Particularităţile ihtiofaunei în zona Amonte-Aval de barajul Dubăsari

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the taxonomic structure and ecological indices of the fish communities in two types of aquatic ecosystems separated by the Dubasari Dam. The carried out research revealed a richer specific diversity and significantly higher quantitative values of fishing communities in the downstream area of the hydro power plant. The decisive factor is the fragmentation of the Dniester River, causing the interruption of reproductive, trophic and winter migration of reobionticfish species.

Migration and stress during reproduction govern telomere dynamics in a seabird

Changes in telomere length are believed to reflect changes in physiological state and life expectancy in animals. However, much remains unknown about the determinants of telomere dynamics in wild populations, and specifically the influence of conditions during highly mobile life-history stages, for example migration. We tested whether telomere dynamics were associated with migratory behaviour and/or with stress during reproduction in free-living seabirds. We induced short-term stress during reproduction in chick-rearing, black-legged kittiwakes ( Rissa tridactyla ), tracked winter migration with geolocators and measured telomere length before and after winter migration. We found that time spent at wintering grounds correlated with reduced telomere loss, while stress during reproduction accelerated telomere shortening. Our results suggest that different life-history stages interact to influence telomere length, and that migratory patterns may be important determinants of variation in an individual's telomere dynamics.