Diamond vs. square mesh codend in a multi-species trawl fishery of the western Mediterranean: effects on catch composition, yield, size selectivity and discards

Selectivity studies usually describe the effects on target species, whereas information on by-catch and discards is scarce. Nevertheless, large quantities of undersized individuals and invertebrates are discarded in the Mediterranean multi-species bottom trawl fishery. The present work analyses the data from two surveys carried out on the shallow and deep continental shelf (50–78 m, and 147–189 m, respectively) off the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean). In these surveys, the traditionally used 40 mm diamond mesh codend and an experimental square mesh codend were used under commercial conditions. Catch composition, yields, size selectivity of both target and by-catch species, and discards were compared between the two mesh types. The mean selection length (L50) clearly increased for most species when using square mesh, escaping many more individuals under their minimum landing size. Yield of Spicara smaris was significantly lower by using the square mesh, changing the composition of the retained catch. Escapement ratio and economic loss were significantly higher with square mesh, although economic loss was almost negligible for both meshes on the deep continental shelf. The use of square mesh significantly reduced the discards of algae in the shallow waters and fish on the deep continental shelf. The results confirmed that square mesh codend reduces the fishing pressure on small specimens as well as the impact of trawling on the ecosystem. These benefits would not lead to a reduction of the yields neither of the main target species, the fishes Merluccius merluccius, Mullus surmuletus, Zeus faber, and the cephalopods Loligo vulgaris and Octopus vulgaris, nor of the rest of commercial categories, except for Spicara smarisPublicado

First record of Microichthys coccoi (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Epigonidae) from the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean)

Microichthys coccoi Rüppell, 1852 was originally described based on a stranded individual collected in the Strait of Messina, Sicily, central Mediterranean. The distribution range of the species is poorly known, as very few individuals have been recorded from Italy, Greece, and Turkey in the Mediterranean, and from the Azores in the north eastern Atlantic. The aim of this study was to report the presence of M. coccoi from the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean). The history of species’ known records is compiled and its presence in the Atlantic is discussedVersión del editor0,54

Children’s use of demonstrative words: spatial deictics beyond infancy

Demonstrative words are one of the most important ways of establishing reference in conversation. This work describes Spanish-speaking children’s demonstrative production between ages 2 to 10 using data from the CHILDES corpora. Results indicate that children feature all demonstratives in their lexicon – however, the distal term is scarce throughout development. Moreover, patterns of demonstrative use are not adult-like at age 10. We compare adult and child data to conclude that children’s development of demonstrative production is largely protracted. Adult use of the distal demonstrative is higher than in young children, although both older children and adults use the medial term ese more than any other demonstratives. In contrast, younger children use proximals relatively more frequently than older children and adults. Suggestions for future research and theoretical implications for the Spanish demonstrative system are discussed

Synthesis of Nitrogenated Heterocycles by Asymmetric Transfer Hydrogenation of N-(tert-Butylsulfinyl)haloimines

Highly optically enriched, protected, nitrogenated heterocycles with different ring sizes have been synthesized by a very efficient methodology consisting of the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of N-(tert-butylsulfinyl)haloimines followed by treatment with a base to promote an intramolecular nucleophilic substitution process. N-Protected aziridines, pyrrolidines, piperidines, and azepanes bearing aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic substituents have been obtained in very high yields and diastereomeric ratios up to >99:1. The free heterocycles can be easily obtained by a simple and mild desulfinylation procedure. Both enantiomers of the free heterocycles can be prepared with the same good results by changing the absolute configuration of the sulfur atom of the sulfinyl group.This work was generously supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN; grant no. CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010, CSD2007-00006, CTQ2007-65218 and CTQ2011-24151) and the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2009/039 and FEDER). O.P. thanks the Spanish Ministerio de Educación for a predoctoral fellowship (grant no. AP-2008-00989)

Informe del seguimiento científico de una acción piloto de selectividad de artes de arrastre en aguas de Mallorca (Illes Balears)

RESUMEN: Del 12 de mayo al 6 de junio de 2003 se han realizado 32 pescas de arrastre de fondo, entre 130 y 772 m de profundidad, con copos de malla rómbica y cuadrada de 40 mm. El objetivo ha sido comparar los rendimientos comerciales, parámetros de selección y descartes con ambos tipos de malla para las principales especies objetivo de esta pesquería en aguas de Mallorca (Mediterráneo occidental). De las 59 especies consideradas, sólo en una se ha obtenido mayor rendimiento con malla rómbica, mientras que las tallas de primera captura con malla cuadrada han sido superiores a las de malla rómbica en todas las especies, excepto en una. El porcentaje de captura descartada también ha sido menor con malla cuadrada, siendo en el estrato batimétrico más profundo (600-800 m) donde se ha estimado una mayor disminución de la proporción de las especies comerciales en estos descartes.RESUM: Informe del seguiment científic d’una acció pilot de selectivitat d’arts d’arrossegament en aigües de Mallorca (Illes Balears).- Del 12 de maig al 6 de juny de 2002 s’han realitzat 32 pesques d’arrossegament de fons, entre 130 i 772 m de profunditat, amb cops de malla ròmbica i quadrada de 40 mm. L’objectiu ha estat comparar els rendiments comercials, paràmetres de selecció i rebuigs amb els dos tipus de malla, per a les principals espècies objectiu d’aquesta pesquera en aigües de Mallorca (Mediterrània occidental). De les 59 espècies considerades, només en una s’ha obtingut major rendiment amb malla ròmbica; mentrestant les talles de primera captura amb malla quadrada varen ésser superiors a les de malla ròmbica a totes les espècies, excepte en una. El percentatge de captura rebutjada també és menor amb malla quadrada, essent a l’estrat batimètric més profund (600-800 m) on s’ha estimat una major disminució de la proporció de les espècies comercials en aquests rebuigs.ABSTRACT: Scientific monitoring report of a selectivity pilot action of trawl nets off Mallorca (Illes Balears).- From 12 May to 6 June 2002, 32 bottom trawls have been developed, between 130 and 772 m depth, using 40 mm diamond and square mesh in the codend. The objective has been to compare commercial yields, selectivity parameters and discards with both mesh types for the main target species in this fishery off Mallorca (western Mediterranean). From 59 analysed species, only in one higher yield with diamond mesh has been found, whereas the 50% retention lengths with square mesh have been higher than ones with diamond mesh in all the species, excepting one. The discards percentage has been also smaller with square mesh, being the deepest range considered (600-800 m) in which the lowest proportion of commercial species in the discards has been estimated.Secretaría General de Pesca Marítim

