Age and length composition of Columbia Basin chinook, sockeye, and coho salmon at Bonneville Dam in 2002

In 2002, representative samples of migrating Columbia Basin chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), sockeye (O. nerka), and coho salmon (O. kisutch) adult populations were collected at Bonneville Dam. Fish were trapped, anesthetized, sampled for scales and biological data, revived, and then released. Scales were examined to estimate age composition; the results contributed to an ongoing database for age class structure of Columbia Basin salmon populations. Based on scale analysis of chinook salmon, four-year-old fish (from brood year [BY] 1998) comprised 86% of the spring chinook, 51% of the summer chinook, and 51% of the bright fall chinook salmon population. Five-year-old fish (BY 1997) comprised 13% of the spring chinook, 43% of the summer chinook, and 11% of the bright fall chinook salmon population. The sockeye salmon population at Bonneville was predominantly five-year-old fish (55%), with 40% returning as four-year-olds in 2002. For the coho salmon population, 88% of the population was three-year-old fish of age class 1.1, while 12% were age class 1.0. Length analysis of the 2002 returns indicated that chinook salmon with a stream-type life history are larger (mean length) at age than the chinook salmon with an ocean-type life history. Trends in mean length over the sampling period for returning 2002 chinook salmon were analyzed. Chinook salmon of age classes 1.2 and 1.3 show a significant increase in mean length over the duration of the migration. A year class regression over the past 14 years of data was used to predict spring, summer, and bright fall chinook salmon population sizes for 2003. Based on three-year-old returns, the relationship predicts four-year-old returns of 54,200 (± 66,600, 90% predictive interval [PI]) spring chinook, 23,800 (± 19,100, 90% PI) summer, and 169,100 (± 139,500, 90% PI) bright fall chinook salmon for the 2003 runs. Based on four-year-old returns, the relationship predicts five-year-old returns of 36,300 (± 35,400, 90% PI) spring, 63,800 (± 10,300, 90% PI) summer, and 91,100 (± 69,400, 90% PI) bright fall chinook salmon for the 2003 runs. The 2003 run size predictions should be used with caution; some of these predictions are well beyond the range of previously observed data.

Monitoring of streambank stability and streamside vegetation in a livestock exclosure on the Warm Springs River, Oregon : comparison of ground-based surveys with aerial photographic analysis

The objective of this monitoring project was to determine the baseline condition for a 960-m long stream reach and its associated streamside zone, which terminates at the confluence with the Deschutes River. This stream reach had been damaged heavily in the February 1996 flood and had also received many years of overuse by livestock grazing. The monitoring project was conducted in July 1997 just after installation of riparian exclosure fencing. Future resurvey of the study area will allow determination of progress made in ecological recovery.

Comparing autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) and vessel-based tracking performance for locating acoustically tagged fish

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV’s) are increasingly used to collect physical, chemical, and biological information in the marine environment. Recent efforts include merging AUV technology with acoustic telemetry to provide information on the distribution and movements of marine fish. We compared surface vessel and AUV tracking capabilities under rigorous conditions in coastal waters near Juneau, Alaska. Tracking surveys were conducted with a REMUS 100 AUV equipped with an integrated acoustic receiver and hydrophone. The AUV was programmed to navigate along predetermined routes to detect both reference transmitters at 20–500 m depths and tagged fish and crabs in situ. Comparable boat surveys were also conducted. Transmitter depth had a major impact on tracking performance. The AUV was equally effective or better than the boat at detecting reference transmitters in shallow water, and significantly better for transmitters at deeper depths. Similar results were observed for tagged animals. Red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus, at moderate depths were recorded by both tracking methods, while only the AUV detected Sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria, at depths exceeding 500 m. Strong currents and deep depths caused problems with AUV navigation, position estimation, and operational performance, but reflect problems encountered by other AUV applications that will likely diminish with future advances, enhanced methods, and increased use.

