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The Vicente Guerrero reservoir is the sixth largest water reservoir in Mexico. This is a primary water source for the northeast region as well as a frequently holiday touristic site. In this paper we report aquatic specimens of the bivalve Corbicula fluminea, along with the gastropods Melanoides tuberculata and Tarebia granifera for the first time in the reservoir. This is also the first report of M. tuberculata and T. granifera for the Soto la Marina basin, and the first record of T. granifera for Northeast Mexico. The establishment of these species in the water body represents a potential threat to the native species and human health, since they are intermediate hosts in the life cycle of some parasites, such as Centrocestus formosanus trematode. Their arrival may be due to aerial, aquatic or commercial dispersion, since they can become adhered to, and hidden easily on birds, boats or aquarium ornamental plants, respectively. The introduction of these species may also cause potential economic losses for the agricultural, aquaculture and fishing activities in the local area. Due to high potential of dispersion, displacement of native species and pathogen transmission, the establishment of preventive actions is recommended to avoid their potential expansion in other aquatic bodies of the Soto la Marina basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of diseases caused by virus and bacteria pose a threat to the capture and commercialization of shrimp, and may cause significant economic damage. Nocturnal monthly sampling were conducted to detect the presence of IHHNV, WSSV, and NHP in San Andres Lagoon in Tamaulipas, Mexico, an important coastal ecosystem due to its shrimp fishery and the existence of shrimp farms in the area. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis in the shrimp tissue did not detect the presence of IHHNV, however, WSSV was detected, as well as NHP during July and August, when low salinities and high temperatures were recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-management (Co-M), defined as the sharing of management tasks and responsibilities between governments and local users, is emerging as a powerful institutional arrangement to redress fisheries paradigm failures, yet long-term assessments of its performance are lacking. A comparative analysis of five small-scale Latin American shellfisheries was conducted to identify factors suggesting success and failure. In Chile, Uruguay and Mexico Co-M produced positive effects, including stabilization of landings at low levels, increase in abundance, CPUE, unit prices and revenues per unit of effort, and reduced interannual variability in several fishery indicators, particularly in landings. Co-M was successful because it was mainly bottom-up implemented and accompanied by-catch shares (spatial property rights and community quotas). By contrast, Co-M implementation was unable to prevent the collapse of the Galapagos sea cucumber fishery, as reflected by a decrease in abundance and CPUE. Negative effects were also observed in the Galapagos spiny lobster fishery during Co-M implementation. However, recovery was observed in recent years, reflected in a stabilization of fishing effort and the highest CPUE and economic revenues observed since the beginning of the Co-M implementation phase. The combined effects of market forces, climate variability and a moratorium on fishing effort were critical in fishery recovery. We conclude that Co-M is not a blueprint that can be applied to all shellfisheries to enhance their governability. These social-ecological systems need to be managed by jointly addressing problems related to the resources, their marine environment and the people targeting them, accounting for their socioeconomic and cultural contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large citrus areas in Tamaulipas are affected by Anastrepha ludens (Loew) populations. Here we report the findings of a spatio-temporal analysis of A. ludens on an extended citrus area from 2008-2011 aimed at analyzing the probabilities of A. ludens infestation and developing an infestation risk classification for citrus production. A Geographic Information System combined with the indicator kriging geostatistics technique was used to assess A. ludens adult densities in the spring and fall. During the spring, our models predicted higher probabilities of infestation in the western region, close to the Sierra Madre Oriental, than in the east. Although a patchy distribution of probabilities was observed in the fall, there was a trend toward higher probabilities of infestation in the west than east. The final raster models summarized the probability maps using a three-tiered infestation risk classification (low-, medium-, and high risk). These models confirmed the greater infestation risk in the west in both seasons. These risk classification data support arguments for the use of the sterile insect technique and biological control in this extended citrus area and will have practical implications for the area-wide integrated pest management carried out by the National Program Against Fruit Flies in Tamaulipas, Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Larval survival of Litopenaeus vannamei fed Chaetoceros muelleri produced with agricultural fertilizers and f/2 medium (control) was compared. The microalgae were cultivated in natural sea water fertilized with 36.8 mg L-1 N-NH4N03 and 3.5 mgL-1P-P2O5 as a substitute for nitrogen and phosphorus in the f/2 medium. Microalgal concentration duringfeeding of nauplius5 stages to protozoeaIII was maintained at a density of 100-150 x 103 cells mL-1. From mysisI to postlarvaeI stages, Artemia franciscana nauplii were the only source of food. Average growth of C. muelleri with agricultural fertilizers was greater and significant (P < 0.05) with respect to the control on days 2, 3 and 4 of the culture; however, on day 5, there was no significant difference in the cellular density. Survival of the larvae of the mysisI stage fed C. muelleri produced with agricultural fertilizers and f/2 medium was 69% and 77.5%, respectively, and showed significant differences (P < 0.05). However, survival at the postlarvae, stage in both treatments (60.1% and 65.6%) was not significantly different. We conclude that the use of nutrients from agricultural fertilizer as a substitute for nitrogen and phosphorus in the f/2 medium constitutes a viable alternative for the culture of C. muelleri as food for larvae of L. vannamei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]