Noble Kwame Asare is a Senior Lecturer and an Aquatic Ecologist at the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, University of Cape Coast in Ghana. He conducts research in the areas of coastal fisheries ecology, aquatic microbial ecology, coastal biogeochemical & physical processes, and aquatic pollution. He holds a BSc in Zoology from the University of Ghana, a MSc in Tropical Marine Ecology from University of Bremen in Germany, and a PhD in Marine Biogeochemistry from the University of Plymouth in England.
A Water Quality Index (WQI) is a tool that describes the overall water quality by combining compl... more A Water Quality Index (WQI) is a tool that describes the overall water quality by combining complex and technical water quality information into a single meaningful unitless numerical value. WQIs predict water quality since they reflect the impact of multiple Water Quality Parameters (WQPs) and allow for spatial-temporal comparison of water quality status. Most African countries employ adapted WQIs by modifying the original index (or indices) and propose their concepts for evaluating the quality of surface and groundwater, which is normally accompanied by irregularities. The current review examined the process(es) involved in WQI modifications for monitoring water quality in Africa, explored associated limitations, and suggested areas for improvement. A review of 42 research articles from five databases in the last ten years (2012–2022) was conducted. The findings indicated Weighted Arithmetic (WAWQI) and the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment (CCMEWQI) as the most adapted...
Recent studies suggests that sea surface warming, evidently caused by greenhouse gas emissions, m... more Recent studies suggests that sea surface warming, evidently caused by greenhouse gas emissions, magnifies the toxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine copepods. We assessed this understanding using Temora stylifera, a calanoid copepod common in the Atlantic Ocean and its surrounding waters, as a case study. The copepod was exposed to moderate (0.2 μg.l-1) and high levels (2.0 μg.l-1) of pyrene under three warming scenarios: (i) a no warming control at 28 °C, the surface temperature of the Gulf of Guinea during stable hydrographic period, (ii) moderate warming (+2 °C) and (iii) severe warming (+4 °C) above the control. Food ingestion rate of the copepod increased with warming without significant effect from the pollutant. Feacal pellet production rate (FP) increased by about 86% when the animal was exposed to moderate warming and pyrene at the same time, signifying reduced assimilation of food ingested in these conditions. Lowest FP (3.5 ± 1.1 copepod-1.day-1) indicating increase...
Increasing global seafood demand over the last couple of decades has resulted in overexploitation... more Increasing global seafood demand over the last couple of decades has resulted in overexploitation of certain fish species by both industrial and small-scale artisanal fishers. This phenomenon has threatened the livelihoods and food security of small-scale fishing communities especially in the West African sub-region. In Ghana, fish transshipment (locally referred to as saiko) has been catalogued as one more negative practice that is exacerbating an already dire situation. The goal of this study was to characterise transshipped fish species landed in Ghana on the basis of composition, habitat of origin, maturity and conservation status on the IUCN list of threatened species to enhance understanding of the ecological implications of the practice and inform regulatory enforcement and policy formulation. Using identification manuals, morphometric and gravimetric analyses among others, data on saiko fish samples landed at Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana were collected at bi-weekly ...
Methylotrophicbacterial activity has been reported to result in the oxidation of methylhalides (C... more Methylotrophicbacterial activity has been reported to result in the oxidation of methylhalides (CH3Xs) in natural waters. However, little is known aboutmicrobial degradation of methyl iodide (CH3I), and it is uncertainwhether CH3I is utilized by methylotrophic bacteria as a sole carbonand energy source. To investigate the breakdown and utilization of CH3Iby methylotrophic bacteria in natural water samples, a rigorous carbon 14 (14C)analytical protocol was developed. This paper describes a reliable andreproducible method using 14C radiolabelled CH3I as asubstrate to examine the potential breakdown, remineralization and uptake of CH3Iin estuarine water samples. Application of the 14C method indicatedthat there is uptake of CH3I as a carbon source by methylotrophicbacteria present in water samples from the Tamar Estuary, Plymouth, UK.From the laboratory incubation experiment, up to 17.8% of the CH3Iwas oxidized to CO2 whilst up to 6.7% was incorporated intomethylotrophic bacterial prot...
