Distance from a fishing community explains fish abundance in a no-take zone with weak compliance

There are numerous examples of no-take marine reserves effectively conserving fish stocks within their boundaries. However, no-take reserves can be rendered ineffective and turned into ‘paper parks’ through poor compliance and weak enforcement of reserve regulations. Long-term monitoring is thus essential to assess the effectiveness of marine reserves in meeting conservation and management objectives. This study documents the present state of the 15-year old no-take zone (NTZ) of South El Ghargana within the Nabq Managed Resource Protected Area, South Sinai, Egyptian Red Sea. Previous studies credited willing compliance by the local fishing community for the increased abundances of targeted fish within the designated NTZ boundaries compared to adjacent fished or take-zones. We compared benthic habitat and fish abundance within the NTZ and the adjacent take sites open to fishing, but found no significant effect of the reserve. Instead, the strongest evidence was for a simple negative relationship between fishing pressure and distance from the closest fishing village. The abundance of targeted piscivorous fish increased significantly with increasing distance from the village, while herbivorous fish showed the opposite trend. This gradient was supported by a corresponding negative correlation between the amount of discarded fishing gear observed on the reef and increasing distance from the village. Discarded fishing gear within the NTZ suggested decreased compliance with the no-take regulations. Our findings indicate that due to non-compliance the no-take reserve is no longer functioning effectively, despite its apparent initial successes and instead a gradient of fishing pressure exists with distance from the nearest fishing community

Effect of Habitat Characteristics on the Distribution and Abundance of Damselfish Within a Red Sea Reef

For coral reef fish with an obligate relationship to their habitat, like Pomacentrid damselfish, choosing a suitable home amongst the reef structure is key to survival. A surprisingly small number of studies have examined patterns in adult damselfish distributions compared to other ontogenetic phases. The aim of this study was to determine which reef and coral colony characteristics explained adult damselfish distribution patterns in a Red Sea reef. The characteristics investigated were reef type (continuous or patchy), coral species (seven species of Acropora), and coral morphology (coral size and branching density). The focal damselfish species were Dascyllus aruanus, D. marginatus, Chromis viridis, and C. flavaxilla. Occupancy (presence or absence of resident damselfish), group size and fish species richness were not significantly different between the seven Acropora species. However, within each coral species, damselfish were more likely to occupy larger coral colonies than smaller coral colonies. Occupancy rates were also higher in patchy reef habitats than in continuous sections of the reef, probably because average coral colony size was greater in patchy reef type. Fish group size increased significantly with coral colony volume and with larger branch spacing. Multi-species groups of fish commonly occurred and were increasingly likely with reduced branching density and increased coral size

Photo-identification of Dugongs in Marsa Alam and Wadi El Gemal National Park, Egypt

1351-1358Using photo-identification techniques, 30 dugongs were recorded at the southern Egyptian Red Sea coast between December 2015 and October 2017, 16 at Marsa Alam and 14 at Wadi El Gemal National Park (WGNP). Males were recorded seven times more frequently than females and calves were also recorded. A Photo ID catalogue was prepared for the dugongs with records of their occurrence among sites. We confirmed the presence of particular dugong specific sites. Long- and short-distance movements within the study sites were recorded for eight different dugongs. This is the first study to document the number of dugongs in inshore areas of the Egyptian Red Sea coast. Further studies are recommended for offshore sites in WGNP for better documentation of this group of animals

Photo-identification of Dugongs in Marsa Alam and Wadi El Gemal National Park, Egypt

1351-1358Using photo-identification techniques, 30 dugongs were recorded at the southern Egyptian Red Sea coast between December 2015 and October 2017, 16 at Marsa Alam and 14 at Wadi El Gemal National Park (WGNP). Males were recorded seven times more frequently than females and calves were also recorded. A Photo ID catalogue was prepared for the dugongs with records of their occurrence among sites. We confirmed the presence of particular dugong specific sites. Long- and short-distance movements within the study sites were recorded for eight different dugongs. This is the first study to document the number of dugongs in inshore areas of the Egyptian Red Sea coast. Further studies are recommended for offshore sites in WGNP for better documentation of this group of animals

In Situ Hybridization for Molecular Detection of Human Papilloma Viral 6 / 11 DNA in Adenoctomized Tissues from A group of Iraqi Pediatric Patients

