Low Oxygen Environments - Talks

 

Adaptación al Cambio Climático en el Sector Pesquero - Perú

 

Freshly caught Peruvian anchovy and mackerel

Did you know that anchoveta and mackerel are like the superstars of the sea? They're super important for the whole ecosystem. These tiny but mighty fish are the favorite food of tons of marine animals, from birds to big fish. Imagine they're like the producers of a huge seafood factory. My point in this case is about their colors! let's see the blue hues!

Both are super important for the ecosystem, but each has its own way of living.

What a beautiful color pattern!

The Crucial Role of the Deep Ocean: Protection and Study for the Future

Deep-sea ecosystems are characterized by immense pressure and darkness and harbor several habitats of significance for global biodiversity and environmental stability. Despite its remoteness compared to shallower ocean regions, these deeper environments hold different highly-adapted species, most of them, new-to-science. Rigorous investigations are needed for the deep ocean, as it faces increasing vulnerability to human activities such as deep-sea mining, pollution, and climate change influence.

Potential human influence, for instance, deep-sea mining presents a substantial threat to fragile seafloor habitats. Extractive activities could cause significant, and potentially long-term, disruption and destruction of these unique ecosystems. This disruption can lead to a measurable decline in biodiversity, impacting community composition and ecosystem function. On the other hand, pollution, encompassing both chemical contaminants and microplastics, is a growing concern for deep-sea ecosystems. These pollutants can compromise the health and survival of marine organisms through bioaccumulation and disruption of physiological processes. Additionally, climate change is a major driver of alterations in deep-sea environments. Changes in oceanographic patterns, rising water temperatures, and ocean acidification are documented to negatively impact marine life and disrupt ecosystem dynamics.

The deep ocean plays a critical role in regulating Earth's climate. Deep-sea sequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide acts as a natural sink, mitigating the effects of climate change. Additionally, the deep ocean serves as a vital component of marine ecosystems, providing essential services. These services include nutrient cycling, which sustains higher trophic levels, and even commercially important fisheries. The loss of biodiversity in the deep sea would likely have cascading ecological consequences, potentially impacting not only the deep-sea ecosystem but also surface productivity and fisheries.

To ensure the long-term health of deep-sea ecosystems, a multifaceted approach is needed. This includes the development and implementation of robust management tools, including research plans, with stricter regulations for many human activities. These tools can help restrict harmful practices on vulnerable deep-sea species. Additionally, significant investment in the development of innovative deep-sea research technologies is crucial. Advancements in Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) with enhanced sampling capabilities and the deployment of long-term ocean observatories will enable us to gather critical data on deep-sea biodiversity, ecosystem processes, and the impacts of human activities.

Shorts: Effects of electric pulse fishing on fish

 

Short comments on poorly-regulated fisheries and emerging problems associated

Marine fisheries face several problems, including longstanding issues and emerging challenges. Here are some of the main problems associated with industrial and small-scale fisheries:

1. Overfishing (A well-known topic): One of the primary concerns is overfishing, where fish are caught at a rate that exceeds their reproductive capacity. This leads to declining fish populations, ecosystem imbalances, and negative impacts on marine biodiversity. Overfishing is a significant problem in industrial fisheries due to their large-scale operations and advanced fishing technologies.

2. Bycatch: Many fishing methods often result in significant bycatch, which refers to the unintended capture of non-target species. Bycatch can include endangered or protected species, juvenile fish, and other marine organisms. It leads to excessive mortality and can disrupt ecosystems and affect the balance of marine food webs.

3. Habitat Destruction: Some fishing practices, such as some types of bottom trawling or using large illegal nets on fragile habitats, can cause habitat destruction by damaging sensitive marine ecosystems like coral reefs, seafloor habitats, and other critical marine habitats. This destruction can have long-term impacts on fish populations and marine biodiversity.

4. Unsustainable Fishing Practices: Some industrial fishing practices (waters beyond national jurisdiction), such as the use of fish aggregating devices (FADs) or the use of destructive fishing gears, can be environmentally damaging and unsustainable. These practices can result in the overexploitation of fish stocks and negatively affect the marine ecosystem.

Masa Ushioda, SeaPics.com

5. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing: IUU fishing is a significant problem in industrial and small-scale fisheries. It involves fishing activities outside of legal regulations, such as fishing in prohibited areas, using banned gear, or not reporting catches accurately. IUU fishing undermines efforts to manage and conserve fish populations, threatens marine biodiversity, and negatively impacts the livelihoods of legitimate fishermen.

6. Emerging Issues: Increasing environmental pollution and seafood safety concerns are unfortunately common nowadays. For example, microplastics, which are tiny plastic particles, have become a growing concern in the oceans. These microplastics can accumulate in fish and other seafood, potentially entering the human food chain and posing risks to human health.

Addressing these problems requires effective fisheries management and conservation measures, including sustainable fishing practices, improved monitoring and enforcement, habitat protection, and international cooperation. It's crucial to adopt responsible fishing methods that prioritize long-term sustainability and the protection of marine ecosystems.

