Harnessing Garlic Extract and AI for Sustainable Disease Mitigation in Aquaculture

This comprehensive study delves into alternative and sustainable disease management in aquaculture, particularly in cultured rabbitfish (Siganus rivulatus) susceptible to Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Acknowledging the vulnerabilities in conventional veterinary medications and the need for rapid diagnosis, the research investigates the use of raw garlic extract as a dietary supplement alongside machine learning-based diagnostic methodologies. Using histo-biochemical analyses, the study finds that fish treated with garlic extract showed significant resistance to infection without visible signs of lethality. Furthermore, machine learning classifiers achieved an accuracy rate of 97.2% in distinguishing healthy and infected fish. The study thus provides evidence for garlic's potential role as a sustainable antimicrobial agent, and machine learning's efficacy for rapid, accurate diagnosis

Spatial investigation on coral-turf algae interactions in fringing reefs of the Jordan Gulf of Aqaba- Red Sea

February 23-25, 2010, Phuket, ThailandDeclines in coral cover are generally associated with increases in turf algae abundance- thus often termed a phase-shift from coral reef to an algae-dominated system. Turf algae coverage on the reef was measured at seven sites affected to varying degrees by industrial and recreational activities along the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba (GoA). Using SCUBA to conduct transect surveys at two depths of each site, turf algae incidence was calculated in relation to total reef area (all live and dead reef) and in comparison to bare, algae-free dead coral reef. At every site, levels of turf algae were higher in the shallower depth (8 m), and more live reef was determined at the deeper depth (15 m). The two sites with the most turf algae, and least live reef coverage, are within close proximity to heavy industrial developments, while the site with the least turf algae and most live reef cover lies within a public beach, inside the Marine Park, which prohibits fishing. The average turf algae cover in relation to total reef area for all the sites and both depths is 28%, while bare dead coral to total reef proportion is a greater percentage: 40%. This may indicate that the potential phase-shift from coral reef to turf algae is not yet incurable, but with significant action, can be slowed, halted, or even reversed especially at sites in close proximity to anthropogenic influences such as construction and nutrient (i.e. Phosphorus and Nitrogen) over-enrichment

Temporal variations in coral reef health at a coastal industrial site on the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea

A detailed ecological study was conducted for three years (2001–03) on a 5 km stretch of well-developed coral reef facing an industrial site in the southernmost section of the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. The degree of modification associated with the prevailing ecological factors was assessed with respect to species diversity and abundance of the major groups of the macrobenthic community: corals, bivalves, hydrozoans, echinoderms, sponges and macroalgae. Three locations of two depths each – 6 and 12 m – were selected and surveyed using the visual census point-intercept method. The actual area of the survey covered about 2250 m2. Macrobenthic communities occurring close to the industrial jetty were characterized by low diversity and the obvious dominance of soft coral (16–30% cover). In the deep transects (12 m) hard coral cover was higher than that in the shallow transects (30–55%). Correlation analyses indicated that species richness increased with increasing distance from the industrial jetty. Species richness of other macrobenthos was also higher as depth increased. The results revealed that the distribution and abundance of coral, echinoderms, hydrozoans and macroalgae were correlated with the relative importance of bottom modification within the various locations in the entire study area. However, no distinct influence of location or depth on the identities of most macrobenthic species was indicated

Coral Reef Monitoring: From Cytological Parameters to Community Indices

Sound-ecosystem-based management of coral reefs is largely based on indicators of reef health state. Currently there are various ecological parameters that serve as reef state indices; however, their practical implications are under debate. In the present study we examine an alternative parameter, the deterioration index (DI), which does not purport to replace the traditional indices but can provide a reliable, stand-alone indication of reef state. Patterns of cytological indices, which are considered as reliable indicators of environmental stressors, have been compared to ten selected reef community indices. The DI showed the highest correlations among community indices to the cytological indices in artificial reefs and high correlation in natural reefs as well. Our results suggest that in cases of lacking adequate monitoring abilities where a full set of community indices cannot be obtained, the DI can serve in many cases as the preferred, stand-alone indicator of coral reef state

Collapse of a new living species of giant clam in the Red Sea

SummaryGiant clams are among the most spectacular but also the most endangered marine invertebrates. Their large size and easy accessibility has caused overfishing and collapse of the natural stocks in many places and local extinction in some of the species [1, 2]. The diversity of giant clams is extremely low because of reliction in this Tethyan group [3, 4]. The latest additions of living species date back almost two decades [5–7], fixing the number of extant Tridacna at seven species [3]. Here, we report the discovery of a new species of giant clam: Tridacna costata sp. nov. features characteristic shells with pronounced vertical folds, is genetically distinct, and shows an earlier and abbreviated reproduction than its Red Sea congeners. This species represents less than 1% of the present stocks but up to >80% of the fossil shells. The decline in proportion and shell size (20×) indicates overharvesting [8] dating back to the early human occupation of the Red Sea >125,000 years ago [9]. This earliest depletion reported so far of a shallow-water megafaunal invertebrate has important ramifications for human dispersal out of Africa [10]. Its oversight in one of the best-investigated reef provinces [11–13] illustrates the dearth of knowledge on marine biodiversity