Search results for "Fisher"
showing 10 items of 1727 documents
Large differences in catch per unit of effort between two minnow trap models
2013
Background: Little is known about variation in catch per unit of effort (CPUE) in stickleback fisheries, or the factors explaining this variation. We investigated how nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) CPUE was influenced by trap model by comparing the CPUEs of two very similar minnow trap models fished side-by-side in a paired experimental design. Results: The galvanized trap type (mean CPUE = 1.31 fish h–1) out-fished the black trap type (mean CPUE = 0.20 fish h–1) consistently, and yielded on average 81% more fish. Conclusions: The results demonstrate that small differences in trap appearance can have large impacts on CPUE. This has implications for studies designed to investi…
Improved Propagation and Growing Techniques for Oleander Nursery Production
2019
In the first trial, we examined rooting of stem cuttings in relation to number of nodes and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) treatment in several Nerium oleander clones grown in Sicily. In a second trial, we tested the effect of different forcing dates and shading on oleander plants for gardens and natural landscapes. Three- and four-node cuttings, ranging in length from 10 to 14 cm, were significantly superior to two-node cuttings (8&ndash
Alleviation of Salt Stress by Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in Hydroponic Leaf Lettuce
2020
Mediterranean areas with intensive agriculture are characterized by high salinity of groundwater. The use of this water in hydroponic cultivations can lead to nutrient solutions with an electrical conductivity that overcomes the tolerance threshold of many vegetable species. Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) were shown to minimize salt stress on several vegetable crops but the studies on the application of PGPR on leafy vegetables grown in hydroponics are rather limited and have not been used under salt stress conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria to increase the salt tolerance of leaf lettuce grown in autumn and spring in a floating s…
Communal pair spawning behaviour of vendace (Coregonus albula ) in the dark
2017
Mating in nature is rarely random, and most fish species have refined mating systems. The vendace (Coregonus albula) is a short-lived, small-sized, cold-water-adapted pelagic schooling species that is known to spawn in groups, but the actual mating system of this species, like many other group-spawning fishes, has not been described in detail. Vendace typically spawn in the littoral or sublittoral zones of lakes in late autumn, and the hatching of larvae occurs close to icebreak in the following spring. In our large study lake, vendace larvae were caught in 93% of 1,149 random sampling locations lake-wide. We examined the courtship and mating of vendace under experimental conditions by noni…
Effects of environment and sowing time on growth and yield of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars in Sicily (Italy)
2020
Cotton is one of the most important industrial crops in the world. Though widely cultivated in Sicily (Italy) in the past, cotton growth on the island has disappeared today due to a complex variety of agronomic, economic and socio-political reasons. In recent years, increased interest in natural fibers worldwide has led to a revival in cotton plants in the Mediterranean area. The aim of this paper was to assess the response of Gossypium hirsutum L. cultivars to different environments and sowing times. Elsa and Juncal were selected from the most promising cotton cultivars regarding earliness and productivity. Plants were tested with three sowing times and in two Sicilian environments. Cotton…
Identifying the best fishing-suitable areas under the new European discard ban
2016
Abstract The spatial management of fisheries has been repeatedly proposed as a discard mitigation measure. A number of studies have assessed the fishing suitability of an area based on units of by-catch or discard per unit effort. However, correct identification of fishing-suitable areas should assess biomass loss with respect to the benefits. This study therefore, proposes the analysis of by-catch ratios, which do represent benefit vs. loss and are standardized to a wide range of effort characteristics. Furthermore, our study proposes the use of two ratios: the proportion of total unwanted biomass out of the total catch as an indicator of the overall ecological impact, and the proportion o…
Feeding Aquatic Ecosystems : Whole-Lake Experimental Addition of Angler’s Ground Bait Strongly Affects Omnivorous Fish Despite Low Contribution to La…
2018
It is well documented that aquatic ecosystems may be subsidized by naturally derived terrestrial carbon sources. In contrast, the intentional or unintentional subsidy of animal populations by human-derived feed resources and their ecosystem effects are poorly studied. We added ground baits of the type, amount and temporal duration commonly applied by anglers targeting cyprinid fishes to a small lake, and studied behavior, diet composition and annual growth rate of the lake fish community in response to the bait addition. Based on recordings by a high-resolution ultrasonic telemetry array, common carp (Cyprinus carpio) as a model benthivore spend more time at the sites where ground baits wer…
Planting Systems for Modern Olive Growing: Strengths and Weaknesses
2021
The objective of fully mechanizing olive harvesting has been pursued since the 1970s to cope with labor shortages and increasing production costs. Only in the last twenty years, after adopting super-intensive planting systems and developing appropriate straddle machines, a solution seems to have been found. The spread of super-intensive plantings, however, raises serious environmental and social concerns, mainly because of the small number of cultivars that are currently used (basically 2), compared to over 100 cultivars today cultivated on a large scale across the world. Olive growing, indeed, insists on over 11 million hectares. Despite its being located mostly in the Mediterranean countr…
Effect of peracetic acid on levels of geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol, and their potential producers in a recirculating aquaculture system for rearing ra…
2019
Abstract In recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS)s, off-flavors and odors, mainly caused by geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), can accumulate in the flesh of fish from RAS water, reducing the profitability of production. In this study, peracetic acid (PAA) was applied in three application intervals to pump sumps of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared in RAS. Using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), the potential off-flavor producers were quantified using geoA and MIB synthase genes. Streptomyces was identified as the major GSM producer, and biofilters showed the highest number of potential off-flavor producers. Concentrations of GSM and MIB were analyzed in the …
Food-web structure and mercury dynamics in a large subarctic lake following multiple species introductions
2016
Summary The rate of non-native fish introductions into freshwater ecosystems has more than doubled during the past three decades, posing a serious threat to native biodiversity. Despite potential benefits for fisheries, little is known about how introduced species interact with native communities at the food-web level, or impact energy transfer dynamics and accumulation of contaminants in lake ecosystems. Here, we explored the trophic structure of a large, oligotrophic subarctic lake and assessed the trophic niche use and potential ecosystem-wide consequences of two introduced salmonid species: piscivorous lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and zooplanktivorous vendace (Coregonus albula). We…