Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 36 in total

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  1. Sex ratio, gonad development and fecundity of Miyakella nepa (Crustacea, Stomatopoda) of Pantai Remis coastal waters of Malaysia
    Zamri Z, Arshad A, Amin SMN, Rahman MA, Al Khayat JA
    J Environ Biol, 2016 07;37(4 Spec No):677-83.
    PMID: 28779726
    The sex ratio, gonad development and fecundity of Miyakella nepa (Latreille, 1828), in the coastal waters of Pantai Remis, Perak, were investigated from February 2012 to January 2013. Sex identification was done by identifying stomatopod's genitalia organs, and the ovaries were dissected out and preserved for further analysis. Female stomatopods with mature or near spawning stages were used for fecundity estimation. A total of 951 specimens of M. nepa, with 565 females and 386 males were examined. Results showed a sex ratio of 1:1.46 (male:females). Maximum GSI was estimated to be 5.80, while lowest was 2.95. Sexual maturity for female M. nepa was observed at 100 mm total length. The mean fecundity of M. nepa was 425,657 (? 1,8701) eggs which was observed to increase with increased body length.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  2. Fulltext Evidence of local short-distance spawning migration of tropical freshwater eels, and implications for the evolution of freshwater eel migration
    Arai T
    Ecol Evol, 2014 Oct;4(19):3812-9.
    PMID: 25614795 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1245
    Freshwater eels have fascinated biologists for centuries due to the spectacular long-distance migrations between the eels' freshwater habitats and their spawning areas far out in the ocean and the mysteries of their ecology. The spawning areas of Atlantic eels and Japanese eel were located far offshore in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, respectively, and their reproduction took place thousands of kilometers away from their growth habitats. Phylogenetic studies have revealed that freshwater eels originated in the Indonesian region. However, remarkably little is known about the life histories of tropical freshwater eels despite the fact that tropical eels are key to understanding the nature of primitive forms of catadromous migration. This study found spawning-condition tropical freshwater eels in Lake Poso, central Sulawesi, Indonesia, with considerably high gonadosomatic index values and with histologically fully developed gonads. This study provides the first evidence that under certain conditions, freshwater eels have conditions that are immediately able to spawn even in river downstream. The results suggest that, in contrast to the migrations made by the Atlantic and Japanese eels, freshwater eels originally migrated only short distances of <100 kilometers to local spawning areas adjacent to their freshwater growth habitats. Ancestral eels most likely underwent a catadromous migration from local short-distance movements in tropical coastal waters to the long-distance migrations characteristic of present-day temperate eels, which has been well established as occurring in subtropical gyres in both hemispheres.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  3. Fulltext Coral mass spawning predicted by rapid seasonal rise in ocean temperature
    Keith SA, Maynard JA, Edwards AJ, Guest JR, Bauman AG, van Hooidonk R, et al.
    Proc Biol Sci, 2016 05 11;283(1830).
    PMID: 27170709 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0011
    Coral spawning times have been linked to multiple environmental factors; however, to what extent these factors act as generalized cues across multiple species and large spatial scales is unknown. We used a unique dataset of coral spawning from 34 reefs in the Indian and Pacific Oceans to test if month of spawning and peak spawning month in assemblages of Acropora spp. can be predicted by sea surface temperature (SST), photosynthetically available radiation, wind speed, current speed, rainfall or sunset time. Contrary to the classic view that high mean SST initiates coral spawning, we found rapid increases in SST to be the best predictor in both cases (month of spawning: R(2) = 0.73, peak: R(2) = 0.62). Our findings suggest that a rapid increase in SST provides the dominant proximate cue for coral mass spawning over large geographical scales. We hypothesize that coral spawning is ultimately timed to ensure optimal fertilization success.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  4. Fulltext The Coral Triangle Atlas: an integrated online spatial database system for improving coral reef management
    Cros A, Ahamad Fatan N, White A, Teoh SJ, Tan S, Handayani C, et al.
    PLoS One, 2014;9(6):e96332.
