Inactivation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in drinking water

A study was conducted in the Cochin area of India to determine the effect of drinking water on Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a bacterium that contaminates fish harvested from marine and estuarine environments. Times of fresh-water exposure required to inactivate these bacteria are given. Findings indicate that the washing of fish and equipment used to handle the fish in drinking water may decrease in the number of viable Vibrio cells and thus aid in prevention of food poisoning.

Influence of a fish bacterium Lactobacillus sp. on the production of swordtail xiphophorus helleri (Heckel 1848)

The influence of a fish gut bacterium Lactobacillus sp on the production of swordtail Xiphophorus helleri was studied for a period of one year. The Lactobacillus sp P21 produced bacteriocin-like inhibitory substance and exhibited wide spectrum of action against Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus spp, Pseudomonas spp and Citrobacter freundi in vitro. The growth performance of X. helleri reared in the presence of Lactobacillus P21 at 106/ml rearing water was better than the control. The total plate counts, total MRS agar counts and the counts of motile aeromonads, presumptive pseudomonads, lactose fermenters and lactose non-fermenters in the gut of probiotic group were comparatively low than the control. On day 60 the count of Lactobacillus sp P21 was observed to be log 5.28/g in the gut of X. helleri indicating colonization of this bacterium in the gastrointestinal tract. The fecundity of X. helleri was in the range of 9-134. On average, it produced from 39.42±18.72 fry/female in control group to 53.00±23.57 fry/female in probiotic group. The increase in average fecundity in probiotic group over the control group was about 25%. There existed significant difference between probiotic group and control in respect of average fecundity/female (p<0.02), average number of fry survived /female (p<0.006) and average number of fry dead/female (p<0.029). The results of the present study demonstrated that the rearing of X. helleri in probiotic-enriched water have growth inducing ability and favourably influenced the reproductive performance in terms of high fecundity, high fry survival, reduced fry mortality and reduced fry deformity.

Trend and growth analysis of marine fish production in Bangladesh

The study based on time series marine fish production data during the period of 1983-1984 to 2007-2008 in Bangladesh. For this growth analysis six deterministic time series models are considered. The estimated best fitting models are the cubic, quadratic and quadratic model is appropriate for industrial marine fish production, artisanal marine fish production and total marine fish production in Bangladesh respectively. The study attempts to provide forecasts of marine fish production in Bangladesh for the year of 2008-09 to 2012-13. The magnitude of instability in marine fish production was attempted by computing the coefficient of variation (CV) and the percentage deviation from three years moving average values. The study revealed that the total marine fish production was observed to be relatively stable (CV being 31.85%) compared to the artisanal marine fish production (CV being 32.04%) and industrial marine fish (CV being 47.20%). For the three components of marine fish production the growth rates were different over different time points. The variation of the growth rates in industrial marine fish production was -21.6% to 13.12%, in artisanal marine fish production was 2.39% to 5.29% and in total marine fish production was 11.23% to 24.85% during the study period.

Marine Managed Areas Workshop report, Penang, Malaysia, 18-19 January, 2011

Establishment of a working group of regional experts in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs); inventory and status of existing MPAs; gap analysis;establishment of common data requirements and protocols;development of a regional action plan;training and capacity building; outreach activities; proposal f0r management of existing and creation of new MPAs.

Status of marine protected areas and fish refugia in the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem

The report reviews the status of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Fish Refugia in the Bay of Bengal. Baseline studies are presented and current and potential linkages between MPAs and fisheries management discussed. Feedback from a a workshop in Penang is also presented.

Fisheries catches for the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem since 1950

Marine fisheries catch data is presented on spatially allocated basis for the Exclusive Economic Zones of the member countries as well as the high seas for the period 1950-2008.

Performance in managing marine resources in the Bay of Bengal

The eight member countries were assessed as to their sustainable use of resources within their Exclusive Economic Zones(EEZs). Indicators included; investment in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), impact of trawling, mariculture sustainability, protection of seabirds and marine mammals,ecosystem impacts, economic health and levels of reporting and compliance.

