The conservation of the endangered Mediterranean common dolphin (Delphinus delphis): Current knowledge and research priorities

1. Preservation of endangered species is now recognized as a relevant component of regional and global conservation actions achieved through the maintenance of the remaining populations in a favourable conservation status. The Mediterranean common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is listed as an Endangered subpopulation in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, with declining numbers in some of the areas where it has been studied for numerous years. Prey depletion, fisheries bycatch, pollution, health risks, and climate change are among the recognized threats that the species is facing in the region.
2. The existing national, regional, and international legislation pertinent to Mediterranean countries should aid greater science–policy–management integration and support innovative research and monitoring towards effective conservation. The challenges inherent in studying the pelagic D. delphis should not preclude the use of long-term, year-round, multiplatform surveys, side by side with the latest molecular tools, which aid our understanding of its populations' genetic diversity, resistance to diseases, and resilience in a semi-enclosed fast-changing sea.
3. Addressing the multiplicity of problems confronting the species requires collaborative effort at all levels to share and merge resources, data, and expertise more efficiently. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the Mediterranean common dolphin, the main threats, and knowledge gaps that are priorities for addressing its conservation, while providing clear recommendations for effectively safeguarding the species and its habitat at both local and regional levels.

     

Sulfated beta-glucan derived from oat bran with potent anti-HIV activity

China is a major producer of oats; the annual harvested area of 350,000 ha yields approximately 465,000 tons, giving an average yield of 1.33 tons/ha. The bran is not used for animal feed as it is of poor digestibility and low nutritive content and is considered a waste byproduct. Therefore, it is advantageous to produce a value-added product from the bran. We extracted the native polysaccharide, a linear (1-3)-, (1-4)-linked beta-glucan (OBG) from the oat bran and synthesized a sulfated derivative OBGS containing 36.5% sulfate. OBGS had potent activity against a primary isolate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells at a concentration (EC(50)=5.98 x 10(-4) microM) approximately 15,000 times below its cytotoxic concentration. OBGS was also active postinfection (EC(50)=5.3 x 10(-4) microM) and protected pretreated peripheral mononuclear cells (EC(50)=5.2 x 10(-2) microM) washed free of the compounds prior to infection. Thus, OBGS has potential as a vaginal microbicide and is the first such report for oat bran derived sulfated beta-glucan.     

An assessment of catches of shore sport fishing competitions along the coast of the Maltese Islands: Implications for conservation and management

Competitive shore‐based sport fishing is a popular recreational activity in the Maltese Islands. However, prior to this study, no scientific research surveys had been carried out during sport fishing competitions to investigate catches. Collaboration with Maltese sports fishermen was developed to target sustainable management. Recreational fishing catches were recorded between July 2012 and December 2015 by means of 1,633 roving‐access creel surveys, conducted during 79 sport fishing competitions, totalling a fishing effort of 7,548 hr. A total of 29,916 fish belonging to 80 species from 26 different families were caught at a mean catch‐per‐unit‐effort (CPUE) of 4.16 fish angler/hr (SD ± 3.79) and 0.18 kg angler/hr (SD ± 0.17) but with seasonal variation. Catch‐and‐release practices were implemented by all Maltese sport fishing clubs, however, the mean mortality rate stood at 35.5% (SD ± 42.1), indicating that more effort is required to improve survival of fish. The study outcomes provide conservation recommendations.     

Emergency Presentations of Exotic Mammal Herbivores

Companion exotic mammal herbivores may be diagnosed with chronic disease that the owner believes is causing acute clinical illness. It is generally believed that because of the enhanced disease-masking ability of these “prey” species, numerous disease states may go unnoticed for a significant period. A veterinarian should be knowledgeable about this behavior trait and consider its possible effects when assessing the patient's health status. In some cases, the chronic disease condition may respond rapidly to treatment, whereas with other diagnoses, treatment is more frustrating. This article describes a selection of chronic disease conditions that one may diagnose in guinea pigs (e.g., hypovitaminosis C, trixacariasis, urolithiasis, dental disease), chinchillas (e.g., dental disease), and rabbits (e.g., dental disease, renal failure, cranial thoracic mass disease). Gastrointestinal and cardiovascular disease problems diagnosed in companion exotic mammal herbivores are covered elsewhere in this journal issue.     

Evolution of Carotenoids,Sensory Profiles and Volatile Compounds in Microwave-Dried Fruits of Three Different Loquat Cultivars (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.)

