Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

Anthropomorphic Denial Of Fish Pain, Lynne U. Sneddon, Matthew C. Leach

Lynne Sneddon, PhD

Key (2016) affirms that we do not know how the fish brain processes pain but denies — because fish lack a human-like cortex — that fish can feel pain. He affirms that birds, like fish, have a singly-laminated cortex and that the structure of the bird brain is quite different from that of the human brain, yet he does not deny that birds can feel pain. In this commentary we describe how Key cites studies that substantiate mammalian pain but discounts the same kind of data as evidence of fish pain. We suggest that Key's interpretations are illogical, do not …

The Shellfish Corner: Aquaculture Of Exotic Shellfish Species, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

Using Gis Mapping Of The Extent Of Nearshore Rocky Reefs To Estimate The Abundance And Reproductive Output Of Important Fishery Species, Jeremy Claisse, Daniel Pondella, Jonathan Williams, James Sadd

James Sadd

Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus) and California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) are economically and ecologically valuable rocky reef fishes in southern California, making them likely indicator species for evaluating resource management actions. Multiple spatial datasets, aerial and satellite photography, underwater observations and expert judgment were used to produce a comprehensive map of nearshore natural rocky reef habitat for the Santa Monica Bay region (California, USA). It was then used to examine the relative contribution of individual reefs to a regional estimate of abundance and reproductive potential of the focal species. For the reefs surveyed for fishes (i.e. 18 …

The Shellfish Corner: Filter Feeding Bivalves As Processors Of Coastal Waters, Michael Rice

Michael A Rice

Bivalves have a profound role in controlling the boom and bust cycles of seasonal phytoplankton blooms, and the increased rates of sediment deposition to the bottom by bivalves are an important "coupler" between the water column and the bottom that stimulates the rate of decomposition and other processes in the sediments.

Wildlife Of The Gold Coast Wetlands, Shelley Burgin, Daryl Mcphee

Daryl McPhee

Extract: Water in the landscape of the Gold Coast is dominated by marine and marine-influenced systems. The most obvious are the in-shore waters abutting the Gold Coast's world-famous beaches and estuaries. Little more than a glance at a map of the city also reveals the extensive canal estates built to take advantage of the marine waters, and indeed expand them. The waters of the rivers mix with the ocean's waters in the estuaries. These ecosystems are valuable nursery areas for marine wildlife, particularly, but not restricted to, fishes of commercial and recreational value.

Marine Environments Of The Gold Coast: Out With The Old, In With The New, Daryl Mcphee

Daryl McPhee

Extract: The marine environments of the Gold Coast comprise one of the most highly modified and heavily utilised waterways in Australia. Chapters 2 and 3 discussed changes in the historic land use patterns. Just what has this meant to the marine environments of the Gold Coast? In this chapter the contemporary marine h abitats of the Gold Coast are described, along with the fauna that those habitats support. We talk about how the current status of the habitats compares with various historical points in time, and the role of novel habitats. Given the impor tance of recreational fishing to both …

Interactions Between Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus Delphis) And The Winter Pelagic Pair-Trawl Fishery Ff Southwest England (Uk), Marijke N. De Boer, James T. Saulino, Mardik F. Leopold, Peter J.H. Reijnders, Mark P. Simmonds

Mark P. Simmonds, OBE

During offshore and onshore studies (2004 to 2009), the interactions between pair-trawls and short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) were studied to better understand the impact of bycatch. A ‘hotspot’ area where pair-trawls overlapped with high dolphin abundance was identified. We made comparisons between boat-based data collected in absence and presence of pair-trawlers. The relative abundance and group-size of dolphins was significantly higher in the presence of pair-trawlers. Dolphins were observed associating with towing and hauling procedures. Significantly, more carcasses occurred in areas with hauling-activity than those without. Body-temperatures obtained from carcasses found near operating pair-trawlers indicated that bycatch mostly occurred …

The Shellfish Corner -- Shellfish And The Problem Of Ocean Acidification, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

The acidification of the world's oceans due to increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations is creating a problem in the dissolution of larval shells of mollusks and creating problems for shellfish hatcheries. Hatcheries can mitigate the problem by treating incoming seawater with alkaline sodium carbonate, but there is evidence that acidic sediments in some locations are a source of considerable post-settlement loss of newly set juveniles.

The Salters Of Stanley Brook, Catherine V. Schmitt

Catherine Schmitt

No abstract provided.