Report of the Marine Protected Areas Working Group, Bangkok, Thailand, 1-2 February, 2012

The purpose of the meeting was to: discuss and reach consensus on the implications of the FAO Marine Protected Area(MPA) guidelines; provide further input for BOBLME brochure and policies; agree on actions on the BOBLME MPA review; produce concept proposals for MPA pilot sites and to formalise the establishment of the BOBLME MPA working group.

Fisheries, marine environment, and integrated coastal management policy processes, content and implementation in the BOBLME countries: regional synthesis and country questionnaires

This paper examines policy processes, policy trends and policy implementation with regards to capture fisheries, the marine environment and Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in BOBLME countries. Individual country information was analyzed to generate a regional synthesis.

Molecular studies on the effect of germanium oxide on sponges, corals and ascidians

The stress response, at the molecular level, of the soft corals Dendronephthya klunzingeri and Heteroxenia sp., hard corals Acropora hyacinthus and A. valenciennesi, an ascidian Symplegma sp. and sponges Latruncula cortica and Callyspongia crassa to germanium oxide (GeO sub(2)) was evaluated. Evaluation was carried out using bioindicators. such as the level of expression of each of the heat shock proteins (HSPs) and the silicatein enzyme in response to the compound. However, the expression was measured by SDS Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS PAGE) and western blotting. The harmful concentration of GeO sub(2) that produced noticeable molecular changes in the studied samples during the first 6-24 hours was 6 μg/ml. The two studied soft corals as well as the ascidian responded to the harmful concentration of germanium oxide by expressing the heat-shock protein 90 (hsp90), while the two hard corals responded by expressing hsp70, C. crassa by decreasing the level of silicatein enzyme and sponge L. cortica produced no change by any of the used biomarkers, The soft coral Heteroxenia sp. was found to be sensitive to mechanical stress during the experiment and it was more sensitive to 6 μg/ml of GeO sub(2) than the other soft coral D. klunzingeri. The two studied hard corals were sensitive to mechanical stress during the experiment, but A. hyacinth us showed higher sensitivity than A. valenciennesi. However, these 2 corals displayed reverse response to GeO sub(2). Primitive evidences were found in the SDS PAGE to distinguish the tissue of the soft coral from that of the hard coral on the molecular level; the soft coral showed two prominent protein bands (45 and 50 kDa) while the two prominent protein bands for hard corals were 31 and 116 kDa.

Mass culture of marine diatom Skeletonema costatum (Greville) Cleve collected from the Bay of Bengal

The growth of Skeletonema costatum in two artificial nutrient media was studied using various culture vessels. Skeletonema costatum was collected from the Cox's Bazar coast around the Bay of Bengal. Different growths stages i.e. lag phase, exponential phase, prestationary phase, stationary and death phase were observed during the culture period. The number of cells increased during the active division period and decreased after the beginning of the prestationary phase. The average densities of S. costatum in primary and secondary cultures were 0.55 x 10 super(6) cells mlˉ¹ and 0.93x10 super(6) cells mlˉ¹, respectively. In mass culture of S. costatum two, types of media were used. Highest cells densities of S. costatum cement tank culture were recorded 1.23x10 super(6) cell mlˉ¹ and 0.78x10 super(6) cells mlˉ¹ in their respective f/4 medium and commercial fertilizer medium. In the cement tanks culture fertilizer medium was found to be the best medium for mass culture of S. costatum in respect of production efficiency and culture stability.

Comparison the nutritional value of cultured Penaeus vanname with marine shrimps Penaeus merguiensis and Penaeus semisulcatus

