ALBERT

Description: The inadequacies of population data in the determination of squid life history models is discussed. A close, functional comparison is noted for myopsids (Loligo pealei in particular) and the sepiolid squids. Though the latter are small andstrictly nekto-benthic, they are capable of laboratory cultivation and provide excellent models for experimentation. It is now possible to test the physiologicalchanges which support the seasonality of Mesnil's model and to examine the roleof elective spawnin (as proposed here) and social interactions. A qualitative myopsid-sepiolid life cycle summary is presented to illustrate present ecological knowledge on this subject. The subject is briefly discussed in terms of squid fishery management in general.

Description: The general relationship between the ecology of cephalopods and their environments is briefly reviewed from available information on the fisheries, biology and physical environments of various species which constitute the major cephalopods resources of the world's oceans. The relationship is further examined by reviewing the features of two large-scale oceanographic systems and a relatively small-scale system. The large-scale systems are the Kuroshio Current in the Northwest Pacific relative to the ecology of Todarodes pacificus and the Gulf Stream in the Northwest Atlantic relative to the ecology of IIlex illecebrosus. Similar biological characteristics of both ommastrephid squids are found in relation to the dynamics of both ocean currents. However, differences in the oceanographic regimes of both regions seem to account for the differences that are known to exist in the structure of the squid populations in the regions. The small-scale system is the California Current in the Northeast Pacific relative to the ecology of Loligo opalescens, for which association between life-history features and the physical oceanographic regime can also be identified. Comparison of the Kuroshio Current and the Gulf Stream systems are considered to be important in clarifying incomplete aspects of the life cycle of I. illecebrosus in the Northwest Atlantic.

Description: Two species of arrow squid (Nototodarus sp.) were sampled with bottom trawl during nine research surveys along the north and east coast of South Island, New Zealand, from January 1982 to March 1983. There was minimal overlap between the two species. Species 1 was associated with subtropical water along the north coast (Tasman Bay) of South Island and Species 2 with the Subtropical Convergence Zone and subantarctic water along the east coast. Catches of Species 2 varied markedly with geographic location, depth (from 50 to 500 m) and sampling period, but were consistently lowest in January of both years. Differences in the size composition of Species 2 with depth were associated with differences in the relative abundance of juveniles. Juveniles of Species 2 were most abundant at 50 and 100 m and were rare or absent at 30 and 500 m. Size distributions of males and females of both species were generally similar for each depth and sampling period. Modal sizes (dorsal mantle length) of Species 1 indicated growth rates of 3.0-4.5 cm per month for three cohorts which were separated by about 6 months. Spawning of Species 1 probably occurs around November and April of each year, and maximal size (about 40 cm) is attained in about 1 year. Size distributions of Species 2, were polymodal and did not give clear indications of growth or spawning period. This may be due to a mixture of several subpopulations of Species 2 along the east coast of South Island, differing in age structure, spawning period and growth rate.

Description: Feeding studies of short-finned (Illex illecebrosus) andlong-finned (Loligo pealei) squids were conducted during the May to November period of 1976 on the Nova Scotian shelf, on Georges Bank and in adjacent waters. The analysis of 2 604 sp. Of Illex and 578 sp. of Loligo, showed that the food composition of both species was predominated by fish and squids. Cannibalism was more typical of short-finned squids and the fish were a prevalent food items in the long-finned squids' diet. In all areas and at all depths, coefficients of stomach fullness for larger short-finned squids were 1.5-2 times higher than for smaller specimens, although the feeding intensity of both groups was low. The feeding intensity of immature long-finned squids was higher than that of mature specimens.

Description: In years of high abundance, the short-finned squid (Illex illecebrosus) was a common prey of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in summer and autumn in both inshore and offshore waters of eastern Newfoundland and in the eastern and northern Gulf of St. Lawrence.The frequency of occurrence of squid in cod stomachs and the number of squid per stomach increased with cod length. The intensity of predation by cod on squid was low compared with peak predation on capelin (Mallotus villosus) and sand lance (Ammodytes sp.). Nevertheless, the annual immigration of squid in years of high abundance provided an increase in total food availability, especially for large cod.

Description: The life cycle of the short fin squids of the North-west Atlantic, ranging in the area from the Florida Peninsula to Labrador as a single population (Romero and Amaratunga, 1981; Froerman, 1983; Froerman, Dubinina, 1984), was studied. The data on the distribution and biological parameters of the population in different ontogenetic stages was collected du-ring the 1966 to 1983 period. Information on the distribution and biology of the short fin squids inhabiting the areas south of Cape Hatteras and north of Banquerreau Bank was mainly adopted from the literary sources.

