British Coastal Waters Research Articles

Competition in coastal waters: customs sloops and Admiralty cruisers in eighteenth-century Britain

ABSTRACT This article explores the relationship between the Customs and the Admiralty as agents of anti-smuggling prevention and policing in British coastal waters during the long-eighteenth century. This relationship was, at first glance, embedded in an ostensible rhetoric of co-operation. In reality, however, the various actors operated in stark competition to each other, occasioned by monetary rewards. It is argued here that such competition was seen as beneficial for the coastal duty by central administrators. Competition was the easiest means to keeping transaction costs – in the form of fraud, collusion, and negligence – low. The agenda of central departments was thus ultimately served best by encouraging rivalry over co-operation. This line of inquiry also serves to complicate typically simplistic representations of smuggling which see the efforts of state actors unanimously pitched against the smugglers. Various central institutions followed their own agenda in the anti-smuggling business, and it was the task of the Customs Board to reconcile such agendas into a coherent effort. The present case offers a suitable field to explore this complexity. It also speaks to wider concerns regarding the eighteenth-century state, such as the nature of inter-departmental rivalry and the role of contractual arrangements between private interests and the state.

A review of American lobster (Homarus americanus) records around the British Isles: 2012 to 2018

Although native to eastern Canada and the USA, American lobsters (Homarus americanus) have been reported from British coastal waters in recent years. The introduction of most have been as escapees from holding facilities or releases by members of the public for animal welfare or religious reasons. Life-history traits of H. americanus put them at a potential competitive advantage over and hybridisation with the European lobster (Homarus gammarus), the 5th most valuable seafood to the UK. While yearly reported numbers of H. americanus found in British waters have been low, a mass release of 361 H. americanus into the English Channel off Brighton, southern England, took place in June 2015. This review identified 162 records of H. americanus in British waters between 2012 and 2018, with specimens caught mainly in or around Brighton, although additional H. americanus released may have gone undetected. While this evidence suggests a growing potential for establishment of the species, further information is provided evidencing hybridisation between released H. americanus and native H. gammarus via genetic analysis. This review highlights the need for a more robust means of detecting H. americanus and other non-native species in British waters.

Introduction, dispersal and naturalization of the Manila clamRuditapes philippinarumin British estuaries, 1980–2010

The introduction of the Manila clam into British coastal waters in the 1980s was contested by conservation agencies. While recognizing the value of the clam for aquaculture, the government decided that it posed no invasive risk, as British sea temperatures would prevent naturalization. This proved incorrect. Here we establish the pattern of introduction and spread of the species over the first 30 years of its presence in Britain. We report archival research on the sequence of licensed introductions and examine their relationship in time and space to the appearance of wild populations as revealed in the literature and by field surveys. By 2010 the species had naturalized in at least 11 estuaries in southern England. These included estuaries with no history of licensed introduction. In these cases activities such as storage of catch before market or deliberate unlicensed introduction represent the probable mechanisms of dispersal. In any event naturalization is not an inevitable consequence of introduction and the chances of establishment over the period in question were finely balanced. Consequently in Britain the species is not currently aggressively invasive and appears not to present significant risk to indigenous diversity or ecosystem function. However it is likely to gradually continue its spread should sea surface temperatures rise as predicted.

A reappraisal of the history and economics of the Pacific oyster in Britain

Abstract The Pacific oyster ( Crassostrea gigas ) was introduced into British waters to support an industry suffering from the decline of the native oyster. Until recently significant conservation risk was thought to be negligible as British coastal waters were considered incompatible with the establishment of self sustaining populations. Those circumstances have changed. On warming southern coasts the Pacific oyster has naturalised and now occupies an intersection between two policy imperatives: one concerning the conservation of protected habitats, the other relating to livelihoods and the economics of coastal communities. This combined with inconsistencies of attitude and policy between immediate European Union neighbours has made the future management of the Pacific oyster contentious. In this context policy is influenced not just by scientific evidence but also by perceptions of the history and economics of the species in each member state. However whereas the conservation risk is increasingly well documented, the history and economics of the species are not. To balance the policy equation we reappraise the commercial history of the species in Britain and provide a first estimate of the full value to the British economy of British reared Pacific oysters, employing a novel approach to the economics of a single aquaculture species. The established view on the history of C. gigas in Britain has it introduced for aquaculture in 1965. Informed by formal taxonomic recognition of its synonymic relation with the Portuguese oyster, along with a search of primary sources, we provide a revised history with the first reliably documented introduction 75 years earlier, in 1890. The economic significance of the species, when conventionally reported as “value at first sale”, is also underestimated. The full economic significance of a species is better represented by Gross Output and Gross Value Added through all stages of the value chain, but few if any estimates of these have been attempted for a single species. On the basis of an analysis of the 2011/12 market for British reared C. gigas from production to ultimate consumption, we estimate annual Gross Output to be over £13 million (more than five times the value at first sale), and GVA to be over £10 million. On the basis of the world market and comparisons with neighbouring state production, it is argued that British Pacific oyster production could be significantly increased once uncertainty over its management is resolved.

