Synthesis of hollow carbon spheres by chemical activation of carbon nanoparticles for their use in electrochemical capacitor

Cesar Eduardo Sanchez Rodriguez EDUARDO TOVAR MARTINEZ MARISOL REYES REYES Luis Felipe Cházaro Ruiz ROMAN LOPEZ SANDOVAL (2022, [Artículo])

"Naphthalene combustion has been used to synthesize grams per hour of solid carbon spheres (CS). The carbon soot was activated by acid treatment consisting in a mixture of HNO3 and H2SO4 (1/3 v/v) to produce hollow carbon spheres (HCS). The effect of two concentrations of CSs (5 and 10 mg mL−1) in the acid mixture, on the physicochemical properties of the activated HCSs was studied. The HSCs were subjected to a thermal treatment to increase their graphitization to enhance their electrical conductivity. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirmed the formation of HCSs due to the acid treatment whereas FTIR spectra showed that the chemical activation produced functional groups on the carbon spheres surface and the heat treatment effect to remove some of them as well. A specific surface area of 300 m2 g−1 and a large density of micropores for the acid-treated CSs as well as the heat-treated CSs were estimated by analysis of N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms. A specific capacitance 70 F g−1 was calculated by cyclic voltammetry of the acid and thermally treated HCSs at 5 mV s−1, for both CS concentrations, indicating the possibility of synthesizing these HCSs using a simple method in large quantities for their use in electrochemical capacitors."

Physicochemical properties Carbon nanoparticles Chemical activation Electrochemical capacitor BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA QUÍMICA QUÍMICA

Mulch application as the overarching factor explaining increase in soil organic carbon stocks under conservation agriculture in two 8-year-old experiments in Zimbabwe

Regis Chikowo Christian Thierfelder Marc Corbeels (2024, [Artículo])

Conservation agriculture (CA), combining reduced or no tillage, permanent soil cover, and improved rotations, is often promoted as a climate-smart practice. However, our understanding of the impact of CA and its respective three principles on top- and subsoil organic carbon stocks in the low-input cropping systems of sub-Saharan Africa is rather limited. This study was conducted at two long-term experimental sites established in Zimbabwe in 2013. The soil types were abruptic Lixisols at Domboshava Training Centre (DTC) and xanthic Ferralsol at the University of Zimbabwe farm (UZF). The following six treatments, which were replicated four times, were investigated: conventional tillage (CT), conventional tillage with rotation (CTR), no tillage (NT), no tillage with mulch (NTM), no tillage with rotation (NTR), and no tillage with mulch and rotation (NTMR). Maize (Zea mays L.) was the main crop, and treatments with rotation included cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.). The soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and soil bulk density were determined for samples taken from depths of 0–5, 5–10, 10–15, 15–20, 20–30, 30–40, 40–50, 50–75 and 75–100 cm. Cumulative organic inputs to the soil were also estimated for all treatments. SOC stocks at equivalent soil mass were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the NTM, NTR and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm and top 10 cm layers at UZF, while SOC stocks were only significantly higher in the NTM and NTMR treatments compared with the NT and CT treatments in the top 5 cm at DTC. NT alone had a slightly negative impact on the top SOC stocks. Cumulative SOC stocks were not significantly different between treatments when considering the whole 100 cm soil profile. Our results show the overarching role of crop residue mulching in CA cropping systems with respect to enhancing SOC stocks but also that this effect is limited to the topsoil. The highest cumulative organic carbon inputs to the soil were observed in NTM treatments at the two sites, and this could probably explain the positive effect on SOC stocks. Moreover, our results show that the combination of at least two CA principles including mulch is required to increase SOC stocks in these low-nitrogen-input cropping systems.

CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE EXPERIMENTATION CROP MANAGEMENT

Estimating lime requirements for tropical soils: Model comparison and development

Fernando Aramburu Merlos João Vasco Silva Frédéric Baudron Robert Hijmans (2023, [Artículo])

Acid tropical soils may become more productive when treated with agricultural lime, but optimal lime rates have yet to be determined in many tropical regions. In these regions, lime rates can be estimated with lime requirement models based on widely available soil data. We reviewed seven of these models and introduced a new model (LiTAS). We evaluated the models’ ability to predict the amount of lime needed to reach a target change in soil chemical properties with data from four soil incubation studies covering 31 soil types. Two foundational models, one targeting acidity saturation and the other targeting base saturation, were more accurate than the five models that were derived from them, while the LiTAS model was the most accurate. The models were used to estimate lime requirements for 303 African soil samples. We found large differences in the estimated lime rates depending on the target soil chemical property of the model. Therefore, an important first step in formulating liming recommendations is to clearly identify the soil property of interest and the target value that needs to be reached. While the LiTAS model can be useful for strategic research, more information on acidity-related problems other than aluminum toxicity is needed to comprehensively assess the benefits of liming.

