Staging ovaries of Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus): implications for maturity indices and field sampling practices

We build on recent efforts to standardize maturation staging methods through the development of a field-proof macroscopic ovarian maturity index for Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) for studies on diel spawning periodicity. A comparison of field and histological observations helped us to improve the field index and methods, and provided useful insight into the reproductive biology of Haddock and other boreal determinate fecundity species. We found reasonable agreement between field and histological methods, except for the regressing and regenerating stages (however, differentiation of these 2 stages is the least important distinction for determination of maturity or reproductive dynamics). The staging of developing ovaries was problematic for both methods partly because of asynchronous oocyte hydration during the early stage of oocyte maturation. Although staging on the basis of histology in a laboratory is generally more accurate than macroscopic staging methods in the field, we found that field observations can uncover errors in laboratory staging that result from bias in sampling unrepresentative portions of ovaries. For 2 specimens, immature ovaries observed during histological examination were incorrectly assigned as regenerating during macroscopic staging. This type of error can lead to miscalculation of length at maturity and of spawning stock biomass, metrics that are used to characterize the state of a fish population. The revised field index includes 3 new macroscopic stages that represent final oocyte maturation in a batch of oocytes and were found to be reliable for staging spawning readiness in the field. The index was found to be suitable for studies of diel spawning periodicity and conforms to recent standardization guidelines

Towards an optimal design for ecosystem-level ocean observatories

Four operational factors, together with high development cost, currently limit the use of ocean observatories in ecological and fisheries applications: 1) limited spatial coverage; 2) limited integration of multiple types of technologies; 3) limitations in the experimental design for in situ studies; and 4) potential unpredicted bias in monitoring outcomes due to the infrastructure’s presence and functioning footprint. To address these limitations, we propose a novel concept of a standardized “ecosystem observatory module” structure composed of a central node and three tethered satellite pods together with permanent mobile platforms. The module would be designed with a rigid spatial configuration to optimize overlap among multiple observation technologies each providing 360° coverage around the module, including permanent stereo-video cameras, acoustic imaging sonar cameras, horizontal multi-beam echosounders and a passive acoustic array. The incorporation of multiple integrated observation technologies would enable unprecedented quantification of macrofaunal composition, abundance and density surrounding the module, as well as the ability to track the movements of individual fishes and macroinvertebrates. Such a standardized modular design would allow for the hierarchical spatial connection of observatory modules into local module clusters and larger geographic module networks, providing synoptic data within and across linked ecosystems suitable for fisheries and ecosystem level monitoring on multiple scales.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Chapter 2 Towards an Optimal Design for Ecosystem-Level Ocean Observatories

Four operational factors, together with high development cost, currently limit the use of ocean observatories in ecological and fisheries applications: 1) limited spatial coverage; 2) limited integration of multiple types of technologies; 3) limitations in the experimental design for in situ studies; and 4) potential unpredicted bias in monitoring outcomes due to the infrastructure’s presence and functioning footprint. To address these limitations, we propose a novel concept of a standardized “ecosystem observatory module” structure composed of a central node and three tethered satellite pods together with permanent mobile platforms. The module would be designed with a rigid spatial configuration to optimize overlap among multiple observation technologies each providing 360° coverage of a cylindrical or hemi-spherical volume around the module, including permanent stereo-video cameras, acoustic imaging sonar cameras, horizontal multi-beam echosounders and a passive acoustic array. The incorporation of multiple integrated observation technologies would enable unprecedented quantification of macrofaunal composition, abundance and density surrounding the module, as well as the ability to track the movements of individual fishes and macroinvertebrates. Such a standardized modular design would allow for the hierarchical spatial connection of observatory modules into local module clusters and larger geographic module networks, providing synoptic data within and across linked ecosystems suitable for fisheries and ecosystem level monitoring on multiple scales

The potential of video imagery from worldwide cabled observatory networks to provide information supporting fish-stock and biodiversity assessment

