Mass mortality of the keratose sponge in the Aegean Sea (Eastern Mediterranean) correlates with proliferation of bacteria in the tissues.

In the last two decades, episodes of mass mortality in benthic communities have often been associated with climatic anomalies, but the ultimate mechanisms through which they lead to death have rarely been identified. This study reports a mass mortality of wild sponges in the Aegean Sea (Turkey, Eastern Mediterranean), which affected the keratose demosponge in September 2021. We examined the occurrence of thermo-dependent bacteria of the genus in the sponges, identified through 16S rRNA of colonies isolated from sponge tissue in specific culturing media.

Quantification of the indirect effects of scallop dredge fisheries on a brown crab fishery.

This study aimed to describe the characteristics of the by-catch of Cancer pagurus in king scallop dredges in the Isle of Man, and to determine the damage, immediate mortality and estimated mortality during fishing seasons associated with scallop dredges. Based on dredge surveys, spatial and seasonal variations were observed, with the highest number of crabs found off the west coast of the Isle of Man in the autumn when berried females crabs were most frequently caught. In general, female crabs comprised 84% of the catch.

Role of the vitreous in age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Methods: The condition of the vitreous was examined by slit-lamp funduscopy and ultrasonography in 93 eyes of 50 patients with AMD (exudative or dry) and 100 eyes of 50 controls.

Results: There was complete PVD in 31 of the 93 eyes (33.