2018 |
Milner-Gulland, E. J., et al. "Translating the terrestrial mitigation hierarchy to marine megafauna by-catch." Fish. Fish.. 19.3 (2018): 547–561.
Résumé: In terrestrial and coastal systems, the mitigation hierarchy is widely and increasingly used to guide actions to ensure that no net loss of biodiversity ensues from development. We develop a conceptual model which applies this approach to the mitigation of marine megafauna by-catch in fisheries, going from defining an overarching goal with an associated quantitative target, through avoidance, minimization, remediation to offsetting. We demonstrate the framework's utility as a tool for structuring thinking and exposing uncertainties. We draw comparisons between debates ongoing in terrestrial situations and in by-catch mitigation, to show how insights from each could inform the other; these are the hierarchical nature of mitigation, out-of-kind offsets, research as an offset, incentivizing implementation of mitigation measures, societal limits and uncertainty. We explore how economic incentives could be used throughout the hierarchy to improve the achievement of by-catch goals. We conclude by highlighting the importance of clear agreed goals, of thinking beyond single species and individual jurisdictions to account for complex interactions and policy leakage, of taking uncertainty explicitly into account and of thinking creatively about approaches to by-catch mitigation in order to improve outcomes for conservation and fishers. We suggest that the framework set out here could be helpful in supporting efforts to improve by-catch mitigation efforts and highlight the need for a full empirical application to substantiate this.
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2017 |
Bakker, J., et al. "Environmental DNA reveals tropical shark diversity in contrasting levels of anthropogenic impact." Sci Rep. 7 (2017): 16886.
Résumé: Sharks are charismatic predators that play a key role in most marine food webs. Their demonstrated vulnerability to exploitation has recently turned them into flagship species in ocean conservation. Yet, the assessment and monitoring of the distribution and abundance of such mobile species in marine environments remain challenging, often invasive and resource-intensive. Here we pilot a novel, rapid and non-invasive environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approach specifically targeted to infer shark presence, diversity and eDNA read abundance in tropical habitats. We identified at least 21 shark species, from both Caribbean and Pacific Coral Sea water samples, whose geographical patterns of diversity and read abundance coincide with geographical differences in levels of anthropogenic pressure and conservation effort. We demonstrate that eDNA metabarcoding can be effectively employed to study shark diversity. Further developments in this field have the potential to drastically enhance our ability to assess and monitor elusive oceanic predators, and lead to improved conservation strategies.
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2013 |
Borsa, P., et al. "Himantura tutul sp nov (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae), a new ocellated whipray from the tropical Indo-West Pacific, described from its cytochrome-oxidase I gene sequence." Comptes Rendus Biologies. 336.2 (2013): 82–92.
Résumé: It has been previously established that the Leopard Whipray, Himantura leoparda, consists of two genetically isolated, cryptic species, provisionally designated as 'Cluster 1' and 'Cluster 4' (Arlyza et al., Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 65 (2013) [11). Here, we show that the two cryptic species differ by the spotting patterns on the dorsal surface of adults: Cluster-4 individuals tend to have larger-ocellated spots, which also more often have a continuous contour than Cluster-1 individuals. We show that H. leopard a's holotype has the typical larger-ocellated spot pattern, designating Cluster 4 as the actual H. leoparda. The other species (Cluster 1) is described as Himantura tutul sp. nov. on the basis of the nucleotide sequence of a 655-base pair fragment of its cytochrome-oxidase I gene (GENBANK accession No. JX263335). Nucleotide synapomorphies at this locus clearly distinguish H. tutul sp. nov. from all three other valid species in the H. uarnak species complex, namely H. leoparda, H. uarnak, and H. undulata. H. tutul sp. nov. has a wide distribution in the Indo-West Pacific, from the shores of eastern Africa to the Indo-Malay archipelago. H. leoparda under its new definition has a similarly wide Indo-West Pacific distribution. (C) 2013 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
Mots-Clés: Himantura leoparda, New species, Molecular taxonomy, COI, Cytochrome b; myliobatiformes dasyatidae, conservation, fisheries, indonesia, sharks,; rays, elasmobranchs, management, taxonomy, barcode
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2010 |
Fleury, E., et al. "Microarray-Based Identification of Gonad Transcripts Differentially Expressed Between Lines of Pacific Oyster Selected to Be Resistant or Susceptible to Summer Mortality." Mar. Biotechnol.. 12.3 (2010): 326–339.
Résumé: Summer mortality of the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is the result of a complex interaction between oysters, their environment, and pathogens. Heredity appears to be a major factor determining the sensitivity of oysters to summer mortality, allowing resistant (R) and susceptible (S) lines to be produced. We conducted genome-wide expression profiling of R and S gonads during the 3-month period preceding a summer mortality event, using a cDNA microarray that we designed. ANOVA analysis revealed that 34 genes were differentially expressed between R and S lines on four dates preceding the mortality event. Annotation of some of these genes highlights reproduction and its allocation and antioxidant defenses as the main pathways that operate differentially between R and S lines. This transcriptional analysis provides new indications to define markers for quantitative trait loci searches and functional studies and evaluate the potential role of each gene in the resistance to summer mortality.
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