Is it deforestation or desertification when we do it to the ocean?

Anecdotal evidence from 60 marine species suggests a pattern of resource exhaustion rather than sustainable use. There is a reason to believe that biomass in the Atlantic Western Boundary Current Fishery-Grand Banks, Newfoundland, North Atlantic, Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea is 3-10% of what it was when fishing was started. Selective removal of large species may have caused major nutrient distribution in both rich and poor waters.

Implications of sea ranching in developing countries

Sea ranching refers to the system under which marine species are artificially reared to fingerlings, released directly into the open sea, then later recaptured after growing to market size. Implications of sea ranching in developing countries are presented in this article.

A Social and Economic Characterization of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico Recreational Shark Fishery

A mail survey of tournament shark anglers and party boat shark anglers was completed to examine their fishing activity, attitudes, trip expenditures, and consumer surplus. A sample of 700 shark anglers was selected from tournaments in the Gulf of Mexico during 1990, and a sample of party boat shark anglers was drawn from Port Aransas, Tex., party boat anglers during the summer of 1991. A response rate of 58% (excluding nondeliverables) was obtained from tournament anglers. The sample of party boat shark anglers was too small to provide useful results. Tournament shark anglers reported fishing an average of 58 days per year and targeted sharks and other large marine species. Tournaments occupy a small portion of their fishing effort. If this group of anglers were not able to fish for sharks, one-third indicated no other species would be an acceptable substitute, while others were willing to substitute other large marine species. Shark trip expenditures averaged $197 per trip with a consumer surplus of $111 per trip. Based on MRFSS estimates of the number of shark fishing trips, we estimate a total of $43,355,000 was spent by shark anglers in the Gulf of Mexico with a consumer surplus of $23,865,000 for a total gross value of the shark fishery of $66,220,000. MRFSS estimates of the number of sharks landed indicate an equivalent use value of $183 per shark.

Potential Impact of PCB's on Bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, Management

Since 1979, anglers along the U.S. Atlantic coast have landed by weight more bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, than any other marine species. A fishery management plan has been developed jointly by three fishery management councils and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to preserve the bluefish resource. Major objectives of the plan include prevention of recruitment overfishing and reduction in waste of bluefish. In 1985, a Federal survey found PCB concentrations in larger bluefish (over 500 mm fork length) that exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration tolerance level of 2 parts per million. Harvest strategies are presented in this article to protect the reproductive capability of bluefish while minimizing human health risks associated with dietary intake of PCB's.

The Status of Loggerhead, Caretta caretta; Kemp's Ridley, Lepidochelys kempi; and Green, Chelonia mydas, Sea Turtles in U.S. Waters: A Reconsideration

Assessing the status of widely distributed marine species can prove difficult because virtually every sampling technique has assumptions, limitations, and biases that affect the results of the study. These biases often are overlooked when the biological and nonbiological implications of the results are discussed. In a recent review, Thompson (1988) used mostly unpublished population census data derived from studies conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to draw conclusions about the status of Kemp's ridley, Lepidochelys kempi; Atlantic coast green turtles, Chelonia mydas; and the loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta.

