A ubiquitous subcuticular bacterial symbiont of a coral predator, the crown-of-thorns starfish, in the Indo-Pacific.

Background: Population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci sensu lato; COTS), a primary predator of reef-building corals in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, are a major threat to coral reefs. While biological and ecological knowledge of COTS has been accumulating since the 1960s, little is known about its associated bacteria. The aim of this study was to provide fundamental information on the dominant COTS-associated bacteria through a multifaceted molecular approach.

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in surface sediments from the Gulf of Thailand.

This study investigated the distribution and characteristics of microplastics in surface sediments of the Gulf of Thailand (GoT), and discussed the correlation between sediment grain size and microplastic content. The results indicate the abundance of microplastics is 150.4 ± 86.

Optimal Background Color for Head-Starting Northern River Terrapins ( Gray, 1831).

Background color has significant effects on the lifestyles of various animal species. In this study, the effects of wall background color on growth, feed utilization, specific activity of gastric and pancreatic enzymes in fecal samples, fecal thermal properties, carapace elemental profile, and hematological parameters were investigated in northern river terrapin ( Gray, 1831) in order to optimize the head-starting conditions. The terrapins (70.

5334000-53340000Optimal Salinity for Head-Starting Northern River Terrapin Gray, 1831).

Northern river terrapins ( Gray, 1831) are Asia's largest turtles living in both freshwater and brackish water. In the current study, the optimal salinity for head-starting programs of this critically endangered species was investigated in order to serve the well-being of turtles before release to natural habitat. Forty-eight terrapins (54.

Heat-induced shift in coral microbiome reveals several members of the Rhodobacteraceae family as indicator species for thermal stress in Porites lutea.

The coral holobiont is a complex ecosystem consisting of coral animals and a highly diverse consortium of associated microorganisms including algae, fungi, and bacteria. Several studies have highlighted the importance of coral-associated bacteria and their potential roles in promoting the host fitness and survival. Recently, dynamics of coral-associated microbiomes have been demonstrated to be linked to patterns of coral heat tolerance.

Long-term impacts of rising sea temperature and sea level on shallow water coral communities over a ~40 year period.

Effects of combined rising sea temperature and increasing sea level on coral reefs, both factors associated with global warming, have rarely been addressed. In this ~40 y study of shallow reefs in the eastern Indian Ocean, we show that a rising relative sea level, currently estimated at ~11 mm y, has not only promoted coral cover but also has potential to limit damaging effects of thermally-induced bleaching. In 2010 the region experienced the most severe bleaching on record with corals subject to sea temperatures of >31 °C for 7 weeks.

Dynamics of coral-associated microbiomes during a thermal bleaching event.

Coral-associated microorganisms play an important role in their host fitness and survival. A number of studies have demonstrated connections between thermal tolerance in corals and the type/relative abundance of Symbiodinium they harbor. More recently, the shifts in coral-associated bacterial profiles were also shown to be linked to the patterns of coral heat tolerance.

Tread-water feeding of Bryde's whales.

Many previous studies have shown that rorqual whales (Balaenopteridae), including the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), fin whale (B. physalus), sei whale (B. borealis), Bryde's whale (B.

High resolution profiling of coral-associated bacterial communities using full-length 16S rRNA sequence data from PacBio SMRT sequencing system.

Coral reefs are a complex ecosystem consisting of coral animals and a vast array of associated symbionts including the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium, fungi, viruses and bacteria. Several studies have highlighted the importance of coral-associated bacteria and their fundamental roles in fitness and survival of the host animal. The scleractinian coral Porites lutea is one of the dominant reef-builders in the Indo-West Pacific.

Osteoarthritis in two marine mammals and 22 land mammals: learning from skeletal remains.

The occurrence of osteoarthritis (OA) in marine mammals is still questionable. Here we investigated the prevalence of OA in marine (dolphin and dugong) and terrestrial mammals (Asian elephant, Asiatic buffalo, camel, cat, cattle, deer, dog, domestic goat, horse, human, hyena, impala, lion, Malayan tapir, Assam macaque, mule, pig, rabbit, red kangaroo, sheep, tiger and waterbuck). Skeletal remains obtained from five institutes were used as subjects; a total of 45 different parts (locations) of bones were observed for OA lesions.

What the skull and scapular morphology of the dugong (Dugong dugon) can tell us: sex, habitat and body length?

The dugong (Dugong dugon, Müller) is an endangered marine mammal species. We examined the relationship between sex, habitat and body length based on the skull and scapular morphology and morphometrics of 81 dugong samples in Thailand. A total of 58 parameters from the skull and scapula (25 from the cranium, 23 from the mandible and 10 from the scapula) as well as tusks were used in this study.

