Auke Bay Laboratory

Surface Ocean Observations from Auke Bay Pier, 2001

Mean sea surface temperature (SST) of Auke Bay for the calendar year 2001 was near average. The winter (January-March) and early spring (April) were warmer than average followed by a cooler periods during the late spring and early summer. An exceptional 16-day warm period in August brought the monthly mean above average. Below average water temperatures prevailed through much of summer and fall 2001. A late November-early December cold snap resulted in lower than average SST in Auke Bay and a late November freeze-up of Auke Lake.

By Bruce Wing.

 
Thirtieth UJNR Aquaculture Meeting

The U.S.- Japan Natural Resources (UJNR) Aquaculture Panel held its thirtieth annual meeting during 3-8 December 2001 at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida.  Twelve Japanese and 20 U.S. scientists attended.  The panel has met each year since the UJNR began in the 1970s, with meetings alternated between countries.

The theme for the main symposium this year was marine fish stock enhancement. Japanese papers were given on ocean ranching of Japanese flounders, Pacific salmon, sharpnose tigerfish, red seabream, and on predation on juvenile chum salmon by fishes and seabirds. Paper topics presented by U.S. scientists included open ocean aquaculture, Pacific threadfin, white seabass, red drum, snook, groupers, red snapper, mullet, sheephead, and Alaska salmon enhancement.

An important issue discussed in some detail with Japanese officials attending  the meeting was the reorganization of governmental fisheries in Japan effective 1 April 2001. Foremost among these changes, at least for Japanese research scientists, was establishment of the Fisheries Research Agency (FRA) through the consolidation of National Research Institutes. The new FRA will consist of seven Research Institutes and two Basic Institutions to promote research in each of Japan’s major sea regions around the country.  The new reorganization, with oversight over the nine institutes, will promote research on fisheries resources, fisheries oceanography, environmental conservation of fisheries, aquaculture and resource enhancement, fish processing and utilization, fisheries engineering, and fisheries economy.

By Bill Heard.

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AFSC Quarterly
Research Reports
Oct-Dec 2001