Goniobranchus annulatus

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Population dynamic and biological characteristics of Longnose trevally Carangoides chrysophorys in the Persian Gulf & Oman Sea (Hormozgan Province)

The long nose trevally, Carangoides chrysophrys is one of important commercial species of family carangidae in the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea .population dynamic parameters, reproductive biology and feeding habits of this species were studied from April 2016 to march 2017 in the Coastal Waters of Hormuzgan province. Length frequency analysis of 440 specimens of C.chrysophrys with total length (TL) ranged from 250 to 800 mm were shown isometric growth. Growth parameters including K, L and t0 were calculated 0.390 (1/year), 66.86 Cm and 0.029 Year respectively. The instantaneous rate of total mortality (Z), natural mortality (M) and fishing mortality (F) were estimated 1.21, 0.761 and 0.449 (1/year) respectively. Exploitation rate was 0.4 per year indicated that fishing effort on this species is in a moderate condition. Reproductive studies showed that C.chrysophrys has long spawning period with two peaks in spring and autumn respectively. Females reached 50% sexual maturity at 38.4 cm. Stomach content analysis of this species revealed that bony fishes (% 77) formed main food and followed by crustacean (% 18) and molluscs (% 5) as random food.Ph

Avaliando a poluição plástica em ecossistemas brasileiros: um estudo integrado da poluição em organismos e ambientes.

Plastics are pervasive contaminants worldwide, accumulating from the poles to the equator, spanning pristine environments to deep ocean basins.This workexplores how seasonal variations in a floodplain influence the ingestion of plastics by freshwater fish and systematically examines trends and gaps in Brazilian research related to plastic pollution.Additionally, the potential relationship between anthropogenic activities and the amounts of plastic found in Brazilian aquatic environmentswas investigated.Among the 23 fish species analyzed in the Upper Paraná River floodplain, nine were ingested plastics, and the particles were associated with fishingactivity and domestic waste. Seasonality played a crucial role in the amounts of plastic ingested by these species, with the highest number of particles recorded during the wet season. As for trends and gaps in Brazilian research on plastic pollution, a substantial number of publications related to marine environments, microplastics, and fishwas identified. Conversely, freshwater environments and invertebrates are underexplored.Considering the distribution of studies within Brazilian biomes, the Pantanaland Cerrado had the lowest number of publications—an alarming trend considering the significant rivers and basins they house.Finally, themodels were unable to find strong and significant correlations between the number of plastics and anthropogenic activities in Brazilian municipalities.The lack of significant relationships may be attributed to the limitations of our dataset, specificallydue to the low number of studies.Nevertheless, other factors influenced the quantities of plastic detected.In biotic samples, the number of ingested plastics was influenced by the animal group, with reptiles, birds, and fish being the most affected groups. For abiotic samples, the type of environment emerged as a significant factor.In sediment samples, the quantity of plastics was higher in estuarine and freshwater environments. In water samples, the quantity of plastics was higher exclusively in freshwater environments.The finds of this workcontribute to new research on plastic pollution in Brazilian aquatic environments, expanding theunderstanding of the dynamics of plastics in freshwater environments and their interaction with various organisms.Plásticos são contaminantes onipresentes no planeta, acumulando-se dos polos ao equador, desde ambientes pristinos em grandes altitudes até bacias oceânicas profundas. Investigou-se como a ingestão de plásticos por peixes de água doce é influenciada pelas variações sazonais de uma planície de inundação, bem como as tendências e lacunas da pesquisa brasileira em relação a poluição plástica. Investigou-se também a possível relação entre atividades antropogênicas e as quantidades de plástico encontradas nos ambientes aquáticos brasileiros. Das 23 espécies de peixes analisadas na planície de inundação do alto rio Paraná, nove ingeriram plásticos, e as partículas encontradas são associadas com a atividade pesqueira e o lixo doméstico. A sazonalidade promovida pelo ciclo hidrológico desempenhou um papel importante nas quantidades de plásticos ingeridas por essas espécies, onde o maior número de partículas foi registrado durante o período de cheias. Em relação as tendências e lacunas da pesquisa brasileira sobre a poluição plástica, encontrou-se um grande número de publicações para ambientes marinhos, microplásticos e peixes. Ambientes de água doce e invertebrados permanecem pouco estudados no país. Considerando a distribuição dos estudos dentro dos biomas brasileiros, Pantanal e Cerrado foram os biomas com o menor número de publicações, um fato preocupante visto os importantes rios e bacias que estes abrigam. Por fim, os modelos não encontraram correlações entre a quantidade de plásticos e as atividades antropogênicas dos municípios brasileiros. A ausência dessas relações pode estar relacionada às limitações do conjunto de dados, especificamente devido ao baixo número de estudos com dados disponíveis. Entretanto, outros fatores influenciaram as quantidades de plásticos encontradas. Em amostras bióticas, o número de plásticos ingeridos esteve associado ao grupo animal, sendo os répteis, aves e peixes os mais afetados. Para amostras abióticas, o tipo de ambiente foi um fator influente. Em amostras de sedimento o número de plásticos foi maior para ambientes estuarinos e de água doce. Para as amostras de água, o número de plásticos foi maior apenas para ambientes de água doce. Devido aos efeitos negativos da poluição plástica e à importância econômica e ecológica das espécies afetadas, os resultados desse estudo representam um passo importante na avaliação dos impactos gerados nas populações de peixes de água doce pela ingestão de plásticos. Espera-se que estes resultados contribuam para o direcionamento de novas pesquisas em relação a poluição plástica nos ambientes aquáticos brasileiros, e que estes estudos expandam nosso conhecimento sobre a dinâmica dos plásticos em ambientes de água doce, assim como sua interação com diferentes organismos.Ph

