Lobster quality in relation to handling was the topic of the day at the Prince Edward Island Fishermen's Association's annual general meeting held in Charlottetown, Canada. Aquatic
science consultant Dr Jean Lavallee said decline in meat quality is often due to stress during handling. Dr Lavallee was on hand to advise ways to reduce stress during transportation. Although the meeting focused on wild lobster, the findings may be of use to aquaculturists.
How sensitive is the ocean to acidification? That was the question posed by researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution (WHOI).
A continental-scale chemical survey in the waters of the eastern USA
and Gulf of Mexico is helping researchers determine how distinct bodies
of water will resist changes in acidity. The study, which measures
varying levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other forms of
carbon in the ocean, was conducted by scientists from 11 institutions
across the USA.
“Before
now, we haven't had a very clear picture of acidification status on the
east coast of the U.S.,” says Zhaohui ‘Aleck’ Wang, the study’s lead
author and a chemical oceanographer at WHOI. “It’s important that we start to understand it,
because increase in ocean acidity could deeply affect marine life along
the coast and has important implications for people who rely on
aquaculture and fisheries both commercially and recreationally.”
Coastal ocean acidification, Wang says, can occur when excess carbon
dioxide is absorbed by, flushed into or generated in coastal waters,
setting off a chain of chemical reactions that lowers the water’s pH,
making it more acidic. The process disproportionately affects species
like oysters, snails, pteropods, and coral, since those organisms cannot
effectively form shells in a more acidic environment.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has introduced a bilingual ecolabel in Canada following requests from MSC partners. Fish fans in the country will now be able to read information on MSC-certified products in both English and French.
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| ocean (Photo credit: Stephen Edgar - Netweb) |
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