Ecologia e paleoecologia de foraminíferos do holoceno na Baia de Guanabara, RJ

Este estudo teve como objetivo contribuir com as informações ecológicas e paleoecológicas geradas para a Baía de Guanabara com base na distribuição das assembléias de foraminíferos bentônicos. Para tal foram coletadas 30 amostras de sedimento superficial, ao longo de três perfis distribuídos pela baía e um testemunho (BG28) de 6 m de comprimento retirado próximo a Ilha do Governador. Nas amostras superficiais foram identificados 30 gêneros e 52 espécies das quais as espécies mais constantes foram Amonia tepida e Bolivina translucens que apresentaram a maior constância. Espécies de habitat de plataforma foram identificadas em diversas estações indicando uma boa eficiência no transporte das correntes de fundo para dentro da baía. Das estações superficiais analisadas, 10 localizadas ao redor da Ilha do Governador não continham testas de foraminíferos, possivelmente como resultado da acidificação do sedimento causado pelo derrame de óleo ocorrido em 2000. O índice de confinamento associado às análises de agrupamento e ao DCA indicaram a presença de três setores ambientais influenciadas por COT e granulometria. O primeiro setor entre Copacabana-Itatipú e Aeroporto Santos Dumont Ilha de Boa Viagem foi o ambiente marinho, o segundo setor entre o Aeroporto Santos Dumont - Ilha de Boa Viagem e Ilha do Governador Ilha de Paquetá Litoral de São Gonçalo pode se classificado como um ambiente de estuário inferior ou baía com grande influência marinha e o terceiro setor entre a Ilha do Governador Ilha de Paquetá Litoral de São Gonçalo e fundo da baía como o ambiente mais confinado. No testemunho foram feitas 7 datações indicando uma idade de aproximadamente 5180 40 anos BP. As datações também mostraram que nos últimos anos a taxa de sedimentação aumentou muito podendo estar relacionada com o período de colonização européia. Foram encontradas 18 gêneros e 30 espécies de foraminíferos das quais a espécie mais constante foi a Ammonia tepida seguida pela Buliminella elegantissima. O padrão de distribuição dessas espécies ocorreu com a maior abundância de B. elegantissima nas porções mais inferiores do testemunho e uma abundância maior de A. tepida nas porções mais superiores. Os índices de confinamento junto com as análises de agrupamento e com as curvas de isótopos mostraram que houve poucas oscilações no aporte de água marinha naquela região. As análises dos isótopos de C13 e C14 e O16 e O18 não seguiram um padrão inverso comum em outros estudos, possivelmente influenciado pela proximidade da costa. As análises de agrupamentos indicaram que nos últimos 5180 anos BP a baía não sofreu grandes variações ambientais, ou seja, a região oeste da baía mesmo apresentando alterações ao longo dos anos não foi suficiente para modificar as características de confinamento. As análises nos padrões de distribuição das assembléias de foraminíferos demonstraram ser eficientes ferramentas na caracterização ambiental e paleoambiental da Baía de Guanabara.

PICES Press, Vol. 20, No. 1, Winter 2012

•2011 PICES Science: A Note from the Science Board Chairman (pp. 1-6) •2011 PICES Awards (pp. 7-9) •Beyond the Terrible Disaster of the Great East Japan Earthquake (pp. 10-12) •A New Era of PICES-ICES Scientific Cooperation (p. 13) •New PICES Jellyfish Working Group Formed (pp. 14-15) •PICES Working Group on North Pacific Climate Variability (pp. 16-18) •Final U.S. GLOBEC Symposium and Celebration (pp. 19-25) •2011 PICES Rapid Assessment Survey (pp. 26-29) •Introduction to Rapid Assessment Survey Methodologies for Detecting Non-indigenous Marine Species (pp. 30-31) •The 7th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions (pp. 32-33) •NOWPAP/PICES/WESTPAC Training Course on Remote Sensing Data Analysis (pp. 34-36) •PICES-2011 Workshop on “Trends in Marine Contaminants and their Effects in a Changing Ocean” (pp. 37-39) •The State of the Western North Pacific in the First Half of 2011 (pp. 40-42) •Yeosu Symposium theme sessions (p. 42) •The Bering Sea: Current Status and Recent Events (pp. 43-44) •News of the Northeast Pacific Ocean (pp. 45-47) •Recent and Upcoming PICES Publications (p. 47) •New leadership for the PICES Fishery Science Committee (p. 48)

Macrobenthos off Mahim (Bombay), west coast of India in relation to coastal pollution and aquaculture

