Imposex in Voluta musica (Caenogastropoda: Volutidae) from Northeastern Península de Araya, Venezuela

Voluta musica is a dioecious marine gastropod endemic of the South Caribbean. Tributyltin (TBT) and copper (Cu) are potential inducers of imposex, an endocrine disorder by which females develop a penis and/or vas deferens. The goal of this work was to determine the imposex incidence in V. musica populations from Northeastern Península de Araya. For this, we selected three sites (Isla Caribe, Isla Lobos and Bajo Cuspe) and made monthly samplings of 15 snails in each site, during one year, and determined: (1) sizes; (2) sex and imposex incidence and (3) the Relative Penis Length Index (RPLI). We also performed histological analysis of the gonads, and measured TBT and Cu concentrations in sediments from the studied localities. Our results showed that the total number of sampled females affected by imposex was 24.5% at Isla Caribe, 12% at Isla Lobos, and none at Bajo Cuspe. In sediments, Cu was detected mostly in Isla Lobos. The female gonads with imposex did not show any development of male cells in any of the sampled sites. The higher percentage of females with imposex matched with the higher boat traffic locality, and higher TBT level (Isla Caribe). No esterilization was evident in this work, nevertheless, the presence of TBT and Cu in the sediments and females with imposex were considered as a potential threat to V. musica populations in this region. In Venezuela there is no control over this particular issue, possibly because of the lack of information and research in this topic, but certainly, this information will be useful in biodiversity conservation policiesVoluta musica es un gasterópodo dioico endémico del Caribe sur. El TBT y el Cu, son potenciales causantes del imposex, fenómeno donde las hembras desarrollan un pene y/o vaso deferente. El objetivo fue determinar la incidencia de imposex en V. musica en el noreste de la Península de Araya. Se seleccionaron tres localidades y se captura-ron mensualmente 15 individuos durante un año para determinar: (1) talla de los individuos; (2) sexo y presencia de imposex; (3) índice Largo Relativo del Pene (RPLI). Se realizó histología de la gónada de los individuos. Se determinó TBT y Cu en el sedimento de cada localidad. En Isla Caribe, el 24.5% de las hembras presentó imposex, y se halló 3.9ngSn/g de TBT; en Isla Lobos, el 12% de las hembras desarrollaron imposex; en Bajo del Cuspe no se observó imposex. Se halló Cu en mayor concentración en Isla Lobos. Las gónadas femeninas con imposex no demos-traron masculinización. El mayor porcentaje de imposex coincide con la localidad de mayor tráfico de embarcaciones y con mayor nivel de TBT (Isla Caribe). No se evidenció esterilización, sin embargo la presencia de TBT, Cu e imposex son potenciales amenazas para las poblaciones de V. musica en la región. Hasta ahora, en Venezuela no se está tomando ninguna medida de control sobre este tema en particular, posiblemente por la escasez de información y orientación de las investigaciones hacia este tema, pero que sin duda se debería tomar en cuenta en las políticas para la conservación de la biodiversidad.Fil: Peralta, Ana Carolina. Universidad Simon Bolivar. Centro de Biodiversidad Marina; VenezuelaFil: Miloslavich, Patricia. Universidad Simon Bolivar. Centro de Biodiversidad Marina; VenezuelaFil: Bigatti, Gregorio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

Informe de experiencia en el área de adquisición de talento en una empresa privada

