Robots as vectors for marine invasions: best practices for minimizing transmission of invasive species via observation-class ROVs.

Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) present a potential risk for the transmission of invasive species. This is particularly the case for small, low-cost microROVs that can be easily transported among ecosystems and, if not properly cleaned and treated, may introduce novel species into new regions. Here we present a set of 5 best-practice guidelines to reduce the risk of marine invasive species introduction for microROV operators. These guidelines include: educating ROV users about the causes and potential harm of species invasion; visually inspecting ROVs prior to and at the conclusion of each dive; rinsing ROVs in sterile freshwater following each dive; washing ROVs in a mild bleach (or other sanitizing agent) solution before moving between discrete geographic regions or ecosystems; and minimizing transport between ecosystems. We also provide a checklist that microROV users can incorporate into their pre- and post-dive maintenance routine

The spatial scale of genetic subdivision in populations of Ifremeria nautilei, a hydrothermal-vent gastropod from the southwest Pacific

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Deep-sea hydrothermal vents provide patchy, ephemeral habitats for specialized communities of animals that depend on chemoautotrophic primary production. Unlike eastern Pacific hydrothermal vents, where population structure has been studied at large (thousands of kilometres) and small (hundreds of meters) spatial scales, population structure of western Pacific vents has received limited attention. This study addresses the scale at which genetic differentiation occurs among populations of a western Pacific vent-restricted gastropod, <it>Ifremeria nautilei</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We used mitochondrial and DNA microsatellite markers to infer patterns of gene flow and population subdivision. A nested sampling strategy was employed to compare genetic diversity in discrete patches of <it>Ifremeria nautilei </it>separated by a few meters within a single vent field to distances as great as several thousand kilometres between back-arc basins that encompass the known range of the species. No genetic subdivisions were detected among patches, mounds, or sites within Manus Basin. Although <it>I. nautilei </it>from Lau and North Fiji Basins (~1000 km apart) also exhibited no evidence for genetic subdivision, these populations were genetically distinct from the Manus Basin population.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>An unknown process that restricts contemporary gene flow isolates the Manus Basin population of <it>Ifremeria nautilei </it>from widespread populations that occupy the North Fiji and Lau Basins. A robust understanding of the genetic structure of hydrothermal vent populations at multiple spatial scales defines natural conservation units and can help minimize loss of genetic diversity in situations where human activities are proposed and managed.</p

Limited impact of neonatal or early infant schedules of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination on nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Papua New Guinean children: A randomized controlled trial

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia, the most common cause of childhood death. Papua New Guinean children experience high rates of nasopharyngeal pneumococcal colonization within weeks of birth, predisposing them to pneumococcal disease. In a trial to determine the safety and immunogenicity of early infant vaccination with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7vPCV), we investigated the impact of early schedules on pneumococcal carriage. Infants were randomized at birth to receive 7vPCV in a 0–1–2-month (n = 101) or a 1–2–3-month (n = 105) schedule or no 7vPCV (n = 106). All children received 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at age 9 months. We cultured nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) collected at ages 1, 2, 3, 4 weeks and 3, 9, 18 months, and middle ear discharge if present. Pneumococcal serotypes were identified by the Quellung reaction. A total of 1761 NPS were cultured. The prevalence of pneumococcal carriage was 22% at 1 week of age, rising to 80% by age 3 months and remained >70% thereafter, with high-density carriage in 42% of pneumococcuspositive samples. We identified 63 different serotypes; 43% of isolates from controls were 13vPCV serotypes. There were no significant differences in 7vPCV serotype carriage between 7vPCV recipients and controls at any age (22% vs. 31% at 9 months, p = 0.2). At age 9 months the prevalence of non-7vPCV carriage was 17% higher in 7vPCV recipients (48%) than in controls (25%, p = 0.02). More non-7vPCV serotypes were isolated from ear discharge in 16 7vPCV recipients than from 4 controls (48% vs. 25%, p = 0.13). The limited impact of neonatal or accelerated infant 7vPCV schedules on vaccine serotype carriage is probably due to the early onset of dense carriage of a broad range of pneumococcal serotypes. While serotype-independent pneumococcal vaccines are needed in high-risk populations, the underlying environmental factors and sources of infection must be investigated

