Status of a commercial sea scallop enhancement project in Iles-de-la-Madeleine (Quebec, Canada)

The main objective of the REPERE (REcherche sur le Petoncle a des fins d'Elevage et de REpeuplement) research programme, initiated in the Iles-de-la-Madeleine in 1991, was to enhance natural sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) populations which were greatly reduced by overfishing. Sea bed seeding was chosen as the best approach to achieve this goal. In 1992, after two years of scientific research work, mainly centred on producing a supply of juveniles and developing intermediate culture methods, the Scallop Fishermen's Association, supported by governmental financing, initiated a commercial seeding project. Two thousand collectors were set out in open waters suitable for spat settlement. A collecting rate of 780 spat per collector produced a catch of 1.5 million spat. Technical problems led to significant losses of juveniles. Intermediate culture in pearl nets in a lagoon, between July and October 1993, enhanced growth noticeably. At an age of 1 y, average shell height was 32 mm. In the fall of 1993, 30 000 young scallops were seeded on a natural bed closed to fishing. Ten thousand collectors were set out in the fall of 1993. Collecting success was 1145 spat per collector and spat losses were reduced by technical improvements. In November 1994, 1.5 million scallops were seeded on a sea bed closed to the fishery. Scallops from the 1994 seeding could reach market size (90 mm) by 1997.     

Polyculture of sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) suspended from salmon cages

Commercial and developmental operations for the culture of the seascallop, Placopecten magellanicus, are present in AtlanticCanada and New England. In an experiment designed to examine the commercialfeasibility of polyculture of scallops with Atlantic salmon(Salmo salar), we measured growth andsurvival of sea scallops grown in suspension at two salmon aquaculture sites innortheastern Maine (Johnson Cove (JC) and Treats Island (TI)). Sea scallop spatwere grown in pearl nets and deployed on drop lines containing ten nets inAugust 1994. One drop line of ten nets was sampled about every four months andscallops were counted, measured and weighed. Scallop tissues were also analysedfor paralytic shellfish toxins (PSP). The maximum level of PSP recorded duringthe study was 1174 g STX equiv.·100 gtissue^–1 (excluding adductor muscle weight). After one year,shell heights were 53.6 and 56.4 mm, growth rates were 0.11 and0.12 mm per day and wet adductor muscle weights were 3.3 and 4.1g (TI and JC, respectively). These growth rates were comparable tosea scallops grown in suspension culture to a nearby scallop aquaculture siteand other areas in Atlantic Canada. Reduced rates of survival were found duringthe latter part of the experiment and were attributable, in part, to heavyfouling, predators and high stocking density. The potential for supplementalincome, diversification of the salmon aquaculture industry, and feasibility ofculturing scallops at adjacent sites to salmon operations does exist.     

Particle clearance and selection in three species of juvenile scallops

Juvenile scallops (<2 mm shell height) of three species (Placopecten magellanicus, Patinopecten yessoensis, Argopecten irradians) were fed mixed, unialgal cultures. Scallops were fed a total of six algal clones simultaneously and clearance rates were monitored using flow cytometric techniques. In another experiment, scallops were presented with natural assemblages of particulate matter as a food source. Data are presented on differences in clearance rates for the individual algal species as well as size-related differences of algal clones, and uptake of chlorophyll vs. non-chlorophyll cells, both within and between scallop species. Significant differences in clearance rates of individual algal species have been found within and between scallop species. Particle selection does not appear to be based upon size alone and is apparently based on other characteristics of the algae as well. The results demonstrate pre-ingestive sorting.     

The culture of the southern bay scallop in Tampa Bay, an urban Florida estuary

Bay scallop, Argopecten irradians concentricus (Say), stocks were collected from a Homosassa (Florida) population in 1991 and were kept in seawater from Bayboro Harbor on Tampa Bay, an urban Florida estuary. They were fed with Isochrysis galbana and Tetraselmis sp. Spawning was allowed to occur after the scallops became ripe. The hatching rate of the F1 eggs to D-shaped larvae was 72%. Settlement and metamorphosis began 11 days after fertilization. When spat reached a shell height of 0.8 mm in the laboratory, they were placed with substrates into 300 and 800 m mesh bags, and later in lantern nets, suspended from a dock in Bayboro Harbor. The F1 scallops successfully survived to gonad maturity in the fall of 1992, with mean (sd) shell height of 49.8 (4.0) mm on 6 September 1992. The scallops experienced heavy mortality during the summer, partially as a result of heavy fouling. From early August to October of 1992, F1 scallops grown in Bayboro Harbor were successfully spawned in the laboratory. Growth and survival of the F2 scallops were comparable to those of the F1 scallops. Results have shown that bay scallops can complete an entire life cycle in an urban estuary such as Tampa Bay, and a hatchery for bay scallops on the estuary can assist in the restoration of the population. Fouling represents a possible severe limitation and alternatives to caging for grow-out should be considered.     

