Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research Annual Report, 1995.

During the year under review, attention was focussed on the survey of white shrimp fishery and its mechanisation status in Nigeria. Survey results indicate that at sea, the crayfish beam trawl fishery is all year round, but rough from July to September. Catches are therefore better from October and best between December and June. However, where rains are heavy and early, stow net shrimp fishery at sea is best from January to March. Within the year a series of violent Swells/sourges devastate the Victoria Island beach in Lagos. The preliminary survey of the Institute showed that nourished beach is slightly above the level of the Ahmadu Bellow way. The present low nature of the beach was not adequate enough to absorb the shock impounded by the swell, hence the resultant flooding. The study of the shallow surface geology of the Nigerian Continental Shelf is an important project of the Institute. It is expected that the information available will constitute part of the data to be used in the delineation of Nigerian continental shelf. In chemical oceanography, ecotoxicological studies on heavy metals sow the levels of heavy metals in the biotic and physical compartments of the Lagos lagoon environment, their relative toxicity and the relative susceptibility of some lagoon animals to heavy metal stress. Also, work on the establishment of an oceanographic data bank for the provision of valuable information for marine navigation, transportation, fishing activities and marine engineering was carried out. Efforts were made to investigate the fish feed ingredient, available in the country with a view to formulating least cost and location specific diets for aquaculture developments. Diagnostic survey of locally available feeding stuffs and their suitability as fish feed ingredient were examined. It is hoped that the analysed results will form a working document for the formulation and compounding of appropriate fish feed for aquaculture in the country. A gradual and steady relocation of the Ikoyi Fish Farm to Badore in Eti-osa Local Government Area of Lagos State started in earnest. The perimeter survey of the land was completed and a 10 ha portion cleared ready for the establishment of basic infrastructures. Although funds were limited in the year, remarkable progress was recorded in most of the projects undertaken by the Institute, particularly those funded under the National Agricultural Research Programme (NARP). J. G. Tobor Director

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