Aquaculture and Fisheries Commons^™

An Acoustic Monitoring Method For Assessing River Dolphin Presence And Changes In The Context Of Anthropogenic Development, Charles A. Muirhead

Graduate Masters Theses

Populations of river dolphins throughout Asia are in decline as a direct result of intensified anthropogenic activity along river systems. Water development projects, land use change, contamination, and intensified fishing practices are known factors contributing to the probable extinction of the Yangtze river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) and declining populations of the South Asian river dolphin (Platanista gangetica spp.), Irrawady dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris), and finless porpoise (Neophocaena a. asiaeorientalis). Although not yet as extensive, river system development in South America is following a similar path as that of Asia, with impacts on dolphin species likely to follow. Currently, the Amazon river …

The Infection Dynamics Of Sea Lice On Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) In Cobscook Bay, Maine, Usa, Catherine Anne Frederick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sea lice (Lepeophtheirus and Caligus spp) are parasitic copepods that infect the external surfaces of fish hosts. Salmon lice (L. salmonis) outbreaks are commonly reported by operations in Canada, Norway, Scotland, Ireland, and the United States and are a primary concern in aquaculture because of their fish health and economic impacts. When farmed fish mortalities and treatments are accounted for, annual losses from sea louse infestations exceed $300,000,000 (Costello 2009). Farms experiencing sea lice infections risk on-site re-infection and transmission to wild populations and other farms that are hydrographically connected. In Maine, Atlantic salmon farms are located in the northeast, …

Legacy Habitat Suitability Of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica) In Louisiana: A Prelude To Mississippi River Delta Freshwater Diversions, Tasia Mv Denapolis

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The Louisiana oyster industry is greatly impacted by freshwater and sediment diversions that are part of the effort to restore the state’s coastline. A habitat suitability index (HSI) proposes species-habitat relationships that can be instrumental in creating impact assessments and suitability predictions for management as new diversions are implemented. An oyster (Crassostrea virginica) HSI was developed using three variables crucial to oyster sustainability: average annual salinity, minimum monthly salinity, and average salinity during the spawning season. These Legacy HSI visualizations show annual fluctuations in the distribution of zones suitable for oyster cultivation prior to proposed diversions in Pontchartrain …

Black Soldier Fly Larvae As Value-Added Feed For Aquaculture In Maine, Joshua Villazana

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black soldier flies (BSF), Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) consume decaying organic waste as larvae (BSFL) and can be used for recycling a variety of biogenic wastes. BSFL can also be processed into value-added animal feeds, including those used in aquaculture. An overarching goal of this project was to obtain additional insights into BSF biology to improve their rearing and handling in future mass-production facilities serving Maine aquaculture.

We tested BSFL growth in the laboratory on seven seafood wastes from Maine fish processing facilities. Substrates potentially suitable for BSFL rearing included finfish trimmings, wet sea cucumber, dry quahog, and sea …

Optimization Of Light Irradiance During The Early Life Of Sexually-Produced Porites Astreoides And Agaricia Agaricites Recruits, Nicholas J. Mcmahon

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Current solutions of coral restoration rely mainly on fragmentation. Though a reliable technique, this asexual form of reproduction does not benefit the genetic diversity of the coral reef. With many global and local stressors threatening corals’ existence, the resiliency of corals to future ocean conditions depends highly on sexual reproduction to produce new genotypes. New technology allows coral spawning/larval release, larval settlement and rearing to be carried out in an aquarium system. Many of the techniques necessary to maintain coral recruits are well-established, however the effects of light intensity remain to be studied for these early life stages. Newly …

Transforming Lives In Coastal Communities Through Economic Development: Breeding Crassostrea Virginica For Alternative Oyster Culture, Brian Randall Callam

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation helped address the commercialization of triploid Crassostrea virginica production and develop tetraploid C. virginica broodstock in Louisiana by addressing triploid commercialization and tetraploid broodstock development. This was done by: 1) developing regional breeding plans for diploid and tetraploid C. virginica targeted at the Gulf Coastal Region, 2) assessing the effect of chromosome set manipulation on gonadal development in diploid, triploid, and tetraploid C. virginica, 3) quantifying the variation of commercially important hatchery traits in triploid C. virginica larvae from different tetraploid parents, 4) developing an up-to-date remote setting manual for the Gulf Coastal Region for industry use, …

Integrated Use Of Drones And Qr Codes As Complementary Components For Monitoring, Control And Surveillance Systems For Artisanal Fishing Vessels In Peru, Eduardo Israel Zamora Chung

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Compliance And Enforcement For The Exclusive Economic Zone Fisheries Management In The United Republic Of Tanzania, Christian Alphonce Nzowa

