The Pacific harbor seal gut microbiota in Mexico: Its relationship with diet and functional inferences

ARLETTE MARIMAR PACHECO SANDOVAL (2019, [Artículo])

Diet is a primary driver of the composition of gut microbiota and is considered one of the main routes of microbial colonization. Prey identification is fundamental for correlating the diet with the presence of particular microbial groups. The present study examined how diet influenced the composition and function of the gut microbiota of the Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) in order to better understand the role of prey consumption in shaping its microbiota. This species is a good indicator of the quality of the local environment due to both its foraging and haul-out site fidelity. DNA was extracted from 20 fecal samples collected from five harbor seal colonies located in Baja California, Mexico. The V4 region of 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced using the Illumina technology. Results showed that the gut microbiota of the harbor seals was dominated by the phyla Firmicutes (37%), Bacteroidetes (26%) and Fusobacteria (26%) and revealed significant differences in its composition among the colonies. Funtional analysis using the PICRUSt software suggests a high number of pathways involved in the basal metabolism, such as those for carbohydrates (22%) and amino acids (20%), and those related to the degradation of persistent environmental pollutants. In addition, a DNA metabarcoding analysis of the same samples, via the amplification and sequencing of the mtRNA 16S and rRNA 18S genes, was used to identify the prey consumed by harbor seals revealing the consumption of prey with mainly demersal habits. Functional redundancy in the seal gut microbiota was observed, irrespective of diet or location. Our results indicate that the frequency of occurrence of specific prey in the harbor seal diet plays an important role in shaping the composition of the gut microbiota of harbor seals by influencing the relative abundance of specific groups of gut microorganisms. A significant relationship was found among diet, gut microbiota composition and OTUs assigned to a particular metabolic pathway. © 2019 Pacheco-Sandoval et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

RNA 16S, RNA 18S, amino acid analysis, animal food, Article, bacterium colony, Bacteroidetes, basal metabolic rate, biodegradation, controlled study, DNA barcoding, feces analysis, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, intestine flora, metabolism, Mexico, microb BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA ANIMAL (ZOOLOGÍA) BIOLOGÍA ANIMAL (ZOOLOGÍA)

Gamma-diversity partitioning of gobiid fishes (Teleostei: Gobiidae) ensemble along of Eastern Tropical Pacific: Biological inventory, latitudinal variation and species turnover

OMAR VALENCIA MENDEZ (2018, [Artículo])

Gobies are the most diverse marine fish family. Here, we analysed the gamma-diversity (γ-diversity) partitioning of gobiid fishes to evaluate the additive and multiplicative components of α and β-diversity, species replacement and species loss and gain, at four spatial scales: sample units, ecoregions, provinces and realms. The richness of gobies from the realm Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is represented by 87 species. Along latitudinal and longitudinal gradients, we found that the γ-diversity is explained by the β-diversity at both spatial scales, ecoregions and provinces. At the ecoregion scale, species are diverse in the north (Cortezian ecoregion) and south (Panama Bight ecoregion) and between insular and coastal ecoregions. At the province scale, we found that the species turnover between the warm temperate Northeast Pacific (WTNP), Tropical East Pacific (TEaP) and the Galapagos Islands (Gala) was high, and the species nestedness was low. At the ecoregion scale, historical factors, and phylogenetic factors have influenced the hotspots of gobiid fish biodiversity, particularly in the Cortezian, Panama Bight and Cocos Island ecoregions, where species turnover is high across both latitudinal and longitudinal gradients. At the provincial level, we found that the contributions of the β-diversity from north to south, in the WTNP, TEaP and Gala were high, as result of the high number of unique species. Species turnover was also high at this scale, with a low contribution from species nestedness that was probably due to the low species/gene flow within the provinces. These results highlight the importance and successful inclusion of a cryptobenthic fish component in ecological and biogeographical studies. © 2018 Valencia-Méndez et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Article, biodiversity, biogeographic region, biogeography, gene flow, goby fish, nonhuman, phylogeny, species distribution, species diversity, taxonomic identification, teleost, animal, animal dispersal, fish, Pacific Ocean, phylogeography, Animal Di CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS AGRARIAS PECES Y FAUNA SILVESTRE PECES Y FAUNA SILVESTRE

Insights into the transboundary stock structure of white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, along the coast of California and Baja California

