South-western Waters Research Articles

The analysis of chlorophyll-a distribution in fishing areas of Aceh Waters

The distribution and abundance of fish are strongly influenced by several oceanographic parameters, one of which is chlorophyll-a. Chlorophyll-a is one of the oceanographic parameters that play an important role in primary productivity in the sea. The distribution of chlorophyll-a contained in phytoplankton can be used as a measure of fertility in water. With advances in geographic information systems or remote sensing, the distribution of chlorophyll-a can be used to estimate fish catchment areas. This study aims to look at the distribution of chlorophyll-a in Aceh waters both spatially and temporally to predict fishing locations. This study used satellite imagery combined with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to detect chlorophyll-a’s distribution. The results of satellite image processing show that the average monthly value of chlorophyll-a in Aceh waters ranges from 2.71 – 23.54 mg/m3, areas with high chlorophyll-a are generally located in the western waters of Aceh to the southwestern waters of Aceh, while areas with The lowest chlorophyll-a is generally in areas far from the coast (towards the open sea) with a range of 0.04 – 0.5 mg/m3 where the lowest average occurs in the east monsoon. However, in general, the potential locations for fishing grounds are more in the waters west of Aceh than in the waters north of Aceh, Aceh waters.Keywords:Chlorophyll-aSatellite imageFishing areaGeographic information SystemAceh Waters

Spatial distribution, abundance, seasonality and environmental relationship of amphioxus in subtropical Hong Kong waters

Amphioxus are a small group of cephalochordates inhabiting shallow-water coastal areas in both tropical and temperate oceans. In Hong Kong, only one study of the species composition and distribution of amphioxus was conducted in the 2000s. The present study aimed to provide up-to-date information on the diversity, seasonal abundance and distribution of amphioxus and identify environmental factors that might play a role in structuring their distribution. Benthic grab samples were collected from 23 sites spanning the eastern, southern, and southwestern waters of Hong Kong in 2019 (dry season) and 2020 (wet season). Samples from 13 sites yielded at least one individual of amphioxus, including several sites that were not covered in the previous study. A total of 1845 specimens belonging to three species of Branchiostoma were recorded, including B. belcheri, B. japonicum and B. malayanum. Among the 13 sites, amphioxus density varied from 14 to 618 individuals m−2 in the dry season and 4 to 322 individuals m−2 in the wet season. A high density of amphioxus (> 200 individuals m−2) was found at Po Toi O, Pak Lap Wan and Tai Long Wan. The three species of amphioxus typically co-inhabited these sites, with B. belcheri, B. japonicum, and B. malayanum accounting for 72.63%, 16.26%, and 11.11% of the total abundance, respectively. The three species all preferred shallow-water sites with coarse sediment and low organic matter content. Comparison of the population size structure between the two seasons revealed higher percentages of juveniles in the dry season, indicating reproductive seasonality in these species.

Remote Sensing Monitoring of Changes in Lake Aquatic Vegetation before and after the Removal of the Fence Based on Sentinel-2: A Case Study in Lake Futou, Hubei Province

Aquatic vegetation is an important component and main primary producer of lake ecosystems and plays an important role in improving water quality and maintaining biodiversity, which is critical to diagnosing the health of aquatic ecosystems in shallow lakes. It is therefore important to accurately obtain information on dynamic changes and spatial-temporal distribution of aquatic vegetation. Based on the Sentinel-2 satellite remote sensing images from 2016–2022, we studied the feasibility of using remote sensing technology to monitor the spatial-temporal changes of aquatic vegetation before and after the removal of the fence, taking Futou Lake in Hubei Province as a case study. Two vegetation indices, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Index (SAVI) were applied to identify the open water and the aquatic vegetation through two threshold determination methods, Otsu algorithm and manual division threshold method. The results show that: (1) the classification based on the NDVI and manual division threshold method performs the best, with the overall classification accuracy of 94.44% and the Kappa coefficient of 85.23%. (2) The growth of aquatic vegetation is divided into stages, the first stage is enclosing culture, and the distribution of aquatic vegetation is less in 2016–2017, all around 10 km2. The second stage is after the removal of the fence, the distribution area of aquatic vegetation in 2018 is on an upward trend, and in 2019–2022 it is growing rapidly. (3) Spatially, the aquatic vegetation was mainly distributed at the former fence, specifically in the northeastern and southwestern waters of the Futou Lake and it spread to the core area of the lake, probably due to the elevation of the siltation of the lake bottom. (4) Potamogeton crispus and Trapa are the dominant species, the peak of the distribution range in Futou Lake occurs in 2021 with an area of about 50.89 km2, which needs to be controlled moderately. (5) The area covered by Potamogeton crispus in the Futou Lake has increased significantly, probably due to the siltation and accumulation of nutrients in the Futou Lake caused by the history of purse seine farming.