    PMID: 24941442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096332
    In this paper we describe the construction of an online GIS database system, hosted by WorldFish, which stores bio-physical, ecological and socio-economic data for the 'Coral Triangle Area' in South-east Asia and the Pacific. The database has been built in partnership with all six (Timor-Leste, Malaysia, Indonesia, The Philippines, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea) of the Coral Triangle countries, and represents a valuable source of information for natural resource managers at the regional scale. Its utility is demonstrated using biophysical data, data summarising marine habitats, and data describing the extent of marine protected areas in the region.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  5. Fulltext Spatial subsidies drive sweet spots of tropical marine biomass production
    Morais RA, Siqueira AC, Smallhorn-West PF, Bellwood DR
    PLoS Biol, 2021 Nov;19(11):e3001435.
    PMID: 34727097 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001435
    Spatial subsidies increase local productivity and boost consumer abundance beyond the limits imposed by local resources. In marine ecosystems, deeper water and open ocean subsidies promote animal aggregations and enhance biomass that is critical for human harvesting. However, the scale of this phenomenon in tropical marine systems remains unknown. Here, we integrate a detailed assessment of biomass production in 3 key locations, spanning a major biodiversity and abundance gradient, with an ocean-scale dataset of fish counts to predict the extent and magnitude of plankton subsidies to fishes on coral reefs. We show that planktivorous fish-mediated spatial subsidies are widespread across the Indian and Pacific oceans and drive local spikes in biomass production that can lead to extreme productivity, up to 30 kg ha-1 day-1. Plankton subsidies form the basis of productivity "sweet spots" where planktivores provide more than 50% of the total fish production, more than all other trophic groups combined. These sweet spots operate at regional, site, and smaller local scales. By harvesting oceanic productivity, planktivores bypass spatial constraints imposed by local primary productivity, creating "oases" of tropical fish biomass that are accessible to humans.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  6. Recalling war trauma of the Pacific War and the Japanese occupation in the oral history of Malaysia and Singapore
    Blackburn K
    Oral Hist Rev, 2009;36(2):231-52.
    PMID: 19999634
    The Pacific War and the Japanese Occupation were traumatic periods in the lives of people now over seventy years old in Malaysia and Singapore. This study traces why individuals interviewed for oral history of the Pacific War and the Japanese Occupation have often been able to tell stories of trauma without being overwhelmed by their reminiscences. It emphasizes that memories of traumatic experiences of the Pacific War and the Japanese Occupation in Malaysia and Singapore are mediated and eased by supportive social networks that are part of the interview subject's community. The individual's personal memories of traumatic war experiences are positioned in the context of the collective memory of the group and, thus, are made easier to recall. However, for individuals whose personal memories are at variance with the collective memory of the group they belong to, recalling traumatic experiences is more difficult and alienating as they do not have the support in their community. The act of recalling traumatic memories in the context of the collective memory of a group is particularly relevant in Malaysia and Singapore. These countries have a long history of being plural societies, where although the major ethnic groups -- the Malays, Chinese, and Indians -- have lived side by side peacefully, they have lived in culturally and socially separate worlds, not interacting much with the other groups. The self -- identity of many older people who lived through the Pacific War and the Japanese Occupation is inextricably bound up with their ethnicity. Oral history on war trauma strongly reflects these identities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean/ethnology
  7. Fulltext Comparative Phylogeography and Phylogeny of Pennah Croakers (Teleostei: Sciaenidae) in Southeast Asian Waters
    Lim HC, Habib A, Chen WJ
    Genes (Basel), 2021 11 29;12(12).