Perspectivas sobre la estructura del stock transfronterizo de la corvina blanca, Atractoscion nobilis, a lo largo de la costa de California y de Baja California

ARTURO FAJARDO YAMAMOTO (2023, [Tesis de doctorado])

The white seabass (Atractoscion nobilis) is a transboundary fishery resource that ranges from California, U.S., to Baja California Sur, Mexico, and within the north of the Gulf of California. It has been proposed two stock structure hypotheses that exist across their range in the eastern Pacific. However, still there are important data gaps to fill to understand the stock structure of this species. The aim of this study was to develop more information to understand the Pacific stock structure of the white seabass by (1) enhancing the baseline (catch-effort) information for the Mexican WSB fishery, (2) estimating the size-at-maturity and (3) describe the horizontal movement patterns and habitat utilization of adult WSB. Results suggest that the landings of the Mexican white seabass fishery showed an overall increase over the past 70 years. Landing fluctuations were associated with shifts in contextual factors, such as market changes and geopolitical events. For the past 20 years, the majority of harvest has come from Baja California Sur, with landings concentrated primarily in the fishery offices of Ciudad Constitución, Punta Abreojos, and San Carlos. White seabass females from southern Baja California mature at a size of 72.7 cm, while the males mature at a size of 58 cm. Moreover, regional differences of maturity were estimated where WSB from California matures larger than those from southern Baja California. A connectivity degree of white seabass adult was estimated between the coast of California and the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula. Overall, areas around islands and coastal areas are high-use areas for adult WSB. The Channel Islands, the region off Coronado Islands-Ensenada, the San Quintin region, and the Vizcaino Bay region are essential areas for WSB since different WSB ontogenic stages have been recorded. The spawning (March-September) and none spawning (October-February) seasons for adult WSB have marked differences in habitat utilization. Two migration pathways were estimated: one, a dispersal movement where adult white seabass moved northward to an area around the Channel Islands in California and a southward movement along the coast of the west coast of the Baja California Peninsula where multiple high-use areas were occupied and, second a return movement from north and south areas to a constrained and restricted area off the coast of Tijuana and San Quintin. Considering the information generated in this thesis, we have ...

La corvina blanca (Atractoscion nobilis) es un recurso pesquero transfronterizo que se extiende desde California, EE. UU., hasta Baja California Sur, México, y dentro del norte del Golfo de California. Se han propuesto dos hipótesis que describen la estructura del stock de la corvina blanca a lo largo de su área de distribución en el Pacífico oriental. Sin embargo, aún quedan vacíos en la información biológica-pesquera que nos permita comprender de una manera más robusta la estructura del stock. El objetivo de este estudio fue el desarrollar más información que nos permita comprender la estructura del stock de la corvina blanca que habita el Pacífico mediante (1) la reconstrucción de los desembarques de la pesquería mexicana, (2) la estimación del tamaño de madurez y (3) la descripción de los patrones de movimiento horizontal y el uso de hábitat de la corvina blanca adulta. Los resultados sugieren que los desembarques de la pesquería mexicana de corvina blanca mostraron un aumento en los últimos 70 años. Durante los últimos 20 años, la mayor parte de la captura proviene de Baja California Sur, concentrándose los desembarques en las oficinas pesqueras de Ciudad Constitución, Punta Abreojos y San Carlos. Las hembras de corvina blanca del sur de la Península de Baja California Sur maduran a una talla de 72,7 cm, mientras que los machos lo hacen a una talla de 58 cm. Además, se estimaron diferencias regionales de madurez, siendo que las corvinas blancas de California maduran a una talla mayor que las del sur de la Península de Baja California. Se estimó un cierto grado de conectividad de la corvina blanca adulta entre la costa de California y la costa oeste de la península de Baja California. En general, las áreas alrededor de las islas y las zonas costeras son zonas de alto uso para la corvina blanca adulta. Las islas del Canal, la región frente a las islas Coronado-Ensenada, la región de San Quintín y la región de la bahía Vizcaíno son zonas esenciales para la corvina blanca, ya que se han registrado diferentes fases ontogénicas en dichas zonas. El uso del hábitat de las corvinas blancas adultas durante la temporada de desove (marzo-septiembre) y la no desove (octubre-febrero) fue diferente. Se estimaron dos rutas migratorias: una, con movimientos de dispersión donde la corvina blanca adulta se desplazó hacia el norte alcanzando el área alrededor de las Islas del Canal en California, y un movimiento hacia el sur, a lo largo de la costa del litoral oeste...