Phylogenetic phytogeography of selected groups of seagrasses (Monocotylendoneae - Alismatales) based on analysing of genes 5.8S rRNA and RuBisCo large subunit

Seagrasses are representatives of the families Cymodoceaceae, Posidoniaceae, Zosteraceae, Hydrocharitaceae (Monocotylendoneae - Alismatales), adapted to growing in seawaters and all their important life circle events are taking place under the water including pollination and distribution of diasporas. Seagrasses are widespread in the littoral areas of the World Ocean, except for Antarctica, and play an important ecosystem role. Due to the insufficiently studied history of dispersal and formation of modern seagrasses habitats, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis of representatives of the families Cymodoceaceae (Amphibolis, Halodule, Syringodium, Cymodocea, and Thalassodendron), Posidoniaceae (Posidonia), Zosteraceae (Zostera, and Phyllospadix), and Hydrocharitaceae (Enhalus, Halophila, and Thalassia). The cladograms constructed based on molecular data analysis of the 5.8S ribosomal RNA and ribulose–1,5–bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase large subunit genes are used as the basis for reconstructing the history of dispersal of the studied taxa. It is found that the main stages of dispersal of selected groups of seagrasses took place in the Late Cretaceous period. The main track of historical distribution is largely predetermined by the modern ranges of almost all genera of seagrasses, stretches from the southwestern waters of eastern Gondwana to the northwestern waters of the Eurasian part of Laurasia. The main route of movement of diasporas and seagrasses populations was the Tethys water area, which was modified in the Late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic. It was revealed that the main method of dispersal of seagrasses was long-distance dispersal, which is confirmed by both molecular genetic data and very fast (on a geological time scale) processes of penetration into new water areas, and analysis of the features of dissemination of modern representatives. An alternative vicar scenario was proposed only for the reconstruction of the formation of the Posidonia range.

The use of a spatial model of economic efficiency to predict the most likely outcomes under different fishing strategy scenarios

The current European Union has been progressively implementing since January 2014 a discard ban which includes the obligation to land unwanted catch for certain regulated species and sizes. Although a full enforcement of the landing obligation has a direct impact on discard reduction through more responsible and selective fishing, fishers argue that it will prompt both a decrease in incomes and an increase in working time onboard. Thus, the measure is in a hold in south-western waters due to the difficulties to implement the ban in mixed fisheries This paper analyzes some possible scenarios which fishers could face under the landing obligation. It is shown the construction of a spatial bio-economic model to infer average costs, incomes and gross profits by fishing ground. We illustrate its use using a coastal trawling fleet based in the northwestern Iberian Peninsula as case study. Results show how fishing ground selection will remain the key factor affecting gross profits, well above the selection of closer fishing grounds, the improvement of fuel efficiency, or extending the length of the fishing trip. Increasing the number of crew members to overcome the expected excess of work time onboard would also be a cost-benefit balanced measure. According to our scenario simulations, to maintain business-as-usual (status quo situation) is the most probable fishing strategy without any regulation change. Fishing strategies are tight and maximized to current economic outcomes. Fishers will be reluctant to change their own fishing unless they are forced to for economic and/or regulatory reasons.

Reverse the declining course: A risk assessment for marine and fisheries policy strategies in Europe from current knowledge synthesis

