Bycatch and discards in the artisanal shrimp trawl fishery in Northern Peru.

This study analyses the bycatch composition of an artisanal shrimp trawl fleet operating between Cabo Blanco and Máncora in Northern Peru between April 2019 and March 2020. A total of 300 hauls were analysed with respect to target catch and bycatch (consisting of other commercial species, discards, and macroalgae). A total of 277 species were recorded including 111 species of fish, 65 species of molluscs, 51 species of crustaceans, 22 species of algae, 12 species of cnidarian, 9 species of echinoderms, 4 species of Bryozoa and 3 species of polychaeta. Capture per unit effort (CPUE, kg.h-1) was highest for fish, followed by crustaceans, algae and molluscs. The target species Penaeus californiensis coffee shrimp constituted 17.8% of the overall catch,82.2% represented bycatch, and 50.6% represented discards. Coffee shrimps were more abundant in June and November 2019 and in January and February 2020. Highest bycatch CPUE occurred in May, June and December 2019. The most abundant species in the bycatch throughout the study period were sand perch (Diplectrum conceptione, 16% weight of the total catch), the macroalgae caulerpa (Caulerpa filiformis, 13%), sole flounder (Etropus ectenes, 6.4%), Pacific drum (Larimus pacificus, 5.7%), and lumptail searobin (Prionotus stephanophrys, 5.1%). Overall, the contribution of sand perch and flounder, exceeded the weight of coffee shrimp, therefore the interpretation that shrimp is the sole target species needs to be revised. The number of discarded species per month increased towards the spring months with the highest value in November. This study represents the first characterisation of bycatch in the artisanal trawling fishery in the Piura region in northern Peru and reveals a high proportion of bycatch in the fishery but also hints at potential temporal management measures that could be imposed to reduce the levels of bycatch. For example, the months of May and December had the greatest bycatch to shrimp ratios and the fishery could potentially be closed to avoid high bycatch risk, however, longer term information is needed to assess if the trends observed in bycatch are similar over longer periods of time. The species characterisation of bycatch also provides information for the design of modified nets which would target the reduction of small fish present in the catch.

Insight into the genome data of commercially important giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera.

Kelps or brown algae are a wide group of marine macroalgae that play an important role in aquatic ecosystems and generally have high commercial value. To facilitate brown algal studies, we report the complete genome sequence of the largest kelp Macrocystis pyrifera. The whole genome is ∼428 Mb in size, comprises 44,307 scaffolds with an average GC content of 47%, and is predicted to contain a total of 24,778 genes. 18S sequence-based phylogenetic analysis revealed that littoral brown seaweed Scytosiphon lomentaria is the closest species of M. pyrifera. Numerous genes identified in this dataset are involved in genetic information processing, signaling, and cellular processes, carbohydrate metabolism, and terpenoids biosynthesis.

Perfil hepático de ácidos grasos de ratas gestantes-lactantes y vírgenes suplementadas con espirulina (Arthrospira platensis)

RESUMEN Siendo la desnutrición un gran problema en países en desarrollo, que afecta en especial a madres gestantes y a recién nacidos, es necesario recurrir a fuentes de alimentos funcionales que contribuyan a mejorar dicho problema. La espirulina es un alimento ampliamente disponible y con un buen perfil nutricional que podría ser de utilidad, aunque no exista evidencia de su efecto sobre el perfil de ácidos grasos en periodo reproductivo en humanos o animales. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto del consumo de espirulina en ratas Holtzman gestantes-lactantes y vírgenes sobre el perfil hepático de ácidos grasos. Para ello, se consideraron 3 tratamientos: control, 5% y 10% de suplemento de espirulina, evaluándose las variables de relación producto/precursor de las enzimas de elongación e insaturación de ácidos grasos en hígado, peso del hígado y grasa visceral, consumo de alimento y evolución del peso corporal. Se obtuvo un incremento en la concentración de ácidos grasos n-6 y saturados en el hígado de ratas gestantes-lactantes, acompañado de un mayor apetito y aumento del peso de las crías al nacer, sin modificar el peso de las madres. El peso del hígado disminuyó solo en ratas gestantes-lactantes y la grasa visceral aumentó solo en ratas vírgenes. Se concluye que el consumo de espirulina en las ratas gestantes-lactantes mejora su perfil AGPI n-6 hepático y su apetito, así como el peso de las crías al nacer, sin influir en el peso de las madres.

