2019 Vol. 38, No. 10

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2019, Vol. 38, No. 10 Content
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Articles & Marine Biology
Roles of fishing and climate change in long-term fish species succession and population dynamics in the outer Beibu Gulf, South China Sea
Wang Xuehui, Qiu Yongsong, Du Feiyan, Liu Weida, Sun Dianrong, Chen Xiao, Yuan Weiwen, Chen Yong
2019, 38(10): 1-8. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1484-5
Abstract:
A prevailing, controversial hypothesis is that fishing pressure has played a greater role than climatic and environmental drivers, in changing fish species succession and biomass fluctuation in the South China Sea (SCS). Based on otter trawl survey data from 1959 to 2010 in the outer Beibu Gulf (OBG), northern SCS, large seasonal and interannual variation is reported for fish species composition, the proportional abundances of dominant taxa, and fish biomass. Generalized additive models are developed to quantify relationships between fish biomass and the external factors of fishing pressure and climate change. Fishing pressure proved to be the main driver of sharp declines in demersal fish stocks, with high-value species being replaced by low-value ones over time. Abrupt decreases in fish biomass during the years of 1993 and 1998 correspond to El Niño events, with climate change possibly the main driver of proportional representation of pelagic species in fisheries trawl catch. The need to differentiate impacts of fishing and environmental drivers on fish species with different life history strategies is stressed to better understand fish community dynamics.
Evaluation of the performance of alternative assessment configurations to account for the spatial heterogeneity in age-structure: a simulation study based on Indian Ocean albacore tuna
Guan Wenjiang, Wu Jiawen, Tian Siquan
2019, 38(10): 9-19. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1485-4
Abstract:
Various population structures or spatial heterogeneities in population distribution have been an important source of model misspecification and have had an impact on estimation performance in fisheries stock assessment. In this study, we simulated the Indian Ocean albacore spatial heterogeneity in age-structure using Stock Synthesis according to the stage-dependent migration rate and region-dependent fishing mortality rate and generated the stock assessment data. Based on these data, we investigated the performances of different spatial configurations, selectivity curves and selections of CPUE(catch per unit effort) indices of the assessment models which were used to account for spatial heterogeneity. The results showed:(1) although the spatially explicit configurations, which exactly matched the operating model, provided unbiased and accurate estimates of relative spawning biomass, relative fishing mortality rate and maximum sustainable yield in all simulation scenarios, their performance may be very poor if there were mismatches between them and the operating model due to gaps in knowledge and data; (2) for spatially explicit assessment configuration, the correct boundary was required, but for non-spatially explicit assessment configuration, it seemed more important for analysts to partition the area to properly reflect the transition in field data and to effectively account for the impacts of ignoring the spatial structure by using the additional spatially referenced parameters; (3) although the areas-as-fleets methods and flexible time-varying selectivity curves could be used as better alternative approaches to account for spatial structure, these configurations could not completely eliminate the impacts of model misspecification and the quality of estimates of different quantities from the same assessment model may be inconsistent or the performance of the same assessment configuration may fluctuate significantly between simulation scenarios; (4) although the worst estimates could generally be avoided by using multiple CPUE indices, there were no best solutions to select or regenerate the CPUE indices to account for the impacts of the ignored spatial structure to obviously improve the quality of stock assessment. Compared with the results of assessment model configurations which are used to account for the spatial structure by different modelers, the performances of the configurations are always case-specific except for spatially explicit configurations which exactly match the operating model. In this sense, our study will not only provide some insights into the current Indian Ocean albacore stock assessment but also enrich existing knowledge regarding the performance of assessment configurations to account for spatial structure.
Estimating biological reference points for Largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus) fishery in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea
Ji Yupeng, Liu Qun, Liao Baochao, Zhang Qingqing, Han Ya'nan
2019, 38(10): 20-26. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1343-4
Abstract:
It is important to find a reliable method to estimate maximum sustainable yield (MSY) or total allowable catch (TAC) for fishery management, especially when the data availability is limited which is a case in China. A recently developed method (CMSY) is a data-poor method, which requires only catch data, resilience and exploitation history at the first and final years of the catch data. CMSY was used in this study to estimate the biological reference points for Largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus, Temminck and Schlegel) in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea, based on the fishery data from China Fishery Statistical Year Books during 1986 to 2012. Additionally, Bayesian state-space Schaefer surplus production model (BSM) and the classical surplus production models (Schaefer and Fox) performed by software CEDA and ASPIC, were also projected in this study to compare with the performance of CMSY. The estimated MSYs from all models are about 19.7×104-27.0×104 t, while CMSY and BSM yielded more reasonable population parameter estimates (the intrinsic population growth rate and the carrying capacity). The biological reference points of B/BMSY smaller than 1.0, while F/FMSY higher than 1.0 revealed an over-exploitation of the fishery, indicating that more conservative management strategies are required for Largehead hairtail fishery.
