Caprellid assemblages (Crustacea: Amphipoda) in shallow waters invaded by Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea from southeastern Spain

Growth of the invasive algae Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea in shallow habitats may inXuence the faunal assemblage composition. We studied its eVects on caprellid assemblages associated with shallow-water habitats of hard and soft bottoms from the SE Iberian Peninsula (native rocky-bottom algae, C. racemosa from hard and soft bottoms, and Caulerpa prolifera, Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica from soft bottoms). Samples were taken in two diVerent sampling periods (September 2004 and March 2005). A total of seven caprellid species were identiWed, with important diVerences in their distribution in diVerent habitats. Total abundance of caprellids was very high in March on native algae on hard bottoms, and on C. racemosa on both soft and hard bottoms. On both hard and soft bottoms, abundances of Caprella hirsuta recorded from C. racemosa were low. On the other hand, a higher abundance of other species, namely C. acanthifera, C. santosrosai, Phtisica marina and Pseudoprotella phasma, was recorded from C. racemosa. The results indicate that C. racemosa may have a positive inXuence on some caprellid species, while seasonal changes are also evident. It is concluded that introduced C. racemosa may serve as a new habitat, promoting and maintaining caprellid populations in shallow Mediterranean habitats.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia de España y fondos FEDER de la Unión Europea. CGL2007-60044/BOSConsejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa de la Junta de Andalucía. P07-RNM-0252

Mysidacea associated with seagrass meadows off the southeast Iberian coast

The present paper describes the Mysidacea associated with seagrass meadows on sandy bottoms from the southeast Iberian coast (El Campello, Alicante). The mysids were obtained using the hand-net method in different types of habitats: Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813 and Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson, 1869 meadows, posidonia meadows edges and sandy bottoms, at deep of 10 and 16 m. Eight species were identified: Siriella clausii, S. armata, Mysidopsis gibbosa, Anchialina agilis, Leptomysis posidoniae, L. buergii, Mesopodopsis slabberi y Paramysis helleri. Abundance varied according to the habitat. A key for the identification of these species is provided.El presente trabajo describe la taxocenosis de misidáceos asociados a fondos blandos someros con praderas de fanerógamas en el sudeste ibérico (El Campello, Alicante). Las muestras se obtuvieron mediante el método de la red de mano en diferentes tipos de hábitats: pradera de Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile, 1813 y Cymodocea nodosa (Ucria) Ascherson, 1869, borde de pradera de posidonia y arena, entre 10 y 16 m de profundidad. Se identificaron en total ocho especies: Siriella clausii, S. armata, Mysidopsis gibbosa, Anchialina agilis, Leptomysis posidoniae, L. buergii, Mesopodopsis slabberi y Paramysis helleri, que mostraron abundancias distintas según el tipo de hábitat. Se incorpora una clave taxonómica para la determinación de las especies encontradas.Instituto Español de Oceanografí

Review of the effects of protection in marine protected areas: current knowledge and gaps

The effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) and the conservation of marine environments must be based on reliable information on the quality of the marine environment that can be obtained in a reasonable timeframe. We reviewed studies that evaluated all aspects related to the effectiveness of MPAs in order to describe how the studies were conducted and to detect fields in which research is lacking. Existing parameters used to evaluate the effectiveness of MPAs are summarised. Two-hundred and twenty-two publications were reviewed. We identified the most commonly used study subjects and methodological approaches. Most of the studies concentrated on biological parameters. Peer reviewed studies were based on control vs. impact design. BACI and mBACI designs were used in very few studies. Through this review, we have identified gaps in the objectives assigned to MPAs and the way in which they have been evaluated. We suggest some guidelines aimedat improving the assessment of the effects of protection in MPAs

Effects of seagrasses and algae of the Caulerpa family on hydrodynamics and particle-trapping rates

