Sheldon Dudley Pengarang

Occurrence and ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton in Kenya’s marine environment: first documented evidence C Kosore1,2* , L Ojwang2, J Maghanga3, J Kamau1 , A Kimeli1 , J Omukoto1 , N Ngisiag’e1 , J Mwaluma1, H Ong’ada1, C Magori1 and E Ndirui1 ABSTRACT Microplastics can be ingested by marine organisms and may lead to negative impacts at the base of marine food chains. This study investigated the occurrence and composition of microplastics in the sea-surface water and sought evidence of ingestion by zooplankton. Surface seawater was collected using a stainless-steel bucket and sieved directly through a stainless-steel sieve (250-µm mesh), while a 500-μm mesh net was towed horizontally to collect zooplankton, at 11 georeferenced stations off the Kenyan coast in February 2017, on board the national research vessel RV Mtafiti. Microplastic particles were sorted and characterised using an Optika dissecting microscope. Polymer types were identified using an ALPHA Platinum attenuated total reflection—Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectrometer. A total of 149 microplastic particles, with an average abundance of 110 particles m –3, were found in the surface seawater. A total of 129 particles were found ingested by zooplankton groups, where Chaetognatha, Copepoda, Amphipoda and fish larvae ingested 0.46, 0.33, 0.22 and 0.16 particles ind.–1, respectively. Filaments dominated both the surface-water microplastics and the ingested microplastics, contributing 76% and 97% to those compositions, respectively. White particles were prevalent in the water (51%), whereas black was the colour found most commonly (42%) across the zooplankton groups. The sizes of particles that were in the water were in the range of 0.25–2.4 mm, and those ingested ranged between 0.01 and 1.6 mm. Polypropylene was predominant in the surface water, whereas low-density polyethylene was the most-ingested polymer type. The results provide the first documented evidence of the occurrence, composition and ingestion of microplastics by zooplankton in Kenya’s marine environment, indicating that microplastics have the potential to enter pelagic food webs and cause pollution in the study area. Keywords: georeferencing, infrared spectroscopy, Kenyan EEZ, low-density polyethylene, ocean pollution, polymer, polypropylene, sea surface Evaluating the effects of catch-and-release angling on Cape stumpnose Rhabdosargus holubi in a South African estuary NK Arkert1*, A-R Childs1, MC Parkinson1,2, AC Winkler1, E Butler1, S Mannheim1 and WM Potts1,2 ABSTRACT Fisheries managers are increasingly promoting catch-and-release (C&R) to manage recreationally angled fish stocks. Despite this, there is a scarcity of information on the effects of C&R on estuarine-dependent species. Cape stumpnose Rhabdosargus holubi dominates the recreational fisheries catch and provides an important source of food for subsistence fishers in some temperate South African estuaries. The health and survival of R. Holubi exposed to a C&R event was investigated by examining their physiological stress response (blood glucose and lactate), reflex impairment (reflex action mortality predictors [RAMP]) and short-term (12-hour) survival. Fish were captured and exposed to one of three air-exposure treatments: 0 s, 30 s or 90 s. Stress and health were measured either immediately (immediate) or one hour after (delayed) the C&R event. There was no significant difference in blood glucose between air-exposure treatments, but there was a significant difference between the mean immediate and delayed glucose levels within each treatment (F(2,143) = 81.8, p < 0.01). In contrast, blood lactate level was significantly higher in the 90-s treatment (p < 0.05). Immediate blood lactate levels were significantly lower than the delayed samples for each treatment (F = 4.29, p = 0.02; n = 169). Although all fish exhibited at least one reflex impairment, the RAMP score was significantly higher in the 90-s air-exposure treatment (H(2,86) = 9.73, p = 0.007). Also, RAMP scores were significantly lower in the delayed samples (p < 0.01). Although short-term mortality was relatively low (2.3%) for this species, it was highest in the 90-s treatment (7%). These results suggest that physiological stress is higher when R. holubi are exposed to longer periods of air exposure and that the physiological stress of fish subject to a C&R event is best measured after a delay. Keywords: air-exposure, blood glucose, blood