Seasonal distribution of white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) in UK waters with new information on diet and habitat use

The white-beaked dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris, is commonly found throughout the North Sea and shelf waters of the North Atlantic. Little is known about the behaviour and ecology of this species, especially in British coastal waters. In this paper we present details of the seasonal and geographical distribution of white-beaked dolphins around the UK, along with new information on their diet and habitat use. Analysis of historical stranding records show a segregation of the sexes, with a significant difference between when males and females strand in UK waters. There has been a steady decline in reported strandings since the 1970s and seasonal differences in the distribution of strandings suggest that sea temperature may limit white-beaked dolphin distribution around the British coast. Stomach contents' analysis, from dolphins stranded mainly on the Scottish east coast, identified haddock and whiting as the predominant fish species being taken. Boat surveys were performed along the north-east Scottish coast to examine relationships between topography, environmental conditions, dolphin presence and group size. Dolphin presence was related to seabed slope and aspect while variation in temperature explained almost 45% of variation in observed group size, with smaller groups associated with higher sea temperatures.

From Sicily to Salcombe: a Mediterranean Bronze Age object from British coastal waters

Bronze Age objects found in the English Channel off Salcombe, southern Britain, include an implement which has its normal home in Sicilian agriculture – perhaps as a plough shoe. The authors assemble and classify the objects and consider the web of exchange networks that brought the artefact from Sicily to Devon via France around the thirteenth century BC.

First reported occurrences of the marbled crab, Pachygrapsus marmoratus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Grapsoidea) in southern coastal waters of the British Isles

The occurrence in British coastal waters of the marbled crab Pachygrapsus marmoratus is confirmed for the first time. Features are given to enable this crab to be distinguished from native species. Its spread along the French Atlantic coast and introduction into British waters is discussed.

Population dynamics of naturalised Manila clams Ruditapes philippinarum in British coastal waters

The Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum was introduced to Poole Harbour (lat 50°N) on the south coast of England in 1988 as a novel species for aquaculture. Contrary to expectations, this species naturalised. We report on individual growth patterns, recruitment, mortality and production within this population. On the intertidal mudflats the abundance of clams (>5 mm in length) varied seasonally between 18 and 56 individuals m−2. There appear to be two recruitment events per year and there were 6 year classes in the population. A mid-summer decline in abundance was partly due to increased mortality but probably also a result of down-shore migration in response to high water temperatures and the development of anoxic conditions. A winter fishery removes c 75% of clams of fishable size (maximum shell length ≥40 mm) and c 20% of the annual production. The fishery depresses the maximum age and size attained by the clams but appears to be sustainable. Clam mortality due to factors other than fishing is highest in late-winter to early spring. The growth of the clams is intermediate in comparison with many published studies but remarkably good given their intertidal position. As on the coasts of the Adriatic Sea, where the clam is also non-native, the Manila clam has thrived in a shallow, eutrophic, lagoon-like system on the English coast. While the Poole Harbour population is currently Europe’s most northerly reported self-sustaining, naturalised population, given forecasts of increasing air and sea temperatures it might be expected that this species will eventually spread to more sites around the coasts of Northern Europe with associated economic and ecological consequences.

Rationalizing radio medical advice for maritime emergencies.

The provision of radio medical advice by the National Health Service for British coastal waters has developed in an ad hoc fashion. In 1999, the closure of one of the two centres providing such advice led to unexpected problems. The demographic characteristics of the offshore population covered by each centre were markedly different and this resulted in a different spectrum of medical emergencies presenting to the sole remaining centre. Subsequent data collection of the details of medical emergencies presenting from offshore allowed an audit to inform the development of training packages for both base and remote practitioners. This has led to an ongoing national rationalization of ship-to-shore radio medical advice for the UK.