The round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) and flat sardinella (Sardinella maderensis) are very imp... more The round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) and flat sardinella (Sardinella maderensis) are very important in the fisheries and nutrition of countries bordering the western Gulf of Guinea, including Ghana [1]. This has attracted investigations aimed at understanding the fishery dynamics and biology of the species in many countries. In Ghana, Mireku[2] and Zei [3] reported on the migration of S. aurita while Koranteng [4,5] dealt with their fishery, and Pezennec and Koranteng [6] examined the dynamics and biology of the common Ivorian-Ghanaian stock. The study by Quaatey and Maravelias [7] on the maturity and spawning pattern of S. aurita provides the most recent information on the biology of this species in Ghana. The biology of the flat sardinella S. maderensis has received little attention in the country, perhaps because of its relatively low significance in the fishery. Studies on sardinellas elsewhere in the Gulf of Guinea include those by Cury and Fontana [8] on competition and li...
In order to enhance ecological knowledge for coastal and mangrove ecosystem conservation in Ghana... more In order to enhance ecological knowledge for coastal and mangrove ecosystem conservation in Ghana, the study documents the taxonomic groups of benthic macrofauna and fish assemblages in an urban mangrove swamp as its fundamental objective with emphasis on their composition, richness and diversity. This is because benthic and fish fauna of mangrove habitats are amongst the least studied biota in Ghana. Fish and benthos sampling was undertaken from five randomly selected pools within a mangrove stand during the wet and dry seasons using pole-seine net (7 m long and 1.5 m depth, with stretched mesh size of 5 mm) and an Ekman grab (15 cm × 15 cm dimensions), respectively. All samples were preserved in 10% formalin for laboratory analysis. The results indicated a more diverse macrozoobenthic community in the wet (H¹ = 1.8) than dry season (H¹ = 1.5) . Overall, five out of a total of 13 genera found are intolerant to pollution and four moderately tolerant, while four comprising polychaete...
The dynamics of aquatic systems are known to facili tate the formation of aggregates of nutrient-... more The dynamics of aquatic systems are known to facili tate the formation of aggregates of nutrient-rich p articulate matter which provide suitable substrate for microbial colo nization. Although bacteria-aggregate associations often result in the degradation of Particulate Organic Matter (POM) in aquatic systems, little is known about their contri bution to the production of methyl iodide (CH 3I), an environmentally important biogas that has a potential impact on atmospheric chemistry. This study investigated the role of micr obial communities in the production of CH 3I and its facilitation by particle aggregation in the Tamar estuary in the So uth-West of England. Macroaggregates were generated through a laboratory simulated aggregation process. Assessment of bacterial abundance, production and elevated c oncentration of CH 3I indicated that microbial activity in the experime ntal setups resulted in the production of CH 3I. A statistical test of significance between aggregated and no...
The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fis... more The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fisheries value chains due to restrictions imposed on human movements in many countries. In Ghana, food production, both agriculture and fisheries, is exempted from restrictions as an essential service. The enforcement of COVID-19 prevention protocols, particularly social distancing, has been widely reported in Ghana’s agricultural markets whereas casual observations and media reports on fish landing sites suggest no such enforcements are in place. This study aimed to provide sound scientific evidence as a basis for informed policy direction and intervention for the artisanal fishing sector in these challenging times. We employed an unmanned aerial vehicle in assessing the risk of artisanal fishers to the pandemic using physical distancing as a proxy. From analysis of cumulative distribution function (G-function) of the nearest-neighbour distances, this study underscored crowding at all sur...
This study investigated how an industrial tuna fishery functions in terms of procedures, practice... more This study investigated how an industrial tuna fishery functions in terms of procedures, practices, governance and finance in the context of Ghana, West Africa. Tuna is Ghana’s biggest seafood export, contributing significantly to the domestic fisheries sector. A case-study approach was used to analyse relevant social and economic factors at the local scale to better understand how the global seafood industry operates in a low-income country. A value-chain framework was adopted to assess market structures, sales pathways and revenue distribution. We also investigated the role of actors engaged in the industry using secondary data, interviews, questionnaires and participant observations. The results revealed a changing organisational structure in tuna production, moving from bait-boat fishing with smaller companies to large-scale purse-seine fishing backed by consolidated Asian seafood companies. Production was found to depend significantly on local female intermediaries for access t...
The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fis... more The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fisheries value chains due to restrictions imposed on human movements in many countries. In Ghana, food production, both agriculture and fisheries, is exempted from restrictions as an essential service. The enforcement of COVID-19 prevention protocols, particularly social distancing, has been widely reported in Ghana’s agricultural markets whereas casual observations and media reports on fish landing sites suggest no such enforcements are in place. This study aimed to provide sound scientific evidence as a basis for informed policy direction and intervention for the artisanal fishing sector in these challenging times. We employed an unmanned aerial vehicle in assessing the risk of artisanal fishers to the pandemic using physical distancing as a proxy. From analysis of cumulative distribution function (G-function) of the nearest-neighbour distances, this study underscored crowding at all sur...
