our results suggest that size-selective fishing affects the genetics for individual growth in these whitefish, and that the link between selection differentials and phenotypic changes is influenced by species-specific factors.

The Rise of The Swiss Tax Haven in the Interwar Period: An International Comparison

The history of tax havens during the decades before World War II is still little known. To date, the studies that have focused on the 1920s and 1930s have presented either a very general perspective on the development of tax havens or a narrow national point of view. Based on unpublished historical archives of five countries (Switzerland, Great Britain, Belgium, France, Germany), this paper offers therefore a new comparative appraisal of international tax competition during this period in order to answer the following question: What was the specificity of the Swiss case - already considered a quintessential tax haven at the time - in comparison to other banking centres? The findings of this research study are twofold. First, the 1920s and 1930s appear as something of a golden age of opportunity for avoiding taxation through the relocation of assets. Most of the financial centres granted consistent tax benefits for imported capital, while the limited degree of international cooperation and the usual guarantee of banking secrecy in European countries prevented the taxation of exported assets. Second, within this general environment, the fiscal strategies of a tax haven like Switzerland differed from those of a great financial power like Great Britain. Whereas the Swiss administration readily placed itself at the service of the banking community, British policy was more balanced between the contradictory interests of the Board of Inland Revenue, the Treasury, and the English business circles.

Anàlisi del desenvolupament floral d'un arbust mediterrani, la Globularia alypum, en poblacions costaneres i continentals

En aquest projecte s’ha estudiat la fenologia de floració de nou poblacions de G.alypum, un arbust de fulla perenne típic dels ambients termòfils de l’oest de l’Àrea Mediterrània, situades en diferents localitats de Catalunya. Aquesta espècie té una fenologia de la floració molt variable entre poblacions, ja que poden florir des de l’estiu tardà - tardor primerenca fins a la primavera següent depenent de la població. Es distingeixen dos grups de població, el de floració primerenca i el floració tardana. Les poblacions primerenques creixen, majoritàriament, a les localitats costaneres i floreixen des de setembre fins a novembre. Les poblacions tardanes creixen a les localitats d’interior i floreixen des de febrer fins a abril. En aquest treball es pretén millorar la comprensió sobre les diferències geogràfiques dels patrons de la fenologia floral entre les poblacions de G. alypum. Unes diferències que ja es manifesten al juliol, quan el desenvolupament floral es troba en els seus estadis preliminars. Alhora, en els mesos posteriors, l’increment del desenvolupament floral de les poblacions de G. alypum s’ha correlacionat positivament amb la temperatura mínima del mes de desembre. En aquest projecte també es pretén aprofundir en el coneixement sobre el desenvolupament floral d’aquesta espècie, descriure’n els diferents estadis i trobar un indicador adient per realitzar anàlisis estadístics. Uns aspectes gens banals tenint en compte la importància ecològica de la floració, sobretot en la seva sincronització amb el cicle vital dels pol·linitzadors així com en la seva importància adaptativa.

Isoenzymatic analysis of four Anopheles (Kerteszia) bellator Dyar & Knab (Diptera: Culicidae) populations

Anopheles bellator is a small silvatic bromelia-breeding mosquito and is a primary human malaria vector species in Southern Brazil. The bromelia-breeding habitat of the species should accompany the Atlantic forest coastal distribution, where bromeliads are abundant. Nonetheless, records on An. bellator collections show a gap in the species geographical distribution. An. bellator has been recorded in Southern Brazil and in the Brazilian states of Bahia and Paraíba. It appers again in the island of Trinidad, in Trinidad and Tobago. The aim of this work was to measure gene flow between different populations of An. bellator collected in the northern and southern extremes of the geographic distribution of this species. Mosquitoes were captured in forest borders in Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and Bahia states in Brazil and in the island of Trinidad in Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Genetic distances varied between 0.076 and 0.680, based on enzymatic profiles from 11 distinct isoenzymes. Results indicate the existence of low-level gene flow between Brazilian populations of An. bellator, and a gene flow was even lower between the Brazilian and the Trinidad populations. This finding lead us to hypothesize that An. bellator did not spread along the coast, but reached northeastern areas through inland routes.

