Fisheries Biologist Dr. David Secor and Dr. Hiroyuki Ariyama of Japan will be honored by the Japanese Society of Fisheries Science for their research into how typhoons and low-oxygenated waters are impacting a crab native to the waters of Osaka Bay.
By analyzing 24 years of data, Drs. Ariyama and Secor found that hypoxic – or low-oxygenated waters – is one of the main driving forces behind the mortality of juvenile crabs and that normal oxygen levels – or normoxia – in nursery areas are critical for juvenile crabs to grow to majority and become part of the adult crab population.
Their research suggests that major weather events such as typhoons improve conditions for the juvenile crabs, as the storms help mix stratified waters and disrupt the persistent hypoxia generally found close to the bottom where the crabs live.
The Best Paper of 2010 award for “Effect of environmental factors, especially hypoxia and typhoons, on recruitment of the gazami crab Portunus trituberculatus in Osaka Bay, Japan” will be presented as part of the Society’s annual conference in Tokyo.
The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science (JSFS) was established in 1932 and is a non-profit registered charity, dedicated to the promotion of all aspects of fisheries science. The society fulfills its global commitment by promoting this science, striving to achieve sustainable development while recognizing crucial need of preserving the natural aquatic resources.
