Comparing the activity of exploited and unexploited populations of a reef-dwelling seabream, Chrysoblephus laticeps, during an extreme upwelling and cold-spell event

Seasonal and intraseasonal variability of active and quiescent upwelling events in the Guajira system, southern Caribbean Sea

Capture-mark-recapture models are useful tools for estimating demographic parameters but often result in low precision when recapture rates are low. Low recapture rates are typical in many study systems including fishing-based studies. Incorporating auxiliary data into the models can improve precision and in some cases enable parameter estimation. Here, we present a novel application of acoustic telemetry for the estimation of apparent survival and abundance within capture-mark-recapture analysis using open population models. Our case study is based on simultaneously collecting longline fishing and acoustic telemetry data for a large mobile apex predator, the broadnose sevengill shark (Notorhynchus cepedianus), at a coastal site in Tasmania, Australia. Cormack-Jolly-Seber models showed that longline data alone had very low recapture rates while acoustic telemetry data for the same time period resulted in at least tenfold higher recapture rates. The apparent survival estimates were similar for the two datasets but the acoustic telemetry data showed much greater precision and enabled apparent survival parameter estimation for one dataset, which was inestimable using fishing data alone. Combined acoustic telemetry and longline data were incorporated into Jolly-Seber models using a Monte Carlo simulation approach. Abundance estimates were comparable to those with longline data only; however, the inclusion of acoustic telemetry data increased precision in the estimates. We conclude that acoustic telemetry is a useful tool for incorporating in capture-mark-recapture studies in the marine environment. Future studies should consider the application of acoustic telemetry within this framework when setting up the study design and sampling program.

Physical-biological interactions in the ocean: case studies from the northern Canary Current Upwelling Ecosystem

Managing the sea environment is a complicated interdisciplinary task. To understand changes in the sea, knowledge of the present state is essential. Many variables are monitored constantly, and long historical data sets exist. However, the spatial and temporal data coverage varies widely over the Baltic Sea. The preparation for the emerging circumstances demands the ability to forecast the future marine conditions. Thus, improved modelling and forecasting systems are needed. In this thesis, methods were developed to 1) understand the present state of the sea and 2) predict future conditions. The study areas were the Bothnian Sea and the Eastern Gotland Basin. Argo floats are a common tool in the oceans, but so far they have not been used in shallow marginal seas, such as the Baltic Sea. The autonomous measurement device brings possibilities to fill the gaps in the existing observation network (e.g. research vessels, moorings) as well as to enable new scientific experiments. To better understand the present state of the Northern Baltic Sea, methods were developed using the Argo floats. The salinity, temperature and GPS data collected with these floats from the area is analysed in this thesis for the first time and its applicability for studying the different physical phenomena, such as currents at the float diving depth and wind induced mixing, are evaluated. The usability of Argo data was compared with the ship-borne CTD data. Due to the higher frequency of the Argo data, the seasonal variations can be studied in detail with this method. However, the spatial coverage of the Argo data is not as good as the CTD data collected with a research vessel due to the fact that the floats only operate near the deep areas of the Baltic Sea. To be able to predict the future conditions of the Baltic Sea, monthly ensemble forecasting system was developed. A 3D biogeochemical model was forced with monthly ensembles of the atmospheric forcing and the results were applied to forecast upwelling events and harmful algal blooms. The monthly ensemble forecasts for upwelling events were evaluated. The result was that the upwelling events could be forecasted on a weekly scale. This enables, for example, better planning of the scientific study of upwelling events or the improvement of local-scale weather forecasts. The same probability-based ensemble prediction system was used to produce harmful algal bloom forecasts. The forecasts showed the effects of the weather scenarios on marine biogeochemistry. In the future, it will be possible to interconnect the observations and forecasts better than before. The more dense observations can be used to improve the computational methods, for example, by assimilation. The probability-based forecasts can help, for example, to mitigate the environmental risks.; Meren ilmioiden tuntemus ja sita kautta niiden tutkimus, hoito ja kestava kaytto perustuvat saatavilla olevaan tietoon meren tilasta. Monia meren ymparistomuuttujia mitataan saannollisesti ja joistain on olemassa jopa pitkia…