Mapping reef fish and the seascape: using acoustics and spatial modeling to guide coastal management

Reef fish distributions are patchy in time and space with some coral reef habitats supporting higher densities (i.e., aggregations) of fish than others. Identifying and quantifying fish aggregations (particularly during spawning events) are often top priorities for coastal managers. However, the rapid mapping of these aggregations using conventional survey methods (e.g., non-technical SCUBA diving and remotely operated cameras) are limited by depth, visibility and time. Acoustic sensors (i.e., splitbeam and multibeam echosounders) are not constrained by these same limitations, and were used to concurrently map and quantify the location, density and size of reef fish along with seafloor structure in two, separate locations in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Reef fish aggregations were documented along the shelf edge, an ecologically important ecotone in the region. Fish were grouped into three classes according to body size, and relationships with the benthic seascape were modeled in one area using Boosted Regression Trees. These models were validated in a second area to test their predictive performance in locations where fish have not been mapped. Models predicting the density of large fish (≥29 cm) performed well (i.e., AUC = 0.77). Water depth and standard deviation of depth were the most influential predictors at two spatial scales (100 and 300 m). Models of small (≤11 cm) and medium (12–28 cm) fish performed poorly (i.e., AUC = 0.49 to 0.68) due to the high prevalence (45–79%) of smaller fish in both locations, and the unequal prevalence of smaller fish in the training and validation areas. Integrating acoustic sensors with spatial modeling offers a new and reliable approach to rapidly identify fish aggregations and to predict the density large fish in un-surveyed locations. This integrative approach will help coastal managers to prioritize sites, and focus their limited resources on areas that may be of higher conservation value.

Coral reef ecosystems of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands: spatial and temporal patterns in fish and benthic communities (2001-2009)

Scientific and anecdotal observations during recent decades have suggested that the structure and function of the coral reef ecosystems around St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands have been impacted adversely by a wide range of environmental stressors. Major stressors included the mass die-off of the long-spined sea urchin (Diadema antillarum) in the early 1980s, a series of hurricanes (David and Frederick in 1979, and Hugo in 1989), overfishing, mass mortality of Acropora species and other reef-building corals due to disease and several coral bleaching events. In response to these adverse impacts, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, Biogeography Branch (CCMA-BB) collaborated with federal and territorial partners to characterize, monitor, and assess the status of the marine environment around the island from 2001 to 2012. This 13-year monitoring effort, known as the Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Project (CREM), was supported by the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program as part of their National Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Program. This technical memorandum contains analysis of nine years of data (2001-2009) from in situ fish belt transect and benthic habitat quadrat surveys conducted in and around the Virgin Islands National Park (VIIS) and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument (VICR). The purpose of this document is to: 1) Quantify spatial patterns and temporal trends in (i) benthic habitat composition and (ii) fish species abundance, size structure, biomass, and diversity; 2) Provide maps showing the locations of biological surveys and broad-scale distributions of key fish and benthic species and assemblages; and 3) Compare benthic habitat composition and reef fish assemblages in areas under NPS jurisdiction with those in similar areas not managed by NPS (i.e., outside of the VIIS and VICR boundaries). This report provides key information to help the St. John management community and others understand the impacts of natural and man-made perturbations on coral reef and near-shore ecosystems. It also supports ecosystem-based management efforts to conserve the region’s coral reef and related fauna while maintaining the many goods and ecological services that they offer to society.