Pathoecology and paleodiet in Postclassic: Historic Maya from northern coastal Belize

This paper examines the synergism among diet, disease, and ecology at two related coastal Maya sites in Belize (Marco Gonzalez and San Pedro) for the Postclassic and Historic periods (1350-1650 AD), which immediately follow the Classic period collapse. Stable carbon- and nitrogen-isotope ratios in collagen and stable carbon-isotope ratios in structural carbonate were analysed for bones from 65 humans and a wide variety of faunal species. There are no apparent differences in whole diets or degree of carnivory between individuals with lesions indicative of anemia and those without, but those with lesions appear to have consumed significantly more C4 foods and protein from lower trophic levels. Non-specific infection (periostitis) and vitamin C deficiency (scurvy) are also present in high frequencies and appear to co-occur with lesions indicative of anemia, particularly in childhood. Individuals with scurvy also appear to have consumed significantly more C4 foods than normal individuals. Spondyloarthropathy is common in adults. These findings are discussed in light of: (1) the debate on how anemia versus scurvy are manifest and diagnosed, (2) Spanish ethnohistoric descriptions of the poor state of Maya health at the time of contact, and (3) the Osteological Paradox. We suggest that although this coastal environment exacerbated morbidity because of possible parasitic infection, the inhabitants were probably able to survive physiological stresses better than either their inland contemporaries or their modern counterparts.

Confirmation of Anopheles (Anopheles) calderoni Wilkerson, 1991 (Diptera: Culicidae) in Colombia and Ecuador through molecular and morphological correlation with topotypic material

The morphologically similar taxa Anopheles calderoni, Anopheles punctimacula, Anopheles malefactor and Anopheles guarao are commonly misidentified. Isofamilies collected in Valle de Cauca, Colombia, showed morphological characters most similar to An. calderoni, a species which has never previously been reported in Colombia. Although discontinuity of the postsubcostal pale spots on the costa (C) and first radial (R1) wing veins is purportedly diagnostic for An. calderoni, the degree of overlap of the distal postsubcostal spot on C and R1 were variable in Colombian specimens (0.003-0.024). In addition, in 98.2% of larvae, seta 1-X was located off the saddle and seta 3-C had 4-7 branches in 86.7% of specimens examined. Correlation of DNA sequences of the second internal transcribed spacer and mtDNA cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) barcodes (658 bp of the COI gene) generated from Colombian progeny material and wild-caught mosquitoes from Ecuador with those from the Peruvian type series of An. calderoni confirmed new country records. DNA barcodes generated for the closely related taxa, An. malefactor and An. punctimacula are also presented for the first time. Examination of museum specimens at the University of the Valle, Colombia, revealed the presence of An. calderoni in inland localities across Colombia and at elevations up to 1113 m.

Projecte constructiu d’una nau industrial

Definició d’una nau industrial per a magatzem frigorífic mitjançant lamemòria tècnica, els plànols i els càlculs ubicada al terme municipal de Begur (Baix Empordà)

Influència del clima en la fenologia de la floració de Globularia alypum: anàlisi a partir de mostres d'herbari

