scholarly journals Plastics in Porifera: The occurrence of potential microplastics in marine sponges and seawater from Bocas del Toro, Panamá

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11638
Author(s):  
Bailey R. Fallon ◽  
Christopher J. Freeman
Keyword(s):  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Sponge Tissue ◽  
Bocas Del Toro ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Seawater Samples ◽  
Surrounding Seawater

Microplastics (MP) are now considered ubiquitous across global aquatic environments. The ingestion of MP by fish and other marine vertebrates is well studied, but the ingestion of MP by marine invertebrates is not. Sponges (Phylum Porifera) are particularly understudied when it comes to MP ingestion, even though they are widely distributed across benthic habitats, can process large volumes of seawater, and can retain small particles within their water filtration systems. This study examines the presence of potential MP (PMP) in wild marine sponges and seawater collected in Bocas del Toro, Panamá. Subsurface seawater and tissue from six common Caribbean sponge species was collected in Saigon Bay, a heavily impacted, shallow-water coral reef. Seawater samples were filtered onto glass fiber filters to retain any PMP present and sponge tissue was digested with bleach, heated and filtered. Filters were examined using fluorescence microscopy to quantify PMP. An average of 107 ± 25 PMP L–1 was detected in seawater from Saigon Bay with particles ranging in size between 10 μm and ~3,000 μm. The number of PMP found in sponge tissue ranged between 6 ± 4 and 169 ± 71 PMP g–1 of dry tissue. Most particles found in sponge samples were very small (10–20 μm), but fibers greater than 5,000 μm were detected. Our results indicate that PMP exists within the tissues of the sponges we studied, but future studies should confirm the presence of MP in sponges using chemical analysis. Most importantly, the discrepancy between low levels of PMP in our sponge samples and high levels in the surrounding seawater highlights the potential for sponges to resist and/or egest MP. Finally, we provide a critical evaluation of our methods to improve their use in future MP work with benthic marine organisms.

scholarly journals The The colourful chemistry of South African latrunculid sponges

2019 ◽  
Vol 115 (5/6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Davies-Coleman ◽  
Edith M. Antunes ◽  
Denzil R. Beukes ◽  
Toufiek Samaai
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
South African ◽  
Marine Natural Products ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Short Review ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Organic Chemical ◽  
Sponge Tissue ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Rich Diversity

Marine sponges – in common with many other sessile marine invertebrates seemingly devoid of obvious physical forms of defence against predators, e.g. spines or shells – are the sources of a diverse array of organic chemical compounds known as marine natural products or secondary metabolites. Recent research has indicated that the production of natural products via cellular secondary metabolic pathways in some sponge species may not occur within the sponge cells themselves, but rather in microbial endosymbionts which inhabit the surface and interstitial spaces within the sponge tissue. Regardless of their biosynthetic origin, the bioactivity, e.g. toxicity, of many of these marine natural products may be utilised by sponges as chemical feeding deterrents to discourage predation or to provide a chemical anti-fouling competitive edge in the intense competition for living space amongst filter-feeders on space-limited benthic reefs. Paradoxically, a small number of sponge natural products have serendipitously shown potential as new pharmaceuticals, e.g. novel anti-cancer drugs. Marine biodiscovery (or bioprospecting) is the search for new pharmaceuticals from marine organisms. Exploration of the taxonomy, natural products chemistry and biomedicinal potential of the rich diversity of South African latrunculid sponges (family Latrunculiidae), at Rhodes University, the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and the University of the Western Cape has continued unabated for over a quarter of a century as part of a collaborative marine biodiscovery programme. A short review of this multidisciplinary latrunculid sponge research is presented here.

scholarly journals Planktotrophic Brachiopod Larvae from the Pacific and Caribbean of Panama

Diversity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Collin ◽  
Dagoberto Venera-Pontón ◽  
Amy Driskell ◽  
Kenneth Macdonald ◽  
Michael Boyle
Keyword(s):  
Dna Barcoding ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Operational Taxonomic Unit ◽  
Bocas Del Toro ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Low Levels

Lingulids and discinids are the only brachiopods that exhibit life histories that include a feeding planktonic stage usually referred to as a “larva”. We collected planktotrophic brachiopod larvae from the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Panama and took a DNA barcoding approach with mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), mitochondrial ribosomal 16S, and nuclear ribosomal 18S genes to identify those larvae and to estimate their diversity in the region. We observed specimens from both coasts with distinct morphologies typical of lingulid and discinid larvae. COI and 16S were sequenced successfully for the lingulid larvae but failed consistently for all discinid larvae. 18S was sequenced successfully for larvae from both families. Sequence data from each gene revealed one lingulid operational taxonomic unit (OTU) from Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean coast, and one lingulid OTU from the Bay of Panama on the Pacific coast. These OTUs differed by >20% for COI, >10% for 16S and ~0.5% for 18S. Both OTUs clustered with GenBank sequences of Glottidia species, the only genus of lingulids in the Americas, but were distinct from G. pyramidata the only species reported for the Caribbean. Analysis of 18S sequence data for discinid larvae recovered 2 OTUs, one exclusively from the Pacific and one with a mixture of Pacific and Caribbean larvae. The 18S marker does not provide enough resolution to distinguish between species, and comparisons with GenBank sequences suggest that one OTU includes Pelagodiscus species, while the other may include Discradisca species. When compared with other marine invertebrates, our surveys of brachiopod larvae through DNA barcoding show relatively low levels of diversity for Panama.

