2. Determined that the stocks of herring in the Gulf of Maine harvested 

 exclusively by U.S. fishermen are genetically distinct from those which occur 

 on Georges Bank harvested jointly by U.S. and foreign fishermen. The Gulf 

 of Maine stocks therefore can be managed separately from the offshore 

 stocks. 



Distribution and abundance of resources 



1. Secured information on the distribution and abundance of hake in the 

 eastern temperate Pacific through the first United States-U.S.S.R. coopera- 

 tive survey of hake spawning; BCF and Scripps Institution of Oceanography 

 participated for the United States. Research in the central Pacific also secured 

 information which identified von Karmen wakes, a disturbance that results 

 in regular formation of eddies downstream from an island, as the mechanism 

 which explains the tuna concentrations in the areas where eddies cause 

 upwelling which brings cool enriched water to the surface and increases 

 productivity. 



2. Developed a new ichthyoplankton sampler which has been recom- 

 mended for use in new international fish resource surveys off" three continents. 



3. Through the application of sonar technology mapped fish school 

 abundance and school size distribution over a 200,000-square-mile area of 

 the California current region. These studies indicate the presence of 1 mil- 

 lion fish schools, mostly of northern anchovy. 



4. Developed a remote underwater fishery assessment system (RUFAS) 

 which was used in the scallop resource assessment. 



5. Continued to survey the calico scallop resource off the east coast of 

 Florida and assist in developing this fishery. 



Assistance to the fishing industry 



1. Devised a new chemical process for recovering additional marketable 

 byproducts from shellfish processing waste. 



2. Increased the oyster shucking rate by use of microwave energy to assist 

 in opening the shell, without affecting the quality of the product. 



3. Cooperated with the industry in developing a fast-sinking purse seine 

 for tuna which gives increased catch rates over conventional seines. 



4. Promoted the expansion of domestic and foreign markets for Alaskan 

 fishery products. 



5. Conducted research on diseases of marine organisms to help develop 

 control measures which (1) identified a new protozoan pathogen in blue 

 crabs; (2) led to a screening program to insure importation of healthy seed 

 oysters from the Orient; and (3) worked out the life cycle on the MSX 

 organism, Minchinia nelsoni, an oyster destroying parasite. 



The Bureau of Commercial Fisheries is conducting experimental work 

 in aquaculture at several of its laboratories. The application of aquaculture 

 techniques for rearing some types of aquatic animals under controlled con- 

 ditions has produced large per acre protein yields. To realize the potential 

 of aquaculture requires advancing scientific knowledge and developing 

 technology to permit production at competitive costs. BCF is conducting re- 



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