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo presentar los aprendizajes logrados en relación a las competencias que componen el perfil de egreso de la carrera de psicología: diagnostica, interviene y evalúa; durante el desarrollo de un periodo de práctica de ocho meses, en el área de Adquisición de Talento de una empresa multinacional, enfocada en innovación en la ciencia. Las actividades realizadas en la organización han permitido la identificación de necesidades y problemáticas particulares en el proceso de selección y contratación de practicantes (de alcance internacional), a través del uso de herramientas de recojo de información como las matrices utilizadas en las reuniones con los(as) supervisores para determinar los requisitos de cada perfil de practicante. Es así que, uno de los resultados del diagnóstico fue la necesidad de hacer más inclusivo el proceso de selección de practicantes en Perú. A partir de ello, se diseñó y ejecutó un programa de intervención a modo de capacitación dirigido a los(as) supervisores para fortalecer la conciencia de diversidad en el proceso. Por otro lado, esta experiencia también me ha permitido profundizar en mis habilidades de evaluación en tanto he sido capaz de monitorear constantemente mi aprendizaje de inicio a fin; en un comienzo surgió una dificultad en poder manejar procesos locales e internacionales por lo cual se fortalecieron las habilidades de priorización y organización a través de cronogramas mensuales que conllevaron a que se lograra manejar varios procesos de selección a la vez.This paper has the objective to illustrate the achievements in relation to the specific skill set that composes the psychology degree graduation profile: diagnose, intervene and evaluate, during the course of an eight month period internship in talent acquisition of a private multinational company dedicated to science innovation. In that sense, the activities carried out throughout this internship has allowed the identification of the needs and problems immersed in the organization, specifically around the intern´s selection process (international scope), through the use of information recollecting tools such as matrices used for determining the interns profile with the company´s supervisors. Thus, one of the diagnosis results was the need to develop a selection process of Peru´s intern program with an inclusive scope. Based on this, an intervention project was designed and executed as a training aimed at the company's supervisors to strengthen awareness of diversity in the process. On the other hand, this experience has also allowed me to deepen my skills in evaluation as I have been able to constantly monitor my end to end learning process. Initially, a difficulty arose in being able to manage local and international talent processes which is why my prioritization and organization skills were strengthened through monthly targets that led to managing several processes at the same time

Impactos de la pesca artesanal de la almeja Arca zebra sobre la población del neogastrópodo Voluta musica en el oriente de Venezuela

An important ark clam (Arca zebra) artisanal fishery takes place in the east region of Venezuela. Besides the target species, trawling extracts a significant bycatch of several mollusk species including the gastropod Voluta musica, a threatened species according to the Ven ezuelan Red List of Endangered Species. In this paper we evaluate: 1) the composition of mollusk species in the bycatch, 2) the number of individuals of V. musica caught as bycatch and, 3) the abundance and size structure of the exploited populati on. Each fishing night, about 27,830 m2 are trawled by each boat extracting on the average 607 kg of A. zebra meat and 19 kg of V. musica (whole shelled animal). This fishery activity potentially captures ~30,000 kg of ark clam meat and 922 kg of V. musica in one week (~95 snails/fishing night/boat). The size structure of the V. musica population at the ark clam bed is significantly smaller than in other nearby sites not impacted by trawling fishing activities. Non-targeted species extracted in the bycatch but consumed by the local inhabitants include the gastropods Chicoreus brevifrons, Phyllonotus margaritensis, P. pomum, Fasciolaria tulipa, Strombus pugilis, a few Trochidae species, and the bivalves Pinctada imbricata, Spondylus americanus, Anadara florid ana, A . notabilis, and Trachicardium muricatum. Individuals of V. musica along with several invertebrates are discarded. We recommend that V. musica should not be neglected as a conservation target, and despite that A. zebra fisheries are considered “artisanal”, that more strict regulations should be established on it.La pesca artesanal de la almeja arca (Arca zebra) es una de las pesquerías de mayor importancia en el oriente de Venezuela. En esta pesquería se capturan incidentalmente varias especies de moluscos, incluyendo el gasterópodo Voluta musica, considerada amenazada según el Libro Rojo de la Fauna Venezolana. En este trabajo se evalúa: 1) la composición de especies de moluscos en la captura incidental, 2) el número de individuos de V. musica capturados como pesca incidental y 3) la estructura de tallas y abundancia de la población explotada. En cada faena de pesca se arrastran 27.830 m 2 por cada barco, extrayendo en promedio 607 kg de A. zebra (sin concha) y 19 kg de V. musica (con concha). La flota completa captura ~30.000 kg de A. zebra y 922 kg de V. musica en una semana (~95 caracoles/noche de pesca/barco). La estructura de tallas de la población de V. musica en el banco de A. zebra es significativamente menor comparada con sitios cercanos no afectados por la pesca de arrastre. Otras especies capturadas incidentalmente son consumidas por los habitantes loca les e incluyen los gasterópodos Chicoreus brevifrons, Phyllonotus margaritensis, P. pomum, Fasciolaria tulipa, Strombus pugilis, y unas pocas especies de Trochidae, bivalvos Pinctada imbricata, Spondylus americanus, Anadara floridana, A . notabilis, Trachicardium muricatum. Los individuos de V. musica y otros invertebrados son desechados completamente. V. musica debe ser considerada como objeto de conservación, y a pesar que la captura de A. zebra es considerada "artesanal", se deberían establecer regulaciones más estrictas sobre esta especie.Fil: Peralta, Ana Carolina. Universidad Simón Bolívar; VenezuelaFil: Miloslavich, Patricia. Universidad Simón Bolívar; VenezuelaFil: Carranza, Alvar. Universidad de la República; UruguayFil: Bigatti, Gregorio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos; Argentin

