Human health benefits supplied by Mediterranean marine biodiversity

This paper summarizes the overall benefits supplied by Mediterranean marine biodiversity to human health and highlights the anthropogenic and environmental causes that are threatening these benefits. First, the Mediterranean Sea is a valuable source of seafood, which is an important component of the so-called “Mediterranean diet”. This type of diet has several health benefits, including cardio and cancer protective effects, which are attributed to the high intake of seafood-derived n-3 (omega-3) fatty acids. Second, the Mediterranean marine organisms, particularly the benthic ones, have furnished a large variety of bioactive metabolites, some of which are being developed into new drugs to threat major human diseases such as cancer. Third, the Mediterranean coastal areas provide environments for practising maritime leisure activities that provide physical and psychological benefits to users. Despite all this, fishing, tourism, contamination and sea warming are deteriorating this rich marine ecosystem, which needs to be protected to assure human welfare.     

凡纳滨对虾不同生长阶段食物组成结构的研究

利用稳定同位素碳比率δ13C作为天然示踪物,对高位养殖池生态系统中人工饲料和天然饵料提供的能源物质对养殖凡纳滨对虾生长的贡献比率进行研究。结果表明:虾体的δ13C值受食物δ13C值的影响,由于其摄食饵料的δ13C值逐渐减小,虾体的δ13C值也逐渐降低,逐渐接近于最后人工饲料的δ13C值,试验虾体的δ13C值由养殖开始时的-19.52‰±0.09‰变为实验结束时的-21.74‰±0.17‰;对虾的食性在10d左右时发生转变,34d左右时人工饲料和浮游动物对虾体的能量贡献基本相同,养殖结束时对虾生长能量的97.29%±0.98%来源于人工饲料。     

Thule Fishing Revisited: The Economic Importance of Fish at the Pembroke and Bell Sites,Victoria Island,Nunavut

Geografisk Tidsskrift—Danish Journal of Geography 110(2):261–278, 2010

In a comprehensive overview of evidence for fishing in the Thule period of the eastern North American Arctic, Whitridge (2001) noted that fish bones are either extremely rare or absent in archaeofaunal samples, despite the fact that artifact assemblages typically contain a variety of fishing implements. In this paper, we present new faunal data from two sites on southeastern Victoria Island, Nunavut, which offer a marked contrast to this pattern. The Pembroke site, located just north of Cambridge Bay, is a small Thule site probably occupied during an early migration into the region. The Bell site, located on the Ekalluk River, is a more substantial site, occupied for a much longer duration during the Thule period. These sites are located in areas devoid of many taxa preferred by Thule peoples, which led the sites' occupants to rely on caribou and fish for much of their winter subsistence. At the Bell site, storage of caribou and fish was critical for winter survival. However, the occupants of the Pembroke site appear to have been unable to acquire sufficient stores during the fall, and therefore relied on fishing through the ice during winter to supplement their inadequate stores. Although both sites indicate a more important economic role for fish than has been recorded on any other eastern Arctic Thule winter site, the use of fish at the two sites differs markedly, adding nuance to archaeologically known Thule subsistence patterns.     

Groupers on the Edge: Shelf Edge Spawning Habitat in and Around Marine Reserves of the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

The northeastern Gulf of Mexico contains some of the most diverse and productive marine habitat in the United States. Much of this habitat, located on the shelf edge in depths of 50 to 120 m, supports spawning for many economically important species, including groupers. Here, we couple acoustic surveys with georeferenced videography to describe the primary spatial and geologic features of spawning aggregation sites for four economically important species: gag (Mycteroperca microlepis), scamp (M. phenax), red grouper (Epinephelus morio), and red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), with notes on fish distribution and abundance and spawning activities. We provide information on movement patterns of reef fish determined using acoustic telemetry. Finally, we discuss the possible coupling of geomorphology with hydrographic features to influence the overall productivity of the region and the importance of spatial fishery management in sustaining that productivity.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in commercial fish and lobsters from the coastal waters of Madagascar following an oil spill in August 2009

Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were determined in species of commercial fish and lobsters following an oil-spill just off the protected Madagascan coastline. Samples were collected along the coastline within and outside the affected area. Summed PAH concentrations ranged from 1.9 μg kg⁻¹ to 63 μg kg⁻¹ wet weight, but with no higher molecular weight PAHs (>202 Da) being detected. All concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene and dibenz[a,h]anthracene were <0.1 μg kg⁻¹ wet weight, well within the EU and UK set limits for the protection of human health. Additionally, samples were calculated as the benzo[a]pyrene toxic equivalency quotient (TEQ) and found to be well below the level of concern in relation to health of human consumers. Evaluation of the biota PAH data indicated the origin of PAH was predominantly petrogenic with >80% arising from oil sources. Profile studies indicate a low-level multisource petrogenic contamination probably representing a pre-spill background for the area.     