lactate, estuarine species, recreational fisheries, reflex impairment, West Kleinemonde Estuary Macroparasites of angelfish Brama brama (Bonnaterre, 1788) in the southern Benguela Current ecosystem AL Mackintosh1*, CC Reed1 , MAI Nunkoo1 , PH King2 and CD van der Lingen1,3,4 ABSTRACT The angelfish Brama brama is a mesopelagic species distributed circumglobally in temperate to warm-temperate waters, including continental-shelf-edge and upper-slope waters of the Benguela Current ecosystem. Little is known about the parasite assemblage of Benguela B. brama, with only three parasite taxa having previously been documented from this species in the southern Benguela. This study describes the macroparasites recorded from 35 B. brama collected during research surveys off the west coast of South Africa in 2015 and 2016. A total of six macroparasite taxa were documented, including the nematode Anisakis pegreffii, the copepod Hatschekia conifera, the cestode Hepatoxylon trichiuri, an acanthocephalan from the genus Rhadinorhynchus, a monogenean from the family Diclidophoridae, and an unidentified species. Three of these (He. trichiuri, Rhadinorhynchus sp. and the unidentified species) had not previously been found to infect B. brama. The most prevalent macroparasite taxa were A. pegreffii (94%), the unidentified species (71%) and Ha. conifera (60%). Two of the parasites, Ha. Conifera and He. trichiuri, showed seasonal variation in infection, and infection with the latter was positively correlated with host length. These findings increase our knowledge of B. brama biology and contribute to our understanding of the biodiversity of the southern Benguela ecosystem. Keywords: angelfish, Anisakis pegreffii, Atlantic pomfret, Hatschekia conifera, Hepatoxylon trichiuri, infection intensity, parasitism, teleost Wintertime rates of net primary production and nitrate and ammonium uptake in the southern Benguela upwelling system RF Flynn1 , JM Burger1 , K Pillay2 and SE Fawcett1* ABSTRACT The elevated levels of primary productivity associated with eastern boundary currents are driven by nutrientrich waters upwelled from depth, such that these regions are typically characterised by high rates of nitrate-fuelled phytoplankton growth. Production studies from the southern Benguela upwelling system (SBUS) tend to be biased towards the summer upwelling season, yet winter data are required to compute annual budgets and understand seasonal variability. Net primary production (NPP) and nitrate and ammonium uptake were measured concurrently at six stations in the SBUS in early winter. While euphotic zone NPP was highest at the stations nearest to the coast and declined with distance from the shore, a greater proportion was potentially exportable from open-ocean surface waters, as indicated by the higher specific nitrate uptake rates and f-ratios (ratio of nitrate uptake to total nitrogen consumption) at the stations located off the continental shelf. Near the coast, phytoplankton growth was predominantly supported by ammonium despite the high ambient nitrate concentrations. Along with ammonium concentrations as high as 3.6 µmol l–1, this strongly suggests that nitrate uptake in the inshore SBUS, and by extension carbon drawdown, is inhibited by ammonium, at least in winter, although this has also been hypothesised for the summer. Keywords: ammonium inhibition, carbon export potential, nitrogen cycle, seasonal variability, South Atlantic, stable isotope tracer experiment Assessment of the likely sensitivity to climate change for the key marine species in the southern Benguela system K Ortega-Cisneros1* , S Yokwana1, W Sauer1, K Cochrane1, A Cockcroft2, NC James3, WM Potts1, L Singh2, M Smale4, A Wood5 and G Pecl6,7 ABSTRACT Climate change is altering many environmental parameters of coastal waters and open oceans, leading to substantial present-day and projected changes in the distribution, abundance and phenology of marine species. Attempts to assess how each species might respond to climate change can be data-, resource- and time-intensive. Moreover, in many regions of the world, including South Africa, species may be of vital socioeconomic or ecological importance though critical gaps may exist in our basic biological or ecological knowledge of the species. Here, we adapt and apply a trait-based sensitivity assessment for the key marine species in the southern Benguela system to estimate their potential relative sensitivity to the impacts of climate change. For our analysis, 40 priority species were