A s a group [reptiles] are nei t h er ‘good ’n or ‘b ad ,’ but ia re intere s ting and unu su a l , a l t h o u gh of m i n or i m port a n ce . If t h ey should all disappe a r, it wo u l d not make mu ch differen ce one way or the other ”( Zim and Smith 1953, p. 9 ) . Fortu n a tely, this op i n i on from the Golden Gu i de Series does not persist tod ay; most people have com e to recogn i ze the va lue of both reptiles and amph i bians as an i n tegral part of n a tu ral eco s ys tems and as heralds of envi ron m ental qu a l i ty (Gibbons and Stangel 1999). In recent ye a rs , as overa ll envi ron m ental aw a reness among the p u blic has incre a s ed , con cerns have come to inclu de intere s t in the eco l ogical state of reptile and amph i bian spec i e s t h em s elves and of t h eir habi t a t s . In c re a s ed aw a reness may s tem from bet ter edu c a ti on abo ut threats to bi od ivers i ty in gen era l , and to reptiles and amph i bians in parti c u l a r, a n d po s s i bly even from an innate attracti on to these taxa ( Kell ert and Wi l s on 1993). From the perspective of many nonscientists, the two vertebrate classes comprising reptiles and amphibians, collectively referred to as the herpetofauna, are interchangeable. For example,the Boy Scout merit badge pamphlet for herpetology was called simply Reptile Study from 1926 to 1993 (Conant 1972, Gibbons 1993), and major zoos (e.g., National Zoo in Washington, DC; Zoo Atlanta; and San Diego Zoo) use only the name “reptile” to refer to the facility that houses both amphibians and reptiles. Thus, public attitudes about the need for conservation of reptiles are probably linked to concern about amphibian declines and deformities (Alford and Richards 1999, Johnson et al. 1999, Sessions et al. 1999), which have been the subject of numerous, well-documented scientific studies. Because amphibians are distributed worldwide, but herpetologists who document amphibian declines are not, it is difficult to accurately assess what portion of amphibian populations are experiencing significant declines or have already disappeared. Furthermore, the means of determining a species’ conservation status is a rigorous and time-intensive process, and therefore counts of “officially” recognized endangered and threatened species are likely to grossly underestimate the actual number of imperiled s pecies (Ta ble 1). The worl dwi de amph i bian decl i n e probl em , as it has come to be known, has garnered significant attention not only among scientists but also in the popular media and in political circles.

/pdf/the-global-decline-of-reptiles-deja-vu-amphibians-594oge2sdh.pdf

The global decline of reptiles, deja’ vu amphibians

http://www.dulvy.com/uploads/2/1/0/4/21048414/sheppard_et_al_mpb10.pdf

The Gulf: a young sea in decline.

https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1332&context=occ_facarticles

Environmental Impacts of Dredging and Other Sediment Disturbances on Corals: A Review

Shallow estuarine habitats often support large populations of small nekton (fishes and decapod crustaceans), but unique characteristics of these habitats make sampling these nekton populations difficult. We discuss development of sampling designs and evaluate some commonly used devices for quantitatively sampling nekton populations. Important considerations of the sampling design include the size and number of samples, their distribution in time and space, and control of tide level. High, stable catch efficiency should be the most important grear characteristic considered when selecting a sampling device to quantify nekton densities. However, the most commonly used gears in studies of estuarine habitats (trawls and seines) have low, variable catch efficiency. Problems with consistently low catch efficiency can be corrected, but large unpredictable variations in this gear characteristic pose a much more difficult challenge. Study results may be bised if the varibility in catch efficiency is related to the treatments or habitat characteristics being measured in the sampling design. Enclosure devices, such as throw traps and drop samplers, have fewer variables influencing catch efficiency than do towed nets (i.e., trawls and seines); and the catch efficiency of these enclosure samplers does not appear to vary substantially with habitat characteristics typical of shallow estuarine areas (e.g., presence of vegetation). The area enclosed by these samplers is often small, but increasing the sample number can generally compensate for this limitation. We recommend using enclosure samplers for estimating densities of small nekton in shallow estuarine habitats because these samplers provide the most reliable quantitative data, and the results of studies using these samplers should be comparable. Many kinds of enclosure samplers are now available, and specific requirements of a project will distate which gear should be selected.