A Water Quality Index (WQI) is a tool that describes the overall water quality by combining compl... more A Water Quality Index (WQI) is a tool that describes the overall water quality by combining complex and technical water quality information into a single meaningful unitless numerical value. WQIs predict water quality since they reflect the impact of multiple Water Quality Parameters (WQPs) and allow for spatial-temporal comparison of water quality status. Most African countries employ adapted WQIs by modifying the original index (or indices) and propose their concepts for evaluating the quality of surface and groundwater, which is normally accompanied by irregularities. The current review examined the process(es) involved in WQI modifications for monitoring water quality in Africa, explored associated limitations, and suggested areas for improvement. A review of 42 research articles from five databases in the last ten years (2012–2022) was conducted. The findings indicated Weighted Arithmetic (WAWQI) and the Canadian Council of Ministers of Environment (CCMEWQI) as the most adapted...
Recent studies suggests that sea surface warming, evidently caused by greenhouse gas emissions, m... more Recent studies suggests that sea surface warming, evidently caused by greenhouse gas emissions, magnifies the toxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons on marine copepods. We assessed this understanding using Temora stylifera, a calanoid copepod common in the Atlantic Ocean and its surrounding waters, as a case study. The copepod was exposed to moderate (0.2 μg.l-1) and high levels (2.0 μg.l-1) of pyrene under three warming scenarios: (i) a no warming control at 28 °C, the surface temperature of the Gulf of Guinea during stable hydrographic period, (ii) moderate warming (+2 °C) and (iii) severe warming (+4 °C) above the control. Food ingestion rate of the copepod increased with warming without significant effect from the pollutant. Feacal pellet production rate (FP) increased by about 86% when the animal was exposed to moderate warming and pyrene at the same time, signifying reduced assimilation of food ingested in these conditions. Lowest FP (3.5 ± 1.1 copepod-1.day-1) indicating increase...
Increasing global seafood demand over the last couple of decades has resulted in overexploitation... more Increasing global seafood demand over the last couple of decades has resulted in overexploitation of certain fish species by both industrial and small-scale artisanal fishers. This phenomenon has threatened the livelihoods and food security of small-scale fishing communities especially in the West African sub-region. In Ghana, fish transshipment (locally referred to as saiko) has been catalogued as one more negative practice that is exacerbating an already dire situation. The goal of this study was to characterise transshipped fish species landed in Ghana on the basis of composition, habitat of origin, maturity and conservation status on the IUCN list of threatened species to enhance understanding of the ecological implications of the practice and inform regulatory enforcement and policy formulation. Using identification manuals, morphometric and gravimetric analyses among others, data on saiko fish samples landed at Elmina in the Central Region of Ghana were collected at bi-weekly ...
Methylotrophicbacterial activity has been reported to result in the oxidation of methylhalides (C... more Methylotrophicbacterial activity has been reported to result in the oxidation of methylhalides (CH3Xs) in natural waters. However, little is known aboutmicrobial degradation of methyl iodide (CH3I), and it is uncertainwhether CH3I is utilized by methylotrophic bacteria as a sole carbonand energy source. To investigate the breakdown and utilization of CH3Iby methylotrophic bacteria in natural water samples, a rigorous carbon 14 (14C)analytical protocol was developed. This paper describes a reliable andreproducible method using 14C radiolabelled CH3I as asubstrate to examine the potential breakdown, remineralization and uptake of CH3Iin estuarine water samples. Application of the 14C method indicatedthat there is uptake of CH3I as a carbon source by methylotrophicbacteria present in water samples from the Tamar Estuary, Plymouth, UK.From the laboratory incubation experiment, up to 17.8% of the CH3Iwas oxidized to CO2 whilst up to 6.7% was incorporated intomethylotrophic bacterial prot...
The round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) and flat sardinella (Sardinella maderensis) are very imp... more The round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) and flat sardinella (Sardinella maderensis) are very important in the fisheries and nutrition of countries bordering the western Gulf of Guinea, including Ghana [1]. This has attracted investigations aimed at understanding the fishery dynamics and biology of the species in many countries. In Ghana, Mireku[2] and Zei [3] reported on the migration of S. aurita while Koranteng [4,5] dealt with their fishery, and Pezennec and Koranteng [6] examined the dynamics and biology of the common Ivorian-Ghanaian stock. The study by Quaatey and Maravelias [7] on the maturity and spawning pattern of S. aurita provides the most recent information on the biology of this species in Ghana. The biology of the flat sardinella S. maderensis has received little attention in the country, perhaps because of its relatively low significance in the fishery. Studies on sardinellas elsewhere in the Gulf of Guinea include those by Cury and Fontana [8] on competition and li...
