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1.
Jamba ; 16(1): 1565, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38444622

ABSTRACT

Disaster research is essential for developing more robust and contextualised policies. It is, therefore, no surprise that multilateral organisations like the United Nations and the World Bank have called for enhanced disaster-related frameworks, legislation and policies in developing countries using quality data. However, internal and external researchers and practitioners often face significant challenges collecting data in these nations because of a range of problems including, but not limited to, incomplete sampling frames, inadequate infrastructure or unstable governments. This reality leads one to question: is the cart coming before the horse? This study explored individual and household (IH) preparedness in The Bahamas - a small island developing state in the Caribbean. An online survey was used, and 629 Bahamians opted to participate. However, the researchers faced many barriers to collecting representative data. This case study, therefore, discusses the range of methodological challenges faced by the researchers and their impact on this study. Contribution: This article substantially contributes to the disaster literature by exploring the challenges associated with conducting IH preparedness research in The Bahamas. This article also reminds practitioners and academics of the issues associated with collecting data in developing nations and its implications for policy enhancement and development. Furthermore, the authors present various recommendations ranging from enhanced funding to recognising the need for methodological innovation to support continuous research in countries like The Bahamas.

2.
J Med Internet Res ; 26: e49139, 2024 Mar 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38427404

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Previous work suggests that Google searches could be useful in identifying conjunctivitis epidemics. Content-based assessment of social media content may provide additional value in serving as early indicators of conjunctivitis and other systemic infectious diseases. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether large language models, specifically GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 (OpenAI), can provide probabilistic assessments of whether social media posts about conjunctivitis could indicate a regional outbreak. METHODS: A total of 12,194 conjunctivitis-related tweets were obtained using a targeted Boolean search in multiple languages from India, Guam (United States), Martinique (France), the Philippines, American Samoa (United States), Fiji, Costa Rica, Haiti, and the Bahamas, covering the time frame from January 1, 2012, to March 13, 2023. By providing these tweets via prompts to GPT-3.5 and GPT-4, we obtained probabilistic assessments that were validated by 2 human raters. We then calculated Pearson correlations of these time series with tweet volume and the occurrence of known outbreaks in these 9 locations, with time series bootstrap used to compute CIs. RESULTS: Probabilistic assessments derived from GPT-3.5 showed correlations of 0.60 (95% CI 0.47-0.70) and 0.53 (95% CI 0.40-0.65) with the 2 human raters, with higher results for GPT-4. The weekly averages of GPT-3.5 probabilities showed substantial correlations with weekly tweet volume for 44% (4/9) of the countries, with correlations ranging from 0.10 (95% CI 0.0-0.29) to 0.53 (95% CI 0.39-0.89), with larger correlations for GPT-4. More modest correlations were found for correlation with known epidemics, with substantial correlation only in American Samoa (0.40, 95% CI 0.16-0.81). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that GPT prompting can efficiently assess the content of social media posts and indicate possible disease outbreaks to a degree of accuracy comparable to that of humans. Furthermore, we found that automated content analysis of tweets is related to tweet volume for conjunctivitis-related posts in some locations and to the occurrence of actual epidemics. Future work may improve the sensitivity and specificity of these methods for disease outbreak detection.


Subject(s)
Conjunctivitis , Epidemics , Social Media , Humans , United States , Infodemiology , Disease Outbreaks , Language
3.
Disaster Med Public Health Prep ; 18: e42, 2024 Mar 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38450454

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work was to determine the impact of Moral Distress (MD) in emergency physicians, nurses, and emergency medical service staff at the Rand Memorial Hospital (RMH) in the Bahamas, and the impact of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic on Moral Distress. METHOD: A cross-sectional study utilizing a 3-part survey, which collected sociodemographic information, Hurricane Dorian and COVID-19 experiences, as well as responses to a validated modified Moral Distress Scale (MDS). RESULTS: Participants with 2 negatively impactful experiences from COVID-19 had statistically significantly increased MD compared to participants with only 1 negatively impactful experience (40.4 vs. 23.6, P = 0.014). Losing a loved one due to COVID-19 was associated with significantly decreased MD (B = - 0.42, 95% CI -19.70 to -0.88, P = 0.03). Losing a loved one due to Hurricane Dorian had a non-statistically significant trend towards higher MD scores (B = 0.34, 95% CI -1.23 to 28.75, P = 0.07). CONCLUSION: The emergency medical staff at the RMH reported having mild - moderate MD. This is one of the first studies to look at the impact of concurrent disasters on MD in emergency medical providers in the Bahamas.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cyclonic Storms , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Pandemics , Hospitals , Morals
4.
Cureus ; 16(1): e52581, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38371068