Trophic structure and energy flow of the resettled maritime area of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh through ECOPATH
Karim Ehsanul, Liu Qun, Xue Ying, Hasan Shanur Jahedul, Hoq M Enamul, Mahmud Yahia
2019, 38(10): 27-42. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1423-5
Abstract:
The existing study was taken to represent the current information in order to develop a mass-balanced ecosystem model within the resettled maritime boundary area of the Bay of Bengal (BoB), Bangladesh from July 2016 to June 2017 through ECOPATH approach covering over 90 000 km2. A total of 19 functional groups were considered representing all trophic levels in the foodweb where estimated trophic interactions between the groups were varied from 1 (primary producers and detritus) to 3.45 (sharks). The ecotrophic efficiency (EE) of most of the consumers was greater than 0.80; symbolizing a largely exploited ecosystem and high energy transfer from lower to higher trophic levels. Moreover, the gross efficiency (0.001 8) and transfer efficiency (11.12%) of the whole system symbolizes the "Developing Systems" with somewhat maturity currently. Ecosystem's overhead (64.6) and ascendancy (35.4) also designate the ecosystem's stability. Thus, this study determines that the resettled maritime area of BoB reserves significant backup strength to face stress situations having capacity to rapid restoration to the original states.
Ontogenetic difference of beak elemental concentration and its possible application in migration reconstruction for Ommastrephes bartramii in the North Pacific Ocean
Fang Zhou, Liu Bilin, Chen Xinjun, Chen Yong
2019, 38(10): 43-52. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1431-5
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The migration route of oceanic squid provides critical information for us to understand their spatial and temporal variations. Mark-recapture and electronic tags tend to be problematic during processing. Cephalopod hard structures such as the beak, containing abundant ecological information with stable morphology and statolith-like sequences of growth increments, may provide information for studying spatio-temporal distribution. In this study, we developed a method, which is based on elemental concentration of beaks at different ontogenetic stages and sampling locations, to reconstruct the squid migration route. We applied this method to Ommastrephes bartramii in the North Pacific Ocean. Nine trace elements were detected in the rostrum sagittal sections (RSS) of the beak using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). For those elements, significant differences were found between the different ontogenetic stages for phosphorus (P), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Sodium (Na), P and Zn were chosen as indicators of sea surface temperature (SST) and a regression model was estimated. The high probability of occurrence in a particular area represented the possible optimal squid location based on a Bayesian model. A reconstructed migration route in this study, combining all the locations at different ontogenetic stages, was consistent with that hypothesized in previous studies. This study demonstrates that the beak can provide useful information for identifying the migration routes of oceanic squid.
δ13C and δ15N in Humboldt squid beaks: understanding potential geographic population connectivity and movement
Liu Bilin, Chen Xinjun, Qian Weiguo, Jin Yue, Li Jianhua
2019, 38(10): 53-59. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1487-2
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We quantified the δ13C and δ15N values in the lower beaks of Humboldt squid, Dosidicus gigas, collected from international waters off Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Chile by Chinese squid jigging vessels during 2009, 2010 and 2013. There was a significant difference in the isotopic values among regions with the lowest value off Ecuador and the highest off Chile, which were interpreted as a function of trophic effects as well as baseline values. However, constant trophic level of D. gigas across its geographic range showed that spatial variation in the baseline of primary production is the main driver responsible for the observed geographic isotope variability. Inter-regional difference and intra-regional convergence of isotope values indicated squid off Costa Rica, Ecuador and Chile belong to different geographically segregated populations, which were previously proved by integrated population identifying method. In contrast, the higher variations in δ13C and δ15N values in a given size group suggest the squid off Peru move and forage in different places. Moreover, potential population exchange could be responsible for the overlap of the isotope values between the squid off Peru and off Chile. On the whole, the spatial difference in isotopic values of Humboldt squid beaks improves our understanding of potential geographic population connectivity and movement.
