Marine biology on a violated planet: from science to conscience

Humanity's self-ordained mandate to subdue and dominate nature is part of the cognitive foundation of the modern world—a perspective that remains deeply ingrained in science and technology. Marine biology has not been immune to this anthropocentric bias. But this needs to change, and the gaps between basic scientific disciplines and the global conservation imperatives of our time need to be bridged. In the face of a looming ecological and climate crisis, marine biologists must upgrade their values and professional standards and help foster the radical transformation needed to avert a climate and ecological breakdown. To prevent some of the damage, they must cross the imaginary line that separates science from science-based activism and consciously pursue the health and durability of human and natural communities. To this end, they can (1) develop compelling narratives that engage human society, with emphasis on care for the wild living world; (2) move beyond marine conservation on paper and avoid self-serving complaisance; (3) advocate constructive changes in market and human behaviour, not only by documenting damage but also by clarifying how the extraction, production and consumption system can be steered away from practices that harm nature; (4) push for systemic change in politics through individual and collective efforts, supporting environmental activism and those who demand biosphere-saving policies; and (5) endorse a more ecocentric and holistic world vision, relinquishing contempt for spiritual wisdom and liaising with (or at least not dismissing) spiritual traditions that encourage equality, self-restraint and environmental sustainability

First report of a common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) death following penetration of a biopsy dart

ABSTRACT The remote collection of skin and blubber biopsy samples from free-ranging cetaceans is a powerful technique which has been increasingly used by scientists in recent years in a wide range of applications, particularly with respect to genetic and contaminant studies. Biopsy sampling, if carried out responsibly, is known to cause low-level reactions, and is unlikely to produce long-term deleterious effects. However, this technique is not completely devoid of risk for the sampled animals, particularly for smaller odontocetes. This paper reports the death of a common dolphin in the central Mediterranean Sea, following penetration of a biopsy dart and subsequent handling. The dolphin was hit in the dorsal muscle mass below the dorsal fin by a lightweight pneumatic dart fired from a distance of 6m by a variable-power CO 2 dart projector. The methods and equipment had been previously successfully used with minimal effect on common dolphins and other species under similar conditions; it was therefore considered to be relatively uninvasive and more likely to reduce disturbance while increasing sample retrieval. However, in the reported event, a dart stuck in the dorsal muscle mass instead of recoiling as expected. Less than 2min after the hit, the dolphin began catatonic head-up sinking, and was recovered by a team member at depth. Basic medical care was given to ensure haemostasis, but the animal died 16min later. Minimal overall bleeding and a small wound in the thick muscle mass were not among the suspected causes of death. This may have been the consequence of either indirect vertebral trauma or stress. Furthermore, the dolphin had a relatively thin (7mm) blubber layer, that may have contributed to the unwanted outcome of the biopsy attempt. The author stresses that scientists should only adopt even mildly intrusive research methods after careful review and risk assessment in the light of the precautionary principle, and that their decisions must be reviewed on a regular basis according to the best available evidence

Onset of vitiligo in a patient with acquired secondary hypogonadism under treatment with testosterone gel 2%: inside the pathogenesis

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I cetacei del Golfo di Corinto, Grecia

Il Golfo di Corinto, nella Grecia centrale, è un bacino semichiuso di 2400 km2. Con le sue ampie piattaforme continentali, ripi-de zone di scarpata e acque profonde fino a 900 m, il Golfo è letteralmente un piccolo “mediterraneo”, non solo perché circondato da terre e rilievi montuosi, ma anche per la varietà degli ecosistemi marini che ospita. Tre specie di cetacei sono presenti in queste acque: 1) la stenella striata (Stenella coerule-oalba), un delfino tipico di ambienti pelagici; 2) il delfino comune (Delphinus delphis), che in Mediterraneo è osservabile sia in ambien-te pelagico sia in zone di scarpata e presso la costa; 3) il tursiope (Tursiops truncatus), tipico della piattaforma continentale. In ag-giunta, il Golfo ospita un quarto odontoce-to: un solo esemplare di grampo (Grampus griseus)...

