Preliminary Evaluation of Baits and Traps for Harvesting Orconectid Crayfish from Earthen Ponds

Four commercially available crayfish baits and two trap types were evaluated for efficiency in trapping Orconecres virilis and O. immunis from 13 unmanaged, contiguous earthen ponds in southern Illinois from May through October 1988. Specifically, this study compared three long-life baits and one one-day bait to gizzard shad, and four-funnel submerged pillow traps to three-funnel stand-up pyramid traps in matched-pair comparisons. Data from O. immunis harvest was not included in the final evaluation because of the relatively low numbers caught (343). The three long-life baits attracted significantly more O. virilis than did gizzard shad, but the attractability of the one-day bait was not significantly different from shad. There were no significant differences between four-funnel pillow traps and three-funnel pyramid traps or between catch per unit effort from deep or shallow ends of typical culture ponds. These data indicate that wild populations of O. virilis are susceptible to trapping with typical baits and traps used in the southern United States, and these methods may be more effective than those currently employed.     

Estimating attraction areas and effective fishing areas for Chilean lemon crab (Cancer porteri) using traps

The applicability of a method, based on varing distance between traps, for estimating attraction area (A_at) and effective fishing area (A_ef), for Cancer porteri caught with experimental traps, was tested. Based on fishing experiments, where lines of traps were set with different spacing between them, the minimum distance at which A_at of adjacent traps did not overlap was estimated. This provided an estimate of A_at of 9348 m²/trap. To estimate A_ef, an exponential decay function for the probability of capture within the A_at was assumed; A_ef was estimated at 577 m²/trap, similar to values estimated for other shallow water crustaceans using SCUBA for calibration. This is inferior to estimates calibrated with underwater photography for crustaceans at greater depths.     

Effects of entrance design on catch efficiency of arabesque greenling traps: a field experiment in Matsumae, Hokkaido

ABSTRACT:   A field experiment was conducted in the Matsumae area of Hokkaido, Japan, during June and July 2002, to investigate the effects of different entrance designs on the catch efficiency of fish traps by fishing with commercial traps (entrance inclination angle [α] = 37°; funnel length of entrance [ L _f ] = 22 cm) and experimental traps. The experimental traps were of the same size and similar design as commercial traps, with different entrance inclination angles (trap E1: α = 46°; E2: α = 27°; E3: α = 0°; all L _f  = 22 cm) or funnel lengths (E4: α = 37°, L _f  = 8 cm). In total, 2200 fish during 200 trap hauls were captured. The catch was significantly higher using both traps E2 and the commercial trap than with trap E3 ( P  < 0.05), and the catch of trap E2 was higher than that of the commercial trap. There were no significant differences in mean fish body length or the frequency distributions of body length among trap types (E1, E2, E3 and commercial). The funnel length of the entrance also affected the catch of traps. Trap E4 had significantly higher catches than the commercial trap ( P  = 0.04) when traps were deployed for a 1-day soak time. Fish body length frequency distributions did not differ between trap E4 and the commercial trap. The results showed that catch can be greatly affected by trap entrance designs.     

Oyster shell–meat sensor

Oyster processing sometimes requires determining if the shucking process has been completed. One application of this requirement is in the automated Wheaton oyster shucking machine where one oyster shell valve is removed and it is necessary to determine before the oyster proceeds through the remaining machine components whether the valve has been removed. Failure to remove the valve will cause the oyster meat to be destroyed downstream in the processing system. Thus, an automated sensor was developed to view the oyster and determine automatically if the valve was removed. The sensor is based on the difference in light absorption between the oyster meat and shell. Light reflected from the oyster passing beneath the sensor enters the sensor and passes through a beam splitter. Each light beam passes through a different narrow band filter and into a photocell. The output difference between the two photocells was used to determine if an oyster meat or shell was passing beneath the sensor. The sensor output for the 875 nm shell sensor varied from 0.143 to 0.305 mV and for the 975 nm shell sensor varied from 0.27 to 0.615 mV. When looking at meat the 875 nm sensor output varied from 0.157 to 0.305 mV and the 975 nm sensor varied from 0.307 to 0.622 mV. Results show the sensor will detect the difference between the oyster shell and the meat as long as there are readings for both sensing elements for both the meat and the shell. With the Wheaton shucking machine the design configuration will provide only a wavelength readings for either the meat or the shell but not both. Suggestions are presented to modify the system to allow the sensor to differentiate between the oyster meat and shell.