ABSTRACT

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major public health concern in the Caribbean. Cardiovascular care in the Caribbean revealed encouraging improvements but still less than expectations. This study aims to gain insight into CVD and identify gaps in cardiovascular care in the Caribbean compared to high-income countries. More specifically, this review reports on the epidemiology, CVD risk factors, management practices, and patient outcomes (quality of life (QOL) and mortality). A systematic review of peer-reviewed articles was conducted to assess the CVD of individuals in the Caribbean from 1959 to 2022.Using multiple search engines and keywords, a systematic review of relevant peer-reviewed CVD articles was conducted using the necessary inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant data of studies were classified by title, publication year, location, type and size of samples, and results. Further analysis grouped patients by epidemiological profile, CVD risk, management, and selected outcomes (quality of life and inpatient mortality).  From the initial review of 1,553 articles, 36 were analyzed from Trinidad and Tobago (20), Barbados (4), Jamaica (7), along with the Bahamas (2), British Virgin Islands (1), Bonaire (1), and one article from a Caribbean study. The social environment of fast food, sedentary jobs, and stress determinants are postulated to be precursors for an increase in CV risks. CVD in the Caribbean reveals a high prevalence of CV risks, suboptimal care, poor compliance, and high inpatient mortality compared with high-income countries. Greater efforts are required to improve CVD care at all stages, including in the social environment.

5.
Sci Rep ; 14(1): 4503, 2024 02 24.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38402250

ABSTRACT

Rodents are notorious pests, known for transmitting major public health diseases and causing agricultural and economic losses. The lack of site-specific and national standardised rodent surveillance in several disadvantaged communities has rendered interventions targeted towards rodent control as often ineffective. Here, by using the example from a pilot case-study in the Bahamas, we present a unique experience wherein, through multidisciplinary and community engagement, we simultaneously developed a standardised national surveillance protocol, and performed two parallel but integrated activities: (1) eight days of theoretical and practical training of selected participants; and (2) a three-month post-training pilot rodent surveillance in the urban community of Over-the-Hill, Nassau, The Bahamas. To account for social and environmental conditions influencing rodent proliferation in the Bahamas, we engaged selected influential community members through a semi-structured interview and gathered additional site-specific information using a modified Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) exterior and interior rodent evaluation form, along with other validated instruments such as tracking plates and snap trapping, to test and establish a standardised site-specific rodent surveillance protocol tailored for the Bahamas. Our engagement with community members highlighted poor disposal of animal and human food, irregular garbage collection, unapproved refuse storage, lack of accessible dumpsters, poor bulk waste management, ownership problems and structural deficiencies as major factors fuelling rodent proliferation in the study areas. Accordingly, results from our pilot survey using active rodent signs (that is, the presence of rodent runs, burrows, faecal material or gnawed material) as a proxy of rodent infestation in a generalized linear model confirmed that the variables earlier identified during the community engagement program as significantly correlated with rodent activities (and capturing) across the study areas. The successful implementation of the novel site-specific protocol by trained participants, along with the correlation of their findings with those recorded during the community engagement program, underscores its suitability and applicability in disadvantaged urban settings. This experience should serve as a reference for promoting a standardised protocol for monitoring rodent activities in many disadvantaged urban settings of the Global South, while also fostering a holistic understanding of rodent proliferation. Through this pilot case-study, we advocate for the feasibility of developing sustainable rodent control interventions that are acceptable to both local communities and public authorities, particularly through the involvement of a multidisciplinary team of professionals and community members.