渤海底栖生物的种类,数量分布及其动态变化

１９９２－１９９３上渤海增殖生态基础调查,４个航次共捕获底栖动物５９种,２２２４．２４５ｋｇ,其中甲壳动物２５种,占总重的６１．７％,软体动物２２种,占３３．５％,棘皮动物９种,占４．６％,其他类包括腔肠动物１种,环节动物１种和尾索动物１种,共占０．２％,４个季节中,平均网获得以秋季（１０月）最高,为２５．５８３ｋｇ／网．ｈ,其次为夏季（８月）为１５．９１８ｋｇ／网．ｈ第３次为春季（５～６月）为８     

流沙湾水产养殖区浮游动物群落特征

于2012年5月–2013年1月对流沙湾海区浮游动物进行了周年性的季度调查,共检出浮游动物41种、幼体17类,以桡足类居多(29种)。亚强次真哲水蚤(Subeucalanus subcrassus)、短尾类幼虫(Brachyuran larva)、长尾幼体(Macruran larva)在四季均有出现,并在3个季度中成为优势种。年均浮游动物丰度和生物量分别为48.12 ind./m3、13.43 mg/m3。扇贝主养区、鱼类网箱养殖区和珍珠贝养殖区的各季浮游动物丰度及生物量均低于对照区(非养殖区);大中型浮游动物主要出现在对照区,而在鱼、贝养殖区极少出现。冬季扇贝主养区多样性指数为各区最高,其浮游动物丰度、生物量迅速回升,高于鱼类网箱养殖区和珍珠贝养殖区,但仍低于对照区。研究结果显示,鱼、贝养殖区域流沙湾海区的浮游动物丰度及生物量比往年明显减小,浮游动物的小型化加剧。     

Response and condition of larvae of the scallops Nodipecten subnodosus and Argopecten ventricosus reared at the hatchery with different seawater sources

Larvae of the scallops Nodipecten subnodosus and Argopecten ventricosus were reared at a hatchery under five seawater sources: (1) filtered seawater, as the control group; (2) pasteurized seawater; (3) seawater taken from a well; (4) synthetic seawater, and (5) seawater containing a commercial probiotic (Epicin). The quality of each seawater source was measured in terms of counts of Vibrio pathogenic bacteria, levels of nitrites, nitrates, and ammonium, and content of suspended and organic matter. Overall response of larvae under each treatment was measured in terms of growth, survival, biochemical composition, and recruitment rate of spat. Differences in all these parameters, as a function of the seawater source, were analyzed with one-way ANOVA. Larvae survived more, grew faster and larger, had higher protein levels, and recruited more in filtered seawater (in N. subnodosus) and pasteurized seawater (in A. ventricosus), but significant differences between treatments were slight. In A. ventricosus cultures, filtered seawater favored significantly higher Vibrio counts than pasteurized seawater, but this result did not affect the response and condition of larvae. The well seawater treatment ranked third in terms of low bacterial counts, high nitrate levels, larvae showing relatively high survival and growth rates, and spat reaching the settlement stage (only in A. ventricosus). The synthetic seawater and Epicin treatments did not yield satisfactory results for any of the indicators measured. In fact, in the Epicin treatment, larvae survived only the first days of hatchery cultivation and settlement occurred only in A. ventricosus. The results from these first set of trials are useful for planning additional experiments aimed to improve the protocol of seawater use at our research hatchery.     

Studies on mass summer mortality of cultured zhikong scallops (Chlamys farreri Jones et Preston) in China

Mass mortalities of cultured zhikong scallops (Chlamys farreri) have occurred each summer in most culture areas of northern China since 1996. Among the hypothesized causes are high culture density, infectious disease and genetic inbreeding. To investigate these potential agents, C. farreri were deployed at three densities (low, medium and high) at three sites (Jiaonan, Penglai and Yantai) in the summer of 2000. Scallops were sampled for survival, growth and histopathology before, during and after a mortality episode. Most of the mortality occurred in July and August, during and toward the later part of the spawning season, when water temperature reached 23–26 °C. Final cumulative mortalities reached 85% to 90% at all three sites. Scallops in the medium and high densities had higher initial death rates than did those at the low density. High densities also inhibited growth. Ciliates from the genus Trichodina, larvae of various organisms and anomalous secretions were observed in sections of the gill cavity, with highest prevalence during and at the end of the mortality period. Prokaryotic inclusion bodies were found in the soft tissues, but their prevalence was low and apparently without correlation with mortalities. Genetic analysis with random amplified polymorphic DNA markers showed slightly lower heterozygosity in the cultured stocks (0.301) than in the wild stocks (0.331). It is possible that the mortalities are caused by a combination of several factors such as stress associated with reproduction, high temperature, overcrowding and poor circulation in the growout cages, opportunistic invaders or pathogens, and possibly inbreeding.     