We used a high-resolution oxygen isotope (δ18Ocoral), carbon isotope (δ13Ccoral) and Sr/Ca ratios measured in the skeleton of a reef-building coral, Porites sp., to reveal seasonal-scale upwelling events and their interannual variability in the Gulf of Oman. Our δ13Ccoral record shows sharp negative excursions in the summer, which correlate with known upwelling events. Using δ13Ccoral anomalies as a proxy for upwelling, we found 17 summer upwelling events occurred in the last 26 years. These anomalous negative excursions of δ13Ccoral result from upwelled water depleted in 13C (dissolved inorganic carbon) and decreased water-column transparency. We reconstructed biweekly SSTs from coral Sr/Ca ratios and the oxygen isotopic composition of seawater (δ18OSW) by subtracting the reconstructed Sr/Ca-SST from δ18Ocoral. Significant δ18OSW anomalies occur during major upwelling events. Our results suggest δ13Ccoral anomalies can be used as a proxy for seasonal upwelling intensity in the Gulf of Oman, which, driven by the Indian/Arabian Summer Monsoon, is subject to interannual variability.

New in situ time-series data were acquired by two ADCP moorings placed on the shelf off Richards Bay on the east coast of South Africa at depths of 25 m and 582 m between October 2009 and August 2010. The 11-month inshore bottom-temperature record revealed five substantial upwelling events lasting 5–10 days each where temperatures decreased by about 7 °C to 17–18 °C. Satellite sea surface temperature data showed these events to coincide with cold-water plumes occupying the northern wedge of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Bight. Numerous shorter duration (1–2 days) upwelling events with less vivid surface expressions were also observed throughout the entire record where bottom temperature dropped by 2–3 °C. The last four months of the record were characterised by a protracted cool period lacking a seasonal trend but punctuated with oscillations of warm and cooler bottom water. In contrast to earlier studies that suggested upwelling was topographically and dynamically driven by the juxtaposition of the Cape St Lucia offset and the Agulhas Current (a solitary mechanism), our analysis showed almost all major and minor cold-water intrusions to coincide with upwelling-favourable north-easterly winds that simultaneously force a south-westerly coastal current. Ekman veering in the bottom boundary layer of the Agulhas Current, and the concomitant movement of cold water up the slope, was found to coexist at times with coastal upwelling, but its absence did not impede inshore cold-water intrusions, calling into question its role as a primary driver of upwelling. Both major and minor upwelling events were observed to promote phytoplankton blooms in the northern KZN Bight which commonly extended to the Thukela River. Wind-driven upwelling was also observed in the inner bight between Richards Bay and Port Durnford, explaining the ribbon of coastal chlorophyll continuously observed on ocean colour images between Cape St Lucia and the Thukela River. Similarities in upwelling character and mechanisms are observed between the northern KZN Bight and the Florida Current shelf systems.

Different proxies for activity are used in the field of acoustic telemetry, a leading technology for the study of behaviour in the aquatic environment. Acoustic telemetry poses some shortcomings that may condition data interpretation. Here, we assessed some approaches commonly used to infer activity from acoustic telemetry data using acceleration biologgers as a benchmark. Specifically, we assessed (1) the performance of internal acceleration transmitters, (2) the consequences of averaging acceleration data into increasing time bins, (3) the occurrence of sampling bias in telemetry data acquisition, and (4) the performance of the number of detections and the depth range as proxies for activity. Despite some constraints of acoustic telemetry, acceleration transmitters had a good performance. Conversely, the number of detections and the depth range did not match well the activity estimates provided by acceleration biologgers. Besides, our results pointed to some issues in models concerning the predictive power of acceleration transmitters (linear predictor) over acceleration biologgers, warned about potential sampling bias associated with data acquisition with acoustic telemetry, and highlighted the relevance of considering inter-individual differences in behavioural studies. Finally, we provided some methodological perspectives that should be considered to plan fieldwork, analyse data, and interpret results on animal activity obtained with acoustic telemetry.

Assessment of sedimentary pigments and phytoplankton determined by CHEMTAX analysis as biomarkers of unusual upwelling conditions in summer 2014 off the SE coast of Algarve

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phase state is reported to drive interannual variability in sea temperatures along South Africa’s south coast through its influence on wind-induced upwelling processes. Whether ENSO drives the intensity of localised, abrupt, intermittent upwelling is less well known. To explore this relationship, we used an index of localised, extreme (>2 °C anomaly), intermittent upwelling intensity, derived from in situ sea temperature data within the Tsitsikamma National Park Marine Protected Area, and quantified the relationship between annual cumulative upwelling intensities (1991–2013) with an annual ENSO index, namely the Southern Oscillation Index. We found that ENSO phase state modulates the cumulative intensity of extreme intermittent upwelling events during an annual period, with more and greater events during La Niña phases compared with El Niño phases. Furthermore, these extreme upwelling events have increased with time along South Africa’s south coast as ENSO phase state becomes more intense and variable. Our findings support the emerging notion that the biological effects of climate change may be manifested through increased environmental variability rather than long-term mean environmental changes as ENSO is predicted to remain the dominant driver of local climate patterns in the future.

