1,721,043 research outputs found
Keep It Simple: Improving the Ex Situ Culture of Cystoseira s.l. to Restore Macroalgal Forests
Full text linkBrown algae from genus Cystoseira s.l. form dense underwater forests that represent the most productive areas in the Mediterranean Sea. Due to the combined effects of global and local stressors such as climate change, urbanization, and herbivore outbreaks, there has been a severe decline in brown algal forests in the Mediterranean Sea. Natural recovery of depleted sites is unlikely due to the low dispersal capacity of these species, and efficient techniques to restore such habitats are needed. In this context, the aims of our study were (1) to improve and simplify the current ex situ laboratory protocol for the cultivation of Gongolaria barbata by testing the feasibility of some cost-effective and time-efficient techniques on two donor sites of G. barbata and (2) to evaluate the survival and growth of young thalli during the laboratory phase and during the most critical five months after out-planting. Specifically, the following ex situ cultivation methods were tested: (A) cultivation on clay tiles in mesocosms with culture water prepared by three different procedures (a) filtered seawater with a 0.22 μm filter membrane, (b) filtered seawater with a 0.7 μm filter membrane (GF), and (c) UV-sterilized water, and (B) cultivation on clay tiles in open laboratory systems. After two weeks, all thalli were fixed to plastic lantern net baskets suspended at a depth of 2 m in the coastal sea (hybrid method), and the algal success was monitored in relation to the different donor sites and cultivation protocol. The satisfactory results of this study indicate that UV-sterilized water is suitable for the cultivation of G. barbata in mesocosm, which significantly reduces the cost of the laboratory phase. This opens the possibility of numerous and frequent algal cultures during the reproductive period of the species. Additionally, if the young thalli remain in the lantern net baskets for an extended period of several months, they can grow significantly in the marine environment without being exposed to pressure from herbivorous fish
Too hot to handle
Full text linkGongolaria barbata plays a crucial role as a habitat-forming Fucales species in the Mediterranean Sea, thriving in shallow, sheltered coastal regions, where it exhibits optimal growth in a temperature range of 10 to 25 °C. In the northern Adriatic Sea, a semi-enclosed part of the Mediterranean, there has been a remarkable increase in seawater temperatures in recent decades, often exceeding 28 °C in summer. These high temperatures pose a significant threat to the vulnerable early life stages of G. barbata. This study delves into the effects of four temperatures (15, 18, 24, and 28 °C) on the growth of G. barbata over its first 16 days, closely monitoring mortality, deformities, and overall survival. Our experiments reveal that higher temperatures can result in deformities and increased mortality of germlings. Notably, a temperature of 28 °C resulted in the death of all germlings within the first week, whereas those exposed to 24 °C survived until the second week, albeit with significant deformities prior to death. In contrast, germlings cultivated at 15 and 18 °C exhibited normal development with minimal deformities. These results highlight the susceptibility of the early life stages of G. barbata to temperature-induced stress and provide valuable insights into the potential consequences of rising seawater temperatures in the Mediterranean
Intraspecific and interspecific interactions in the selection of nesting niches of mediolittoral blennies (Blenniidae) in the Gulf Trieste
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Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
A non-destructive method for assessing the feeding habits of coastal fish
Full text linkStudies on the feeding ecology of sympatric coastal species is important, especially in revealing different strategies to reduce competition. The aim of this study is to test the diet of littoral fish species with a non-destructive method, which does not necessitate the sacrifice of fish specimens. The clingfish Lepadogaster lepadogaster (Bonnaterre, 1788) was used to test this diet assessment method. Freshly caught specimens were delivered immediately to a specially designed box for collecting faecal pellets, supplied by an aerator. Clingfishes were left in the chambers for 24 hours to defecate. The pellets were carefully removed and fixed in 70% alcohol. The content of the pellets was analysed under stereomicroscope and prey items were determined and counted. The comparison with the existing studies showed similarity and consistency between their results, which proves the usefulness and applicability of the method for studying clingfish diet. The suitability of the proposed method was tested on related species L. candollei Risso, 1810, where all ingested prey items were also found and identified in faecal pellets, which confirms its effectiveness for diet analysis. A method of collecting faecal pellets immediately after defecation has proved to be more useful and effective than other nonlethal methods. After defecation, the specimens were released at the site where they were collected. Due to 100% survival as shown in this research, the proposed method is also suitable for studying the diet of rare and endangered fish species, and also coastal fish fauna in protected areas where traditional destructive sampling methods are not appropriate or allowed
Proterebia afra dalmata (Godart, 1824) (Lepidoptera, Satyrinae) prvič zabeležena v Bosni in Hercegovini
Full text linkA non-destructive method for assessing the feeding habits of coastal fish
Full text linkStudies on the feeding ecology of sympatric coastal species is important, especially in revealing different strategies to reduce competition. The aim of this study is to test the diet of littoral fish species with a non-destructive method, which does not necessitate the sacrifice of fish specimens. The clingfish Lepadogaster lepadogaster (Bonnaterre, 1788) was used to test this diet assessment method. Freshly caught specimens were delivered immediately to a specially designed box for collecting faecal pellets, supplied by an aerator. Clingfishes were left in the chambers for 24 hours to defecate. The pellets were carefully removed and fixed in 70% alcohol. The content of the pellets was analysed under stereomicroscope and prey items were determined and counted. The comparison with the existing studies showed similarity and consistency between their results, which proves the usefulness and applicability of the method for studying clingfish diet. The suitability of the proposed method was tested on related species L. candollei Risso, 1810, where all ingested prey items were also found and identified in faecal pellets, which confirms its effectiveness for diet analysis. A method of collecting faecal pellets immediately after defecation has proved to be more useful and effective than other nonlethal methods. After defecation, the specimens were released at the site where they were collected. Due to 100% survival as shown in this research, the proposed method is also suitable for studying the diet of rare and endangered fish species, and also coastal fish fauna in protected areas where traditional destructive sampling methods are not appropriate or allowed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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