An improved technique for preparing eel otoliths for aging |
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| Authors: | I L Vidal A A Collins |
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| Institution: | Laboratory, City Engineer's Department , Wellington City Corporation , Wellington, P.O. Box 2199 |
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| Abstract: | The New Zealand Waters Pollution Regulations 1963, referring to recreational water to which the public can gain access, states that the “coliform bacteria content shall not consistently exceed 1,000/100 ml”. This standard is now under revision, and the suggested new standard is a median faecal coliform index of 200/100 ml with a maximum value not exceeding 400/100 ml. Recent literature supports the use of faecal coliform sub‐group bacteria as the best indicator of faecal pollution and reference is made to the membership of this sub‐group. Inherent inaccuracies of the Most Probable Number (MPN) method of assessing bacterial populations are pointed out, such as experimental variations with different cultural media, and possible errors in interpretation of results. In North America, there is evidence that an MPN for the total coliform group of 1000/100 ml indicates a faecal coliform sub‐group MPN of 200/100 ml, and epidemiological experience supports these values as standards. We tabulate and discuss evidence that the usual ratio of faecal coliforms : coliform group bacteria is typically 1 : 1 in fresh and marine waters of the Wellington region, and that a more attainable standard would be 500 faecal coliforms/100 ml. In ratios quoted in this paper, ‘coliform group’ means the remainder of the coliform group excluding faecal coliforms. The World Health Organisation (1963) definition, of the entire group of coliforms, is not intended. The ratio is different in other parts of New Zealand; in Auckland, for example, the ratio is close to that found in the United States. |
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| Keywords: | methods otoliths aging determinations |
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