Thalassas: An International Journal of Marine Sciences最新文献

Marine resources are attracting a lot of interest from biologists and chemists due to their sophisticated and potent biological uses. Marine resources are diversified to usher in a new era of marine flora. Marine natural Pigments (MNPs) such as Chlorophyll, Carotenoids, and Phycobiliproteins can give therapeutic advantages. MNPs have many therapeutic applications including antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, anti-angiogenic, and many more. Because of their numerous advantages over synthetic medications, MNPs can be used in the therapeutic and diagnosis of serious diseases. Discussed biological activities of MNPs strengthen the semi-synthetic pathway of drug discovery and open a new era of marine pharmaceuticals through computational study. In computational study, the molecule isolated from MNPs can have a stronger influence on both therapeutic and diagnostic outcomes. As a biomarker, MNP-derived fluorophores can be exploited in early diagnostic procedures. The primary goals of this study are to present an up-to-date view of recent research on the therapeutics and diagnostics advantages of MNPs, as well as structural properties and a list of marine organisms that generate various MNPs. We also discussed current trends and future prospects of the MNPs Market. This review encourages researchers to develop potent drugs with fresh insights into the possible function of MNPs to improve human health.

Ecomorphological studies have been developed in the most diverse coastal environments worldwide, playing a key role in the comprehension of the relationship between ecological niche and morphology. Such approach has been useful to better understand the coexistence of fishes with similar body shape by the biological implications that ecomorphological indices have in the feeding habits differentiating species niche. Engraulidae is a fish family that play primary roles in pelagic trophic webs, and many of its representatives are typically by-catch components that have not received fair attention in trophic ecology studies. This study aimed to evaluate the ecomorphological relationships of five engraulids on a Brazilian tropical sandy beach. Eleven ecomorphological features related to diet and locomotion from juveniles of Anchoa januaria (Steindachner, 1879), Anchoa tricolor (Spix & Agassiz, 1829), Anchovia clupeoides (Swainson, 1839), Anchoviella lepidentostole (Fowler, 1911) and Lycengraulis grossidens (Spix & Agassiz, 1829) were calculated and employed in cluster and principal component analysis. The differences in the species ecomorphological indices evidence niche divergence among them, with morphologically close species presenting distinct feeding preferences, and those with common feeding preferences showing distinct morphology despite their phylogenetically proximity. Our results contribute to a better understanding of trophic web structures and coexistence strategies developed by morphologically close species to avoid competition in coastal environments.

Ocean sprawl has become increasingly prevalent in marine environments. Artificial substrates, notably floating structures like buoys, have gained significant attention in recent years. They serve as valuable models for future studies aimed at understanding and mitigating the impacts of anthropogenic activities on marine ecosystems. We studied the epifauna from buoys at six different locations on the northern and southern coasts of the island of Gran Canaria (Canary Is., NE Atlantic Ocean). A total of 12,130 individuals belonging to 57 species were collected. The abundance of individuals was higher in the northern area, whereas the species richness was higher in the southern area. The n-MDS showed significant differences between localities, with Las Alcaravaneras being separated from the remaining ones. These dissimilarities were due to the differences in the abundances of the amphipods P. gammaroides and A. rubricata. The orientation was a pivotal factor in structuring these associated communities in floating buoys. As a preliminary approach, high biodiversity and species richness were observed in these buoys; hence, they have a high potential to be used as bioindicators of human disturbance.

Climate change can promote shifts in species’ biogeographical distribution, but their monitoring is a challenge in the hardly accessible marine environment. In such cases, citizen science allows collecting data on scales unattainable for researchers. This study uses a citizen science approach through social media platforms to describe a high-occurrence event of the siphonophore Physalia physalis in Tunisia during April 2021, which, in addition to literature records, add to more than 50 colonies recorded in 2021 in Algeria and Tunisia. This is the highest abundance ever reported in these countries. Moreover, 20 specimens of Glaucus atlanticus were recorded in August 2022 in Tunisia, and 1 specimen in June 2023 in Algeria, constituting the first record for the species in both countries. For P. physalis, the reported event could result from an increase of citizen science in these countries, driving an increase of reports uploaded to social media, along with a high occurrence of colonies in 2021. Finally, high occurrence events might be partially predicted by westerly wind prevalence in the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby areas, a geographic bottleneck for colony entrance in the Mediterranean Sea. Overall, this study illustrates the key role of citizen science in resource-limited countries and the need of reinforcing these networks to generate eco-environmental awareness and scientific knowledge towards the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Black corals are known as deep-water creatures; however, members of the family Antipathidae are also found in shallow waters. Considering that the Persian Gulf is home to the northernmost coral species of the Indian Ocean, only species of genus Antipathes have been reported from the Persian Gulf so far. This paper is the first record of Cirrhipathes anguina (Dana 1846) from the Persian Gulf. This species has a wide distribution in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, especially in the Indo-West Pacific region. A single specimen was collected by SCUBA diving from Larak Island (Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf) from a 12 m depth. Colony morphology characteristics were examined by stereomicroscope, optical microscope and scanning electron microscope. Descriptions of this black coral and other taxonomic characteristics are provided. Molecular evidence also places this specimen in a clade with specimens of this species from Hawaii and Taiwan. In this study, we extended the known geographic distribution of this species in the Indo-Pacific region to the Persian Gulf.