scholarly journals Cytotoxic activity of marine sponge extracts from the sub-Antarctic Islands and the Southern Ocean

2016 ◽  
Vol Volume 112 (Number 11/12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth K. Olsen ◽  
Christopher K. de Cerf ◽  
Godwin A. Dziwornu ◽  
Eleonora Puccinelli ◽  
Isabelle J. Ansorge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Products ◽  
Southern Ocean ◽  
Cytotoxic Activity ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Benthic Invertebrate ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Bioactive Natural Products ◽  
Prince Edward Islands

Abstract Over the past 50 years, marine invertebrates, especially sponges, have proven to be a valuable source of new and/or bioactive natural products that have the potential to be further developed as lead compounds for pharmaceutical applications. Although marine benthic invertebrate communities occurring off the coast of South Africa have been explored for their biomedicinal potential, the natural product investigation of marine sponges from the sub-Antarctic Islands in the Southern Ocean for the presence of bioactive secondary metabolites has been relatively unexplored thus far. We report here the results for the biological screening of both aqueous and organic extracts prepared from nine specimens of eight species of marine sponges, collected from around Marion Island and the Prince Edward Islands in the Southern Ocean, for their cytotoxic activity against three cancer cell lines. The results obtained through this multidisciplinary collaborative research effort by exclusively South African institutions has provided an exciting opportunity to discover cytotoxic compounds from sub-Antarctic sponges, whilst contributing to our understanding of the biodiversity and geographic distributions of these cold-water invertebrates. Therefore, we acknowledge here the various contributions of the diverse scientific disciplines that played a pivotal role in providing the necessary platform for the future natural products chemistry investigation of these marine sponges from the sub- Antarctic Islands and the Southern Ocean.

scholarly journals Distribution and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of Aeromonas spp. from different aquatic environments in north Lebanon

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (02.1) ◽  
pp. 6S
Author(s):  
Rayane Rafei ◽  
Imad Al Kassaa ◽  
Marwan Osman ◽  
Fouad Dabboussi ◽  
Monzer Hamze
Keyword(s):  
Multiplex Pcr ◽  
Water Samples ◽  
Antibiotic Susceptibility ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Beta Lactams ◽  
Culture Methods ◽  
Resistant Strains ◽  
Seawater Samples ◽  
Susceptibility Profiles ◽  
Different Sources

Introduction: Bacteria of Aeromonas genus are ubiquitous organisms in aquatic environments. This work aims to explore the presence of four clinically relevant species in Lebanese waters and to study their susceptibility to antibiotics. Methods: One hundred water samples are collected in northern Lebanon from different sources (river, springs, wells, ponds, sea, chlorinated water and sewage) and analyzed by culture methods. The isolates were identified at genus level by a PCR assay targeting gcat gene. The presence of four species (A. hydrophila, A. caviae, A. media and A. veronii) was investigated by a multiplex PCR. The antibiotic susceptibility was also studied. Results: Aeromonas spp. was detected in 28% of investigated samples. In total, 38 isolates were identified as Aeromonas spp (10 out of 7 river water samples, 9 out of 35 spring, 9 among 26 wells, 5 out of 4 sewage samples, 2 out of 5 ponds, 2 out of 8 seawater samples and 1 out of 15 chlorinated water samples). Aeromonas hydrophila was the predominant species (19 isolates; 50%). The 3 other species were found to a lesser extent: A. caviae (3 isolates; 7.9%), A. veronii (2 isolates; 5.3%) and A. media (2 isolates; 5.3%). 12 other isolates (31.5%) remained unidentified by the used multiplex PCR technique. All isolates were resistant to more than one antibiotic. The most common resistance concerned beta-lactams. Conclusion: This study has highlighted the interesting distribution of these species in aquatic biotopes in Lebanon and the threat of potential transmission of these resistant strains to humans.

scholarly journals Significance of Group Composition for the Welfare of Pastured Horses

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hrefna Sigurjónsdóttir ◽  
Hans Haraldsson
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Group Composition ◽  
Peer Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Breeding Groups ◽  
Young Horses ◽  
Icelandic Horses

