Marine fisheries development in Tamil Nadu

Fisheries development is governed by the stock of fishery resources, the level and types of fishing effort and the use of diversified craft and gear. The growing Importance of fishery resources and the level of their exploitation are traced in this paper. The marine capture fisheries account for a substantial proportion of the total fish production in Tamil Nadu. The present level of fish landings, their seasonal variation and the major species groups are brought out. The developmental programme aimed at increasing fish production are reviewed. The need for innovations In and diversification of fishing methods is highlighted. The Impact of investment on fish production is analysed with a time frame of ten years. Basic needs of fisher folk which have a bearing on fisheries development are identified. Technological developments made over the last decade are mentioned with a note on the extent of non-adoption of new technology and the major determinants thereof are pointed out for remedying the situation. Culture practices in suitable areas along the coasts are stressed to provide employment opportunities that step up production. Developments in the preservation and processing of the sea foods are presented and the scope for the establishment of a stable Internal and external market is explored. The state of affairs of marine or coastal fisheries management and suggestions for toning up resource management are stressed. The need for sea ranching and SCUBA diving Is Indicated. The vital feature of training and the nature and areas of extension programmes are also pointed out for ushering In speedier development of the sector

Review on cage and pen culture

The paper deals with the various aspects of work done on cage and pen culture in India and abroad The need for these types of culture techniques in India is pointed out, The history of these systems is traced and the various species of fishes used in cage and pen culture are pointed out. Since clams, windowpane oyster, edible oyster, prawns and milk fish are compatible species, they are ideal for culturing together. The different factors governing the success of intensive culture are presented, The kinds of cages and pens installed are discussed with a note on their durability with reference to the materials used for construction The yield achieved in cage and pen culture and the advantages of these two systems are reported. The field problems in these culture methods are indicated. The economics of fish production, particularly the net profit in selected studies are pointed out for taking up these programmes in mass level

Scope of chanos farming

Among the cultivable waters in India, a total of 1.7 million ha is brackish in nature . Brackish water is more fertile and productive than sea water. It is dynamic, influenced by the tid es, currents and waves, Estuaries were mainly useful for fish capture . Since estuaries are found to be the feeding and breeding places for many of the fishes, their importance is more felt now in view of the fisheries development

Scope for Mussel Farming in Brackish Waters

The present study was carried out by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute in two coastal districts of Maharashtra with the main objectives ' i) to estimate the returns to capital and labour and ii) to compare employment pattern on mechanised boats and country crafts fitted with OBE. The present report mainly deals with the first objective of the stud

Research and development in marine fisheries extension in Tamil Nadu

improvement In the standard of living of fishing households and fishing labor households and optimal utilisation of fishery resources for employment, production and export are the Important goals of marine fisheries extension service. Despite ttie increasing attention of the Government to fisheries extension work, majority of fisherfolk are caught In a vicious cycle of poverty and indebtness. The paper analyses the present strategies of fisheries extension service In Tamil Nadu, Identifies the pitfalls and lists suggestions for Improving the efficiency of fisheries extension work In the state. The extension teaching methods used for Individual contact, group contact and mass contact, the sul)Ject-matter fields covered In extension teaching with their relative Importance. The characteristics and extension personnel, research support provided, coordination among the various agencies Involved and participation of the clientele and their organisations are analysed and discussed. The analysis helped identifying the major Impediments to success of extension efforts. The analysis provided a tasks for evolving future extension strategies focussed on marine fisheries development. It provides suggestions in term of personnel requirement, effective extension methods, thrust areas among different subject matter- fields, co-ordination among organisations concerned with marine fisheries and extension research support. The recommendations will be of use to the organisations concerned with fisheries extension In their approach to tone up the service of fisheries extension