A Census of Marine Biodiversity Knowledge, Resources, and Future Challenges

15 pages, 7 figures, 6 tablesThe Census of Marine Life (2000–2010) was the largest global research programme on marine biodiversity. This paper integrated the findings of reviews of major world regions by the Census and provides a global perspective on what is known and what are the major scientific gaps. Study metrics were regional species richness, numbers of endemic and alien species, numbers of species identification guides and taxonomic experts, and a state-of-knowledge index. The threats to biodiversity were classified across the regions. A poor to moderate correlation between species richness and seabed area, and sea volume, and no correlations with topographic variation, were attributed to sparse, uneven and unrepresentative sampling in much of the global marine environment. Many habitats have been poorly sampled, particularly in deeper seas, and several species-rich taxonomic groups, especially of smaller organisms, remain poorly studied. Crustacea, Mollusca, and Pisces comprised approximately half of all known species across the regions. The proportion that these and other taxa comprised of all taxa varied sufficiently to question whether the relative number of species within phyla and classes are constant throughout the world. Overfishing and pollution were identified as the main threats to biodiversity across all regions, followed by alien species, altered temperature, acidification, and hypoxia, although their relative importance varied among regions. The findings were replicated worldwide, in both developed and developing countries: i.e. major gaps exist in sampling effort and taxonomic expertise that impair society's ability to discover new species and identify and understand species of economic and ecological importance. There was a positive relationship between the availability of species identification guides and knowledge of biodiversity, including the number of species and alien species. Available taxonomic guides and experts correlated negatively with endemic species, suggesting that the more we study the ocean the fewer endemic species are evident. There is a need to accelerate the discovery of marine biodiversity, since much of it may be lost without even being known. We discuss how international collaboration between developed and developing countries is essential for improving productivity in the discovery and management of marine biodiversity, and how various sectors may contribute to thisThe contribution of HO was financed by research grant from the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (no. SF0180005s10). MC was supported financially by the European Commission Marie Curie Post-doctoral Fellowship through the International Outgoing Fellowships (Call FP7-PEOPLE-2007-4-1-IOF) for the ECOFUN project and by Dalhousie University, Canada. RD was supported by the projects HERMIONE (EU-FPVII), VECTOR and OBAMA (MIUR, Italy). PM was supported by the Decanato de Investigación y Desarrollo, Universidad Simón BolívarPeer reviewe

Diversidad regional de Amphipoda en el mar Caribe

The order Amphipoda is one of the most diverse within Peracarids, and comprises 6 950 described marine species. Amphipod research in the Caribbean Sea began in the late 1 800s, but has increased significantly since 1 980. In this study, we analized the amphipod biodiversity (Caprellidea, Gammaridea, Hyperiidea, and Ingolfiellidea) of the Caribbean Sea. For this, we compiled available data on species diversity of marine amphipods (data bases: WoRMS and OBIS and published species lists) into a comprehensive taxonomic list by country for the ecoregions of the Caribbean. Additionally, we analized the relative contribution of each country to regional diversity and the rate of discovery of new species. The Caribbean amphipod fauna is composed of 535 species within 236 genera and 73 families for the higher taxon. The Western Caribbean ecoregion holds the largest diversity (282 species), while the Eastern Caribbean recorded the lowest one (73). Mexico and Venezuela recorded the largest number of species with 266 and 206, respectively. Twelve countries had less than 50 species. The richest suborder is the Gammaridea with 381 species followed by the suborder Hyperiidea with 116. From the total of 535 amphipod species reported for the Caribbean region, 218 have the Caribbean as the holotype locality, and 132 are endemic (about 25% of the total). Areas of higher diversity seem to be concentrated along the Mexican Caribbean, Cuba and the Northern coast of South America (VenezuelaColombia); however, such pattern is most likely reflecting local collection efforts and taxonomic expertise rather than actual distribution. Knowledge of amphipod species is mostly limited to shallow, near-shore waters, with little information available on the deep sea fauna. Regional research priorities for this group should be focused on completing shallow water coastal inventories of species in Central America and the Greater and Lesser Antilles. In addition, sampling the deep sea ecosystems should follow along with other particular habitats such as anchialine cave systems. It is also neccessary to increase ecological research efforts, mainly in some speciose suborders, including the Caprellidea and Hyperiidea, known to exhibit high diversity in other tropical localities