Deterioration of water quality clearly indicated a moderate to severe coastal pollution around Mahim whereas a relatively healthy marine environment towards offshore was noticed. Foraminifera, polychaetes, crustaceans and pelecypods were the dominant macro faunal groups encountered in the area. The occasional inhabitants like pennatularians, nemertines, sipunculids, ophiuroids and fish larvae were mostly restricted to offshore regions. Biomass and population density of macro fauna were moderate and showed fluctuating trend. Similarity coefficients of foraminifera (0.89) and polychaetes (0.81) were high for offshore unpolluted stations (3 and 4) as compared to near shore coastal stations (1 and 2). Faunal diversity was relatively more in unpolluted zone. The diversity index (H) was more at station 3 for polychaetes (1.39) and at station 4 for foraminifers (0.54). In general, biomass was high during post monsoon excepting station 1 which was invariably under severe pollution stress throughout the study period. Foraminifera were abundant at sandy bottom while polychaetes preferred muddy (clayey silt) bottom. A noticeable ecological modification associated with faunal abundance and diversity were related to deteriorating marine water quality due to anthropogenic waste disposals. The prevailing water quality around Mahim is unsuitable for any kind of culture practices and also for harvesting economically important marine species.

Studies on the seasonal cycle of sea surface temperatures, salinities, oxygen and phytoplankton in Koddiyar Bay, Trincomalee in relation to the shore seine fishery

In Sri Lanka waters, Durairatnam (1963, 1969) had reported on the seasonal variation of plankton at Puttalam lagoon, Dutch Bay, Portugal Bay and in the inshore and off shore waters off Colombo. Similar investigations were carried out at Koddiyar Bay especially in the estuarine waters where the three tributaries of the river Mahaveli empty their waters into the bay. The estuary is perennial. The fishes constituting the estuarine fisheries are mostly shallow water marine species which can tolerate considerable variations of salinities. Prawns and crabs also constitute a very valuable fishery in estuarine waters.

Chemical analyses of some Ceylon fishes - 2

Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean. Many varieties of marine species of fishes are caught in waters surrounding the island. The catches vary from coast to coast with the monsoonal fluctuations. The island is geographically situated in the tropical latitudes of high rainfall. The topographical landscape presents a central cluster of peaks surrounded by vistas of plains. Hence inland water bodies rise and meander in different directions of the country resulting in heterogeneous habitats yielding a host of freshwater fishes. As the different types of marine and freshwater fishes are manifold, an investigation into the nature and constituents of various species from a chemical standpoint was initiated by Lantz and Gunasekera (1957). Their paper was with a view to rendering possible a better commercial utilization of fishes. The present work is an extension of the above with necessary deviations. Lantz and Gunasekera (1957) had published results of 30 species of Sri Lanka fishes. The present paper introduces results of 5 species and investigations are being continued to cover other species. Investigations appearing in this paper were on fish samples obtained from different sales points in Colombo.

Survey of biosystematic and sexual reproductive physiology in Holothuroidea on Hormozgan Province