Dispersion of discharged ship ballast water in Vancouver Harbour, Juan De Fuca Strait, and offshore of the Washington Coast

The dispersion of harmful nonindigenous biological organisms that may be present in discharged ship ballast water is an issue of international interest. The present paper examines this issue as it applies to Vancouver Harbour and Juan de Fuca Strait, British Columbia, and the adjacent U.S. waters. The objective is to determine whether potential mechanisms exist to transport viable organisms that might be present in discharged ballast water to favourable reproductive habitats within British Columbian coastal waters. The study applied three-dimensional harmonic finite element models to generate representative tidal, atmospheric, and density-driven flow fields. Particle-tracking techniques were used to simulate representative trajectories of passive and active ballast water organisms discharged at existing deballasting sites. It was determined that the safest deballasting sites are off the west coast. Under normal conditions, organisms move southward (summer) or northward (winter) in the Shelf Break Current and only under strong eastward or northward winds are they transported to the Washington or Vancouver Island shorelines. Key words: ship ballast water, discharge, microorganism, trajectory, Vancouver Harbour, West Coast.

Changes in the demersal fish assemblages of British coastal waters during the 20th century

Catches of demersal fish from research vessel surveys in three areas around the British Isles from 1901 to 1907 were compared with survey catches in the same areas from 1989 to 1997. Mesh size and other characteristics of the trawls used suggested that some of these data were comparable, and could be used to describe changes in demersal fish assemblages over the last 80 years. In Start Bay (NW English Channel) and the Irish Sea, species diversity was the same in both periods, although the most abundant species in each period were not the same. In English coastal regions of the southern North Sea, fish populations became more diverse, as plaice Pleuronectes platessa and whiting Merlangius merlangus became less abundant, and the relative abundance of several non-target species such as dragonet Callionymus spp., bib Trisopterus luscus, and bull-rout Myoxocephalus scorpius increased. The proportion in the catch of small fish species (maximum body length 30 cm) in catches decreased in all regions during the time period, except in the Irish Sea where plaice replaced grey gurnard Eutrigla gurnardus as a dominant species. There was a decline in abundance of large sharks, skates and rays, including the common skate, Raja batis, white skate R. alba and the angel shark Squatina squatina. During historic surveys, 60% of the elasmobranch fauna consisted of thornback ray Raja clavata, whereas in contemporary surveys the lesser spotted dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula was the most abundant elasmobranch. Changes in length-frequency distribution of fish in both target and non-target categories, and other observed changes, were thought to be a response to commercial exploitation, and corresponded to similar observations recorded elsewhere. (C) 2000 British Crown Copyright.

32P-postlabelling analysis of DNA adducts and EROD induction as biomarkers of genotoxin exposure in dab ( Limanda limanda) from British coastal waters

Dab ( Limanda limanda) were sampled from a number of polluted and unpolluted areas in British coastal waters. The 32P-postlabelling assay was used to analyse the level of aromatic/hydrophobic DNA adducts in pooled samples of liver tissue. The mean levels of DNA adducts detected from areas known to receive anthropogenic pollutants ranged from 4.0 to 26.8 adducts per 10 8 nucleotides, with all sites containing samples displaying DNA adduct profiles consisting of diagonal radioactive zones. In contrast no DNA adducts were detectable in samples from an unpolluted reference site. The ranking of polluted sites based on DNA adduct levels did not correspond with the ranking of sites based on sediment associated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels, highlighting the problem of linking the presence of contamination with detectable biological responses. No correlation could be found in this study between EROD activity and the level of DNA adducts.

Construction of a gene probe for detection of P virus (Reoviridae) in a marine decapod

The construction is described of a molecular probe to P virus, a double stranded RNA virus belonging to the Reoviridiae, which is an endemic pathogen of swimming crabs in British coastal waters and the Mediterranean. The probe hybridises to the P virus genome and can be easily produced in large quantities by PCR. It may be used by dot blotting or in situ hybridisation to specifically detect P virus in tissues and cells of natural or experimentally infected animals. Analyses of tissue samples with this probe show that the virus infects connective tissues of gills and hepatopancreas. This is the first gene probe to be constructed for a native viral pathogen of temperate water brachyurans and it will be useful to study virus ecology and virus–host interactions in vivo and in vitro. An understanding of these processes is essential to control and manage disease and, ultimately, to identify immune effectors capable of destroying viral pathogens.

