Commercial fishing patterns influence odontocete whale-longline interactions in the Southern Ocean.

The emergence of longline fishing around the world has been concomitant with an increase in depredation-interactions by odontocete whales (removal of fish caught on hooks), resulting in substantial socio-economic and ecological impacts. The extent, trends and underlying mechanisms driving these interactions remain poorly known. Using long-term (2003-2017) datasets from seven major Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides) longline fisheries, this study assessed the levels and inter-annual trends of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and/or killer whale (Orcinus orca) interactions as proportions of fishing time (days) and fishing area (spatial cells).

How human activities in commercial areas contribute to phthalate ester pollution in street dust of Taiwan.

Unlabelled: Exposure to phthalate esters (PAEs) poses health risks to humans. Much research has been performed evaluating PAE levels in foodstuffs, river sediment and drinking water, but little attention has been paid to their presence in urban outdoor environments where human activities are highly intense. Here we evaluated PAE presence and distribution in street dust in Kaohsiung, the most industrialized city in Taiwan.

Contamination levels and potential sources of organic pollution in an Asian river.

The Houjing River has long been an environmental victim of economic development. Industries that have settled along the bank of this river may have largely contributed to severe organic wastes pollution. This study collected water and sediment samples at various points along the river and measured concentrations of 61 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 128 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) for a period of 16 months (Feb 2014-June 2015).

Bioaccumulation and potential sources of heavy metal contamination in fish species in Taiwan: assessment and possible human health implications.

In this study, tissues of five fish species prevalent in the Houjing River were analyzed for heavy metal concentrations. Results show concentrations of such metals to be much higher than internationally recommended standard limits (as determined by the WHO and FAO) and other similar studies. Heavy metal contamination of fish in the Houjing River is hence significant.

Regime Shift in an Exploited Fish Community Related to Natural Climate Oscillations.

Identifying the various drivers of marine ecosystem regime shifts and disentangling their respective influence are critical tasks for understanding biodiversity dynamics and properly managing exploited living resources such as marine fish communities. Unfortunately, the mechanisms and forcing factors underlying regime shifts in marine fish communities are still largely unknown although climate forcing and anthropogenic pressures such as fishing have been suggested as key determinants. Based on a 24-year-long time-series of scientific surveys monitoring 55 fish and cephalopods species, we report here a rapid and persistent structural change in the exploited fish community of the eastern English Channel from strong to moderate dominance of small-bodied forage fish species with low temperature preferendum that occurred in the mid-1990s.