Because the study was designed to determine if the sensor would perform as designed data on the sensor speed was not available. However, the sensor was designed as part of a shucking machine with a design shucking rate of 60 oyster/min. With the electronic processing needed and the available computer processing power today the sensor should be able to meet the 60 oyster/min for which the shucking machine was designed.     

Assessing sediment removal capacity of vegetated and non-vegetated settling ponds in prawn farms

Sediment removal capacity is assessed for a constructed mangrove wetland, and a non-vegetated settling pond that are both used for filtering water in tropical aquaculture. The assessment is performed through sediment budget analysis using data of suspended sediment concentration collected from optical backscatter sensors. The sensors were deployed at the pond's inlet and outlet. These data sets provide a measure of trapping efficiency of each pond with different flow regimes and settling areas. The tides influenced flow in the wetland but none was felt in the settling pond. The average trapping efficiency obtained for the vegetated and the non-vegetated ponds was (40±33) and (70±36)%, respectively. The deposition rate calculated for the vegetated and non-vegetated pond ranges between 13–174 g/m² per h (average=63 g/m² per h) and 10–19 g/m² per h (average=14 g/m² per h), respectively. The efficiency of vegetated and non-vegetated ponds is likely to be improved by decreasing the aspect ratio (length/width) from the current value of 6 to 1 and of 5 to 1, respectively.     

Drones detect illegal and derelict crab traps in a shallow water estuary

The issues surrounding illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and that of abandoned, lost and discarded fishing gears, leading to ghost fishing, are intensifying. Estuarine crab trapping is likely subject to high levels of illegal and potential ghost fishing, because it also has good economic incentives regarding potential catch, low gear acquisition costs and accessible fishing grounds. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance operations, the efficacy of small consumer‐grade drones for sighting traps in an estuary in NSW, Australia, was tested. Twelve sets of two flights were undertaken at 20 and 30 m altitude over a 600‐m stretch of estuary for 5 days to quantify the detectability of submerged mesh traps of three different mesh colours. The drone was able to detect the majority of traps efficiently, with depth in relation to water clarity being the main factor affecting detection. In shallow water, detection rates were high for all mesh colours, but in the slightly deeper placements, orange traps were more readily detected. This study demonstrates that drones could be an efficient and reliable tool for rapidly assessing areas for illegal and derelict traps and can be supplemented into land or vessel‐based fisheries operations.     