Subject(s)
Garbage , Waste Management , Animals , Humans , Public Health , Rodentia , Vulnerable Populations
6.
Int J Stroke ; : 17474930241234528, 2024 Feb 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38346937

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Global access to acute stroke treatment is variable worldwide, with notable gaps in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), especially in rural areas. Ensuring a standardized method for pinpointing the existing regional coverage and proposing potential sites for new stroke centers is essential to change this scenario. AIMS: To create and apply computational strategies (CSs) to determine optimal locations for new acute stroke centers (ASCs), with a pilot application in nine Latin American regions/countries. METHODS: Hospitals treating acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and meeting the minimum infrastructure requirements per structured protocols were categorized as ASCs. Hospitals with emergency departments, noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) scanners, and 24/7 laboratories were identified as potential acute stroke centers (PASCs). Hospital geolocation data were collected and mapped using the OpenStreetMap data set. A 45-min drive radius was considered the ideal coverage area for each hospital based on the drive speeds from the OpenRouteService database. Population data, including demographic density, were obtained from the Kontur Population data sets. The proposed CS assessed the population covered by ASCs and proposed new ASCs or artificial points (APs) settled in densely populated areas to achieve a target population coverage (TPC) of 95%. RESULTS: The observed coverage in the region presented significant disparities, ranging from 0% in the Bahamas to 73.92% in Trinidad and Tobago. No country/region reached the 95% TPC using only its current ASCs or PASCs, leading to the proposal of APs. For example, in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, the introduction of 132 new centers was suggested. Furthermore, it was observed that most ASCs were in major urban hubs or university hospitals, leaving rural areas largely underserved. CONCLUSIONS: The MAPSTROKE project has the potential to provide a systematic approach to identify areas with limited access to stroke centers and propose solutions for increasing access to AIS treatment. DATA ACCESS STATEMENT: Data used for this publication are available from the authors upon reasonable request.

7.
Ecol Evol ; 14(2): e10854, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38327683

ABSTRACT

Obtaining robust estimates of population abundance is a central challenge hindering the conservation and management of many threatened and exploited species. Close-kin mark-recapture (CKMR) is a genetics-based approach that has strong potential to improve the monitoring of data-limited species by enabling estimates of abundance, survival, and other parameters for populations that are challenging to assess. However, CKMR models have received limited sensitivity testing under realistic population dynamics and sampling scenarios, impeding the application of the method in population monitoring programs and stock assessments. Here, we use individual-based simulation to examine how unmodeled population dynamics and aging uncertainty affect the accuracy and precision of CKMR parameter estimates under different sampling strategies. We then present adapted models that correct the biases that arise from model misspecification. Our results demonstrate that a simple base-case CKMR model produces robust estimates of population abundance with stable populations that breed annually; however, if a population trend or non-annual breeding dynamics are present, or if year-specific estimates of abundance are desired, a more complex CKMR model must be constructed. In addition, we show that CKMR can generate reliable abundance estimates for adults from a variety of sampling strategies, including juvenile-focused sampling where adults are never directly observed (and aging error is minimal). Finally, we apply a CKMR model that has been adapted for population growth and intermittent breeding to two decades of genetic data from juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) in Bimini, Bahamas, to demonstrate how application of CKMR to samples drawn solely from juveniles can contribute to monitoring efforts for highly mobile populations. Overall, this study expands our understanding of the biological factors and sampling decisions that cause bias in CKMR models, identifies key areas for future inquiry, and provides recommendations that can aid biologists in planning and implementing an effective CKMR study, particularly for long-lived data-limited species.

8.
R Soc Open Sci ; 11(2): 231384, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38328571

ABSTRACT

Phylogeographic accounts of mammals across fragmented landscapes show high levels of genetic, morphological and ecological variation. The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) widely spans mainland landmasses from Canada to Ecuador and Colombia, and the insular Caribbean through The Bahamas and Greater and Lesser Antilles. Given the distribution of E. fuscus, we hypothesized that insular lineages could represent a different species aided by isolation. We assessed species limits by capitalizing on available mitochondrial and genomic data. Novel morphological and spatial datasets were produced to examine limits phenotypically and whether ecological niches could be associated with differences between groups. Phylogenetics strongly supported the Caribbean as unique compared to the mainland. Genomic data indicated high levels of genetic structure within the Caribbean and no detectable admixture of the Caribbean with continental lineages. Similarly, the Caribbean group shows high phenotypic disparity, and niche models revealed differences in habitat suitability between groups, concordant with the phylogenetic results. This study uncovered signals of divergence supporting the Caribbean clade of E. fuscus as unique through an integrative framework. We endorse re-evaluating the taxonomic status of Caribbean big brown bats as Eptesicus dutertreus. This recognition can help promote local conservation plans for insular lineages of big brown bats.