Acoustic approaches to remote species identification: a review

Noninvasive species identification remains a long-term goal of fishers, researchers, and resource managers who use sound to locate, map, and count aquatic organisms. Since the first biological applications of underwater acoustics, four approaches have been used singly or in combination to survey marine and freshwater environments: passive sonar; prior knowledge and direct sampling; echo statistics from high-frequency measures; and matching models to low-frequency measures. Echo amplitudes or targets measured using any sonar equipment are variable signals. Variability in reflected sound is influenced by physical factors associated with the transmission of sound through a compressible fluid, and by biological factors associated with the location, reflective properties, and behaviour of a target. The current trend in acoustic target identification is to increase the amount of information collected through increases in frequency bandwidth or in the number of acoustic beams. Exclusive use of acoustics to identify aquatic organisms reliably will require a set of statistical metrics that discriminate among a wide range of similar body types at any packing density, and incorporation of these algorithms in routine data processing.     

Influence of season, initial size, depth, gear type and stocking density on the growth rates and recovery of sea scallop, Placopecten magellancius, on a farm-based nursery

Hatchery-reared sea scallop (Placopecten magellanicus) spat weremonitored for growth and recovery in three experiments to determine themost suitable system for nursery culture. In Experiment I, four size classesof nursery-sized spat held at two depths from October to July exhibiteddeclining growth rates over the winter period and increased growth ratesin the spring. Overall, season, depth and initial size had a significantinfluence on the absolute and specific growth rates of scallops. Recovery,defined as number of scallops remaining after mortality and loss of spatthrough gear mesh, was influenced by season and initial size, but notdepth. Scallops in the 3.0 mm⁺ size class had higher growth rates andrecovery than those in the 1.4–1.6 mm, 1.7–1.9 mm and 2.0–2.9 mm sizeclasses. In Experiment II, two gear types containing similar size spat werecompared. Growth rates were significantly higher in 3.0 mm pearl nets thanin 3.0 mm collector bags, although recovery was similar between the twoequipment types. Experiment III, two stocking densities of nursery-sizedspat were compared in collector bags. Neither growth rate nor recoverywere significantly different for the two densities (2600 and 5200spat/collector bag) tested. Overall, these studies indicated that importantparameters for optimizing the growth and recovery of scallops in a farm-based nursery system include season, initial spat size, deployment depthand gear type.     

西北太平洋柔鱼适宜栖息地动态变化研究

柔鱼(Ommastrepes bartramii)是短生命周期种类,具有较高的经济价值和重要的生态地位,研究柔鱼资源对我国的远洋渔业发展有重要作用。本研究根据2005～2016年8～10月西北太平洋柔鱼渔业数据以及海表温度(Sea surface temperature, SST)数据,依据前人建立的柔鱼栖息地适宜性指数模型(Habitat suitability index, HSI)计算适宜柔鱼栖息地面积大小,并与柔鱼单位捕捞努力量渔获量(Catch per unit of fishing effort, CPUE)和渔获量进行相关性分析。研究发现,2015年平均适宜栖息地(HSI0.6)面积范围最大,达到1087369km2;2008年平均适宜栖息地面积范围最小,仅为618407.5 km~2。所选区域内适宜栖息地分布能有效反映柔鱼的资源分布情况,但其适宜栖息地面积大小与渔获量和CPUE之间不存在显著相关性(P0.05)。其原因可能有:鱿钓渔船作业集中,导致单船渔获量不能表征实际CPUE;大尺度的气候变化,特别是厄尔尼诺和拉尼娜现象会影响柔鱼资源量;黑潮与亲潮的变化也会影响柔鱼资源量。     

Quantifying the effectiveness of regional habitat quality index models for predicting densities of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Abstract –  The suitability of using regional Habitat Quality Index (HQI) models for predicting distributions of juvenile salmon ( Salmo salar L.) was examined using data acquired from selected rivers within Québec, Canada. Regional HQI models were derived by identifying preferences of salmon fry and parr for the habitat properties of flow velocity, water column depth and granulometric index (an index of substrate size) for groups of rivers. These were compared with local HQI models, derived from preferences for habitat properties within individual rivers. Relationships between HQI values and densities of juvenile salmon were established through the use of nonlinear regression. In all cases, the regional HQI models were less effective for explaining distributions of juvenile salmon than local HQI models based on individual rivers. Regional HQI models were relatively ineffective when the habitat characteristics of the river to which they were applied differed greatly from the characteristics of the other rivers within the region. It is inferred that the relationship between the effectiveness of the regional HQI model and the difference in characteristics between individual rivers and those of the region may be used in an a priori determination of whether a regional HQI may be applied effectively to any given river.