Trawling Operations Research Articles

Quantifying non-target seahorse fisheries and domestic traditional medicine-based trade in Malaysia

Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.) are sold primarily for traditional medicine (TM) uses in Southeast Asia. Although Malaysia is reportedly an important global seahorse exporter, documentation on the current extent of seahorse catch and trade of seahorse-based TM within the country is limited. This study aimed to quantify patterns of seahorse bycatch, gear-specific biological parameters of caught seahorses, and trade characteristics in Malaysia. Questionnaire-based fisher and TM surveys were administered nationwide from March 2021 to March 2023. Seventy-one percent of fisher respondents (612 out of 860) reported catching seahorses, with gill or drift net fishers (73 %) more likely to have caught seahorses than trawlers (12 %). Significant spatial differences in species composition was observed between Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysian Borneo (Sabah state). The total estimated annual seahorse catch within Malaysia was approximately 3376 kg per year, with 77 % of the catch attributed to gill or drift nets and 23 % to trawling operations. Almost half (40 %) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners/ traders (n = 138), 3 % of Malay TM practitioners (n = 3), and 88 % of other TM traders (n = 7) reported selling seahorse species. This study is one of the first to quantify the often overlooked but critical contribution of small-scale fisheries, especially gill and drift nets, towards seahorse bycatch. The current supply volume and selling price of seahorses were observed to be relatively high, while the present-day demand was reportedly low. Almost half of TCM practitioners/ traders interviewed were still actively selling seahorses, indicating that there is still considerable demand. To ensure the sustainability of seahorse populations in Malaysia, efforts in both small-scale and trawl fisheries must be reduced while strictly enforcing seahorse trade regulations.

Spatio-temporal differences and simulation studies of the carbon budget from fisheries in the northern marine economic circle of China

With the proposal of dual carbon goals, enhancing carbon sinks and reducing carbon emissions has become a critical issue. Fisheries, as a component of agriculture, possess the dual attributes of being a “carbon sink” (biological carbon fixation) and a “carbon source” (the carbon emissions from fishing vessels). Therefore, it is necessary to assess the carbon sink and carbon emission levels of fisheries. The northern marine economic circle, which includes Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, and Shandong, is an important site for fisheries in China, characterized by abundant aquatic resources. However, a comprehensive assessment of the carbon budget for fisheries in this region is still unclear. This study calculated the carbon sinks, carbon emissions, and net carbon emissions associated with fisheries in the region from 2013 to 2020. Additionally, we used sensitivity analysis and scenario simulation to explore the factors influencing the net carbon emissions. The results revealed that the carbon budget of the northern marine economic circle was in a carbon deficit (the amount of carbon emissions was higher than that of carbon sinks) from 2013 to 2020. However, a downward trend in the net carbon emissions was observed, indicating the potential of achieving carbon neutrality. From the perspective of provinces, significant differences among provinces (cities) were found in terms of carbon sinks, carbon emissions, and net carbon emissions, with Shandong having the largest net carbon emissions. Furthermore, the production of clams and the use of seawater trawl net have a significant impact on the net carbon emissions. Increasing the production of clams while reducing the power of trawling operations can significantly decrease net carbon emissions. Based on these results, this study provides relevant suggestions to enhance the carbon sink capacity and decrease the carbon emissions of fisheries in the northern marine economic circle.

Discussion on the application of sequential turbocharging technology on trawlers

To improve the performance needs of trawlers under the varying load and speed conditions of free-running and trawling operations, this article employs sequential turbocharging technology. By fitting the experimental curves of basic turbocharging and conventional turbocharging (two turbochargers), we obtained the universal characteristic curve of sequential turbocharging. Further, the propeller characteristic curves and load characteristic curves of trawlers under free-running and trawling operations were integrated. The analysis results show that the sequential turbocharging system increases the torque of trawlers by about 20% in the low-speed range; switching to two turbochargers in free-running mode reduces fuel consumption by ∼17.5 g/Wh; switching to basic turbocharging during trawling operations decreases fuel consumption by about 13.9 g/Wh. This study is not only beneficial for the economy of ships but also provides guidance for further improvements in engine mechanics, potentially attracting the interest of readers in the main engine manufacturing field.

