Tursiops truncatus ssp. gephyreus, Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin

No abstract available

Trophic niche partitioning of five skate species of genus Bathyraja in northern and central Patagonia, Argentina

Overexploitation of marine communities can lead to modifications in the structure of the food web and can force organisms like elasmobranchs to change their feeding habits. To evaluate the impact that fisheries have on food webs and on the interactions between species, it is necessary to describe and quantify the diet of the species involved and follow it through time. This study compares the diet of five skate species using the data obtained from the by-catch of the Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) fishery in north and central Patagonia, Argentina. Diet composition was assessed by analysing the digestive tract contents and trophic overlapping between species of the genus Bathyraja: Bathyraja albomaculata, Bathyraja brachyurops, Bathyraja macloviana, Bathyraja magellanica and Bathyraja multispinis. A total of 184 stomachs were analysed. The diets of B. albomaculata and B. macloviana mainly comprised annelids, whereas that of B. brachyurops primarily comprised fish, including hake heads discarded by the fishery. The diets of B. magellanica and B. multispinis were largely based on crustaceans. Despite the morphological similarities and their shared preference for benthic habitats, no complete diet overlaps were found between the different species. These results suggest that these skate species have undergone a process of diet specialisation. This is a common feeding strategy that occurs to successfully eliminate competition when resources are limited, which corresponds to the conditions found in an environment being affected by the pressures of overfishing.Fil: Tschopp, Ayelen. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Cristiani, Franco. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud - Sede Puerto Madryn. Departamento de Biología y Ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Garcia, Nestor Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; ArgentinaFil: Crespo, Enrique Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud - Sede Puerto Madryn. Departamento de Biología y Ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Coscarella, Mariano Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Centro para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Ciencias de la Salud - Sede Puerto Madryn. Departamento de Biología y Ambiente; Argentin

Consumption of marine mammals by broadnose sevengill shark Notorynchus cepedianus in the northern and central Patagonian shelf

The study of food habits of the broadnose sevengill shark (Notorynchus cepedianus) based on the observation of the stomach contents of 22 individuals, revealed the importance of marine mammals as part of the shark's diet. The analysis showed that marine mammals represent at least 30% of the total consumed biomass by broadnose sevengill sharks. The frequency of occurrence was estimated to be 35%. The three pinnipeds with local distribution and at least two species of cetaceans were consumed. Although consumption of marine mammal was high, there was no evidence of direct attack on living preys by N. cepedianus, in Argentine waters

New oral anti-coagulation drugs and prostate biopsy: a call for guidelines

Background: Prostate biopsy is a rather frequent procedure, mostly performed in outpatient settings. Bleeding complications following this procedure require precise and delicate management of pre-, peri- and post-procedure anti-coagulation treatments. New oral anti-coagulation drugs (NOACs) are increasingly used. However, the management of such treatments is feared and not yet well known to urologists. A protocol for prostate biopsy management of NOACs seems mandatory. Materials and methods: A review of the literature, using Pubmed and Cochrane databases, together with analysis of several medical associations’ recommendations in urology, anaesthesiology, cardiology, oncology and drug safety agency, was performed. Results: There are no recommendations about NOAC management for prostate biopsy available from scientific societies. There is also a lack of specific urological studies. However, several panels of expert recommendations could be helpful in establishing standardized protocols adapted from surgery to prostate biopsy. With the growing use of NOACs, recommendations have shifted to continue anti-coagulant treatment without bridging NOACs for low bleeding risk procedures such as prostate biopsy, in carefully selected groups of patients. Conclusion: Extensive indications coupled with the ease of use of NOACs contribute significantly to the widespread replacement of traditional vitamin K antagonist. Knowing that heparin bridging leads to more bleeding, and in the pursuit of more autonomy and safety, urologists should be able to propose dedicated anti-coagulant management using NOACs adapted to carefully selected patients before the prostate biopsy procedure. Further studies and guidelines specific to the concept of non-bridging for anti-coagulant-requiring patients are mandatory for this routine procedure.SCOPUS: re.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Direct and Indirect Effects of the Highseas Fisheries on the Marine Mammal Populations in the Northern and Central Patagonian Coast

Since 1989, interactions between marine mammals and fisheries have been monitored along the Atlantic Patagonian coast. The Argentinian national fishing fleet in the area is composed of approximately 208 vessels (75% trawlers; 16% jiggins; 9% longliners). The fleet operates the year-round from eight harbours between Escondida Island and San Jorge Gulf (80 000 naut. miles2). The important target species are: hake (Merluccius hubbsi), shortfin squid (Illex argentinus) and shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri), while several tons of other fish are discarded. The dusky dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obscurus), the Commerson's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii) and the southern sea lion (Otaria flavescens) are incidentally caught. The dolphins become entangled mainly in mid-water trawls at night, while the sea lions become entangled in any kind of trawl. Annual mortality rates obtained are 170-480 sea lions (mostly males; figure estimated to be 1-2% of the population size in the area), 70-200 dusky dolphins (70% females) and 25-170 Commerson's dolphins. Feeding habits of top predators, fish catch and bycatch of the fishery were also studied. Dusky dolphins in the area prey mainly on anchovy and squid, while hake was the most important food item for Commerson's dolphins and male southern sea lions. Squid is also important prey for sea lions and overlaps in size with the fish taken by the commercial fishery. Fishing areas for squid taken by jigging vessels overlap in part with those of foraging sea lions. Even though the commercial size for hake is 30 cm or larger, smaller hakes are largely discarded by the fishery. A combination of operational and specific interactions have been detected. At present, mortality rates seem to be low and there is insufficient evidence of competition for prey species. However, there is concern about the large amounts of fish (particularly hake) discarded by the fishery