Sea cucumbers belong to phylum Echinodermata, order Holothuroidea are an abundant and diverse group of Invertebrates, with over 1400 species occuring from the intertidal to the deepest oceanic trenches. Sea cucumbers are important components of the food chain in temperate and coral reef ecosystems and they play an important role as deposite feeders and suspension feeders. Rapid decline in populations may have serious consequences for the survival of other species that are part of the same complex food web,as the eggs, larve and juveniles constitute an important food source for the other marine species including crustaceans, fish and mollusks. In addition sea cucumbers are often called the earthworms of the sea, because they are responsible for the extensive shifting and mixing of the substrate, and recycling of detrital matter. Sea cucumbers consume and grind sediment and organic material into finer particles , turning over the top layers of sediment in lagoons , reefs and other habitats and allowing the penetration of oxygen. While the taxonomy of the holothurian families is generally well known , the distinction of similar species is difficult. There are relatively few holothurian taxonomist.Most sea cucumber species can be identified by Holothurin taxonomists by using the calcareous skeletal ossicles found in the body wall. In this study , at first a sea cucumber from Kish island in Persian gulf has recognized. Individuals collected from west and east extend far away into north and south of coral reefs by diving. I have checked them morphologically and anatomically.Then with key to the orders of the Holothuroidea, They belong to the Aspidochirotida with key to the families of Aspidochirotida, they were in Stichopodidae families and with key to the genus of Stchopodidae, they were Stichopus. Then ossicles were extracted at National Museum of Natural History, by Dr David Pawson. The ossicles were measured on a transect across a slide prepared from the mid-dorsal region of each specimen.The one we have in the shallow waters of Kish island, is Stichopus hermanni, a massive holothurian, body broad, considerably flattened ventraly ,the dorsal side slightly arched and the lateral sides almost vertical; body wall fairy thick and soft ; mouth subterminal; anus central; tentacles usually 20 in number of length and leaf shaped. Numerous ossicles consisting of table with large discs having usually 7 to 15 peripheral holes, but often irregular or incomplete and spire of moderate height ending in a group of spinelets, rosettes of variable development, and c-shaped rods. Color (exept papillae)partly remained after preservation in alcohol which is found at the depth of 4 to 8 meters, on coral reef. Furthermore, the sexual reproductive cycle was described using standard methods. Gonads were removed and transferred to Bouin's fixative for four weeks and then processed according to standard embedding technique. To prevent the loss of tubule contents during embedding, the tubule sections, were cut well beyond the segment selected for sectioning. For each individual, six sections, each section with 5µm diameter by microtome were cut from tubules. These sections were first placed on gelatin coated slides (the gelatin was heated to 42°c) and then transferred to the oven at 37°c for one hour. This technique usually prevents the fragil tubules from breaking and the loss of gametes. The slides were stained with Eosin and Hematoxylin, and good resolution of the various cell types achieved.A second series of slides was stained with the Periodic Acid Schiff(PAS) to identify polysaccharides(glycogen). Monthly sampling was occurred.The sexual reproductive cycle was defined through the combined use of these criteria: Monthly percentages of the gonad stages for each sex, the monthly gonad index (GI) , given as the ratio of the wet gonad weight (G) to the dray weight (DW)and the monthly percentage of individuals that undetermined sex. The gonad consists of two tufts of tubules on which saccules develop. Gonadal development was classified into five stages: post spawning, recovery, growth, advanced growth, and mature stage that were adapted from the earlier studies of holothurians. Histological preparations showed that the sex of larger individuals could be identified by the presence of oogonia and young oocytes in females, and spermatogonic stages in males.The mean diameter of the tubules and gonadal mass follow annual cycles, increasing from late winter through spring, and dropping abruptly after spawning in the summer. Gametogenesis is generally a prolongate process and begins in March. By summer the ovarian tubules contain oocytes with diameter of 120-240 pm and the testicular tubules contain an abundance of spermatozoa (diameter 5-6 gm ).Following spawning the predominant activity within the spent tubules is phagocytosis of the residual gamets.The active phase of gametogenesis (March to July), coincides with an increasing photoperiod regim, and an accelerated gametogenesis occurs in July when temperature is high. Throughout the year, the gonad of Stichopus hermanni is larger in males than in females, and this is due to the number of tubules in the testis rather than to tubules length or diameter.

Identification and characterization of the AcrR/AcrAB system of a pathogenic Edwardsiella tarda strain

Edwardsielia tarda is one of the leading marine pathogens that can infect a wide range of cultured marine species. In this study, the acrR-acrAB cluster was cloned from TX1, a pathogenic E. tarda strain isolated from diseased fish. AcrR and AcrAB were found to be involved in resistance against acriflavine and methyl viologen, which positively regulate the expression of acrAB. AcrR negatively regulates its own expression and the expression of the acrAB operon, most likely by interacting with a 24-bp operator site that overlaps the putative promoter of acrA (PacrA). The repressive effect of AcrR on PacrA could be relieved by acriflavine, methyl viologen, and ethidium bromide, the presence of each of which enhanced transcription from PacrA. Interruption of the regulated expression of acrR by introducing into TX1 a plasmid that overexpresses acrR affected growth under stress conditions, AI-2 production, and bacterial virulence. In addition, mutational analyses identified a constitutively active AcrR mutant (named N215), which exhibits full repressor activity but is impaired in its ability to interact with the inducer. Overexpression of N215 produced the same kind of but moderately stronger effect on TX1 compared to that produced by overexpression of the wild-type acrR.