An ecosystem approach to fisheries management is being developed around the world in an attempt to consider components of marine ecosystems other than just the exploited stocks. While numerous scientific studies on the consequences of fishing on marine ecosystems exist, most of their findings are too uncertain and fail to quantify the magnitude of the effects they describe to be used reliably in an environmental management and marine policy-making realm. To circumvent such a knowledge gap, we built and fitted a Bayesian network (BN), informed by a review of past studies, which integrates the links and direction of effects between socio-ecosystem components. These effects are represented as conditional probabilities, so that missing magnitudes of some ecosystem effects emerge from the numerous past cases that were reviewed. The Bayesian network is informed by a collection of cases extracted from 246 published scientific studies investigating relationships in marine ecosystems. We find that marine ecosystems are likely to be on a declining course under conjugated pressures of both fishing and changes to environmental conditions, e.g. due to ongoing climate change. By querying the fitted BN to obtain posterior probabilities under different scenarios, we showed that increasing fisheries regulation and environmental governance could partly mitigate these effects and decrease the risk of biodiversity loss, decreased profit and social inequity; the three pillars of the EU Common Fishery Policy (CFP). We discuss these findings with regard to particular fisheries across EU Waters, specifically: the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the North Western and the South Western Waters. Furthermore, we discuss how fishing impacts interact with other ecosystem effects and pressures, caused by, or causing possible far-reaching consequences in marine ecosystem dynamics. The Bayesian network has some limitations regarding the ability to handle feedback loops that can occur in natural marine ecosystems. Nevertheless, such an approach helps to take a holistic view and integrate existing knowledge and new findings from future work, in a coherent, probabilistic risk assessment framework, while identifying what leverage and management actions may help nudge the system toward desired states.

Almost half of the Pb content leaving in the bottom of the sea

Using survey data of Pb in water body from southwest of Jiaozhou Bay to west of bay mouth, in August 1992 and according to the horizontal change model and the vertical change model of matter content put forward by authors, we calculate the horizontal loss amount, vertical diluted amount and vertical sediment amount of Pb in surface and bottom layer and determine the model diagram of Pb content horizontal and vertical changes. The results showed that in August, the absolutely horizontal loss amount of Pb content in surface layer and bottom layer was 8.92μg/L, and the relatively horizontal loss amount of Pb content was 56.10%. The absolutely horizontal increase amount of Pb was 5.74μg/L in bottom layer, and the relatively horizontal increase amount was 42.23%. In the southwestern waters of the bay, the absolutely vertical diluted amount of Pb was 8.05μg/L in both surface and bottom layer, and the relatively vertical diluted amount was 50.62%. Meanwhile, in the western waters of bay mouth, Pb content in the surface and bottom layer had an absolutely vertical sediment amount of 6.61μg/L and a relatively vertical sediment amount of 48.63%. From the southwestern waters of the bay to the western waters of the bay mouth, a large amount of Pb content in the surface layer is deposited on the seabed. Therefore, during the horizontal migration of Pb content on the surface, the loss was nearly 60.00% when the current left the bay. However, Pb content in the bottom layer increased by 42.23% during its horizontal migration. Thus, the high Pb content in the surface layer is retained at the bottom of Jiaozhou Bay. When the current left the inside of the bay, Pb content in the surface layer was relatively high with the vertical diluted amount of Pb content in the surface layer and bottom layer reaching almost 50%. When the main sea current reached the western part of the bay mouth, the Pb content in the surface layer could settle on the seabed rapidly and continuously with a high sediment amount of 48.63%.

Feeding Patterns of Brown Croaker, Miichthys miiuy (Basilewsky, 1855) from the South-Western Waters off Korea: Size-Related and Seasonal Trends

Diets and feeding patterns of brown croaker, Miichthys miiuy were studied using 293 specimens collected from the coastal waters of south-western Korea. Total length (TL) of these specimens ranged from 30.7 to 84.8 cm. Miichthys miiuy was a piscivore that primarily consumed teleosts. They also ate crustacean decapods including caridean shrimps, prawns and crabs. Multivariate analyses of dietary data revealed that the diets of M. miiuy were significantly associated with TL, maturity, and month, but not influenced by season or sex. Although teleosts were dominant in the diets of all sizes, decapods also contributed substantially to the diets of smaller individuals. In terms of month, a little change was observed among months. A graphical method of feeding pattern revealed that M. miiuy was a specialized predator, consuming mainly teleosts from both immature and mature groups. Taken together, stomach content analysis in this study indicated that fish size is the most important indicator on dietary changes of M. miiuy inhabiting south-western waters off Korea.

Acute-Stress Biomarkers in Three Octopodidae Species After Bottom Trawling.

