Towards Automated Biometric Identification of Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas)

Passive biometric identification enables wildlife monitoring with minimal disturbance. Using a motion-activated camera placed at an elevated position and facing downwards, images of sea turtle carapaces were collected, each belonging to one of sixteen Chelonia mydas juveniles. Then, co-variant and robust image descriptors from these images were learned, enabling indexing and retrieval. In this paper, several classification results of sea turtle carapaces using the learned image descriptors are presented. It was found that a template-based descriptor, i.e. Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) performed much better during classification than keypoint-based descriptors. For our dataset, a high-dimensional descriptor is a must because of the minimal gradient and color information in the carapace images. Using HOG, we obtained an average classification accuracy of 65%.

Structure and health status of the sand crab, Emerita taiwanesis Hsueh, 2015 from Sangchan Beach, Thailand: The histopathological approach

Although the impacts of environmental problems on aquatic organisms have been broadly reported in Thailand, the literature has not covered the sand crab, Emerita taiwanesis Hsueh, 2015. In this study, we focused on the structure and health status of E. taiwanesis, an economically important crab species, living close to human activity areas in Sangchan Beach, Rayong Province, Thailand. A total of 60 individuals were collected from the conservation and restoration of coastal resource project in Ban Rue Leg Kao Yod-based participatory during December 2016 – January 2017. We identified histopathological changes in the gill structure, but not in other vital organs, including ganglion, stomach, intestine, hepatopancreas and muscular bundles. The histological alterations in the gill include hematocyte infiltration, pyknotic nuclei and degeneration of pillar cells in the gill (50% prevalence), suggesting that the gill is a sensitive organ to environmental changes. Our observation provided a better understanding of E. taiwanesis morphology and its overall healthy state on Sangchan Beach. Additionally, we suggest that the sand crab would be a suitable sentinel species for monitoring the environment of coastal areas in Thailand.

Strategies to Promote Value and Resilience in the American Lobster (Homarus americanus) Industry

The American lobster (Homarus americanus) fishery is the most valuable single-species fishery in the United States and Canada (DFO, 2021; NOAA Fisheries, n.d.). Coastal communities on both sides of the border rely on the American lobster supply chain, which economically links the two countries with one another and with other countries around the globe. Ongoing disruptions (or shocks) threaten the functionality of the supply chain, and increased globalization leads to greater exposure to shocks as they are transmitted between systems. One research study described in this thesis aims to add value to the industry via post-harvest treatment of lobsters and the other aims to provide a greater understanding of the resilience of the supply chain. Added value and an improved understanding of the supply chain system’s resilience stand to help the industry better endure future disruptions. Chapter 2 of this thesis addresses methods of adding value to post-harvest, soft shell lobsters. Harder (higher grade) lobsters can be shipped further and sold for a higher price. A few days of storage post-harvest can allow soft-shell lobsters to harden. I use feeding, temperature, and ion supplementation treatments to attempt to increase lobster weight and shell hardness over the course of 5-day trials. I also compare the industry’s shell grading methods against durometer measurements. I found that the treatments used in this study did not significantly affect weight or shell hardness. The cold, ion-supplemented treatment prevented weight loss over time when compared with other treatments, however, it was also associated with increased mortality during transportation trials. Diets supplemented with minerals (such as calcium and magnesium) is a promising treatment which merits further research. More durometer testing is recommended to further examine overlap between grades, as such overlap may indicate that the industry is facing financial loss due to subjective grading practices. Chapter 3 of this thesis uses the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study to observe the resilience of the American lobster supply chain. I examine both the impacts of the pandemic on the supply chain as well as the responses of the industry. I use the food system resilience action cycle (Tendall et al., 2015) to frame this research and social media and formal interview datasets to understand how the sector adapted through the pandemic. This research elucidated the supply chain’s current resilience and how it may be made more resilient to future disruptions. This project also exposed potential disconnects between segments of the supply chain through the examination of maladaptations (responses which decrease system resilience). Those responses most effective in carrying the industry through the pandemic were found to be the result of collaboration between stakeholders and sectors: local support for stakeholders and a reliance on business relationships strengthened the industry in the face of disruption

An investigation into the commercial feasibility of Jasus edwardsii aquaculture in New Zealand

