Analysing environmental and fishing effects on a short-lived species stock: the dynamics of the octopus Octopus vulgaris population in Senegalese waters

Short-lived species are extremely dependent on the seasonal and interannual variability of environmental conditions, and determining their stock status is often difficult. This study investigates the effects of environmental variability and fishing pressure on the stock of octopus Octopus vulgaris in Senegalese waters over a 10-year period from 1996 to 2005. Monthly catches-at-age were estimated based on catch-at-weight data and a polymodal decomposition constrained by a given growth curve. Octopus recruitments and fishing mortalities were then estimated using a catch-at-age analysis performed on a monthly basis. Yield and biomass per recruit were simulated using a Thompson and Bell model and used to generate a diagnostic of the fishery's impacts. Results indicate that the high interannual and seasonal variability of the octopus stock biomass is linked to the spring recruitment event, the annual intensity of which was significantly correlated with the coastal upwelling index and sea surface temperature. Yield per recruit varied seasonally but remained almost unchanged from one year to the next. Even when catches vary strongly according to recruitment, the octopus stock appears to be consistently fully exploited, or slightly overexploited in some years. In this context of environmental variability, usual indicators such as the maximum yield per recruit, and the related fishing mortality and spawning potential ratio, remain useful for fisheries management purposes.     

Seasonal dynamics in pelagic fish abundance in a Baltic Sea coastal area

The spring-spawning Baltic Sea herring spawn in coastal areas that also serve as nursery areas for the young fish during their first summer. In a bay known as a herring spawning and nursery area, the pelagic fish abundance was quantified using hydroacoustics every second week from late spring to autumn in 2000 and 2001. A dense system of survey transects allowed determination of the acoustic index (the nautical area scattering coefficient) for fish abundance with high precision. The variation, expressed as the geostatistical coefficient of variation, was on average 5% both years and ranged from 3–11% (2000) and 3–8% (2001). Through the hydroacoustic data intra-annual dynamics in acoustic fish abundance, densities and size composition could be followed, which showed similar trends in both years. In spring and early summer acoustic fish densities were low, followed by a drastic, 20-fold increase in late summer. Hydroacoustic data and biological samples suggest that the increase was caused mainly by the recruitment of young-of-the-year herring to the acoustically assessable pelagic fish community. This age class is commonly not well represented in catches when using traditional sampling gears such as gill nets and trawls, and hydroacoustics may help to improve quantitative estimates of small juvenile fish in order to increase the understanding of biological processes in coastal nursery areas.     

乐清湾海域浮游动物群落分布的季节变化特征及其环境影响因子

2006年10月、2007年1月、4月及7月对乐清湾海域浮游动物群落的种类组成、优势种、生态类群、水平分布的季节性变化特征进行了调查,分析了浮游动物群落分布与环境因子的关系.结果表明,在调查海域共鉴定出浮游动物82种(包括浮游幼体11种),隶属于15大类,其中秋季为46种、夏季为42种、春季为25种和冬季为16种.乐清湾浮游动物可分为近岸低盐类群、暖水性近海类群、暖温带近海类群和暖水性广布类群4个生态类群,其中近岸低盐类群在全年均占优势,其它类群则呈现明显的季节变化.中华哲水蚤Calanus sinicus、真刺唇角水蚤Labidocera euchaeta、针刺拟哲水蚤Paracalanus aculeatus和背针胸刺水蚤Centropages dorsispinatus为调查海域主要优势种.浮游动物生物量年平均值为82.7 mg/m3,其大小依序为:夏季(121.1 mg/m3)＞秋季(119.2mg/m3)＞春季(48.5 mg/m3)＞冬季(42.2 mg/m3);丰度年平均值为82.1个/m3,其大小依序为:夏季(193.4个/m3)＞秋季(73.7个/m3)＞春季(53.4个/m3)＞冬季(9.8个/m3).相同季节浮游动物生物量和丰度的平面分布趋势类似,季节间则存在明显差异.相关性分析结果表明,浮游动物物种数与水温、盐度、叶绿素a质量浓度和浮游植物细胞密度均呈极显著相关;丰度与水温、叶绿素a质量浓度和浮游植物细胞密度呈极显著相关;生物量与水温、叶绿素a质量浓度呈极显著相关.与历史资料相比,近30 a来浮游动物数量呈下降趋势,但群落结构和组成没有发生明显改变.     