Several Octopodidae species have a great potential for the diversification of worldwide aquaculture. Unfortunately, the lack of stress-related biomarkers in this taxon results an obstacle for its maintenance in conditions where animal welfare is of paramount relevance. In this study, we made a first approach to uncover physiological responses related to fishing capture in Eledone moschata, Eledone cirrhosa, and Octopus vulgaris. Captured octopus from all three species were individually maintained in an aquaculture system onboard of oceanographic vessel in south-western waters of Europe. Haemolymph plasma and muscle were collected in animals at the moment of capture, and recovery was evaluated along a time-course of 48 h in Eledone spp., and 24 h for O. vulgaris. Survival rates of these species captured in spring and autumn were evaluated. Physiological parameters such as plasma pH, total CO2, peroxidase activity, lysozyme, hemocyanin, proteases, pro-phenoloxidase, anti-proteases, free amino acids, lactate and glucose levels, as well as muscle water percentage, free amino acids, lactate, glycogen and glucose values were analyzed. The immune system appears to be compromised in these species due to capture processes, while energy metabolites were mobilized to face the acute-stress situation, but recovery of all described parameters occurs within the first 24 h after capture. Moreover, this situation exerts hydric balance changes, as observed in the muscle water, being these responses depending on the species assessed. In conclusion, three Octopodidae species from south-western waters of Europe have been evaluated for stress-related biomarkers resulting in differentiated mechanisms between species. This study may pave the way to further study the physiology of stress in adult octopuses and develop new methodologies for their growth in aquaculture conditions.

Seaward Migration Routes of Indigenous Eels, Anguilla japonica, A. marmorata, and A. bicolor pacifica, via Satellite Tags.

Shih-Chong Chen, Ching-Rong Chang, and Yu-San Han (2018) The spawning migration of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica, along the western Mariana Ridge is considered one of the longest animal migrations. To establish an appropriate conservation policy for this species, a complete life cycle study is required, but the migratory routes of anguillid eels remain poorly documented. Anguilla japonica, A. marmorata, and A. bicolor pacifica are three common eel species in Taiwan. The present study used pop-up archival transmitting tags to track their movements during the oceanic phase of their migration. Twenty silver eels (farmed and wild) were tagged and released near the Gueishan and Liuchiu Islands. All three species in the Gueishan Island group were entrained in the Kuroshio Current, and pop-up tag data showed that, after 23 days, the farthest distance travelled was approximately 1,500 km, to the southern waters of Yakushima, Japan. In comparison, eels released near Liuchiu Island moved in the opposite direction, which suggests that they were influenced by the recirculation in the southwestern waters of Taiwan. The migration speed of eels was estimated to be between 12.9 km/d and 65.2 km/d. Several eels exhibited diel vertical migration behavior, moving into deeper water during the daytime and ascending into shallower waters at night. The farmed eels exhibited similar patterns of diel vertical migration to wild eels. The results of this study suggest that eels from Taiwan travel through the Kuroshio Current during their early migration, irrespective of species and source. Of importance, farmed eels appeared to behave similar to wild ones following artificial release. This information provides important rationale for releasing cultivated eels for resource enrichment programs.

Characteristics of Tidal Current and Tidal Residual Current in the Archipelago Around Aphae Island in the Southwestern Waters of Korea

Characteristics of Tidal Current and Tidal Residual Current in the Archipelago Around Aphae Island in the Southwestern Waters of Korea

New record of Scomberesox scombroides (Richardson, 1843) (Beloniformes: Scomberesocidae) in southwestern waters of Patagonia and an update on its geographic distribution on the Argentine continental shelf

Journal of Applied IchthyologyVolume 32, Issue 6 p. 1239-1242 Short Communication New record of Scomberesox scombroides (Richardson, 1843) (Beloniformes: Scomberesocidae) in southwestern waters of Patagonia and an update on its geographic distribution on the Argentine continental shelf N. D. Bovcon, N. D. Bovcon Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Chubut, Argentina Secretaría de Pesca de la Provincia de Chubut, Rawson, Chubut, ArgentinaSearch for more papers by this authorP. D. Cochia, P. D. Cochia Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Chubut, ArgentinaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Ruibal-Núñez, Corresponding Author J. Ruibal-Núñez julianruibal@conicet.gov.ar Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Chubut, Argentina Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina Correspondence Julian Ruibal-Núñez, Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Chubut, Argentina. Email: julianruibal@conicet.gov.arSearch for more papers by this authorJ. J. Romero, J. J. Romero Secretaría de Pesca de la Provincia de Chubut, Rawson, Chubut, ArgentinaSearch for more papers by this authorM. E. Góngora, M. E. Góngora Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Chubut, ArgentinaSearch for more papers by this author N. D. Bovcon, N. D. Bovcon Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Chubut, Argentina Secretaría de Pesca de la Provincia de Chubut, Rawson, Chubut, ArgentinaSearch for more papers by this authorP. D. Cochia, P. D. Cochia Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Chubut, ArgentinaSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Ruibal-Núñez, Corresponding Author J. Ruibal-Núñez julianruibal@conicet.gov.ar Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Chubut, Argentina Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina Correspondence Julian Ruibal-Núñez, Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Chubut, Argentina. Email: julianruibal@conicet.gov.arSearch for more papers by this authorJ. J. Romero, J. J. Romero Secretaría de Pesca de la Provincia de Chubut, Rawson, Chubut, ArgentinaSearch for more papers by this authorM. E. Góngora, M. E. Góngora Laboratorio de Hidrobiología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Chubut, ArgentinaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 20 September 2016 https://doi.org/10.1111/jai.13208Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume32, Issue6December 2016Pages 1239-1242 RelatedInformation