    PMID: 34946874 DOI: 10.3390/genes12121926
    A broad-scale comparative phylogeographic and phylogenetic study of pennah croakers, mainly Pennahia anea, P. macrocephalus, and P. ovata was conducted to elucidate the mechanisms that may have driven the diversification of marine organisms in Southeast Asian waters. A total of 316 individuals from the three species, and an additional eight and six individuals of P. argentata and P. pawak were employed in this study. Two genetically divergent lineages each of P. argentata and P. anea (lineages L1 and L2) were respectively detected from the analyses based on mitochondrial cytochrome b gene data. Historical biogeography analysis with a multi-gene dataset revealed that Pennahia species most likely originated in the South China Sea and expanded into the eastern Indian Ocean, East China Sea, and northwestern Pacific Ocean through three separate range expansions. The main diversifications of Pennahia species occurred during Miocene and Pliocene periods, and the occurrences of lineage divergences within P. anea and P. argentata were during the Pleistocene, likely as a consequence of cyclical glaciations. The population expansions that occurred after the sea level rise might be the reason for the population homogeneity observed in P. macrocephalus and most P. anea L2 South China Sea populations. The structure observed between the two populations of P. ovata, and the restricted distributions of P. anea lineage L1 and P. ovata in the eastern Indian Ocean, might have been hampered by the northward flowing ocean current at the Malacca Strait and by the distribution of coral reefs or rocky bottoms. While our results support S. Ekman's center-of-origin hypothesis taking place in the South China Sea, the Malacca Strait serving as the center of overlap is a supplementary postulation for explaining the present-day high diversity of pennah croakers centered in these waters.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  8. Taxonomy and toxicity of a bloom-forming Ostreopsis species (Dinophyceae, Gonyaulacales) in Tahiti island (South Pacific Ocean): one step further towards resolving the identity of O. siamensis
    Chomérat N, Bilien G, Viallon J, Hervé F, Réveillon D, Henry K, et al.
    Harmful Algae, 2020 09;98:101888.
    PMID: 33129466 DOI: 10.1016/j.hal.2020.101888
    Among dinoflagellates responsible for benthic harmful algal blooms, the genus Ostreopsis primarily described from tropical areas has been increasingly reported from subtropical and temperate areas worldwide. Several species of this toxigenic genus produce analogs of palytoxin, thus representing a major threat to human and environmental health. The taxonomy of several species needs to be clarified as it was based mostly on morphological descriptions leading in some cases to ambiguous interpretations and misidentifications. The present study aims at reporting a benthic bloom that occurred in April 2019 in Tahiti island, French Polynesia. A complete taxonomic investigation of the blooming Ostreopsis species was realized using light, epifluorescence and field emission electron microscopy and phylogenetic analyses inferred from LSU rDNA and ITS-5.8S rDNA regions. Toxicity of a natural sample and strains isolated from the bloom was assessed using both neuroblastoma cell-based assay and LC-MS/MS analyses. Morphological observations showed that cells were round to oval, large, 58.0-82.5 µm deep (dorso-ventral length) and 45.7-61.2 µm wide. The cingulum was conspicuously undulated, forming a 'V' in ventral view. Thecal plates possessed large pores in depressions, with a collar rim. Detailed observation also revealed the presence of small thecal pores invisible in LM. Phylogenetic analyses were congruent and all sequences clustered within the genotype Ostreopsis sp. 6, in a subclade closely related to sequences from the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia. No toxicity was found on the field sample but all the strains isolated from the bloom were found to be cytotoxic and produced ostreocin D, a lower amount of ostreocins A and B and putatively other compounds. Phylogenetic data demonstrate the presence of this species in the Gulf of Thailand, at the type locality of O. siamensis, and morphological data are congruent with the original description and support this identification.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  9. Fulltext Three members of Opisthomonorcheides Parukhin, 1966 (Digenea: Monorchiidae) from carangid fishes (Perciformes) from Indonesia, with a review of the genus
    Bray RA, Palm HW, Cutmore SC, Cribb TH
    Syst Parasitol, 2017 05;94(4):443-462.