Varamiento masivo de Physalia physalis (Hydrozoa: Physaliidae) en la costa noroccidental de Cuba.

Historically, Physalis physalis (Linnæus, 1758) massive stranding events have been either infrequent or poorly documented. However, their occurrence can significantly affect human health and the stability of coastal ecosystems. This study analyzes a massive P. physalis stranding that affected Cuba’s NW coast in December 2022. During the event, eighty-five people were stung, with 38 having strong allergic reactions. To determine P. physalis abundance, we counted all colonies during the massive event along ~ 3 km coast within a 5 m strip. Density, dimorphic form (left/right-handed), and colony size were quantified using a 0,25 m2 quadrat placed every 50 m, 10 m from the shoreline. Over ten thousand beach cast colonies were recorded, making this the event with the highest mean colony density (29,3 per m2) ever reported. The massive stranding coincided with the lowest Arctic Oscillation index (-2,59) in the past 11 years during December, which led to northeasterly winds reaching up to 24 km/h, which might have favored the landings. Wind direction and speed, coupled with the dominance of left-handed colonies (71,4%), suggest the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre as a possible origin source of the bloom. The high prevalence of juvenile P. physalis colonies (68%) likely aligns with the autumn breeding season in the northern hemisphere. The potential causes of P. physalis blooms are still poorly understood. Systematic monitoring of the distribution and abundance of this species should be a research priority considering the potential risk to human health and the fact that the blooms could become more frequent on the Atlantic coasts due to its eutrophication and climate change.Los varamientos masivos de Physalia physalis (Linnæus, 1758) han sido poco frecuentes o mal documentados. Sin embargo, pueden tener un impacto significativo en la salud humana y los ecosistemas costeros. En este estudio, analizamos un varamiento masivo en la costa NO de Cuba en diciembre de 2022. Durante el evento, 85 personas sufrieron picaduras y 38 experimentaron reacciones alérgicas graves. Para cuantificar la abundancia, se contó el número de colonias que vararon a lo largo de ~ 3 km de costa. Adicionalmente, se cuantificó la densidad, la forma dimórfica y el tamaño de las colonias utilizando cuadrantes de 0,25 m2 colocados cada 50 m a 10 m de la orilla. Se registraron más de diez mil colonias, convirtiendo este evento en el de mayor densidad media de colonias (29,3 por m2) reportada hasta la actualidad. El varamiento masivo coincidió con el Índice de Oscilación del Atlántico más bajo (-2,59) en los últimos 11 años durante diciembre, que provocó vientos del noreste de hasta 24 km/h, lo cual pudo favorecer los varamientos. La dirección y velocidad del viento, junto con la dominancia de colonias con velas orientadas a la izquierda (71,4%), sugieren que el Giro Subtropical del Atlántico Norte podría ser una posible fuente de origen de la floración. La prevalencia de colonias juveniles (68%) coincidió con la temporada de reproducción en el hemisferio norte. Las causas potenciales de las floraciones de P. physalis han sido poco estudiadas. El monitoreo sistemático de la distribución y abundancia de esta especie debe ser una prioridad de investigación, dado el riesgo potencial para la salud humana y la posibilidad de que las floraciones se vuelvan más frecuentes en las costas del Atlántico debido a su eutroficación y al cambio climático.PublishedReferee

Identificação molecular e interação parasito-hospedeiro de híbridos do gênero Piaractus no alto rio Paraná.