We explore how herd composition and management factors correlate with frequencies of social interactions in horse groups. Since the welfare of horses correlates with low aggression levels and social contact opportunities, information of this kind is important. The data are a collection of records of social interactions of 426 Icelandic horses in 20 groups of at least eight horses. The complexities and limitations of the data prohibit useful statistical modelling so the results are presented descriptively. Interesting and informative patterns emerge which can be of use both in management and in future studies. Of special interest are the low levels of agonistic behaviours in breeding groups where one stallion was present. The horses were less agonistic when in groups with young foals and where group membership was stable. Unfamiliar yearlings in peer groups were especially aggressive. Allogrooming was most frequent in groups with relatively more young horses and in unstable and small groups. Interestingly, the horses allogroomed more if they had few preferred allogrooming partners. The findings show that composition (age/sex) and stability of groups are of great importance with respect to aggression levels and opportunities for establishing bonds.

scholarly journals Secondary metabolites from marine microorganisms

2002 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALPHONSE KELECOM
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Cyclic Peptides ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Indole Alkaloids ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Marine Microorganisms ◽  
Mature Field ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi ◽  
New Metabolites

After 40 years of intensive research, chemistry of marine natural products has become a mature field. Since 1995, there are signals of decreased interest in the search of new metabolites from traditional sources such as macroalgae and octocorals, and the number of annual reports on marine sponges stabilized. On the contrary, metabolites from microorganisms is a rapidly growing field, due, at least in part, to the suspicion that a number of metabolites obtained from algae and invertebrates may be produced by associated microorganisms. Studies are concerned with bacteria and fungi, isolated from seawater, sediments, algae, fish and mainly from marine invertebrates such as sponges, mollusks, tunicates, coelenterates and crustaceans. Although it is still to early to define tendencies, it may be stated that the metabolites from microorganisms are in most cases quite different from those produced by the invertebrate hosts. Nitrogenated metabolites predominate over acetate derivatives, and terpenes are uncommon. Among the latter, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes and carotenes have been isolated; among nitrogenated metabolites, amides, cyclic peptides and indole alkaloids predominate.

Mycosporine-like amino acids in 38 species of subtidal marine organisms from McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.B. McClintock ◽  
D. Karentz
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acids ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Marine Organisms ◽  
Benthic Species ◽  
Mcmurdo Sound ◽  
Sterechinus Neumayeri ◽  
Low Concentrations ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Qualitative Measurements ◽  
Iridaea Cordata

Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) that absorb UV radiation (310–360 nm) were investigated in 34 species of benthic marine invertebrates (fourteen sponges, two cnidarians, one nemertean, four molluscs, one bryozoan, two arthropods, eight echinoderms and two tunicates), two species of benthic fish and two species of red algae collected during the spring of 1992 from McMurdo Sound. In addition, MAAs were measured in the ripe ovaries, testes and brooded juveniles of four species of echinoderms. While 90% of the species had MAAs in their tissues, both quantitative and qualitative measurements reflected a general lack of UV protectants among these fauna. Eight MAAs were detected among the species examined, but only four of these (mycosporine-glycine, shinorine, porphyra-334 and palythine) occurred in any appreciable number of the species. Palythinol only occurred in the sponge Isodictya erinacea and asterina-330 and palythene only occurred in the red alga Iridaea cordata. MAAs were detected in the ripe ovaries and testes of the sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri and the ripe ovaries and brooded young of the sea cucumber Cucumaria ferrari. Low levels and abundances of MAAs may reflect a reduced need for UV protectants in marine organisms inhabiting subtidal (>20 m depth) benthic environments that experience seasonal sea-ice cover. Low concentrations of MAAs may also be a function of diet, since the majority of benthic species present in McMurdo Sound are not herbivorous.

scholarly journals Seasonal Variation in Antimicrobial Activity of Crude Extracts of Psammaplysilla sp. 1 from Phillips Reef, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Wasswa Cuthbert Kibungu ◽  
Justine Fri ◽  
Anna-Maria Clarke ◽  
Anthony Otigbu ◽  
Henry Akum Njom
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Antimicrobial Activity ◽  
South African ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Antimicrobial Potential ◽  
Crude Extracts ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Agar Well Diffusion Assay