Determining Winter Flounder Spawning Sites In Two Connecticut Estuaries, Eric Schultz, Jose Pereira, Peter Auster

Jose J Pereira

Winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) come inshore during the late winter and early spring to lay their eggs in shallow bays and estuaries along the coast. Unlike most fish eggs, which are buoyant, these eggs are demersal and sink to the seafloor. This makes them vulnerable to burial from various types of natural and human caused disturbances (e.g., storms, mobile fishing gear, maintenance dredging). Our objective was to map spawning areas in two harbors and search for generalities among these sites that would allow us to predict where winter flounder might spawn in other areas. This would allow managers to avoid …

Patterns Of Life History And Habitat Use Of An Important Recreational Fishery Species, Spotfin Croaker, And Their Potential Fishery Implications, Jonathan Williams, Jeremy Claisse, Daniel Pondella, Lea Medeiros, Charles Valle, Michael Shane

Daniel Pondella

Spotfin croakers Roncador stearnsii, a prized recreational catch, were collected throughout the Southern California Bight, primarily as bycatch from a long-term, scientific gill-net collection effort. The maximum otolith-based age in the present study was 24 years—14 years greater than in a previous scale-based aging study. Multiple models were used to estimate mean length at age, including models that utilize larvae as well as juveniles and adults, and the model selection results suggest sexual dimorphism in growth patterns. The juvenile and adult catch per unit effort reflected a clear pattern of habitat selectivity, with fish strongly preferring soft-bottom habitats. Catches …

El Niño Periods Increase Growth Of Juvenile White Seabass (Atractoscion Nobilis) In The Southern California Bight, Jonathan Williams, Larry Allen, Mark Steele, Daniel Pondella

Daniel Pondella

Studies of the impact of El Niño periods on marine species have usually focused on negative, highly visible eVects, e.g., decreasing growth rates or increasing mortality due to a decline in primary productivity in typically nutrient rich upwelling zones; but positive effects related to elevated water temperature are also known. This study examined how the growth rate of juvenile white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, responded to changes in ocean temperature in an El Niño period (1997–1998) in the northern portion of the Southern California Bight, USA. Growth rates of juvenile white seabass during their first 4 years of life were …

New Record Of Pacific Sierra (Scomberomorus Sierra) With Notes On Previous California Records, Jonathan P. Williams, Daniel J. Pondella Ii, Brent M. Haggin, Larry G. Allen

Daniel Pondella

On 22 October 2006, a Pacific sierra (Scomberomorus sierra) was caught by gillnet near Mother’s Beach, Marina del Rey, Los Angeles County, California (33º58’50"N, 118º27’25"W) during sampling for juvenile white seabass (Atractoscion nobilis). This catch represents the northernmost record of Pacific sierra, and one of several specimens known from California.

Morphologic And Ontogenetic Patterns In Elasmosaur Neck Length, With Comments On The Taxonomic Utility Of Neck Length Variables, F. Robin O’Keefe, Norton Hiller

F. Robin O’Keefe

Elasmosaur cervical vertebrae are common fossils, but their taxonomic utility is limited due to a lack of understanding concerning their shape within and among taxa. In this paper, we analyze data from complete elasmosaur necks in an attempt to quantify and understand the variation in centrum dimensions. In accord with previous studies, variation in cervical centrum shape is found to stem from at least three sources: ontogeny, intracolumn variation, and intercolumn or taxonomic variation. Ontogenetic variability seems reminiscent of that seen in Cryptoclidus, with an overall positive allometry in the length of all centra that is accentuated in the mid-cervical …

Economic Impact Of Double-Crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax Auritus, Depredation On Channel Catfish, Ictalurus Punctatus,Aquaculture In Mississippi, Usa, Brian S. Dorr, Loren W. Burger, Scott C. Barras, Kristina Casscles Godwin

Brian S Dorr

The Yazoo River Basin of Mississippi, USA, supports the largest concentration of hectares devoted to channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, aquaculture production in North America. The Yazoo Basin also supports large numbers of resident, wintering and migrating fish-eating birds, with the Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, implicated as the most serious depredating species. We used data from aerial surveys of numbers and distribution of cormorants in the Yazoo Basin and on commercial catfish ponds during winters (November–April) 2000–2001 and 2003–2004 to refine estimates of regional economic losses due to cormorant depredation. In both periods, the greatest monthly estimates of cormorant foraging occurred …

Using Gis Mapping Of The Extent Of Nearshore Rocky Reefs To Estimate The Abundance And Reproductive Output Of Important Fishery Species, Jeremy T. Claisse, Daniel J. Pondella Ii, Jonathan P. Williams, James Sadd