Three-stage transformation of chlorophyll transient fluorescence pattern under sustained dehydration and the discovery of critical water content in seaweeds

The chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics of marine red alga Grateloupia turutunt Yamada, green alga Ulva pertusa Kjellm and brown alga Laminaria japonica Aresch during natural sustained dehydration were monitored and investigated. The pulse amplified modulation (PAM) system was used to analyze the distinct fluorescence parameters during thallus dehydration. Results proved that the fluorescence kinetics of different seaweed all showed three patterns of transformation with sustained water loss. These were: 1) peak kinetic pattern (at the early stage of dehydration fluorescence enhanced and quenched subsequently, representing a normal physiological state). 2) plateau kinetic pattern (with sustained water loss fluorescence enhanced continuously but quenching became slower, finally reaching its maximum). 3) Platform kinetic pattern (fluorescence fell and the shape of kinetic curve was similar to plateau kinetic pattern). A critical water content (CWC) could be found and defined as the percentage of water content just prior to the fluorescence drop and to be a significant physiological index for evaluation of plant drought tolerance. Once thallus water content became lower than this value the normal peak pattern can not be recovered even through rehydration, indicating an irreversible damage to the thylakoid membrane. The CWC value corresponding to different marine species were varied and negatively correlated with their desiccation tolerance, for example. Laminaria japonica had the highest CWC value (around 90%) and the lowest dehydration tolerance of the three. In addition, a fluorescence "burst" was found only in red algae during rehydration. The different fluorescence parameters F-o, F-v and F-v, F-m were measured and compared during water loss. Both F-o and F-v increased in the first stage of dehydration but F-v/F-m. kept almost constant. So the immediate response of in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence to dehydration was an enhancement. Later with sustained dehydration F-o increased continuously while F-v decreased and tended to become smaller and smaller. The major changes in fluorescence (including fluorescence drop during dehydration and the burst during rehydration) were all attributed to the change in F-o instead of F-v This significance of F-o indicates that it is necessary to do more research on F-o as well as on its relationship with the state of thylakoid membrane.

Sperm motility and fertilisation success in an acidified hypoxic environment

The distribution and function of many marine species is largely determined by the effect of abiotic drivers on their reproduction and early development, including those drivers associated with elevated CO2 and global climate change. A number of studies have therefore investigated the effects of elevated pCO2 on a range of reproductive parameters, including sperm motility and fertilisation success. To date, most of these studies have not examined the possible synergistic effects of other abiotic drivers, such as the increased frequency of hypoxic events that are also associated with climate change. The present study is therefore novel in assessing the impact that an hypoxic event could have on reproduction in a future high CO2 ocean. Specifically, this study assesses sperm motility and fertilisation success in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus exposed to elevated pCO2 for 6 months. Gametes extracted from these pre-acclimated individuals were subjected to hypoxic conditions simulating an hypoxic event in a future high CO2 ocean. Sperm swimming speed increased under elevated pCO2 and decreased under hypoxic conditions resulting in the elevated pCO2 and hypoxic treatment being approximately equivalent to the control. There was also a combined negative effect of increased pCO2 and hypoxia on the percentage of motile sperm. There was a significant negative effect of elevated pCO2 on fertilisation success, and when combined with a simulated hypoxic event there was an even greater effect. This could affect cohort recruitment and in turn reduce the density of this ecologically and economically important ecosystem engineer therefore potentially effecting biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Biophysical models of larval dispersal in the Benguela Current ecosystem

We synthesise and update results from the suite of biophysical, larval-dispersal models developed in the Benguela Current ecosystem. Biophysical models of larval dispersal use outputs of physical hydrodynamic models as inputs to individual-based models in which biological processes acting during the larval life are included. In the Benguela, such models were first applied to simulate the dispersal of anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus and sardine Sardinops sagax ichthyoplankton, and more recently of the early life stages of chokka-squid Loligo reynaudii and Cape hakes Merluccius spp. We identify how the models have helped advance understanding of key processes for these species. We then discuss which aspects of the early life of marine species in the Benguela Current ecosystem are still not well understood and could benefit from new modelling studies.