A paper by Mariam Hamisi et al, “Epiphytic cyanobacteria of the seagrass Cymodocea rotundata: diversity, diel nifH expression and nitrogenase activity” was recently published in the Environmental Microbiology Reports. Its summary is attached below:

Seagrasses are photoautotrophic, ecologically important components of many globally widespread coastal ecosystems, in which combined nitrogen may limit their production. We examined the biodiversity and diazotrophic capacity of microbial epiphytes associated with the phyllosphere of the seagrass Cymodocea rotundata of the Western Indian Ocean. Light microscopy, 16S rRNA and nifH gene analysis revealed the dominance of cyanobacteria in the epiphytic microbial community. Most phylotypes were related to free-living uncultured benthic cyanobacteria, while some to cyanobacterial endosymbionts of marine diatoms. Novel and potentially diazotrophic species, some of known pantropical distribution, were also discovered. Significant diel nitrogenase activities (acetylene reduction assay) were recorded (up to 358± 232 nmol C₂H₄ g^-1 of seagrass FW h^-1). The nifH gene expression patterns showed that heterocystous phylotypes may be the dominant diazotrophs during the day and non-heterocystous at night. These data show that C. rotundata is colonized by diverse diazotrophic cyanobacteria species and suggest that these may be beneficial partners of seagrasses in nitrogen-depleted waters.

Full citation: Mariam Hamisi, Beatriz Díez, Thomas Lyimo, Karolina Ininbergs and Birgitta Bergman. 2013. Epiphytic cyanobacteria of the seagrass Cymodocea rotundata: diversity, diel nifH expression and nitrogenase activity. Environmental Microbiology Reports 5(3), 367–376

A sea cucumber species identification guidebook entitled: Commercially important sea cucumbers of the world, has been published by FAO. It gives identifying features and photos for both the live and dried specimens, in addition to information on biology, ecology, fisheries and distribution. The guidebook is intended for fishery officers and managers, customs officers and researchers.

Hard copies can be requested by contacting Mr Alessandro Lovatelli (Alessandro.Lovatelli@fao.org) by providing full name, position, name of your institute, full mailing address and contact details (including email address).

Full Citation: Purcell, S.W., Samyn, Y. & Conand, C. 2012. Commercially important sea cucumbers of the world. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 6. Rome, FAO. 150 pp. 30 colour plates.

The guide could be downloaded from: http://www.fao.org/docrep/017/i1918e/i1918e.pdf

The third issue of the Seychelles National Park Authority (SNPA) Newsletter is out with interesting articles on topics such as Alien Invasive Species; concerns of boat operators and sea turtle monitoring.

Download the full issue

A paper by Ofer Gon et al, “Re-description of two species of the cardinalfish genus Archamia (Teleostei: Apogonidae) from the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean” was recently published in the Zootaxa. Its abstract is attached below:

The cardinalfishes Archamia bilineata and A. pallida were originally described from a small number of specimens collected in the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea and Oman, respectively. Both species are re-described using specimens collected recently in Yemen and Kenya, including the first known adult of A. pallida. These new collections increased the geographical range of both species considerably. Differences between the two populations now known for each of the species are discussed.

Full citation: Ofer Gon, Gavin Gouws, James Mwaluma & Monica Mwale. 2013. Re-description of two species of the cardinalfish genus Archamia (Teleostei: Apogonidae) from the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean. Zootaxa 3608 (7): 587–594

by Jocelyn Kaiser on 16 May 2013

More than 150 prominent scientists and 75 scientific groups from around the world today took a stand against using impact factors, a measure of how often a journal is cited, to gauge the quality of an individual’s work. They say researchers should be judged by the content of their papers, not where the studies are published.

Journal impact factors, calculated by the company Thomson Reuters, were first developed in the 1950s to help libraries decide which journals to order. Yet, impact factors are now widely used to assess the performance of individuals and research institutions. The metric “has become an obsession” that “warp[s] the way that research is conducted, reported, and funded,” said a group of scientists organized by the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) in a press release. Particularly in China and India, they say, postdocs think that they should try to publish their work in only journals with high impact factors.