Exchangeable Acidity Aluminum Saturation Calcium Carbonate Equivalent CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CHEMICOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES LIMES TROPICAL ZONES ACID SOILS ALUMINIUM BASE SATURATION CALCIUM CARBONATE

Changes in soil organic carbon pools after 15 years of Conservation Agriculture in rice (Oryza sativa)-wheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system of eastern Indo-Gangetic plains

C.M. Parihar Mahesh Gathala ML JAT (2023, [Artículo])

The present study was carried out at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Samastipur, Bihar during 2021-2023 to focus on examining alterations in SOC pools resulting from conservation agriculture (CA) practices in R-W system in the eastern IGP, following the collection of soil samples from a long-term trial that was initiated in rainy (kharif) season 2006. The trial included eight combinations, namely: conventional tilled rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (CTR-CTW); CT rice and zero till wheat (CTR-ZTW); direct seeded rice (DSR) and wheat on permanent raised beds (PBDSR-PBW); ZTDSR and CT Wheat (ZTDSR-CTW); ZTDSR and ZT wheat without residue (ZTDSR-ZTW-R); ZTDSR-ZT wheat with residue (ZTDSR-ZTW +R); unpuddled transplanted riceZTW (UpTR-ZTW) and ZTDSR-sesbania brown manure-ZTW (ZTDSR-S-ZTW). Results revealed that implementing zero tillage (ZT) combined with residue retention in rice and wheat cultivation led to enhanced levels of soil organic carbon (SOC) across all four fractions, namely very labile (CVL), labile (CL), less labile (CLL), and non-labile (CNL), in comparison to the continuous and rotational tillage practices. The tillage and residue management options significantly affected the lability index (LI) and C pool index (CPI), with zero-tillage and residue retention leading to lower LI and higher CPI values. The management practices significantly affected the C management index (CMI), with zero-tillage and residue retention showing the highest CMI values. Findings showed the potential of CA practices for enhancing soil C quality as well as C sequestration in soil of the Eastern IGP of India.

Carbon Management Index Soil Organic Carbon Fractions CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE SOIL ORGANIC CARBON ZERO TILLAGE

Climate-smart agricultural practices influence the fungal communities and soil properties under major agri-food systems

madhu choudhary ML JAT Parbodh Chander Sharma (2022, [Artículo])

Fungal communities in agricultural soils are assumed to be affected by climate, weather, and anthropogenic activities, and magnitude of their effect depends on the agricultural activities. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the impact of the portfolio of management practices on fungal communities and soil physical–chemical properties. The study comprised different climate-smart agriculture (CSA)-based management scenarios (Sc) established on the principles of conservation agriculture (CA), namely, ScI is conventional tillage-based rice–wheat rotation, ScII is partial CA-based rice–wheat–mungbean, ScIII is partial CSA-based rice–wheat–mungbean, ScIV is partial CSA-based maize–wheat–mungbean, and ScV and ScVI are CSA-based scenarios and similar to ScIII and ScIV, respectively, except for fertigation method. All the scenarios were flood irrigated except the ScV and ScVI where water and nitrogen were given through subsurface drip irrigation. Soils of these scenarios were collected from 0 to 15 cm depth and analyzed by Illumina paired-end sequencing of Internal Transcribed Spacer regions (ITS1 and ITS2) for the study of fungal community composition. Analysis of 5 million processed sequences showed a higher Shannon diversity index of 1.47 times and a Simpson index of 1.12 times in maize-based CSA scenarios (ScIV and ScVI) compared with rice-based CSA scenarios (ScIII and ScV). Seven phyla were present in all the scenarios, where Ascomycota was the most abundant phyla and it was followed by Basidiomycota and Zygomycota. Ascomycota was found more abundant in rice-based CSA scenarios as compared to maize-based CSA scenarios. Soil organic carbon and nitrogen were found to be 1.62 and 1.25 times higher in CSA scenarios compared with other scenarios. Bulk density was found highest in farmers' practice (Sc1); however, mean weight diameter and water-stable aggregates were found lowest in ScI. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties were found better under CSA-based practices, which also increased the wheat grain yield by 12.5% and system yield by 18.8%. These results indicate that bundling/layering of smart agricultural practices over farmers' practices has tremendous effects on soil properties, and hence play an important role in sustaining soil quality/health.

