Antibiotic Resistance in Vibrio Bacteria Associated with Red Spotting Disease in Sea Urchin (Echinodermata).

The red spotting disease harms sea urchins to the extent of mass mortality in the ocean and echinocultures, accompanied by environmental damage and economic losses. The current study emphasizes the antimicrobial resistance of three isolated bacteria, closely related to , , and , associated with red spotting in the cultured sea urchin . In vitro trials examined the susceptibility of these bacterial isolates to various antibiotics.

CRISPR spacers acquired from plasmids primarily target backbone genes, making them valuable for predicting potential hosts and host range.

In recent years, there has been a surge in metagenomic studies focused on identifying plasmids in environmental samples. Although these studies have unearthed numerous novel plasmids, enriching our understanding of their environmental roles, a significant gap remains: the scarcity of information regarding the bacterial hosts of these newly discovered plasmids. Furthermore, even when plasmids are identified within bacterial isolates, the reported host is typically limited to the original isolate, with no insights into alternative hosts or the plasmid's potential host range.

Gonadotropin expression, pituitary and plasma levels in the reproductive cycle of wild and captive-reared greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili).

We compared the endocrine status of the pituitary-gonad axis of wild and captive-reared greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) during the reproductive cycle (April - July), reporting on the expression and release of the two gonadotropins for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea. Ovaries from wild females were characterized histologically as DEVELOPING in early May and SPAWNING capable in late May-July, the latter having a 3 to 4-fold higher gonadosomatic index (GSI). SPAWNING capable wild females exhibited an increase in pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (Fsh) content, plasma testosterone (T) and 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20β-P), while almost a 10-fold increase was observed in pituitary luteinizing hormone (Lh) content.

Integrated hydroponics systems with anaerobic supernatant and aquaculture effluent in desert regions: Nutrient recovery and benefit analysis.

Hydroponics is a resource-efficient system that increases food production and enhances the overall sustainability of agricultural systems, particularly in arid zones with prevalent water scarcity and limited areas of arable land. This study investigated zero-waste hydroponics systems fed by agricultural waste streams as nutrient sources under desert conditions. Three pilot-scale systems were tested and compared.

Development of a Rainbow Trout () Intestinal Platform for Profiling Amino Acid Digestion and Absorption of a Complete Diet.

The ever-increasing number and variation of raw materials utilized to provide alternative feed formulations continues to allow for a more sustainable and flexible approach. Testing all these options is still the most robust and reliable manner to pick the best raw material candidates, but it requires the use of large numbers of animals and is time-consuming and expensive. Therefore, we are developing an platform that can provide a reliable evaluation of new ingredients.

Characterization of the Environmental Plasmidome of the Red Sea.

Plasmids contribute to microbial diversity and adaptation, providing microorganisms with the ability to thrive in a wide range of conditions in extreme environments. However, while the number of marine microbiome studies is constantly increasing, very little is known about marine plasmids, and they are very poorly represented in public databases. To extend the repertoire of environmental marine plasmids, we established a pipeline for the assembly of plasmids in the marine environment by analyzing available microbiome metagenomic sequencing data.

Evaluation of Flathead Grey Mullets () Immunization and Long-Term Protection against Infection Using Three Different Vaccine Preparations.

In recent years, flathead grey mullets () cultured in Eilat (Israel) have been highly affected by , showing neurological signs such as uncoordinated circular swimming followed by high mortality rates. Despite the advances in and different approaches to control vibriosis associated with , including commercial vaccines, most of them have not succeeded in long-term protection. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness, long-term protection, and antibody production of three vaccine preparations: heat-killed bacteria (HKB), membrane proteins denaturation (BME PROT), and internal proteins (INT PROT) developed specifically against for grey mullets.

Spatial Succession Underlies Microbial Contribution to Food Digestion in the Gut of an Algivorous Sea Urchin.

Dietary influence on the microbiome in algivorous sea urchins such as Tripneustes gratilla elatensis suggests a bacterial contribution to the digestion of fiber-rich seaweed. An ecological insight into the spatial arrangement in the gut bacterial community will improve our knowledge of host-microbe relations concerning the involved taxa, their metabolic repertoire, and the niches of activity. Toward this goal, we investigated the bacterial communities in the esophagus, stomach, and intestine of -fed sea urchins through 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, followed by the prediction of their functional genes.

Enhancing Bioproducts in Seaweeds via Sustainable Aquaculture: Antioxidant and Sun-Protection Compounds.

Marine macroalgae are considered an untapped source of healthy natural metabolites and their market demand is rapidly increasing. Intertidal macroalgae present chemical defense mechanisms that enable them to thrive under changing environmental conditions. These intracellular chemicals include compounds that can be used for human benefit.

Ecological insights into the resilience of marine plastisphere throughout a storm disturbance.