The widespread decline of seagrass beds within the Mediterranean often results in the replacement of seagrasses by opportunistic green algae of the Caulerpa family. Because Caulerpa beds have a different height, stiffness and density compared to seagrasses, these changes in habitat type modify the interaction of the seafloor with hydrodynamics, influencing key processes such as sediment resuspension and particle trapping. Here, we compare the effects on hydrodynamics and particle trapping of Caulerpa taxifolia, C. racemosa, and C. prolifera with the Mediterranean seagrasses Cymodocea nodosa and Posidonia oceanica. All macrophyte canopies reduced near-bed volumetric flow rates compared to bare sediment, vertical profiles of turbulent kinetic energy revealed peak values around the top of the canopies, and maximum values of Reynolds stress increased by a factor of between 1.4 (C. nodosa) and 324.1 (P. oceanica) when vegetation was present. All canopies enhanced particle retention rates compared to bare sediment. The experimental C. prolifera canopy was the most effective at particle retention (m2 habitat); however, C. racemosa had the largest particle retention capacity per structure surface area. Hence, in terms of enhancing particle trapping and reducing hydrodynamic forces at the sediment surface, Caulerpa beds provided a similar or enhanced function compared to P.oceanica and C. nodosa. However, strong seasonality in the leaf area index of C. racemosa and C. taxifolia within the Mediterranean, combined with a weak rhizome structure, suggests that sediments maybe unprotected during winter storms, when most erosion occurs. Hence, replacement of seagrass beds with Caulerpa is likely to have a major influence on annual sediment dynamics at ecosystem scales.This research was funded by the European Network of Excellence ‘‘Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function’’ (MarBEF); FP6, EC contract no. 505446 and a grant from the Fundacio ´n BBVA. EPM was supported by a European Union Marie Curie host fellowship for transfer of knowledge, MTKD-CT-2004-509254, the Spanish national project EVAMARIA (CTM2005-00395/MAR) and the regional government of Andalusia project FUNDIV(P07-RNM-2516)

Review of the effects of protection in marine protected areas: current knowledge and gaps

The effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) and the conservation of marine environments must be based on reliable information on the quality of the marine environment that can be obtained in a reasonable timeframe. We reviewed studies that evaluated all aspects related to the effectiveness of MPAs in order to describe how the studies were conducted and to detect fields in which research is lacking. Existing parameters used to evaluate the effectiveness of MPAs are summarised. Two–hundred and twenty–two publications were reviewed. We identified the most commonly used study subjects and methodological approaches. Most of the studies concentrated on biological parameters. Peer reviewed studies were based on control vs. impact design. BACI and mBACI designs were used in very few studies. Through this review, we have identified gaps in the objectives assigned to MPAs and the way in which they have been evaluated. We suggest some guidelines aimed at improving the assessment of the effects of protection in MPAsRevisión de los efectos de la protección en las áreas marinas protegidas: conocimiento y deficiencias actuales.— La efectividad de las áreas marinas protegidas (AMPs) y la conservación del medio ambiente marino debe basarse en información fiable sobre la calidad del medio marino que pueda obtenerse en un plazo de tiempo razonable. Se revisaron estudios que evalúan aspectos relacionados con la efectividad de las AMPs con el fin de describir cómo se realizaron los estudios y detectar donde existen vacíos en la investigación. En este estudio se enumeran los parámetros existentes para evaluar la efectividad de las AMPs. Se revisaron 224 publicaciones. Identificamos los objetos de estudio más utilizados y los enfoques metodológicos. La mayoría de los estudios se centran en el estudio de parámetros biológicos. Los estudios publicados se basaron en el diseño control frente a impacto. En muy pocos estudios se utilizaron diseños de muestreo BACI y mBACI. A través de esta revisión, se han identificado deficiencias en los objetivos de las AMPs y en la manera como han sido evaluados. Como conclusión sugerimos algunas pautas para mejorar la evaluación de los efectos de la protección en estas zonasPublicado

Wanted dead or alive : high diversity of macroinvertebrates associated with living and ’dead’ Posidonia oceanica matte

The Mediterranean endemic seagrass Posidonia oceanica forms beds characterised by a dense leaf canopy and a thick root-rhizome ‘matte’. Death of P. oceanica shoots leads to exposure of the underlying matte, which can persist for many years, and is termed ‘dead’ matte. Traditionally, dead matte has been regarded as a degraded habitat. To test whether this assumption was true, the motile macroinvertebrates of adjacent living (with shoots) and dead (without shoots) matte of P. oceanica were sampled in four different plots located at the same depth (5–6 m) in Mellieha Bay, Malta (central Mediterranean). The total number of species and abundance were significantly higher (ANOVA; P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively) in the dead matte than in living P. oceanica matte, despite the presence of the foliar canopy in the latter. Multivariate analysis (MDS) clearly showed two main groups of assemblages, corresponding to the two matte types. The amphipods Leptocheirus guttatus and Maera grossimana, and the polychaete Nereis rava contributed most to the dissimilarity between the two different matte types. Several unique properties of the dead matte contributing to the unexpected higher number of species and abundance of motile macroinvertebrates associated with this habitat are discussed. The findings have important implications for the conservation of bare P. oceanica matte, which has been generally viewed as a habitat of low ecological value.peer-reviewe