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - The consumption of loquat fruits is highly appreciated for their carotenoid content and valuable sensory notes, but it is limited due to the low shelf-life. An...     

Interactions between fisheries and cetaceans in the Thracian sea (Greece) and management proposals

Greek fisheries (purse seine, trawling and small‐scale coastal, by order of importance) mostly operate in the Thracian Sea, which despite its relatively small size relative to the Aegean Sea (≈4.4%) is the most productive region in Greek waters due to its elevated nutrient concentration. The Thracian Sea is also vital to several species of cetaceans, mainly bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus (Montagu), and common dolphin, Delphinus delphis L. The area has been proposed as a potential cetacean conservation hotspot. For this reason, the interactions between fishing activities and local cetacean populations have been investigated through reports of stranded dolphins, interviews with fishers, surveys and detailed dolphin stomach content analysis. Reports of stranded cetaceans and interviews with fishers revealed cases of cetacean entanglement in fishing nets, as well as frequent dolphin damage to fishing nets. Necropsy stomach analysis of stranded dolphins revealed a preference for fish and cephalopods of low commercial value, indicating a low trophic overlap between cetaceans and commercial fisheries. Recommendations for the management of fisheries–cetacean interactions in the Thracian Sea are provided.     

The 10 Australian ecosystems most vulnerable to tipping points

We identify the 10 major terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Australia most vulnerable to tipping points, in which modest environmental changes can cause disproportionately large changes in ecosystem properties. To accomplish this we independently surveyed the coauthors of this paper to produce a list of candidate ecosystems, and then refined this list during a 2-day workshop. The list includes (1) elevationally restricted mountain ecosystems, (2) tropical savannas, (3) coastal floodplains and wetlands, (4) coral reefs, (5) drier rainforests, (6) wetlands and floodplains in the Murray-Darling Basin, (7) the Mediterranean ecosystems of southwestern Australia, (8) offshore islands, (9) temperate eucalypt forests, and (10) salt marshes and mangroves. Some of these ecosystems are vulnerable to widespread phase-changes that could fundamentally alter ecosystem properties such as habitat structure, species composition, fire regimes, or carbon storage. Others appear susceptible to major changes across only part of their geographic range, whereas yet others are susceptible to a large-scale decline of key biotic components, such as small mammals or stream-dwelling amphibians. For each ecosystem we consider the intrinsic features and external drivers that render it susceptible to tipping points, and identify subtypes of the ecosystem that we deem to be especially vulnerable.     

Paleomagnetic chronology of pliocene-early pleistocene climates and the plio-pleistocene boundary in new zealand

The paleomagnetic chronology established for a Pliocene-Early Pleistocene sequence of marine sediments in New Zealand reveals that marked climatic coolings based on Foraminifera and oxygen isotope ratios in the late Cenozoic preceded the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary, which is taken to be at the base of the Gilsá geomagnetic polarity event (1.79 million years ago). Major temperature fluctuations occur from the upper Gauss (Middle Pliocene) to middle Matuyama (Early Pleistocene). The first major Pliocene cooling spans the Gauss-Matuyama boundary (2.43 million years ago). A uniform and rapid (40 centimeters per 1000 years) rate of deposition is shown for the moderately shallow marine environment.     

Enrichment of prion protein in exosomes derived from ovine cerebral spinal fluid

Prion diseases are transmissible neurodegenerative disorders affecting humans and a wide variety of animal species including sheep and cattle. The transmissible agent, the prion, is an abnormally folded form (PrP(Sc)) of the host encoded cellular prion protein (PrP(C)). Distribution of the prion protein in the fluids of species susceptible to these diseases is of importance to human health and the iatrogenic spread of prion disease. Aside from blood which is confirmed to be a source of prion infectivity, it is currently unclear which other body fluids harbor a significant transmission risk. In the current study we examined two ovine fluids; pseudo-afferent lymph and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), for the presence of exosomes and concurrent enrichment of the normal, cellular form of the prion protein (PrP(C)). Here we demonstrate the existence of exosomes in both pseudo-afferent lymph and CSF isolated from sheep. In the CSF derived exosomes we were able to show an enrichment of PrP(C) over unfractionated CSF. This experimental approach suggests that CSF derived exosomes could be used as a novel means of detecting abnormal forms of the prion protein and provide an in vivo link between these vesicles and prion disease pathogenesis.