Globularia alypum és un arbust termòfil típic de la regió oest del Mediterrani. Aquest nanofaneròfit té un patró de floració molt ampli. Les poblacions primerenques floreixen des del Juliol fins al Desembre i les poblacions tardanes des del Gener fins a l’Abril. L’objectiu del projecte és esbrinar quins factors climàtics determinen la fenologia de la floració de l’espècie a partir de mostres d’herbari i conèixer l’abast geogràfic d’ambdós patrons de floració a la península Ibèrica i França. També l’estudi d’altres característiques fenològiques en relació amb el clima: els braquiblasts i les espigues de capítols. Els plecs d’herbari han estat georeferenciats per ser utilitzats en un entorn SIG junt amb les dades del clima i s’ha realitzat una anàlisi estadística. El resultats mostren que les poblacions primerenques creixen majoritàriament en zones costaneres mentre que les tardanes ho fan en zones continentals. Les poblacions primerenques creixen en àrees on les temperatures (mitjana, mínima, màxima i mínima del mes més fred) són més altes que les tardanes per l’efecte temperador del mar. Al analitzar totes les poblacions, el nombre de mesos des de la transició floral es correlaciona negativament amb la temperatura mínima mensual i la temperatura mitjana mensual en tots els mesos, mentre que amb la temperatura màxima mensual entre Octubre i Abril. Al estudiar sols les poblacions tardanes les correlacions són similars, però no en les primerenques on no se’n troba cap. Les correlacions entre el nombre de mesos des de la transició floral i les variables climàtiques anuals són iguals, a més de trobar-se una correlació negativa amb la temperatura mínima del mes més fred i l’índex tèrmic, i positiva amb l’índex de continentalitat. No s’ha trobat cap diferència en presència de braquiblasts segons la població, però sí en les espigues de capítols, essent més freqüents en les poblacions primerenques. Es suggereix que la temperatura és un factor més determinant per a les poblacions tardanes, mentre que es desconeix si és la precipitació en les primerenques. Tampoc es té coneixement sobre si les diferències entre els dos patrons són genètiques o fenotípiques i quin mecanisme possibilita el desenvolupament de braquiblasts i espigues de capítols.

Early Cretaceous life, climate and anoxia

Early Cretaceous life and the environment were strongly influenced by the accelerated break up of Pangaea, which was associated with the formation of a multitude of rift basins, intensified spreading, and important volcanic activity on land and in the sea. These processes likely interacted with greenhouse conditions, and Early Cretaceous climate oscillated between "normal" greenhouse, predominantly arid conditions, and intensified greenhouse, predominantly humid conditions. Arid conditions were important during the latest Jurassic and early Berriasian, the late Barremian, and partly also during the late Aptian. Humid conditions were particularly intense and widespread during shorter episodes of environmental change (EECs): the Valanginian Weissert, the latest Hauterivian Faraoni, the latest Barremian earliest Aptian Taxy, the early Aptian Selli, the early late Aptian Fallot and the late Aptian-early Albian Paquier episodes. Arid conditions were associated with evaporation, low biogeochemical weathering rates, low nutrient fluxes, and partly stratified oceans, leading to oxygen depletion and enhanced preservation of laminated, organic-rich mud (LOM). Humid conditions enabled elevated biogeochemical weathering rates and nutrient fluxes, important runoff and the buildup of freshwater lids in proximal basins, intensified oceanic and atmospheric circulation, widespread upwelling and phosphogenesis, important primary productivity and enhanced preservation of LOM in expanded oxygen-minimum zones. The transition of arid to humid climates may have been associated with the net transfer of water to the continent owing to the infill of dried-out groundwater reservoirs in internally drained inland basins. This resulted in shorter-term sea-level fall, which was followed by sea-level rise. These sea-level changes and the influx of freshwater into the ocean may have influenced oxygen-isotope signatures. Climate change preceding and during the Early Cretaceous EECs may have been rapid, but in general, the EECs had a "pre"-history, during which the stage was set for environmental change. Negative feedback on the climate through increased marine LOM preservation was unlikely, because of the low overall organic-carbon accumulation rates during these episodes. Life and climate co-evolved during the Early Cretaceous. Arid conditions may have affected continental life, such as across the Tithonian/Berriasian boundary. Humid conditions and the corresponding tendency to develop dys- to anaerobic conditions in deeper ocean waters led to phases of accelerated extinction in oceans, but may have led to more luxuriant vegetation cover on continents, such as during the Valanginian, to the benefit of herbivores. During Early Cretaceous EECs, reef systems and carbonate platforms in general were particularly vulnerable. They were the first to disappear and the last to recover, often only after several million years. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.