    PMID: 28337682 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-017-9717-5
    Three species of Opisthomonorcheides Parukhin, 1966 are reported for the first time from Indonesian waters: O. pampi (Wang, 1982) Liu, Peng, Gao, Fu, Wu, Lu, Gao & Xiao, 2010 and O. ovacutus (Mamaev, 1970) Machida, 2011 from Parastromateus niger (Bloch), and O. decapteri Parukhin, 1966 from Atule mate (Cuvier). Both O. pampi and O. ovacutus can now be considered widespread in the Indo-Pacific region, with earlier records of these species being from Fujian Province, China and Penang, Malaysia, respectively. We redescribe O. decapteri from one of its original hosts, Atule mate, off New Caledonia, and report this species from Jakarta Bay, Indonesia, extending its range throughout the Indian Ocean into the south-western Pacific. All three species possess a genital atrium that is long, sometimes very long, and a genital pore that is located in the forebody. This validates the interpretation that the original description was erroneous in reporting the genital pore in the hindbody, well posterior to the ventral sucker. These observations verify the synonymy of Retractomonorchis Madhavi, 1977 with Opisthomonorcheides. A major discrepancy between the species of Opisthomonorcheides is that some are described with the uterus entering the terminal organ laterally and some with it entering terminally; this feature needs further analysis. Based on the length of the genital atrium and the posterior extent of the vitellarium, the 27 species of Opisthomonorcheides considered valid can be divided into four groups. Among the 53 host records analysed, the families Carangidae (53% of records), Stromateidae (17%) and Serranidae (5.7%) are the most common; the reports are overwhelmingly from members of the Perciformes (91%), with further records in the Clupeiformes (5.7%), Gadiformes (1.9%) and Pleuronectiformes (1.9%). Two fish genera (Parastromateus Bleeker and Pampus Bonaparte) dominate the recorded hosts, with the black pomfret Parastromateus niger harbouring six species, the silver pomfret Pampus argenteus (Euphrasen) harbouring six, and the Chinese silver pomfret P. chinensis (Euphrasen) two. A host-parasite checklist is presented. We discuss the host-specificity of members of the genus, questioning some records such as that of O. decapteri in a deep-sea macrourid. We also comment on the morphological similarity, but phylogenetic distance, between the various Pomfret species, advancing the possibility that a series of host misidentifications has occurred. Sequences of the ITS2 rDNA gene generated for O. pampi and O. ovacutus are briefly discussed and molecular data are lodged in the GenBank database.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  10. Overcoming the Fukushima Wastewater Crisis: What the Japanese Authorities Could Do to Address Opposing Views
    Ng KH, Yoong D, Gong J
    Health Phys, 2022 Jun 01;122(6):696-704.
    PMID: 35486926 DOI: 10.1097/HP.0000000000001548
    In April 2021, the Japanese authorities' announcement of their decision to release processed wastewater from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean over 30 y, beginning in 2023, triggered strong domestic and international opposition. Failure to handle this situation tactfully can lead to public disorder, civil disobedience, loss of trust in the authorities, and even diplomatic sanctions. In this article, we explain the underlying reasons behind this resistance, and we offer some strategic methods that the Japanese authorities can deploy to address opposing views and overcome the Fukushima wastewater crisis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  11. Redescription of Paragaleus tengi (Chen, 1963) (Carcharhiniformes: Hemigaleidae) and first record of Paragaleus randalli Compagno, Krupp & Carpenter, 1996 from the western North Pacific
    White WT, Harris M
    Zootaxa, 2013;3752:172-84.
    PMID: 25229113
    Paragaleus tengi was previously considered to be the only member of this genus occurring in the Western Pacific, with Paragaleus randalli occurring in the Indian Ocean and allopatric in distribution. Recent molecular and morphological studies showed that P. randalli also occurs in the Western Pacific with records from Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia previously mostly incorrectly attributed to P. tengi. This paper provides a redescription of P. tengi and confirms the presence of P. randalli from off Taiwan in the western North Pacific. These two species are morphologically very similar in appearance but differ in meristics, dentition, some coloration attributes and minor morphological characters. The conservation status of these two species needs to be reassessed based on this new information.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  12. Fulltext Infectious diseases and their outbreaks in Asia-Pacific: biodiversity and its regulation loss matter
    Morand S, Jittapalapong S, Suputtamongkol Y, Abdullah MT, Huan TB
    PLoS One, 2014;9(2):e90032.
