18S rRNA V9 metabarcoding for diet characterization: a critical evaluation with two sympatric zooplanktivorous fish species

The potential of the 18S rRNA V9 metabarcoding approach for diet assessment was explored using MiSeq paired-end (PE; 2 9 150 bp) technology. To critically evaluate the method's performance with degraded/digested DNA, the diets of two zooplanktivorous fish species from the Bay of Biscay, European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and European sprat (Sprattus sprattus), were analysed. The taxonomic resolution and quantitative potential of the 18S V9 metabarcoding was first assessed both in silico and with mock and field plankton samples. Our method was capable of discriminating species within the reference database in a reliable way providing there was at least one variable position in the 18S V9 region. Furthermore, it successfully discriminated diet between both fish species, including habitat and diel differences among sardines, overcoming some of the limitations of traditional visual-based diet analysis methods. The high sensitivity and semi-quantitative nature of the 18S V9 metabarcoding approach was supported by both visual microscopy and qPCR-based results. This molecular approach provides an alternative cost and time effective tool for food-web analysis.

Gestão Ambiental apoiada por SIG na estrada da Colônia, Ilha Grande (RJ): uma visão do futuro.

Os SIG Sistemas de Informação Geográfica vêm sendo cada vez mais estudados como ferramentas facilitadoras de análises territoriais com o objetivo de subsidiar a gestão ambiental. A Ilha Grande, que pertence ao município de Angra dos Reis, localiza-se na baía de Ilha Grande no sul do estado do Rio de Janeiro e constitui-se no recorte espacial de análise. Apresenta uma dinâmica ambiental complexa que se sobrepõem principalmente aos usos de proteção ambiental e de atividade turística em uma porção do território em que as normatizações legais são difíceis de serem aplicadas, pois são reflexos de interesses que se manifestam em três esferas do poder a municipal, a estadual e a federal. O objetivo principal desta pesquisa é a realização do processamento digital de imagem para auxiliar a gestão territorial da Ilha Grande. Em foco, a estrada Abraão - Dois Rios, que liga Abraão (local de desembarque dos turistas, principal núcleo da Ilha) a Dois Rios (local de visitação por estudantes e pesquisadores, núcleo que abrigava o presídio, atualmente abriga sede do centro de pesquisa e museu da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro), ambos protegidos por diferentes categorias de unidades de conservação. A metodologia fundamenta-se no processamento digital de imagem através da segmentação e da classificação supervisionada por pixel e por região. O processamento deu-se a partir da segmentação (divisão de uma imagem digital em múltiplas regiões ou objetos, para simplificar e/ou mudar a representação de uma imagem) e dos processos de classificações de imagem, com a utilização de classificação por pixel e classificação por regiões (com a utilização do algoritmo Bhattacharya). As segmentações e classificações foram processadas no sistema computacional SPRING versão 5.1.7 e têm como objetivo auxiliar na análise de uso da Terra e projetar cenários a partir da identificação dos pontos focais de fragilidade encontrados ao longo da estrada Abraão-Dois Rios, propensos a ocorrências de movimentos de massa e que potencializam o efeito de borda da floresta e os impactos ambientais. A metodologia utilizada baseou-se em análise de campo e comparações de tecnologias de classificação de imagens. Essa estrada eixo de ligação entre os dois núcleos tem significativa importância na história da Ilha, nela circulam veículos, pesados e leves, de serviço, pedestres e turistas. Como resultados da presente foram gerados os mapas de classificação por pixel, os mapas de classificação por região, o mapa fuzzy com a intersecção dos mapas de classificação supervisionada por região e os mapas com os locais coletados em campo onde são verificadas ocorrências de movimentos de massa nas imagens ALOS, 2000, IKONOS, 2003 e ortofotografias, 2006. Esses mapas buscam servir de apoio à tomada de decisões por parte dos órgãos locais responsáveis.

Annual report to the PSC on the year 2012

Progress and Outputs: summary of 2012, progress of project logframe targets in year 4, events diary,activities within each sub-component. Risk assessment. Project finances. List of documents.

BOBLME Fisheries Statistics Working Group Meeting, Bangkok, Thailand 28-29 April, 2010

Recent and current initiatives in Southeast Asia for data harmonization, country reports, statistcs, data collection, stock assessment initiatives, recommendations and workplan

BOBLME Mergui Archipelago Stakeholder Workshop, Ranong, Thailand, 13-14 July 2010

Develop recommendations and workplan to establish environmental baselines and monitoring;alternative livelihoods; planning and management; and institutional arrangements.

BOBLME Mergui Archipelago Stakeholder Workshop, Yangon, Myanmar, 11-12 October, 2010

Updating environmental baselines and information; identification of major gaps; promotion of environmental services; promotion of livelihood interests; systematic monitoring practices; and increasing public awareness

BOBLME Oceanographic Working Group Meeting, Perth, Australia, July 12-16, 2010

Overview from member countries of oceanography and large scale dynamic processes affecting the Bay of Bengal

BOBLME ICM Best Practices and Lessons Learned South Asia Workshop, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 28-29 July, 2010

Country overviews of Community Based Integrated Coastal Management (CB-ICM) for Bangladesh, The Maldives, Sri Lanka, India and Southeast Asia. Recommendations for the way forward

Community-based tarball monitoring in the Maldives

Monitoring oil pollution by using students to count tarballs on beaches. Samples were taken between 2006 and 2010; a significant relationship was demonstrated between the abundance of tarballs and exposure to shipping lanes. The contribution of local communities to monitoring marine pollution was also demonstrated.

Mergui Archipelago Joint Stakeholder Workshop report, Phuket, Thailand, 18-19 January, 2011

Data, information gaps and related monitoring requirements including trans-boundry issues; alternative livelihoods; critical habitat and develoment issues; policy, planning and institutional development.

Marine Managed Areas Workshop report, Penang, Malaysia, 18-19 January, 2011

Establishment of a working group of regional experts in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs); inventory and status of existing MPAs; gap analysis;establishment of common data requirements and protocols;development of a regional action plan;training and capacity building; outreach activities; proposal f0r management of existing and creation of new MPAs.

Country report on pollution: India

Biogeographical features, coastal ecosystems and coastal activities of the Bay of Bengal Coast of India. Overview of sources of pollution, water and sediment quality. Present status of pollution and trans-boundary issues. International instruments adopted, policy and mechanisms for pollution control and enforcement of existing policies and legislations.

Fisheries, marine environment, and integrated coastal management policy processes, content and implementation in the BOBLME countries: regional synthesis and country questionnaires

This paper examines policy processes, policy trends and policy implementation with regards to capture fisheries, the marine environment and Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) in BOBLME countries. Individual country information was analyzed to generate a regional synthesis.

Mainstreaming gender in the BOBLME Project

The paper presented a gender audit of international and regional instruments in the eight BOBLME countries. Uneven progress in tackling gender inequalities was found. Entry points to mainstream gender in the Strategic Action Plan(SAP) were identified and key recommendations to BOBLME partner countries were made.

Transboundary diagnostic analysis. Vol. 1. Issues, proximate and root causes

The Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis(TDA) quantifies and ranks water-related environmental transboundary issues and their causes according to the severity of environmental and/or socio-economic impacts. The three main issues in BOBLME are; overexploitation of marine living resources; degradation of mangroves, coral reefs and seagrasses; pollution and water quality. Volume 1 describes the transboundary issues in BOBLME and their proximate and underlying root causes. These will be used to develop a Strategic Action Plan (SAP)