A preliminary study on the offshore stratigraphy in Hong Kong and its hydrogeological implications

Offshore groundwater reserves, commonly sequestered in relict fluvial systems, have been reported globally. In Hong Kong, submarine terrestrial sediments are the evidence of local fluvial systems during glacial periods and they probably sequester relatively fresh water. This study aims to locate these sand deposits. An offshore vibrocore in the southwestern waters of Hong Kong was analysed for its geophysical and elemental properties in order to deduce the palaeoenvironment. Also, marine seismic profiling was adopted at two selected sites to depict the distribution of sand and gravel deposits and to estimate the average thickness of these aquifer materials. A four-unit sequence was noted with increasing marine influence since 8 ka BP. This agrees with the hypothesis that the offshore groundwater reserves are the relics of flow systems during glacial periods. The extensive sand deposits in the study areas are often shielded by sufficiently thick marine clay against vertical salinisation, allowing fresh groundwater to be preserved. The average thickness of these aquifer materials is about 11 m at the study sites. If these sand deposits are recharged through onshore outcrops, the reserves may be a sustainable water resource.

EVALUATING THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE POPULATION GROWTH PARAMETER ESTIMATES OF LARVAL ANCHOVY IN THE SOUTHWESTERN WATERS OF TAIWAN USING MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS

To estimate the population growth parameter (maximum sustainable yield, carrying capacity, catchability, the ratio of initial biomass to carrying capacity and model shape parameter) of larval anchovy in the southwestern waters of Taiwan, a non-equilibrium production model was used to fit to historical catch data and standardized CPUE series. The results of standardized CPUE indicated that the sea surface temperature was the most effective variable for explaining the CPUE variation of larval anchovy abundance. This study also evaluated impact of the uncertainty associated with the catch and CPUE data on the model estimations using Monte Carlo simulations. Although the impacts of the uncertain data on the accuracy of model estimations were minor, the precision of estimations would be deteriorated if the level of errors in the data source, particularly for CPUE data, was increased. In addition, the assumption of Schafer's logistic production model would be more appropriate than Fox's model which was applied to larval anchovy in the southwestern waters of Taiwan in previous study.

Zoogeography of Chilean marine and freshwater decapod crustaceans

Using more than 200 genera and 431 species that comprise the 77 families of decapod crustaceans inhabiting Chilean waters, we attempted to reveal the underlying zoogeographical pattern of these taxa by comparing areas in terms of the number of shared species, genera, and families. To this end, the coasts and oceanic islands were divided into sixteen areas, encompassing most of the Nazca plate including Easter Island, Salas and Gómez Island, the Desventuradas Islands, and Juan Fernández Archipelago, as well as the underwater mountains of Salas & Gómez and Nazca (5 areas), the western coast of South America from Arica to Cape Horn (ca. 18°S-56°S; 10 areas), and the Antarctic peninsula and adjacent areas (1 area). The four resulting dendrograms coincided, showing six province: a) Chile-Peru (18º-42ºS); b) Magellan (42º-56ºS); c) Antarctica, including the Antarctic peninsula and the Scotia Arc archipelagos; d) Juan Fernández Archipelago (33º40'S; 79º00'W), including the Desventuradas Islands (ca. 26º20'S, 80ºW); e) Easter Island (27º09'S, 109º25'S); and f) the underwater mountains of Salas & Gómez and Nazca (ca. 25ºS; ca. 75ºW-100ºW). The dendrogram based exclusively on families inhabiting these diverse geographic areas identified two large clusters: the first encompassing the oceanic areas over the Nazca plate and the second the continental (10) and Antarctic (1) areas. In addition, decapod crustacean species of the southern tip of South America extend from the southeastern waters of the Pacific Ocean on one side of the Strait of Magellan to the southwestern waters of the Atlantic Ocean, reaching the Kerguelen Islands at the boundary of the Indian and Antarctic ocean.