Agriculture Management Fungal Community Diversity Indices Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA AGRICULTURE TILLAGE CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE SOIL ORGANIC CARBON

Diversifying with grain legumes amplifies carbon in management-sensitive soil organic carbon pools on smallholder farms

Regis Chikowo Sieglinde Snapp (2023, [Artículo])

Crop diversification with grain legumes has been advocated as a means to increase agroecological resilience, diversify livelihoods, boost household nutrition, and enhance soil health and fertility in cereal-based cropping systems in sub-Saharan Africa and around the world. Soil organic carbon (SOC) is a primary indicator of soil health and there is limited data regarding SOC pools and grain legume diversification on smallholder farms where soils are often marginal. In Malawi, a range of legume diversification options are under investigation, including rotations and a doubled-up legume rotation (DLR) system in which two compatible legumes are intercropped and then rotated with a cereal. The impact of the DLR system on SOC has not yet been determined, and there is a lack of evidence regarding SOC status over a gradient of simple to complex grain legume diversified systems. We address this knowledge gap by evaluating these systems in comparison to continuous sole maize (Zea mays L.) at three on-farm trial sites in central Malawi. After six years of trial establishment, we measured SOC in bulk soils and aggregate fractions and in faster cycling SOC pools that respond more rapidly to management practices, including water extractable organic carbon (WEOC), particulate organic matter carbon (POM-C), potentially mineralizable carbon (C), and macroaggregate C. Cropping treatment differences were not seen in bulk SOC or total N, but they were apparent in SOC pools with a shorter turnover time. The DLR system of intercropped pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) rotated with maize had higher WEOC, POM-C, potentially mineralizable C, macroaggregate and microaggregate C values than continuous maize. Of the single legume rotations, the pigeonpea-maize rotation had more mineralizable C and microaggregate C compared to continuous maize, while the groundnut-maize rotation had similar C values to the maize system. Overall, this study shows the potential for crop rotations diversified with grain legumes to enhance C in management sensitive SOC pools, and it is one of the first reports to show this effect on smallholder farm sites.

Crop Diversification Water Extractable Organic Carbon CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA DIVERSIFICATION LEGUMES PARTICULATE ORGANIC MATTER SOIL ORGANIC CARBON

Indicadores de estrés y desempeño biológico de juveniles de lobina rayada (Morone saxatilis) en agua marina: efecto de la densidad de cultivo y color del tanque

Stress indicators and biological performance of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) juvenile in seawater: effect stock density and tank color

DENISE ENCARNACION MAYORAL NORIEGA (2023, [Tesis de maestría])

Existen factores ambientales de naturaleza física, química o biológica que afectan directamente la alimentación de los peces. Por ejemplo, las altas densidades de cultivo pueden generar estrés en los organismos, resultando en la merma del consumo de alimento y por ende su crecimiento. Sin embargo, algunas especies toleran altas densidades formando un grupo o cardumen que les confiere un mejor desempeño. Otro factor que afecta el comportamiento de algunas especies es la coloración de los tanques de cultivo; demostrando la necesidad de utilizar tanques con un entorno físico adecuado para la especie a cultivar. Actualmente, M. saxatilis se produce en tanques en laboratorio y se engorda en jaulas marinas en Baja California; así que existe un gran interés por mejorar su crecimiento y eficiencia alimenticia. Por ello, el objetivo de esta investigación fue evaluar tres densidades de cultivo (alta: 6.2 kg·m-3, media: 3.1 kg·m-3 y baja: 1.5 kg·m-3) y dos colores de tanque (azul celeste y negro) en el crecimiento, supervivencia, utilización del alimento, índices corporales y concentración de cortisol y glucosa de juveniles de lobina rayada en agua marina para su mantenimiento en laboratorio durante nueve semanas. Los resultados demostraron que los organismos obtuvieron el mayor crecimiento en peso en la densidad media, indistintamente del color del tanque. Asimismo, la densidad afectó significativamente los índices hepatosomático y liposomático, ya que disminuyeron conforme aumentó la densidad. El color del tanque influyó de manera importante en el consumo de alimento (azules: 37.4 ± 1.9 g·pez-1; negros: 35.9 ± 2.0 g·pez-1). La interacción de los factores afectó la TCE, TCA y TEP. Las concentraciones de cortisol (81.8 ± 22.5 ng·ml-1) y glucosa (83.2 ± 11.4 mg·100 ml-1) fueron similares en todos los tratamientos y relativamente bajas para la especie. En conclusión, se logró elucidar bajo qué condiciones de cultivo en laboratorio los organismos lograron superar los factores de estrés sin comprometer su crecimiento y supervivencia, reflejándose en un mejor desempeño biológico. Se recomienda utilizar tanques azules o negros con densidades iniciales de 4.2 kg·m-3 o 233 peces·m-3 para el cultivo de juveniles de M. saxatilis en agua salada bajo condiciones de laboratorio.