Hybridization is the interspecific crossing of species with the potential to optimize zootechnical indices, and this is a common practice in fish farming. However, inadequate management and facilities lead to escapes and fish settling in natural environments, with the possibility of impacts on local biocenoses. Little is known about genetic damage and parasite-host interactions in the case of hybrid escapes. The aims of this thesis are: i) to identify the fish morphologically collected as pacu (P. mesopotamicus) in the upper Paraná River using molecular markers such as: mitochondrial COI (cytochrome C oxidase, subunit I) and nuclear TROP (α-tropomyosin); ii) to evaluate parasite-host interactions for hybrids and their parents that coexist in the same environment, using network analysis through the metrics of modularity and nesting and then recalculating these metrics after the removal of pure and native individuals (P. mesopotamicus). The fish were identified as P. mesopotamicus, P. brachypomus, first generation hybrids (F1) with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from P. brachypomus and nuclear DNA (nDNA) from P. mesopotamicus and P. brachypomus and advanced hybrids with mtDNA from P. brachypomus and nDNA from P. mesopotamicus. Regarding parasite-host interactions, the network metrics showed a tendency towards a decrease in modularity and nestedness for general and ectoparasite networks and an increase for endoparasites, after the removal of P. mesopotamicus, showing that native individuals have interactions that alter network metrics. Regarding cascade extinctions, there were no differences between hosts. This study reinforces the importance of research into hybrids in natural environments and raises concerns about genetic contamination, vulnerability to infection/infestation by parasites, and the local decline of native species, which are important for fishing and subsistence.A hibridização consiste no cruzamento interespecífico de espécies com potencial de otimização dos índices zootécnicos, sendo essa prática corriqueira na piscicultura. No entanto, o manejo e as instalações inadequadas fazem com que ocorram escapes e os peixes se instalam em ambientes naturais, com possibilidade de impactos sobre as biocenoses locais. Pouco se sabe sobre os danos genéticos e as interações parasito-hospedeiro em caso de escapes de híbridos. Os objetivos desta tese são: i) identificar os peixes morfologicamente coletados como pacu (P. mesopotamicus) no alto rio Paraná utilizando marcadores moleculares tais como: mitocondrial COI (citocromo C oxidase, subunidade I) e nuclear TROP (α-tropomiosina); ii) avaliar as interações parasito-hospedeiro para híbridos e seus parentais que coexistem no mesmo ambiente, utilizando análise de rede por meio das métricas de modularidade e aninhamento e posteriormente recalculando essas métricas após a remoção dos indivíduos puros e nativos (P. mesopotamicus). Os peixes foram identificados como P. mesopotamicus, P. brachypomus, híbridos de primeira geração (F1) com DNA mitocondrial (mtDNA) de P. brachypomus e DNA nuclear (nDNA) de P. mesopotamicus e P. brachypomus e híbrido avançado com mtDNA de P. brachypomus e nDNA de P. mesopotamicus. A maioria dos indivíduos coletados eram híbridos, somando mais de 75% da amostragem. Sobre as interações parasito-hospedeiro, as métricas de rede mostraram tendência a diminuição da modularidade e aninhamento para redes gerais e de ectoparasito e aumento para endoparasitos, após a remoção de P. mesopotamicus, mostrando que os indivíduos nativos apresentam interações que alteram as métricas das redes. Sobre as extinções em cascata, não houve diferenças entre os hospedeiros. Reforça-se a importância de pesquisas sobre híbridos em ambientes naturais e sinaliza as preocupações com contaminação genética, vulnerabilidade quanto a infecção/infestação aos parasitos, e o declínio local da espécie nativa que é importante para as diferentes modalidades de pesca, com destaque para a de subsistência.Ph

Proceedings of the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research 49th SCOR Annual Meeting, Volume 59, 2023

This proceeding summarizes the discussions during the 49th SCOR Annual Meeting held in Guayaquil, Ecuador, 17-19 October 2023. This proceeding also provides information from and links to the background information submitted for review at the meeting, including the proposals for new working groups and the reports from current SCOR working groups, projects, capacity development activities, and affiliated and partner organizations, all of which were traditionally included in the SCOR Annual Meeting background book until 2019. All of these can also be accessed online through the SCOR website at: https://scor-int.org/events/scor-2023-annual-meeting/.PublishedNon Referee