Neuobičajeno opažanje prugastog dupina (Stenella coeruleoalba) u Kvarneriću, Sjeverni Jadran

An adult striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba, was encountered east of the island of Lošinj on 6 May 1996, and observed from a small inflatable boat for 5 hours. The only cetacean species that has been consistently observed in the Northern Adriatic Sea in the last decades is the bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus. Occasional reports of striped dolphins in the Central and Northern Adriatic Sea may simply reflect the occurrence of stray individuals, but the fact that such observations have only occurred recently might be indicative of a progressive extension of the striped dolphin\u27s range, as has been reported for other Mediterranean areas.Odrasli prugasti dupin, Stenella coeruleoalba, opažen je istočno od otoka Lošinja 6. svibnja 1996. godine i promatran tijekom pet sati iz malog gumenog čamca. Jedina vrsta reda Cetacea (kitovi) koja je redovito viđana u Sjevernom Jadranu posljednjih desetljeća, bio je dobri dupin, Tursiops truncatus. Povremena opažanja prugastog dupina u Srednjem i Sjevernom Jadranu možda su samo pojave zalutalih jedinki, ali činjenica da su se ta opažanja zbila nedavno možda su indikacija progresivnog širenja areala prugastog dupina, a zabilježena su i u drugim dijelovima Sredozemlja

Kitovi i dupini u Jadranskom moru: sadašnje spoznaje, prijetnje i očuvanje

The Adriatic Sea is one of the Mediterranean areas most exposed to cumulative human stressors. This semienclosed and largely shallow basin has been subjected to intensive exploitation and destructive fishing practices for decades, resulting in biodiversity decline and poor ecosystem health. Diversity of cetaceans is lower than in other parts of the Mediterranean, and the extant dolphins and whales have been facing threats that include the combined effects of habitat loss and degradation, prey depletion, incidental mortality and injury caused by fisheries, anthropogenic noise, chemical contamination and climate change. Here, we report information for the nine cetacean species known to occur in the basin (classified as either regular, visitor or vagrant), plus three species characterized by a single record. For these species, we review evidence from field research and other studies – with a bias towards the common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (by far the most intensively-studied cetacean in this area). We also describe and characterize the main threats to cetaceans in the Adriatic, relying on recent literature as well as historical information that helps frame the present status of cetaceans in the context of past human impacts (particularly the extensive killing campaigns conducted until the 1960s). Finally, we provide management recommendations to inform and guide the action that must be taken in compliance with extant legislation, marine conservation directives and international commitments to protect marine biodiversity.Jadransko more je jedno od područja Sredozemnog mora koja su najizloženija kumulativnim ljudskim utjecajima. Ovaj poluzatvoreni i uglavnom plitki bazen je proteklih desetljeća bio izložen intenzivnom iskorištavanju i štetnim ribolovnim praksama, što je dovelo do smanjenja biološke raznolikosti i lošeg stanja ekosustava. Raznolikost kitova i dupina (Cetacea) ovdje je manja nego u drugim područjima Sredozemnog mora i postojeće vrste koje nastanjuju Jadransko more suočavaju se s prijetnjama koje uključuju kombinirane učinke gubitka i degradacije staništa, nedostatka plijena, slučajne smrtnosti i ozljeda uzrokovanih ribolovom, buke izazvane ljudskim aktivnostima, kemijskog zagađenja i klimatskih promjena. U ovom radu navodimo podatke o devet vrsta kitova i dupina za koje je poznato da se pojavljuju u Jadranu (klasificirani su kao redoviti, posjetioci ili skitnice) te tri vrste koje su zabilježene na ovom području samo jednom. Za ove vrste pregledali smo podatke iz terenskih istraživanja i drugih studija, među kojima ih je najviše za dobrog dupina Tursiops truncatus (koji je najintenzivnije proučavana vrsta u ovom području). U radu također opisujemo i navodimo značajke glavnih prijetnji kitovima i dupinima u Jadranskom moru, temeljem recentne literature kao i povijesnih podataka koji pomažu prikazu sadašnjeg stanja tih životinja u kontekstu prošlih ljudskih utjecaja (posebice opsežnih kampanja ubijanja provedenih do 1960-ih). Konačno, donosimo preporuke za upravljanje kako bi omogućili prijenos informacija i usmjeravanje aktivnosti koje se moraju poduzeti u skladu s postojećim zakonodavstvom, direktivama o očuvanju mora i međunarodnim obvezama u pogledu zaštite morske biološke raznolikosti