White seabass, stock structure, landings reconstruction, size-at-maturity, habitat utilization Corvina blanca, estructura del stock, reconstrucción de desembarques, talla de madurez sexual, uso de hábitat CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS AGRARIAS PECES Y FAUNA SILVESTRE DINÁMICA DE LAS POBLACIONES DINÁMICA DE LAS POBLACIONES

Movements of scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) at Cocos Island, Costa Rica and between oceanic islands in the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Elena Nalesso (2019, [Artículo])

Many species of sharks form aggregations around oceanic islands, yet their levels of residency and their site specificity around these islands may vary. In some cases, the waters around oceanic islands have been designated as marine protected areas, yet the conservation value for threatened shark species will depend greatly on how much time they spend within these protected waters. Eighty-four scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini Griffith & Smith), were tagged with acoustic transmitters at Cocos Island between 2005–2013. The average residence index, expressed as a proportion of days present in our receiver array at the island over the entire monitoring period, was 0.52±0.31, implying that overall the sharks are strongly associated with the island. Residency was significantly greater at Alcyone, a shallow seamount located 3.6 km offshore from the main island, than at the other sites. Timing of presence at the receiver locations was mostly during daytime hours. Although only a single individual from Cocos was detected on a region-wide array, nine hammerheads tagged at Galapagos and Malpelo travelled to Cocos. The hammerheads tagged at Cocos were more resident than those visiting from elsewhere, suggesting that the Galapagos and Malpelo populations may use Cocos as a navigational waypoint or stopover during seasonal migrations to the coastal Central and South America. Our study demonstrates the importance of oceanic islands for this species, and shows that they may form a network of hotspots in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. © 2019 Nalesso et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

article, Cocos Island, human, monitoring, nonhuman, resident, shark, South America, animal, Costa Rica, environmental protection, island (geological), movement (physiology), physiology, season, shark, Animals, Conservation of Natural Resources, Costa CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA Y DEL ESPACIO OCEANOGRAFÍA OCEANOGRAFÍA

Vibrissa growth rate in California sea lions based on environmental and isotopic oscillations

MARTHA PATRICIA ROSAS HERNANDEZ (2018, [Artículo])

Pinniped vibrissae provide information on changes in diet at seasonal and annual scales; however, species-specific growth patterns must first be determined in order to interpret these data. In this study, a simple linear model was used to estimate the growth rate of vibrissae from adult female California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) from San Esteban Island in the Gulf of California, Mexico. The δ15N and δ13C values do not display a marked oscillatory pattern that would permit direct determination of the time period contained in each vibrissa; thus, time (age) was calculated in two ways: 1) based on the correlation between the observed number of peaks (Fourier series) in the δ15N profile and the length of each vibrissa, and 2) through direct comparison with the observed number of peaks in the δ15N profile. Cross-correlation confirmed that the two peaks in the δ15N profile reflected the two peaks in the chlorophyll-a concentration recorded annually around the island. The mean growth rate obtained from the correlation was 0.08 ± 0.01 mm d-1, while that calculated based on the observed number of peaks was 0.10 ± 0.05 mm d-1. Both are consistent with the rates reported for adult females of other otariid species (0.07 to 0.11 mm d-1). Vibrissa growth rates vary by individual, age, sex, and species; moreover, small differences in the growth rate can result in significant differences over the time periods represented by the isotopic signal. Thus, it is important to assess this parameter on a species-by-species basis. © 2018 Rosas-Hernández et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

carbon, nitrogen, animal, California, chemistry, diet, female, island (geological), Mexico, Otariidae, physiology, Animals, California, Carbon Isotopes, Diet, Female, Islands, Mexico, Nitrogen Isotopes, Sea Lions BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA INMUNOLOGÍA INMUNOLOGÍA

Contrasting spatial patterns in active-fire and fire-suppressed mediterranean climate old-growth mixed conifer forests

Danny L. Fry  (2014, [Artículo])