Daniel Pondella

Kelp Bass (Paralabrax clathratus) and California Sheephead (Semicossyphus pulcher) are economically and ecologically valuable rocky reef fishes in southern California, making them likely indicator species for evaluating resource management actions. Multiple spatial datasets, aerial and satellite photography, underwater observations and expert judgment were used to produce a comprehensive map of nearshore natural rocky reef habitat for the Santa Monica Bay region (California, USA). It was then used to examine the relative contribution of individual reefs to a regional estimate of abundance and reproductive potential of the focal species. For the reefs surveyed for fishes (i.e. 18 …

Effects Of Management On Double-Crested Cormorant Nesting Colony Fidelity, Bronson K. Strickland, Brian S. Dorr, Fred Pogmore, Gary Nohrenberg, Scott C. Barras, John E. Mcconnell, John Gobeille

Brian S Dorr

No abstract provided.

Polyphyly Of The Pikeminnows (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) Inferred Using Mitochondrial Dna Sequences, T. Heath Ogden

T. Heath Ogden

The phylogenetic relationships of the Colorado pikeminnow Ptychocheilus lucius, northern pikeminnow P. oregonensis, Sacramento pikeminnow P. grandis, Umpqua pikeminnow P. umpquae, and hardhead Mylopharodon conocephalus were examined by using molecular data to investigate monophyly of the genus Ptychocheilus. Phylogenies generated using DNA sequence data from the cytochrome b and 16S ribosomal DNA genes of the mitochondrial genome reveal that Ptychocheilus is a polyphyletic genus and suggest that the taxonomy of the group is in need of further revision. These data yield insights into the evolution of the pikeminnows and help place the significant evolutionary events in context with the geological …

Size Selectivity Of Purse Seines In The Southern Philippines Multispecies Tuna Fisheries, Michael A. Rice, Joseph T. Dealteris, Samuel E. Resma

Michael A Rice

The multi-species Philippine tuna purse seine fishery targets three tuna species: skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus). These are highly migratory pelagic fishes that grow to different maximum lengths and weights. At present there is no mesh size regulation specific to the fishery in the Philippines although tuna purse seines generally use 8.9cm (3.5 in) mesh size in the bunt of the net. An empirical analysis was conducted to compare the catches of purse seine nets with two different mesh sizes in the top portion of the bunt: 8.9cm and 12.7cm. Field measurements of …

The Impacts Of Aquacultured Oysters, Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791) On Water Quality And Sedimentation: Results Of A Mesocosm Study, Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

To determine effects of aquacultured oysters Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791) on the overlying water column, a mesocosm study was performed at the Marine Ecosystem Research Laboratory (MERL) from June to October, 2000. The MERL facility is located adjacent to Narragansett Bay and consists of fourteen 13,000-l mesocosm tanks designed to simulate the Bay environmental conditions. Two hundred oysters (c35 mm valve height; nominally filtering about 55 l/day/individual) were placed into three mesocosms, and three mesocosms were maintained without oysters as controls. Experiments were run with varying rates of water exchange in the tanks ranging from 0% to 100% per day …

Captive Double-Crested Cormorant Phalacrocorax Auritus Predation On Channel Catfish Ictalurus Punctatus Fingerlings And Its Influence On Single-Batch Cropping Production, Brian S. Dorr

Brian S Dorr

Abstract.-We studied the effect of captive double-crested cormorant Phalacrocorax auritus predation on channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus inventories from research ponds with and without alternative prey during the years 1998-2000. In 1998, predation by two groups of captive cormorants on ponds without alternative prey produced inventory reductions relative to a control pond that were equivalent to 10.2 (516 g) and I 0.5 (608 g) catfish/bird per d. In 1999 and 2000 individual cormorants foraging on 0.02-ha pond halves for I 0 d (500 cormorant d/ha) stocked with both catfish and golden shiners Notemigonus crysoleucas produced inventory reductions at harvest (7.5 mo …

A Review Of Shellfish Restoration As A Tool For Coastal Water Quality Management., Michael A. Rice

Michael A Rice

In many areas, coastal residents and others oppose establishment of bivalve molluscan aquaculture projects on the basis of perceived negative environmental impacts. Often overlooked are positive environmental impacts of shellfish aquaculture that can potentially mitigate the impacts of other anthropogenic activities. Filter feeding by populations of bivalve mollusks is reviewed with respect to their ability to act as an estuarine filter, increase clarity of coastal waters and facilitate the removal of nitrogen and other nutrients from eutrophic coastal waters. Most species of cultured bivalve mollusks clear particles from waters at rates of 1 to 4 L/h, and populations of shellfish …