    PMID: 24587201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090032
    Despite increasing control measures, numerous parasitic and infectious diseases are emerging, re-emerging or causing recurrent outbreaks particularly in Asia and the Pacific region, a hot spot of both infectious disease emergence and biodiversity at risk. We investigate how biodiversity affects the distribution of infectious diseases and their outbreaks in this region, taking into account socio-economics (population size, GDP, public health expenditure), geography (latitude and nation size), climate (precipitation, temperature) and biodiversity (bird and mammal species richness, forest cover, mammal and bird species at threat). We show, among countries, that the overall richness of infectious diseases is positively correlated with the richness of birds and mammals, but the number of zoonotic disease outbreaks is positively correlated with the number of threatened mammal and bird species and the number of vector-borne disease outbreaks is negatively correlated with forest cover. These results suggest that, among countries, biodiversity is a source of pathogens, but also that the loss of biodiversity or its regulation, as measured by forest cover or threatened species, seems to be associated with an increase in zoonotic and vector-borne disease outbreaks.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  13. Reinstatement of species belonging Marphysa sanguinea complex (Annelida: Eunicidae) and description of new species from the mid-Pacific Ocean and the Adriatic Sea
    Molina-Acevedo IC, Idris I
    Zootaxa, 2020 Jul 15;4816(1):zootaxa.4816.1.1.
    PMID: 33055711 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4816.1.1
    Marphysa sanguinea Montagu, 1813, the type species of genus Marphysa, was described with few characteristics and subsequently reported in tropical and temperate waters as a cosmopolitan species. Recent comparative studies have shown that M. sanguinea has a limited distribution to the Northeast Atlantic. As a result, species from the tropical and subtropical zones are now being redescribed as new species. However, this issue is not completely resolved because of the taxonomic status of seven nominal species, considered as junior synonymies of M. sanguinea. Herein, we examined the type and additional materials from five species in synonymy M. sanguinea and performed a compared analysis with the neotype of M. sanguinea. Additionally, we reviewed specimens from two localities in the mid-Pacific Ocean and the Adriatic Sea, where M. sanguinea was previously reported. As a result of this study, three species were reinstated (M. californica Moore, 1909, M. leidii de Quatrefages, 1866, and M. parishii Baird, 1869) and two subspecies, are now raised to species level (M. americana n. status and M. brevibranchiata n. status). In addition, two new species from Hawaii and Croatia are described: M. baileybrockae n. sp. and M. birgeri n. sp., respectively. Morphological comparisons with most species currently assigned to the M. sanguinea complex are presented. This work provides more support for rejecting the hypothesis that M. sanguinea is a cosmopolitan species and we encourage the use of novel and traditional morphological characters to differentiate species within the complex.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  14. Fulltext Madden-Julian Oscillation Enhances Phytoplankton Biomass in the Maritime Continent
    Chang CJ, Hsu HH, Cheah W, Tseng WL, Jiang LC
    Sci Rep, 2019 04 01;9(1):5421.
    PMID: 30931981 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41889-5
    In addition to monsoon-driven rainfall, the Maritime Continent (MC) is subject to heavy precipitation caused by the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), a tropical convection-coupled circulation that propagates eastward from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean. This study shows that riverine runoff from MJO-driven rainfall in the western MC significantly enhances phytoplankton biomass not only in the coastal regions but as far as the nutrient-poor Banda Sea, located 1,000 km downstream of the riverine source. We present observational estimates of the chlorophyll-a concentration in the Banda Sea increasing by 20% over the winter average within an MJO life cycle. The enhancement of phytoplankton in the central Banda Sea is attributed to two coinciding MJO-triggered mechanisms: enhanced sediment loading and eastward advection of waters with high sediment and chlorophyll concentrations. Our results highlight an unexpected effect of MJO-driven rainfall on the downstream oceanic region. This finding has significant implications for the marine food chain and biogeochemical processes in the MC, given the increasing deforestation rate and projections that global warming will intensify both the frequency and strength of MJO-driven rainfall in the MC.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  15. Asia-Pacific mussel watch for emerging pollutants: Distribution of synthetic musks and benzotriazole UV stabilizers in Asian and US coastal waters
    Nakata H, Shinohara R, Nakazawa Y, Isobe T, Sudaryanto A, Subramanian A, et al.