هنالك أكثر من 200 من الأنماط الجينية لفايروس الورمي الحليمي البشري والتي تم التعرف عليها من خلال  الترابط مابين الانماط الجينية ذات الاختطار الواطئ للفايروس الحليمي البشري مع مجموعة متنوعة من الأورام الفموية والبلعوم والبلعوم الأنفي وكذلك الأورام الحليمية غير الخبيثة  وتضخم الغدة. هدفت هذه الدراسة  من نوع الاستقصائية- السيطرة إلى تحديد الحمض النووي للفيروس الورمي الحليمي البشري 6/11 في انسجة الغدد البلعومية الأنفية واللوزتين لمجموعة من المرضى الذين يخضعون لاستئصال اللوزتين. تم الحصول على 60عينة من أنسجة اللوزتين الأنفية البلعومية من الأطفال الذين يعانون من تضخم اللوزتين الغدي, تضمنت 40 من أنسجة اللوزتين الأنفية البلعومية للمرضى الذين يعانون من تضخم غدي ، و 20 عينة نسجية من الأطفال  بعد عمليات التشذيب للانسجة الأنفية السفلية بدون  تغييرات مرضية ملحوظة (كمجموعة  سيطرة). تم اجراء الكشف الجزيئي عن الحامض النووي للفيروس الورمي الحليمي البشري نمط 6\11 باستخدام تقنية التهجين الموضعي ذات الحساسية العالية في عينات الأنسجة الضخمة الغدية ز تم العثور على 8 من أصل 40 تحتوي على نتائج إيجابية للحمض النووي للفيروس الحليمي البشري 6\11 حيث شكلت 20 ٪ من إجمالي الأنسجة الغدية البلعومية الأنفية.بينما لاتوجد أي اشارة موجبة للحامض النووي للفايروس الحليمي البشري نمط 6\11 في مجموعة السيطرة. أظهر التحليل الإحصائي للنتائج في هذا البحث اختلافًا كبيرًا مقارنةً  مابين مجموعتي المرضى والسيطرة عند مستوى احتمالية اقل او يساوي 5%. يمكن أن يلعب فيروس الورم الحليمي البشري ذات الاختطار الواطئ في تلك الأنسجة الغدية المتضخمة دورًا في التسبب في الأمراض و / أو يشكل عامل  لانتشار العدوى الفيروسية للانسجة الاخرىAmong more than 200 different human papilloma viral genotypes, the association of low oncogenic risk-HPV genotypes have been recognized with a variety of oral, oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal benign tumors as well as non-neoplastic polyposis and papillomas and adenoid hypertrophy. This prospective case- control study aims to determine the rate of DNA detection of HPV genotype 6/11 in nasopharyngeal adeno- tonsillar tissues from a group of patients subjected to adenoctomy for adenoid hypertrophy . A total number of nasopharyngeal adeno-tonsillar tissue specimens from pediatric patients with adenoid hypertrophy were enrolled; 40 nasopharyngeal adeno-tonsillar tissues from patients with adenoid hypertrophy, and 20 normal nasal tissue specimens were obtained from pediatric patients following trimming operations of their inferior nasal turbinates' with unremarkable pathological changes (as an apparently healthy control group). The molecular detection methods for HPV detection were performed by using DNA probes via a recent version of chromogenic in situ hybridization specified for low- risk HPV genotypes.  Among total adenoid hypertrophied tissue specimens group, 8 out of 40 were found to contain positive results for DNA of HPV 6 / 11 genotype, constituting 20% of the total screened nasopharyngeal adenotonsillar tissues. No positive– CISH reactions were detected in the control nasal tissues. The statistical analysis of results in this research showed significant difference when compared to the control apparently healthy tissues.   The significant rate of low- oncogenic HPV genotypes detection in those adenoid hypertrophied tissues could play, in part, a role in their pathogenesis and / or constituting a herald focus for the spread of such important virally transmitted infection

A Macroscopic and Microscopic Study of Liver in Female Iraqi Green Freshwater Turtle (Chelonia mydas) Linnaeus,1758 during the Active Period

The study aims to provide anatomical and histological information about the liver in female Iraqi green freshwater turtles. Ten female green freshwater turtles (Chelonia mydas) were collected from Shatt Al-Hilla and used in this study. They were anesthetized by chloroform in closed chambers. The anatomical information was recorded and the histological sections of the liver were stained by using hematoxylin and Eosin stains. The result showed that the liver of a female green freshwater turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a large elongated organ. The mean weight of turtles is 735±0.04 gm, and the mean weight of the liver is 28±0.02 gm. The ratio between the weight of the liver to the weight of the body was 3.809 %. The liver of (Chelonia mydas) is formed from three lobes right, left and middle (central) lobes. The right lobe is the large one with an average weight of 13 ±0.022 gm.  It looks like a square and has two surfaces ventral and dorsal (visceral) surface. The left lobe is smaller than the right with an average weight of 9±0.05gm, and its shape is rectangular. The middle lobe is rounded and small. Its mean weight is 7±0.01gm. Histologically, the liver is covered by mesothelium under its connective tissue layer as a hepatic capsule which divided the liver into lobules in the shape of hexagons with portal spaces, from the central to the walls of the hepatocyte

