Understanding the Interactions between Small-Scale Fisheries and the Mediterranean Monk Seal Using Fishermen's Ecological Knowledge.

Interactions between fisheries and marine mammals have been well documented in almost all existing fishing gears around the world, often associated with detrimental consequences. Interactions of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) with small-scale fisheries have been previously documented in the Mediterranean; this is a problem that seems to be growing in recent years. The present study aims to understand for the first time the nature and extent of interactions between the Mediterranean monk seal and small-scale fisheries in the Republic of Cyprus. The data were collected by conducting in-person semi-structured interviews, between November and December 2020, with 90 fishermen operating from nine different ports, extending throughout the entire coastline of the Republic of Cyprus. The results revealed minimal interactions between the Mediterranean monk seals and small-scale fisheries. The findings indicate that interactions are more likely to occur at depths of less than 10 m, closer to the coast, with the use of trammel nets and gillnets, and during the spring and summer months. The encounter, depredation and incidental capture rates were calculated at 0.01 (0.95%), 0.005 (0.51%) and 0.0004 (0.04%) per fisher, respectively. Spatiotemporal closed areas are proposed as a potential solution to mitigate these interactions.

Review of catch records of the bigeye thresher shark Alopias superciliosus Lowe, 1841 (Lamniformes: Alopiidae) in the Mediterranean Sea: historical and recent data with biological notes.

In November 2021, a female bigeye thresher shark was incidentally caught by a pelagic drifting longline off southern Cyprus, corresponding to the second documented species record at country level. Main biological features and an extended list of morphometric measurements are presented in comparison with the previous species records in the Mediterranean. The diet analysis highlighted the impact of marine species invasion in the Mediterranean food webs and documented the presence of the angel squid in Cypriot waters for the first time. The species presence in the basin is revised and discussed.

First genetically confirmed records of the little gulper shark Centrophorusuyato (Squaliformes: Centrophoridae) from Cypriot waters.

The taxonomy within the genus Centrophorus has been controversial almost since its origin, raising uncertainties about the identification, the phylogenetic placement and the geographical distribution of several species. The partial nucleotide sequences of two mitochondrial DNA gene regions, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the 16S ribosomal RNA, genetically confirmed the presence of the little gulper shark in Cypriot waters. The species presence in the Mediterranean Sea is revised and discussed.

Application of double-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (DP-LIBS), Fourier transform infrared micro-spectroscopy and Raman microscopy for the characterization of copper-sulfides.

The combined application of the structure sensitive techniques Fourier transform infrared µ-spectroscopy and Raman microscopy in conjunction with different approaches of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) including the two-color double pulse (DP-LIBS) have been applied towards the characterization of whole ore copper-sulfide minerals. Discrete information from the surface of the whole ore minerals that lead to the establishment of infrared marker bands and from the surface of bioleached samples that allow the monitoring of jarosite and biofilm formation are provided by FTIR mapping experiments. Raman data can provide information related to the type of the mineral and of the secondary minerals formed on the surface of the ore. Of the four different LIBS approaches applied towards the characterization of the composition of the whole ore minerals, the DP-LIBS shows the highest sensitivity with increasing signals for both the Fe and Cu metals in the whole ore samples.

Photoreduction of carotenoids in the aerobic anoxygenic photoheterotrophs probed by real time Raman spectroscopy.

The Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (AAPB) Roseobacter denitrificans and Roseobacter litoralis are widespread in the bacterioplankton community with a particular role in the marine carbon cycle. Measurements of carotenoids isolated from dark-grown cells indicated the presence of spheroidenone (SO, N = 11) and of 3,4 dihydrospheroidenone (N = 10) in the carotenoids isolated from illuminated cells. Time-dependent Raman 514 nm excitation experiments of R. denitrificans and R. litoralis cells grown under illumination demonstrated that v1 (C=C) of SO exhibits a time-dependent substantial frequency upshift relative to its frequency in the dark-grown cells, in a manner resembling shorting the conjugation length (N). We suggest that the irreversible dark-SO to light- 3,4 dihydrospheroidenone transition observed in the intact carotenoids of R. denitrificans and R. litoralis cells is an operative photoreduction strategy of SO containing AAPB that affects the energy transfer mechanism.

Extracellular electron uptake from carbon-based π electron surface-donors: oxidation of graphite sheets by Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans probed by Raman and FTIR spectroscopies.

In this work we report Raman and FTIR evidence for extracellular electron uptake by Sulfobacillus thermosulfidooxidans from the solid phase carbon-based π-electron donor surface of graphite sheets. The primary step in the reaction is the intercalation of water on the surface of graphite followed by the formation of EPS and proceeds to form graphite oxide (GO) with a Raman I D/I G = 0.3 ratio which represents the highest defect content in the carbon lattice reported by bio-oxidation process. We propose and discuss a direct extracellular electron transfer mechanism via outer membrane redox proteins for the electron transfer.

Photosensitivity responses of Sagittula stellata probed by FTIR, fluorescence and Raman microspectroscopy.

Raman, fluorescence and FTIR experiments of prestine Sagittula stellata and Sagittula stellata-metal ion complexes grown in light and in dark were performed to probe the photosensitivity response of the cellular components in the marine bacterium. In the presence of Cu(ii) and Zn(ii) the frequency shifts of PO2 -, C-O-C and C-O-P vibrations indicate metal binding to nucleic acids, carbohydrates and polysaccharides. We assign the observed bands in the 514.1 nm Raman spectra of the prestine S. Stellata and of the extracted carotenoids to the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C and C-C stretching vibrations. The fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) of S. stellata in light, dark and in the presence of metal ions are reported and compared with the Raman and FTIR data. The novel ability of S. stellata although heterotrophic, to show light-dependent metal binding ability may be an important feature property that maintains a stable heterotroph-prototroph interaction and a dynamic system.