In 1996 New Zealand introduced legislation to allow Jasus edwardsii pueruli to be collected as "seedstock" and ongrown in a commercial aquaculture trial. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the commercial feasibility of J. edwardsii aquaculture in New Zealand by working with an organisation involved in the trial. The methodology involved a combination of experiments in the field, in laboratories, and within an ongrowing facility. This thesis examined five key areas and found the following: 1. Data obtained in the research indicates that New Zealand will continue to rely on harvesting pueruli from the wild since significant technical obstacles remain in the development of commercial scale pueruli hatcheries. Forecast data, obtained using the delphi technique and information about current research on larval rearing, indicates that commercial scale supply of pueruli from hatcheries may occur between 2017 and 2021. 2. Harvesting trials collected a low number of pueruli with the lowest unit cost for collection being $1.80. A greater collection rate could be achieved with a better understanding of seasonal and local settlement patterns. 3. Survival rates in pueruli transporting experiments were significantly affected by stocking density, time and temperature. The safest transit conditions were achieved with 15 pueruli per litre for less than 6 hours at 14°C. 4. A range of stocking densities, from 3 lobsters per tank to 12 per tank, were tested for their effect on growth of six-month old lobsters. The lobsters were reared in a total recirculation seawater system at a constant 16°C, and fed fresh mussels (Perna canaliculus). For the 121 day trial, no statistically significant effect was detected. However, there was a trend for growth rates to be highest at 3 and 6 lobsters per tank and for growth rates at stocking densities of 9 and 12 lobsters per tank to decrease after Day 50. Lobsters showed increased mortality at the highest stocking rate. 5. A bioeconomic model of a hypothetical farm was developed to assess economic benefits and risks and to determine overall profitability. The model showed an annual net cash position of$287,100 and cumulative cash position of $859,200 by the 10th year of operation based on annual sales of 10,837 kg at$65 per kg. The model indicates that the highest cost components in the first 10 years are processing and transport, and labour. Based on the model and the scenarios examined, profitability is very sensitive to factors such as the farm size, processing and transport costs, and sale price. Biological factors such as growth rates, survival, and feed requirements also influence overall profitability. Good returns will depend upon consistent exports of high quality lobsters. The study concludes that commercial feasibility will be affected by these key areas. The potential of J. edwardsii aquaculture in New Zealand will continue to benefit from further research

Proceedings of the Eighteenth International Sea Turtle Symposium, 3-7 March 1998, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico

For the first time in its history, the International Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation migrated to a site outside of the United States. Thus the Eighteenth edition was hosted by the Mazatlán Research Unit of the Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología of the Mexican National Autonomous University (UNAM) in Mazatlán, Sinaloa (Mexico) where it was held from 3-7, March, 1998. Above all, our symposium is prominent for its dynamism and enthusiasm in bringing together specialists from the world´s sea turtle populations. In an effort to extend this philosophy, and fully aware of how fast the interest in sea turtles has grown, the organizers paid special attention to bring together as many people as possible. With the tremendous efforts of the Travel Committee and coupled with a special interest by the Latin American region´s devotees, we managed to get 653 participants from 43 countries. The number of presentations increased significantly too, reaching a total of 265 papers, ranging from cutting-edge scientific reports based on highly sophisticated methods, to the experiences and successes of community-based and environmental education programs. A priority given by this symposium was the support and encouragement for the construction of "bridges" across cultural and discipline barriers. We found success in achieving a multinational dialogue among interest groups- scientists, resource managers, decision makers, ngo's, private industry. There was a broad representation of the broad interests that stretch across these sectors, yet everyone was able to listen and offer their own best contribution towards the central theme of the Symposium: the conservation of sea turtles and the diversity of marine and coastal environments in which they develop through their complicated and protracted life cycle. Our multidisciplinary approach is highly important at the present, finding ourselves at a cross roads of significant initiatives in the international arena of environmental law, where the conservation of sea turtles has a key role to play. Many, many people worked hard over the previous 12 months, to make the symposium a success. Our sincerest thanks to all of them: Program committee: Laura Sarti (chair), Ana Barragán, Rod Mast, Heather Kalb, Jim Spotilla, Richard Reina, Sheryan Epperly, Anna Bass, Steve Morreale, Milani Chaloupka, Robert Van Dam, Lew Ehrhart, J. Nichols, David Godfrey, Larry Herbst, René Márquez, Jack Musick, Peter Dutton, Patricia Huerta, Arturo Juárez, Debora Garcia, Carlos Suárez, German Ramírez, Raquel Briseño, Alberto Abreu; Registration and Secretary: Jane Provancha (chair), Lupita Polanco; Informatics: Germán Ramírez, Carlos Suárez; Cover art: Blas Nayar; Designs: Germán Ramírez, Raquel Briseño, Alberto Abreu. Auction: Rod Mast; Workshops and special meetings: Selina Heppell; Student prizes: Anders Rhodin; Resolutions committee: Juan Carlos Cantú; Local organizing committee: Raquel Briseño, Jane Abreu; Posters: Daniel Ríos and Jeffrey Semminoff; Travel committee: Karen Eckert (chair), Marydele Donnelly, Brendan Godley, Annette Broderick, Jack Frazier; Student travel: Francisco Silva and J. Nichols; Vendors: Tom McFarland and J. Nichols; Volunteer coordination: Richard Byles; Latin American Reunión: Angeles Cruz Morelos; Nominations committee: Randall Arauz, Colleen Coogan, Laura Sarti, Donna Shaver, Frank Paladino. Once again, Ed Drane worked his usual magic with the Treasury of the Symposium Significant financial contributions were generously provided by government agencies. SEMARNAP (Mexico´s Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries) through its central office, the Mazatlán Regional Fisheries Research Center (CRIP-Mazatlán) and the National Center for Education and Capacity Building for Sustainable Development (CECADESU) contributed to the logistics and covered the costs of auditoria and audiovisual equipment for the Symposium, teachers and their hotels for the Community Development and Environmental Education workshop in the 5th Latin American Sea Turtle Specialists; DIF (Dept of Family Affairs) provided free accomodation and food for the more than 100 participants in the Latin American Reunion. In this Reunion, the British Council-Mexico sponsored the workshop on the Project Cycle. The National Chamber of the Fisheries Industry (CANAINPES) kindly sponsored the Symposium´s coffee breaks. Personnel from the local Navy (Octave Zona Naval) provided invaluable aid in transport and logistics. The Scientific Coordination Office from UNAM (CICUNAM) and the Latin American Biology Network (RELAB) also provided funding. Our most sincere recognition to all of them. In the name of this Symposium´s compilers, I would like to also express our gratitude to Wayne Witzell, Technical Editor for his guidance and insights and to Jack Frazier for his help in translating and correcting the English of contributions from some non-native English speakers. Many thanks to Angel Fiscal and Tere Martin who helped with the typing in the last, last corrections and editions for these Proceedings. To all, from around the world, who generously helped make the 18th Symposium a huge success, shared their experiences and listened to ours, our deepest gratitude! (PDF contains 316 pages

