Diatoms are prominent primary producers that play an important role in global carbon cycles. Diatom dynamics are, therefore, important for biogeochemistry, fisheries and earth science. Viral infection is now assumed to be one of the most significant factors affecting diatom dynamics. However, few studies, based on practical field data, have focused on the relationship between diatoms and viruses in natural waters. To elucidate on this relationship, we assessed the temporal change in the abundance of diatoms and their viruses on the western coast of Japan from 2004 to 2009. Three species of diatoms were used as hosts to enumerate viruses in water and sediment samples: Chaetoceros debilis, C. tenuissimus and C. salsugineum. Diatom viruses in the water column rapidly increased during C. debilis and C. tenuissimus blooms, maintaining a high abundance throughout the blooming period. These data suggest the potential importance of viruses in controlling the population dynamics of diatoms in natural environments. The number of viruses in sediments fluctuated considerably, even during non-blooming periods, which suggests that virus-infected diatom cells were supplied to the sediments from water-column populations throughout the year. This process might be an important strategy to reduce the impact of viruses on diatom populations.
A stock assessment of Japanese mantis shrimp Oratosquilla oratoria was conducted using research data sampled by small trawl vessel in the Buzen Sea, Seto Inland Sea, Japan, from 2007 to 2009. The fishing mortality coe‹cient estimated for every half-year from the 2007 year class suggested that the reduction of population by discard began soon after recruitment. The survival rate after one year of recruitment was estimated as 13.4.
The daggertooth pike conger, Muraenesox cinereus (Forssk al), has become an important fish resource in the western Seto Inland Sea, Japan, since the 1990s. However, introducing sustainable fisheries resource management for this species is difficult in this region because stock assessments have not been performed, and official fisheries statistics for this stock were discontinued after 2007. This study used existing limited data sets to compile the first report for fisheries resource management for this M. cinereus stock. Yield-per-recruit analyses showed that increasing fishing pressure above current levels would provide only a minimal increase in expected catch levels. Hence, the current harvest level is considered to represent the upper limit of fishing pressure. Age composition in a given year could potentially be used to forecast landing abundance for the following 2 years. This study provides a basis for establishing effective fisheries resource management strategies for M. cinereus.K E Y W O R D S : age composition, demersal stock, fishing mortality coefficient, stock assessment, trawl fisheries, yield per recruit.
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