Cephalopod Resources Dynamics: Patterns in Environmental and Genetic Variation
(Research supported by the CEC, FAIR Contract 96-1520)

MAIN OBJECTIVE:
To improve understanding of the variability in distribution,
abundance, and biological characteristics of economically important
cephalopod stocks of EU waters of the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean.

PROJECT PARTICIPANTS:

  • University of Aberdeen, Department of Zoology, GB (coordinator)
  • British Antarctic Survey, GB
  • Universite de Caen, Equipe de Biologie et Biotechnologie Marines, FR
  • University of Cork, Cork, IR
  • Ecole Nationale d' Ingenieurs de Brest, FR
  • University of Hull, GB
  • Instituto Espanol de Oceanographia - Tenerife - Vigo, ES
  • Institut Francais de Recherche Pour l' Exploitation de la Mer,FR
  • Institute of Marine Biology of Crete, GR
  • Instituto Portugues de Investigacao Maritima, PT
  • SOAEFD Marine Laboratory Aberdeen, GB

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    SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES
    1. To develop a GIS system for cephalopod fisheries in European waters and to integrate fishery, survey, and environmental data at appropriate temporal and spatial scales.

    2. To refine the quantitative description of seasonal and inter-annual patterns of distribution and abundance of fished cephalopods and to develop models to predict their abundance from biotic and physical oceanographic parameters.

    3. To use microsatellite DNA variation as an indicator of stock structure and interactions of neritic and oceanic cephalopod resources through the use of DNA marker "tags", supplemented with allozyme and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) studies to clarify selected problems of systematics.

    4. To integrate the new environmental and genetic approaches with recent findings on biological variability in the European cephalopod populations of the northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean, to determine whether this variation is due to plasticity of responses to environmental conditions or due to underlying genetic variation.

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    TASKS:
    TASK 1: Environmental Variation

  • Data assembly
  • Development of GIS
  • Spatial statistical and time-series analysis
  • Development and testing of empirical forecasting models

    TASK 2: Genetic Variation

  • Development of genetic primers
  • Screening population variation throughout the study area
  • Directed screening at areas of fishery interest

    TASK 3: Biological Variation

  • Development of new tools for statolith image processing
  • Assessment and application of new statolith ageing tools
  • Growth and reproduction - new analysis of existing data
  • Growth and reproduction - data from new sampling

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    CONTACTS:

  • EC Contact: FAIR Programme, DG XIV-C-2, European Commission, J99-1/21, Rue de la Loi 200, B-1049 Brussels, BELGIUM

    Coordinator:

  • 1. University of Aberdeen, UK, Department of Zoology, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, UK. Tel (44)1224 2728000, Fax (44)1224 272398, Professor P.R.Boyle, e-mail: p.r.boyle@abdn.ac.uk

    Partners:

  • 2. Scottish Office Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment Department, Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen, UK (Associated contractor to 1), Fisheries Research Laboratory, SOAEFD, Victoria Road, Aberdeen. Tel (44) 1224 876544 Fax (44) 1224 295511, Mr. N. Bailey, e-mail: baileyn@marlab.ac.uk

  • 3. National University of Ireland, Cork, IE (Contractor). Department of Zoology, Lee Maltings, Prospect Row, Cork, Ireland. Tel (353) 21 904191 Fax (353) 21 270562, Professor T. Cross, e-mail: t.cross@ucc.ie

  • 4. Université de Caen, FR (Contractor). Laboratoire de Biologie et Biotechnologies Marines, Université de Caen, 14032 Caen Cedex, France. Tel (33) 31 565395 Fax (33) 31 565346, Dr.J-P. Robin, e-mail: robin@ibba.unicaen.fr

  • 5. Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, ES (Contractor), Carretera de San Andres S/N, Apd de Correos 1373, 38080 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Ilas Canarias, Spain. Tel (34) 22 549400 Fax (34) 22 549554, Dr. E. Balguerias, e-mail: ebg@ieo.rcanaria.es

    Centro Oceanográfico de Vigo, ES (Contractor), Cabo Estay-Canido, Apdo 1552, E-36280 Vigo, Spain. Tel (34) 86 492111 Fax (34) 86 492351, Dr. J. Portela, e-mail: insovigo@cesga.es

  • 6. Instituto de Investigação das Pescas e do Mar, Lisbon, PT (Contractor). IPIMAR, Avenida de Brasilia, 1400 Lisbon, Portugal. Tel (351) 1 302700, Fax (351) 1 3015948, Ms. M. Cunha, e-mail: mmcunha@ipimar.pt

  • 7. Institute of Marine Biology of Crete, GR (Contractor). IMBC, Heraklion Crete, Greece. Tel. (30) 81243340 Fax. (30) 81 241882, Dr. D. Koutsoubas, e-mail: drosos@imbc.gr

  • 8. Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la MER, FR (Associated Contractor to 4). IFREMER - DRV/RH, Centre de Brest, Laboratoire Ageage et Scleochronologie des Animaux Aquatiques, BP 70, FR-29280, Plouzane, France. Tel (33) 9822 4357 Fax (33) 9822 4547, Dr. H. Troadec, e-mail: herve.troadec@ifremer.fr

  • 9. Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Brest (ENIB) (Associated Contractor to 4). Technopole Brest-Iroise - CP 15, 29608 Brest Cedex, France. Tel(33) 298 056635 Fax (33) 298 056606, Dr. J. Le Bihan, e-mail: Jean.Le_Bihan@ys.enib.fr

  • British Antarctic Survey (Sub-contractor to 1). BAS, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 7XU, UK. Tel (44) 1223 251612 Fax (44) 1223 362616, Dr. P. Rodhouse, e-mail: pgkr@pcmail.nerc-bas.ac.uk

  • University of Hull (Sub-contractor to 1). Department of Biology, University of Hull, Hull, UK. Tel (44) 1482 465542 Fax (44) 1482 465458, Dr. P. Shaw, e-mail: p.shaw@biosci.hull.ac.uk