A Preliminary Review of NOAA's Community-Based Dam Removal and Fish Passage Projects

Dams and other stream blockages prevent anadromous fish from accessing large areas of key habitat. The NOAA Community-Based Restoration Program (CRP) supports habitat restoration projects, including 53 dam removal and fish passage projects from 1996 to 2002. This article provides a preliminary review of the biological benefits provided by the first 18 CRP dam removal and fish passage projects supported between 1996 and 1999. These 18 projects improved access to over 160 km of river habitat for many anadromous fish species, especially river herring (Alosa spp.) on the east coast and salmonids (Oncorhynchus spp.) on the west coast. While fish ladders provide targeted fish species access to key habitat areas, dam removal can improve the health of entire stream ecosystems and provide fish passage to fish species unable to utilize ladders. The CRP complements existing federal regulatory programs by providing a cooperative process at the local level that can restore habitats efficiently and effectively while encouraging long-term stewardship.     

Analysis of the parasitic copepod species richness among Mediterranean fish

The Mediterranean ichthyofauna is composed of 652 species belonging to 405 genera and 117 families. Among these, 182 were studied for their parasitic copepods. The analysis of all the works conducted on these crustacea yielded 226 species distributed in 88 genera and 20 families. For each fish species we have established a file providing the species name of the fish, its family, its geographical distribution within the Mediterranean and some of its bio-ecological characteristics. Within each file, all the parasitic copepod species reported on each host species were listed. This allowed to know the species richness (SR) of these hosts. We thus produced 182 files within which 226 copepod species are distributed. A program was created under the Hypercard software, in order to analyse our data. Two parameters were studied. The first one is the mean species richness (MSR), which corresponds to the mean of the different SR found on the different host species. The second is the parasite–host ratio (P/H), which is the ratio of the number of copepod species by the number of host species. These parameters are calculated by our program for all the 182 species of Mediterranean fishes retained in our investigation, on the first hand, and, on the second hand, for one particular group of fish species. We used the following variables to investigate their correlations with copepod species richness: taxonomy—fish families, genera and species; biometry—maximal size of the adult fish; eco-ethology—mode of life (benthic, pelagic or nectonic), displacements (sedentary, migratory with environmental change, or migratory without environmental change), behaviour (solitary or gregarious). Other variables (colour, food, reproduction, abundance, distribution area) were also analysed but did not reveal any clear correlation. Providing that our study does not rely on quantitative (prevalence, intensity) but qualitative basis our aim was only to reveal some tendencies. These tendencies are as follows: (1) In many cases, parasite and host phylogeny seem to play an important role. There are fish families with copepods and families with few species of these parasites. The phyletic constraints could be due to the morphological characteristics of the habitat (e.g. structure of the gills) or biological/ecological characteristics that we were unable to identify. (2) It appears that the presence in a same environment of related fish species (e.g. several species of the same genus, or numerous genera of the same family) is correlated with high parasite richness. A likely explanation is that such situations favours alternated processes of lateral transfers and speciation. (3) Some eco-ethological criteria seem to favour the establishment of a large parasite species richness. It should be noted for instance that Mediterranean fishes the most often infected with copepods are generally nectonic or pelagic, migratory, and gregarious species.     

Effects of Human Activities on the World's Most Vulnerable Coral Reefs: Comoros Case Study

Effective management of highly biodiverse and threatened reefs requires the identification of human activities driving declines on the particular reef to be managed. The island nation of the Comoros is a model setting to investigate effects of human activities on diverse and threatened coral reefs, with abundant and diverse marine life, local dependence on reef resources, and a variety of anthropogenic pressures on reefs rendering the nation vulnerable to coral reef degradation. Using data from 21 sites throughout the Comoros, we evaluated the relative influence of human activities and other natural and anthropogenic factors on benthic cover and fish richness, abundance, and biomass with the goal of providing prioritized management targets. Human activities including fishing, beach sand extraction, and beachfront housing and development had the strongest relationship with degraded reefs but with some seasonal fluctuation, while geographic patterns most consistently predicted reef degradation across seasons. Comparing analyses conducted with and without human activities as predictors, the inclusion of human activities greatly improved explanatory power. Baseline data on reef biotic composition and localized anthropogenic impacts, monitoring over time, and controlled experiments can facilitate an adaptive management approach for protecting fragile reef ecosystems in the Comoros and elsewhere.     