Description: Oogenesis and the development of the reproductive organs in Illex illecebrosus females was studied. The sample analyses were obtained from the area between Cape Hatteras and the Grand Bank in 1966-1983. To investigate the oogenesis, 10 gonads were taken from the females with the mantle length of 15-30 cm at allmaturity stages (except spawning). Approximately 2,000 specimens were studied to obtain knowledge of thedevelopment of the reproductive system organs during the ontogenesis. More than 50,000 females were sampled to analyse the maturation dynamics and the distribution during their life cycle. Data on the spawning andspent females were obtained for Illex argentinus.

Description: The Illex larvae inhabit the epipelagial of the shelf waters, the continental slope and the Gulf Stream where the temperature and salinity range from 11.2 to 20.10°C and from 34.50 to 36.56%, respectively. The largest recorded aggregations were in the continental slope area of the Mid Atlantic Bight (MAB) between 35° and 38°N, and in the northern periphery of the Gulf Stream to 65°w. Illex illecebrosus spawn in the pelagial of the continentalslope between. the Florida Peninsula and 40°N. The spawning periodextends from September to May, with December-February as peak spawning months. Egg masses found in the spawning ground have a positive bouyancy.

Description: A technique has been developed which improves the accuracy andefficiency of ageing squid over previously described methods. The spatial pattern of growth increments is studied using light andscanning electron microscopy techniques. Daily growth increments in statoliths are validated by employing chemical 'time' markers e.g. strontium and tetracycline, and known-agelaboratory-reared animals. Increment formation is suggested to beintrinsically controlled. Increments begin to form immediately after hatching.

Description: Preliminary estimates were made of quarterly and annual quarterly and annual consumption by Illex and Lollygo in Subareas 5 and 6, for 1979 and 1980. Euphausiids made up a considerable proportion of the diet of both species in the spring offshore. Overall, predation onfish was greater by Loligo and cannibalism was greater by Illex. Consumption estimates varied with feeding intensity and biomass.

Description: A new method of counting growth increments in the statoliths of IIlex illecebrosus is described. The increments were found to increase in number with length of statolith and dorsal mantle length of the squid. However, statolith length was found to vary less than number of increments in individual samples and may prove to be a better indicator of age. The increment-bearing portion of the statolith can be divided into three regions on the basis of increment widths and their variation. These regions reflect different stages of development of the animal. Larval retention of gross morphological characteristics, and changes in growth pattern and configuration of the statolith indicate that the larval condition extends beyond the rhynchoteuthion stage (about 8 mm dorsal mantle length) and may include squid up to 50 mm.

Description: A modified version of yield-per-recruit analysis wasused to estimate potential yields in the Loligo pealei fishery off the northe stern USA. The mode1 accepts monthly values of growth and fishing, spawning and natural mortality rates and assumes two cohorts per year class, as associated with pawning peaks. Two patterns of exploitation were examined by simulatting dominance of the international fishery (offshore, winter fishing coupled with the domestic inshore summer fishing) and the domestic fishery alone through varistion of the monthly pattern of fishing mortalita. Parameter estimates were derived from survey catch per tow and commercial catch data.

Description: The six species of commercially important squid in the Southeastern Fisheries Region, (Loligo pealei, Dorytheuthis plei, Lolliguncula brevis, Illex illecebrosus, I. coindeti and I. oxygonius) show separate seasonal distribution patterns and depth and temperature preferences. With the exception of Lolliguncula brevis, major concentrations are associated with topographic features which cause upwellings, such as the Charleston Bump, and resulting nutrient rich waters or nutrient laden waters around the delta of the Mississippi River. Anecdotal information from surveys and commercial fishermen support the presence of considerable stocks of squid in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coasts of Florida and the Carolinas.

Description: Pressure transducers, measuring intra-mantle pressure allowed monitoring of total P-V work associated with swimming and respiration in cannulated and free-swimming squid (Illex illecebrosus).

Description: A population dynamics analysis for planktonic diatoms is presented that allows estimates of the net rate of increase (k), the death rate (δ), the sedimentation rate (σ) and, in absence of grazing, the growth rate (μ). It requires counts of live and dead cells suspended in the euphotic part of the water column and accumulated in sedimentation traps. The application of the model is demonstrated for the three dominant summe diatom species in Lake Constance. Asterionella formosa Hass, Fragilaria crotonensis Kitton and Stephanodiscus binderanus Krieger. Only during the first two weeks of the summer bloom of diatoms the loss rates were unimportant in comparison to the growth rates. Thereafter diatom population dynamics was strongly influenced by sedimentation and mortality, which sometimes led to a decrease in population density even when cell division continued at high rates. There were two periods of extraordinarily high death rates, which were associated in the case of A. formosa with silicon depletion and in the case of F crotensis with fungal parasitism.