    Mar Pollut Bull, 2012 Oct;64(10):2211-8.
    PMID: 22910332 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2012.07.049
    We analyzed 68 green and blue mussels collected from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam and the USA during 2003 and 2007, to elucidate the occurrence and widespread distributions of emerging pollutants, synthetic musks and benzotriazole UV stabilizers (BUVSs) in Asia-Pacific coastal waters. Synthetic musks and BUVSs were detected in mussels from all countries, suggesting their ubiquitous contamination and widespread distribution. High concentrations of musks and BUVSs were detected in mussels from Japan and Korea, where the levels were comparable or greater than those of PCBs, DDTs and PBDEs. Significant correlations were found between the concentrations of HHCB and AHTN, and also between the concentrations of UV-327 and UV-328, which suggest similar sources and compositions of these compounds in commercial and industrial products. To our knowledge, this is the first study of large-scale monitoring of synthetic musks and BUVSs in Asia-Pacific coastal waters.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  16. Establishment of Asia-Pacific Network for Enterovirus Surveillance
    Chiu ML, Luo ST, Chen YY, Chung WY, Duong V, Dussart P, et al.
    Vaccine, 2020 01 03;38(1):1-9.
    PMID: 31679864 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.09.111
    Enteroviruses (EV), the major pathogens of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) and herpangina, affect millions of children each year. Most human enteroviruses cause self-limited infections except polioviruses, enterovirus A71 (EV-A71), enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), and several echoviruses (Echo) and coxsackieviruses (CV). Especially, EV-A71 has repeatedly caused large-scale outbreaks in the Asia-Pacific region since 1997. Some Asian countries have experienced cyclical outbreaks of severe EV-A71 infections and initiated development of EV-A71 vaccines. Five EV-A71 vaccine candidates have been clinically evaluated and three of them were approved for marketing in China. However, none of the China-approved products seek marketing approval in other countries. This situation supports a role for collaboration among Asian countries to facilitate clinical trials and licensure of EV-A71 vaccines. Additionally, enterovirus D68 outbreaks have been reported in the US and Taiwan currently and caused severe complications and deaths. Hence, an Asia-Pacific Network for Enterovirus Surveillance (APNES) has been established to estimate disease burden, understand virus evolution, and facilitate vaccine development through harmonizing laboratory diagnosis and data collection. Founded in 2017, the APNES is comprised of internationally recognized experts in the field of enterovirus in Asian countries working to raise awareness of this potentially fatal and debilitating disease. This article demonstrated the summaries of the first expert meeting, 2017 International Workshop on Enterovirus Surveillance and Vaccine Development, held by APNES in Taipei, Taiwan, March 2017.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean/epidemiology
  17. Fulltext Phylogeography, colouration, and cryptic speciation across the Indo-Pacific in the sea urchin genus Echinothrix
    Coppard SE, Jessop H, Lessios HA
    Sci Rep, 2021 Aug 16;11(1):16568.
    PMID: 34400682 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95872-0
    The sea urchins Echinothrix calamaris and Echinothrix diadema have sympatric distributions throughout the Indo-Pacific. Diverse colour variation is reported in both species. To reconstruct the phylogeny of the genus and assess gene flow across the Indo-Pacific we sequenced mitochondrial 16S rDNA, ATPase-6, and ATPase-8, and nuclear 28S rDNA and the Calpain-7 intron. Our analyses revealed that E. diadema formed a single trans-Indo-Pacific clade, but E. calamaris contained three discrete clades. One clade was endemic to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman. A second clade occurred from Malaysia in the West to Moorea in the East. A third clade of E. calamaris was distributed across the entire Indo-Pacific biogeographic region. A fossil calibrated phylogeny revealed that the ancestor of E. diadema diverged from the ancestor of E. calamaris ~ 16.8 million years ago (Ma), and that the ancestor of the trans-Indo-Pacific clade and Red Sea and Gulf of Oman clade split from the western and central Pacific clade ~ 9.8 Ma. Time since divergence and genetic distances suggested species level differentiation among clades of E. calamaris. Colour variation was extensive in E. calamaris, but not clade or locality specific. There was little colour polymorphism in E. diadema.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  18. De novo assembly of genome and development of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) using RAD approach
    Wu Q, Miao G, Li X, Liu W, Ikhwanuddin M, Ma H
    Mol Biol Rep, 2018 Dec;45(6):1913-1918.