DNA Analysis of mtDNA COI Gene in the Sharp-toothed Eel (Muraenesox cinereus Forskal) from Yeosu, Jinhae, Jeju, Goseoung, Jangheung and Haenam Populations in Korea Using PCR-aided RFLP

The production of the sharp-toothed eel by commercial catch off waters of Korea is annually declined after 1978. This study was carried out to obtain the stock management of the sharp-toothed eel using the PCR-aided RFLP method. The mtDNA COI gene was amplified using species-specific primers and PCR product was observed to 700 bp. Amplified DNA fragments were treated with six kinds of restriction enzymes (BaeHI, EcoRI, PstI, Ksp22, HinfI and HaeIII). The treatment of HaeIII showed a distinct PCR product between Yeosu/Jinhae/Jeju/Goseoung and Jangheung/Haenam populations that were observed from 300 to 400 bp in reference to 100 bp molecular marker. However, DNA fragment within populations had an identical pattern. The phylogenetic homology is 82% between two populations inferred from RFLP PCR product pattern using NTsysPC ver. 2.1. The use of HaeIII plays an important role in discriminating populations. It is thought that adults after over-wintering in the southern part of Jeju migrate to the Yeosu, Jinhae and Goseoung regions to spawn instead of to southwestern waters. Individuals within populations showed a relatively active genetic mixing and migration regardless of geography. However, the genetic ancestor of Jangheung and Haenam populations is appeared to be more adjacent to China or Japan than Jeju.

Three Species of Hammerhead Sharks in the Southwestern Waters of Japan

Three Species of Hammerhead Sharks in the Southwestern Waters of Japan

North West Pacific deep-sea barnacles (Cirripedia, Thoracica) collected by the TAIWAN expeditions, with descriptions of two new species

Taiwan is a large island in north western Pacific waters with the sea floor connecting to two major deep-sea basins, the eastern waters facing the Pacific Ocean (to 4000 m depth) and linking to the Philippine Basin, whilst south western waters are associated with the South China Sea Basin (up to 1000 m). Previously, the biodiversity of Taiwanese deep-sea barnacles had not been studied extensively, due to a lack of deep-sea expeditions and sampling. Recently, several TAIWAN deep-sea cruises investigated the biodiversity of the deep-sea fauna of Taiwan and sampling was conducted to depths of 4000 m. The present study reports on the biodiversity of the deep-sea barnacles of Taiwan, a total of 18 species. One species was previously recorded from Taiwanese waters and 17 are new records, including two new species belong to the genera Litoscalpellum and Altiverruca.

The Role of Regional Advisory Councils in the European Common Fisheries Policy: Legal Constraints and Future Options

AbstractOne of the outcomes of the reform of the European common fisheries policy (CFP) in 2002 was the establishment of Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) to enable the European Commission to benefit from the knowledge and experience of stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of fisheries management measures by the European institutions. RACs are now in operation for the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, North-Western Waters, South-Western Waters, the High-Seas/Long-Distance Fleet, Pelagic Stocks, and the Mediterranean Sea. The CFP will be subject to further reform in 2011. This article reviews the legal constraints and future prospects for enhancing RAC participation in decision-making within the European institutions in light of the Commission’s proposals tabled in the 2009 Green Paper on Reform of the CFP and changes to European law resulting from the Lisbon Treaty.

CORAL REEF FISHES IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF SOUTH-CENTRAL VIETNAM

Studies on coral reef fishes in the coastal waters of South Central Vietnam were conducted at 42 sites of coral reefs at the four major locations of Van Phong Bay, Nha Trang Bay, Ninh Hai - Ninh Thuan and Ca Na Bay from 2006 - 2007, and combined with available data of species composition from previous studies. A total of 578 species representing 180 genera and 40 families of coral reef fishes was recorded. The analysis and comparison indicate that diversity of coral reef fish fauna in the coastal waters of South Central Vietnam was higher than that in other locations in the coastal waters of Vietnam (the Tonkin Gulf, southeastern and southwestern waters of Vietnam), more or less similar to that in the Spratly Islands and many other locations around the world. In the coastal waters of South Central Vietnam, Nha Trang Bay supported a higher diversity and abundance of most of fish families than Van Phong Bay, Ninh Hai - Ninh Thuan and Ca Na Bay.