Description: Broadband receiver functions developed from teleseismic P waveforms recorded on the midperiod passband of Regional Seismic Test Network station RSCP are inverted for vertical velocity structure beneath the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee. The detailed broadband receiver functions are obtained by stacking source‐equalized horizontal components of teleseismic P waveforms. The resulting receiver functions are most sensitive to the shear velocity structure near the station. A time domain inversion routine utilizes the radial receiver function to determine this structure assuming a crustal model parameterized by many thin, flat‐lying, homogeneous layers. Lateral changes in structure are identified by examining azimuthal variations in the vertical structure. The results reveal significant rapid lateral changes in the midcrustal structure beneath the station that are interpreted in relation to the origin of the East Continent Gravity High located northeast of RSCP. The results from events arriving from the northeast show a high‐velocity midcrustal layer not present in results from the southeast azimuth. This velocity structure can be shown to support the idea that this feature is part of a Keweenawan rift system. Another interesting feature of the derived velocity models is the indication that the crust‐mantle boundary beneath the Cumberland Plateau is a thick, probably laminated transition zone between the depths of 40 and 55 km, a result consistent with interpretations of early refraction work in the area.

Description: Many of the difficulties of staining plastic embedded tissues for light and electron microscopy derive from physical exclusion of hydrophilic staining reagents by hydrophobic embedding media. Structures which stain most intensely with hydrophilic reagents usually contain less hydrophobic plastic than do non-staining structures. Such incomplete infiltration is apparently caused by exclusion of viscous, hydrophobic monomers by physically dense and/or well hydrated tissue elements. In keeping with this, generalized staining of tissues embedded in hydrophobic media does occur when hydrophobic reagents are used. Staining of plastic-free structures with single hydrophilic reagents or with sequences of such reagents, is, however, largely rate-controlled. The surprising similarity of hydrophilic and hydrophobic plastic embedding media is discussed. Limits of this simple model are explored, with a consideration of the roles of fixative and of monomer-tissue reactions

Description: Before making a critical evaluation of the crude oil and natural gas prospects for the years to the end of the century, it is necessary to review the geology and structure of the three German hydrocarbon-producing provinces. Furthermore, past exploration, production and reserves should be discussed. The three hydrocarbon-producing provinces are: the NW German Basin, the Upper Rhine Graben and the Molasse Basin, which together make up about 41% of West German territory (Fig. 1). The NW German Basin contains a sedimentary sequence over 8,000 m thick ranging in age from Permian to Quaternary. Gas and oil, the two natural hydrocarbons, are generally confined to separate lower and higher stratigraphic levels respectively (Fig. 2). The NW German Basin is the most important prospective area in West Germany. It extends into the North Sea. The tectonic rift feature of the Upper Rhine Graben originated in the Eocene. The Tertiary fill is over 4,000 m thick. Oil is found mainly in Mesozoic, Eocene and Oligocene rocks; the Miocene and Pliocene reservoir rocks contain natural gas almost exclusively (Fig. 3). The Molasse Basin is part of the foredeep north of the Alpine and Carpathian mountain ranges. The basin is filled with Upper Eocene to Pliocene and Quaternary sediments which, near the Alpine nappes, reach a thickness of over 5,000m (Fig. 4). During this century there were peaks in annual oil-production in 1910, 1940 and 1968 (see Fig. 5). The 1910 peak was the result of drilling activity in the Wietze oilfield. During the period 1934–1945, government financial aid was made available for drilling exploration wells. The success of this collaboration is demonstrated by the oil output in 1940 of 1 × 106 t. After World War II, many different types of oil-bearing structure were found, particularly by reflection seismic techniques in conjunction with detailed stratigraphical and palaeogeographical investigations. The success achieved can be seen by the peak of 8 × 106 t oil production for 1968 (Fig. 5) and in the growth of oil reserves (Fig. 7). Intensive exploration also enabled many new gasfields to be developed, especially in the deeper horizons of the NW German Basin. In 1971, estimated gas reserves reached 360 × 109 m3 (Fig. 11), and annual gas production in 1979 was 20.7 × 109 m3 (731 Bcf) (Fig. 9). There is, no doubt, still scope for the discovery and exploitation of oil and gas in Germany, especially in the NW German Basin where the best prospects for the future lie. This is borne out by two recent offshore oil discoveries and also by the successful application of enhanced recovery methods in the oilfields. The chances of finding more gas at the lower stratigraphic levels are promising now that gas has been discovered in the deeper parts of the Permian basin. The results of massive-hydraulic-fracturing tests in low-permeability pay-horizons are also encouraging. The deeper parts of oil- and gas-producing basins contain interesting prospects and have yet to be tested by ultra-deep wells. Provided that the economic climate remains favourable, there should be no difficulty in finding and supplying German oil and gas in the future. Geologically and technically possible reserves should be converted into proven and/or probable reserves. German crude oil will be available for several years beyond the year 2000, and German natural gas for a far longer time. A production rate of 19 to 20 × 109 m3 of gas per annum is feasible over the next twenty years, and oil production will probably not sink below 3 × 106 t/a in this period.