Effects of trap fishing on reef fish communities

• 1. Trap fishing is widespread on coral reefs but the sustainability of this practice is causing concern because it is efficient and unselective. The effects of trap fishing were investigated by comparing fish assemblages among six Caribbean islands subject to different trapping pressures. These ranged from none in Bonaire and Saba increasing through Puerto Rico, St Lucia, Dominica and Jamaica respectively.
• 2. Fish were censused at depths of 5 m and 15 m on fore‐reef slopes by counting the numbers within replicate 10 m diameter areas for 15 min. Between 64 and 1375 counts were made in each country.
• 3. In St Lucia and Jamaica abundance of fish censused on the reef was compared to representation in traps which were visually sampled underwater in the area of fish counts. Twenty‐three traps were sampled in Jamaica and 75 in St Lucia. For some comparisons between these islands, St Lucian sampling effort was reduced to that of Jamaica (23 traps and 112 counts) by randomly sub‐sampling 10 times.
• 4. Traps contained 54 different species in St Lucia and 22 in Jamaica, while there were 90 and 57 respectively in counts. After reducing St Lucian sampling effort to Jamaican levels, an average of 35 species were found in traps and 70 seen in counts. Of these, 76% in St Lucia and 73% in Jamaica were relatively more abundant in traps than they were on the reef.
• 5. Species were considered to be highly susceptible to trapping if the ratio of their abundance in traps compared to that on the reef exceeded 3:1. Trapping pressure was approximately three and a half times greater in Jamaica than St Lucia. After equalizing sampling effort, there was an average of 16 highly trappable species in St Lucia compared to 13 in Jamaica. Species did not always appear highly trappable in both countries. Eleven of St Lucia's highly trappable species were absent from Jamaica (falling to 8.5 on average after equalizing sampling effort), but none vice versa, suggesting that trapping may have contributed to their absence or rarity on Jamaican reefs.
• 6. The Tetraodontiformes, which include many non‐target species, were particularly susceptible to trapping in both countries. Their abundance in the six islands censused was inversely related to trap fishing pressure, as was that of two other non‐target families, butterflyfish (Chaetodontidae) and angelfish (Pomacanthidae).
• 7. To determine whether fish that are common in traps in St Lucia are reaching sexual maturity before capture, size frequency data for 23 species from a sample of trap catches were gathered and examined for their state of maturity. In seven species, more than a third of 705 trapped fish were immature, indicating that trap fishing causes growth over‐fishing (premature removal of fish), and calling into question the sustainability of yields for these species.
• 8. In conclusion, at the intensities seen in this study, trap fisheries cause serious over‐fishing, reduce biodiversity, and alter ecosystem structure. While commonly perceived as low impact, coral reef trap fisheries in the Caribbean and further afield, need tighter regulation and control.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mark-recapture experiments with noble crayfish, Astacus astacus L., in a Norwegian lake

Abstract. In July and August 1980–1987, mark-recapture experiments with noble crayfish, Astacus astacus L., were performed to estimate density in Lake Steinsfjorden, south-east Norway. Recapture rates were examined for variation according to sex, length, sampling method or length of recovery period, i.e. the time between release and recapture. Lake Steinsfjorden supports a dense, heavily exploited population of noble crayfish with few large individuals.
Recapture rates did not vary with sex, but were significantly lower among crayfish smaller than 90mm total length than for larger crayfish. Different sampling methods (baited traps and scuba) prior to marking did not influence the rate of recapture (in baited traps). When the recovery period was increased from 2 to 4 days, the recapture rate increased two- to threefold, but a further increase in the recovery period to 4–6 days did not increase the recapture rate.
The estimated density of noble crayfish varied between 013 and 036 individuals 5 70 mm total length per m² (95% CL. varied from 84 to 280%).     

Studies of fish traps as stock assessment devices on a shallow reef in south-western Puerto Rico

Traditional Antillean arrowhead fish traps were deployed around and on a shallow, 8-ha coral reef of south-western Puerto Rico in two 1987 studies: Study I, 2–18 March, a comparison of 30 trap catches and 30 visual transect counts; Study II, 8 April–18 June, a tag and recapture study of 95 trap hauls. Study I considered model taxa and conditions for calculating effective fishing area (EFA) of the traps on the basis of catch per haul and fish density from transects. Of the 185 fish of 24 species caught, EFA could only reasonably be calculated for three taxa: redband parrotfish, Sparisoma aurofrenatum, 25 m² and 90 m²; stoplight parrotfish, Sparisoma viride, 24 m²; ocean surgeon, Acanthurus bahianus, 93 m². Other taxa were considered unsuitable because of near-zero density or catche, e.g. white grunt, Haemulon plumieri, was often caught but seldom seen. Ability to assess EFA depended on trap location; future surveys of reef fishes will necessarily have to utilize stratified sampling based on habitat characteristics. Study II considered fish movements within a five-trap, cross-shaped array deployed on a back reef area. Of 702 captures from 28 species, redband parrotfish, white grunt and ocean surgeon dominated. Of 272 fish tagged, 65 were recaptured once and 24 were recaptured twice or more. In the short term, traps seemed to sample a discrete population. Except for one individual, all tagged fish were recaptured at the same trap or at a nearby trap of the array, i.e. no more than 25 or 35 m away; ocean surgeon were always caught at the trap where tagged. Using the mark-recapture data, population estimates were calculated for dominant species. These were not used to estimate EFA because the area sampled by the traps could not be reliably estimated. However, properly designed marking studies could be used to obtain this information. It was concluded that using EFA in trap-based assessments is a promising technique for residents like redband parrotfish or ocean surgeon. Mark and recapture techniques may also return useful density estimates for cryptic or diurnally migrating residents such as white grunt.     