ABSTRACT As malnutrition, which primarily affects pregnant mothers and newborns, is a major problem in developing countries it is necessary to use functional food sources that help to improve this problem. Spirulina is a widely available food with a good nutritional profile that could be useful, however, there is no evidence of its effect on the fatty acid profile during the reproductive period in female rats. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of spirulina consumption in pregnant-lactating and virgin Holtzman rats on the hepatic fatty acid profile. For this, 3 treatments were considered: control, 5% and 10% of spirulina supplement, evaluating the variables of the product/precursor ratio of the elongation and unsaturation enzymes of fatty acids in liver, liver and visceral fat weight, intake of food and body weight evolution. An increase in the concentration of PUFA n-6 and saturated fatty acids was obtained in the liver of pregnant-lactating rats, accompanied by a greater appetite and an increase in offspring weight at birth, without modifying the weight of the mothers. Liver weight decreased only in pregnant-lactating rats and visceral fat increased only in virgin rats. It is concluded that the intake of spirulina in pregnant-lactating rats improves their PUFA n-6 hepatic profile and their appetite, as well as the weight of the pups at birth, without influencing the weight of mothers.

Mates Matter: Gametophyte Kinship Recognition and Inbreeding in the Giant Kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae).

Inbreeding, the mating between genetically related individuals, often results in reduced survival and fecundity of offspring, relative to outcrossing. Yet, high inbreeding rates are commonly observed in seaweeds, suggesting compensatory reproductive traits may affect the costs and benefits of the mating system. We experimentally manipulated inbreeding levels in controlled crossing experiments, using gametophytes from 19 populations of Macrocystis pyrifera along its Eastern Pacific coastal distribution (EPC). The objective was to investigate the effects of male-female kinship on female fecundity and fertility, to estimate inbreeding depression in the F1 progeny, and to assess the variability of these effects among different regions and habitats of the EPC. Results revealed that the presence and kinship of males had a significant effect on fecundity and fertility of female gametophytes. Females left alone or in the presence of sibling males express the highest gametophyte size, number, and size of oogonia, suggesting they were able to sense the presence and the identity of their mates before gamete contact. The opposite trend was observed for the production of embryos per female gametes, indicating higher costs of selfing and parthenogenesis than outcrossing on fertility. However, the increased fecundity compensated for the reduced fertility, leading to a stable overall reproductive output. Inbreeding also affected morphological traits of juvenile sporophytes, but not their heatwave tolerance. The male-female kinship effect was stronger in high-latitude populations, suggesting that females from low-latitude marginal populations might have evolved to mate with any male gamete to guarantee reproductive success.

Antioxidant activity and total phenolic content in Caulerpa filiformis (Chlorophyta) from Sechura Bay and Paracas Bay, Peru / Actividad antioxidante y contenido fenólico total en Caulerpa filiformis (Chlorophyta) de Bahía de Sechura y Bahía de Paracas, Perú

Abstract In Peru, Caulerpa filiformis is a marine algae listed as an invasive species. For years, its distribution has been considered to be in the north coast (Isla Lobos de Afuera and Piura) until a recent report of its distribution in the central coast (Ancash, Lima, and Ica). The present investigation aims to determine the main groups of secondary metabolites, total phenol content, and antioxidant activity of the methanolic extract of C. filiformis from Sechura Bay (Piura) and Paracas Bay (Ica). The main chemical groups were determined through phytochemical screening, the content of phenols by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and antioxidant activity by the ABTS method (2,2-azinobis-[3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid]) and 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The phytochemical screening of the methanolic extract of C. filiformis from Sechura Bay and Paracas Bay revealed the presence of carbohydrates, polyphenols, tannins, flavonoids, lipids, alkaloids, steroids, and triterpenes for both extracts. The total phenol content of the extract of C. filiformis from Sechura Bay (39.31 ± 0.39 mg of AGE/g extract) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that from Paracas Bay (18.78 ± 0.31 mg of AGE/g extract). In the ABTS and DPPH assays, the antioxidant capacity of the Sechura C. filiformis extract (IC50 = 3.49 ± 0.01 and 2.18 ± 0.02 mg/mL) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the Paracas C. filiformis extract (IC50 = 6.41 ± 0.02 and 2.42 ± 0.04 mg /mL). These findings suggest that the methanolic extract of C. filiformis is a source of secondary metabolites with an antioxidant potential.