Benthic habitats of Fish Bay, Coral Bay and the St. Thomas East End Reserve

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Biogeography Branch has mapped and characterized large portions of the coral reef ecosystems inside the U.S. coastal and territorial waters, including the U.S. Caribbean. The complementary protocols used in these efforts have enabled scientists and managers to quantitatively and qualitatively compare marine ecosystems in tropical U.S. waters. The Biogeography Branch used similar protocols to generate new benthic habitat maps for Fish Bay, Coral Bay and the St. Thomas East End Reserve (STEER). While this mapping effort marks the third time that some of these shallow-water habitats (≤40 m) have been mapped, it is the first time that nearly 100% of the seafloor has been characterized in each of these areas. It is also the first time that high resolution imagery describing seafloor depth has been collected in each of these areas. Consequently, these datasets provide new information describing the distribution of coral reef ecosystems and serve as a spatial baseline for monitoring change in the Fish Bay, Coral Bay and the STEER. Benthic habitat maps were developed for approximately 64.3 square kilometers of seafloor in and around Fish Bay, Coral Bay and the STEER. Twenty seven percent (17.5 square kilometers) of these habitat maps describe the seafloor inside the boundaries of the STEER, the Virgin Islands National Park and the Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument. The remaining 73% (46.8 square kilometers) describe the seafloor outside of these MPA boundaries. These habitat maps were developed using a combination of semi-automated and manual classification methods. Habitats were interpreted from aerial photographs and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery. In total, 155 distinct combinations of habitat classes describing the geology and biology of the seafloor were identified from the source imagery.

Compliance Program report of findings: FY 79 pesticides and metals in Fish Program (7305.007)

Because fish bioaccumulate* certain chemicals, levels of chemical contaminants in their edible portion must be closely monitored. In recent years, FDA has conducted several surveys designed to determine the occurrence and levels of selected chemicals or groups of chemicals in fish. Previous fish surveillance programs included the Mercury in Wholesale Fish Survey (FY 71), the FY 73 and 74 Comprehensive Fish Surveys, the Canned Tuna Program (FY 75), the Kepone and Mirex Contamination Program (FY 77), and the FY 77 Mercury in Swordfish Program. In addition, recent Compliance Programs for Pesticides and Metals in Foods and Pesticides, Metals, and Industrial Chemicals in Animal Feed have specified coverage of fish and fish products. Because of previous findings and the sustained high level of fish imported into the United States, a separate compliance program dealing solely with chemical contaminants in fish was initiated by the FDA Bureau of Foods in FY 78. The program includes all domestic and imported fish coverage except that directed by the Bureau of Veterinary Medicine for animal feed components derived from fishery products. The earlier surveys indicated that "bottom feeder" species such as catfish generally had the highest levels of pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). For this reason, coverage at these species has been emphasized. Similarly, tuna has received special attention because it is the most prevalent fish in the U.S. diet and because of potential problems with mercury. Halibut, swordfish, and snapper also were emphasized in the sampling because of potential problems with mercury levels determined in previous years. The findings in this program were used in detecting emerging problems in fish and directing FDA efforts to deal with them. Care must be exercised in drawing conclusions about trends from the data because this Compliance Program was not statistically designed. Sampling objectives and sources may vary from year to year; thus the results are not directly comparable.

2007 biennial report to Congress on the progress and findings of studies of striped bass populations

The 1997 reauthorization of the Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act (Striped Bass Act) mandated biennial reports to Congress and to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) from the secretaries of the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Interior concerning the progress and findings of studies of Atlantic striped bass (Morone saxatilis). The Striped Bass Act specifically requests updates on studies that include, but are not limited to: annual stock assessments, investigations on the causes of fluctuations in Atlantic striped bass populations, the effects of environmental factors on the recruitment, spawning potential, mortality, and abundance of Atlantic striped bass populations, and investigations of interactions between Atlantic striped bass and other fish. This document is the fifth such report to Congress and includes data available through 2007 with emphasis on the 2005 and 2006 calendar years.

