Loss of and damage to scallops due to storms in the Sea of Okhotsk |
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Authors: | HIDEO MIYAKE MITSUAKI MATSUOKA KUNIO FURUYA |
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Affiliation: | Faculty of Fisheries, Hokkaido University, Minato-cho 3-1-1 Hakodate, Hokkaido 041, Japan;Mombetsu Fisheries Cooperative, Minato-cho 6 Mombetsu, Hokkaido 094, Japan;Mombetsu Municipal Office, Saiwai-cho I Mombetsu, Hokkaido 094, Japan |
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Abstract: | In the coastal zone of the Sea of Okhotsk off Hokkaido, Japan, the giant ezo scallop ( Patinopecten yessoensis ) is widely cultivated on the sea bed, making its fishery a major industry. However, the area experiences intense cyclones, including typhoons, about once a decade and the scallop resources appear to have received severe damage from the storms. Such an event occurred on 29 October 1988. The storm caused 12-m-high wind waves, which appeared to be fully developed sea waves. The water above the sea bed repeatedly moved back and forth at speeds of 1∼2 m s-1 causing damage to the scallops due to collisions and rubbing with gravel and other scallops. From a comparison of wind data with the annual catch of scallops, intense cyclones seem to play an important role on the year-to-year fluctuations in the scallop fishery. |
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Keywords: | cultivation of scallops storm typhoon loss damage hydraulic mechanism near bottom Aleutian Low |
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