УСОВЕРШЕНСТВОВАНИЕ ТРАЛОВОГО ПРОМЫСЛА ТЮЛЬКИ В АЗОВСКОМ МОРЕ В СОВРЕМЕННЫХ УСЛОВИЯХ ВОССТАНОВЛЕНИЯ ПОПУЛЯЦИЙ ОСЕТРОВЫХ РЫБ

Background. At present, the Black and Caspian Sea sprat (tyulka) is the least exploited species of the aquatic biological resources in the Azov and Black Sea Fishery Basin, although it has always been a valuable fishing target and a possible reserve pool for the increase of fish catches in the Basin. In the recent years, with the increasing number of midwater trawls allowed for using in the Black and Caspian Sea sprat (tyulka) fishery, all vessels transitioned to its trawl fishing; however, its total catch is decreasing, and the fishing results of these vessels are on the decline. Relevance. Taking into consideration the stock restoration occurring to the sturgeon fish species in the Azov Sea Basin in the recent years, it is necessary to take measures for maintaining this trend, as the Black and Caspian Sea sprat trawl fishing can result in increased mortality or injury of sturgeon fish and considerably damage their population. With a substantial decrease in the Black and Caspian Sea sprat fishing stock, the matter of stock restoration of the sturgeon fish species in the Azov Sea can induce the prohibition of the trawl operations in this water body, including the complete ban of the insufficiently profitable trawl fishing of the Black and Caspian Sea sprat in its current form. The aim of this article is to examine the design of the midwater trawls used in the Black and Caspian Sea sprat fishing in the Azov Sea, to investigate the global best practices in the trawl selectivity improvement, and to substantiate the main design characteristics for the specialized tyulka midwater trawls and means of their selectivity improvement. Methods. The standard methods of sample collection and data processing that could characterize fishing methods, gears and techniques for harvesting aquatic bioresources have been used. Results. The designs for the specialized trawls for the Black and Caspian Sea sprat fishing (exploitation) and methods for their selectivity improvement have been developed. Conclusion. These specialized trawls with the sorting units and a new principle of using otter boards (trawl doors) can increase fishing selectivity and mitigate possible damage inflicted by trawling to the populations of sturgeon fish species in the Azov Sea.

Cumulative ecosystem pressures exerted by demersal fisheries in the Brazilian Meridional Margin: Hotspots and refuges

Demersal fishing operations exert, cumulatively, at least three forms of pressures over the benthic environment: mortality of megafauna (landed and discarded), discards of carrion back to the marine environment (also referred to as Predictable Anthropogenic Food Subsidies - PAFS) and disturbance of the seabed, by contact with bottom gear. This study presents a spatial synthesis of these forms of pressure on the Brazilian Meridional Margin (BMM, SW Atlantic) and their accumulated effect, in contribution to the development of effective space-based fishing management strategies. We analyzed landed catch, discards and effort of 2,125 fishing trips of industrial vessels operating double-rig trawlers, pair trawlers, stern trawlers, bottom longline and gillnets, monitored during 2018 in the main fishing harbors of Southern and Southeastern Brazil. All forms of pressure and the Accumulated Pressure Index (API) were represented spatially in a 20 × 20 nautical mile quads mesh grid. We demonstrated that nearly half of the BMM area was under high pressure. We also delimited fishing pressure hotspots in coastal and shelf areas mostly within the ‘Brazilian Bight’ region, between São Paulo and Santa Catarina states (24–29°S). Conversely, slope regions were found to be less demanded by demersal fishing, with both benthic ecosystems and demersal populations being barely disturbed. These were regarded as the main refuge areas for benthic and benthopelagic megafauna. Double-rig trawling was a major driver of pressure accumulating over half of total number of demersal fishing trips in 2018. Individual double-rig trawling operations also disturbed a seabed area far greater than the areas disturbed by the other fishing gear, and discarded the largest fraction (∼48%) of the produced mortality. Reducing the demersal fishing pressure on the BMM seems to be primarily concerned with abating the intensity of double-rig trawling, and/or diluting their effect through spatial management measures.

Developing a semi-pelagic trawl to capture redfish in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.

In this study, we developed a semi-pelagic trawl to target redfish (Sebastes spp.) and potentially reduce the capture of bycatch species and seabed impacts in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. The new trawl used an innovative technique connecting the upper bridles of the trawl to the warps, anterior of the trawl doors, leading to the trawl system being fished off the seabed. Such a technique can be used to match the heights of redfish as they move above the seabed during their diurnal cycle while allowing bycatch species related to the seabed to escape under the trawl. A 1:10 scale model of the trawl was constructed and evaluated in a flume tank to optimize the rigging and then a full-scale trawl was constructed for sea trials. Two field experiments subsequently evaluated the trawl at sea. The first field experiment concentrated on the experimental trawl's operation and video observations of redfish behaviour in the trawl mouth and its effect on trawl entry. The second field experiment concentrated on a small-scale preliminary test on the catch of redfish and bycatch species when the trawl was on or off the seabed. Capture results, though preliminary, indicate that redfish can be targeted commercially with a semi-pelagic trawl, though some redfish will escape under the trawl. Additionally, results suggest that the catches of bycatch species may be reduced. In conclusion, this study suggests that a semi-pelagic trawl could be considered an effective technique to harvest redfish sustainably.