Decadal variations in the community status of economically important invertebrates in the Bohai Sea
Wu Qiang, Guan Lisha, Li Zhongyi, Shan Xiujuan, Jin Xianshi
2019, 38(10): 60-66. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1488-1
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With the decline of fish stocks, the proportions of economically important invertebrates like crustaceans and cephalopods have increased in the Bohai Sea. The community structure and trophic level of economically important invertebrates were analyzed using the bottom trawl survey data collected by the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute in the Bohai Sea in May and August of 1958–1959, 1982, 1992–1993, 2004, 2009 and 2015. A total of 37 species of economically important invertebrates, belonging to 5 orders, 24 families, were captured. The biomass densities of economically important invertebrates in the Bohai Sea displayed an overall downward trend from 1982 to 2015. Oratosquilla oratoria and Loligo spp. were the most dominant species in the past 30 years, the biomass proportion of O. oratoria increased gradually in both May and August from 1982 to 2015. Moreover, biodiversity indices of economically important invertebrates in the Bohai Sea appeared to decline from 1982 to 2004 and then increased in 2015. Similarly, the mean trophic level of economically important invertebrates declined from 1982 to 2004 and increased slightly in 2015. Overall, although the proportions of invertebrates have increased, the biomass densities in the Bohai Sea have displayed an overall downward trend from 1982 to 2015. The increases in the biodiversity and trophic level of economically important invertebrates after the 2000s, possibly benefit from stock enhancement projects implemented by governments at different levels and national fishery management measures such as the "double-control" of the total number and engine power of fishing vessels and summer moratorium of fishing.
A morphological evaluation of Chrysaora chinensis of Peninsular Malaysia and distinguishing its populations using geometric morphometrics
Low Liang Boon, Syazwan Wan Mohd, Rizman-Idid Mohammed
2019, 38(10): 67-74. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1483-6
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The morphology of seven specimens of Chrysaora chinensis (Scyphomedusae, Semaestomae) obtained from four sites off the coast of Peninsular Malaysia was examined. Morphological characteristics of C. chinensis that encompasses structures such as the bell, tentacles, oral arms, stomach, manubrium, radial canals and gonads were described in detail. A total of 107 specimens that represented C. chinensis populations of four coastal areas of Peninsular Malaysia (East-Central, East-North, West-Central, and West-North) were also analysed for shape variation using geometric morphometric analysis. Procrustes superimposition, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Canonical Variate Analysis (CVA) were applied to the images of gastrovascular pouches of C. chinensis to extract the shape information. Independent contrasts were used for comparisons between shapes. There were no significant differences in shape variation between all the specimens based on the PCA results. However, CVA results showed shape variations between specimens taken from the four areas of Peninsular Malaysia, especially with higher magnitudes of Mahalanobis distances between the east and west coast areas, including between East-Central and East-North, but lower magnitudes were detected between the West-Central and West-North.
Feeding strategies of Euphausia superba in the eastern South Shetland Islands in austral summer
Liu Mengtan, Tao Zhencheng, Zhang Ye, Yang Guang, Sun Song, Li Chaolun, Le Fengfeng
2019, 38(10): 75-83. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1392-8
Abstract:
Euphausia superba is a key species in the Southern Ocean that serves as a link between primary production and higher trophic levels. To investigate the feeding strategies of E. superba from the eastern South Shetland Islands, fatty acid biomarkers, stable isotope signatures, and an incubation experiment were conducted. The results of the incubation experiment proved that adult E. superba mainly fed on 2–20 μm particles, demonstrating the importance of nanoplankton in their diet. Moreover, significant positive relationships between δ15N and body size demonstrated that size-related dietary shifts were present in E. superba. Evidence from principal component analysis and the C16:1ω7/C18:4ω3 ratio showed that juveniles preferentially fed on dinoflagellates and adults were more likely to feed on diatoms. Fatty acid profiles in adult E. superba roughly mirrored the different trophic conditions and feeding strategies between stations. Adult E. superba at Stas D2-07, D5-07, DA-01 and DA-02 exhibited elevated levels of C16:1ω7, C18:4ω3, C18:1ω9 and C18:1ω9/C18:1ω7, indicating higher levels of feeding on both phytoplankton and higher trophic diets. In contrast, adult E. superba at Stas D1-03 and D1-04 were characterized by high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids/saturated fatty acids ratios and low levels of C16:1ω7, C18:1ω7, C18:4ω3, C18:1ω9 and total fatty acids. We inferred that adult krill at Stas D1-03 and D1-04 still suffered from difficult dietary conditions after overwintering. The different dietary conditions between stations suggest a highly plastic feeding strategy of E. superba in the eastern South Shetland Islands.