Physiological rates and processes underpin the relationships between ectothermic organisms, such as fish, and their environment. The response and persistence of fish populations in an increasingly variable ocean is dependent on the distribution and diversity of physiological phenotypes. Growing evidence suggests that fisheries exploitation can selectively target certain physiological and behavioural phenotypes, which may shift exploited populations to altered physiological states. Here we test if commercial fisheries have the potential to do this in a “natural laboratory” along the South African coast. We compare metabolic traits of exploited and protected populations of the fish species, Chrysoblephus laticeps, which is a major component of the South African hook and line fishery. We find that high-performance aerobic scope phenotypes are reduced in the fished population. The most likely mechanism for this finding is a positive relationship between aerobic scope and capture vulnerability in passive-gear fisheries. Our results further highlight the selective nature of capture-fisheries and suggest that exploitation has the capacity to alter climate responses of fish populations on a physiological level. Our finding also implicates how Marine Protected Areas, through harbouring individuals with a greater diversity of physiological traits, may provide greater fish response diversity to environmental variability.

[1] While there is no persistent upwelling along the West-Australian (WA) coastline, sporadic upwelling events have been documented primarily in summer. By analyzing comparatively the variability of both Ekman and geostrophic cross-shore transports over a seasonal cycle, we show that the situation is more contrasted. Based on a composite index computed from satellite data over a 15 year period, calibrated with well documented events, we investigate the factors influencing the development of sporadic upwelling in the region. Overall, the occurrence of transient upwelling events lasting 3–10 days varies largely in space and time. Shelf regions at 31.5 and 34°S are favored with up to 12 upwelling days per month during the austral spring/summer. Although being generally favored from September to April, sporadic upwelling events can also occur at any time of the year at certain locations north of 30°S. On average over 1995–2010, the Ningaloo region (22.5°S) cumulates the highest number of upwelling (∼140 days per year) and is characterized by longer events. The intensity of intermittent upwelling is influenced by the upwelling-favorable winds, the characteristics of the Leeuwin Current (e.g., onshore geostrophic flow, mesoscale eddies and meanders, stratification and nitracline) and the local topography. This suggests that short-living nutrient enrichment of variable magnitude may occur at any time of the year at many locations along the WA coast.

Introduction to marine biogeochemistry: S.M. Libes, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1992, hardback, xv + 734 pp. Price US$45.95. ISBN 0-471-50946-9

Upwelling processes along a western boundary current in the Abrolhos–Campos region of Brazil

Spatiotemporal characterization of summer coastal upwelling events in Uruguay, South America

Recreational fishing is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the world, resulting in substantial effects on recreational fish stocks. Recent studies have found that recreational angling may drive fisheries-induced evolution, resulting in changes in the size, behavior, and physiology of exploited recreational stocks. Traditional harvest-based management of recreational fisheries may be unable to mitigate these changes, especially with the rise of catch-and-release practices for many fisheries. We explored the potential to genetically manage exploited fisheries by introducing individuals from unexploited populations as a means to mitigate selection from recreational angling. We stocked 77 individuals from an unexploited population of Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides and 79 individuals from an exploited population into a third water body (with an active fishery) and evaluated the extent to which each group of stocked fish contributed to fall age-0 recruits. Fifty-four percent of the sampled age-0 Largemouth Bass with reliable parentage were hybrids of stocked and resident parents. Individuals from the exploited and unexploited populations contributed to the age-0 sample in proportion to their initial abundances. No sex-biased contribution was detected between the exploited and unexploited individuals stocked into the pond, although the largest females had the highest contribution to the age-0 sample. Age-0 fish originating from hybridization between unexploited and resident parents had significantly higher condition than age-0 recruits originating from two resident parents. We conclude that individuals from unexploited populations can successfully reproduce in an exploited system and that genetic management may be a feasible option for mitigating the effects of recreational fisheries-induced evolution. Received January 12, 2016; accepted October 28, 2016 Published online February 23, 2017