Passive microwave retrieval of ocean surface windspeeds for British coastal waters

Previous approaches to the estimation of ocean surface windspeeds from passive microwave data have been incapable of providing information within 100 km of a coastline due to land contamination in pixel footprints. This paper describes the application of a brightness-temperature separation method to the computation of Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I)-based estimates of ocean surface windspeed for the littoral zone surrounding the southern part of the British Isles over the three-month period of May-July 1996. When validated against in situ buoy data, the windspeed estimates for the coastal zone displayed broadly similar error characteristics to equivalent estimates made for the open ocean.

A Swimming Crab New to the British Fauna,Liocarcinus Vernalis(Crustacea: Brachyura: Portunidae)

The occurrence in British coastal waters of the swimming crabLiocarcinus vernalisis confirmed for the first time. Features are given to enable this species to be distinguished from the closely relatedL. holsatusandL. marmoreus. The zoogeographical distribution and bionomics ofL. vernalisare briefly discussed.

Anthropogenic impacts on the stocks of the common whelk Buccinum undatum (L.)

Imposex was absent in most samples of whelks Buccinum undatum (L.) taken from the Irish Sea but was recorded in samples from the North Sea, English Channel, Clyde Sea, Svalbard and one out of two samples from the west coast of Ireland. It is evidently a relatively recent phenomenon because it was not recorded in a preserved sample taken from the North Sea in 1970. The most likely cause is tributyltin (TBT) contamination from antifoulants on boat hulls because symptoms were more severe in areas of high shipping activity than elsewhere. There appears to have been little, if any, impact on breeding performances because imposex was mostly mild. Furthermore, stocks of whelks were sufficiently large in the North Sea and other British coastal waters to support buoyant fisheries. There has been overfishing in some areas in the past, notably the Wadden Sea and (probably) off the southern part of the east coast of England, and there are fears that recent expansion of the whelk fishery, due to market opportunities in the Far East, is leading to more general over-exploitation.

Methylosulfonomonas methylovora gen. nov., sp. nov., and Marinosulfonomonas methylotropha gen. nov., sp. nov.: novel methylotrophs able to grow on methanesulfonic acid.

Two novel genera of restricted facultative methylotrophs are described; both Methylosulfonomonas and Marinosulfonomonas are unique in being able to grow on methanesulfonic acid as their sole source of carbon and energy. Five identical strains of Methylosulfonomonas were isolated from diverse soil samples in England and were shown to differ in their morphology, physiology, DNA base composition, molecular genetics, and 16S rDNA sequences from the two marine strains of Marinosulfonomonas, which were isolated from British coastal waters. The marine strains were almost indistinguishable from each other and are considered to be strains of one species. Type species of each genus have been identified and named Methylosulfonomonas methylovora (strain M2) and Marinosulfonomonas methylotropha (strain PSCH4). Phylogenetic analysis using 16S rDNA sequencing places both genera in the alpha-Proteobacteria. Methylosulfonomonas is a discrete lineage within the alpha-2 subgroup and is not related closely to any other known bacterial genus. The Marinosulfonomonas strains form a monophyletic cluster in the alpha-3 subgroup of the Proteobacteria with Roseobacter spp. and some other partially characterized marine bacteria, but they are distinct from these at the genus level. This work shows that the isolation of bacteria with a unique biochemical character, the ability to grow on methanesulfonic acid as energy and carbon substrate, has resulted in the identification of two novel genera of methylotrophs that are unrelated to any other extant methylotroph genera.

Concentrations of dissolved and suspended particulate Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in surface waters around the coasts of England and Wales and in adjacent seas