Harmful algal bloom management and response: assessment and plan

This report, "Harmful Algal Bloom Management and Response: Assessment and Plan" reviews and evaluates Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) management and response efforts, identifies current prevention, control, and mitigation programs for HABs, and presents an innovative research, event response, and infrastructure development plan for advancing the response to HABs. In December 2004, Congress enacted and the President signed into law the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2004, (HABHRCA 2004). The reauthorization of HABHRCA acknowledged that HABs are one of the most scientifically complex and economically damaging coastal issues challenging our ability to safeguard the health of our Nation’s coastal ecosystems. The Administration further recognized the importance of HABs as a high priority national issue by specifically calling for the implementation of HABHRCA in the President’s U.S. Ocean Action Plan. HABHRCA 2004 requires four reports to assess and recommend research programs on HABs in U.S. waters. This document comprises two linked reports specifically aimed at improving HAB management and response: the Prediction and Response Report and the follow-up plan, the National Scientific Research, Development, Demonstration, and Technology Transfer (RDDTT) Plan on Reducing Impacts from Harmful Algal Blooms. This document was prepared by the Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health, which was chartered through the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council and the Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration. This report complements and expands upon HAB-related priorities identified in Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy, recently released by the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology. It draws from the contributions of numerous experts and stakeholders from federal, state, and local governments, academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations through direct contributions, previous reports and planning efforts, a public comment period, and a workshop convened to develop strategies for a HAB management and response plan. Given the importance of the Nation’s coastal ocean, estuaries, and inland waters to our quality of life, our culture, and the economy, it is imperative that we move forward to better understand and mitigate the impacts of HABs which threaten all of our coasts and inland waters. This report is an effort to assess the extent of federal, state and local efforts to predict and respond to HAB events and to identify opportunities for charting a way forward.

Diet shifts of juvenile red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) with changes in habitat and fish size

We examined the diets and habitat shift of juvenile red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) in the northeast Gulf of Mexico. Fish were collected from open sand-mud habitat (little to no relief), and artificial reef habitat (1-m3 concrete or PVC blocks), from June 1993 through December 1994. In 1994, fish settled over open habitat from June to September, as shown by trawl collections, then began shifting to reef habitat — a shift that was almost completed by December as observed by SCUBA visual surveys. Stomachs were examined from 1639 red snapper that ranged in size from 18.0 to 280.0 mm SL. Of these, 850 fish had empty stomachs, and 346 fish from open habitat and 443 fish from reef habitat contained prey. Prey were identified to the lowest possible taxon and quantified by volumetric measurement. Specific volume of particular prey taxa were calculated by dividing prey volume by individual fish weight. Red snapper shifted diets with increasing size. Small red snapper (<60 mm SL) fed mostly on chaetognaths, copepods, shrimp, and squid. Large red snapper (60–280 mm SL) shifted feeding to fish prey, greater amounts of squid and crabs, and continued feeding on shrimp. We compared red snapper diets for overlapping size classes (70–160 mm SL) of fish that were collected from both habitats (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity index and multidimensional scaling analysis). Red snapper diets separated by habitat type rather than fish size for the size ranges that overlapped habitats. These diet shifts were attributed to feeding more on reef prey than on open-water prey. Thus, the shift in habitat shown by juvenile red snapper was reflected in their diet and suggested differential habitat values based not just on predation refuge but food resources as well.

National issues raised by IIMA study on development and management of freshwater aquaculture in India: a review

An examination is made of various issues regarding freshwater aquaculture development raised by the IIMA study on inland fish marketing in India. The following topics are discussed: 1)fish production and the resources; 2)desirability for refined methodology for assessment of fish production; 3)pond resource under fish culture; 4)conflicting data and 5)observation on research input for freshwater.

Preliminary studies on the effect of irradiation as a means of preservation of fish and shellfish

Preliminary investigations on the effect of irradiation on commercially important fish and shell fish like silver pomfret, Bombay duck and prawns were conducted. Irradiated samples had an extended storage life compared to their respective controls even though yellowish or brownish discoloration occurred earlier in irradiated fish. Irradiation enhanced the rate of drip formation. Brine treatment prior to irradiation retarded this rate. Pre-blanching was found to further extend the storage life of irradiated fish.