Growth dynamics and bioactivity variation of the Mediterranean demosponges Agelas oroides (Agelasida, Agelasidae) and Petrosia ficiformis (Haplosclerida, Petrosiidae)

Growth dynamics and bioactivity variation of the Mediterranean demosponges Agelas oroides and Petrosia ficiformis were investigated over 15 months at Paraggi and Colombara within the Marine Reserve of Portofino Promontory (Mediterranean Sea, Ligurian Sea, Italy). For both species, growth rates varied between individuals and were unaffected by initial sponge size. The two species showed a different trend in growth pattern: A. oroides did not vary significantly between seasons, sites and depths; in contrast, some individuals of P. ficiformis showed a seasonal pattern, shrinking during winter as water temperature decreased and growing during summer when water temperature increased. Differences in growth between the two species may result from different reproductive cycles, food availability, species-specific thermophily and patterns of spatial competition. Moreover, spatial competition probably induced sponges to produce bioactive secondary molecules. Spatial and temporal variation of bioactivity of both species was examined for the first time by studying its effect on human neuroblastoma cells. The bioactivity of A. oroides extracts differed significantly between seasons, sites and depths, whereas the cytotoxicity of P. ficiformis differed significantly between seasons and depths (differences for sites were not determined). These results suggest the possible influence of environmental factors on bioactive metabolite biosynthesis.     

Seasonal dynamics of inorganic nutrients and phytoplankton biomass in the NW Alboran Sea

The seasonal dynamics of inorganic nutrients and phytoplankton biomass (chlorophyll a), and its relation with hydrological features, was studied in the NW Alboran Sea during four cruises conducted in February, April, July and October 2002. In the upper layers, the seasonal pattern of nutrient concentrations and their molar ratios (N:Si:P) was greatly influenced by hydrological conditions. The higher nutrient concentrations were observed during the spring cruise (2.54 μM NO₃⁻, 0.21 μM PO₄³⁻ and 1.55 μM Si(OH)₄, on average), coinciding with the increase of salinity due to upwelling induced by westerlies. The lowest nutrient concentrations were observed during summer (<0.54 μM NO₃⁻, 0.13 μM PO₄³⁻ and 0.75 μM Si(OH)₄, on average), when the lower salinities were detected. Nutrient molar ratios (N:Si:P) followed the same seasonal pattern as nutrient distribution. During all the cruises, the ratio N:P in the top 20 m was lower than 16:1, indicating a NO₃⁻ deficiency relative to PO₄³⁻. The N:P ratio increased with depth, reaching values higher than 16:1 in the deeper layers (200–300 m). The N:Si ratio in the top 20 m was lower than 1:1, excepting during spring when N:Si ratios higher than 1:1 were observed in some stations due to the upwelling event. The N:Si ratio increased with depth, showing a maximum at 50–100 m (>1.5:1), which indicates a shift towards Si-deficiency in these layers. The Si:P ratio was much lower than 16:1 throughout the water column during the four cruises. In general, the spatial and seasonal variation of phytoplankton biomass showed a strong coupling with hydrological and chemical fields. The higher chlorophyll a concentrations at the depth of the chlorophyll maximum were found in April (2.57 mg m⁻³ on average), while the lowest phytoplankton biomass corresponded to the winter cruise (0.74 mg m⁻³ on average). The low nitrate concentrations together with the low N:P ratios found in the upper layers (top 20 m) during the winter, summer and autumn cruises suggest that N-limitation could occur in these layers during great part of the year. However, N-limitation during the spring cruise was temporally overcome by nutrient enrichment caused by an intense wind-driven upwelling event.     

Sediment organic matter composition and dynamics in San Francisco Bay, California, USA: Seasonal variation and interactions between water column chlorophyll and the benthos