Resumen En Perú, Caulerpa filiformis es una macroalga catalogada como especie invasora. Durante años, su distribución fue considerada en la costa norte (Isla Lobos de Afuera y Piura) hasta un informe reciente de su distribución en la costa central (Ancash, Lima e Ica). El objetivo de esta investigación es determinar los principales grupos de metabolitos secundarios, contenido total de fenol y actividad antioxidante del extracto metanólico de C. filiformis de Bahía de Sechura (Piura) y Bahía de Paracas (Ica). Los principales grupos químicos se determinaron mediante análisis fitoquímico, el contenido de fenoles mediante el método Folin-Ciocalteu y la actividad antioxidante mediante el método ABTS (ácido 2,2-azinobis- [3-etilbenzotiazolina-6-sulfónico]) y 2, 2′-difenil-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). El examen fitoquímico del extracto metanólico de C. filiformis de ambas bahías revelaron la presencia de carbohidratos, polifenoles, taninos, flavonoides, lípidos, alcaloides, esteroides y triterpenos. El contenido total de fenol del extracto de C. filiformis de Bahía de Sechura (39.31 ± 0.39 mg de extracto de AGE / g) fue significativamente mayor (p <0.05) que el de Bahía de Paracas (18.78 ± 0.31 mg de extracto de AGE / g). En los ensayos ABTS y DPPH, la capacidad antioxidante del extracto de Sechura (IC50 = 3.49 ± 0.01 y 2.18 ± 0.02 mg / mL) fue significativamente mayor (p <0.05) que la del extracto de Paracas C. filiformis (IC50 = 6.41 ± 0.02 y 2.42 ± 0.04 mg / mL). Estos hallazgos sugieren que el extracto metanólico de C. filiformis es una fuente de metabolitos secundarios con potencial antioxidante.

First global transcriptome analysis of brown algae Macrocystis integrifolia (Phaeophyceae) under marine intertidal conditions.

To understand the physiological responses of the brown macroalga Macrocystis integrifolia during the marine tidal cycle, two RNA libraries were prepared from algal frond samples collected in the intertidal zone (0 m depth) and subtidal zone (10 m depth). Samples collected from intertidal zone during low tide was considered as abiotic stressed (MI0), while samples collected from subtidal zone was considered as control (MI10). Both RNA libraries were sequenced on Illumina NextSeq 500 which generated approx. 46.9 million and 47.7 million raw paired-end reads for MI0 and MI10, respectively. Among the representative transcripts (RTs), a total of 16,398 RTs (39.20%) from MI0 and 21,646 RTs (39.24%) from MI10 were successfully annotated. A total of 535 unigenes (271 upregulated and 264 downregulated) showed significantly altered expression between MI0 and MI10. In abiotic-stressed condition (MI0), the relative expression levels of genes associated with antioxidant defenses (vanadium-dependent bromoperoxidase, glutathione S-transferase, lipoxygenase, serine/threonine-protein kinase, aspartate Aminotransferase, HSPs), water transport (aquaporin), photosynthesis (light-harvesting complex) protein were significantly upregulated, while in control condition (MI10) most of the genes predominantly involved in energy metabolism (NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase/NADH dehydrogenase, NAD(P)H-Nitrate reductase, long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase, udp-n-acetylglucosamine pyrophosphorylase) were overexpressed.