Estuary Management and Recreational Fishing Benefits

Recognition of the benefits to society supported by estuary ecosystem functions and services, and threats to these benefits posed by human activities, has led to various public programs to restore and protect estuaries at the federal, state, and local levels. As available budgets shrink, program administrators and public elected officials struggle to allocate limited restoration and protection funds to the highest priority areas. Economic benefit and cost information can provide useful inputs into this decision-making process by quantifying estuary restoration and protection benefits and costs in commensurate terms. In this paper, a combined actual and intended travel behavior model is described that can be applied to estimate the recreational fishing benefits of estuary restoration and protection. The model was estimated for recreational fishing in the Lower Atchafalaya River Basin estuary along the Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, USA coast. Changes in freshwater flows into this estuary may affect redfish and speckled trout game fish populations. The model indicates that changes in catch rates of these two species would have a relatively minor affect on annual fishing trips per angler. However, because total effects may be large when effects per angler are aggregated across total anglers, resource management agencies should consider these changes in recreation benefits when evaluating projects that influence the ecology of coastal estuaries, fish populations, and catch rates. Moreover, in other coastal areas or situations, the responsiveness of angling trips to changes in catch rates may vary because of differences in user populations, environmental conditions, fish populations, and fishing experiences.     

航道清礁对西江鱼类保护区紊流体的影响

河底裸露的礁石增加水体紊动,有助于鱼卵正常形成,大量存在礁石的河段往往是鱼类栖息和产卵的重要场所。礁石也存在碍航的可能,航道清礁一定程度上影响水体紊动强度,改变鱼类栖息环境。为此,在重要鱼类栖息河段进行航道清礁需充分论证。以紊动动能作为评价水体紊动强度指标,开展西江中游珍稀鱼类保护区河段三维紊流数值模拟,计算并统计航道清礁工程前后水体紊动动能及不同强度的紊流水体体积,分析其变化规律及原因。研究结果表明,断面中紊动动能强度与水深成正相关关系;清礁工程导致河段中弱紊动动能的紊流水体体积增加,强紊动动能的紊流体积减小;底层水体紊动动能的变化量高于表层;强紊动动能水体体积减少的变化率大于弱紊动动能水体体积增加的变化率。     

Effects of closed trawl fishery areas on some elasmobranch species in the Cantabrian Sea

This study examines the effects of certain closed areas to the trawl fishery on some Rajidae species and small-spotted catshark in the southern area of the Bay of Biscay. The results are based on abundance index (number/haul) and catch length composition obtained from a series of bottom trawl surveys carried out in the area (1993–2005). Abundance trends are similar considering or not closed areas, but with much lower values excluding closed areas. The length distributions revealed that in some of the species like Scyliorhinus canicula the larger specimens were the most affected by this decrease in number. Finally, the effects and consequences of one of these marine protected areas (MPAs), an artificial reef were examined in more detail for all the fishes and invertebrates. The analysis of the yield series showed an increase in total biomass after the placement of the reefs not only for S. canicula and rays but also teleosts fishes like Pagellus acarne, Trachurus trachurus, Mullus surmuletus and Trachinus draco and particularly invertebrates (sea urchins). On the contrary, the main target species of the trawl fishery (hake, monkfish and megrim among others) did not increase.     

Community structure of mesopelagic copepods (>500 μm) in the Ligurian Sea (Western Mediterranean)

The distribution of mesopelagic copepods between 250 and 1000 m depth was studied along a transect off the coast of Villefranche-sur-Mer in June 1991 by means of a BIONESS multiple-net sampler. Among the most abundant species at all stations were Pleuromamma gracilis, Paraeuchaeta acuta and overwintering Calanus helgolandicus CV copepodites, each species inhabiting different depth layers with maximum abundances in the 250–350 m, 450–550 m and the 700–850 m layer, respectively. Cluster analysis of the vertical distribution of all species caught revealed three distinct strata (‘TOP', ‘INTERMEDIATE', ‘BOTTOM') consisting of characteristic species that occurred in the same stratum at all stations. Differences in total abundances of the species assemblage occupying each layer are discussed with regard to predation pressure by mesopelagic macroplanktonic crustaceans and fish. We show that each stratum is characterized by distinct trophic interactions and life strategies, which play an important role in the structuring of mesopelagic zooplankton communities.     

