Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris) washed ashore on Digha Coast, West Bengal, India

239-242The residual population of the Irrawaddy dolphin in India is one of the most vulnerable marine mammals. Stranded dead male animal of Irrawaddy dolphin length from Digha coast with severed tail and centre of the body is reported in this manuscript

New records of Opisthobranchs (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from Gulf of Mannar, India

1508-1515An extensive survey was carried out to explore the Opisthobranchs and associated faunal community in and around the Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve (GoMBR), South-east coast of India, resulted eight species (Aplysia juliana, Goniobranchus annulatus, Goniobranchus cavae, Goniobranchus collingwoodi, Goniobranchus conchyliatus, Dendrodoris albobrunnea, Elysia nealae, and Thecacera pacifica) which are new records to Indian coastal waters and GoMBR respectively. The detailed description, distribution and morphological characters are presented in this manuscript

A report on rare occurrence of a mushroom coral, Cycloseris cyclolites (Lamarck, 1801) in Gulf of Mannar, India

333-334The frequent heavy–scale climatic oscillations and the recent local disturbances on the reefs worldwide were a menace for biodiversity sustenance. The major concern is that many species of Scleractinian corals could have been lost while being unaware of their existence. The recent survey yielded Cycloseris cyclolites after 29 years in the reef areas of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park

Two new records of Dendronephthya octocorals (Family: Nephtheidae) from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

343-348An extensive survey to explore the variety and distribution of octocorals and associated faunal community in and around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands yielded two species (Dendronephthya mucronata and D. savignyi), which is new zoogeographical record in India. The elaborate description, distribution and morphological characters are presented in this paper. The literature reveals that so far 55 species of Dendronephthya octocorals have been recorded from India

Mutualistic interactions of polychaete, barnacles, mollusca and sea anemone with hermit crab

286-287This corresponding report gives a preliminary description of several most typical symbiotic communities formed in association with large subtidal hermit crabs in the Bay of Bengal coastal waters of the West Bengal, India. The mutualistic interactions of different animals with hermit crabs is presented. Localization on the host and possible competitive relationships with other symbionts are described for the number of model species of macrosymbionts

Population and fertility by age and sex for 195 countries and territories, 1950–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: Population estimates underpin demographic and epidemiological research and are used to track progress on numerous international indicators of health and development. To date, internationally available estimates of population and fertility, although useful, have not been produced with transparent and replicable methods and do not use standardised estimates of mortality. We present single-calendar year and single-year of age estimates of fertility and population by sex with standardised and replicable methods. Methods: We estimated population in 195 locations by single year of age and single calendar year from 1950 to 2017 with standardised and replicable methods. We based the estimates on the demographic balancing equation, with inputs of fertility, mortality, population, and migration data. Fertility data came from 7817 location-years of vital registration data, 429 surveys reporting complete birth histories, and 977 surveys and censuses reporting summary birth histories. We estimated age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs; the annual number of livebirths to women of a specified age group per 1000 women in that age group) by use of spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression and used the ASFRs to estimate total fertility rates (TFRs; the average number of children a woman would bear if she survived through the end of the reproductive age span [age 10–54 years] and experienced at each age a particular set of ASFRs observed in the year of interest). Because of sparse data, fertility at ages 10–14 years and 50–54 years was estimated from data on fertility in women aged 15–19 years and 45–49 years, through use of linear regression. Age-specific mortality data came from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2017 estimates. Data on population came from 1257 censuses and 761 population registry location-years and were adjusted for underenumeration and age misreporting with standard demographic methods. Migration was estimated with the GBD Bayesian demographic balancing model, after incorporating information about refugee migration into the model prior. Final population estimates used the cohort-component method of population projection, with inputs of fertility, mortality, and migration data. Population uncertainty was estimated by use of out-of-sample predictive validity testing. With these data, we estimated the trends in population by age and sex and in fertility by age between 1950 and 2017 in 195 countries and territories. Findings: From 1950 to 2017, TFRs decreased by 49\ub74% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 46\ub74–52\ub70). The TFR decreased from 4\ub77 livebirths (4\ub75–4\ub79) to 2\ub74 livebirths (2\ub72–2\ub75), and the ASFR of mothers aged 10–19 years decreased from 37 livebirths (34–40) to 22 livebirths (19–24) per 1000 women. Despite reductions in the TFR, the global population has been increasing by an average of 83\ub78 million people per year since 1985. The global population increased by 197\ub72% (193\ub73–200\ub78) since 1950, from 2\ub76 billion (2\ub75–2\ub76) to 7\ub76 billion (7\ub74–7\ub79) people in 2017; much of this increase was in the proportion of the global population in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The global annual rate of population growth increased between 1950 and 1964, when it peaked at 2\ub70%; this rate then remained nearly constant until 1970 and then decreased to 1\ub71% in 2017. Population growth rates in the southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania GBD super-region decreased from 2\ub75% in 1963 to 0\ub77% in 2017, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa, population growth rates were almost at the highest reported levels ever in 2017, when they were at 2\ub77%. The global average age increased from 26\ub76 years in 1950 to 32\ub71 years in 2017, and the proportion of the population that is of working age (age 15–64 years) increased from 59\ub79% to 65\ub73%. At the national level, the TFR decreased in all countries and territories between 1950 and 2017; in 2017, TFRs ranged from a low of 1\ub70 livebirths (95% UI 0\ub79–1\ub72) in Cyprus to a high of 7\ub71 livebirths (6\ub78–7\ub74) in Niger. The TFR under age 25 years (TFU25; number of livebirths expected by age 25 years for a hypothetical woman who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) in 2017 ranged from 0\ub708 livebirths (0\ub707–0\ub709) in South Korea to 2\ub74 livebirths (2\ub72–2\ub76) in Niger, and the TFR over age 30 years (TFO30; number of livebirths expected for a hypothetical woman ageing from 30 to 54 years who survived the age group and was exposed to current ASFRs) ranged from a low of 0\ub73 livebirths (0\ub73–0\ub74) in Puerto Rico to a high of 3\ub71 livebirths (3\ub70–3\ub72) in Niger. TFO30 was higher than TFU25 in 145 countries and territories in 2017. 33 countries had a negative population growth rate from 2010 to 2017, most of which were located in central, eastern, and western Europe, whereas population growth rates of more than 2\ub70% were seen in 33 of 46 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2017, less than 65% of the national population was of working age in 12 of 34 high-income countries, and less than 50% of the national population was of working age in Mali, Chad, and Niger. Interpretation: Population trends create demographic dividends and headwinds (ie, economic benefits and detriments) that affect national economies and determine national planning needs. Although TFRs are decreasing, the global population continues to grow as mortality declines, with diverse patterns at the national level and across age groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to provide transparent and replicable estimates of population and fertility, which can be used to inform decision making and to monitor progress. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project funded Coral restoration processes in the Gulf of Kachchh –A present scenario

15-19About fifty-three hard coral species recorded till date in the Gujarat coast based on the available literature. One of the projects under Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme, Coral transplantation, are in progress to improve the quality of reefs at GoK. Major aim of this project is to develop a protocol for coral transplantation processes and making transplanted reef park at GoK by using local massive coral species as well as re-introducing the Acropora spp. from other parts of Indian reef ecosystems