9.
Health Psychol Behav Med ; 12(1): 2297577, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38196916

ABSTRACT

Background: Adolescents' risk-taking behaviors can have profound impacts on their future health. Few studies have established a relationship between multiple social environmental factors and adolescent risk behaviors. We used structural equation modeling to examine the role of parental monitoring and environmental risks on adolescents' behavioral intentions and risk behaviors. Methods: Data were collected through the baseline survey of a national implementation project among 2205 Grade 6 students in 24 government schools in The Bahamas in 2019. Structural equation modeling examined relations among parental monitoring, environmental risk factors, behavioral intentions, and risk behaviors. Results: Students had engaged in various delinquent, substance use, and sexual risks. In the structural equation model, parental monitoring demonstrated direct negative (protective) effects on behavioral intentions and risk behaviors, whereas environmental risk factors had a direct positive effect on adolescent behavioral intentions and risk behaviors. The model had an R2 value of 0.57 for adolescent risk behaviors. Conclusion: Parental monitoring and environmental risk factors had strong influences on risk-taking behaviors of early adolescents. Future adolescent health behavior interventions should consider offering additional prevention resources to early adolescents who are exposed to multiple environmental risk factors.

10.
R Soc Open Sci ; 11(1): 231152, 2024 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38204794

ABSTRACT

Passive acoustic and Argos satellite telemetry are common methods for tracking marine species and are often used similarly to quantify space use. However, data-driven comparisons of these methods and their associated ecological inferences are limited. To address this, we compared temporal durations, spatial resolutions, financial costs and estimates of occurrence and range distributions for each tracking approach using nine juvenile green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Bimini, Bahamas. Tracking durations were similar, although acoustic tracking provided higher spatiotemporal resolution than satellite tracking. Occurrence distributions (95%) estimated from satellite telemetry were 12 times larger than those from acoustic telemetry, while satellite range distributions (95%) were 89 times larger. While individuals generally remained within the extent of the acoustic receiver array, gaps in coverage were identified. These gaps, combined with the lower accuracy of satellite telemetry, were likely drivers for the larger satellite distributions. Costs differed between telemetry methods, with acoustic telemetry being less expensive at larger sample sizes with a previously established array. Our results suggest that acoustic and satellite telemetry may not provide similar inferences of individual space use. As such, we provide recommendations to identify telemetry methods appropriate for specific study objectives and provide discussion on the biases of each.

11.
Zootaxa ; 5399(3): 254-264, 2024 Jan 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38221158

ABSTRACT

Booralana nickorum sp. nov. is described from the deep-water slope of the Exuma Sound, The Bahamas, from depths of 540 to 560 metres. It is the fourth species to be assigned to the genus and the second species described from the Western North Atlantic. The species can be distinguished from Booralana tricarinata Camp and Heard, 1988 and the other species by the sub-triangular pleotelson and the uropodal exopod of mature males being far longer than endopod, with both rami extending well beyond the posterior margin of the pleotelson. Additionally, pleopods 3 and 4 lack a prominent angle at midpoint of ramus.


Subject(s)
Isopoda , Male , Animals , Bahamas , Crustacea
12.
Ann Rev Mar Sci ; 16: 487-511, 2024 Jan 17.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38231736

ABSTRACT

Microbialites provide geological evidence of one of Earth's oldest ecosystems, potentially recording long-standing interactions between coevolving life and the environment. Here, we focus on microbialite accretion and growth and consider how environmental and microbial forces that characterize living ecosystems in Shark Bay and the Bahamas interact to form an initial microbialite architecture, which in turn establishes distinct evolutionary pathways. A conceptual three-dimensional model is developed for microbialite accretion that emphasizes the importance of a dynamic balance between extrinsic and intrinsic factors in determining the initial architecture. We then explore how early taphonomic and diagenetic processes modify the initial architecture, culminating in various styles of preservation in the rock record. The timing of lithification of microbial products is critical in determining growth patterns and preservation potential. Study results have shown that all microbialites are not created equal; the unique evolutionary history of an individual microbialite matters.