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Integrate Use Of Drones And Qr Codes As Complementary Components For Monitoring, Control And Surveillance Systems For Artisanal Fishing Vessels In Peru, Eduardo Israel Zamora Chung

World Maritime University Dissertations

This dissertation aims to design a new monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) component that may be suitable for Peruvian artisanal fishing. When it refers to suitable, it means that it should be low-cost and compatible with other MCS systems to improve the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. In this regard, through the triangulation among methods including the content analysis as well as interviews and questionnaires to the primary stakeholders of the Peruvian artisanal fishing, it was found that there is a direct connection between a suitable MCS and the fulfilment of the target 14.b of the Sustainable …

Community-Based Organisations As An Approach To Effective Sustainable Artisan Fishing, Mary Mindi Wabit Epse Ngawana

World Maritime University Dissertations

Fishing in Cameroon is one of the main economic activities and lifeline of the coastal communities in the South West Region of Cameroon, especially the artisanal fishing which is mostly traditional and subsistence. Cameroon fisheries are either fully exploited or are already in the critical state of over-exploitation by foreigners and local communities. However, illegal fishing and aggressive fishing practices in the marine environment has led to over exploitation of the fisheries, mangroves and environmental deterioration. There is an urgent need to develop and introduce effective and efficient sustainable approaches, to the exploitation and management of Cameroon’s fisheries and other …

Iuu Fishing: A Gateway To Transnational Crimes In Jamaica, Judy-Ann Icinda Neil

World Maritime University Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Sciaenid Growth In The Gulf Of Mexico, Shane Flinn

LSU Master's Theses

Growth models estimate life history parameters that are used in the management of fisheries stocks. The most commonly used growth model in fisheries is the von Bertalanffy growth model (VBGM), yet it has been shown to provide a poor fit for length-at-age data of some species and other models exist. I reviewed 196 peer-reviewed age and growth studies and 50 NOAA stock assessments to examine temporal trends in the use of growth models and model selection in fisheries. I found that the use of multi-model frameworks has increased since the year 2000 and information theoretic approaches are replacing goodness-of-fit and …

The Effect Of Shelter Availability On Foraging In Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar), Christian A. Therrien

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Shelter is an environmental feature that provides protection from danger and its use is an important anti-predator behavior for juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). However, how shelter availability influences the foraging of these fish in the wild is not well documented. I predicted that juvenile Atlantic salmon would alter their foraging behavior in a low shelter environment and that this effect would differ between individuals from two populations that are targeted for reintroduction into Lake Ontario. I measured the foraging activity of juvenile Atlantic salmon from the two populations while they were held in pens in a Lake …

Using Local Fishery Monitoring To Understand Small-Scale Coastal Fisheries In Tanzania, Matthew Robertson

LSU Master's Theses

Nearshore marine fisheries provide the main source of protein for nearly 9 million people in the coastal villages of Tanzania, yet for decades the fisheries have shown signs of overexploitation. These fisheries are small-scale and co-managed by local coastal communities in groups known as Beach Management Units (BMUs). BMUs monitor individual fishing trip data (e.g. gear, vessel, taxa); however, these data have only been analyzed in nationally aggregated statistics and to our knowledge, are not presently used in management decision making. The present thesis aimed to identify the forms of data and information that local fishery monitoring can record about …

Modeling And Mapping Addiction In The Zebrafish, Danio Rerio, Bradley Serpa

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Driven by the communication of dopamine, the vertebrate reward system has been evolutionarily conserved to maintain survival and optimize fitness. The neural circuits governing this system integrate sensory stimuli to produce appropriate, self-preserving responses that underlie experience-based learning. In the most primitive vertebrates, dopamine release in neuronal circuits drives homeostatic behaviors, such as seeking nutrients, finding a mate, or avoiding danger. From agnathans to mammals, dopaminergic synthesis and signaling genes and molecules, along with neuronal pathways and reward system-based behaviors, remain highly conserved. Dopamine signaling proteins include two classes of metabotropic G-Protein Receptor Coupled Dopamine Receptors, D1-like (DRD1) and D2-like …

Conservation Of Freshwater Live-Bearing Fishes: Development Of Germplasm Repositories For Goodeids, Yue Liu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Fishes of the family Goodeidae are considered to be among the most imperiled taxa in the world. The goal of this project was to provide a foundation for development of sperm repositories for goodeids and to use them as a model to assist conservation programs for imperiled freshwater live-bearing fishes. Development of such repositories is challenging because of unusual reproductive characteristics of live-bearing fishes, such as sperm bundles, internal fertilization, and the bearing of live young. Standardized methods were established to evaluate quality-related attributes of sperm bundles. The different features between activation of free and bundled sperm were investigated and …