Record of an encapsulated embryo of Bathyraja brachyurops captured by bottom trawl off Uruguay, South-West Atlantic ocean

In this note the occurrence of an encapsulated embryo of Bathyraja brachyurops is reported. The embryo was in advanced stage of development. The capsule was collected after a bottom trawl operation, in the Argentinean-Uruguayan Common Fishing Zone, Southwest Atlantic, in September of 2000. After collection, the egg capsule was fixed in formalin 10% and preserved in ethanol 70%. The egg capsule was dark brown and measured 79.0 mm in length and 46.0 cm in width and was opened at its posterior. The embryo was a 100.0 mm total length female with a mass was 5.5 g. The specimen was in advanced development but the yolk sac was still conspicuous. According to the size of the yolk sac and the presence of caudal filament it could be concluded that there were several weeks to go before hatching.

The Study of Fishing Vessel Behavior Identification Based on AIS Data: A Case Study of the East China Sea

The goal of this paper is to strengthen the supervision of fishing behavior in the East China Sea and effectively ensure the sustainable development of fishery resources. Based on AIS data, this paper analyzes three types of fishing boats (purse seine operation, gill net operation and trawl operation) and uses the cubic spline interpolation algorithm to optimize the ship trajectory and construct high-dimensional features. It proposes a new coding method for fishing boat trajectory sequences. This method uses the Geohash algorithm to divide the East China Sea into grids and generate corresponding numbers. Then, the ship trajectory is mapped to the grid, the fishing boat trajectory points are associated with the divided grid, and the ship trajectory ID is extracted from the corresponding grid. The extracted complete trajectory sequence passes through the CBOW (continuous bag of words) model, and the correlation of trajectory points is fully learned. Finally, the fishing boat trajectory is converted from coordinate sequence to trajectory vector, and the processed trajectory sequence is trained by the LightGBM algorithm. In order to obtain the optimal classification effect, the optimal superparameter combination is selected. We put forward a LightGBM algorithm based on the Bayesian optimization algorithm, and obtained the classification results of three kinds of fishing boats. The final result was evaluated using the F1_score. Experimental results show that the F1_score trained with the proposed trajectory vectorization method is the highest, with a training accuracy of 0.925. Compared to XgBoost and CatBoost, the F1_score increased by 1.8% and 1.2%, respectively. The results show that this algorithm demonstrates strong applicability and effectiveness in fishery area evaluations and is significant for strengthening fishery resource management.

Sediment plume simulation from bottom-trawled fishery and deposition effects on rhodoliths and deep-water corals from Campos basin, Brazil

Extensive rhodoliths and deep-water coral has been described along the continental shelf and slope of the Campos Basin, but such environments can be highly vulnerable to the bottom trawling fishing. This study applied the MOHID software to simulate the sediment resuspension during the bottom trawling operation and to evaluate possible impacts of sediment deposition onto rhodoliths and deep-water coral. The sediment transport model was validated by field measurements of a bottom trawling operation and presented good accuracy. The results indicated that sediment resuspension by a double-rig trawling induced a 0.13 mm sediment layer deposition onto the rhodoliths from the continental shelf which has potential deleterious effects considered that such thickness is higher than the threshold proposed by the literature. On the contrary, a sediment resuspension/deposition by a single-rig trawling has no impact in the deep-water corals from the continental slope based on the thin layer deposition that was lower than the proposed tolerance limits.

Применение системы автоматизированного проектирования при разработке тралов

The system of computer-aided design of industrial fishing gear (CAD-FG), developed by the small innovative enterprise Digital Technologies Laboratory LLC with the support of FASIE, is an import-substituting product for manufacturers and designers of bottom and mid-water trawls. At the present stage of trawl operation, the use of CAD-FG on fishing vessels will ensure the correct setting of the trawl system (trawl doors, hydrodynamic shield, loading chain, etc.) for efficient operation of the trawl. The CAD-FG system allows you to save drawings of trawls in electronic format, which creates a database necessary for analyzing designs and transferring drawings to the relevant departments and divisions. An integral part of the competencies of highly qualified personnel is their ability to work with the CAD-FG software, with which it is possible to develop drawings of bottom and mid-water trawls, as well as to model their operation processes in 3D.

