Fisheries: mislabelling of a depleted reef fish

Any fish species that appears to be readily available in the marketplace will create an impression among the public that there is a plentiful supply of that fish in the sea, but this may belie the true state of the fisheries' stock. Here we use molecular genetic analysis to show that some three-quarters of the fish sold in the United States as 'red snapper'--the US Food and Drug Administration's legally designated common name for Lutjanus campechanus--belong to another species. Mislabelling to this extent not only defrauds consumers but could also adversely affect estimates of stock size if it influences the reporting of catch data that are used in fisheries management.     

Nickel and copper accumplation as essential elements in 10-A manganite of deep-sea manganese nodules

MANY ferromanganese minerals have been found in marine manganese deposits. There have been terminological and intrinsic problems in accurately defining the constituents of manganese nodules(1), but 10-A manganite and delta-MnO(2) which are often compared with todorokite and birnessite seem to be the only major constituents of marine manganese nodules and crusts. [Note that birnessite is a natural species of delta-MnO(2) of four-line form, whereas marine delta-MnO(2) is two-line form, so marine and terrestrial delta-MnO(2) should not be compared directly with each other.] However, there have been few experimental studies of the mechanism of accumulation and the crystallochemistry of these elements in 10-A manganite of manganese nodules, although many experimental studies of adsorption of metals to natural and synthetic manganese and iron oxides have been made(7,8). I have now investigated the mechanism of accumulation of nickel and copper in manganese nodules by synthesising 10-A manganite and comparing the composition with that shown by microscopic and electron microprobe analyses of marine 10-A manganite.     

Testing reintroduction as a conservation strategy for the critically endangered Chinese alligator: Movements and home range of released captive individuals

The Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) is considered the most critically endangered crocodilian as a result of the near total loss of its habitat and its extremely small and fragmented wild populations. Plans for population recovery lie mostly with wetland res- toration and the reintroduction of captive-reared animals. We carried out a first-trial release of 3 adult Chinese alligators (1♂, 2♀) into a pond at the Hongxing conservation site, Xuancheng, southern Anhui Province; the animals were radio-tracked from May to October in 2003. We hypothesized that after a period of adaptation, the alligators would establish definable home ranges. Two (1♂, 1♀) of the 3 alligators were monitored for the whole of the tracking period. The male had an annual home-range size of 7.61 hm2, and the female 4.00 hm2. Water temperature and pond water level were two important factors influencing the alligators’ distributions, and daily movements. The radio-tracked alligators had overlapping home ranges, which notably included the one substantial island in the pond; that island is the only known nesting site of the local native wild alligators. Aggressive interactions between the released alligators and native wild alligators were observed during the breeding season around this island. All the three reintroduced alligators survived the winter of 2003 and were alive in the same pond in 2008. We concluded that the Hongxing conservation site provided a suitable habitat for the reintroduced alligators. However, the low water level in the pond resulting from farmland irrigation in August and September can be a substantial threat to the alligators’ survival. Therefore, regu- lations on irrigation in summer and autumn are needed to balance the water needs of the alligators and agriculture.     

生物技术在海洋鱼类苗种培育中的应用:现状与前景

围绕海洋鱼类苗种培育过程中饵料和病害这两个关键问题,就基因克隆、重组蛋白、DNA疫苗、抗菌肽和转基因技术等生物技术和产品在鱼类中的研究现状和前景进行讨论和分析,提出应针对鱼苗的营养需求和消化吸收的生理特点,有效利用基因工程产品;同时,要研究和采用新的病害控制技术,提高苗种成活率.苗种培育是海洋鱼类养殖业发展的基础,在苗种培育中加强生物技术的应用,将大力推动海洋鱼类养殖业的健康可持续发展.