Environmental factors of a physical, chemical or biological nature such as high stocking densities can directly affect fish feeding and generate stress in organisms, resulting in a decrease in food intake and therefore growth. However, some species tolerate high densities, forming a group or shoal resulting in better overall performance. Another factor that influences the behavior of some species is the color of the culture tank; warranting the need to use tanks with a physical environment suitable for the species to be cultivated. Currently, striped bass are produced in tank-based hatcheries to be socked in sea cages for growout in Baja California. Thus, there is interest in improving their growth rate and feed efficiency under laboratory conditions. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of three stocking densities (high: 6.2 kg m-3, medium: 3.1 kg m-3 and low: 1.5 kg m-3) and two tank colors (light blue and black) on the biological performance (growth, survival, food utilization), somatic indices and fish stress using the concentration of cortisol and glucose in blood serum as response variables of juvenile striped bass cultured in seawater for nine weeks. The results showed that the organisms had greater growth in terms of final weight when they were cultured at the medium stocking density, regardless of tank color. Likewise, density had a significant effect on hepatosomatic and liposomatic indices, with a tendency to decrease as density increased. The color of the tank significantly influenced the food consumption (blues: 37.4 ± 1.9 g·fish-1; blacks: 35.9 ± 2.0 g·fish-1). The interaction of the factors influenced TCE, TCA and TEP. The concentrations of cortisol (81.8 ± 22.5 ng·ml-1) and glucose (83.2 ± 11.4 mg·100 ml-1) were similar in all treatments indicating low fish stress. In conclusion, it was possible to elucidate under which laboratory culture conditions the organisms were able to overcome the stress factors without compromising their growth and survival; reflected in better biological performance. A stocking density of 4.2 kg m-3 o 233 fish·m-3 for M. saxatilis juvenile reared in saltwater under laboratory culture conditions is recommended.

lobina rayada, densidad cultivo, color tanque, estrés, crecimiento striped bass, stocking density, tank color, stress, growth CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS AGRARIAS PECES Y FAUNA SILVESTRE PISCICULTURA PISCICULTURA

Análisis isotópico en plumas del Charrán mínimo (Sternula antillarum) para inferir su ecología trófica

Isotope analysis in feathers of the Least Tern (Sternula antillarum) to infer its trophic ecology

Andehui Danay Morales Flores (2024, [Tesis de maestría])