Türkiye'nin Ege Denizi kıyılarında Holothuria tubulosa (Gmelin, 1790) ve Holothuria polii (Delle Chiaje, 1823) popülasyon yoğunluğunun av yapılan ve yapılmayan alanlar arasındaki karşılaştırılması

Increasing demand from the Asian market first led to the collapse of economically valuable sea cucumber stocks in the Indo-Pacific, and then demand shifted to lower value Mediterranean species. The effect of this change in sea cucumber stocks in Türkiye started to be seen after the 2010s. To address it, we carried out a study to compare the population density of the most caught Holothuria tubulosa and Holothuria polii species between exploited and non-exploited areas in the Aegean Sea coast of Türkiye. The study was carried out between September 2018 and March 2020 at 4 stations, two of which are in Çandarlı Bay, where sea cucumber fishing is free, and two in İzmir Bay, where it is prohibited. Samplings between 0-20 m depths were carried out with underwater transect line technique, and at depths deeper than 20 m, with beam trawling operations. A total of 6 sea cucumber species were identified, including Holothuria mammata, Holothuria sanctori, Parastichopus regalis and Holothuria forskali species, apart from the target species H. tubulosa and H. polii. Only one P. regalis individual was recorded in the samplings in waters deeper than 20 m. The mean densities of H. tubulosa and H. polii were found to be higher in İzmir Bay stations than in Çandarlı Bay (p<0.05). The results of this study clearly reveal that the population density of sea cucumber in sampling areas has decreased tens of times compared to the last 5 years.

Microplastics in Demersal Sharks From the Southeast Indian Coastal Region

Microplastic (MPs) contamination has emerged as a serious worldwide issue. Human activity, commercial enterprises, and fishing are concentrated around the seashore, causing high levels of MPs contamination in coastal and marine organisms. When it comes to their vulnerability to MPs ingestion, sharks are least studied organism. The objective of this study is to investigate MPs accumulation in sharks collected from the Southeast Indian coastal zone (Bay of Bengal). We present evidence of MPs ingestion in demersal sharks caught by the trawlers during trawling operations in marine waters beyond a depth of 80 m in the Southeast India coast. Shark samples were also checked for any gender or size differences in contaminant loading. Gill and gut (digestive tract) were examined in 40 sharks and 82.5% of samples contained at least one MP particle. The average number of MP particles was found to be 4.67 items per individual shark; the gastrointestinal tract showed more MPs than the gills. The majority of the MPs were blue and pale white followed by black and transparent particles with diameters ranging from 0.5 to 2 mm. The fibre fragments were prevalent in the intestines of the shark. Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy revealed that the bulk of polymers were polypropylene (PP), polyacrylamides (PA), and polyethylene (PE). MPs contamination poses an unknown level of harm to shark species. The present study revealed the first scientific data of MPs and associated fibre ingestion in shark species in their habitat in the Bay of Bengal.

Observations on the interaction of dolphins with trawl fishing vessels in the northwestern Black Sea in 2018–2021

Implementation of large-scale fishing for sprat Sprattus sprattus (L., 1758) in the northwestern Black Sea (NWBS) in the late 1970s caused the emergence of a special form of protocooperative interaction of dolphins with the trawl vessels, in which dolphins consume the fish lost or discarded during trawling operations. The time of pulling the trawl out of the water is the most important for feeding dolphins, as the largest number of animals gather near the vessel to collect injured fish. Visual observations of dolphins aboard fishing vessels were conducted in 2018–2019 and in 2021 during 184 trawl operations. During observations the presence of two species - common dolphin Delphinus delphis ponticus (Barabasch-Nikiforov, 1935) and bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus ponticus (Barabasch-Nikiforov, 1940) was noted. The proportion of common dolphins of all registered animals was 82.8%, bottlenose dolphins – 17.2 %. The presence of dolphins during trawl operations was observed in 65.2 % of the cases. Of the 120 recorded cases of interaction common dolphins were noted in 83 (69.2 %), bottlenose dolphins in 20 (16.7 %) and common and bottlenose dolphins in 17 (14.1 %). A total of 1035 common dolphins and 170 bottlenose dolphins were recorded in single-species groups, 189 common dolphins and 85 bottlenose dolphins in mixed groups. The mean size of common dolphins group was 12.2, bottlenose dolphins – 6.9 individuals. One case of death of common dolphin in a trawl was recorded in May 2019. Feeding of dolphins near trawl vessels in the NWBS is presently the norm. Despite the potential danger of death in fishing gear, it is obvious that the benefits for dolphins from interacting with trawl vessels outweigh the risk. Compared to the beginning of the 2000s and in conjunction with significant decrease in the intensity of sprat fishing in the NWBS, the frequency of interaction of dolphins with trawls doubled. The mean size of common dolphins group increased 2.6 times, bottlenose dolphins almost tripled.