灯光诱集对中小型浮游动物群落的生态学效应

2014年5月21—23日和27日在南沙群岛中部海域开展灯光罩网作业的同时,开展诱集前后中小型浮游动物群落变化的初步实验,研究浮游动物群落对灯光反应的敏感性,灯光对群落产生了较为明显的生态学效应。诱集前后共出现浮游动物178种,隶属16个类群。诱集后种类数增加,种类组成的更替率为41%。各类群中,除枝角类外其余15个类群在诱集前后出现的种类均发生变化;除原生动物在诱集后种类数下降外,其他类群的种类数均呈增加的趋势。浮游动物绝大部分类群对灯光诱集较为敏感,趋光性有正有负。诱集前后浮游动物优势种组成发生一定的变化,更替率为50%。诱集前优势种以桡足类为主,而诱集后有尾类的优势地位明显增强。诱集后浮游动物优势种优势度和出现频率均呈明显降低的趋势。南沙群岛海域中小型浮游动物优势种诱集前后均呈聚集分布,各优势种对灯光反应敏感,不同种类对灯光的适应性有所差异。住囊虫等大部分种类对灯光的适应性较强,诱集后聚集强度明显增加;而驼背大眼水蚤和活泼大眼剑水蚤诱集后聚集强度明显下降。桡足类幼虫和小纺锤水蚤等诱集后,聚集强度明显上升,之后又大幅下降。浮游动物生物量和栖息密度在诱集后总体呈明显的增加趋势,以诱集初期增幅最大,之后数量虽有所降低,但仍高于诱集前。灯光可使浮游动物物种丰富度和多样性水平明显提高,但尚未改变浮游动物的群落结构。浮游动物对人造光反应的种间和类群间差异,是由生物自身的生理特征和不同的摄食策略决定的。诱集后游泳生物摄食强度提高,导致了诱集后期浮游动物数量下降。     

Enhancing immigration and recruitment of eels: the use of passes and associated trapping systems

Abstract Immigration of catadromous anguillid eels into fresh water can be impeded by barriers such as barrages, weirs and dams. The uses of passes and trap-and-transport systems to enhance recruitment are reviewed. Pre-construction studies of the needs for passes and traps are discussed in relation to key biological and hydraulic management criteria. Recommendations for pass and trap designs and placement are made in the context of site-specific biotic and abiotic factors. Reference is made to experience gained from eel passes and trapping systems in use throughout the world, and to experimental and pre-and post-construction monitoring studies. Practical recommendations are made for the design and use of eel passes and traps for monitoring studies and for trap-and-transport stocking.     

Production and Collection of Copepod Nauplii from Brackish Water Ponds

Copepod nauplii are a nutritious food item for first-feeding marine fish larvae. Unfortunately, mass culture techniques for producing copepod nauplii are not well established. Copepod nauplii can be collected from wild zooplankton populations or specially prepared ponds and transferred to larval fish tanks for feeding. This study evaluated the use of two trapping methods for harvesting zooplankton, particularly copepod nauplii, from fertilized ponds and the impact on the zooplankton population. Nine, 0.11 ha brackish-water (～2-7 ppt salinity) ponds were filled and fertilized with organic and inorganic fertilizers. The change in zooplankton abundance, mainly rotifers, nauplii and adult copepods, was monitored in the ponds for 22 d following initial pond filling. Beginning on day 8, three ponds were trapped with a large plankton net (Trap I), three with a pump and bag trap method (Trap II), and three ponds were not trapped. The ponds were trapped with the corresponding method for 1 h per day, for 15 d. The two trapping methods were similar in their efficiency to harvest nauplii, averaging 8,383,400 ± 2,508,378/h and 6,695,822 ± 433,533/h for Traps I and II, respectively. The zooplankton harvested by Trap I was not correlated to the densities in the ponds. However, the number of rotifers and nauplii harvested by Trap II was correlated to the rotifer and nauplii densities in the ponds. Both trapping methods were similar in terms of labor requirements and ease of use. Both methods were effective in collecting zooplankton without negatively impacting pond abundance.     