The role of stochastic resonance and physical constraints in the evolution of foraging strategy

This work represents a detailed study of the optimization of this process: foraging within a single, finite food patch for a limited amount of time. The work is an example of the computational algorithms of statistical physics being applied to the ecological field of foraging behavior. The analysis begins with an examination of the probability distributions observed in the movement parameters of the zooplankton, Daphnia. While foraging, these small aquatic organisms stochastically choose movement parameters with particular levels of variation, or noise, which are similar across several species. Here, related simulations consistently show that these noise levels may be adjusted to maximize foraging efficiency, regardless of the physical constraints imposed in the models. The results are presented as an example of natural stochastic resonance, in which some function of noise (in this case, the variability in parameter choices), when adapted to a biological process (e.g., the gathering of food), can optimize that process. The architect of this optimization is suggested to be natural selection, a hypothesis further explored with a novel evolutionary algorithm which transforms uniform and uncorrelated parameter distributions into optimal forms over thousands of generations of competition amongst foraging agents. The results of the algorithm support the implication that the noise levels are evolved quantities, and also reinforce the hypothesis that stochastic resonance may have a role in their evolution. And lastly, the evolutionary algorithm was extended to larger aquatic organisms feeding in patches through the addition of the Reynolds number as a physical constraint. The results of the modified algorithm clearly differentiate between the trajectories predicted for smaller and larger animals, and match very well with the experimental data reported here for both the Daphnia, and also for a larger fish species, the paddlefish. Since both organisms filter-feed inside finite patches of food, albeit on different scales, the results clearly show the degree to which the physical constraints imposed upon an animal can dictate the evolution of their behavior --Abstract, page iii

Marine Ecosystem Challenges & Opportunities (MECOS 3)

The Marine Biological Association of India (MBAI), established in 1958, is proud to gear up for MECOS3, the third symposium on Marine Ecosystems- Challenges and Opportunities during 7-10 January, 2020. The MBAI besides organising MECOS1 (2009) and MECOS2 (2014) has inculcated active interest and participation among its members by handling several national and international symposia/seminars, since its formation. The MBAI has 794 life members and 20 institutional members. The mandate of the MBAI is promotion of scientific research in the field of marine biology and allied sciences

Managing Marine Corridors

Human activities have many harmful effects on marine ecosystems. The Fajardo area alone is home to seven marinas, over 40,000 boats, and many construction projects that damage marine environments around them. The goal of this project was to provide recommendations to minimize negative impacts on near shore marine corridors, defined as the interrelated, mangrove, seagrass, and coral reef habitats. To achieve this goal, we determined the major factors in marine corridor deterioration through interviews with fishermen, SCUBA divers, and members of the academic and scientific communities and analysis of fish catch data and remote sensing images. Using these data, we developed recommendations to alleviate impacts from land-based development, overfishing, and recreational overuse