Demographic indicators of the relative need for artificial reefs in Florida

Abstract

Artificial reef development involves pfonning from a number of perspectives including biological, océanographie, engineering, and social. This article reviews previous studies and identifies demographic variables that affect the use of artificial reefs by recreational anglers. An index of relative demand was created employing eight components: number of coastal county resident boat anglers, nonresident boat anglers, tourist boat anglers, nonboat anglers, number of fishing clubs, number of charter/party boats, number of registered pleasure boats, and the rate of county population growth. By comparing the magnitude of the index to the number of existing artificial reefs off of Florida's 35 coastal counties, an estimate of relative need was graphically portrayed on a state map. Indian River county on the Atlantic coast and Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco, Citrus, Levy, Lee, and Charlotte counties on the central Gulf coast are the areas with the greatest demand relative to existing reef supply.     

远海岛礁高程的传递方法

由于远离大陆,远海岛礁往往缺乏测绘基础资料,跨海高程传递是远海岛礁的工程建设中面临的一个难题。针对工程建设中远海岛礁高程传递的问题,结合国外某工程案例,论述了经纬仪倾角法、GPS水准法、同步期平均海面法,分析不同方法的原理、计算方法及适用条件。结果表明,在潮汐性质相同的海域采用同步期平均海平面法进行远海岛礁高程传递,方法简便、准确、可靠,可以作为类似项目的首选方法。     

Benthic community and food web structure on the continental shelf of the Bay of Biscay (North Eastern Atlantic) revealed by stable isotopes analysis

The North Bay of Biscay continental shelf is a major French demersal fishery, but little was known on the trophic food web of its benthic communities. In order to determine the benthic trophic web, the objectives of this study are to describe the macro- and megafaunal benthic community structure (species richness, abundance and biomass) and to establish the trophic pathways (food sources and trophic levels) by applying carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic analysis to the main benthic and demersal species (invertebrates and fish). Two distinct benthic communities have been identified: a muddy sand community within the central part of the bay, and an outer Bay of Biscay Ditrupa sand community of higher species richness, abundance and biomass than the muddy sand community. Deposit-feeders, suspension feeders and predators, distributed in three main trophic levels, dominate both communities. Large differences in stable carbon ratio values within the primary consumers provide evidence of two different food sources: i) a pelagic food source made up of recent sedimenting particulate organic matter on which zooplankton and suprabenthos feed and ii) a benthic detrital food source supplying deposit feeders and partly benthic suspension feeders. Differences in isotopic signatures were also observed within the upper trophic levels that allowed estimation of the contribution of each food source component to the diet of the upper consumers. Finally, the use of stable isotopic composition together with the species' feeding strategy allow identification of the main differences between the trophic functioning of the two benthic communities and highlight the importance of the role of detrital pathways in the carbon cycling within the continental shelf benthic trophic web.     

泉州湾秀涂人工岛建设对周边水沙条件的影响

通过分析泉州湾自然条件,采用数学模型从水动力、流态、冲淤等方面讨论了泉州湾秀涂人工岛建成前后对水沙环境的影响。研究表明:人工岛建成后减少纳潮量约2%,归顺了人工岛周边水流流态,但对局部流场有一定影响;人工岛建成后固化了部分浅滩沙源,宏观冲淤影响幅度可控。可为类似工程的开发与保护提供参考。     

Preface and Acknowledgments

Abstract

The term “mitigation”; has been used in connection with habitat losses attributable to federal water projects as early as the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934. Most of the current requirements to mitigate habitat losses associated with water development projects apply to wetlands, as they are biologically productive and have been destroyed at an increasing rate during recent years by developers seeking prime land in the coastal zone. A case study of the Port of Coos Bay and the City of North Bend, Oregon, provides an actual experience of estuarine mitigation in a dredging project and an airport fill. The case was developed as part of a larger curriculum research study for seaport management. This article is primarily written as a case with a brief introduction and discussion of mitigation requirements, followed by the text of the case and ending with a series of hypotheses for further research.     