Trace metal concentrations in British coastal waters were determined during the summers of 1991 and 1992. The measured concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn are in general agreement with those previously reported in the literature. Higher offshore dissolved Mn concentrations (mean = 1·2 μg l −1) are attributed to summertime increases in benthic Mn fluxes to the water column. Concentrations of all determinands were generally higher in the Irish Sea and North Sea than in the English Channel. This reflects the larger riverine component of the North and Irish Seas, and the stronger influence of North Atlantic water in the English Channel. Elevated dissolved and suspended particulate Pb concentrations in the Dogger Bank region are tentatively attributed to atmospheric inputs, and reduced removal by the lower concentrations of suspended particulate matter at these stations. Of the six major estuaries sampled, the Tweed was regarded as a reference site since it has a sparsely populated catchment area with little industry. Dissolved Mn concentrations in the Tweed were generally lower than those in the other estuaries, although the highest suspended particulate Mn (6600 μg g −1) and Ni (69 μg g −1) concentrations were found there. These high particulate concentrations are attributed to the oxidation of Mn(II) and the subsequent scavenging of Ni by the newly precipitated Mn-oxyhydroxides. Highest suspended particulate Cd (6·1 μg g −1), Cu (200 μg g −1), Pb (650 μg g −1) and Zn (1400 μg g −1), and dissolved Pb (1·1 μg g −1) and Zn (25 μg l −1) concentrations were observed in the Tyne. The Tees had the highest dissolved Cu (10 μg l −1) concentration, while the Humber and Mersey had the highest dissolved Cd (220 ng l −1) and Ni concentrations (9·4 μg l −1), respectively. The high concentrations are attributed to anthropogenic inputs.

Marine Pelagic Ciliates and Their Productivity During Summer in Plymouth Coastal Waters

The ciliate list for Plymouth waters has been extended by 14 species using modern taxonomic techniques. Ciliates were abundant in the plankton where they formed a significant food resource. Their community biomass and production was estimated to average 12 µ C 1 and 9 µ C 1 respectively during the summer. The ciliate community was dominated by a diverse assemblage of aloricate choreotrichs, suggesting a complex trophic role for this protozoan group.Ciliate protozoans are ubiquitous and often abundant in marine waters where they are frequently considered to play an important ecological role in trophic flux and nutrient cycling within the plankton (Fenchel, 1987). In spite of this, however, their ecological role in British coastal waters is poorly understood. In Plymouth waters, for instance, there has been only one previous study of marine pelagic Protozoa (Lackey & Lackey, 1963), despite the presence of a marine laboratory in the region for over 100 years. As the study by Lackey & Lackey (1963) focused solely upon the taxonomy of local protists, the ecological role of protozoans in Plymouth waters is unknown. To redress this anomaly the present pilot study was undertaken in Plymouth waters with the following objectives: to identify the dominant ciliates from this region using techniques unavailable to Lackey & Lackey (1963), to quantify ciliate abundance and cell sizes, and to estimate their biomass and production.Triplicate water samples were collected, using a 3-litre water bottle, from surface waters at each of four stations along a 20-km transect between Plymouth Sound (50°21'N 04°09'W) and the Eddystone Rock (50°ll'N 04°16'W) during June, July and August 1988.

Mortality rates of 0-group plaice ( Pleuronectes platessa L.), dab ( Limanda limanda L.) and turbot ( Scophthalmus maximus L.) in European waters : I. Statistical analysis of the data and estimation of parameters

The early demersal phase of those species of flatfish with inshore nursery areas are usually accessible with relatively modest demands on gear and logistics. However, the design of the sampling programme, adjustment for gear efficiency, and statistical analysis of the resulting catch data, raise a number of questions which have not hitherto been addressed comprehensively. This paper presents a systematic analysis of all the published data known to us of demersal 0-group flatfish in nursery grounds adjacent to the North Sea and British coastal waters, together with some hitherto unpublished data. The analysis showed that in most cases catches from repeated tows of a beam trawl can be averaged, after appropriate correction for gear efficiency, to give representative estimates of fish density for a succession of sampling dates. From the time series of density estimates thus obtained a selection of the period from maximum density until the early part of the following year proved to give a consistent window for the estimation of mortality rates by use of regression methods. A total of 57 data sets was analysed (45 plaice, 11 dab and 1 turbot). Of these 48 gave essentially linear log/time trends, of which 7 showed some degree of curvature, (4 concave upwards and 3 concave downwards). In one further case the trend remained essentially horizontal (flat-topped) until near the end of the sampling window and then declined sharply. The remaining 8 trends were so erratic as to preclude any further conclusions to be drawn. There was no obvious regularity in the occurrence of either the concave or flat-topped patterns by location or in time. Estimates of density and mortality rate are presented, together with estimates of standard errors of these estimates. The interpretation of these estimates in relation to the design and frequency of the sampling procedure is discussed, with special reference to the different topographies of the areas surveyed.