Subject(s)
Bays , Ecosystem , Bahamas , Biological Evolution , Geologic Sediments
13.
Ecology ; 105(2): e4222, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38032348

ABSTRACT

Metabolic ecology predicts that ectotherm metabolic rates, and thus consumption rates, will increase with body size and temperature. Predicted climatic increases in temperature are likely to increase the consumption rates of ectothermic predators; however, the ecological impact of these increases will partly depend on whether prey productivity changes with temperature at a similar rate. Furthermore, total predator consumption and prey productivity will depend on species abundances that vary across habitat types. Here we combine energetics and biotelemetry to measure consumption rates in a critically endangered coral reef predator, the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), in The Bahamas. We estimate that, at present, the Nassau grouper needs to consume 2.2% ± 1.0% body weight day-1 , but this could increase up to 24% with a predicted 3.1°C increase in ocean temperature by the end of the century. We then used surveys of prey communities in two major reef habitat types (Orbicella reef and Gorgonian plain), to predict the proportion of prey productivity consumed by grouper and how this varied by habitat with changing climates. We found that at present, the predicted proportion of prey productivity consumed by Nassau grouper decreased with increasing prey productivity and averaged 1.2% across all habitats, with a greater proportion of prey productivity consumed (maximum of 5%) in Gorgonian plain habitats. However, because temperature increases consumption rates faster than prey productivity, the proportion of prey productivity consumed in a Gorgonian plain habitat could increase up to 24% under future climate change scenarios. Our results suggest that increasing ocean temperatures will lead to significant energetic challenges for the Nassau grouper because of differential impacts within reef food webs, but the magnitude of these impacts will probably vary across prey productivity gradients.


Subject(s)
Anthozoa , Climate Change , Animals , Predatory Behavior , Ecosystem , Food Chain , Coral Reefs
14.
Org Divers Evol ; 23(4): 811-832, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38046836

ABSTRACT

Molecular genetic analyses of Caribbean populations of the supposedly widespread intertidal oribatid mite Alismobates inexpectatus revealed the existence of a cryptic species. The new species, Alismobates piratus sp. n., shows considerable COI and 18S rRNA gene sequence divergences and although morphometric analyses indicate considerable variation between the taxa, no distinguishing morphological feature could be detected. The extreme intertidal environment is suggested to be responsible for the observed morphological stasis of the two species and vicariance is supposed to be responsible for their speciation. Alismobates piratus sp. n. was found on Hispaniola, Guadeloupe, Barbados and Curaçao indicating a predominant distribution on the Greater and Lesser Antilles, whereas the occurrence of A. inexpectatus is primarily restricted to Central America, the northern Caribbean and the Greater Antilles. Haplotype network analyses indicate distinct geographic structuring and the absence of recent gene flow among the Antillean A. piratus sp. n. populations. Central American and Antillean populations of A. inexpectatus show similar patterns but populations from Bermuda and the Bahamas are characterized by a common origin and subsequent expansion. Genetic landscape analysis demonstrates that vast stretches of open ocean, like the Caribbean Basin and the Western Atlantic, act as rather effective barriers, whereas the continuous continental coastline of Central and North America may facilitate dispersal. Genetic data also indicates that the Gulf Stream plays an important role for the biogeography of intertidal oribatid mites as it may be responsible for the strong link between Central and North American populations as well as for the colonization of Bermuda. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13127-023-00624-9.

