Cross-species testing and utility of microsatellite loci in Indirana frogs

Background Microsatellite loci are widely used in population and conservation genetic studies of amphibians, but the availability of such markers for tropical and subtropical taxa is currently very limited. In order to develop resources for conservation genetic studies in the genus Indirana, we tested amplification success and polymorphism in 62 previously developed microsatellite loci, in eight Indirana species - including new candidate species. Developing genomic resources for this amphibian taxon is particularly important as it is endemic to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, and harbours several endangered species. Findings The cross-species amplification success rate varied from 11.3 % to 29.0 % depending on the species, with 29 - 80 % of the amplifying loci being polymorphic. A strong negative correlation between cross-species amplification success (and polymorphism) and genetic distance separating target from source species was observed. Conclusions Our results provide additional genetic support for the existence of genetically divergent cryptic species within the genus Indirana. The tested markers should be useful for population and conservation genetic studies in this genus, and in particular, for species closely related to the source species, I. beddomii.Peer reviewe

Variation in fish catches from the continental shelf between Quilon and Gulf of Mannar and its relation to oceanographic conditions during the southwest monsoon period

The present paper is based on the fishing results of FORV Sagar Sampada during July-August, 1987 along the southwest coast of India. The fish fauna of the Quilon Bank and Wadge Bank has a dominant nemipterid element and the Gulf of Mannar area has a dominant population of barracudas. Nemipterids constituted 88.2 and 64.4% of the total trawl catch from the Quilon Bank and Wadge Bank respectively

Unraveling the effects of live microalgal enrichment on Artemia nauplii

Artemia nauplii, though deficient in many essential nutrients, are used extensively in fish/shellfish larviculture. Enrichment using various diets can enhance their nutrient profile to the required level. The present study examines the effects of enrichment of Artemia nauplii with live microalgae viz., Pavlova viridis, Isochrysis galbana, Nannochloropsis oculata and Dicrateria inornata. Total length and width, survival percentage and the fatty acid profile of the microalgae enriched and unenriched nuaplii were estimated at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 h time intervals. No significant increase in total length and width was observed between the enriched and unenriched Artemia nauplii during the study, indicating the absence of any enrichment diet induced growth rate of the nauplii. Salinity stress study revealed that the microalgae enriched nauplii can live long in low saline conditions than the unenriched nauplii. The total PUFA content of the live microalgae enriched nauplii reached maximum at 7 h post-enrichment followed by a significant drop after 9 h. The results of the study indicated that live microalgae can be used as excellent enrichment dietary sources for Artemia nauplii, which in turn can provide many of the vital nutrients essential for fish larviculture

Effect of salinity stress on biochemical constituents and ArHsp22 gene expression in Artemia franciscana

The present study analysed the effect of salinity stress on survival, biochemical constituents such as soluble protein, amino acid, trehalose and fatty acid, as well as real time expression of the Artemia heat-shock protein 22 (ArHsp 22) gene in Artemia franciscana. Results of the study revealed that Artemia can withstand sudden salinity increase up to 200 ppt without any mortality up to 6 h. Significantly higher mortality percentage was recorded at 24 h of incubation at 200 ppt. Short-term exposure to hypersaline conditions significantly reduced the protein content in Artemia while the protein biosynthesis enhanced after 24 h of incubation at 150 ppt salinity. Long term exposure to 200 ppt salinity did not show any further increase in amino acid content as observed at 100 and 150 ppt conditions, indicating reduced rate of amino acid metabolism and stress. Salt stress induced the synthesis of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in Artemia especially the 22:6n-3 and 20:5n-3 after 24 h of incubation at 150 ppt . Exposure to higher salinity induced trehalose production which indicated its vital role in combating salt stress in Artemia. The present study also indicated that short-term salt stress can significantly enhance the ArHsp22 gene expression in Artemia adults

Performance of the ocean state forecast system at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services

The reliability of the operational Ocean State Forecast system at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) during tropical cyclones that affect the coastline of India is described in this article. The performance of this system during cyclone Thane that severely affected the southeast coast of India during the last week of December 2011 is reported here. Spec-tral wave model is used for forecasting the wave fields generated by the tropical cyclone and vali-dation of the same is done using real-time automated observation systems. The validation results indicate that the forecasted wave parameters agree well with the measurements. The feedback from the user community indicates that the forecast was reliable and highly useful. Alerts based on this operational ocean state forecast system are thus useful for protecting the property and lives of the coastal communities along the coastline of India. INCOIS is extending this service for the benefit of the other countries along the Indian Ocean rim