Immunohistochemical evaluation and clinicopathological correlation of Mer and Axl tyrosine kinase TAM receptors in cutaneous melanoma

Background: Malignant melanoma (MM) is potentially the most dangerous form of skin tumor. In the last few years, the so-called TAM receptors, a unique family of tyrosine kinase (TK) receptors,have become increasingly important. Objectives: To evaluate Mer and Axl TAM receptor expression to find clinicopathological features that could explain the biological behavior of MM. Patients and Methods: Clinicopathological data were obtained from an MM electronic database at our Institute. We reviewed 24 cutaneous MM specimens. TAM receptor expression was assayed using immunohistochemistry. Combinative semiquantitative scoring was used for the evaluation of TAM receptor expression (MerTK and AxlTK). Appropriate statistical methods were used to evaluate a possible correlation between TAM receptor expression and the clinicopathological variables of the MM samples (univariate analysis and multivariate analysis). Results: MerTK and AxlTK were expressed differently in the MM samples, with a major expression of the first receptor. The cells of the tumor microenvironment contributed to the majority of the total score. A significant association was found between AxlScore and the site of the tumor and between AxlScore and the variable ulceration; another correlation was found between MerScore and the lowing characteristics: pathological stage of the tumor (pT), sex, ulceration, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Conclusions: All correlations between the expression of MerTK and AxlTK with the clinical and histological variables of MM should be validated in a large group of people in order to increase the validity and the impact of our observations, with subsequently therapeutic implications in the era of the “targeted therapy.

Whale and dolphin behavioural responses to dead conspecifics

The scientific study of death across animal taxa—comparative thanatology—investigates how animals respond behaviourally, physiologically and psychologically to dead conspecifics, and the processes behind such responses. Several species of cetaceans have been long known to care for, attend to, be aroused by, or show interest in dead or dying individuals. We investigated patterns and variation in cetacean responses to dead conspecifics across cetacean taxa based on a comprehensive literature review. We analysed 78 records reported between 1970 and 2016, involving 20 of the 88 extant cetacean species. We adopted a weighted comparative approach to take observation effort into account and found that odontocetes (toothed cetaceans) were much more likely than mysticetes (baleen whales) to attend to dead conspecifics. Dolphins (Delphinidae) had the greatest occurrence of attentive behaviour (92.3% of all records, with a weighed attendance index 18 times greater than the average of all other cetacean families). Two dolphin genera, Sousa and Tursiops, constituted 55.1% of all cetacean records (N = 43) and showed the highest incidence of attentive behaviour. Results of analyses intended to investigate the reasons behind these differences suggested that encephalisation may be an important predictor, consistent with the "social brain" hypothesis. Among attending individuals or groups of known sex (N = 28), the majority (75.0%) were adult females with dead calves or juveniles (possibly their own offspring, with exceptions), consistent with the strong mother-calf bond, or, in a few cases, with the bond between mothers and other females in the group. The remaining records (25.0%) involved males either showing sexual interest in a dead adult or subadult, or carrying a dead calf in the presence of females. Because an inanimate individual is potentially rescuable, responses to dead conspecifics—especially by females—can be explained at least in part by attempts to revive and protect, having a clear adaptive value. In some cases such responses are followed by apparently maladaptive behaviour such as the long-term carrying of, or standing by, a decomposed carcass, similar to observations of other terrestrial mammals. Among the possible explanations for the observed cetacean behavioural responses to dead conspecifics are strong attachment resulting in a difficulty of "letting go"—possibly related to grieving—or perhaps individuals failing to recognise or accept that an offspring or companion has died. Our current understanding is challenged by small sample size, incomplete descriptions, and lack of information on the physiology and neural processes underpinning the observed behaviour. We provide research recommendations that would improve such understanding.PostprintPeer reviewe