Greater flamingos as winged flagship species at the boundaries of Circeo Man and Biosphere Reserve

The greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus, Pallas 1811) is a typical migratory Mediterranean species, even if considered nesting in the area only from few years to date, with a first documentation of a nesting event in Italy in 1993 (Schenk et al., 1995; Béchet et al., 2009). The typical coloring pattern due to the feeding strategy adopted by these migrating birds make the species particularly interesting from the wider audience. It is what was observed in the nearby of the transitional ecosystems associated to the brackish water of Caprolace Lake. This place is not so crowded normally, but due to the presence of many photographers and curious observers the presence of the pinkish colony turned rapidly the lake shores into a meeting point for many curious eyes attracted from this natural astonishing event. On 2nd February is normally celebrated the World Wetland Day and this contribution is published accordingly, in order to celebrate somehow these field observations occurred in the nearby of this important date, considered as the anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, signed in Ramsar on 2 February 1971.PublishedReferee

Ocean Decade Vision 2030 White Papers – Challenge 8: Create a digital representation of the ocean.

Ocean Decade Challenge 8 of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 (the ‘Ocean Decade’) seeks to create an adaptive and dynamic digital representation of the ocean to make the ocean accessible to a broader community, to enhance decision-making and to support sustainable ocean management. While creating a comprehensive digital representation of the Ocean is the ultimate objective of Decade Challenge 8, the focus in this White Paper is on delivering concrete outcomes and the transformational change needed to create the enabling environment and initial digital content, by 2030, that will allow us to fully deliver on the ambitions of Challenge 8 on the longer term. An Implementation Plan (IP) for the Ocean Decade’s Data and Information Strategy is currently under development by the Data Strategy Implementation Group (DSIG). This IP will outline how data systems participating in the Ocean Decade can co-create a distributed, robust, and collaborative ‘digital ecosystem’ that leverages open, scalable, easily implementable, and responsive technologies and management solutions. An interoperable, distributed data and information sharing system must be both deployed and maintained to allow the realization of Challenge 8, addressing specific challenges such as data interoperability, accessibility, and inclusivity. Additionally, potential issues related to data privacy, cybersecurity, and equitable access to technological infrastructure should be addressed to ensure the comprehensive development of the strategic ambition. In developing the Strategic Ambition for Challenge 8, we consider the data and information needs and priorities identified by the other Decade Challenges and their working groups, as our primary users (and contributors), representing as they do the key sustainability challenges for the Decade, and encompassing all relevant stakeholders. Guided by the Decade’s ambition to ‘leave no one behind’ we recognize that this challenge must deliver outputs that are relevant and useful for the global ocean science community, and in fact by extension the widest possible range of users and stakeholders, including the eight billion people on this planet, who should be able to access and use what is delivered by the Decade in ways adapted to their needs and capacities, if so desired. By 2030, the Strategic Ambition for Ocean Decade Challenge 8 is to have in place the enabling environment for the creation of and access to an increasing number of digital representations and twin applications of the Ocean as well as the underpinning data and information needed to develop them, delivering at minimum 10 societally relevant 0global base-layers accessible via a global online Digital Atlas, complemented by a minimum of 10 local use cases (prioritizing SIDS and LDCs) to address challenges in using and contributing to the Decade’s distributed digital ecosystem and to demonstrate and stress test its relevance, effectiveness and inclusiveness.PublishedReferee

Human health risk assessment of heavy metal(oid)s in four fish species harvested from the Bizerte lagoon (Tunisia).

This study investigated the levels of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) exposure in the child and adult populations in Tunisia. The heavy metal(loid) (HM) content in muscle and the organ mixture of four commercial species of fish widely available and consumed were determined (Sparus aurata, Dicentrarchus labrax, Liza aurata, Sarpa salpa). The fish samples were prepared using a wet digestion method, and the HM analysis was carried out using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results indicated that all fish organs had high amounts of Pb and As and high levels of Cd and Zn in some organs. Based on the exploratory data analysis, fish species can be differentiated according to their diet. The estimated daily intake values for the children's population have exceeded the permissible levels for Cd and As, whereas they were only exceeded for As for the adult population. Only Fe's Target Hazard Quotient exceeded the permissible limit. The evaluation of the carcinogenic risk associated with the consumption of the four fish species from the Bizerte lagoon indicated a potential carcinogenic effect related to lead (Pb) exposure. In this lagoon, HM contamination of fish is requiring both a short-term and long-term approach to ensure the safety of marine products.PublishedReferee