In Mediterranean environments in western North America, historic fire regimes in frequent-fire conifer forests are highly variable both temporally and spatially. This complexity influenced forest structure and spatial patterns, but some of this diversity has been lost due to anthropogenic disruption of ecosystem processes, including fire. Information from reference forest sites can help management efforts to restore forests conditions that may be more resilient to future changes in disturbance regimes and climate. In this study, we characterize tree spatial patterns using four-ha stem maps from four old-growth, Jeffrey pine-mixed conifer forests, two with active-fire regimes in northwestern Mexico and two that experienced fire exclusion in the southern Sierra Nevada. Most of the trees were in patches, averaging six to 11 trees per patch at 0.007 to 0.014 ha-1, and occupied 27-46% of the study areas. Average canopy gap sizes (0.04 ha) covering 11-20% of the area were not significantly different among sites. The putative main effects of fire exclusion were higher densities of single trees in smaller size classes, larger proportion of trees (≥56%) in large patches (≥10 trees), and decreases in spatial complexity. While a homogenization of forest structure has been a typical result from fire exclusion, some similarities in patch, single tree, and gap attributes were maintained at these sites. These within-stand descriptions provide spatially relevant benchmarks from which to manage for structural heterogeneity in frequent-fire forest types.

article, climate, controlled study, ecosystem fire history, forest structure, geographic distribution, geographic mapping, land use, mathematical computing, mathematical model, Mexico, spatial analysis, taiga, United States, comparative study, conife CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA CIENCIAS AGROPECUARIAS Y BIOTECNOLOGÍA

Vibrissa growth rate in California sea lions based on environmental and isotopic oscillations

MARTHA PATRICIA ROSAS HERNANDEZ (2018, [Artículo])

Pinniped vibrissae provide information on changes in diet at seasonal and annual scales; however, species-specific growth patterns must first be determined in order to interpret these data. In this study, a simple linear model was used to estimate the growth rate of vibrissae from adult female California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) from San Esteban Island in the Gulf of California, Mexico. The δ15N and δ13C values do not display a marked oscillatory pattern that would permit direct determination of the time period contained in each vibrissa; thus, time (age) was calculated in two ways: 1) based on the correlation between the observed number of peaks (Fourier series) in the δ15N profile and the length of each vibrissa, and 2) through direct comparison with the observed number of peaks in the δ15N profile. Cross-correlation confirmed that the two peaks in the δ15N profile reflected the two peaks in the chlorophyll-a concentration recorded annually around the island. The mean growth rate obtained from the correlation was 0.08 ± 0.01 mm d-1, while that calculated based on the observed number of peaks was 0.10 ± 0.05 mm d-1. Both are consistent with the rates reported for adult females of other otariid species (0.07 to 0.11 mm d-1). Vibrissa growth rates vary by individual, age, sex, and species; moreover, small differences in the growth rate can result in significant differences over the time periods represented by the isotopic signal. Thus, it is important to assess this parameter on a species-by-species basis. © 2018 Rosas-Hernández et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

carbon, nitrogen, animal, California, chemistry, diet, female, island (geological), Mexico, Otariidae, physiology, Animals, California, Carbon Isotopes, Diet, Female, Islands, Mexico, Nitrogen Isotopes, Sea Lions CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA Y DEL ESPACIO OCEANOGRAFÍA OCEANOGRAFÍA

Multiple approaches to understanding the taxonomic status of an enigmatic new scorpion species of the genus Tityus (Buthidae) from the biogeographic island of Paraje Tres Cerros (Argentina)

Andres Alejandro Ojanguren Affilastro (2017, [Artículo])

Tityus curupi n. sp., belonging to the bolivianus complex, is described from the biogeographically distinct area of Paraje Tres Cerros in north-eastern Argentina. We also present a molecular species delimitation analysis between Tityus curupi n. sp. and its sister species Tityus uruguayensis Borelli 1901 to confirm species integrity. Furthermore, a cytogenetic analysis is presented for these two species which contain different multivalent associations in meiosis, as a consequence of chromosome rearrangements, and the highest chromosome numbers in the genus. © 2017 Ojanguren-Affilastro et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Argentina, chromosome analysis, chromosome rearrangement, genus, human, meiosis, sister, species, anatomy and histology, animal, Argentina, chemistry, chromosome, classification, ecosystem, fluorescence in situ hybridization, genetics, geography, isl BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA DE INSECTOS (ENTOMOLOGÍA) BIOLOGÍA DE INSECTOS (ENTOMOLOGÍA)

