The influence of El Niño Southern Oscillation on the population dynamics of oceanic manta rays in the Mexican Pacific

Oceanic manta rays Mobula birostris are declining globally due to fisheries. Past work has shown that movements and distributions of oceanic manta ray populations are sensitive to climatic fluctuations such as the El Niño Southern Oscillation. The Revillagigedo National Park (RNP), Mexico, is a well-known aggregation site for oceanic manta rays. However, published baseline data on population structure and dynamics, and the influence of oceanographic variables on the abundance of oceanic manta rays in the region are lacking. We used 2015–2019 photo-identification data to describe baseline demographic characteristics of this population and to evaluate the influence of environmental factors on population dynamics. A significant sex bias was found with a female:male ratio of 1.4:1. Mark-recapture (MR) was used to estimate monthly abundance and provided the first superpopulation size estimate of 1172 (± 90), representing all individuals using the RNP during the survey period. The MR analysis suggests a significant relationship between the multivariate ENSO index and monthly survival probabilities, and chlorophyll-a as a driver of recruitment in surveyed dive sites. These findings provide a baseline to support effective conservation and management plans for this endangered species in the Mexican Pacific

Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries

Brucellosis is a highly contagious zoonosis affecting humans and a wide range of domesticated and wild animal species. An important element for effective disease containment is to improve knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of afflicted communities. This study aimed to assess the KAP related to brucellosis at the human–animal interface in an endemic area of Egypt and to identify the risk factors for human infection. A matched case–control study was conducted at the central fever hospitals located in six governorates in northern Egypt. Face‐to‐face interviews with cases and controls were conducted using a structured questionnaire. In total, 40.7% of the participants owned farm animals in their households. The overall mean practice score regarding animal husbandry, processing and consumption of milk and dairy products were significantly lower among cases compared with controls (−12.7 ± 18.1 vs. 0.68 ± 14.2, respectively; p < .001). Perceived barriers for notification of animal infection/abortion were predominate among cases and positively correlated with participants’ education. The predictors of having brucellosis infection were consumption of unpasteurized milk or raw dairy products and practicing animal husbandry. Applying protective measures against infection significantly reduced its risk. A model predicting risk factors for brucellosis among those who own animal showed that frequent abortions per animal increased the chance for brucellosis infection among human cases by 50‐fold (95% CI: 8.8–276.9), whereas the use of protective measures in animal care reduced the odds (OR = 0.11 [95% CI: 0.03–0.45]). In conclusion, consumption of unprocessed dairy products was equally important as contact with infected/aborted animals as major risk factors for Brucella spp. infection among humans in Egypt. There is poor knowledge, negative attitudes and risky behaviours among villagers which can perpetuate the risk of brucellosis transmission at the human–animal interface. This supports the need for integrating health education into the national brucellosis control programme