Spatio-temporal variability of phytoplankton assemblages and its controlling factors in spring and summer in the Subei Shoal of Yellow Sea, China
HUO Yuanzi, SHI Honghua, ZHANG Jianheng, LIU Qiao, DUAN Yuanliang, HE Qing, YU Kefeng, BI Hongsheng, Fan Chunlei, HE Peimin
2019, 38(10): 84-92. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1345-2
Abstract:
The Subei Shoal is a special coastal area with complex physical oceanographic properties in the Yellow Sea. In the present study, the distribution of phytoplankton and its correlation with environmental factors were studied during spring and summer of 2012 in the Subei Shoal of the Yellow Sea. Phytoplankton species composition and abundance data were accomplished by Utermöhl method. Diatoms represented the greatest cellular abundance during the study period. In spring, the phytoplankton cell abundance ranged from 1.59×103 to 269.78×103 cell/L with an average of 41.80×103 cell/L, and Skeletonema sp. and Paralia sulcata was the most dominant species. In summer, the average phytoplankton cell abundance was 72.59×103 cell/L with the range of 1.78×103 to 574.96×103 cell/L, and the main dominant species was Pseudo-nitzschia pungens, Skeletonema sp., Dactyliosolen fragilissima and Chaetoceros curvisetus. The results of a redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that turbidity, temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), the ratio of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to silicate and SiO4-Si (DIN/SiO4-Si) were the most important environmental factors controlling phytoplankton assemblages in spring or summer in the Subei Shoal of the Yellow Sea.
Marine Information Science
An improved ARTSIST sea ice algorithm based on 19 GHz modified 91 GHz
Wu Zhankai, Wang Xingdong, Wang Xuemei
2019, 38(10): 93-99. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1482-7
Abstract:
An enhanced ARTSIST Sea Ice (ASI) algorithm is presented based on a data fusion method of calculating total sea ice concentration from high-frequency microwave data. Algorithms that use low-frequency data to calculate total sea ice concentration are less affected by atmosphere, but their spatial resolutions tend to be lower. In contrast, algorithms using high-frequency data have higher spatial resolution but are significantly influenced by atmosphere. Although errors can be eliminated using weather filters, the concentration of mixed pixels cannot be modified. Here, an enhanced ASI algorithm uses the 19 GHz polarization difference to modify the 91 GHz polarization difference, which is substituted into the ASI algorithm to calculate total sea ice concentration. Arctic total sea ice concentration results are obtained based on Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) data on January 3, from 2008 to 2017. Total sea ice area and average concentration using the enhanced ASI algorithm are compared to traditional ASI and NASA Team results. In the Marginal Ice Zone, there is a considerable difference between the enhanced and traditional ASI algorithm results, with the former much closer to the NASA Team results. The proposed algorithm effectively modifies the concentration of the mixed pixels in the marginal zone.
Comparative analysis of CPUE standardization of Chinese Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) fishery based on GLM and GAM
Hua Chuanxiang, Zhu Qingcheng, Shi Yongchuang, Liu Yu
2019, 38(10): 100-110. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1486-3
Abstract:
Pacific saury is an important high-seas fishery resource in the Northwest Pacific Ocean for the Chinese Mainland. Reliable and accurate catch per unit effort (CPUE) plays a significant rule in Pacific saury stock assessment. Many statistical models have been used in the previous CPUE standardization research. Here, we compare the performance of Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) and Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) using CPUE data collected from Chinese saury fishery in the Northwest Pacific Ocean from 2003 to 2017 (excluding data from Chinese Taipei), and evaluate the influence of spatial, temporal, environmental variables and vessel length on CPUE. Optimal GLM/GAM models were selected using the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Explained deviance and 5-fold bootstrap cross-validation results were used to compare the performance of the two model types. Fitted GLMs accounted for 21.57% of the total model-explained deviance, while GAMs accounted for 38.95%. Predictive performance metrics and 5-fold cross-validation results showed that the best GAM performed better than the best GLM. Therefore, we recommend GAM as the preferred model for standardizing CPUE of Pacific saury in the Northwest Pacific Ocean.
Research Note & Marine Biology
Cloning, characterization and expression analysis of a microsomal glutathione S-transferase gene from the seagrass Zostera marina
Yan Wenjie, Liu Jiao, Seng Samphal, Zhou Bin, Ding Kuke
2019, 38(10): 111-115. doi: 10.1007/s13131-019-1429-z
Abstract:
The response of glutathione S-transferase (GST) in Zostera marina to temperature variation was analyzed at molecular level by cloning the microsomal GST gene and texting the microsomal GST expression regularity under different temperature. Specific speaking, express ZmGST in Escherichia coli, then purify the recombinant protein and make the thermal stability analysis. Therefore, the experiments were carried out to provide a theoretical basis for the further elaboration to the population degradation mechanisms of Z. marina. In conclusion, the thermostability and the response of ZmGST gene to temperature changes can determine its temperature tolerance range, and affect its resilience in turn.