Two specimens of Atlantic horse mackerel were collected in 2007–2008 during the annual monitoring of fish, carried out by the research vessel SNB-AR-1 (University of Agriculture, Szczecin) in a network of areas along the western Polish coasts of the Baltic Sea with the aim of following the development of coastal fish stocks. All monitoring areas were located close to the coast. The other fish species were caught by accident by local fishermen with flounder gillnets or fyke nets (Figure 1). In 2007–2008 representatives of the following species were captured and examined: 1. two juveniles [(1) and (2)] of Atlantic horse mackerel

Y-27632 mw Trachurus trachurus L., 1758; Fam. Carangidae, Order: Perciformes; location: Pomeranian Bay, depth: 12 m; bottom trawl; date of capture: 30 September 2007; both individuals immature; All the specimens were learn more examined morphologically following Krzykawski et al., 2001, Turan, 2006 and Uiblein and Heemstra, 2010. Species were identified with the aid of available keys (Whitehead et al. 1986). Table 2 lists detailed taxonomic data of the striped red mullet in

order to rule out any doubts about the species’ taxonomic status. In addition, the stomach contents of the fish were analysed. Parasitological examination focused on the skin, vitreous humour, eye lens, mouth and nasal cavities, gills, gonads, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, swim bladder, peritoneum and muscles. The parasites found in the fish were prepared for species determination by viewing the specimens in transient light, immersed in glycerine isothipendyl or preserved in 70% ethanol so that the procedure could be continued the next day. Table 1 presents biological descriptions (total length, weight and stomach contents) of the fish examined. The stomachs of all the fish were empty, except that of the thicklip grey mullet from

the first location – (1), in which two specimens of Gammarus pulex (L., 1758) (Gammaridae) were found. Morphological examination of the specimens showed that they fit within the ranges given in Whitehead et al., 1986 and Krzykawski et al., 2001, with the exception of the striped red mullet (Figure 2), which also exhibited some features characteristic of Mullus barbatus L. (shape and length of head, barbel length, gill raker count). Table 2 lists the detailed morphological characteristics of the specimen of M. surmuletus examined, including the metric characters expressed as a proportion of total length (TL), standard length (SL) and head length (HL), and meristic features. The ‘visiting’ fishes hosted eight pathogens from four taxonomic groups: Protozoa (two species), Nematoda (three species), Acanthocephala (two species) and Mollusca (one species) (Table 3). The most numerous were nematodes (Secernentea: Anisakidae), recorded in fishes of three species.

We also acknowledge undergraduate researchers supported by Arkansas State University’s National Science Foundation grant (#REU-0552608). “
“The “Great Eastern Japan Earthquake (Higashi Nihon Daishinsai)” caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake Vorinostat off the coast of Northeastern Japan on Friday, 11 March 2011, triggered an extremely destructive tsunami with waves up to 37.9 meters high. This is the most powerful known earthquake to have hit Japan and one of the five most powerful in the world. At least three nuclear reactors at Fukushima Nuclear Plant in the tsunami area suffered explosions, which were described as ‘extremely

serious’ by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the measure of severity of the crisis being raised on 12th April 2011 to the highest international level of 7. Even though the radioactive leaks were described as much lower than those in Chernobyl nuclear

disaster in 1986, the leaks had not stopped completely at the plant and scientists feel that the total leakage could eventually exceed those at Chernobyl. Especially, the increasing Ganetespib amounts of 137Cs and 131I are matters of concern. These and other radioactive materials are now polluting the global environment through air and water and it has been cautioned by many that these may accumulate in the biotic compartments such as seaweeds, fish, etc. and may ultimately reach marine mammals and human. This phenomenon needs the maximum attention of scientists working on the aftereffects of the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. Interestingly, in a survey conducted by our laboratory (Yoshitome et al., 2003), we found that the levels of anthropogenic radionuclide 137Cs was the lowest in the species of marine mammals obtained from off Otsuchi (0.17 ± 0.05 Bq/kg wet wt) and off Sanriku coast (0.21 ± 0.09 Bq/kg wet wt), Japan when compared with the specimens caught from other parts of the world such as Lake Baikal (14 ± 2 Bq/kg wet wt), Black

Sea (9.0 ± 2.1 Bq/kg wet wt), Kara Sea (2.0 ± 0.5 Bq/kg wet wt), Caspian Non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase Sea (2.6 ± 0.8 Bq/kg wet wt), Northern Canada (3.4 Bq/kg wet wt), North Sea (1.3 Bq/kg wet wt), etc. We also found a strong positive correlation between the levels of this radionuclide in the muscle of marine mammals and ambient water. All the samples for this study were gathered in the 1990s and those in Japan were from the northwestern Pacific where the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake of 2011 occurred. We would like to reiterate here that work on 137Cs on the marine mammal specimens from this location now can give an insight into the most discussed radioactive problem in the area. The above cited paper can provide the baseline data for comparison for studying the possibility of build-up of 137Cs in the marine mammals near northeastern Japan. Schnoor (2011) has explained various lessons to be learnt on the nuclear calamity at the Fukushima power plant following the 9.0 earthquake. He has given a list of such lessons to be learnt.