Uso de compuestos nutracéuticos en nuevas formulaciones de piensos acuícolas

Trabajo presentado en las X Jornadas de Acuicultura en el Litoral Suratlántico: Nuevos retos y perspectivas para la sostenibilidad de la acuicultura, celebrado entre el 22 y 23 de noviembre de 2023 en Huelva.[EN] Different strategies have been followed to improve the aquaculture of main European farmed fish, such as genetic selection, refinements in culture conditions or enhanced feed formulation and management. However, more knowledge is required to exploit fish phenotypic plasticity to obtain those that better match aquaculture or market conditions. The overall objective of this mini-review is to identify the latest productive traits recently performed, mainly in commercial carnivorous species, and underlying biological processes that would be susceptible to improve the competitivity of aquaculture sector through nutritional issues. Thus, this work is framed within the concepts of Circular Economy and Blue Growth, where it is intended to point out the use of natural compounds extracted from seaweeds, microalgae and by-products of the industry for their inclusion in aquafeeds, allowing a more efficient use of more sustainable vegetable protein sources, and also to evaluate if these nutraceutical compounds counteract detrimental effects observed by nutritional interventions or environmentally challenged.[ES] La producción acuícola ha seguido diferentes estrategias para su optimización a lo largo de las últimas décadas, como el desarrollo de la selección genética, la mejora de las condiciones de cultivo, o el avance en la formulación y gestión de los piensos. Sin embargo, se requiere más conocimiento para explotar la plasticidad fenotípica de los peces para obtener aquellos que se ajusten mejor a las condiciones de la acuicultura o del mercado. El objetivo general de esta mini-revisión es identificar los últimos avances realizados recientemente, principalmente en especies carnívoras comerciales, y los procesos biológicos subyacentes que serían susceptibles de mejorar la competitividad del sector acuícola a través de intervenciones nutricionales. Así, este trabajo se enmarca dentro de los conceptos de Economía Circular y Crecimiento Azul, donde se pretende señalar el uso de compuestos naturales extraídos de algas, microalgas y subproductos de la industria para su inclusión en alimentos acuícolas, permitiendo un uso más eficiente de fuentes de proteínas vegetales más sostenibles, y también evaluar si estos compuestos nutracéuticos son capaces de contrarrestar los efectos perjudiciales observados por las formulaciones inadecuadas o desafiados por factores ambientales estresantes.This work was supported by the Projects “FEDER-UCA18-107182”, “FisioBream-II Call for Young Researchers CEI⋅MAR 2019”, “ALGAE4FISH-CEI·MAR Empresa 2018”, “VALINVA-CEI·MAR Empresa 2019”, “SeriBlue-CEI·MAR Empresa 2020”, and co-financed by the spin-off LifeBioencapsulation S.L. (Almería) and Biotechnology Biopolym S.A. (Granada)

Interactive models of communication at the nanoscale using nanoparticles that talk to one another