Seafloor multiparametric fibre-optic-cabled video observatories are emerging tools for standardized monitoring programmes, dedicated to the production of real-time fishery-independent stock assessment data. Here, we propose that a network of cabled cameras can be set up and optimized to ensure representative long-term monitoring of target commercial species and their surrounding habitats. We highlight the importance of adding the spatial dimension to fixed-point-cabled monitoring networks, and the need for close integration with Artificial Intelligence pipelines, that are necessary for fast and reliable biological data processing. We then describe two pilot studies, exemplary of using video imagery and environmental monitoring to derive robust data as a foundation for future ecosystem-based fish-stock and biodiversity management. The first example is from the NE Pacific Ocean where the deep-water sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria) has been monitored since 2010 by the NEPTUNE cabled observatory operated by Ocean Networks Canada. The second example is from the NE Atlantic Ocean where the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) is being monitored using the SmartBay observatory developed for the European Multidisciplinary Seafloor and water column Observatories. Drawing from these two examples, we provide insights into the technological challenges and future steps required to develop full-scale fishery-independent stock assessments.This work was funded by the following project activities: ARIM (Autonomous Robotic sea-floor Infrastructure for benthopelagic Monitoring; MartTERA ERA-Net Cofound), ARCHES (Autonomous Robotic Networks to Help Modern Societies; German Helmholtz Association), RESBIO (TEC2017-87861-R; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spanish Government), RESNEP (CTM2017-82991-C2-1-R; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spanish Government), and SmartLobster (EMSO-LINK Trans National Access-TNA). The EMSO_SmartBay cabled observatory was funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) as part of a SFI Research Infrastructure Award Grant No. 12/RI/2331.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Chapter 2 Towards an Optimal Design for Ecosystem-Level Ocean Observatories

Four operational factors, together with high development cost, currently limit the use of ocean observatories in ecological and fisheries applications: 1) limited spatial coverage; 2) limited integration of multiple types of technologies; 3) limitations in the experimental design for in situ studies; and 4) potential unpredicted bias in monitoring outcomes due to the infrastructure’s presence and functioning footprint. To address these limitations, we propose a novel concept of a standardized “ecosystem observatory module” structure composed of a central node and three tethered satellite pods together with permanent mobile platforms. The module would be designed with a rigid spatial configuration to optimize overlap among multiple observation technologies each providing 360° coverage of a cylindrical or hemi-spherical volume around the module, including permanent stereo-video cameras, acoustic imaging sonar cameras, horizontal multi-beam echosounders and a passive acoustic array. The incorporation of multiple integrated observation technologies would enable unprecedented quantification of macrofaunal composition, abundance and density surrounding the module, as well as the ability to track the movements of individual fishes and macroinvertebrates. Such a standardized modular design would allow for the hierarchical spatial connection of observatory modules into local module clusters and larger geographic module networks, providing synoptic data within and across linked ecosystems suitable for fisheries and ecosystem level monitoring on multiple scales

Soniferous fishes in the Hudson River

Although soniferous fishes have been studied in many different parts of the world, very few studies have been conducted in North American freshwater systems. The purpose of this study was to catalog and identify types of underwater sounds in the Hudson River, New York. We recorded underwater sounds with an autonomous underwater listening system consisting of a hydrophone, digital sound recorder, and weatherproof housing. Approximately 164 h of recordings were made from two sites located along the Hudson River during 2003. One site was located near the mouth of the river on Manhattan Island. The second site was located 153 km upriver within Tivoli Bays at the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Additional manned recordings and sound auditioning of captured fishes were conducted in 2004 to identify biological and unknown sounds from Tivoli Bays. In all, we recorded 62 different sounds. Only four sounds could be identified to fish species: Oyster toadfish Opsanus tau, striped cusk-eel Ophidion marginatum, brown bullhead Ameiurus nebulosus, and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus. An additional 21 sounds were categorized as biological, 5 as nonbiological, and 32 as unknown. We believe that many of the sounds classified as biological and unknown are in fact produced by fishes but could not be identified due to the scarcity of studies on the sound production of freshwater and estuarine fishes of the Hudson River. Future research focused on the identification of these unknown underwater sounds will provide new insights into the ecology of the Hudson River. The diversity of underwater sounds we recorded in the Hudson River strongly suggests that sound production is an important behavior in aquatic systems and that passive acoustics can be an important new tool for the study of the river\u27s ecology

Towards an optimal design for ecosystem-level ocean observatories

Four operational factors, together with high development cost, currently limit the use of ocean observatories in ecological and fisheries applications: 1) limited spatial coverage; 2) limited integration of multiple types of technologies; 3) limitations in the experimental design for in situ studies; and 4) potential unpredicted bias in monitoring outcomes due to the infrastructure’s presence and functioning footprint. To address these limitations, we propose a novel concept of a standardized “ecosystem observatory module” structure composed of a central node and three tethered satellite pods together with permanent mobile platforms. The module would be designed with a rigid spatial configuration to optimize overlap among multiple observation technologies each providing 360° coverage around the module, including permanent stereo-video cameras, acoustic imaging sonar cameras, horizontal multi-beam echosounders and a passive acoustic array. The incorporation of multiple integrated observation technologies would enable unprecedented quantification of macrofaunal composition, abundance and density surrounding the module, as well as the ability to track the movements of individual fishes and macroinvertebrates. Such a standardized modular design would allow for the hierarchical spatial connection of observatory modules into local module clusters and larger geographic module networks, providing synoptic data within and across linked ecosystems suitable for fisheries and ecosystem level monitoring on multiple scale