The Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Information System (ASFIS) is an international co-operative information system for the collection and dissemination of information covering the science, technology and management of marine and freshwater environments.
ASFIS Subject Categories and Scope
Descriptions
ftp://ftp.fao.org/fi/asfa/subject_categories.doc
These have been used to broadly categorise the subject areas of work of the various organizations in the Directory. The various categories below do not correspond exactly with those in ASFIS-2 (rev. 2), which has been used as a basis for grouping subjects more broadly for our purposes.
ASFA 1 - Biological Sciences and Living Resources
1103 Information Services
Libraries, databases, online information systems, current-awareness services, information technology, bibliometrics.
1341 Ichthyology
Fish biology, geographical distribution, fish taxonomy and morphology. Fish reproduction and development, genetics and evolution. Physiology and biochemistry of fish.
1381 Aquatic Ecology
Multidisciplinary work on aquatic ecology, biological oceanography and limnology. General ecological aspects of global change. Biodiversity. Biogeography and biogeographic regions
1463 Habitat Community Studies
Specific defined habitats such as coral reefs, salt marshes, salt lakes, mangrove swamps, kelp forests, riparian environments, swamps, wetlands, etc.
1561 Practical Aspects of Fisheries
Multidisciplinary work on fisheries and exploitation of aquatic organisms. Fishing vessels and harbours. Fishing gear and methods. Instruments, tools and equipment.
1565 Policy, Legislation and Sociology
Legislative bodies, treaties, laws, regulations, agreements, referring to fisheries. Fishery protection, fishing rights and fishery policy. Law of the Sea, Exclusive Economic Zone, Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing, and territorial waters as related to living resources. Sociological studies of fishermen and women in fisheries, fishing communities, traditional and artisanal fisheries. Cooperatives and other associations of fishermen. Labour-related aspects.
1581 Aquaculture
The culture and husbandry of aquatic organisms, restocking of waters and the combination of aquaculture with other activities. Culture and tending of aquatic organisms in aquaria etc. Description, diagnosis, therapy, management, and prevention of diseases relating to cultured organisms. Biotechnology, molecular biology and genetics of cultured organisms; transgenic organisms.
1601 Fishable Stocks
Distribution of fishable stocks, availability of potential fishery resources. Surveys for determination of fishery resources. Statistical and sampling methods used in fishery biology. Principles and methods of living resource stock size estimation. Methods of management of aquatic stocks. Regulation of fisheries based on stock assessment and effects of regulations. Experiments on aquatic populations, computer simulation. GIS (Geographic Information Systems) used for fishery resource assessment and development.
1621 Aquatic Products and their Utilization
The utilization and technology of living aquatic products. Importance of fishery products in human health, nutrition and physiology. The seafood industry. Processing equipment and materials. Handling and storage equipment. Fish meal and oil. Food processing, food quality and standards.
1641 Marketing and Economics of Aquatic Products
Marketing of fisheries, aquaculture, and other aquatic products; quantitative aspects of marketing, demand and supply in domestic and international markets, prices, trade methods, and customs. Storage, transport and packing. Economics of fisheries and aquaculture. Valuation of resources. Administration and organization of fishing enterprises. Commodity and trade statistics.
ASFA 2 - Ocean Technology, Policy and Non-Living Resources
2124 Coastal Zone Management
Policy, law, regulation and socioeconomics concerning the use of coastal land areas, waterfronts and coastal waters. Impact of offshore activities on these areas. Urban-marine environment management. Planning, boundary problems and conflicts. Regulation of coastal development and human impact. Multiple use of coastal environments and resources. Coastal zone issues related to global change.
2141 Descriptive Oceanography and Limnology
The physical and chemical sciences of the oceans, lakes, rivers, etc. Descriptive oceanographic and limnological surveys; natural regions (polar oceanography, equatorial oceanography, tropical oceanography, etc.).
ASFA-3, Aquatic Pollution and Environmental Quality
3501 Aquatic Pollution
Aquatic pollution and water quality of marine, brackish and freshwater environments. Pollution prevention, mitigation and control measures
3521 Environmental Quality
Causes and effects of natural physical and chemical changes in the aquatic environment, including climatic factors. Environmental impacts of global change. Protective measures against environmental changes. Conservation and management of natural aquatic environments and endangered species. Wildlife and national parks; wildlife management; recreational aspects of the aquatic environment.
