Epibiotic bacteria on the carapace of hawksbill and green sea turtles.

In this study, epibiotic bacteria on the carapace of sea turtles at three different sites in the Persian Gulf were studied. Bacterial density counted using a Scanning Electron Microscope showed that the highest (9.4 × 106 ± 0.8 × 106 cm-2) and lowest (5.3 × 106 ± 0.4 × 106 cm-2) average bacterial densities were found on the green and hawksbill sea turtles, respectively. Bacterial community analysis using Illumina 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that Gamma- and Alpha-proteobacteria were the dominant classes on all substrates. Some genera, such as Anaerolinea, were site- and substrate-specific. In general, bacterial communities on sea turtles differed from those on the non-living substrate, stones, and exhibited lower species richness and diversity compared to the latter. Despite some similarities, the majority of bacterial communities on the two sea turtles were different. This study provides baseline information about the epibiotic bacteria of sea turtles of different species.

The physiological responses of the Caspian kutum (Rutilus frisii kutum) fry to the static magnetic fields with different intensities during acute and subacute exposures.

In recent years, the application of new technologies producing magnetic fields has widely increased in the aquatic environment. In this study, the effects of variable static magnetic fields on metabolic and immune parameters of the Caspian kutum fry were investigated. The Caspian kutum fry (n=220, body weight 1.78±0.11 g) was exposed to static magnetic fields with different intensities (2.5, 5.0, 7.5 mT) induced by electrical power supply during acute (one week) and subacute (3 weeks) periods. The results showed an increment in the quantity of ALT and AST enzymes (metabolic parameters) with increasing magnetic fields intensities in subacute and acute exposures (p<0.05). The lysozyme level, an immune parameter, showed a significant decrease, especially at intensities higher than 2.5 mT during subacute and acute exposures (p<0.05). It seems that low-intensity static magnetic fields can effect on the metabolism and immunity of the Caspian kutum fry as valuable commercial species.