15.
Conserv Physiol ; 11(1): coad086, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38076338

ABSTRACT

Surprisingly, the impacts of environmental changes on the physiology of tropical/subtropical marine fishes have received limited attention. Given that (i) temperature is considered to be a key factor controlling the biology of fishes; (ii) no published data are available on the swimming performance, metabolic capacity or cardiac function of any of the ~165 grouper species worldwide; and (iii) the Nassau grouper is an endangered species of great ecological and socioeconomic significance in The Bahamas, we investigated how current summer/early fall (30°C) and winter (22°C) temperatures in South Eleuthera affected the aerobic metabolism and heart function of wild Nassau grouper when swum to exhaustion (i.e. to their critical swimming speed, Ucrit). The Nassau grouper had a very low Ucrit at 30°C (i.e. <1 body lengths s-1), and a 30% lower swimming performance during the winter (at 22°C), and this was that was indicative of a reduced absolute aerobic scope (~185 vs. 290 mg O2 kg-1 h-1) and values of maximum heart rate ([Formula: see text]HMax) and scope for [Formula: see text]H that were only one-half of that achieved at 30°C (~60 vs. 120 and 29 vs. 61 beats min-1, respectively). Overall, these data reveal that the Nassau grouper's aerobic and swimming capacity are well below values reported for other tropical/subtropical fishes and suggest that, despite a compensatory (~30-40%) increase in stroke volume, constraints on [Formula: see text]H near this species' lower thermal limit negatively affect its cardiac output and swimming performance. These findings have considerable ecological implications as Bahamian grouper populations migrate over long distances to spawn during the winter months, and given the predicted increase in temperature variability with climate change.

16.
Prev Sci ; 2023 Nov 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37979069

ABSTRACT

Large-scale, evidence-based interventions face challenges to program fidelity of implementation. We developed implementation strategies to support teachers implementing an evidence-based HIV prevention program in schools, Focus on Youth in The Caribbean (FOYC) and Caribbean Informed Parents and Children Together (CImPACT) in The Bahamas. We examined the effects of these implementation strategies on teachers' implementation in the subsequent year after the initial implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 79 Grade 6 teachers in 24 government elementary schools. Teachers completed training workshops and a pre-implementation questionnaire to record their characteristics and perceptions that might affect their program fidelity. School coordinators and peer mentors provided teachers with monitoring, feedback, and mentoring. In Year 1, teachers on average taught 79.3% of the sessions and 80.8% of core activities; teachers in Year 2 covered 84.2% of sessions and 72.9% of the core activities. Teachers with "good" or "excellent" school coordinators in the second year taught significantly more sessions on average (7.8 vs. 7.0, t = 2.04, P < 0.05) and more core activities (26.3 vs. 23.0, t = 2.41, P < 0.05) than teachers with "satisfactory" coordinators. Teachers who had a "good" or "satisfactory" mentor taught more sessions than teachers who did not have a mentor (7.9 vs. 7.3; t = 2.22; P = 0.03). Two-level mixed-effects model analysis indicated that teachers' program fidelity in Year 1, confidence in the execution of core activities, and school coordinators' performance were significantly associated with Year 2 implementation dose. Implementation of FOYC + CImPACT was significantly associated with improved student outcomes. Teachers maintained high fidelity to a comprehensive HIV prevention program over 2 years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future program implementers should consider additional implementation support to improve the implementation of school-based programs.

17.
Proc Biol Sci ; 290(2009): 20231686, 2023 10 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37876194

ABSTRACT

Understanding the genetic basis of novel adaptations in new species is a fundamental question in biology. Here we demonstrate a new role for galr2 in vertebrate craniofacial development using an adaptive radiation of trophic specialist pupfishes endemic to San Salvador Island, Bahamas. We confirmed the loss of a putative Sry transcription factor binding site upstream of galr2 in scale-eating pupfish and found significant spatial differences in galr2 expression among pupfish species in Meckel's cartilage using in situ hybridization chain reaction (HCR). We then experimentally demonstrated a novel role for Galr2 in craniofacial development by exposing embryos to Garl2-inhibiting drugs. Galr2-inhibition reduced Meckel's cartilage length and increased chondrocyte density in both trophic specialists but not in the generalist genetic background. We propose a mechanism for jaw elongation in scale-eaters based on the reduced expression of galr2 due to the loss of a putative Sry binding site. Fewer Galr2 receptors in the scale-eater Meckel's cartilage may result in their enlarged jaw lengths as adults by limiting opportunities for a circulating Galr2 agonist to bind to these receptors during development. Our findings illustrate the growing utility of linking candidate adaptive SNPs in non-model systems with highly divergent phenotypes to novel vertebrate gene functions.