selected based on their socioeconomic, ecological and/or recreational importance in the system. An extensive literature review and consultation with experts was undertaken concerning each species to gather on their life history, habitat use and potential stressors. Fourteen attributes were used to estimate the selected species’ sensitivity and capacity to respond to climate change. A score ranging from low to high sensitivity was given for each attribute, based on the available information. Similarly, a score was assigned to the type and quality of information used to score each particular attribute, allowing an assessment of data-quality inputs for each species. The analysis identified the white steenbras Lithognathus lithognathus, soupfin shark Galeorhinus galeus, St Joseph Callorhinchus capensis and abalone Haliotis midae as potentially the most sensitive species to climate-change impacts in the southern Benguela system. There were data gaps for larval dispersal and settlement and metamorphosis cues for most of the evaluated species. Our results can be used by resource managers to determine the type of monitoring, intervention and planning that may be required to best respond to climate change, given the limited resources and significant knowledge gaps in many cases. Keywords: data-poor assessment, eastern boundary upwelling system, ecological assessment, macroecology, marine fisheries, phenology, species traits, South Africa Data-moderate assessments of Cape monkfish Lophius vomerinus and west coast sole Austroglossus microlepis in Namibian waters JN Kathena1,2* , A Kokkalis2 , MW Pedersen2 , JE Beyer2 and UH Thygesen2 ABSTRACT There is global interest in providing scientific advice on optimal harvesting of all commercially exploited fish stocks. Nevertheless, many commercially important stocks lack analytical assessments. Therefore, we evaluate a data-moderate stock assessment method: the stochastic surplus production model in continuous time (SPiCT). The method was applied to two Namibian stocks: (i) the data-rich Cape monkfish Lophius vomerinus, where results are compared to a new data-rich assessment using a state–space assessment model (SAM); and (ii) the data-moderate west coast sole Austroglossus microlepis, which is an important bycatch species in the Cape monkfish fishery, but currently unassessed. The information available to the data-moderate assessment is total commercial catch, commercial catch per unit effort (CPUE), and survey CPUE. SPiCT and SAM gave largely consistent estimates of relative fishing mortality (F/FMSY) and relative exploitable biomass (B/BMSY) for the Cape monkfish stock, although with some discrepancies. Differences in the biomass estimates between the two assessments suggest that further investigation is required to understand the cause, and that some caution is necessary when considering the biomass of the stock. SPiCT shows that the west coast sole may be overexploited, although the confidence bounds were too wide for a firm conclusion. Similarity in the estimates of F/FMSY for Cape monkfish in recent years, using SPiCT relative to SAM, likewise indicates the suitability of SPiCT for managing west coast sole. Keywords: data-limited assessment, exploitable biomass, marine fisheries, maximum sustainable yield, model parameters, Pella-Tomlinson surplus production model, state–space assessment model, stock assessment Socioeconomic dynamics of the Ghanaian tuna industry: a value-chain approach to understanding aspects of global fisheries E Drury O’Neill1 , NK Asare2* and DW Aheto2,3 ABSTRCAT This study investigated how an industrial tuna fishery functions in terms of procedures, practices, governance and finance in the context of Ghana, West Africa. Tuna is Ghana’s biggest seafood export, contributing significantly to the domestic fisheries sector. A case-study approach was used to analyse relevant social and economic factors at the local scale to better understand how the global seafood industry operates in a low-income country. A value-chain framework was adopted to assess market structures, sales pathways and revenue distribution. We also investigated the role of actors engaged in the industry using secondary data, interviews, questionnaires and participant observations. The results revealed a changing organisational structure in tuna production, moving from bait-boat fishing with smaller companies to large-scale purse-seine fishing backed by consolidated Asian seafood companies. Production was found to depend significantly