Sediment and water column data from four sites in North, Central and South San Francisco Bays were collected monthly from November 1999 through November 2001 to investigate the seasonal variation of benthic organic matter and chlorophyll in channel sediments, the composition and quality of sediment organic matter (SOM), and the relationship between seasonal patterns in benthic organic matter and patterns in water column chlorophyll. Water column chlorophyll peaked in the spring of 2000 and 2001, characteristic of other studies of San Francisco Bay phytoplankton dynamics, however an unusual chlorophyll peak occurred in fall 2000. Cross-correlation analysis revealed that water column chlorophyll at these four channel sites lead sediment parameters by an average of 2 to 3 months. Sediment organic matter levels in the San Francisco Bay channel showed seasonal cycles that followed patterns of water column production: peaks in water column chlorophyll were followed by later peaks in sediment chlorophyll and organic matter. Cyclical, seasonal variations also occurred in sediment organic matter parameters with sediment total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) being highest in spring and lowest in winter, and sediment amino acids being highest in spring and summer and lowest in winter. Sediment chlorophyll, total organic carbon, and nitrogen were generally positively correlated with each other. Sediment organic matter levels were lowest in North Bay, intermediate in Central Bay, and highest in South Bay. C:N ratio and the ratio of enzyme hydrolyzable amino acids to TOC (EHAA:TOC) data suggest that SOM quality is more labile in Central and northern South Bay, and more refractory in North Bay and southern South Bay.     

The study on seasonal trait of Nitzschia population in Zhelin Bay of eastern Guangdong

The seasonal trait of Nitzschia population was studied between May 2004 and February 2005 in Zhelin Bay. Twenty-five Nitzschia taxa were identified from samples. Among them, Nitzschia delicatissima, Nitzschia hybrida, Nitzschia longissima, Nitzschia panduriformis, Nitzschia paradoxa and Nitzschia pungens appeared all year round. The average population density of Nitzschia was 20.29 × 10³ cells/dm³, contributing 16.59% to total phytoplankton. Comparing with other regions, Nitzschia population of Zhelin Bay have high species richness and intermediate population density. Nitzschia species richness of May and August was apparently lower than that of November and February, and this may be caused by water temperature and interspecific competition; Nitzschia population density was high in warm seasons (May and August) and low in cold seasons (November and February), and this may be caused by water temperature and zooplankton community structure; and underwater light intensity was important factor influencing spatial distribution of Nitzschia density.     

Seasonal Variation of Stratification in the Gulf of Thailand

Intensive hydrographic observations were carried out in the western part of the Gulf of Thailand and the east coastal sea of Peninsular Malaysia in September 1995 and April–May 1996. The characteristics of seasonal variation of oceanic condition in that area are discussed basis of an analysis of observed water temperature, salinity and density distributions in these cruises and NAGA cruises (Yanagi and Takao, 1998a). Stratification is most developed in March–May mainly due to large sea surface heating and weak sea surface wind, which weakened until September–October, vanishing in December–January. The horizontal distribution of bottom cold, saline and heavy water masses, which are found during the stratified season, is governed by the tidal mixing and the water depth. Water exchange between the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea becomes large in March–May due to a coupled effect of the intensified estuarine circulation and the Ekman transport by the southwest monsoon. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

东海陆架环流季节变化的模拟与分析

在改进POM模式基础上,建立1个中国东部海域斜压准预报模式,利用全球海洋模式结果并结合实测资料以及高精度卫星遥感SST资料,进行了东海陆架海域温盐及环流年循环的数值模拟,并系统分析了东海陆架环流系统及其季节变化、各暖流的路径等广为关注的问题。模式结果表明：黑潮主轴主体沿陆架坡折走向,中段黑潮流幅由南至北增宽,流速变大,流核所达深度变浅。浙闽沿岸流是一典型的季风环流,台湾暖流终年表现出东、北两分支结构,其分支表现出明显的季节性变化特征。在东海东北部陆架海域,冬季黑潮以其分支形式向北入侵,夏季则主要以大陆边缘流的形式向北进入陆架。论文对各暖流的水源也进行了相应的分析。     

Seasonal and short-term variations in abundance of barnacle larvae near the South-West of the Isle of Man

Larvae of five species of sessile barnacles were found to be common within 4 miles of Port Erin, Isle of Man. These are Balanus balanoides, B. crenatus, B. balanus, B. hameri and Verucca stroemia. Larvae of other recorded species were very rare or absent.The major larval release of all the common species occurred in late winter and spring, but V. stroemia continued to breed throughout most of the year, and there was some evidence of autumn breeding of B. crenatus on a very small scale. The major release of nauplii by most of these species occurred at the time of the spring diatom outburst.The larval life of each of the four species of Balanus is estimated to last 3–5 weeks, that of V. stroemia 7–8 weeks.Some observations suggested that the larval release of B. balanoides may be stimulated by spring tides, but other observations seemed to contradict this. Larval release may be inhibited by turbulence.     