Subject(s)
Killifishes , Animals , Killifishes/genetics , Receptor, Galanin, Type 2/genetics , Bahamas , Phenotype
18.
J Fish Biol ; 2023 Oct 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37853921

ABSTRACT

The pelagic zone of the ocean can be a challenging environment in which to conduct research and as a result we lack the robust baseline abundance and diversity data, compared to what is available in more accessible coastal habitats, to be able to track changes or stressors to the biota in this environment. Many large-scale fisheries target pelagic fish, and much of the information available on these species is based on fisheries-dependent data that may be biased towards hotspots and commercially valuable fishes. Here, a long-term video and visual fish survey was conducted on two subsurface moored fish aggregating devices (FADs) in the pelagic waters of the central Bahamas to determine the feasibility of using moored pelagic FADs as tools for collecting fish abundance and diversity data. A wide range of species was documented, including large migratory fish that are the focus of commercial and recreational fisheries, and smaller often overlooked species on which little abundance or seasonality information exists. We found that FADs colonize quickly and reach a peak stable (albeit seasonally cyclical) abundance and diversity within the first several months after deployment. Species richness was higher in video surveys, but abundance was higher in visual surveys, except for sharks. Our results highlight the need to tailor survey methods to fit the context and study objective, and provide further evidence for the importance of fisheries-independent data in monitoring pelagic species.

19.
PLoS One ; 18(9): e0291187, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37703242

ABSTRACT

Detection and identification of species, subspecies or stocks of whales, dolphins and porpoises at sea remain challenging, particularly for cryptic or elusive species like beaked whales (Family: Ziphiidae). Here we investigated the potential for using an acoustically assisted sampling design to collect environmental (e)DNA from beaked whales on the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) in The Bahamas. During 12 days of August 2019, we conducted 9 small-boat surveys and collected 56 samples of seawater (paired subsamples of 1L each, including controls) using both a spatial collection design in the absence of visual confirmation of whales, and a serial collection design in the proximity of whales at the surface. There were 7 sightings of whales, including 11 Blainville's beaked whales (Mesoplodon densirostris). All whales were located initially with the assistance of information from a bottom-mounted acoustic array available on the AUTEC range. Quantification by droplet digital (dd)PCR from the four spatial design collections showed no samples of eDNA above the threshold of detection and none of these 20 samples yielded amplicons for conventional or next-generation sequencing. Quantification of the 31 samples from four serial collections identified 11 likely positive detections. eDNA barcoding by conventional sequencing and eDNA metabarcoding by next-generation sequencing confirmed species identification for 9 samples from three of the four serial collections. We further resolved five intra-specific variants (i.e., haplotypes), two of which showed an exact match to previously published haplotypes and three that have not been reported previously to the international repository, GenBank. A minimum spanning network of the five eDNA haplotypes, with all other published haplotypes of Blainville's beaked whales, suggested the potential for further resolution of differences between oceanic populations.


Subject(s)
DNA, Environmental , Dolphins , Porpoises , Animals , Whales/genetics , DNA/genetics , DNA, Environmental/genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Acoustics
20.
Int J Behav Dev ; 47(3): 210-220, 2023 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37746313

ABSTRACT

Adolescents experiment with risk behaviors, including delinquency, substance use, and sexual activity. Multi-level social factors, such as having high-risk peers, neighborhood risks, and parental monitoring, influence adolescents' behaviors. We modeled transition patterns in Bahamian adolescents' risk behaviors across three high school years and examined the effects of multi-level factors. We collected data from 2,564 Bahamian adolescents in Grade 10 and follow-ups through Grade 12. We used latent transition model to identify adolescents' risk statuses. Further analyses used multinomial logistic regression to explore the effects of multi-level factors on assignment to those latent statuses and transitions. We identified four distinct statuses: "low risk" (47.9% of the sample at baseline), "alcohol use" (36.8%), "alcohol use and sexual activity" (5.5%), and "high risk" (9.8%). Males were more likely to be in higher-risk statuses at baseline and to transition from a lower-risk status in Grade 10 to a higher-risk status in Grade 11. Social risk factors were significantly associated with higher-risk statuses at baseline. Neighborhood risk and peer risk involvement continued to affect transitions from lower to higher risk; parental monitoring did not have a significant effect in later years. Our findings have important implications for developing targeted and developmentally appropriate interventions to prevent and reduce risk behaviors among middle-to-late adolescents.

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