The Importance Of Keeping The Big Ones: Harvest Slot Limits And Marine Protected Areas For The Management Of The Caribbean Spiny Lobster, Gayathiri Gnanalingam

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Fishing typically removes the oldest and/or largest individuals from populations undermining stability and reproductive success. Traditional fisheries management tools fail to protect these oldest and/or largest individuals, but two less conventional tools: marine protected areas (MPAs), and harvest slot limits have the potential to do so. Here I tested the possible use of these tools for the Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, an iconic and economically valued species. After decades of intense fishing, the largest lobsters have largely been wiped out. The loss of the largest lobsters is significant as large lobsters have considerably greater reproductive potential than their …

Evaluación De Parámetros Fisicoquímicos Del Agua Y Del Estado De Las Aletas En El Pez Cucha Real Panaque Nigrolineatus, Durante El Acopio En Bodega De Exportación De Bogotá, Ana Milena Díaz

Zootecnia

La familia de los peces loricáridos es típicamente suramericana, muy diversa en formas, tallas e incluso en hábitos alimentarios, existiendo cerca de 500 especies, la mayoría son de uso ornamental. Son peces muy populares en los acuarios de todo el mundo, pues actúan como limpiadores de los vidrios de los acuarios, al consumir las algas que se adhieren a estos. El género Panaque o cucha real es una especie de singular belleza, apetecida por acuariófilos de todo el mundo. En Colombia se les llama cuchas y en el mundo se les denomina plecos o sucker mouth catfish. La exportación de …

Investigating Present-Day Health Issues Of The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), Deborah A. Bouchard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American lobster, Homarus americanus, H. Milne Edwards, 1837, supports the most economically valuable fishery along the North Atlantic coast of North America. A collapse in lobster populations in Southern New England (SNE) has coincided with increasing ocean temperatures and emerging diseases. This research investigated the etiologies of limp lobster disease (LLD) and epizootic shell disease (ESD), two diseases that continue to cause significant mortality in natural lobster populations. Mortality from LLD is associated with the bacteria Photobacterium indicum and is more intense in impounded lobsters. To more clearly define the community ecology of this suspected opportunistic pathogen, the microbial …

Movements And Capture Efficiency Of The Blue Catfish Ictalurus Furcatus,In Lake Dardanelle, Zachary S. Moran

Theses and Dissertations from 2018

Standardizing low-frequency electrofishing procedures for sampling Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus has become a recent focus of fisheries biologists. Information on habitat use, value of chase boats, and duration and timing of samples could increase sampling efficiency. To asses these variables in Lake Dardanelle, Arkansas, I divided this reservoir into lacustrine, transition, and riverine zones. I used a systematic random sample design, and electrofisher, to collect 8,067 Blue Catfish from 458 samples between May and September 2016. I found: (1) The most efficient season to sample was the summer season when water temperatures were >25°C; (2) CPUE was highest on channel …

Spatio-Temporal Dynamics Of Atlantic Cod Bycatch In The Maine Lobster Fishery And Its Impacts On Stock Assessment, Robert E. Boenish

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Of the most iconic fish species in the world, the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua, hereafter, cod) has been a mainstay in the North Atlantic for centuries. While many global fish stocks have received increased pressure with the advent of new, more efficient fishing technology in the mid-20^th century, exceptional pressure has been placed on this prized gadoid. Bycatch, or the unintended catch of organisms, is one of the biggest global fisheries issues. Directly resulting from the failed recovery of cod in the GoM, attention has been placed as to possible sources of unaccounted catch. Among the most …

Incorporating Environmental Variability Into Assessment And Management Of American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), Kisei Tanaka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American lobster (Homarus americanus) support one of the most valuable fisheries in the United States. A growing body of literature recognizes the importance of environmental variables in regulating this species’ biogeography and population dynamics. However, the current lobster stock assessment and management do not explicitly consider the impact of environmental variables such as water temperature and assumes spatiotemporal variabilities in the lobster environment as random background noises. Furthermore, while climate-induced changes in marine ecosystems continue to impact the productivity of lobster fisheries, studies that model lobster response to altered environmental conditions associated with climate change are lacking. …

Assessing Economic Performance Of Maine's Lobster Fleet Under Changing Ecosystem Conditions In The Gulf Of Maine, Alexa M. Dayton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research evaluates lobster producer efficiency and considers fleet wide economics and policy implications in support of changing marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Maine. We conducted a comprehensive lobster industry survey to assess costs and effort expended at the producer level for a representative fishing year, and establish a series of production function performance baselines for future comparison. The demographic data, attitudes and valuations collected allow us to characterize the fishing effort and regional dependency on the resource. We look at the Maine Lobster limited entry licensing system, to understand how the future participation in the fishery might change, …

