22 research outputs found
Monitoring the complex benthic habitat on semi-dark underwater marine caves using photogrammetry-based 3D reconstructions
Marine caves are dark environments considered a priority habitat for conservation included
in the EU Habitats Directive (H8330). They harbor fragile benthic communities and
represent a major reservoir of marine biodiversity. However, there is a lack of knowledge of
these habitats due to the difficulties of creating detailed benthic maps and characterizing
the biodiversity, structure, and dynamics of their communities. The uniqueness of marine
caves fosters their popularity among recreational divers, who can cause disturbances
through abrasion of the biota, resuspension of sediment, and accumulation of exhaled air
bubbles in the caves' ceilings. This study aims to build a monitoring framework to
characterize the structure and temporal dynamics of this complex habitat using Structurefrom-
Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. SfM is a novel, non-invasive technique that allows a
major advancement in the monitoring of changes in the cave’s community assemblages. This
method relies on images acquired by 4K video footage to build fine-scaled 3D digital models
of the substrate using overlapping imagery. For this study, we combined SfM
photogrammetry and photo quadrats extracted from the video recordings. We evaluate the
effectiveness of this methodology in a marine cave highly frequented by divers, located in
Illa de l’Aire (Balearic Islands, Spain), and carried out two surveys before and after the
diving season (2019-2021). As a result, we found a loss of 25 colonies of bryozoans with
fragile skeletons, like Schizoretepora sp., and 8 individual sponges with globose
morphotypes. Our results indicate that this methodology enables accurate and efficient
monitoring of benthic communities in underwater caves that allow us to better understand
their dynamics and, therefore, to develop the need management measures
MAPPING COMMUNITY INTEREST HABITATS IN THE COLUMBRETES ARCHIPELAGO, AN EXTRAORDINARY HOT SPOT OF BIODIVERSITY
The Columbretes Archipelago and their submerged surroundings are part of an unusual,
Pleistocene volcanic field located in the Western Mediterranean designated as a Site of
Community Importance (SCI) of the Natura 2000 Network. In the present study, 4 benthic
habitats of community interest (1110, 1170, 1180 and 8330) have been identified by analyzing
several sources of information. Generalized additive models (GAMs) have been used to model
the potential distribution of reefs (1170) and maërl beds (1110). Our results highlight the
diversity and extent of these habitats and allow comparisons to other marine SCIs of Spain. This
can be attributed to the variability of the environment of this site. The Columbretes Islands
combine a relatively shallow environment with volcanic structures, hydrothermalism with active
degassing, current-driven sedimentary lobes and the influence of inland flows. Understanding
high biodiversity spots is crucial as they offer natural laboratories to describe how ecosystems
respond to the effects of global change. The knowledge obtained will be of paramount
importance for the conservation of species and habitats. Furthermore, it will establish a
baseline for future monitoring and assist in the development of effective management plans
Antigen vehiculization particles based on the Z protein of Junin virus
Abstract Background Arenavirus matrix protein Z plays an important role in virus budding and is able to generate enveloped virus-like-particles (VLPs) in absence of any other viral proteins. In these VLPs, Z protein is associated to the plasma membrane inner surface by its myristoyl residue. Budding induction and vesicle formation properties can be exploited to generate enveloped VLPs platform. These structures can be designed to carry specific antigen in the inner side or on the surface of VLPs. Vaccines based on VLPs are a highly effective type of subunit vaccines that mimic the overall structure of virus particles in absence of viral nucleic acid, being noninfectious. In this work we assayed the capacity of Junin Z protein to produce VLPs carrying the green fluorescent protein (eGFP), as a model antigen. Results In this report the Junin Z protein ability to produce VLPs from 293T cells and its capacity to deliver a specific antigen (eGFP) fused to Z was evaluated. Confocal microscopy showed a particular membrane bending in cells expressing Z and a spot welded distribution in the cytoplasm. VLPs were detected by TEM (transmission electron microscopy) and were purified from cell supernatant. The proteinase protection assay demonstrated the VLPs integrity and the absence of degradation of the fused antigen, thus indicating its internal localization. Finally, immunization of mice with purified VLPs produced high titres of anti-eGFP antibodies compared to the controls. Conclusions It was proved that VLPs can be generated from cells transfected with a fusion Junin virus Z-eGFP protein in absence of any other viral protein, and the capacity of Z protein to support fusions at the C-terminal, without impairing its budding activity, allowing vehiculization of specific antigens into VLPs.</p
Movimiento y uso del hábitat en la cigarra de mar (scyllarides latus): implicaciones para la conservación de la especie en el parque nacional marítimo terrestre del Archipiélago de Cabrera (scytrack)
Coupled ocean and atmospheric changes during the Younger Dryas in Central Western Iberia.:PAGES17-02216
Exploring Genomic, Geographic and Virulence Interactions among Epidemic and Non-Epidemic St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (Flavivirus) Strains
<div><p><i>St</i>. <i>Louis encephalitis virus</i> (SLEV) is a re-emerging arbovirus in South America. In 2005, an encephalitis outbreak caused by SLEV was reported in Argentina. The reason for the outbreak remains unknown, but may have been related to virological factors, changes in vectors populations, avian amplifying hosts, and/or environmental conditions. The main goal of this study was to characterize the complete genome of epidemic and non-epidemic SLEV strains from Argentina. Seventeen amino acid changes were detected; ten were non-conservative and located in proteins E, NS1, NS3 and NS5. Phylogenetic analysis showed two major clades based on geography: the North America and northern Central America (NAnCA) clade and the South America and southern Central America (SAsCA) clade. Interestingly, the presence of SAsCA genotype V SLEV strains in the NAnCA clade was reported in California, Florida and Texas, overlapping with known bird migration flyways. This work represents the first step in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying virulence and biological variation among SLEV strains.</p></div