The purpose for which this study was intended wasto compare nutritive value among the farmed Vannamei, sea Green Tiger and Banana shrimps native to the PersianGulf. To provide the samples of farmed shrimps at the end of the farming season (Oct. 23rd through Nov. 22nd of 2011), we chosen one farm of the Holleh Shrimp Farming, from which 100 shrimps were randomly selected. From among these 100 shrimps, 3 to 5 ones were taken to conduct an analysis upon. Further, to obtain the Banana and Green Tiger shrimps sampling was done at the fishing season (July 23rd through Aug. 22rd of 2011) at Halileh Fishing Wharf located in Bushehr Fishing Harbor and also Bandar Abbas Wharf. The samples obtained were immediately kept in the ice powder. After some biometric tasks done upon them, they were at the shortest possible time transferred to a laboratory where they went through various experiments to determine their content of raw protein, fat, ash, moisture, various fatty acids and their types, cholesterol, vitamins A and E, and such mineral elements as iron and calcium. All the experimentswere carried out three times to establish confidence in the results to be obtained. Findings of the comparison showed the content of raw protein, fat, moisture, and ash of, respectively, 23.233%, 600%, 73.077% and 2.500% for the Vannamei samples, of 22.717%, 427%, 74.133% and 1.826% for our Banana shrimps and of 17.377%, 430%, 79.866% and 1.313% for the Green Tiger samples. A total of 24 fatty acids for the Vannamei shrimps and 27 for the Banana and Green Tiger were detected. SFA of the Banana shrimps was 368.45 mg/100g (51.76%), while those of the Vannamei and Green Tiger samples were observed, respectively, 363.54 mg/100g (37.26%) and 296.06 mg/100g (49.12%).A similar measurement for MUFA content of the three types of our samples revealed 243.85mg/100g (24.9%) for the Vannamei, 203.177 mg/100g (33.76%) for the Green Tiger and 179.033 mg/100g (25.14%) for the Banana shrimps. The content of PUFA unsaturated fatty acids in the Vannamei, 131 Green Tiger and Banana samples were, respectively, 370.660 mg/100g (37.84%), 101.573 mg/100g (16.9%) and 163.733 mg/100g (23.1%). Further, the comparison found a omega-3-fatty-acids total of 151.747 mg/100g(15.51%) for the Vannamei, 57.123 mg/100g (9.54%) for the Green Tiger and 130.460 mg/100g (18.46%) for the Banana species under study.

Report of the Marine Protected Areas Working Group meeting, Penang, Malaysia, 11-12 February, 2014

The objectives of the workshop were to review and update Marine Protected Area (MPA) data, finalise policy briefs for each country and recommend future actions and policies for sustainable management of MPAs.

Indian squid, Uroteuthis duvauceli, is an important commercial marine fauna in the coastal waters of Oman Sea

About 3600 specimens were collected by bottom trawl at 15 sampling stations. 24 biometric characters were measured for each specimens at the laboratory.. Microscopic cross – sections of statolith were used for age determination. Sex determination and fecundity were determined. Population dynamics parameters as well as stock as stock assessment including cohort analysis were estimated using FISAT software. The findings showed that Dorsal Mantle Length (DML) and Body weight (BW) of the Indian squid were 133.9 ± 0.78 mm and 99.61 ± 0.95 g respectively. Strong correlation was found between these 2 variables (R2 = 0.90). The maximum age was 5 years. Relationship between DML and age was highly significantly of p ≤ 0.05. Overall sex ratio (M: F = 0.52) was significantly different from the expected 1:1 ratio (p ≤ 0.05). The ovary weight and nidamental glands weight were 7.72 ± 0.0006 g and 3.07 ± 0.0003g respectively. Absolute and relative fecundity of the Indian squid were found to be 122733 ± 30.87 and 2348 ± 0.4 respectively. GSI were 14.35 in April and 8.63 in July. This squid is therefore a spring spawner. The infinite dorsal mantle length were 258.62 mm for females, 194.72 mm for males and 252.02 for both sexes respectively. For population growth and mortality parameters; K (0.65 per year for both sexes, 0.85 per year for males, 0.65 per year for females); t0 (0.24year for both sexes, 0.22 year in females, 0.26 year in male); φ` (2.30 in both sexes, 2.47 for males, 2.37 for females); Z (1.17 per year for both sexes, 1.10 per year in females, 1.39 per year, in males); M (0.70 per year for both sexes, 0.90 for males, 0.67 for females); F(0.27 per year for both sexes, 0.27 per year in males, 0.195 per year in females). Exploitation coefficient were 0.51 per year for both sexes, 0.57 per year males and 0.51 per year females respectively. The results indicates that since the Indian squid is a short live aquatic organism, therefore, the exploitation coefficient could be raised to 0.7 per year. The analysis showed that total biomass and MSY were 10103.5 ton and 2576.4 ton respectively. These findings are the first study of its sort about the Indian squid in the coastal waters of Oman Sea as well as North-West of Indian Ocean.