宁波舟山港条帚门外锚地工程设计

条帚门外锚地是直接服务于宁波舟山港核心港区的大型锚地。拟建锚地位于我国典型的岛礁群港区,周边条件复杂、制约因素多,锚位需求大、功能类型多,锚地布局复杂。分析锚地服务港区和工程海域的制约因素,对锚地选址进行论证,通过锚地类型和锚位需求数的综合测算,提出基于锚位分区布局下的锚地平面布置和锚地容量计算,并对进出锚地的交通组织方案进行设计。提出的复杂岛礁海域大型锚地的设计方法和关键技术问题的解决方案,可为类似锚地工程设计提供参考。     

Mesoscale high-frequency variability in the Alboran Sea and its influence on fish larvae distributions

This work analyses a multidisciplinary data set including hydrological and meteorological data, satellite images, and fish larvae abundance from a high-frequency experiment conducted along a north–south transect across the Western Alboran Sea anticyclonic gyre. Four consecutive occupations of the transect, crossing the frontal area, evidenced the high-frequency variability of hydrological structures and its influence on the latitudinal and vertical distribution of fish larvae in a period of a few days. The influence of dynamical processes on fish larvae depends on the location of the spawning as well as on the larval fish position in the water column. Wind induced upwelling and/or the southward drift of the Atlantic current transport larvae of neritic species, such as Sardina pilchardus and Engraulis encrasicolus to open sea areas. At the same time, these events bring about alterations in the latitudinal and vertical distributions of mesopelagic fish larvae. The species with a relatively surface distribution, as Ceratoscopelus maderensis, were transported and accumulated to the south of the Atlantic Jet (AJ), while those with a deeper distribution in the water column, as Maurolicus muelleri or Benthosema glaciale, would be upwelled and concentrated to the north. This study shows that it is difficult to extract conclusions about the mean or preferential distributions of fish larvae when one single/synoptic survey is considered and that time evolution of hydrological structures has to be considered in order to conclude.     

Food supply mechanisms for cold-water corals along a continental shelf edge

In recent years it has been documented that deep-water coral reefs of the species Lophelia pertusa are a major benthic habitat in Norwegian waters. However, basic information about the biology and ecology of this species is still unknown. Lophelia live and thrive under special environmental conditions of which factors such as temperature, water depth, water movement and food supply are important. The present work explores the hypothesis that Lophelia forms reefs in places where the encounter rate of food particles is sufficiently high and stable over long periods of time for continuous growth. This is done by relating the distribution of reefs with the results of numerical ocean modelling.Numerical simulations have been performed with an idealized bottom topography similar to what is found outside parts of the Norwegian coast. In the simulations the model is first forced with an along slope jet and then with an idealized atmospheric low pressure. The model results show that the encounter rates between the particles and the water layer near the seabed are particularly high close to the shelf break. This may indicate that many Lophelia reefs are located along the shelf edges because the supply of food is particularly good in these areas.A sensitivity study of the particle supply in the area close to the seabed for increasing latitude has also been done. This shows that the Ekman transport in the benthic layer tends to create a steady supply of food for benthic organisms near the shelf edge away from the equator.     

长江南京以下深水航道生态建设与保护技术及措施

为探索长江生态航道的建设,依托长江南京以下12.5 m深水航道建设工程,针对工程河段生态环境特点及保护需求,研发多种生态型整治建筑物结构。在工程受影响区域,探索人工鱼巢、生态浮床等生态修复尝试。计算与分析潮汐河段施工引起的水体悬浮物浓度对取水口及水源地影响,提出防护方案。在研究噪声对江豚影响的基础上,提出声学驱赶与声学诱导技术。提出全过程的生态环境保护措施与管理办法。成果均已应用于长江南京以下深水航道工程,结果表明生态效果良好,无生态环境事故发生。     