El análisis isotópico de plumas primarias utilizando las razones isotópicas δ13C y δ15N permitió estimar la amplitud y superposición del nicho trófico de los conjuntos de las colonias reproductivas de adultos y volantones del charrán mínimo. Se infirió la amplitud del nicho por medio del área de la elipse estándar estimada por métodos Bayesianos (SEAB), se encontró que existen diferencias entre el nicho trófico de adultos y volantones, pues los adultos tienen valores de la media SEAB de 16.3‰2 hasta 28.4‰2 y los volantones de 44.8‰2 hasta 75.5‰2, esto podría ser debido a diferencias en cuanto a las presas seleccionadas y la ubicación geográfica de los adultos durante la muda de las primarias. Por otro lado, la superposición del nicho indicó la similitud entre los adultos de diferentes colonias, por lo cual, se consideró que los adultos de algunas colonias podrían compartir un sitio de invernada o bien la temporalidad en la muda de las primarias. Además, se cumplió con el objetivo de caracterizar la variabilidad de las firmas isotópicas de carbono y nitrógeno durante el crecimiento secuencial de las plumas primarias por medio de los modelos aditivos generalizados y se observó la variabilidad entre las primarias utilizando las anomalías respecto a la media local de cada colonia, lo cual permitió diferenciar estrategias de alimentación específicas para ciertos conjuntos y la variabilidad en la dieta. La búsqueda bibliográfica de los sitios potenciales de migración en invierno más los mapas de gradientes isotópicos de δ13C permitió determinar que el Océano Pacífico Oriental Tropical es la región geográfica relacionada con la distribución δ13C en plumas primarias del charrán mínimo y es el sitio más probable de invernada.

The isotopic analysis of primary feathers using the isotopic ratios of δ13C and δ15N allowed the estimation of the breadth and overlap of the trophic niche of adult and fledgling least terns. Niche breadth was inferred through the standard ellipse area (SEAB) estimated by Bayesian methods. We found differences between the trophic niche of adults and fledglings, as adults presented mean SEAB values from 16.3‰2 to 28.4‰2 and fledglings from 44.8‰2 to 75.5‰2. This could be due to differences in the prey selected and the geographical location of the adults during the molt of the primaries. The overlap of these values among adults indicates similarity in prey selection and location between the adults of different colonies. Therefore, it was considered that the adults of some colonies could share a wintering site during the period of molt of the primary feathers. We characterized the variability of carbon and nitrogen isotopic signatures during the sequential growth of primary feathers through generalized additive models and the variability between primaries using the anomalies of these signatures and the local mean for each colony. This allowed us to differentiate specific feeding strategies of individual least terns and the variability in their diet. The bibliographic search for potential migration and wintering sites found published maps of δ13C isotopic gradients in the Tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean that correspond to the δ13C distribution in primary feathers of the least tern, indicating a potential wintering area for this species.

isótopos, carbono, nitrógeno, ave marina, ecología trófica isotopes, seabird, nitrogen, carbon, trophic ecology BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL (BOTÁNICA) ECOLOGÍA VEGETAL ECOLOGÍA VEGETAL

Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue in Carbon Nanotubes: A Review with Bibliometric Analysis

Hugo Albeiro Saldarriaga Noreña MARIO ALFONSO MURILLO TOVAR JOSEFINA VERGARA SANCHEZ JEANNETE RAMIREZ APARICIO Lorena Magallón Cacho MARIA LUISA GARCIA BETANCOURT (2023, [Artículo])

Wastewater-containing dyes are an environmental problem. The prime source of dye pollutants is the textile industry, such as paper manufacturing, food processing, leather, pigments, etc. Dye removal from wastewater using nanotechnology has received attention in recent decades thanks to efficient nanomaterials improving traditional technologies. In recent years, multiple research reports on carbon nanotubes for dye removal and photocatalytic dye degradation provided substantial insight into the comprehension of nanotechnology and remediation. This work presents a review and bibliometric analysis of carbon nanotubes for dye removal and photocatalytic dye degradation, which have an environmental impact today. The bibliometric study showed that the current research tendency on carbon nanotubes applied in dye removal and photocatalysis is still growing. According to research, this work observed that carbon nanotubes for dye removal exhibit high removal and efficient photocatalysis activity, indicating the functionality of nanotechnology for environmental remediation. The analysis of the parameters involved in the removal studies, such as temperature and pH, showed adsorption behavior. The photodegradation of methylene blue demonstrated the photocatalytic activity of carbon nanotubes attributed to the sp2 lattice of graphitic configuration.

BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA QUÍMICA adsorption; carbon nanotubes; methylene blue; photocatalysis; photodegradation of methylene blue

PROPUESTA DE MANEJO DE LA PESQUERÍA EMERGENTE DE MERLUZA DEL PACÍFICO NORTE Merluccius productus EN EL GOLFO DE ULLOA, BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR

PABLO MORA ZAMACONA (2023, [Tesis de doctorado])

"La merluza del Pacífico Merluccius productus se distribuye desde Alaska hasta el sur de México, con una población particular descrita al sur de la península de Baja California conocida como merluza enana, de la que poco se sabe. Dicha población actualmente no es pescada comercialmente, por lo que representa un recurso con potencial de explotación. Las pesquerías potenciales y emergentes crean desafíos y oportunidades para los administradores pesqueros que necesitan tomar decisiones sobre cómo gestionar de forma sostenible una pesquería previa a su inicio. Este trabajo propone y analiza posibles medidas alternativas de gestión pesquera para esta potencial pesquería, bajo incertidumbre biológica y de mercado. Debido al desconocimiento de diversos aspectos de la biología del recurso primeramente se analizó el crecimiento individual del stock y posteriormente se realizó un análisis bioeconómico de la potencial pesquería.

Para el análisis del crecimiento individual se utilizó un total de 240 otolitos y datos de longitud patrón de 932 especímenes muestreados de mayo a diciembre de 2015. La formación anual de incrementos en los otolitos se verificó mediante la relación de incremento marginal y el análisis de borde. La edad se estimó a partir de recuentos de anillos en secciones sagitales de otolitos y el crecimiento se analizó mediante un enfoque de inferencia multimodelo. Se consideraron los modelos de crecimiento de von Bertalanffy (VBGM), VBGM generalizado, Gompertz, Logístico y Johnson, los cuales se ajustaron a conjuntos de datos de talla a la edad observados y retrocalculados agrupados por sexo. Según el criterio de información de Akaike, el VBGM generalizado fue el más apropiado para las hembras (L∞= 31.36 cm, k= 0.15 cm año-1), mientras que el VBGM proporcionó el mejor ajuste para los machos (L∞= 25.35 cm, k= 0.28 cm año-1).

El análisis bioeconómico de alternativas de manejo para una potencial pesquería de merluza enana indicó que una nueva pesquería de dicho stock podría ser biológicamente sostenible y económicamente rentable, bajo un conjunto de estrategias de gestión y reglas de control. Se recomienda un acceso limitado con bajo esfuerzo pesquero ya que resulta más redituable por barco y biológicamente precautorio, considerando la alta incertidumbre asociada con la explotación de una población virgen..."

"The Pacific hake Merluccius productus is distributed from Alaska to southern Mexico, with a particular population described south of the Baja California peninsula known as dwarf hake, about which little is known. This population is not currently commercially fished; hence it represents a resource with potential for exploitation. Potential and emerging fisheries create challenges and opportunities for fishery managers who need to make decisions about how to sustainably manage a fishery prior to its initiation. This work proposes and analyzes possible alternative fishery management measures for this potential fishery, under biological and market uncertainty. Due to the lack of knowledge of various aspects of the biology of the resource, the individual growth of the stock was first analyzed and subsequently a bioeconomic analysis of the potential fishery was carried out.

A total of 240 otoliths and standard-length data from 932 specimens sampled from May to December 2015 were used for the analysis of individual growth. The annual formation of otolith increments was verified using the marginal increment analysis and the edge analysis. Age was estimated from annuli counts in sagittal sections of otoliths and growth was analyzed using a multi-model inference approach. The von Bertalanffy growth models (VBGM), generalized VBGM, Gompertz, Logistic and Johnson growth models were considered, which were fitted to observed and back calculated length-at-age data sets grouped by sex. According to Akaike's information criterion, the generalized VBGM was the most appropriate for females (L∞= 31.36 cm, k= 0.15 cm year-1), while the VBGM provided the best fit for males (L∞= 25.35 cm, k= 0.28 cm year-1).

The bioeconomic analysis of management alternatives for a potential dwarf hake fishery indicated that a new fishery for said stock could be biologically sustainable and economically profitable, under a set of management strategies and control rules. Limited access with low fishing effort is recommended as it is more profitable by boat and biologically precautionary, considering the high uncertainty associated with the exploitation of an unfished stock. Despite the combination of high fishing costs and low prices, the fishery could still be profitable in the long term, although there is risk of overexploitation if high fishing effort is allowed..."

Merluza enana, stock no explotado, crecimiento individual, análisis bioeconómico, pesquería potencial Dwarf hake, unexploited stock, individual growth, bioeconomic analysis, potential fishery CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS AGRARIAS PECES Y FAUNA SILVESTRE REGLAMENTACIÓN Y CONTROL REGLAMENTACIÓN Y CONTROL