Fishery Bulletin articles from October 2003

Fishery Bulletin archives from October 2003

Bycatch of lined seahorses (Hippocompus erectus) in a Gulf of Mexico shrimp trawl fishery.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Bycatch studies have largely ignored population level effects on fish species of little commercial interest. Here we analyze bycatch of the lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus) in the bait-shrimp trawl fishery in Hernando Beach,...

Estimates of survival probabilities for oceanic-stage loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the North Atlantic.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Estimates of instantaneous mortality rates (Z) and annual apparent survival probabilities ([PHI]) were generated from catch-curve analyses for oceanic-stage juvenile loggerheads (Caretta caretta) in the waters of the Azores. Two age...

Developing a growth-transition matrix for the stock assessment of the green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) off Maine.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--The green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) is important to the economy of Maine. It is the state's fourth largest fishery by value. The fishery has experienced a continuous decline in landings since 1992 because of...

Reproductive biology of the blue swimmer crab (Portunus pelagicus, Decapoda: Portunidae) in five bodies of water on the west coast of Australia.
October 1, 2003... Abstract-Portunus pelagicus was collected at regular intervals from two marine embayments and two estuaries on the lower west coast of Australia and from a large embayment located approximately 800 km farther north. The samples were used to...

A model for assessing the likelihood of self-sustaining populations resulting from commercial production of triploid Suminoe oysters (Crassostrea ariakensis) in Chesapeake Bay.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Culture of a non-native species, such as the Suminoe oyster (Crassostrea ariakensis), could offset the harvest of the declining native eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) fishery in Chesapeake Bay. Because of possible ecological...

Allozyme and RAPD variation in the eastern Pacific yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares).
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Stock structure of eastern Pacific yellowfin tuna was investigated by analyzing allozymes and random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) from 10 samples of 20-30 individuals each, collected between 1994 and 1996 from fishing vessels...

The early life history of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) in the western North Atlantic.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Lengths and ages of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) estimated from increments on otoliths of larvae collected in the Caribbean Sea, Florida Straits, and off the southeastern United States, indicated two growth phases. Larvae complete yolk...

Does the size of subsamples taken from multispecies trawl catches affect estimates of catch composition and abundance?
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Although subsampling is a common method for describing the composition of large and diverse trawl catches, the accuracy of these techniques is often unknown. We determined the sampling errors generated from estimating the percentage...

Age and growth of blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) from central and northern California.
October 1, 2003... Abstract-Otoliths from blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus), were aged by using a combination of surface and break-and-burn methods. The samples were collected between 1978 and 1998 off central and northern California. Annual growth increments in...

Reproduction and recruitment of white mullet (Mugil curema) to a tropical lagoon (Margarita Island, Venezuela) as revealed by otolith microstructure *.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--The reproductive activity and recruitment of white mullet (Mugil curema) was determined by observations of gonad development and coastal juvenile abundance from March 1992 to July 1993. Adults were collected from commercial catches at...

Fecundity and spawning season of striped mullet (Mugil cephalus L.) in South Carolina estuaries *.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Fecundity in striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) from South Carolina correlated highly with length and weight, but not with age. Oocyte counts ranged from 4.47 x [10.sup.5] to 2.52 x [10.sup.6] in 1998 for fish ranging in size from 331 mm...

Marine fish assemblages associated with fish aggregating devices (FADs): effects of fish removal, FAD size, fouling communities, and prior recruits.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Fishes are widely known to aggregate around floating objects, including flotsam and fish aggregating devices (FADs). The numbers and diversity of juvenile fishes that associated with floating objects in the nearshore waters of the...

Age and growth of the bastard grunt (Pomadasys incisus: Haemulidae) inhabiting the Canarian archipelago, Northwest Africa.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--The bastard grunt (Pomadasys incisus) is one of the most abundant coastal demersal fishes inhabiting the Canary Islands. Age and growth were studied from samples collected between October 2000 and September 2001. Growth analysis...

Evaluating the efficacy of managing West Coast groundfish resources through simulations.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Management of West Coast groundfish resources by the Pacific Fishery Management Council involves Federal government and academic scientists conducting stock assessments, generally using the stock synthesis framework, applying the...

Distribution, demography, and discard mortality of crabs caught as bycatch in an experimental pot fishery for toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) in the South Atlantic.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Between March 2000 and April 2001 two commercial fishing vessels fished for toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) off South Georgia using pots. A significant number of lithodid crabs (three species of Paralomis spp.) were caught as...

The physiological effects of multiple forced submergences in loggerhead sea turtles.(Caretta caretta)
October 1, 2003... Abstract--Sea turtles are subjected to involuntary submergence and potential mortality due to incidental capture by the commercial shrimp fishing industry. Despite implementation of turtle excluder devices (TEDs) to reduce at-sea mortality,...

Quantitative determination of the timing of otolith ring formation from marginal increments in four marine teleost species from northwestern Australia.
October 1, 2003... Abstract--The sectioned otoliths of four fish species from a tropical demer sal trawl fishery in Western Australia revealed a series of alternating translucent and opaque zones in reflected light. The translucent zones, referred to as growth...

Application of DNA-based techniques for the identification of whaler sharks (Carchorhinus spp.) caught in protective beach meshing and by recreational fisheries off the coast of New South Wales.
October 1, 2003... The International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) development of the Shark Specialist Group is indicative of the increasing environmental awareness of sharks' crucial ecological role as apex predators and that they are being...

Red sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) can live over 100 years: confirmation with A-bomb [14.sup]carbon.
October 1, 2003... Red sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) along the west coast of North America, like most large sea urchins in temperate waters worldwide, are the focus of a commercially important fishery. In a review of biological data for purposes...

Abundance and distribution of cetaceans in outer continental shelf waters of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
October 1, 2003... The U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requires that stocks of marine mammal species in U.S. waters be maintained at or above their optimum sustainable population (OSP) level, defined as the number of animals that results in the maximum...

Abundance of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) in the Delaware Bay area.
October 1, 2003... In recent years, increasing commercial landings of horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) along the Atlantic coast of the United States have raised concerns that the present resource is in decline and insufficient to support the needs of its user...

Use of pop-up satellite archival tags to demonstrate survival of blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) released from pelagic longline gear.
October 1, 2003... Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) support commercial and recreational fisheries throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The species is taken in directed recreational and artisanal fisheries in several areas and...