New record of blunthead pufferfish, Sphoeroides pachygaster (Muller & Troschel, 1848 (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae) from Indian water along with DNA barcode and some biological aspects

Blunthead pufferfish, Sphoeroides pachygaster (Muller and Troschel 1848) was recorded for the first time in Indian seas. A single female specimen of S. pachygaster was caught in bottom trawl operation at 263 – 310 m depth of the E astern Arabian S ea. Morphometric and meristic description are presented in detail and compared with the pertinent records available elsewhere. The specimen collected was fully matured with Gonado Somatic Index (GSI) of 17.9 %. Gonad occupied two-third of the abdominal cavity, ova diameters ranged between 0.45 and 0.6 mm and the absolute fecundity estimated was 0.238 million eggs. Histological studies revealed that, this species performs single spawning strategy and it is the first information on the reproduction of S. pachygaster in India. Available reports on the occurrence of this species indicated distribution in the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans ; however , the present record confirms its distribution in the Arabian Sea. Wide variations in the meristic counts among the specimens of this species collected from various locations are also discussed. Molecular analysis of the present specimen using Mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene sequences, confirmed the identity as S. pachygaster with intra specific divergence of 00.0 – 0.04 %. This report is the first well documented, confirmed record and re-description of S. pachygaster from the Indian Ocean, which documents a new addition to the family, Tetraodontidae of the Indian ichthyofauna.

EFFECTIVE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT: TO REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE AND SOCIAL CONFLICTS OF FISHERMEN DUE TO THE USE OF TRAWLING

The use of trawling as a fishing tool has long been known to have a very bad impact on the environment and creates social conflict in fishing communities. Likewise, on the North-East coast of Aceh there are still fishermen who use trawlers as fishing gear. On the other hand, the use of trawling is very damaging to the environment and causes social conflicts for fishermen. The cessation of trawling operations also has an economic and social impact on fishermen who have been using trawling for their livelihood. This study tries to explore how the impact of environmental damage and social impacts or fishing conflicts that occur due to the use of trawling and how the social and economic impacts if trawling operations are stopped on the North-East coast of Aceh. The research method was carried out with an exploratory descriptive qualitative approach. The results showed that there was significant environmental damage in the research area, namely in the waters of Lhokseumawe, North Aceh, East Aceh and Langsa. This is marked by the destruction of coral reefs and the reduced population of various types of fish, some of which are even very rare. The use of trawling also has an impact on social conflicts among fishermen which often occur. Meanwhile, the prohibition of trawling also has an impact on the loss of income for trawler fishermen and those who depend on trawling operations for their livelihoods. This study recommends stopping trawling permanently to preserve the aquatic environment and avoid social conflicts with fishing communities. Furthermore, to save trawler fishermen, the government must try to convert trawler fishing gear to fishing gear that is more economical and environmentally friendly.

A Deep Learning Approach to Assist Sustainability of Demersal Trawling Operations

Bycatch in demersal trawl fisheries challenges their sustainability despite the implementation of the various gear technical regulations. A step towards extended control over the catch process can be established through a real-time catch monitoring tool that will allow fishers to react to unwanted catch compositions. In this study, for the first time in the commercial demersal trawl fishery sector, we introduce an automated catch description that leverages state-of-the-art region based convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) architecture and builds upon an in-trawl novel image acquisition system. The system is optimized for applications in Nephrops fishery and enables the classification and count of catch items during fishing operation. The detector robustness was improved with augmentation techniques applied during training on a custom high-resolution dataset obtained during extensive demersal trawling. The resulting algorithms were tested on video footage representing both the normal towing process and haul-back conditions. The algorithm obtained an F-score of 0.79. The resulting automated catch description was compared with the manual catch count showing low absolute error during towing. Current practices in demersal trawl fisheries are carried out without any indications of catch composition nor whether the catch enters the fishing gear. Hence, the proposed solution provides a substantial technical contribution to making this type of fishery more targeted, paving the way to further optimization of fishing activities aiming at increasing target catch while reducing unwanted bycatch.