Konosirus punctatus is an important fishery resource which is distributed from the Indian Ocean to the northwest Pacific. To study the genetic diversity of K. punctatus, we designed forty microsatellite markers based on Illumina and PacBio sequencing data. Twenty of them (50%) were successfully amplified and exhibited polymorphism which were selected for population genetic analyses in three K. punctatus populations from China (Xiamen, Zhoushan, and Laizhou). The number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 15, and the values of expected heterozygosity (He) and observed heterozygosity (Ho) were 0.454 ~ 0.918 (mean = 0.775) and 0.125 ~ 0.958 (mean = 0.706), respectively. The F_ST showed that the three geographic populations were moderately differentiated, while Structure and PCoA analysis showed that there was no significant differentiation between pairwise populations. These microsatellite markers will provide a basis for the study of the population genetics of K. punctatus.

The aim of this study was to investigate the accumulation of elements (Se, As, Hg, Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Mn, Al, Fe, Co and V) in some marine organisms [Eriphia verrucosa (Forskål, 1775), Solea solea (Linnaeus, 1758), Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819, and Ulva lactuca Linnaeus, 1753] collected from the northern Sea of Marmara (Büyükçekmece, Silivri, Tekirdağ, and Şarköy) in 2019. For this purpose, element accumulation was measured using ICP-MS (Inductively Couple Plasma-Mass Spectrometer). The lowest and highest element concentrations in marine organisms are Fe (0.00 –7499.78 µg g⁻¹ dw); Pb (0.00–31.12 µg g⁻¹ dw); Cd (0.00–9.93 µg g⁻¹ dw); Cu (2.98–775.63 µg g⁻¹ dw); Cr (0.24–26.19 µg g⁻¹ dw); Mn (1.53–427.60 µg g⁻¹ dw); Al (0.00– 13,788.4 µg g⁻¹ dw); Ni (0.00–56.26 µg g⁻¹ dw); Hg (0.03–3.37 µg g⁻¹ dw); Zn (0.00–1554.23 µg g⁻¹ dw); As (0.00– 1.84 µg g⁻¹ dw); Se (0.00–0.04 µg g⁻¹ dw); V (0.13–72.54 µg g⁻¹ dw); and Co (0.00–10.98 µg g⁻¹ dw), respectively. According to these element values, Pb, Cd and Hg values were found to be higher in mussels than in crabs and exceeded the limits of the Turkish Food Codex. This study shows that more caution should be exercised when consuming marine organisms that exceed the limits of the Turkish Food Codex.

Various approaches have been employed to assess productivity at fishing ports. However, the utilization of fuzzy logic in this domain remains limited. This study aims to determine the value of fisheries productivity at Pekalongan Fishing Port and make predictions using fuzzy logic techniques. The research relies on secondary data gathered from fish landing records at Pekalongan Fishing Port between 2015 and 2022. The data was processed to establish a fuzzy set with three linguistic variables (low, middle, and high) for each input and output. This process was followed by the fuzzy inference process, culminating in defuzzification to generate precise values. The results were evaluated for accuracy using MAPE to assess the model’s performance. The study found that the Fuzzy method resulted in an MAPE values of 13.20%. The analysis results have the potential to significantly influence decision-making at Pekalongan Fishing Port concerning fisheries resource management, particularly in fish production and supply planning. Leveraging the Fuzzy Logic method enables the prediction of fisheries productivity, offering a valuable tool for ensuring sustainable fisheries management.

Microplastics can promote microbial colonisation and biofilm growth, thus being referred to as “plastispheres”. The global plastic pollution surge is likely to adversely impact ecology and human health by providing a novel habitat for microbial communities. Even though microplastics in marine environments have been the subject of in-depth research, plastispheres have recently received attention. Thus, the current study investigates the prevalence and distribution of plastispheres along the Maharashtra coast of India, considering their plausible implications for ecology and human health. Microplastics were isolated from sediment and water samples obtained from 10 sampling sites. Subsequently, these microplastic particles were subjected to ATR-FTIR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses to ascertain their chemical composition, surface topography, and presence of attached biofilms. The predominant polymers composing the microplastic particles were polypropylene (42.8%), polyethylene (28.6%), polystyrene (14.3%), and polyvinyl chloride (14.3%). SEM analysis revealed the presence of topographical structures and degradation effects, facilitating microbial attachment on the microplastic surface. About 50% of the microplastic particles tested positive for biofilms, with over 66% of those collected from Girgaon and Malvan beaches exhibiting biofilm presence. These positively screened particles also displayed comparatively rough surface structures, likely enhancing microbial colonisation. Microplastic ageing and polymer type could positively affect microbial colonisation. Diatoms and fungal hyphae exhibit varied interactions with microplastic polymers. Notably, microplastics host various reproductive stages of fungi, as evidenced by filamentous networks, mycelia, and conidiophores.

Trammel nets are used with nearly five days of soaking time to increase the catching efficiency of demersal fish under the control of commercial fishers in the Marmara Sea, Türkiye. The long soaking times can be deteriorate or damage individuals of fish species and economic losses. In this situation, the length and weight of fresh individuals can be measured, but damaged individuals can not be measured in length and weight or both. These losses can be revealed by relating of the length–weight relationship. The current study aimed to determine economic losses by estimating the length–weight relationships of known length and weight of fresh individuals, and by calculating the weight of damaged individuals depending on the length–weight relationships. The catching operations with different soaking times were conducted firstly from December 2020 to December 2021 and secondly from the winter and spring seasons of 2022 in the Marmara Sea, Türkiye. A total of 654 individuals of all species were caught and 185 of them were determined to be damaged. This shows that 30% of those caught were damaged individuals. The total weight of the damaged individuals was calculated to be 91.3 kg. The damaged fish were caught with a total of 2000 m trammel nets and it was determined that they caused an economic loss of 355.3 USD. When we consider the decline and overexploitation of fish stocks, these economic losses and damaged individuals with long soaking times for trammel nets are significant. So, the negative effects of long soaking times on catchable stocks should be evaluated by fisheries managers, and the long soaking times of trammel nets should be regulated for sustainable fisheries.