In order to enhance ecological knowledge for coastal and mangrove ecosystem conservation in Ghana... more In order to enhance ecological knowledge for coastal and mangrove ecosystem conservation in Ghana, the study documents the taxonomic groups of benthic macrofauna and fish assemblages in an urban mangrove swamp as its fundamental objective with emphasis on their composition, richness and diversity. This is because benthic and fish fauna of mangrove habitats are amongst the least studied biota in Ghana. Fish and benthos sampling was undertaken from five randomly selected pools within a mangrove stand during the wet and dry seasons using pole-seine net (7 m long and 1.5 m depth, with stretched mesh size of 5 mm) and an Ekman grab (15 cm × 15 cm dimensions), respectively. All samples were preserved in 10% formalin for laboratory analysis. The results indicated a more diverse macrozoobenthic community in the wet (H¹ = 1.8) than dry season (H¹ = 1.5) . Overall, five out of a total of 13 genera found are intolerant to pollution and four moderately tolerant, while four comprising polychaete...
The dynamics of aquatic systems are known to facili tate the formation of aggregates of nutrient-... more The dynamics of aquatic systems are known to facili tate the formation of aggregates of nutrient-rich p articulate matter which provide suitable substrate for microbial colo nization. Although bacteria-aggregate associations often result in the degradation of Particulate Organic Matter (POM) in aquatic systems, little is known about their contri bution to the production of methyl iodide (CH 3I), an environmentally important biogas that has a potential impact on atmospheric chemistry. This study investigated the role of micr obial communities in the production of CH 3I and its facilitation by particle aggregation in the Tamar estuary in the So uth-West of England. Macroaggregates were generated through a laboratory simulated aggregation process. Assessment of bacterial abundance, production and elevated c oncentration of CH 3I indicated that microbial activity in the experime ntal setups resulted in the production of CH 3I. A statistical test of significance between aggregated and no...
The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fis... more The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fisheries value chains due to restrictions imposed on human movements in many countries. In Ghana, food production, both agriculture and fisheries, is exempted from restrictions as an essential service. The enforcement of COVID-19 prevention protocols, particularly social distancing, has been widely reported in Ghana’s agricultural markets whereas casual observations and media reports on fish landing sites suggest no such enforcements are in place. This study aimed to provide sound scientific evidence as a basis for informed policy direction and intervention for the artisanal fishing sector in these challenging times. We employed an unmanned aerial vehicle in assessing the risk of artisanal fishers to the pandemic using physical distancing as a proxy. From analysis of cumulative distribution function (G-function) of the nearest-neighbour distances, this study underscored crowding at all sur...
This study investigated how an industrial tuna fishery functions in terms of procedures, practice... more This study investigated how an industrial tuna fishery functions in terms of procedures, practices, governance and finance in the context of Ghana, West Africa. Tuna is Ghana’s biggest seafood export, contributing significantly to the domestic fisheries sector. A case-study approach was used to analyse relevant social and economic factors at the local scale to better understand how the global seafood industry operates in a low-income country. A value-chain framework was adopted to assess market structures, sales pathways and revenue distribution. We also investigated the role of actors engaged in the industry using secondary data, interviews, questionnaires and participant observations. The results revealed a changing organisational structure in tuna production, moving from bait-boat fishing with smaller companies to large-scale purse-seine fishing backed by consolidated Asian seafood companies. Production was found to depend significantly on local female intermediaries for access t...
The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fis... more The novel coronavirus is predicted to have dire implications on global food systems including fisheries value chains due to restrictions imposed on human movements in many countries. In Ghana, food production, both agriculture and fisheries, is exempted from restrictions as an essential service. The enforcement of COVID-19 prevention protocols, particularly social distancing, has been widely reported in Ghana’s agricultural markets whereas casual observations and media reports on fish landing sites suggest no such enforcements are in place. This study aimed to provide sound scientific evidence as a basis for informed policy direction and intervention for the artisanal fishing sector in these challenging times. We employed an unmanned aerial vehicle in assessing the risk of artisanal fishers to the pandemic using physical distancing as a proxy. From analysis of cumulative distribution function (G-function) of the nearest-neighbour distances, this study underscored crowding at all sur...
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