Estimating densities of small fishes and decapod crustaceans in Shallow estuarine habitats : A review of sampling design with focus on gear selection

Abundances and size-frequency distributions of common epibenth~c flsh and crustaceans were compared among 3 depth zones (1-35, 35-70, 71-95 cm) of the Rhode River, a subestuary of Chesapeake Bay, USA. In the absence of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), interand intraspccific size segregation occurred by depth from May to October, 1989-1992. Small species (Palaemonetes pugjo, Crangon septernspjnosa, Fundulus heteroclitus, F majaljs, Rhithropanope~ls harrisii, Apeltes quadracus, Gobiosorna boscj) were most abundant at water depths 70 cm). In field experiments, mortality of tethered P pugio (30 to 35 mm), small E heteroclitus (40 to 50 mm), and small C. sapjdus (30 to 70 mm) increased significantly with depth. Wc hypothesize that predation risk was size-dependent, creating the observed intraand interspecific size differences among depth zones. For C. sep.temspinosa, burial may modify this size-dc>pendency and create the unusual absence of intraspecific size increase with depth. Historically, f? pugio and Fundulus spp. (and other small species) were not restricted to shallow (<70 cm) waters and were abundant in deeper SAV beds, which provided a structural refuge from predators. Since the recent demise of SAV in Chesapeake Bay, our results indicate many small species have shifted their distributions and now utilize primarily shallow water as an alternate refuge habitat.

/pdf/shallow-water-as-a-refuge-habitat-for-fish-and-crustaceans-5b9asdzijm.pdf

Shallow water as a refuge habitat for fish and crustaceans in non-vegetated estuaries: an example from Chesapeake Bay

Oceanographic atlas of Kuwait's waters

This paper summarizes the results of a study, which was conducted during the period of 1996-2005. It assesses the impact of river diversion (Third River), marsh drainage, and marsh restoration on Kuwait's marine environment. The results indicated lower salinity, higher nitrate concentration, higher chlorophyll-a, and higher sedimentation in the northern waters of Kuwait influenced by the discharge of the man-made Third River and marsh drainage. Five estuarine copepod species, which occur only in the northern waters of Kuwait due to their proximity to the mouth of the river, are reported here for the first time. Lower turbidity levels were observed in the northern waters of Kuwait during 2004 and 2005 possibly influenced by the marsh restoration process. The above results indicate the close interrelationship between the upstream river environment and the northern Arabian Gulf. River-related activities in the Tigris-Euphrates Basin have transboundary impacts downstream. Assumptions on the potential effects ...

The effects of the river diversion, Mesopotamian Marsh drainage and restoration, and river damming on the marine environment of the northwestern Arabian Gulf

Two-hundred eighty-one diamondback terrapins (195♂, 86♀) were captured in baited and unbaited crab pots during premolt crab capture studies in South Carolina. Sampling was conducted four consecutive days each week from mid April to mid November, 1979, in the Ashley River estuary, and daily from April to July, 1980 and 1981, in the Wando River estuary. Fifty-five percent of the total were captured in April, and 32% in May. Males outnumbered females 2.3∶1, but this ratio may reflect crab pot entrance bias which restricted entry of large females. Median plastron length of females was 121 mm (range 76–175) and that for males 100 mm. (range 79–128); only two male terrapins equalled or exceeded the minimum legal size limit of 127 mm. Few captured terrapins were drowned when crab pots were checked daily, and it is estimated that capture mortality amounted to 10%. Terrapin catch per baited crab pot averaged 0.16 daily in April and May. Incidental terrapin capture by 743 commercial crabbers (fiscal year 1982 numbers) in South Carolina during April and May was estimated at 2,853 daily, and mortality was estimated at 285. These estimates are exclusive of mortalities resulting from lost pots. The impact of crabbing activities is believed to pose no threat to the terrapin population at current levels of commercial terrapin harvest. Because female terrapins mature at the minimum legal size, no segment of the egg laying population is protected except seasonally. If direct harvest of terrapins ever approaches that of the early twentieth century, then it is recommended that legal size limits be changed to protect a segment of the mature female population.

James M. Bishop

Papers

The Gulf: a young sea in decline.

Oceanographic atlas of Kuwait's waters

The effects of the river diversion, Mesopotamian Marsh drainage and restoration, and river damming on the marine environment of the northwestern Arabian Gulf

Incidental capture of diamondback terrapin by crab pots

History and current checklist of Kuwait's ichthyofauna