Planktonic stages of the teleost family carapidae in eastern New Zealand waters

The occurrence of planktonic carapid eggs in Otago waters, of young stages of Echiodon rendahli off Castlepoint, and the possible presence of unrecorded members of the family Carapidae in New Zealand waters is discussed. Young E. rendahli possess a long spine which originates dorsally to a distinctive suspended gut.     

Seasonal variations of the ocean surface circulation in the vicinity of Palau

The surface circulation in the western equatorial Pacific Ocean is investigated with the aim of describing intra-annual variations near Palau (134°30′ E, 7°30′ N). In situ data and model output from the Ocean Surface Currents Analysis—Real-time, TRIangle Trans-Ocean buoy Network, Naval Research Laboratory Layered Ocean Model and the Joint Archive for Shipboard ADCP are examined and compared. Known major currents and eddies of the western equatorial Pacific are observed and discussed, and previously undocumented features are identified and named (Palau Eddy, Caroline Eddy, Micronesian Eddy). The circulation at Palau follows a seasonal variation aligned with that of the Asian monsoon (December–April; July–October) and is driven by the major circulation features. From December to April, currents around Palau are generally directed northward with speeds of approximately 20 cm/s, influenced by the North Equatorial Counter-Current and the Mindanao Eddy. The current direction turns slightly clockwise through this boreal winter period, due to the northern migration of the Mindanao Eddy. During April–May, the current west of Palau is reduced to 15 cm/s as the Mindanao Eddy weakens. East of Palau, a cyclonic eddy (Palau Eddy) forms producing southward flow of around 25 cm/s. The flow during the period July to September is disordered with no influence from major circulation features. The current is generally northward west of Palau and southward to the east, each with speeds on the order of 5 cm/s. During October, as the Palau Eddy reforms, the southward current to the east of Palau increases to 15 cm/s. During November, the circulation transitions to the north-directed winter regime.     

On the potential impact of harbour seal predation on the cod population in the eastern North Sea

Increasing Scandinavian harbour seal populations during the last decades coincide in time with the collapse of the cod fishery. Assumptions of a causal relationship have led to claims favouring re-introduction of seal hunting. Proposals for ‘adaptive management’ often assume that decimating seal populations will automatically favour the fishery. This argument presupposes seal predation to be sufficiently large to have a measurable impact on the fish population. The potential magnitude of the cod-seal interaction was analysed using data on harbour seal abundance, feeding habits and compiled information on cod life history and cod landing statistics. A size-structured life history matrix for the cod population was applied and the size-specific prey preferences of harbour seals were taken into account. Estimated seal predation was small compared to both the landings by the fishery, and to minimum estimates of the total cod population. Furthermore, since the size classes of cod targeted by seals have low reproductive values, the impact of seal predation on cod production will be further reduced. Our analyses suggest harbour seals have a negligible impact on the cod fishery.     

The distribution and population dynamics of O-group plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) on nursery grounds in the Firth of Forth

Midsummer (1 August) population estimates of about 2 million O-group plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) were derived for sandy bays around the Firth of Forth in 1979–1980. This is an order of magnitude less than similar estimates made for the Clyde Sea Area in 1973–1974. Autumn population estimates of 0·4–1·0 million fish were comparable to estimates by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for the area between the Scottish border and Flamborough Head (2·3 million for 1970 and 1973) which represented 4·8% (1973) to 5·3% (1970) of the total number of O-group fish on the English east coast.Largo Bay was the most important nursery area holding 25% of the total population. It is particularly well situated to receive newly metamorphosed plaice carried in water currents along the north side of the Forth from the spawning ground off Fife Ness. Plaice in the Forth are mainly distributed on fine to medium sandy beaches (186–480 μm), the mean number per haul in midsummer (D) being correlated with the median diameter (m.d. in μm) of the low water sediments by the equation: D=−45·7666+0·2327 m.d. (n=11,r=0·68,P<0·02 but>0·01).The shallow inshore water in sandy bays in the outer Firth was well mixed and more marine than estuarine (27·7–35·0‰). The correlation coefficient between fish density and water temperature was low, while that with salinity (S‰) was: D=6·1618+0·2238S (n=23,r=0·62,P<0·005).Regression analysis demonstrated that the relationship between the instantaneous mortality rate (Z) and the initial population density (D_p) was: Z×100=0·7480+0·0546d_p (n=12,r=0·87,P<0·001).The mean mortality rate for the O-group plaice in the Forth nursery areas was 53% month⁻¹.