on local female intermediaries for access to funds through prefinancing arrangements. Considerable illegalities were identified within the value chain, highlighting the need for improved partnership and licensing negotiations, and for low-cost marine control and surveillance tools. As vertical integration increases within the industry, the influence of corporations as keystone actors becomes evident for the future social and ecological sustainability of the industry. Keywords: gender, global markets, industrial fishery, international seafood trade, IUU fishing, keystone actors, West Africa Quantifying the largest aggregation of giant trevally Caranx ignobilis (Carangidae) on record: implications for management R Daly1,2*, CAK Daly2, RH Bennett3, PD Cowley3 , MAM Pereira4 and JD Filmalter3 ABSTRACT The giant trevally Caranx ignobilis (Forsskål) is an important apex predatory fish typically associated with coral reef communities. It is prized in recreational and commercial fisheries, yet little is known about its aggregation dynamics and susceptibility to fishing pressure. This study reports on a previously undocumented aggregation of mature giant trevally observed over a period of eight years (2010–2017) at Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve in southern Mozambique. The aggregation is one of the few recorded for this carangid in the western Indian Ocean and represents the first subtropical aggregation of giant trevally. The aggregation is also the largest recorded for this species, with up to 2 413 individuals representing an estimated biomass of approximately 30 tonnes. The size and predictability of this annual aggregation make it vulnerable to overexploitation and point towards the need for an appropriate conservation management strategy. Keywords: Carangidae, fish aggregation, fisheries management, marine protected area, Mozambique, predatory teleosts, site fidelity, video observations Environmental responses of jellyfish polyps as drivers of medusa populations off the coast of Namibia L Ziegler1,2* and MJ Gibbons1 ABSTRACT Jellyfish populations in the southeastern Atlantic off the coast of Namibia have increased subsequent to the decline of small pelagic fisheries at the end of the 1960s, although the environment there has also become warmer and the waters off Walvis Bay have become richer in zooplankton in recent years. Laboratory experiments were conducted with the scyphozoan jellyfish Chrysaora fulgida to investigate the effects of food density (0, 30, 70, 100 or 150 Artemia nauplii 200 ml–1), feeding frequency (once daily or once every third day) and water temperature (12,16 or 20 °C) on the asexual reproduction, growth and development of polyps. The results of a generalised linear mixed-effects model reveal that all variables impacted asexual reproduction, with greater polyp production attained at higher food concentrations, increased feeding frequencies and increased temperatures. The most common mode of asexual reproduction was by lateral budding. These laboratory results suggest that polyps of C. fulgida may have proliferated off Namibia in recent times, which would contribute to increased numbers of jellyfish there. Keywords: asexual reproduction, Chrysaora fulgida, environmental change, food availability, metagenesis, northern Benguela Current ecosystem, rising temperatures, Scyphozoa Coral reefs of the Glorieuses Islands, western Indian Ocean MH Schleyer1* , L Bigot2 and Y Benayahu3 ABSTRAVCT The benthic fauna on reefs around the Glorieuses Islands, a small and protected Indian Ocean archipelago northwest of Madagascar, was surveyed in November 2015, focusing particularly on the orders Alcyonacea (soft corals and gorgonians) and Scleractinia (stony corals). The species richness of both groups was rather low for a protected, relatively pristine environment in the region. Though certain soft ‘fugitive’ alcyonacean species were noticeably abundant, other soft corals were rare. Sediment-tolerant faviid corals were abundant among the scleractinians. The sediment around the reefs was fine-grained and white, and appeared to be derived from abundant green macroalgae Halimeda and coralline seaweeds. The abundance of these, in turn, might have been attributable to nutrient enrichment from guano deposited on one of the islands by migratory seabirds, causing the aforementioned anomalies in coral biodiversity and abundance. Keywords: Alcyonacea, Halimeda, marine protected area, Mozambique Channel, Scattered Islands, Scleractinia, sediment