Dra. Sobenes-Vennekool, Catterina

We cultivated the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) simultaneously in three types of cultivation device sets deployed in two sites: a sheltered site and a non-sheltered site in the coast of the central area of Chile. Oysters were cultivated in polypropylene trays, nylon cones and lanterns suspended at 2, 5 and 8 m depth from long-lines. Organism sampling was performed monthly from June, 2014 to May, 2015, measuring temperature, salinity and chlorophyll a. Growth was measured by shell length, wet meat weight and meat yield. At the end of cultivation, there were significant differences in the growth of oysters with higher growth in lanterns at 2 m at Punta Lobería (non-sheltered site). Higher growth was also found at 2 m in Coliumo bay (sheltered site). Better growth seems associated with the stability of salinity and chlorophyll a. This is the first study that demonstrates the viability of oyster cultivation in non-sheltered environments on the coast of central Chile.

En el presente estudio se evaluó la calidad de un tramo del sistema fluvial urbano Estero Nonguén en la región del Biobío de Chile. Este estero ha sido encauzado en su rivera, con el objetivo de evitar futuros desbordes y afectar a las poblaciones aledañas a éste. Sin embargo, no han sido evaluadas las intervenciones al sistema fluvial para verificar y evitar que se altere el desplazamiento natural de la ictiofauna presente. Para esto, se analizó la presencia de barreras en un tramo del estero mediante indicadores de calidad y conectividad. Para recomendar una alternativa de paso de peces en un sitio identificado con una barrera, se utilizó el método de ponderación lineal. El tramo del río analizado resultó ser de calidad moderada y la conectividad deficiente, lo que implicaría que existirían grupos de peces nativos que no se pueden desplazar aguas arriba ni aguas abajo de la barrera. Para restablecer la conectividad del sistema fluvial, se propone construir como paso un dispositivo de rampa de piedras, que es un sistema de bajo costo, de tránsito sencillo y acorde al ambiente ribereño.

Choosing an alternative species of mussel for the aquaculture industries, will be possible if it has equal or greater yield than the mussel cultivated. This study compares the growth of the chilean native mussel Mytilus chilensis with the non-native Mediterranean mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis and evaluate if environmental variables and cultivation depth affects mussels growth. Mussel were seeded in summer, with the same mean total weight and shell length for both species. At the end of the experiment, shell length (SL), condition index and gonadosomatic index were compared over month, depth and species. Highly significant differences were found in shell length between month and depth and between month and species (p < 0.05). The linear relationship between the gonad weight and wet meat weight in M. chilensis present a higher gonad weight for the same wet meat weight than M. galloprovincialis. It can be concluded that at the end of the harvest size cultivation M. chilensis presents a greater gonad weight, condition index and gonadosomatic index.

This study evaluated the efect of fsh total length (LT) and three water temperatures (10, 15 and 20 °C) on the critical swimming speed (Ucrit) of the species Percilia irwini (2.9–6.3 cm LT), Cheirodon galusdae (3.4–5.5 cm LT), and Trichomycterus areolatus (4.0–6.3 cm LT). An Ucrit estimation model was constructed for each species as a function of temperature and size. The results showed mean Ucrit for P. irwini of 44.56, 53.83 and 63.2 cm ­s−1 at 10, 15 and 20 °C, respectively: 55.34, 61.74 and 70.05 cm ­s−1 for C. galusdae and 56.18, 63.01 and 71.09 cm ­s−1 for T. areolatus. Critical velocity depended on the interaction between species, body length and water. The swimming performance increased signifcantly with rising temperature in all three species. The velocity also increased with greater fsh total length. After controlling for fsh total length, velocity also increased with higher temperature in the three species. This research is relevant to small fsh species that require conservation measures.

Most of the marine bivalve production comes from aquaculture and only 11% comes from the wild fishery. For example, mussel aquaculture still strongly relies on spat - the recently settled juveniles. Gaps of information on the recruitment and settlement of spat are important drawbacks for the development of mussel aquaculture in several geographic regions. We here study these processes using three collectors (Anchovy mesh, Rope and Raschel mesh) throughout one year in two coastal sites of Central Chile (Coliumo and Punta Lobería) at three depths (2, 4 and 6 m). Five spat species were settled in the collectors, i.e. Aulacomya atra, Choromytilus chorus, Mytilus chilensis, Mytilus galloprovincialis and Semimytilus algosus. Recruitment was consistently higher during summer and autumn at both sites. Different seasonal recruitment patterns were observed regarding the spat species. Spat collection of the former mytilid species occurs from spring to autumn with the exception of M. galloprovincialis in Coliumo and M. chilensis in Punta Lobería. M. galloprovincialis is settled mostly in autumn and summer, and M. chilensis during winter. There were also differences when considering the collector type, mostly due to A. atra and S. algosus which peaked in nylon rope. Spat collection of the commercial species M. chilensis should be preferentially carried out in nylon rope during autumn in Coliumo and summer and autumn in Punta Lobería. During summer and autumn, also S. algosus will be settled. These results will enable the implementation of management measures to promote mytilid culture on the coastal zone of the Biobío region.

The introduction of predatory salmonids such as rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum 1792, and brown trout Salmo trutta Linnaeus 1758, has been responsible for declining populations of native galaxiids in the Southern Hemisphere. The empirical evidence of mechanisms of this decline are, however, scarce. Currently, trout are the most common species in Chilean Patagonia. Galaxias platei Steindachner 1898 is the most widely distributed native species in Patagonia and can still be found in lakes that are not invaded by salmonids. We studied the trophic ecology of the two most common trout species (rainbow and brown) as well as G. platei in invaded and non-invaded lakes by analysing their diet and isotopic composition of their muscle tissues (carbon and nitrogen). The results indicated that the presence of trout delayed piscivory in G. platei and led to a slower ontogenetic scaling and lower trophic level. In addition, juveniles of G. platei tended to expand their trophic niche toward allochthonous prey in salmonid-invaded lakes. Trout showed high levels of piscivory, preying mainly on G. platei. The protection of the remaining salmonid-free lakes appears to be a crucial measure needed for the conservation of G. platei.