Termite and Ecosystem Processes: A Study from Western Ghats, South India

Termites are undoubtedly key soil organisms in tropical and subtropical soils. They greatly influence the physical, chemical, biological properties of soils and, consequently, water dynamics hence well known as “soil engineers”. Their effect on the ecosystem can be appreciated only if we have the detailed knowledge about the process and functions carried out by them in the tropical soil. Some studies from Africa and Vietnam gave a glimpse of services provided by the termite and under that particular vegetation but under Indian context, no such studies were conducted as result we don’t have much data regarding their effect on soil properties, water infiltration and vice versa. Hence, field studies were carried out to understand the effect of termite activity and the ecological benefits derived in terms of soil dynamics and water infiltration.The study was conducted at Uttara Kannada district located at the lavishing western ghat. Mound building termite species Odontotermes obesus, was considered as study species as it is the widespread and dominant termite species of the Indo-oriental region. Numerical density, mound height and soil properties of O. obesus mounds were only analysed along with the neighbouring soil without termite activity in forest areas. To assess the influence of the vegetation on termite mound properties, the forest types were classified into plantations, evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous. In the forest, termite active sites, as well as sites devoid of termite activity, were selected and the rate of water infiltration in these sites was also measured using Beerkan method. Bulk density and water humidity were measured. Data obtained were analysed. Results revealed that the amount of rainfall defined termite mound abundance, and it has a remarkable influence on the density/height of termite mounds. In terms of soil properties, clay and C content in the soil which is known to bring the stability to the termite mounds did not show any significant relationship with density or height of the termite mound. But a positive linear relationship was observed between clay content in termite mound walls and that in the surrounding topsoil. The result of water infiltration studies at the sites showed that there was a significant variation in the rate of water infiltration in the termite active sites. The study presented here is the important one as it aims towards the efficient determination of the functional influence of soil biodiversity (termites) in tropical ecosystem functioning and a better evaluation of their impacts on soil erosion and water dynamic at the local and global scale. Moreover, the link between soil biodiversity and ecosystem services, such as water availability and quality, is often mentioned but rarely demonstrated. This paper is therefore original in its approach and in it quantifies the importance of biodiversity on soil erosion, water dynamic and quality in tropical ecosystems. There is a clear lack of information on the functional impact of termites on ecosystem functioning in India, in comparison with Africa where most of the studies have been carried out. This study aims to counterbalance this trend through this paper.Keywords: Termites, Soil and water dynamics, Water infiltratio

The acanthamoeba shikimate pathway has a unique molecular arrangement and is essential for aromatic amino acid biosynthesis

The shikimate pathway is the only known biosynthetic route for de novo synthesis of aromatic compounds. It is described as an ancient eukaryotic innovation that has been retained in a subset of eukaryotes, replaced in plants through the acquisition of the chloroplast, but lost in many including humans. Herein, we demonstrate that Acanthamoeba castellanii possesses the shikimate pathway by biochemical and a combination of bioinformatics and molecular biological methods. The growth of A. castellanii (Neff strain and a recently isolated clinical specimen, both T4 genotypes) is inhibited by glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine], an inhibitor of EPSP synthase and the addition of phenylalanine and tryptophan, which are dependent on the shikimate pathway, rescued A. castellanii from glyphosate indicating that glyphosate was specific in action. A. castellanii has a novel complement of shikimate pathway enzymes including unique gene fusions, two Type I and one Type II DAHP synthases (for which their likely sensitivities to feedback inhibition by phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan has been modelled) and a canonical chorismate synthase. The shikimate pathway in A. castellanii therefore has a novel molecular arrangement, is required for amino acid biosynthesis and represents an attractive target for antimicrobials

Reactions at polymer interfaces: A Monte Carlo Simulation

Reactions at a strongly segregated interface of a symmetric binary polymer blend are investigated via Monte Carlo simulations. End functionalized homopolymers of different species interact at the interface instantaneously and irreversibly to form diblock copolymers. The simulations, in the framework of the bond fluctuation model, determine the time dependence of the copolymer production in the initial and intermediate time regime for small reactant concentration $\rho_0 R_g^3=0.163 ... 0.0406$. The results are compared to recent theories and simulation data of a simple reaction diffusion model. For the reactant concentration accessible in the simulation, no linear growth of the copolymer density is found in the initial regime, and a $\sqrt{t}$-law is observed in the intermediate stage.Comment: to appear in Macromolecule