Structure determination of new algal toxins using NMR methods

Shellfish are considered a delicacy by many consumers. In NZ, as in many overseas countries, there is a now thriv¬ing shellfish industry servicing both domestic and inter-national markets. Periodically shellfish accumulate harm¬ful levels of a variety of algal toxins, including domoic acid, yessotoxins, pectenotoxins and brevetoxins. When this occurs, regulatory authorities may impose harvesting closures which have a consequential economic impact on both farmers and staff employed to harvest and market shellfish products

Shellfish Outreach Project

The purpose of the Shellfish Outreach project was to disseminate educational information to the greater seacoast community on the value of aquaculture, status and opportunities in shellfishing, and hands-on local conservation strategies in an exciting visual and experiential manner. The entire project was designed to combine three primary methods of distributing information to the public: traveling programs, curriculum design, and field experience. Audiences for all three programs were to receive maps, updated shellfish-related information, and/or details promoting environmentally sound aquaculture practices. Subject matter covered during these programs was designed to focus on basic shellfish biology and natural history, the history of the seacoast shellfish fishery, current status and concerns, education on predator control, proper collecting techniques, and what people need to know to collect shellfish safely on the New Hampshire coast

Dockside Shellfish Aquaculture Project, Smith, B

The intent of this project was to train private dock owners and marina personnel how to deploy and maintain “spat collectors” under their docks in an effort to capture commercially important shellfish larvae, scallops and oysters in particular, with a minimum amount of effort and cost. The New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) provided major funding for this phase of the project, with addition funding from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and the Gulf of Maine Council (GOMC). This year’s effort expands upon the pilot studies that were funded previously by the New Hampshire Coastal Program (NHCP) and the Greater Piscataqua Community Foundation (GPCF). The larvae of most shellfish are free swimming, and can be carried by the tides, currents and wind a great distance. Most of the larvae never survive due to predation and lack of suitable habitat. If it were possible to capture even a small percentage of the larvae within a suitable predator free habitat, the resulting grown out shellfish could be used to enhance the existing beds of wild population shellfish. There are such programs currently being managed, including the Wild Scallop Enhancement Program in Maine and the Oyster Gardening Project on Chesapeake Bay. AERC was able to recruit a number of volunteers, or “Shellfish Stewards”, from the entire seacoast region to join in the project. Although there were challenges, the project was a success. The scallop spat collectors proved to work efficiently with minimal loss over the winter. Lots of shellfish larvae were found growing in the spat bags, with no predators present. Unfortunately, none of the targeted species were found in the bags. The oyster bags did not work as well; only three of the nine bags were covered to date. They may weigh too much, or have fouled too heavily and sank. The bags recovered had lots of shellfish spat growing on them, just no oysters. The next logical step in future efforts with the dockside aquaculture projects would be to consider the options of placing “pre-seeded” collectors onto the sites. AERC attempted to import scallops from the Maine enhancement program last summer as a contingency plan, but the transfer never occurred due to weather and logistical problems encountered at the time. AERC would like to thank our funding agencies for their support and aid in this research. Thanks as well to all of our shellfish stewards who dedicated their dock space, time and effort to help restore an important natural resource. Special thanks to Bill Marshall of the New Castle Conservation Committee, who was instrumental in recruiting our many shellfish stewards in New Castle. Bill also assisted the AERC staff in the deployment phase and was even there to tow us out of the mud during the retrieval operations

Accumulation and elimination dynamics of the hydroxybenzoate saxitoxin analogues in mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis exposed to the toxic marine Dinoflagellate Gymnodinium catenatum

Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is a severe food-borne illness, caused by the ingestion of seafood containing paralytic shellfish toxins (PST), which are naturally produced by marine dinoflagellates and accumulate in shellfish during algae blooms. Novel PST, designated as hydroxybenzoate analogues (also known as GC toxins), was relatively recently discovered in Gymnodinium catenatum strains worldwide. However, to date, there have been no studies examining their accumulation in shellfish. In this study, mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were exposed to G. catenatum for five days and then exposed to a non-toxic diet for 24 h, to investigate the toxin's accumulation/elimination dynamics. As determined by UHPLC-HILIC-MS/MS, the hydroxybenzoate analogues, GC1 to GC6, comprised 41% of the algae toxin profile and only 9% in mussels. Elimination of GC toxins after 24 h was not evident. This study highlights that a relevant fraction of PST in mussels are not routinely analysed in monitoring programs and that there is a need to better understand the toxicological potential of the hydroxybenzoate analogues, in order to properly address the risk of G. catenatum blooms.Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science - contract code DP402; Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia - PD/BD/113484/2015; FCT Investigator; Mar2020 - SNMB-INOV: Innovation for a more competitive shellfish sector, co-financed by the Operational Program Mar 2020, Portugal 2020info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