Elemental classification of the tusks of dugong (Dugong dugong) by HH-XRF analysis and comparison with other species.

The elemental composition was investigated and applied for identifying the sex and habitat of dugongs, in addition to distinguishing dugong tusks and teeth from other animal wildlife materials such as Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) tusks and tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) canine teeth. A total of 43 dugong tusks, 60 dugong teeth, 40 dolphin teeth, 1 whale tooth, 40 Asian elephant tusks and 20 tiger canine teeth were included in the study. Elemental analyses were conducted using a handheld X-ray fluorescence analyzer (HH-XRF).

Sources and mass inventory of sedimentary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Thailand: Implications for pathways and energy structure in SE Asia.

Surface sediments obtained from a matrix of 92 sample sites in the Gulf of Thailand (GOT) were analyzed for a comprehensive study of the distribution, sources, and mass inventory of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to assess their input pathways and impacts of the regional land-based energy structure on the deposition of PAHs on the adjacent continental margins. The concentration of 16 PAHs in the GOT ranged from 2.6 to 78.

Optimal feeding frequency of captive head-started green turtles (Chelonia mydas).

Optimal feeding frequency was investigated to improve head-started propagation programme of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas). The 15-day-old turtles (25-26 g body weight) were fed for ad libitum intake at one (1MD), two (2MD), three (3MD) or four (4MD) meals daily over a 3-month trial. Responses in growth, feed utilization, faecal characteristics, haematological parameters and carapace elemental composition were used to compare treatment effects.

Optimal-rearing density for head-starting green turtles (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758).

While ex situ conservation programs of juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758), before release to natural habitats, have been conducted in several countries, the optimal-stocking density for husbandry has not yet been reported. The optimization of stocking density was the main purpose of this study. The 15-day-old post-hatching turtles (29.

Elemental Analysis of Bone, Teeth, Horn and Antler in Different Animal Species Using Non-Invasive Handheld X-Ray Fluorescence.

Mineralized tissues accumulate elements that play crucial roles in animal health. Although elemental content of bone, blood and teeth of human and some animal species have been characterized, data for many others are lacking, as well as species comparisons. Here we describe the distribution of elements in horn (Bovidae), antler (Cervidae), teeth and bone (humerus) across a number of species determined by handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to better understand differences and potential biological relevance.

Determining comparative elemental profile using handheld X-ray fluorescence in humans, elephants, dogs, and dolphins: Preliminary study for species identification.

Species identification is a crucial step in forensic anthropological studies. The aim of this study was to determine elemental profiles in bones from four mammal species, to be used for species discrimination. Human, elephant, dog, and dolphin bones were scanned by X-ray fluorescence (XRF); the differences in elemental profiles between species were determined using discriminant analysis.

Pre-soaking of the feed pellets: a trick for successful feed utilization in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758).

Pre-soaking of the feed pellets in water can improve feed utilization in juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus, 1758), but the pre-soaking has not previously been optimized. This study aimed to optimize the water amount used for pre-soaking the pellets. The experiments followed a completely randomized design with three replications of each dietary treatment group.

A new species of Neenchelys (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae: Myrophinae) from the eastern Indian Ocean.

A new worm eel, Neenchelys andamanensis, is described based on a single specimen collected from a depth of 520-531 m, Andaman Sea, eastern Indian Ocean. The new species is similar to N. daedalus, N.

Age-Related Shifts in Bacterial Diversity in a Reef Coral.

This study investigated the relationship between microbial communities in differently sized colonies of the massive coral Coelastrea aspera at Phuket, Thailand where colony size could be used as a proxy for age. Results indicated significant differences between the bacterial diversity (ANOSIM, R = 0.76, p = 0.

Rebuttal to Koeda et al. (2014) on the Red Sea fishes of the perciform genus Pempheris.

Koeda et al. (2014) published a review of fishes of the genus Pempheris of the Red Sea. They concluded that there are four species: P.

Large-amplitude internal waves benefit corals during thermal stress.

Tropical scleractinian corals are particularly vulnerable to global warming as elevated sea surface temperatures (SSTs) disrupt the delicate balance between the coral host and their algal endosymbionts, leading to symbiont expulsion, mass bleaching and mortality. While satellite sensing of SST has proved a reliable predictor of coral bleaching at the regional scale, there are large deviations in bleaching severity and mortality on the local scale that are poorly understood. Here, we show that internal waves play a major role in explaining local coral bleaching and mortality patterns in the Andaman Sea.