Population structure of Bathymodiolus manusensis, a deep-sea hydrothermal vent-dependent mussel from Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the western Pacific are increasingly being assessed for their potential mineral wealth. To anticipate the potential impacts on biodiversity and connectivity among populations at these vents, environmental baselines need to be established. Bathymodiolus manusensis is a deep-sea mussel found in close association with hydrothermal vents in Manus Basin, Papua New Guinea. Using multiple genetic markers (cytochrome C-oxidase subunit-1 sequencing and eight microsatellite markers), we examined population structure at two sites in Manus Basin separated by 40 km and near a potential mining prospect, where the species has not been observed. No population structure was detected in mussels sampled from these two sites. We also compared a subset of samples with B. manusensis from previous studies to infer broader population trends. The genetic diversity observed can be used as a baseline against which changes in genetic diversity within the population may be assessed following the proposed mining event

Comparative Population Structure of Two Deep-Sea Hydrothermal-Vent-Associated Decapods (<i>Chorocaris</i> sp. 2 and <i>Munidopsis lauensis</i>) from Southwestern Pacific Back-Arc Basins

<div><p>Studies of genetic connectivity and population structure in deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems often focus on endosymbiont-hosting species that are directly dependent on chemical energy extracted from vent effluent for survival. Relatively little attention has been paid to vent-associated species that are not exclusively dependent on chemosynthetic ecosystems. Here we assess connectivity and population structure of two vent-associated invertebrates—the shrimp <i>Chorocaris</i> sp. 2 and the squat lobster <i>Munidopsis lauensis</i>—that are common at deep-sea hydrothermal vents in the western Pacific. While <i>Chorocaris</i> sp. 2 has only been observed at hydrothermal vent sites, <i>M. lauensis</i> can be found throughout the deep sea but occurs in higher abundance around the periphery of active vents We sequenced mitochondrial <i>COI</i> genes and deployed nuclear microsatellite markers for both species at three sites in Manus Basin and either North Fiji Basin (<i>Chorocaris</i> sp. 2) or Lau Basin (<i>Munidopsis lauensis</i>). We assessed genetic differentiation across a range of spatial scales, from approximately 2.5 km to more than 3000 km. Population structure for <i>Chorocaris</i> sp. 2 was comparable to that of the vent-associated snail <i>Ifremeria nautilei</i>, with a single seemingly well-mixed population within Manus Basin that is genetically differentiated from conspecifics in North Fiji Basin. Population structure for <i>Munidopsis lauensis</i> was more complex, with two genetically differentiated populations in Manus Basin and a third well-differentiated population in Lau Basin. The unexpectedly high level of genetic differentiation between <i>M. lauensis</i> populations in Manus Basin deserves further study since it has implications for conservation and management of diversity in deep-sea hydrothermal vent ecosystems.</p></div

<i>Munidopsis lauensis</i> structure output for seven microsatellite loci shared across Manus and Lau Basin.

<p>Each color represents a different putative population inferred from the distribution of allele frequencies. K = 3 was determined to be the most likely model based on 5 replicates each of model runs from k = 1 to k = 7, with a 1,000,000 step burn-in period followed by 10,000,000 steps. Sampling locations were used as priors for putative population assignments.</p

<i>Chorocaris</i> sp. 2.

<p>Statistical parsimony network for haplotypes from samples collected in Manus and North Fiji Basin. Large circles represent a single individual unless noted on the figure. Small black circles represent inferred haplotypes not observed in this data set. Each node represents 1 pb difference.</p

Statistical parsimony network for <i>Munidopsis lauensis</i> haplotypes from the western Pacific.

<p>Dominant haplotype contains 111 individuals, including four representative sequence recovered from GenBank—Desmos Caldera (Manus Basin; EF157850; <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0101345#pone.0101345-Cubelio1" target="_blank">[29]</a>), Mariner Vent Field (Lau Basin; EF157851; <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0101345#pone.0101345-Cubelio1" target="_blank">[29]</a>), Hine Hina (Lau Basin; EF157852; <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0101345#pone.0101345-Cubelio1" target="_blank">[29]</a>), and Brothers Seamount (New Zealand; EF157853; <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0101345#pone.0101345-Cubelio1" target="_blank">[29]</a>)—indicated with an asterisk. Each node represents 1 bp difference.</p

<i>Chorocaris</i> sp. 2 and <i>Munidopsis lauensis</i> pairwise comparisons of Solwara 8, Solwara 1, South Su, North Fiji, and Lau Basin genetic differentiation.

<p><i>Chorocaris</i> sp. 2 and <i>Munidopsis lauensis</i> pairwise comparisons of Solwara 8, Solwara 1, South Su, North Fiji, and Lau Basin genetic differentiation.</p