Biodiversity Studies for Sustainable Lagoon: Thermophilic and Tropical Fish Species vs. Endemic Commercial Species at Mellah Lagoon (Mediterranean, Algeria)

Lagoons play an important socio-economic role and represent a precious natural heritage at risk from fishing pressure and chemical and biological pollution. Our research focused on better understanding the discrimination of fish biodiversity, the detection of non-indigenous species, and the valorization of commercial indigenous species at Mellah lagoon (Algeria). Taxonomic characterization and barcoding for all fish species and Inkscape schematic drawings for the most common species are provided. A total of 20 families and 37 species were recorded. The thermophilic species Coris julis, Thalassoma pavo, and Aphanius fasciatus and tropical species such as Gambusia holbrooki and Parablennius pilicornis were identified. Numerous Mediterranean species of socio-economic importance are highlighted, and detailed information is summarized for the lagoon’s sustainability. This short-term evaluation goes hand in hand with long-term programs documenting the interaction between indigenous and non-indigenous species in the lagoon and will allow the development of a provisional relationship model for future studies. Thermophilic and tropical species patterns in the Mellah lagoon are presented. Taken together, we provide useful data that can guide future investigations and may become a potential management tool for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and protecting species with large socio-economic roles from potential thermal stress impact

Fisheries and biodiversity along Mediterranean Sea: Italian and Egyptian coast overview

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Influence of resource availability on the foraging strategies of the triangle butterflyfish chaetodon triangulum in the Maldives.

Obligate coral feeders such as many members of the Chaetodontidae family (also known as butterflyfish) often show strong preferences for particular coral species. This is thought to have evolved through natural selection as an energy-maximising strategy. Although some species remain as highly specialised feeders throughout their lifetime, many corallivores show a degree of dietary versatility when food abundance is limited; a strategy described by the optimal foraging theory. This study aimed to examine if, within-reef differences in the feeding regime and territory size of the Triangle Butterflyfish Chaetodon triangulum occurred, as a function of resource availability. Results showed that the dietary specialisation of C. triangulum was significant in both areas of low and high coral cover (χL22 = 2.52 x 102, P<0.001 and χL22 = 3.78 x 102, P<0.001 respectively). Resource selection functions (RSFs), calculated for the two main sites of contrasting coral assemblage, showed that in the resource-rich environments, only two Genera (Acropora and Pocillopora) were preferentially selected for, with the majority of other corals being actively ‘avoided’. Conversely, in territories of lower coral coverage, C. triangulum was being less selective in its prey choice and consuming corals in a more even distribution with respect to their availability. Interestingly, coral cover appeared to show no significant effect on feeding rate, however it was a primary determinant of territory size. The findings of the study agree with the predictions of the optimal foraging theory, in that where food supply is scarce, dietary specialisation is minimised and territory size increased. This results in maximising energy intake. This study represents the first scientific evidence that C. triangulum is an obligate corallivore and, as with many other butterflyfish, is therefore dependent on healthy scleractinian corals for survival.N

A novel μCT analysis reveals different responses of bioerosion and secondary accretion to environmental variability

Corals build reefs through accretion of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) skeletons, but net reef growth also depends on bioerosion by grazers and borers and on secondary calcification by crustose coralline algae and other calcifying invertebrates. However, traditional field methods for quantifying secondary accretion and bioerosion confound both processes, do not measure them on the same time-scale, or are restricted to 2D methods. In a prior study, we compared multiple environmental drivers of net erosion using pre- and post-deployment micro-computed tomography scans (μCT; calculated as the % change in volume of experimental CaCO3 blocks) and found a shift from net accretion to net erosion with increasing ocean acidity. Here, we present a novel μCT method and detail a procedure that aligns and digitally subtracts pre- and post-deployment μCT scans and measures the simultaneous response of secondary accretion and bioerosion on blocks exposed to the same environmental variation over the same time-scale. We tested our method on a dataset from a prior study and show that it can be used to uncover information previously unattainable using traditional methods. We demonstrated that secondary accretion and bioerosion are driven by different environmental parameters, bioerosion is more sensitive to ocean acidity than secondary accretion, and net erosion is driven more by changes in bioerosion than secondary accretion