Patterns in diversity and community structure of epipelagic copepods from the Brazil–Malvinas Confluence area, south-western Atlantic

Diversity and structure of epipelagic copepod communities were investigated using 70 zooplankton samples collected from the top 50 m of the Brazil–Malvinas Confluence area between 35° and 55°S. Biogeographic patterns were investigated using multivariate analysis. Biodiversity patterns were examined using different univariate indexes. Representatives of 35 species of copepods from 23 genera and 13 families were found. Two zones were delimited based on their copepod composition, one in the subtropical waters of the Brazil current, and the other in the subantarctic waters of the Malvinas current. Both environments displayed contrasting patterns of biodiversity depending upon which element is measured (regional species richness as well as mean point species richness were significantly higher in the subtropical group of stations, whereas taxonomic distinctness was significantly higher in the subantarctic community). Based on these contrasting results, we suggest the use of both kind of indexes when defining priority areas for conservation.     

The role of pelagic fish as forage for the demersal fish community in the southern Bay of Biscay

The small pelagic fish represents the link between nekton and demersal communities, and they are an important food source for some demersal fish species. In the autumns between 1993 and 2002, 74,869 stomach contents of 25 demersal fish species were analysed during the scientific surveys organized by the Instituto Español de Oceanografía. These species represent the demersal fish community of the southern Bay of Biscay. An important part of their diet (39% by volume) was composed of pelagic fish species (e.g. Engraulis encrasicolus, Gadiculus argenteus, Micromesistius poutassou, Trachurus trachurus, Sardina pilchardus, Scomber scombrus). Among all these prey species, the relevance of M. poutassou and G. argenteus stood out because of their high abundance both in the diets and during the scientific surveys. The relevance of pelagic fish as prey increased with predator size, reaching more than 60% of the diet by volume in the length range 25–29 cm. However, fish predators larger than 50 cm depended less on pelagic fish (33%), since they were also able to feed on other sources such as megafaunal invertebrates, mainly cephalopods. The pelagic fish resource was primarily exploited by 12 demersal fish species, with Merluccius merluccius and Zeus faber being the main ones feeding on small pelagics, which was related to the vertical movement of predators and prey through the water column. Survey abundance indices were used as indicators of prey abundance in the ecosystem, both for biomass and number. There was evidence for density-dependant feeding by predators on E. encrasicolus, G. argenteus and T. trachurus, while the main discrepancies between abundance in the stomachs and in the surveys were due to differential availability of prey length classes in the environment. Small prey species and individuals were exploited by most demersal fish while large prey species were less accessible to predators.     

岛礁海域导助航工程设计

岛礁海域地形复杂,常有山体遮挡,且狭口较多,航道转弯角通常较大,多条航道存在交汇,对船舶的航行非常不利.因此需要在岛礁海域设置符合当地水文和地质条件的助航标志,确保船舶航行安全.本文通过多个航标工程案例分析,提出岛礁海域航标工程的设计方法和关键技术问题的解决方案,可为类似航标工程设计提供参考.     

Recreational Leasing of Alaska Commercial Halibut Quota: The Early Years of the GAF Program in Alaska

The Pacific Halibut Catch Sharing Plan formalized the process for allocating halibut between the Alaska commercial and recreational charter sectors. It included a new program intended to allow for “flexibility” through inter-sectoral trading, permitting charter operators to lease commercial halibut pounds to relax client harvest restrictions. Here we evaluate the first two years of lease market activity and participation. Participation from some commercial quota holders in the lease market suggests that the program provided beneficial flexibility; in fact, the number of transfers to the charter sector was greater than transfers within the commercial sector for some quota types. We also identified a high proportion of self-leasers. However, transfers to the charter sector were on average smaller than within-sector commercial transfers, and total poundage leased by the charter sector was low compared with commercial transfers. Usage of leased quota by the recreational charter sector enables the harvest of larger fish or additional fish, and provides flexibility in catch composition on halibut closure days. Finally, the value-per-pound may be higher in the charter sector, as commercial-to-charter transfer prices approached the commercial ex-vessel price.