Swimming performance of wild and F1-hatchery-reared Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) smolts

Abstract –  The swimming performance of wild and hatchery-reared smolts of two salmonid species was investigated. Wild Atlantic salmon smolts (WS) and brown trout smolts (WT) of equal size were caught in fish traps during migration. Hatchery-reared smolts of both species (HS and HT for salmon and trout respectively) were first generation offspring from wild broodstock. The swimming performance of individual smolts from the four groups (WS, HS, WT, HT) was tested three consecutive times using a swimming flume with water flowing at a start rate of 0.16 m·s⁻¹ and a constant acceleration rate of 0.167 cm·s⁻² (10 cm·s⁻¹·min⁻¹). Wild caught smolts of both species performed significantly better than those reared in hatchery conditions. The WS group were observed to maintain an average swimming speed ( U _burst) that was 30% faster than the HS group, whereas the wild trout smolts were superior to HT by approximately 25%. Repeated measures revealed species-specific exhaustion patterns. Brown trout smolts maintained consecutive U _burst indicating significant stamina compared with Atlantic salmon smolts that were found to be exhausted by the initial trial.     

A 6-year study of Thelohania contejeani parasitism of the noble crayfish, Astacus astacus L., in Lake Steinsfjorden, S. E. Norway

Abstract. During 1981-1986, the mean prevalence of Thelohania contejeani parasitism of the noble crayfish, Astacus astacus L., in Lake Steinsfjorden, S. E. Norway, was 0.29%. The crayfish population is heavily exploited. Thelohania contejeani infection levels increased significantly during the fishing season, and variations between years were more pronounced in catches after the fishing season (0.38-2.11%) compared to catches before the fishing season (0.05-0-19%). Sixty-eight per cent of the variation between years could be explained from variations in trap effort. Scuba-diving yielded significantly higher T. contejeani infection levels than simultaneous trapping with baited traps. Thus, in years with heavy exploitation, a larger fraction of non-infected crayfish are removed from the population as these are more susceptible to capture. The findings do not support the hypothesis that density and cannibalism influence T. contejeani infection.     

Sources of sampling bias in enclosure fish trapping: Effects on estimates of density and diversity

Enclosure traps have been increasingly used to sample fish populations in shallow aquatic habitats because they have proven to be practical, effective and sufficiently precise. However, they are somewhat biased, usually underestimating fish densities. Large fish are under-sampled, due either to escape or scarcity, consequently affecting biomass estimates. Using computer simulations and an extensive enclosure-trap data base, we found that the most consistent explanation for the reduced densities observed was a reduced effective sampling area, rather than an inappropriate sampling model. Corrections for density bias could be made by considering that a 1-m² trap effectively samples a 0.81-m² area of marsh. Using an index of species diversity, we confirmed that, despite the bias in density estimates, the composition of the fish community could be accurately described using data obtained from enclosure trapping. Enclosure trapping could effectively be argued to be either with- or without-replacement sampling. Thus, under field conditions, fish may be either removed or replaced without violating the sampling model.     

3种水质调控方式下参池沉积物酶活性的比较研究

2015年10月至2016年9月对自然纳潮、微孔曝气、养水机3种水质调控方式下海参池塘沉积物中淀粉酶、蛋白酶、碱性磷酸酶、脱氢酶的活性进行了跟踪比较研究。研究结果显示,3种水质调控方式下池塘沉积物中的淀粉酶活性年变化为0.126~0.880 mg/g,年均值(0.410±0.180) mg/g,蛋白酶活性年变化为0.024~0.472 mg/g,年均值(0.190±0.103) mg/g,碱性磷酸酶活性年变化为0.068~1.042 mg/g,年均值(0.340±0.196) mg/g,脱氢酶活性年变化为12.092~52.794 mL/g,年均值(26.980±8.295) mL/g。3种水质调控方式下池塘沉积物中蛋白酶、碱性磷酸酶及脱氢酶活性均在自然纳潮池塘中均值最高,变化幅度最大;淀粉酶活性均值则在自然纳潮池塘中最低,养水机池塘最高,这与养水机池塘有机质最低,自然纳潮池塘最高,养水机池塘沉积物的细菌多样性最高,真菌数量最多有关。表明养水机能够快速去除沉积物中氮、磷有机化合物,有利于池塘的正常物质循环。本研究从沉积物酶活性的角度,探讨了养水机的作用效果与其他两种水质调控方式产生差异的机理。     