Report of the workshop on the Implementation of Multidisciplinary Sustained Ocean Observations (IMSOO)

To date, largely independent observing systems have evolved to meet the needs of particular disciplines and end users – many of these still measure only ocean physical variables routinely. The Implementation of Multidisciplinary Sustained Ocean Observations (IMSOO) workshop was held to identify priority steps to further multi-disciplinary collaborations in coordinating continuous and long-term ocean observations for the benefit of better understanding of the ocean and its ecosystems, as well as human impacts and vulnerabilities. The workshop was designed to follow the approach of the Framework for Ocean Observing (FOO), within which societal and scientific requirements for measurements as well as the feasibility of making such measurements combine to prioritize Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs). With the goal of supporting the global implementation of the FOO, an international and multi-disciplinary group of experts in ocean observations and modelling successfully addressed the three major aims of the workshop which were: To build on the established societal and scientific requirements expressed in EOVs and identify the key applications and phenomena that will benefit from co-located multi-disciplinary sustained observations; To identify near-term innovation priorities for observing platforms and sensors to enable multi-disciplinary observations; and To identify programmatic and professional connections between existing and emerging observing networks and modelling efforts that will increase multidisciplinary observations and analyses. To provide an innovative mechanism fostering convergence across the ocean disciplines, the workshop focused on three “demonstration themes”, chosen because they represent global and challenging problems that are best addressed through collaboration of physical, biogeochemical and biological observations and analyses

Caracoles, esponjas y… ¿coronavirus?

Durante varias campañas oceanográficas que realizó en la temporada 2016-2017 el buque oceanográfico Puerto Deseado, del Conicet, investigadores del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales recolectaron diversas especies de organismos de fondos marinos en las cercanías del banco Namuncurá-Burdwood, un área oceánica protegida situada a unos 150km al este de la isla de los Estados, Tierra del Fuego, y a unos 200km al sur de las Malvinas. Entre esas muestras, recogidas mediante distintas artes de pesca, estuvieron los dos protagonistas de esta historia: el caracol de espinas blandas proteicas Americominella longisetosa, que vive en profundidades de hasta 1250m frente a las costas argentinas y mide hasta 10cm de largo, y la esponja marina más común del Atlántico suroccidental, Mycale magellanica, que habita también en aguas antárticas.Fil: Penchaszadeh, Pablo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Pastorino, Roberto Santiago Guido. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Martinez, Mariano Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Miloslavich, Patricia. University of Tasmania; Australi

Large-scale spatial distribution patterns of echinoderms in nearshore rocky habitats

This study examined echinoderm assemblages from nearshore rocky habitats for large-scale distribution patterns with specific emphasis on identifying latitudinal trends and large regional hotspots. Echinoderms were sampled from 76 globally-distributed sites within 12 ecoregions, following the standardized sampling protocol of the Census of Marine Life NaGISA project ( www.nagisa.coml.org ). Sample-based species richness was overall low (2 cm in 1 m 2 quadrats) was highest in the Caribbean ecoregions and echinoids dominated these assemblages with an average of 5 ind m −2 . In contrast, intertidal echinoderm assemblages collected from clearings of 0.0625 m 2 quadrats had the highest abundance and richness in the Northeast Pacific ecoregions where asteroids and holothurians dominated with an average of 14 ind 0.0625 m −2 . Distinct latitudinal trends existed for abundance and richness in intertidal assemblages with declines from peaks at high northern latitudes. No latitudinal trends were found for subtidal echinoderm assemblages with either sampling technique. Latitudinal gradients appear to be superseded by regional diversity hotspots. In these hotspots echinoderm assemblages may be driven by local and regional processes, such as overall productivity and evolutionary history. We also tested a set of 14 environmental variables (six natural and eight anthropogenic) as potential drivers of echinoderm assemblages by ecoregions. The natural variables of salinity, sea-surface temperature, chlorophyll a , and primary productivity were strongly correlated with echinoderm assemblages; the anthropogenic variables of inorganic pollution and nutrient contamination also contributed to correlations. Our results indicate that nearshore echinoderm assemblages appear to be shaped by a network of environmental and ecological processes, and by the differing responses of various echinoderm taxa, making generalizations about the patterns of nearshore rocky habitat echinoderm assemblages difficult