Is plastic the biggest issue affecting our seas? [ Save Our Wild Isles]

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@saveourwildisles

 

El Niño a través de nuestra historia (Programa Peruano: Sucedió en el Perú)

 

Oxygen influence on benthic communities

 

Reducción de Riesgo de Desastres y Cambio Climático en el Pacífico Sudamericano

 

Open Science Conference on Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS): Past, Present and Future & Second International Conference on the Humboldt Current System September 19 - 23, 2022

The Open Science Conference on Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems (EBUS): Past, Present and Future and the Second International Conference on the Humboldt Current System are planned for September 19 - 23 in Lima, Peru. Although the conference aims to be in-person, options for virtual participation will be provided.


The meeting will bring together PhD students, early career scientists and world experts to understand, review, and synthesize what is known about dynamics, sensitivity, vulnerability and resilience of Eastern Boundary Upwelling Systems and their living resources to climate variability, change and extreme events.

Further information

Artisanal Fishery . Dosidicus gigas (Giant squid). Peru

 

Lower selectivity can help heavily exploited fish populations

Highlights
•Selective pressure-induced negative changes on fish populations can be mitigated with lower selectivity, favouring functionality and population recovery.

•The strong selectivity on individuals of a heavily exploited population can adversely affect the reproductive capacity of the population, the recruitment, the population structure stability, among other key characteristics.

•Within an exploited population the genetically-determined individuals to mature at larger size (and reproduce when they are older), are natural candidates to gradually disappear with the current fishery approach, and within the framework of the classical measures of protection (e.g. the criterion of minimum length of catch).

Puedes leer el artículo aquí

Environmental assessment of the Peruvian industrial hake fishery with LCA

Purpose

The Peruvian hake (Merluccius gayi peruanus) stock has been in a delicate state in the last decades due to overexploitation combined with adverse climatic events. The stock is showing certain signs of recovery since 2012. This work analyses the environmental impacts of current fleet operations and its likely trend.

Puedes leer el artículo aquí

Climate vulnerability assessment of key fishery resources in the Northern Humboldt Current System

Los #invertebrados #bentónicos (choros, palabritas, almejas, pulpo, caracoles, etc.) están entre las especies explotadas más vulnerables frente al #cambioclimático. Son los menos estudiados, hay menor esfuerzo de investigación, el monitoreo y control aún es deficiente y no abarca por igual a todo el espectro de especies. El Sistema de la Corriente de #Humboldt frente a #Perú es el más productivo en términos pesqueros y también es una de las regiones del océano más amenazadas por eventos de gran escala como el CC. En este paper presentamos una evaluación al respecto para las principales especies de peces e invertebrados comerciales del país (la región Humboldt).

Puedes leer el artículo aquí 

Pesca artesanal de bonito (Sarda chiliensis) al sur de Perú

 

The International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2022

 

9th International Conference on Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 . August 2022

 The 9th International Conference on Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022 (ICFA 2022) in collaboration with the 2nd International conference of Politeknik Ahli Usaha Perikanan (AUP), which will be held in Jakarta, Indonesia via Hybrid Mode from the 25th – 26th of August 2022 under the theme “Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture: The Vision, Benefits, Roles, and Responsibilities.

Further information

Derrame de crudo en la costa central de Perú

¿Qué está pasando en algunas pequeñas playas cerradas y protegidas que tiene Ancón? Ayer vimos algo de eso. A diferencia de algunas playas abiertas de Ventanilla y el propio Ancón, devastadas por el petróleo derramado, impulsado por las corrientes que lo transportan, hay algunos pocos sitios que no muestran a simple vista el daño ecológico. Debido a la morfología del borde costero, la fauna que habita estos lugares parece resistir un poco más y mejor este grave impacto (algunas fotografías y un vídeo de muestra). Sin embargo, la realidad es que apesar de estar protegidas en pequeños senos del borde costero, será cuestión de tiempo para que el impacto químico llegue a estas poblaciones.
El gran problema de la contaminación por hidrocarburos (s.s. polución) es la persistencia del daño químico en el agua de mar y en los sedimentos (algo que lamentablemente no se soluciona sólo con la extracción física del petróleo acumulado en la orilla o aquel que flota en el agua). La mixtura de químicos presentes en el crudo se degradará a diferentes tiempos, pero mientras eso ocurre puede inducir hipoxia/anoxia permanente sobre el fondo (y dependiendo del tiempo de residencia del polutante, casi siempre se forma una capa negra, apelmazada, sobre la superficie del sedimento marino). Si sumamos la transmisión de este impacto hacia los demás niveles tróficos, el resultado es terrible. Prioridad para combatir esto: tecnología (la mejor que tengamos) y colaboración multidisciplinaria. Este problema no se resolverá pronto.

Phalacrocorax bougainvillii

Phalacrocorax bougainvillii (un guanay, me parece un juvenil por su plumaje parduzco obscuro en el pecho, a penas y se distingue). Ejemplar recién rescatado y estabilizado por integrantes del serenazgo de Ancón, en Playa Hermosa. Aquí esperando a SERFOR.

Algo habitual encontrar aves afectadas, descansando en playas que no muestran afectación. Cerca de La Pocita de Ruiz.

 

Scomberesox spp in Northern Peru (~5°S) (mouth fragmented)

Source: Víctor Aramayo (total length 4.5 cm approx.)

 

Pyrosomes (plus one video and picture from Northern Peru)

Source (Schmidt Ocean Institute)

Source (Víctor Aramayo)