Massive galaxy formation caught in action at z~5 with JWST

We report the discovery of a compact group of galaxies, CGG-z5, at z~5.2 in the EGS field covered by the JWST/CEERS survey. CGG-z5 was selected as the highest overdensity of galaxies at z>2 in recent JWST public surveys and it consists of six candidate members lying within a projected area of $1.5''\times3''$ (10$\times$20~kpc$^2$). All group members are HST/F435W and HST/F606W dropouts while securely detected in the JWST/NIRCam bands, yielding a narrow range of robust photometric redshifts $5.0<z<5.3$. The most massive galaxy in the group has a stellar mass log$(M_{*}/M_{\odot})\approx9.8$, while the rest are low-mass satellites (log$(M_{*}/M_{\odot})\approx8.4-9.2$). While several group members were already detected in the HST and IRAC bands, the low stellar masses and the compactness of the structure required the sensitivity and resolution of JWST for its identification. To assess the nature and evolutionary path of CGG-z5, we searched for similar compact structures in the \textsc{Eagle} simulations and followed their evolution with time. We find that all the identified structures merge into a single galaxy by z=3 and form a massive galaxy (log$(M_{*}/M_{\odot})>11$) at z~1. This implies that CGG-z5 could be a "proto-massive galaxy" captured during a short-lived phase of massive galaxy formation.Comment: A&A Letter in pres

A galaxy group candidate at z approximate to 3.7 in the COSMOS field

We report a galaxy group candidate HPC1001 at z approximate to 3.7 in the COSMOS field. This structure was selected as a high galaxy overdensity at z > 3 in the COSMOS2020 catalog. It contains ten candidate members, of which eight are assembled in a 10 '' x 10 '' area with the highest sky density among known protoclusters and groups at z > 3. Four out of ten sources were also detected at 1.2mm with Atacama Large Millimeter Array continuum observations. Photometric redshifts, measured by four independent methods, fall within a narrow range of 3.5 < z < 3.9 and with a weighted average of z = 3.65 +/- 0.07. The integrated far-IR-to-radio spectral energy distribution yields a total UV and IR star formation rate SFR approximate to 900 M-circle dot yr(-1). We also estimated a halo mass of similar to 10(13) M-circle dot for the structure, which at this redshift is consistent with potential cold gas inflow. Remarkably, the most massive member has a specific star formation rate and dust to stellar mass ratio of M-dust/M-* that are both significantly lower than that of star-forming galaxies at this redshift, suggesting that HPC1001 could be a z approximate to 3.7 galaxy group in maturing phase. If confirmed, this would be the earliest structure in maturing phase to date, and an ideal laboratory to study the formation of the earliest quiescent galaxies as well as cold gas accretion in dense environments.Non peer reviewe

Bathyal megabenthic assemblages in the SE Iberian Peninsula (Western Mediterranean Sea)

The Iberian SE is an interesting transition and connectivity zone between the Alboran Sea and the Algerian-Balearic basin. It hosts important deep water fisheries targeting mostly red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus). The area comprises a complex system of tectonic canyons (Mazarron Escarpment), seamounts, knolls and hills (Palos, Planazo, Plis-Plas), and pockmark fields (Acosta et al., 2013). Few studies have been conducted on the bathyal megabenthos, unlike in the neighbouring Chella Bank (De la Torriente et al. 2018) and Balearic Islands (Massuti et al. 2022). The LIFE IP Intemares project is filling this gap

Uncovering the MIR emission of quiescent galaxies with JWSTJWST

We present a study of the mid-IR (MIR) emission of quiescent galaxies (QGs) beyond the local universe. Using deep $JWST$ imaging in the SMACS-0723 cluster field we identify a mass limited ($M_{*} >10^{9}$M$_{\odot}$) sample of intermediate redshift QGs ($0.2<z<0.7$) and perform modeling of their rest-frame UV to MIR photometry. We find that QGs exhibit a range of MIR spectra that are composed of a stellar continuum and a dust component that is 1-2 orders of magnitude fainter to that of star-forming galaxies. The observed scatter in the MIR spectra, especially at $\lambda_{\rm rest} > 5 \mu$m, can be attributed to different dust continuum levels and/or the presence of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) features. The latter would indicate enhanced 11.3- and 12.7 $\mu$m PAHs strengths with respect to those at 6.2- and 7.7$\mu$m, consistent with the observed spectra of local ellipticals and indicative of soft radiation fields. Finally, we augment the average UV-to-MIR spectrum of the population with cold dust and gas emission in the far-IR/mm and construct a panchromatic UV-to-radio SED that can serve as a template for the future exploration of the interstellar medium of $z>0$ QGs with ALMA and $JWST$.Comment: The panchromatic QG SED has been made publicly available at http://www.georgiosmagdis.com/softwar