Composition and abundance of benthic marine litter in the fishing grounds of Iskenderun Bay, northeastern Levantine coast of Turkey

The anthropogenic marine debris in the Mediterranean Sea represents a growing concern because of its potentially harmful impact on marine ecosystems. In this paper, we investigated the composition of marine debris in the Iskenderun Bay seafloor. Between November 2009 and April 2010, a total of 34 trawl operations were conducted. Hauls lasted 60–385 min, and the towing speed varied between 2.7 and 2.8 knots. The estimated average marine litter concentration was 450.94 item/km2 (90.34 kg/km2). Plastic was the dominant material type (87%) at all stations. Single-use plastic items represented about 74.9% of the total marine litter. Our results showed that there is severe plastic pollution on the seafloor of Iskenderun Bay that may cause significant damage to both the fisheries sector and the marine environment.

Güneydoğu Karadeniz’de dağılım gösteren kahküllü horozbina balığı Parablennius tentacularis (Brünnich, 1768)’de yaş tahmini ve en uygun büyüme modelinin seçimi

By the study's coverage, 522 individuals of tentacled blenny (Parablennius tentacularis (Brünnich, 1768)), were caught with the bottom trawl operations (commercial fisheries and scientific field surveys) between May 2010 and March 2012 from the southeastern Black Sea. The size distribution range of the sample varied between 4.8-10.8 cm. The difference between sex length (K-S test, Z=3.729, P=0.000) and weight frequency distributions (K-S test, Z=3.605, P=0.000) was found to be statistically significant. The length-weight relationship models were defined as isometric with W = 0.009L3.034 in male individuals and positive allometric with W = 0.006L3.226 in female individuals. Otolith and vertebra samples were compared for the selection of the most accurate hard structure that can be used to determine the age. Otolith was chosen as the most suitable hard structure. The current data set was used to predict the best growth model. For this purpose, the growth parameters were estimated with the widely used von Bertalanffy, Gompertz and Logistic growth functions. Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC), Lmak./L∞ ratio, and R2 criteria were used to select the most accurate growth models established through these functions. Model averaged parameters were calculated with multi-model inference (MMI): L'∞ = 15.091 cm, S.E. (L'∞) = 3.966, K'= 0.232 year-1, S.E. (K') = 0.122.

INSTALLATION OF SUBMARINE CABLES IN THE OFFSHORE WIND INDUSTRY AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT

"This article presents the main methods of installing submarine cables used in the offshore wind industry and the impact they have on the marine environment. From this article, the reader will be able to understand the basic principles that are taken into account from the design phase of a submarine cable, principles that seek to streamline their installation, operation and maintenance and their impact on the marine environment. Given the scale of the development of the wind industry, especially offshore, the length of submarine cables that provide energy transport from the wind farm to shore consumers is also constantly growing. The construction and operation of offshore wind energy systems has been and continues to be regarded with scepticism by environmental activists. Despite the undeniable benefits of this renewable energy source, the impact on the marine environment must also be taken into consideration. We studied the most efficient methods of installing submarine cables in the offshore wind industry – study which also includes analysing the behaviour of submarine cables and analysing ships’ movement during cable transport and installation. This article is only part of a major research on the installation of submarine cables in the offshore wind industry. In terms of the frequency and relatively short duration of submarine cable installation operations, on a small strip of up to 8m, the disturbances and impact caused by these operations are considered minor and are preferred compared to bottom trawling operations and dredging, which are repetitive and more extensive. A single impact, such as cable burial operations, is preferred to continuous, multiple or recurrent impacts. [1] "

Some Deep-Sea Cephalopods from the Northeastern Mediterranean Sea (Mersin Bay, Turkey)

Deep-sea sampling was conducted by a commercial trawl in the International Waters of Mersin Bay between 14 and 17 May 2018. The sampling depth ranged between 274 and 641 meters. A total of 13 trawling operations were performed, and each trawling operation lasted approximately 4 hours. During the sampling, six of the deep-sea cephalopods species were caught. All specimens were preserved in ethyl alcohol and were deposited in the Museum of the Systematic, Faculty of Fisheries, Mersin University (Catalog no: MEUCC-18-11-2- MEUCC-18-11-7). A total of two cuttlefish species belonging to the families of Sepiidae were identified. The others were represented by the families of Sepiolidae, Octopodidae, Bathypolypodidae, and Ommastrephidae.