Extending Spectrophotometric Pht Measurements In Coastal And Estuarine Environments, Nora Katherine Douglas

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nearshore and estuarine environments play a vital role in the cycling of carbon, but the effects of ocean acidification in estuarine waters have not been studied as extensively as in the open ocean. One reason for this is the limitation of pH measurement capabilities in low-salinity waters. Typically, pH in these environments has been measured using potentiometric methods that are subject to uncertainties on the order of 0.01. Spectrophotometric methods for measuring pHT offer precision and accuracy superior to those of potentiometric methods. However, previous characterizations for purified sulfonephthalein indicators, used for marine spectrophotometric measurements, are not applicable to estuarine …

Big Fish, Big Data: Discussing The State Of Salmon And Improving King Salmon Regulation Through A Population Model, Creed Coram

Honor Scholar Theses

No abstract provided.

Fishery Interaction Modeling Of Cetacean Bycatch In The California Drift Gillnet Fishery To Inform A Dynamic Ocean Management Tool, Nicholas B. Sisson

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the drivers that lead to interaction between target species in a fishery and marine mammals is a critical aspect in efforts to reduce bycatch. In the California drift gillnet fishery static management approaches and gear changes have reduced bycatch but neither measure ascertains the underlying dynamics causing bycatch events. To avoid further potentially drastic measures such as hard caps, dynamic management approaches that consider the scales relevant to physical dynamics, animal movement and human use could be implemented. A key component to this approach is determining the factors that lead to fisheries interactions. Using 25 years (1990-2014) of National …

Crayfish Harvesting Practices In The Southern Atchafalaya River Basin: Quantitative And Qualitative Assessment Of Harvester Techniques And Hydrologic Connectivity Influence On Harvesting Strategies, Ivan A. Vargas-Lopez

LSU Master's Theses

Fisheries produce important impacts around the world through the exploitation of a wide range of species. In Louisiana, crayfish is the most emblematic crustacean and supports a multi-million industry based on pond culture and harvest from natural habitats. Although the economic value (USD) of wild-harvested crayfish has decreased from 10% to 3% of total crayfish value from 2013 to 2015, wild harvested crayfish are highly desired by many consumers and have a strong socio-cultural importance in Louisiana and other Gulf of Mexico coastal regions. This project evaluated harvesting practices by: 1) field observation and mapping of harvest sites in southwestern …

Conservation Limnogeology And Benthic Habitat Mapping In Central Lake Tanganyika (Tanzania), Joseph S. Lucas

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Small scale protected zones are valuable for helping the health and productivity of fisheries at Lake Tanganyika (East Africa). Spatial placement of protected areas relies on accurate maps of benthic habitats, consisting of detailed bathymetry data and information on lake-floor substrates. This information is unknown for most of Lake Tanganyika. Fish diversity is known to correlate with rocky substrates in ≤ 30 m water depth, which provide spawning grounds for littoral and pelagic species. These benthic habitats form important targets for protected areas, if they can be precisely located.

At the NMVA, echosounding defined the position of the 30-m isobath …

Western Prairie Stream Fisheries: An Assessment Of Past And Present Fish Assemblage Structure, Biotic Homogenization, And Population Dynamics In Western South Dakota Streams, Stephen Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Biodiversity is declining globally, especially in in aquatic systems. Prairies are one of the most endangered ecosystem types in North America, and their conversion into agriculture or development as a result of urbanization has had negative effects on prairie stream fish communities. Continued monitoring of fish assemblage change and the population dynamics of prairie stream fishes will provide researchers and managers with valuable information needed to detect and mitigate past and future negative impacts on prairie stream aquatic ecosystems. Sampling was conducted in the mainstem and tributaries of the Grand, Moreau, Cheyenne, Bad, and White rivers within western South Dakota. …

Effects Of Large-Scale Density Reduction On Brown Trout Growth And Movement In Spearfish Creek, South Dakota, Travis Rehm

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Density-dependent growth is often observed in stream-dwelling Brown Trout Salmo trutta populations. In Spearfish Creek, South Dakota, biomass of adult Brown Trout (>200 mm) is about three times greater than that reported for similar Black Hills streams while mean length of adult fish is about 30% less. Here, we evaluate large-scale density reduction as a management tool for improving growth rate of stream-dwelling Brown Trout. We compared age-specific growth of wild Brown Trout in stream sections receiving 50% reductions in fish abundance. We also assessed the effect of fish density manipulation on Brown Trout movement patterns and home range …