Utilizing benthic habitat maps to inform biodiversity monitoring in marine protected areas

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Serological Survey of Bluetongue Virus Serotype‐8 Infection in South American Camelids in Switzerland (2007–2008)

Background: Outbreak of bluetongue virus serotype‐8 (BTV‐8) infection in domestic ruminants in Northern Europe. Objective: To investigate the South American camelids' (SAC) susceptibility to BTV‐8 infection, their role in the epidemiology of the disease, and the use of currently available serological screening tests in SAC in an endemic region. Animals: Three hundred and fifty‐four unvaccinated and 27 vaccinated SAC (170 llamas, 201 alpacas), ranging in age from 1 month to 17 years between June and August 2008. The SAC originated from 44 herds throughout the country, representing 10% of the Swiss SAC population. Methods: Prospective, observational study of a convenience sample of SAC. Serum samples were analyzed with 2 serological screening tests. When results diverged, a 3rd ELISA was carried out for confirmation (ID Screen Bluetongue Competition ELISA kit). Results: All sera from the 354 unvaccinated animals were negative in the endemic region. Reliable seroconversion was observed after administration of 2 doses of vaccine. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: This study suggests a low susceptibility of SAC to BTV‐8 despite the presence of the virus in the cattle and small ruminant population, indicating that SAC do not play a major role in the epidemiology of BTV‐8. Furthermore, these results indicate that commercially available serological tests for BTV‐8 can be used in SAC.     

First Characterization of Ostreopsis cf. ovata (Dinophyceae) and Detection of Ovatoxins during a Multispecific and Toxic Ostreopsis Bloom on French Atlantic Coast

Blooms of the benthic toxic dinoflagellate genus Ostreopsis have been recorded more frequently during the last two decades, particularly in warm temperate areas such as the Mediterranean Sea. The proliferation of Ostreopsis species may cause deleterious effects on ecosystems and can impact human health through skin contact or aerosol inhalation. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the toxic O. cf. ovata has not yet been reported to the north of Portugal, and the only species present further north was O. cf. siamensis, for which the toxic risk is considered low. During summer blooms of unidentified Ostreopsis species on the French Basque coast (Atlantic) in 2020 and 2021, people suffered from irritations and respiratory disorders, and the number of analyzed cases reached 674 in 2021. In order to investigate the causes, sampling was carried out during summer 2021 to (i) taxonomically identify Ostreopsis species present using a molecular approach, (ii) isolate strains from the bloom and culture them, and (iii) characterize the presence of known toxins which may be involved. For the first time, this study reports the presence of both O. cf. siamensis and O. cf. ovata, for which the French Basque coast is a new upper distribution limit. Furthermore, the presence of ovatoxins a, b, c, and d in the environmental sample and in a cultivated strain in culture confirmed the toxic nature of the bloom and allowed identifying O. cf. ovata as the producer. The present data identify a new health risk in the area and highlight the extended distribution of some harmful dinoflagellates, presumably in relation to climate change.     

Evaluation of dry ashing in conjunction with ion chromatographic determination of transition metal ions in pig feed samples

The contents of transition metal ions iron, copper, zinc, and manganese were simultaneously determined in pig feed using an ion chromatographic technique (IC) preceded by dry ashing. Employing ion exchange, the ions were separated on an IonPac CS5A column used in combination with a pyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid based eluent. The separation was followed by spectrophotometric detection after postcolumn reaction with 4-(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol. Dry ashing parameters were varied to assess their role in potential analyte loss. Quantitative recoveries (>95%) were obtained for all analytes with a dry ashing method that included a moderate temperature-time regime and ash leaching support in the form of sonication and heat treatment. The use of HCl as leaching acid and the presence of alkaline earths in the matrix solution did not interfere with the chromatographic separation.     

Seaturtles nesting at Melbourne beach,Florida, II. Post-nesting movements of Caretta caretta

Recaptures of 34 loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta tagged at Melbourne Beach, Florida, indicate post-nesting dispersal to widely distributed foraging grounds in the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, along the eastern seaboard of the United States, in the Florida Keys, and in the Gulf of Mexico. The most distant recovery was made 1500 km from Melbourne Beach in the Dominican Republic. Three turtles were captured in the Port Canaveral Ship Channel, which was recently discovered to be a hibernation site for Caretta. Travel against the Gulf Stream current is suggested by the recapture of a loggerhead on the north coast of Pinar del Río, Cuba, 11 days after it was tagged at Melbourne Beach. A minimum speed of travel of 70 km day^?1 is indicated by this return, which constitutes the most rapid migratory speed reported for Caretta. At least 14 of the 34 turtles were captured in nets intended for other marine species.     