Marine invertebrates constitute a diverse group of marine organisms beneficial to humanity due to their therapeutic significance. The marine sponge species Psammaplysilla sp. 1 was collected from Philips Reef, South Africa, over a four-season period and assayed for antimicrobial potential. The physicochemical parameters of the collection site were also recorded. The sponge crude extracts’ antimicrobial activity was evaluated using an agar well diffusion assay against 5 pathogens. Phytochemical screening was conducted to identify the presence of 7 critical phytochemical groups. During the four seasons, the mean water temperature was 17.35°C ± 2.06, with autumn recording the highest (20°C) temperature. Antifungal activity was observed by Psammaplysilla sp. 1 (30 mm) against C. albicans, and this was higher than that showed by standard drugs ICZ-10 µg (15 ± 0.1 mm), FLU-15 µg (21 ± 0.2 mm), and VCZ-5 µg (17 ± 0.1 mm), respectively. Similar bioactivities were observed seasonally with Psammaplysilla sp. 1 (22 mm and 24 mm) during autumn and spring, respectively, against C. difficile while only crude extracts collected in spring showed bioactivity against C. albicans. Psammaplysilla sp. crude extracts showed broad-spectrum bioactivity against all test pathogens. DCM : ME crude extracts tested positive for the presence of 2/7 of the phytochemicals (terpenoids and flavonoids). GC-MS revealed several previously reported biologically active compounds such bicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,3,5-trien-7-ol and phenol, 2,6-dibromo, some of which have been found in plants. This study revealed that sponge bioactivity is dependent on the season and further validated the antimicrobial potential of South African marine sponges.

scholarly journals Biocides in Antifouling Paint Formulations Currently Registered For Use

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
César Augusto Paz-Villarraga ◽  
Ítalo Braga Castro ◽  
Gilberto Fillmann
Keyword(s):  
Safety Data ◽  
Antifouling Paint ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Business Associations ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Zinc Pyrithione ◽  
Antifouling Paints ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
Fouling Organisms

Abstract Antifouling paints incorporate biocides in their composition seeking to avoid or minimize the settlement and growing of undesirable fouling organisms. Therefore, biocides are released into the aquatic environments also affecting several non-target organisms and, thus, compromising ecosystems. Despite global efforts to investigate the environment occurrence and toxicity of biocides currently used in antifouling paints, the specific active ingredients that have been used in commercial products are poorly known. Thus, the present study assessed the frequencies of occurrence and relative concentrations of biocides in antifouling paint formulations registered for marketing worldwide. The main data were obtained from databases of governmental agencies, business associations and safety data sheets from paint manufacturers around the world. Results pointed out for 25 active ingredients currently used as biocides, where up to six biocides have been simultaneously used in the examined formulations. Cuprous oxide, copper pyrithione, zinc pyrithione, zineb, DCOIT and cuprous thiocyanate were the most frequently ones, with mean relative concentrations of 35.9±12.8 %, 2.9±1.6 %, 4.0±5.3 %, 5.4±2.0 %, 1.9±1.9 % and 18.1±8.0 % (w/w) of respective biocide present in the antifouling paint formulations. Surprisingly, antifouling paints containing TBT as active ingredient are still being registered for commercialization nowadays. These results can be applied as a proxy of biocides that are possibly being used by antifouling systems and, consequently, released into the aquatic environment, which can help to prioritize the active ingredients that should be addressed in future studies.

scholarly journals A Review on Diversity of Anticancer Compounds Derived from Indonesian Marine Sponges

2021 ◽  
Vol 1192 (1) ◽  
pp. 012012
Author(s):  
Tutik Murniasih ◽  
Masteria Yunovilsa Putra ◽  
Asep Bayu ◽  
Joko Tri Wibowo
Keyword(s):  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Marine Sponges ◽  
Research Trend ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Anticancer Compounds ◽  
Lead Compounds ◽  
Drug Lead ◽  
New Compounds ◽  
Active Substances

Abstract As a tropical archipelago country, Indonesia has a mega diversity of marine organisms, such as sponges. About 850 species of sponges were identified from the east part of Indonesia. The uniqueness of Indonesian marine sponges attracted many researchers to explore the sponge’s potential in producing active substances. During 1995-2016, about 40 genera of Indonesian sponges were investigated for their potential in producing pharmacological activity such as antimicrobial, anticancer, antivirus, multidrug-resistant (MDR), etc. The data showed that 56.7% of 430 reported compounds were confirmed as new compounds. The research trend on Indonesian sponges was high during 2004-2013, but decreasing after 2014. However, researches in the term of active substances from marine sponges should find provide the basic skeleton of anti-cancer drug lead compounds. Chemical structure diversity plays an important role in the exploration of anticancer lead compounds. The purpose of this paper is to review the potential of anticancer diversity compounds derived from Indonesian sponges, to get comprehensive data for further investigation. As the conclusion of our review, the most anticancer compounds derived from Indonesian marine invertebrates are alkaloid groups (such as aaptamine, manzamine, and bromopyrrole derivatives), then terpenoid groups (such as diterpene, coelodiol, and coeloic acid, sesquiterpene aminoquinone, and also (+)-curcuphenol and (+)-curcudiol), and also from the other groups such as sterole, peptide, polyketide, amino acid derivatives, natural organic acid, and quinone. The most effective anticancer compounds were 5-benzoyldemethylaaptamine, isoaaptamine, 3-bromofascaplysin, hyrtioreticulins A, stylissamide X, sigmosceptrellin B, and diacarperoxide S.

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