    PMID: 30203240 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-018-4339-9
    The blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) is a valuable marine fishery resource in Indo-West Pacific Ocean. So far, rare genetic resource of this species is available. In this report, the restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) approach was employed to mine the genomic information and identify molecular markers in P. pelagicus. A total of 0.82 Gbp clean data were generated from the genome of individual "X2A". De novo assembly produced 85,796 contigs with an average length of 339 bp. A total of 45,464 putative SNPs and 17,983 microsatellite loci were identified from the genomes of ten individuals. Furthermore, 31 pairs of primers were successfully designed, with 16 of them exhibiting polymorphism in a wild population. For these polymorphic loci, the expected and observed alleles per locus ranged from 1.064 to 7.314 and from 2 to 11, respectively. The expected and observed heterozygosity per locus ranged from 0.0615 to 0.819 and from 0.0626 to 1.000, respectively. Nine loci showed high informative with polymorphism information content (PIC) > 0.5. Five loci significantly deviated from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in the samples analyzed. No linkage disequilibrium was found among the 16 polymorphic microsatellite loci. This study provided massive genetic resource and polymorphic molecular markers that should be helpful for studies on conservation genetics, population dynamics and genetic diversity of P. pelagicus and related crab species.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  19. Redescription of Aetobatus flagellum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), an endangered eagle ray (Myliobatoidea: Myliobatidae) from the Indo-West Pacific
    White WT, Moore AB
    Zootaxa, 2013;3752:199-213.
    PMID: 25229115
    The eagle ray Aetobatus flagellum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) is redescribed based on new material from the Persian Gulf (Kuwait), Indonesia and Malaysia. A related but distinct species of Aetobatus from the western North Pacific, previously referred to as A. flagellum, is reported. Aetobatus flagellum is a medium-sized eagle ray which attains about 900 mm DW; males mature at approximately 500 mm DW. Aetobatus flagellum appears to be uncommon and restricted to estuary-influenced waters of the Indo-West Pacific. It is caught as gillnet bycatch where its habit of schooling, combined with probable small litter size, may make it particularly vulnerable to impacts from fisheries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
  20. Surveying trends in radiation oncology medical physics in the Asia Pacific Region
    Kron T, Healy B, Ng KH
    Phys Med, 2016 Jul;32(7):883-8.
    PMID: 27320695 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmp.2016.06.001
    OBJECTIVE: Our study aims to assess and track work load, working conditions and professional recognition of radiation oncology medical physicists (ROMPs) in the Asia Pacific Region over time.

    METHODS: A structured questionnaire was mailed in 2008, 2011 and 2014 to senior medical physicists representing 23 countries. The questionnaire covers 7 themes: education and training including certification; staffing; typical tasks; professional organisations; resources; research and teaching; job satisfaction.

    RESULTS: Across all surveys the response rate was >85% with the replies representing practice affecting more than half of the world's population. The expectation of ROMP qualifications (MSc and between 1 and 3years of clinical experience) has not changed much over the years. However, compared to 2008, the number of medical physicists in many countries has doubled. Formal professional certification is only available in a small number of countries. The number of experienced ROMPs is small in particular in low and middle income countries. The increase in staff numbers from 2008 to 2014 is matched by a similar increase in the number of treatment units which is accompanied by an increase in treatment complexity. Many ROMPs are required to work overtime and not many find time for research. Resource availability has only improved marginally and ROMPs still feel generally overworked, but professional recognition, while varying widely, appears to be improving slowly.

    CONCLUSION: While number of physicists and complexity of treatment techniques and technologies have increased significantly, ROMP practice remains essentially unchanged over the last 6years in the Asia Pacific Region.

    Matched MeSH terms: Pacific Ocean
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