Surfactant Enhance DLLME/FO‐LADS: Assay of Malachite Green Level in Aquatic Environment of Trout Fish

Malachite green (MG), a traditional agent used in aquaculture although is not approved; its low cost and high efficacy make illicit use likely. We developed a small‐scale, simple, and sensitive dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction procedure for the assay of trace amounts of MG in aquatic environment of Trout fish. Fiber optic‐linear array detection spectrophotometry with charge‐coupled device detector benefiting from a microcell was used for this purpose. The method is based on enhancement effect of an anionic surfactant on the extraction of MG in to very fine multidroplets of microextraction solvent which made assisted by disperser solvent. Under the optimum conditions, the enrichment factor 77.5 was obtained from a 5‐mL water sample. The calibration graph was linear up to 5 × 10^?7 mol L^?1 with detection limit of 1 × 10^?8 mol L^?1. The relative standard deviation for seven replicate measurements of 4 × 10^?7 and 5 × 10^?8 mol L^?1 of MG were 3.3 and 4.5%, respectively.     

Composition and ecological distribution of ichthyoplankton in eastern Beibu Gulf

Surveys were conducted in four seasons in the eastern Beibu Gulf from July 2006 to November 2007,to determine the ichthyoplankton composition,abundance,as well as environmental factors impacted on their spatiotemporal distributions.The fish eggs and larvae were sorted from 303 zooplankton quantitative samples,in which at least 1 order,60 families,31 genera and 61 species of fish eggs and larvae were identified.The species number was highest in summer whereas lowest in winter.With the most abundant fish egg (the average density was 2.41 ind./m 3),spring was the main spawning season,while the greatest mean density of fish larva was 1.35 ind./m 3 in summer.In the whole year around,fish eggs had the trends to aggregate in the nearshore of Guangxi coast,fish larvae were more abundant in the northern water.Relationships between fish eggs and larvae abundance and environmental factors were analyzed by using the Yield-Density model.The spatiotemporal distribution of ichthyoplankton in eastern Beibu Gulf was closely related to the Chl a concentration,and the optimal temperature,salinity and Chl a were 19.4-21.7 C,31.8-33.1 and 1.5-4.8 mg/m 3,respectively.Additionally,the distribution of fish larvae could be effected by ocean currents in summer and autumn.     

Global extent and distribution of artificial, residential waterways in estuaries

Artificial residential waterways are now widespread in the world’s estuaries. We used the global mapping tool, Google Earth, to determine that there are nearly 4000 linear km of artificial waterways globally, covering an area of 270 km². Residential waterways constructed as open, flow-through canal estates are at their greatest extent in North America (77% of global linear extent), where systems are typically longer and narrower, with more openings and dead-ends than systems elsewhere. The remaining canal estates are spread across all other continents except Antarctica: Asia (7%), Europe (7%), Oceania (7%), South America (0.9%), and Africa (0.6%). A relatively recent design change from open canals to artificial estuarine lakes with tidal barriers has occurred on all continents except Africa, most extensively in Australia (14 km² area, 57 independent systems). The extremely large expansion in artificial residential waterways aimed at increasing opportunities for waterfront living by humans has also modified and expanded estuarine habitat available to aquatic biota. Research can best underpin planning and management of these types of waterways by focussing on their value as habitat and their provision of other goods and services.     

Policy and practice in the live reef fish for food trade: A case study from Palawan,Philippines

The live reef fish for food trade is a highly significant fishery that provides income for many coastal communities in the Asia-Pacific region but faces challenges relating to sustainability. This paper draws attention to the large gaps that exist between policy and practice in the live reef fish for food trade in Palawan, Philippines. While many policies have been introduced over many years, effective implementation remains a challenge. We show how the implementation of successive sets of policies has been hindered by three broadly inter-related features of the local social landscape: the capacity of government institutions and legal frameworks to implement regulations, the distinctive culture of fisheries governance in the Philippines, and the perspectives and practices of local fishers themselves. By focusing on the gaps between policy and practice, we highlight the ongoing need to examine more explicitly the ways in which local contexts shape the effectiveness of implementation, enforcement and policy more generally.     

福建省主要海湾浮性鱼卵和仔稚鱼的种类组成与丰度分布

根据2007年8月至2009年10月期间在福建省主要海湾的调查资料,对其浮性鱼卵和仔稚鱼的种类组成与数量分布特点进行初步研究和探讨.结果表明,本调查海域共出现鱼卵和仔稚鱼68种,隶属于29科,主要是近海中上层鱼类、浅海底层鱼类和港湾河口型鱼类3个生态类型.各站鱼卵总平均丰度是497.5粒/网,仔稚鱼总平均丰度50.8个/网.优势种明显,占总量比例大;不同季节和不同海湾的种类数相差不大;数量平面分布呈现不同季节不同海湾差别较大,规律性不强,偶然性大等特点.