[EN] 'Communication' between abiotic nanoscale chemical systems is an almost-unexplored field with enormous potential. Here we show the design and preparation of a chemical communication system based on enzyme-powered Janus nanoparticles, which mimics an interactive model of communication. Cargo delivery from one nanoparticle is governed by the biunivocal communication with another nanoparticle, which involves two enzymatic processes and the interchange of chemical messengers. The conceptual idea of establishing communication between nanodevices opens the opportunity to develop complex nanoscale systems capable of sharing information and cooperating.A. L.-L. is grateful to 'La Caixa' Banking Foundation for his PhD fellowship. We wish to thank the Spanish Government (MINECO Projects MAT2015-64139-C4-1, CTQ2014-58989-P and CTQ2015-71936-REDT and AGL2015-70235-C2-2-R) and the Generalitat Valenciana (Project PROMETEOII/2014/047) for support. The Comunidad de Madrid (S2013/MIT-3029, Programme NANOAVANSENS) is also gratefully acknowledged.Llopis-Lorente, A.; Díez, P.; Sánchez, A.; Marcos Martínez, MD.; Sancenón Galarza, F.; Martínez-Ruiz, P.; Villalonga, R.... (2017). Interactive models of communication at the nanoscale using nanoparticles that talk to one another. Nature Communications. 8:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms15511S178Tseng, R., Huang, J., Ouyang, J., Kaner, R. & Yang, Y. Polyaniline nanofiber/gold nanoparticle nonvolatile memory. Nano Lett. 5, 1077–1080 (2005).Liu, R. & Sen, A. Autonomous nanomotor based on copper-platinum segmented nanobattery. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 20064–20067 (2011).Valov, I. et al. Nanobatteries in redox-based resistive switches require extension of memristor theory. Nat. Commun. 4, 1771 (2013).Tarn, D. et al. Mesoporous silica nanoparticle nanocarriers: biofunctionality and biocompatibility. Acc. Chem. Res. 46, 792–801 (2013).Kline, T. & Paxton, W. Catalytic nanomotors: remote-controlled autonomous movement of striped metallic nanorods. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 117, 754–756 (2005).Akyildiz, I. F., Brunetti, F. & Blázquez, C. Nanonetworks: a new communication paradigm. Comput. Netw. 52, 2260–2279 (2008).Suda, T., Moore, M., Nakano, T., Egashira, R. & Enomoto, A. Exploratory research on molecular communication between nanomachines. Nat. Comput. 25, 1–30 (2005).Malak, D. & Akan, O. B. Molecular communication nanonetworks inside human body. Nano Commun. Netw. 3, 19–35 (2012).Akyildiz, I. F., Jornet, J. M. & Pierobon, M. Nanonetworks: a new frontier in communications. Commun. ACM 54, 84–89 (2011).Nakano, T., Moore, M. J., Wei, F., Vasilakos, A. V. & Shuai, J. Molecular communication and networking: opportunities and challenges. IEEE Trans. Nanobiosci. 11, 135–148 (2012).Waters, C. M. & Bassler, B. L. Quorum sensing: cell-to-cell communication in bacteria. Annu. Rev. Cell Dev. Biol. 21, 319–346 (2005).Dickschat, J. S. Quorum sensing and bacterial biofilms. Nat. Prod. Rep. 27, 343–369 (2010).Kerényi, Á., Bihary, D., Venturi, V. & Pongor, S. Stability of multispecies bacterial communities: signaling networks may stabilize microbiomes. PLoS ONE 8, e57947 (2013).Gotti, C. & Clementi, F. Neuronal nicotinic receptors: from structure to pathology. Prog. Neurobiol. 74, 363–396 (2004).Betke, K. M., Wells, C. A. & Hamm, H. E. GPCR mediated regulation of synaptic transmission. Prog. Neurobiol. 96, 304–321 (2012).Qian, L., Winfree, E. & Bruck, J. Neural network computation with DNA strand displacement cascades. Nature 475, 368–372 (2011).Benenson, Y. Biomolecular computing systems: principles, progress and potential. Nat. Rev. Genet. 13, 455–468 (2012).Ball, P. Chemistry meets computing. Nature 406, 118–120 (2000).de Silva, A. P. & McClenaghan, N. D. Molecular-Scale Logic Gates. Chem. Eur. J. 10, 574–586 (2004).Condon, A. Automata make antisense. Nature 429, 351–352 (2004).Seelig, G., Soloveichik, D., Zhang, D. Y. & Winfree, E. Enzyme-free nucleic acid logic circuits. Science 314, 1585–1588 (2006).Douglas, S. M., Bachelet, I. & Church, G. M. A logic-gated nanorobot for targeted transport of molecular payloads. Science 335, 831–834 (2012).Angelos, S., Yang, Y. W., Khashab, N. M., Stoddart, J. F. & Zink, J. I. Dual-controlled nanoparticles exhibiting AND logic. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131, 11344–11346 (2009).Liu, H. et al. Dual-responsive surfaces modified with phenylboronic acid-containing polymer brush to reversibly capture and release cancer cells. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 7603–7609 (2013).Lee, J. W. & Klajn, R. Dual-responsive nanoparticles that aggregate under the simultaneous action of light and CO2 . Chem. Commun. 51, 2036–2039 (2015).Liu, D. et al. Resettable, multi-readout logic gates based on controllably reversible aggregation of gold nanoparticles. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 50, 4103–4107 (2011).Chitode, J. S. Communication Theory Technical Publications (2010).Wood, J. T. Communication in Our Lives Wadsworth (2009).Guardado-Alvarez, T. M., Sudha Devi, L., Russell, M. M., Schwartz, B. J. & Zink, J. I. Activation of snap-top capped mesoporous silica nanocontainers using two near-infrared photons. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 14000–14003 (2013).Baeza, A., Guisasola, E., Ruiz-Hernández, E. & Vallet-Regí, M. Magnetically triggered multidrug release by hybrid mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Chem. Mater. 24, 517–524 (2012).Zhang, Z. et al. Biocatalytic release of an anticancer drug from nucleic-acids-capped mesoporous SiO2 using DNA or molecular biomarkers as triggering stimuli. ACS Nano 7, 8455–8468 (2013).Tang, F., Li, L. & Chen, D. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles: synthesis, biocompatibility and drug delivery. Adv. Mater. 24, 1504–1534 (2012).Li, Z., Barnes, J. C., Bosoy, A., Stoddart, J. F. & Zink, J. I. Mesoporous silica nanoparticles in biomedical applications. Chem. Soc. Rev. 41, 2590–2605 (2012).Coll, C., Bernardos, A., Martínez-Máñez, R. & Sancenón, F. Gated silica mesoporous supports for controlled release and signaling applications. Acc. Chem. Res. 46, 339–349 (2013).Aznar, E. et al. Gated materials for on-command release of guest molecules. Chem. Rev. 116, 561–718 (2016).Díez, P. et al. Toward the design of smart delivery systems controlled by integrated enzyme-based biocomputing ensembles. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 9116–9123 (2014).Villalonga, R. et al. Enzyme-controlled sensing-actuating nanomachine based on Janus Au-mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Chem. Eur. J. 19, 7889–7894 (2013).Jerez, G., Kaufman, G., Prystai, M., Schenkeveld, S. & Donkor, K. K. Determination of thermodynamic pKa values of benzimidazole and benzimidazole derivatives by capillary electrophoresis. J. Sep. Sci. 32, 1087–1095 (2009).Sheffner, A. L. The reduction in vitro in viscosity of mucoprotein solutions by a new mucolytic agent, N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 106, 298–310 (1963).Turkevich, J., Stevenson, P. C. & Hillier, J. A study of the nucleation and growth processes in the synthesis of colloidal gold. Discuss. Faraday Soc. 11, 55–75 (1951).Frens, G. Controlled Nucleation for the Regulation of the Particle Size in Monodisperse Gold Suspensions. Nature 241, 20–22 (1973).Yousef, F. O., Zughul, M. B. & Badwan, A. A. The modes of complexation of benzimidazole with aqueous β-cyclodextrin explored by phase solubility, potentiometric titration, 1H-NMR and molecular modeling studies. J. Incl. Phenom. Macrocycl. Chem. 57, 519–523 (2007).Sánchez, A., Díez, P., Martínez-Ruíz, P., Villalonga, R. & Pingarrón, J. M. Janus Au-mesoporous silica nanoparticles as electrochemical biorecognition-signaling system. Electrochem. Commun. 30, 51–54 (2013).Akyildiz, I. F., Pierobon, M., Balasubramaniam, S. & Koucheryavy, Y. The internet of Bio-Nano things. IEEE Commun. Mag. 53, 32–40 (2015).Sancenón, F., Pascual, L., Oroval, M., Aznar, E. & Martínez-Máñez, R. Gated silica mesoporous materials in sensing applications. ChemistryOpen 4, 418–437 (2015).Akyildiz, I. & Jornet, J. The Internet of nano-things. IEEE Wirel. Commun. 17, 58–63 (2010).Giménez, C. et al. Towards chemical communication between gated nanoparticles. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 53, 12629–12633 (2014).Davis, B. G., Lloyd, R. C. & Jones, J. B. Controlled site-selective glycosylation of proteins by a combined site-directed mutagenesis and chemical modification approach. J. Org. Chem. 63, 9614–9615 (1998)