Contribution of dimethyl sulfide to the aroma of Syrah and Grenache Noir wines and estimation of its potential in grapes of these varieties

The contribution of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) to the aroma of Syrah and Grenache Noir wines from the Rhone Valley of France was investigated by sensory analysis, and its levels in these wines were measured. The potential DMS in the corresponding grapes and wines, susceptible to release during wine aging, was evaluated. Free DMS and potential DMS assessed by a heat-alkaline treatment were measured in grape juices and wines by SPME-GC-MS using methods previously reported and slightly modified. A relationship between potential DMS from grapes and the total DMS levels in wine was demonstrated. Furthermore, a linear regression between the ratio of free DMS levels to these total DMS levels in wine and time of storage was found. Free and potential DMS levels in grapes and wines depended on grape variety, vintage, and vine location. DMS imparted a noticeable and complex contribution to the aroma of the wines investigated, depending on the mode of sensory perception used, either before or after glass swirling. It significantly enhanced the fruity notes of the wines, and additional truffle and black olive notes.     

How successful are plant species reintroductions?

Reintroduction of native species has become increasingly important in conservation worldwide for recovery of rare species and restoration purposes. However, few studies have reported the outcome of reintroduction efforts in plant species. Using data from the literature combined with a questionnaire survey, this paper analyses 249 plant species reintroductions worldwide by assessing the methods used and the results obtained from these reintroduction experiments. The objectives were: (1) to examine how successful plant species reintroductions have been so far in establishing or significantly augmenting viable, self-sustaining populations in nature; (2) to determine the conditions under which we might expect plant species reintroductions to be most successful; (3) to make the results of this survey available for future plant reintroduction trials. Results indicate that survival, flowering and fruiting rates of reintroduced plants are generally quite low (on average 52%, 19% and 16%, respectively). Furthermore, our results show a success rate decline in individual experiments with time. Survival rates reported in the literature are also much higher (78% on average) than those mentioned by survey participants (33% on average). We identified various parameters that positively influence plant reintroduction outcomes, e.g., working in protected sites, using seedlings, increasing the number of reintroduced individuals, mixing material from diverse populations, using transplants from stable source populations, site preparation or management effort and knowledge of the genetic variation of the target species. This study also revealed shortcomings of common experimental designs that greatly limit the interpretation of plant reintroduction studies: (1) insufficient monitoring following reintroduction (usually ceasing after 4 years); (2) inadequate documentation, which is especially acute for reintroductions that are regarded as failures; (3) lack of understanding of the underlying reasons for decline in existing plant populations; (4) overly optimistic evaluation of success based on short-term results; and (5) poorly defined success criteria for reintroduction projects. We therefore conclude that the value of plant reintroductions as a conservation tool could be improved by: (1) an increased focus on species biology; (2) using a higher number of transplants (preferring seedlings rather than seeds); (3) taking better account of seed production and recruitment when assessing the success of reintroductions; (4) a consistent long-term monitoring after reintroduction.     

Universal criteria for species conservation priorities? Findings from a survey of public views across Europe

Decisions on biodiversity management and conservation are increasingly based on indicators. These imply, explicitly or implicitly, a number of criteria such as nativeness, rarity, endangeredness and (economic) value. We investigated to which degree such criteria matter to members of the general public and conducted a survey in eight sites across Europe (n = 2378). We explored the relationships between perceived desirability of a species’ population increase and six species-related attributes, including previous population change, rarity, vulnerability, harmfulness, value, attractiveness, and nativeness.For all three species types investigated, previous population change, followed by perceived harmfulness and value, had the strongest relationship with desirability of future increase. Perceived nativeness played only a minor role in informing a species’ desirability. A strong relationship between previous change and desirability of future increase could also be found in a number of additional species and six different habitat types, suggesting that previous change is a key criterion that the general public draws on to inform their attitudes towards biodiversity management.We compare the roles of such criteria for the general public to those used in the scientific and political discourse, and draw conclusions for the use of indicators in the conservation debate, arguing that biodiversity management that is strongly focused on nativeness might fall short of the interests of the citizenship, whereas other criteria, such as population trends, harmfulness and role and value of a species in the ecosystem strongly resonate with the views of the general public.     

Isolation of microsatellites from an enriched genomic library of the plant-parasitic nematode <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meloidogyne incognita</Emphasis> and their detection in other root-knot nematode species

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita is a polyphagous pest distributed from temperate to tropical regions. However, the lack of suitable markers leads to a poor knowledge of its population genetic structure and colonization process. Here we describe the first characterization of 15 microsatellite loci from this nematode, that were developed from an enriched genomic library. Although the variability of these microsatellites was generally low, three of them exhibited a significant level of intrapopulation polymorphism, with three to seven alleles detected. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.025 to 0.385 and from 0.024 to 0.779, respectively. Thus, these new microsatellite markers have potential value for the implementation of genotyping experiments in this nematode. Furthermore, successful cross-amplification of the variable microsatellite loci in seven other Meloidogyne species provides the opportunity of using these markers for population genetic studies in these damaging plant-parasitic nematodes.