Among numerous research about marine plastisphere, the community living on the surface of plastic debris, little attention was given to the ecological mechanisms governing prokaryotes compared to eukaryotes, and even less focused on their resilience in a changing climate with more storm prevalence. Our current research recruited an integrated approach involving community succession across temporal dimension, ecological mechanisms that govern the assembly, and resilience to environmental perturbations to highlight the ecology of different kingdoms in the plastisphere. Towards this goal, we examined the succession of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities on artificial plastic nets in a sidestream of seawater from the Gulf of Aqaba over 35 days.

Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes of a Novel Halotolerant Species for Hydrolysis of Starch and Other Algal Polysaccharides.

Halotolerant bacteria capable of starch hydrolysis by their amylases will benefit various industries, specifically since the hydrolytic activity of current industrial amylases is inhibited or even absent in salt-rich or alkaline environments. Seeking novel enzymes, we analyzed the entire genome content of a marine bacterium isolated from the gut of sea urchins to compare it against other bacterial genomes. Conditions underlying α-amylase activity were examined at various salinities (0 to 4%) and temperatures (25°C to 37°C).

Sparus aurata and Lates calcarifer skin microbiota under healthy and diseased conditions in UV and non-UV treated water.

Background: The welfare of farmed fish is influenced by numerous environmental and management factors. Fish skin is an important site for immunity and a major route by which infections are acquired. The objective of this study was to characterize bacterial composition variability on skin of healthy, diseased, and recovered Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata) and Barramundi (Lates calcarifer).

Carbon dynamics and energy recovery in a novel near-zero waste aquaponics system with onsite anaerobic treatment.

Aquaponics is gaining renewed interest to enhance food security. This study aimed to investigate the performance of a novel off-grid aquaponics system with near-zero water and waste discharge, focusing on the carbon cycle and energy recovery that was achieved by the addition of onsite anaerobic treatment of the solid waste streams. Following a stabilization stage, the system was closely monitored for four months.

Mono-specific algal diets shape microbial networking in the gut of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla elatensis.

Background: Algivorous sea urchins can obtain energy from a diet of a single algal species, which may result in consequent changes in their gut microbe assemblies and association networks.

Methods: To ascertain whether such changes are led by specific microbes or limited to a specific region in the gut, we compared the microbial assembly in the three major gut regions of the sea urchin Tripneustes gratilla elatensis when fed a mono-specific algal diet of either Ulva fasciata or Gracilaria conferta, or an algal-free diet. DNA extracts from 5 to 7 individuals from each diet treatment were used for Illumina MiSeq based 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3-V4 region).

Fishmeal replacement by periphyton reduces the fish in fish out ratio and alimentation cost in gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata.

Aquaculture threatens natural resources by fishing down the sea to supply fishmeal. Alternative protein sources in aquafeeds can provide a solution, particularly those that are waste from other operations and thereby reduce feed production costs. Toward this goal, we examined the waste biomass of marine periphyton from biofilters of an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system as a replacement for fishmeal in diets of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata).

Deciphering the Epigenetic Alphabet Involved in Transgenerational Stress Memory in Crops.

Although epigenetic modifications have been intensely investigated over the last decade due to their role in crop adaptation to rapid climate change, it is unclear which epigenetic changes are heritable and therefore transmitted to their progeny. The identification of epigenetic marks that are transmitted to the next generations is of primary importance for their use in breeding and for the development of new cultivars with a broad-spectrum of tolerance/resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. In this review, we discuss general aspects of plant responses to environmental stresses and provide an overview of recent findings on the role of transgenerational epigenetic modifications in crops.

Advanced near-zero waste treatment of food processing wastewater with water, carbon, and nutrient recovery.

A near-zero waste treatment system for food processing wastewater was developed and studied. The wastewater was treated using an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR), polished using an outdoor photobioreactor for microalgae cultivation (three species were studied), and excess sludge was treated using hydrothermal carbonization. The study was conducted under arid climate conditions for one year (four seasons).

A novel c.1759T>G variant in follicle-stimulating hormone-receptor gene is concordant with male determination in the flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus).

Various master key regulators (MKRs) that control a binary switch of sex determination (SD) have been found in fish; these provide an excellent model for the study of vertebrate genetic SD. The SD region in flathead grey mullet has been previously mapped to a 1 Mbp region harboring 27 genes, of which one is follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (fshr). Although this gene is involved in gonad differentiation and function, it has not been considered as an MKR of SD.

Preferential Mapping of Sex-Biased Differentially-Expressed Genes of Larvae to the Sex-Determining Region of Flathead Grey Mullet ().

Flathead gray mullet () is a cosmopolitan mugilid species popular in fishery and aquaculture with an economic preference for all-female population. However, it displays neither sexual dimorphisms nor heteromorphic sex chromosomes. We have previously presented a microsatellite-based linkage map for this species locating a single sex determination region (SDR) on linkage group 9 (LG9) with evidence for XX/XY sex determination (SD) mechanism.