Hyperiid amphipods from the Gulf of Ulloa and offshore region, Baja California: The possible role of the gelatinous zooplankton as a transport vector into the coastal shelf waters

Bertha Lavaniegos (2020, [Artículo])

Hyperiid amphipod species from the Gulf of Ulloa, Baja California, and the adjacent region (from the shelf break to 200 km offshore) were analyzed to evaluate diversity and abundances. This productive area supports small-scale commercial fisheries, including sand bass (Paralabrax nebulifer), California spiny lobster (Panulirus interruptus), abalones, clams, and others. Strong coastal upwelling events were observed during summer seasons of the period 2002-2008 between Punta Eugenia and Punta Abreojos. The upwelling plumes at Punta Abreojos are transported southward in slope waters bordering the coastal shelf of the Gulf of Ulloa, contributing to the separation of coastal and oceanic regions, and explain differences in amphipod diversity and abundances between both regions. In the offshore region, the most abundant species were Vibilia armata, Lestrigonus schizogeneios, Primno brevidens, and Eupronoe minuta, similar to previous findings in northern regions of Baja California and southern California. However, abundances of these species were lower (10-30 individuals/1000 m3), only reaching 20-50% of abundance levels reported off northern Baja California. In the coastal shelf of the Gulf of Ulloa, amphipods were virtually absent during 2002, 2003 and 2006. However, during 2004 and 2005, abundances of P. brevidens increased (54 and 20 ind/1000 m3, respectively). Moreover, during the late summer of 2007, abundances of L. schizogeneios, P. brevidens, Lycaea nasuta, Lycaea pulex, and Simorhynchotus antennarius increased considerably (261, 39, 31, 68, 416 ind/1000 m3, respectively), indicating occasional utilization of the coastal shelf by pelagic amphipods. Changes in gelatinous populations (medusae, siphonophores, ctenophores, doliolids, and salps) paralleled changes in hyperiid populations, with highest abundances in 2005-2008 in the coastal shelf. Significant correlations of 17 amphipod species with gelatinous taxa, which are often used as host organisms by hyperiid amphipods, suggest that gelatinous presence enhanced hyperiid abundance and promoted the progression of hyperiid amphipods onto the coastal shelf during parts of the 2002-2008 period. © 2020 Bertha E. Lavaniegos. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

abalone, Amphipoda, article, Baja California, clam, clinical article, Ctenophora, Eugenia, female, fishery, human, human experiment, male, medusa, nonhuman, Panulirus interruptus, plume, summer, zooplankton, Amphipoda, animal, California, ecosystem, CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA Y DEL ESPACIO OCEANOGRAFÍA OCEANOGRAFÍA

Climate change and the northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) population in Baja California, Mexico

M. Concepción García-Aguilar (2018, [Artículo])

The Earth0s climate is warming, especially in the mid- and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) breeds and haul-outs on islands and the mainland of Baja California, Mexico, and California, U.S.A. At the beginning of the 21st century, numbers of elephant seals in California are increasing, but the status of Baja California populations is unknown, and some data suggest they may be decreasing. We hypothesize that the elephant seal population of Baja California is experiencing a decline because the animals are not migrating as far south due to warming sea and air temperatures. Here we assessed population trends of the Baja California population, and climate change in the region. The numbers of northern elephant seals in Baja California colonies have been decreasing since the 1990s, and both the surface waters off Baja California and the local air temperatures have warmed during the last three decades. We propose that declining population sizes may be attributable to decreased migration towards the southern portions of the range in response to the observed temperature increases. Further research is needed to confirm our hypothesis; however, if true, it would imply that elephant seal colonies of Baja California and California are not demographically isolated which would pose challenges to environmental and management policies between Mexico and the United States. © 2018 García-Aguilar et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

air temperature, article, Baja California, climate change, human, Mirounga angustirostris, nonhuman, population size, warming, animal, ecosystem, environmental protection, Mexico, Phocidae, population density, population migration, temperature, Anima CIENCIAS FÍSICO MATEMÁTICAS Y CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA Y DEL ESPACIO OCEANOGRAFÍA OCEANOGRAFÍA