FACTORS AFFECTING THE PROBABILITY OF CONSUMING FISH AND SHELLFISH IN THE AWAY FROM HOME AND AT HOME MARKETS

Models are developed to measure the effect of socioeconomic factors on the probability of consuming fish and shellfish in both the away from home and at home markets. Factors that significantly affect the likelihood of eating fish and shellfish at home include urbanization, region, race, ethnicity, age, diet status and income. On the other hand, region, employment, diet status, household size, age and income significantly affect the likelihood of eating fish and shellfish away from home.Consumption, Fish and shellfish, Food at home, Food away from home, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Investment potentials in shellfish culture in Nigeria

Shellfish are a major but cheap protein source for human consumption as well as source of income for coastal towns and villages of the Niger Delta in Rivers State, Cross River, and Lagos States. A research into the nutritive value of some of these marine shellfish viz: bivalves (oyster - Crassostrea gasar and cockle - Anadara senilis); gastropods (periwinkle - Tympanotonus fuscatus, obtuse periwinkle - Semifusus morio and the giant whelk - Thais callifera) and mangrove crabs (green crab - Goniopsis pelli, ghost crab - Cardisoma ormatum, and common blue crab - Callinectes latimanus) was carried out to compare their quality and cost with beef, chicken meat, pork and egg in order to identify those most suitable for commercial culture. Results show that all shellfish had at least 16% crude protein except blue crab (13.38%). All shellfish had higher protein content than egg (13.36%). Cockle with protein content 25.47% compared favourably with beef, (29.60%). Beef, chicken meat and pork cost 11.50, 9.00 and 8.00 per kilo respectively while oyster, periwinkle and the common blue crab cost 3.50, 3.00, and 1.50 per kilo respectively. Oysters and Cockles are recommended for commercial culture based on the findings of this researc

NHEP Support for DES Shellfish Program 2005

For the past three years, Great Bay Coast Watch (GBCW) volunteers have provided the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Shellfish Program with significant assistance in performing tasks necessary in managing shellfish resources for human safety. This report describes a continuation of this mutually beneficial partnership

Influence of shellfish farming activities on nitrification, nitrate reduction to ammonium and denitrification at the water-sediment interface of the Thau lagoon, France

The seasonal patterns of nitrification, denitrification and dissimilatory ammonium production (DAP) rates were studied in the sediment of 2 stations in the Thau lagoon (south of France). The station ZA was located within the shellfish farming zone and thestation B was the reference site. A marked effect of shellfish farming on bacterial activities was observed. Spatial differences were associated with discrepancies in the organic content and the reduction state of sediments, i.e. highest reductive processes (denitrification and DAP) were noted in shellfish farming area, whereas the oxidative process (nitrification) was predominant outside the farming zone. At both stations, the DAP activity increased in September (autumn) concomitant with an increase of the C/N ratio in the sediment due to the sedimentation of the summer phytoplanktonic production. Nitrification and denitrification rates exhibited maxima in November (winter) corresponding to dissolved inorganic nitrogen inputs from the surrounding land. In the shellfish farming site, 98% of nitrate was reduced to NH4+ and 2% to N2O, showing that the most of the NO3- was reduced to ammonium and remained available for the ecosystem

Arsenic Exposure to Fish and Shellfish Consumption Among Community in Makassar, Indonesia

Fish and shellfish contaminated by Arsenic (As) heavy metals from people activity discharge into the coast. Coastal community was exposure risk by As due to consumption of marine products. This study aimed to determine of human health risks level who consume fish and shellfish that contain As in Kaluku Bodoa and Untia coastal, Makassar. This research designed by observational and Environmental Health Risk Analysis (EHRA) approach. Human sample were 49 people and 8 environmental samples that selected based on certain criteria. Data collected through environmental assestment, interview and anthropometric data measurement. Data analyzed with EHRA methods. The results showed that the highest mean As levels found in Leiognatus equulus fish i.e. 1.589 mg/kg and Gafrarium tumidum shellfish i.e. 4.244 mg/kg of Untia coastal. The mean level of the carcinogenic risk for fish and shellfish consumption were unacceptable because they contain As that demonstrated value of more than exponent 4 (ECR > E-4) and non-carcinogenic risk mean level was value of more than 1 (RQ > 1). Fish and shellfish consumption considered unsafe and will impact health problems for the community. Community should be restrict the frequency and amount of fish and shellfish consumption

Developing shellfish industry in Nigeria: technology and economics

The paper asserted that shellfish resources are poorly developed and utilized in West Africa. This was proved by the fact that in 2008 total marine shellfish capture production in West Africa was only 29,815 tonnes. The advantages of Nigeria in beefing up its production are highlighted. Some of these advantages are on extensive coast line which has not been affected by industrial pollution. The tropical climate is also an advantage for growing of cultured shellfish. The paper highlighted that to maximize the potential of shellfish Mari-culture development requires education, training, seed production technology, grow-out technology, processing and marketing. These requirements are discussed in details in the paper