Sinum haliotoideum (Linnaeus, 1758), a gastropod mollusc new to the marine waters of Pakistan (northern Arabian Sea)

Sinum haliotoideum (Linnaeus, 1758) was collected on only two occasions. However, it was given attention when the recently collected specimen netted on 24 August, 1993 was brought live to the laboratory where its movement towards the source of light was noticed, leading to a careful examination and illustration. The specimen survived for 4 days. Illustrations and shell from the earlier collected specimen (August, 1991) were sent to Dr. Alan R. Kabat, division of Mollusck, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, USA, who confirmed that the specimen was Sinum haliotoideum (Linnaeus, 1758). He further informed that this is a moderately common Indo-Pacific species. The material has been deposited in the collections of the Marine Reference Collection and Resource Centre. (MRC) The species being new to the region is briefly described.

First record of Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis Semper, 1868 (Echinodermata:Holothuroidea) from the northern Arabian Sea (Pakistan)

During the 1994 winter collections, a small holothurian was collected from the rocky shore of Buleji (24°50'N, 66°53'E). It was attached to the green seaweed, Ulva fasciata and was not immediately noticed due to the same basic colour of the body as that of the seaweed. For identification a microscope slide of the spicules was prepared by placing a small piece of skin on a slide and treating it with (3.5%) sodium hypo-chloride (common household bleach). The specimen was identified as Holothuria (Platyperona) difficilis Semper, 1868.

Phone-level pronunciation scoring and assessment for interactive language learning

This paper investigates a method of automatic pronunciation scoring for use in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) systems. The method utilizes a likelihood-based `Goodness of Pronunciation' (GOP) measure which is extended to include individual thresholds for each phone based on both averaged native confidence scores and on rejection statistics provided by human judges. Further improvements are obtained by incorporating models of the subject's native language and by augmenting the recognition networks to include expected pronunciation errors. The various GOP measures are assessed using a specially recorded database of non-native speakers which has been annotated to mark phone-level pronunciation errors. Since pronunciation assessment is highly subjective, a set of four performance measures has been designed, each of them measuring different aspects of how well computer-derived phone-level scores agree with human scores. These performance measures are used to cross-validate the reference annotations and to assess the basic GOP algorithm and its refinements. The experimental results suggest that a likelihood-based pronunciation scoring metric can achieve usable performance, especially after applying the various enhancements.

Environment monitoring technical report for the SON cage fish culture site at Bugungu, Napoleon Gulf, northern Lake Victoria, November 2013

Source of the Nile Fish farm (SON) is located at Bugungu area in Napoleon Gulf, northern Lake Victoria. The proprietors of the farm and the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) have an established collaborative arrangement where NaFIRRI provides technical back‐stopping to enable quarterly environment monitoring of the cage site as a mandatory requirement of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). The agreed study areas are selected physical‐chemical factors (water depth, water transparency/secchi depth, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and nutrient status), algal community (including primary production), aquatic invertebrates (zooplankton and macro‐benthos) and the fish community. This report presents field observations made during the fourth quarter (October‐December) field survey undertaken during December 2013; along with scientific interpretation and discussion of the results in reference to possible impacts of the cage facility to the water environment quality and aquatic biota.

Environment monitoring technical report for the SON cage fish culture site at Bugungu, Napoleon Gulf, northern Lake Victoria, June 2013

Source of the Nile Fish farm (SON) is located at Bugungu area in Napoleon Gulf, northern Lake Victoria. The proprietors of the farm requested NaFIRRI to provide technical assistance to undertake regular environment monitoring of the cage site as a mandatory requirement under the NEMA conditions. NAFIRRI agreed to undertake regular environment surveys in the cage area covering selected physical‐chemical factors (water column depth, water transparency, water column temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, nutrient status), algal aquatic invertebrates (micro‐invertebrates/zooplankton and macro‐benthos) and fish communities. During the year 2013, it was agreed with management to undertake quarterly environment monitoring surveys. However, the first quarter (January‐March 2013) survey was missed out due to late decision. The present report therefore covers the survey taken during the second quarter (April‐June 2013). Results/observations made are presented in this technical report along with a scientific interpretation and discussion of the results with reference to possible impacts of the cage facilities to the water environment and aquatic biota.

Bi-annual environment monitoring technical report for the SON cage fish culture site at Bugungu, Napoleon Gulf, northern Lake Victoria, December 2012

The first year-round quarterly surveys were completed for the year 2011. For the year 2012, SON management decided to change the frequency of the surveys from quarterly to biannual and the first such survey, was undertaken in June 2012. The second survey was undertaken in December 2012 and is the subject of this report: Results/observations made are presented in this technical report along with a scientific interpretation and discussion of the results with reference to possible impacts of the cage facilities to the water environment and aquatic biota. SON cage study sites were coded as downstream of cages (DSC), within cages (WIC) and upstream of cages (USC). Physical-chemical parameters (water column temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, were measured in-situ with a pre-calibrated hydrolab at each site. A digital Echo Sounder was used to determine the total water column depth at each site. A black and white Secchi disc was used to determine water column transparency. Coordinate locations were determined with a GPS device.

Environment monitoring technical report for the SON cage fish culture site at Bugungu, Napoleon Gulf, northern Lake Victoria, August 2014

Source of the Nile Fish farm (SON) is located at Bugungu area in Napoleon Gulf, northern Lake Victoria. The proprietors of the farm and the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI) have an established collaborative arrangement where NaFIRRI provides technical back-stopping to enable quarterly environment monitoring of the cage site; a mandatory requirement of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). The agreed study areas are physical-chemical factors (water depth, water transparency/secchi depth, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, BOO, pH, conductivity), and selected nutrients), algal community (including primary production), aquatic invertebrates (zooplankton and macrobenthos) and the fish community. This report presents field observations made during the third quarter (July-September) field survey undertaken during August 2014; along with scientific interpretation and discussion of the results in reference to possible impacts of the cage facility to the water environment quality and aquatic biota.

Intertidal transect studies of northern Monterey Bay

In accordance with a contract dated 10/22/71 between the Association of the Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) and the University of California, Santa Cruz, (UCSC), two permanent intertidal transects with 14 permanent meter-square quadrats were established on the north shore of Monterey Bay during November, 1971. One transect (6 quadrats) was placed on the shore near the Santa Cruz Sanitation outfall, while the second (8 quadrats) was placed near the Eastcliff Sanitation District outfall at Soquel Polnt (Pleasure Point). Animals and plants within the quadrats were listed, their abundance estimated, and representative specimens collected for a reference collection maintained at UCSC. Additional species of animals and plants in the areas of the transects were collected for the reference collection. These collections will serve as a base-line for comparative studies which can follow the magnitude and direction of future changes in these areas.

Study of the rocky intertidal communities of central and northern California: Years III and IV

The study objectives are to describe seasonal and successional variation in rocky intertidal community structure; determine the response of rocky intertidal communities to natural and human-induced disturbances and correlate these responses with successional, seasonal, and latitudinal variation; and correlate life history information and oil toxicity data with data from this and other relevant studies. The Year III and IV report is for the third (1987) and fourth (1988) years of a five-year field experimental study investigating two biological assemblages, the Mytilus assemblage and the Endocladia/Mastocarpus papillatus assemblage, that are being studied at six sites along the California coast. Volume I includes the report, Appendix A, and Appendix B. Volume II includes Appendix C. Volume III includes Appendix D. Volume IV includes Appendix E and Appendix F. Volume V includes Appendix G, Appendix H, and Appendix I.