Description: Visual observations and video-tape records were made for the first time of mid-water spawning by Illex illecebrosus in the Aquatron Laboratory pool tank. Coupled with data on the density of egg masses, they allow some conclusions to be drawn concerning possible mid-water spawning sites in nature.

Description: Development stages for artificially fertilized and naturally spawned eggs of Illex illecebrosus were observed and a staging scheme proposed which relates to earlier studies on naturally spawned eggs of Illex coindetii and artificially fertilized eggs of Todarodes pacificus. Photographs and descriptions of stages provide a reference for embryonic development of small ommastrephid eggs and an aid to the identification of egg masses of the species in nature, an essential step in understanding its life cycle. Embryonic development in Illex illecebrosus fails at temperatures below 12.5°C. and the development rate at 21°C is nearly twice that at 12.5°C. This temperature requirement restricts the spatial and temporal distribution of spawning in this squid, and temperature-related development rates allow prediction of the age of egg masses found in nature in water masses of a particular temperature.

Description: Three arrays of ocean bottom seismographs have been deployed to study the seismicity at the northern end of the Juan de Fuca ridge system off western Canada. Nearly 100 events were located with estimated accuracies generally better than ±10 km, all lying on or near the en echalon ridge-transform fault plate boundaries as defined in this area by the magnetic anomalies, the seafloor morphology and by other geophysical data. The depths of 12 events were determined to lie between 2 and 6 km below the top of the crust. The seismograms exhibit clear P and S wave arrivals along with phases that involve P to S and sometimes S to P conversion probably at the base of the sediments beneath the instruments. The event magnitudes have been estimated from signal duration using four calibration events that were well recorded by a land station. The magnitude estimates permit the determination of rough magnitude-frequency of occurrence relations over the magnitude range of 1 to 3 that are in surprisingly good agreement with the recurrence relations for the area at larger magnitudes from 75 years of land station data. The mean P wave velocity in the uppermost mantle from the earthquake data recorded by the sea floor arrays is 7.6 km s-1 and the mean Vp/Vs ratio is 1.71 or a Poisson's ratio of 0.24.

Description: Tubificid and enchytraeid oligochaetes are common members of the interstitial fauna of sandy beaches. Their abundance dynamics, life cycles and distribution patterns were investigated at two beaches on the western Baltic Sea and at a North Sea beach (Isle of Sylt). Populations of 115,000 ind./m2 were found at protected Baltic beaches. Reproduction of the tubificids, Phallodrilus monospermathecus and Spiridion insigne takes place within a well defined breeding period once a year. The market horizontal and vertical distribution patterns of various tubificid and enchytraeid species are elucidated by preference reactions to several physiographic parameters, such as oxygen and water content of the sediment, and salinity.

Description: Methods for analysing fish stomach contents are listed and critically assessed with a view to their suitability for determining dietary importance—this term is defined. Difficulties in the application of these methods are discussed and, where appropriate, alternative approaches proposed. Modifications which have practical value are also considered. The necessity of linking measurements of dietary importance to stomach capacity is emphasized and the effects of differential digestion upon interpretation of stomach contents outlined. The best measure of dietary importance is proposed as one where both the amount and bulk of a food category are recorded.

Description: At the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia 25 of the 29 breeding species are seabirds. Fifteen of these have recently been studied in some detail. By examining the timing of their breeding seasons and their diet and feeding ecology (especially feeding techniques and potential foraging ranges), the nature of their ecological isolating mechanisms, and in particular the way in which they partition the resources of the marine environment, are reviewed. Although breeding season adaptations occur (winter breeding in Wandering Albatross and King Penguin; out of phase breeding in two species-pairs of small petrels) these are less important than dillerences in food and feeding ecology. There is a fundamental distinction between the niche of pursuit-diving species (mainly penguins) and the remainder which are basically surface-feeders. The two abundant krill-eating penguins show clear differences in feeding zones. Three albatrosses and a petrel feed mainly on squid and there are differences in both the species and size of the prey of each. The remaining seabirds chiefly take krill (although the giant petrels are extensive scavengers and some smaller petrels specialize on copepods) and utilize different feeding methods and areas to do so. Various adaptations related to inshore and offshore feeding zones are discussed. Although most species possess a combination of ecological isolating mechanisms additional evidence for the particular importance of dietary differences is presented.