Sedimentation and Resuspension in Earthen Fish Ponds

Resuspension of particles from pond sediment into the water column may be an important nutrient transfer mechanism in aquaculture ponds. However, the magnitude of sediment re-suspension cannot be determined directly because sediment traps collect particles settling from the water column as well as those re-suspended from the pond bottom. We developed a dilution analysis method to differentiate the magnitude of the two particle source fluxes based upon the concentration of soil-derived elements (Si, Al, and Fe) and water-derived elements (C, N) in material collected by sediment traps placed in earthen ponds. Estimated organic C sedimentation from feed residues and algae was compared with trapped organic C as an independent and approximate measure of resuspension. Resuspension fluxes based independently on analyses of three soil-derived elements and on the estimation of expected C sedimentation were similar and accounted for 60–90% of the total solids flux (121–2,676 g/m² per d) in most ponds sampled. The proportion of total flux that was derived from resuspension in ponds stocked with common carp Cyprinus carpio and tilapia Oreochromis spp . was modeled as a hyperbolic function of fish size and density, with a threshold fish size of 200–300 g. Resuspension flux was conservatively estimated to be equivalent to the daily suspension of a few mm of the pond bottom. These results indicate that sediment resuspension is a major process in carp and tilapia ponds, suggesting that the exchange of nutrients between the sediment and overlying water is intensive.     

Image processing and pattern recognition for oyster hinge line detection

Image-processing software written in C was developed for the COMPAQ 386 computer to detect the hinge in a trimmed oyster hinge-end image. The error rate was 2·5% and the processing speed was 0·7 s per image. Results will be used in an automated oyster shucking machine.     

Experiments on the Descent and Feeding of Hatchery-reared Salmon smolts (Salmo salarL.) in the River Bush

Marked hatchery-reared smolts were released into the River Bush on the 1 May and 19 May 1980. and the time for their descent to trapping facilities was monitored. Of the smolts recaptured in each experiment 56.2% and 75.8% respectively descended the 3.5 km to the traps within 48 h, and the overall patterns of their downstream movements were found to be correlated to that of wild smolts. Smolts migrating from control tanks did so more slowly than those released into the river, and were not correlated with the movements of wild smolts. The feeding of recaptured hatchery smolts was compared with that of wild smolts for up to 11 days after the start of each experiment. It was found that most invertebrate groupings were not consumed at significantly different levels in the two groups, and that hatchery-reared fish began feeding on invertebrate food within 9 hours of release.     

Seasonal fluctuations in the flux of particulate organic matter discharged from net pens for fish farming

ABSTRACT:   Fish farming using net pens consumes large amounts of food for the reared fish, resulting in organic enrichment of the sediment below the fish farm from organic discharge in the forms of fish feces and food residues. Sediment traps were set at a net pen within and outside a fish farm, and organic flux on the sea floor was compared. The year-mean organic flux to the sea floor caused by fish farming from September 2003 to September 2004 was estimated at 2.11 gC/m²/day in total organic carbon (TOC) and 0.26 gN/m²/day in total nitrogen (TN), which were 2.5 times (TOC flux) and 2.2 times (TN flux) larger than that for natural organic flux outside the fish farm. The seasonal fluctuation patterns of organic flux to the sea floor below the fish farm did not necessarily coincide with those for the amount of food spent for the fish farming. The largest organic flux to the sea floor occurred in the autumn, when the vertical mixing of the water had just started. Therefore, organic enrichment of the sediment on the sea floor of a fish farm proceeded during this season.