പടന്നയിലെ കല്ലുമ്മക്കായ കൃഷിനാശം : കൃഷി വീണ്ടെടുക്കാൻ ചില നിർദേശങ്ങൾ 2016 - 17 ൽ CMFRI നടത്തിയ പഠനറിപ്പോർട്ടിന്റെ പ്രസക്തഭാഗങ്ങൾ

പടന്നയിലെ കല്ലുമ്മക്കായ കൃഷിനാശം : കൃഷി വീണ്ടെടുക്കാൻ ചില നിർദേശങ്ങൾ 2016 - 17 ൽ CMFRI നടത്തിയ പഠനറിപ്പോർട്ടിന്റെ പ്രസക്തഭാഗങ്ങ

Wave forecasting and monitoring during very severe cyclone Phailin in the Bay of Bengal

Wave fields, both measured and forecast during the very severe cyclone Phailin, are discussed in this communication. Waves having maximum height of 13.54 m were recorded at Gopalpur, the landfall point of the cyclone. The forecast and observed significant wave heights matched well at Gopalpur with correlation coefficient of 0.98, RMS error of 0.35 m and scatter index of 14%. Forecasts were also validated in the open ocean and found to be reliable (scatter index < 15%). The study also revealed the presence of Southern Ocean swells with a peak period of 20-22 sec hitting Gopalpur coast along with the cyclone-generated waves

Marine Fisheries Policy Series No.10; Guidance for Good Mussel Farming Practices in India based on a Case study from Kerala

In India, the adoption of mussel (Perna viridis) farming, practice began in 1996 when it was field tested in the shallow backwaters of Padanna in Kasaragod District of Kerala. This paved the way for commercial mussel production from northern districts of Kerala, particularly in Padanna Backwaters by coastal villagers. There was a steady rise in mussel production from estuarine farms till 2008, which was followed by a reduction since 2009. During 2015, this rate of reduction in farmed mussel production was drastic, recording as high as 93.8%, when compared to the 2014 figures. This reduction was not restricted to Padanna Backwaters alone, as there was mortality and decline in production in all northern districts of Kerala in 2015. Mussel farming sector of Padanna Backwaters is confronted with several problems. With rapid growth in farming the availability of mussel seeds became limiting and farmers sourced seeds from distant locations resulting in poor seed quality at the time of seeding. The supply-demand gap pushed the farmers to compromise on the seed quality. This resulted in tended mussel stocks which were susceptible to stress. The environmental degradation in the farmed area of Padanna due to excessive number of farms per unit area and reduced flushing of water in certain pockets was further burdened by the extremely high ambient air and water temperatures in 2015-16. The prevailing environmental anomaly resulted in higher than normal salinity and high temperature, which compounded the environmental stress on the farmed mussels. This resulted in a crisis in February 2016, leading to stunted growth, high mortality and prevalence of the protozoan parasite,   Perkinsus olseni. The CMFRI’s scientific team which has been monitoring the mussel farming activity in the area, setup a task force to identify the issues and suggest solutions to farmers and the Government. The adoption of sustainable aquaculture practices in Padanna Backwaters by improving the quality of seeds, enhancing the flushing rates, modifying the farm layout and reducing the farming density per unit area are among the 21 recommendations proposed by CMFRI task force to tackle these challenges. These recommendations are complementary to the global guidelines for Best Aquaculture Practices for mussels. This requires the collaborative effort from the farmers, local administration and the fisheries department

Effect of cross-linked biodegradable polymers on sustained release of sodium diclofenac-loaded microspheres

The objective of this study was to formulate an oral sustained release delivery system of sodium diclofenac(DS) based on sodium alginate (SA) as a hydrophilic carrier in combination with chitosan (CH) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC) as drug release modifiers to overcome the drug-related adverse effects and to improve bioavailability. Microspheres of DS were prepared using an easy method of ionotropic gelation. The prepared beads were evaluated for mean particle size, entrapment efficiency, swelling capacity, erosion and in-vitro drug release. They were also subjected to various studies such as Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FTIR) for drug polymer compatibility, Scanning Electron Microscopy for surface morphology, X-ray Powder Diffraction Analysis (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimetric Analysis (DSC) to determine the physical state of the drug in the beads. The addition of SCMC during the preparation of polymeric beads resulted in lower drug loading and prolonged release of the DS. The release profile of batches F5 and F6 showed a maximum drug release of 96.97 ± 0.356% after 8 h, in which drug polymer ratio was decreased. The microspheres of sodium diclofenac with the polymers were formulated successfully. Analysis of the release profiles showed that the data corresponds to the diffusion-controlled mechanism as suggested by Higuchi