The problem, the scientists say, is that the impact factor is flawed. For example, it doesn’t distinguish primary research from reviews; it can be skewed by a few highly cited papers; and it dissuades journals from publishing papers in fields such as ecology that are cited less often than, say, biomedical studies.

In what they’ve dubbed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)—a document drafted last December at the annual ASCB meeting and posted online (http://am.ascb.org/dora/)  —the scientists write: “It is … imperative that scientific output is measured accurately and evaluated wisely.” Their 18 recommendations urge the research community to “eliminate” the use of journal impact factors in funding, hiring, and promotion decisions.

Signatories include Science Editor-in-Chief Bruce Alberts (see his editorial – http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6134/787.summary); AAAS, Science‘s publisher; dozens of other editors, journals, and societies; as well as the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Wellcome Trust, which are major research charities.

Read the full article from: http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2013/05/call-to-abandon-journal-impact-f.html

The latest Issue of the Western Indian Ocean Journal of Marine Science, Volume 11 No. 1 is out. The Issue consists of ten papers, which are:

i) New observations on the crustacean fauna of Europa Island, Mozambique Channel (Crustacea, Decapoda) – Joseph Poupin, Mayalen Zubia, Nicole Gravier-Bonnet, Pascale Chabanet, Machel Malay

ii) Pseudione elongata africana (Bopyridae, Isopoda) population structure and reproduction parameters – Gil Penha-Lopes, Joana F. Marques, Miguel C. Leal, Ana F. Carvalho, José Paula

iii) AFLP assisted DNA-Barcoding of mullets (Mugilidae) used in East African aquaculture – Oskar Henriksson, Augustine Mwandya, Martin Gullström, Marika Thorberg, Mats Grahn

iv) Sexual Reproduction in Pocillopora damicornis at High Latitude off South Africa – Lola Melody Masse, Mathieu G. Séré, Albertus J. Smit, Michael H. Schleyer

v) Diversity of symbiotic algae in the genus Symbiodinium in Scleractinian corals of Tanzania – Leonard Jones Chauka

vi) Using an ecosystem model to evaluate fisheries management options to mitigate climate change impacts in western Indian Ocean coral reefs – Carlos Ruiz Sebastián, Tim R. McClanahan

vii) The role of community-based coastal conservation and development initiatives in building social-ecological resilience to climate change: experiences from southern Madagascar – Kame Westerman, Kirsten L.L. Oleson, Alasdair Harris

viii) Climate Change Adaptation in Mauritius: Considering the Role of Institutions – Matthew Gray, Bhanooduth Lalljee

ix) Coral bleaching and associated mortality in Mayotte, Western Indian Ocean – Hampus Eriksson, Julien Wickel, Alban Jamon

x) Hydrolithon sp. (Rhodophyta, Corallinales): A new threat to massive coral Porites lutea at Reunion Island, Western Indian Ocean – Mathieu Sere, M. H. Schlyer, P. Chabanet, J. P. Quod

The Flemish government’s oceanographic research vessel RV Zeeleeuw was
officially handed over to the Republic of Kenya on 3 May 2013. The ship will
sail under the Kenyan flag and will be named RV Mtafiti, which is Swahili for
‘researcher’.

The donation of the vessel fell within a collaboration between Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI). On 19 October 2012 the two institutes signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for bilateral collaboration in the field of marine sciences.

The name is said to be appropriate, since RV Zeeleeuw has served Belgian and international marine researchers in the southern bight of the North Sea, for thirteen years. Also in Kenya the ship will continue to serve marine research and will be managed by the KMFRI.

Co-operation VLIZ and Kenya

The 3 May 2013 the final documents for the handover of the vessel were signed by Mr. Mutua Kilaka (Financial Secretary for the Kenyan Ministry of Finance). Within the frame of the MoU, VLIZ will co-ordinate and facilitate the translocation of the vessel, co-operate in all scientific operations such as providing and placing scientific instruments on board of the ship, training IT staff, scientific assistants, students, etc. The research vessel itself will further strengthen the co-operation between Belgium and Kenya in the field of marine research, technology and education.

Training and transfer

Until the end of May 2013, the elected Kenyan captain and engineer and the RV Mtafiti will be prepared for sailing. If all goes well, the RV Mtafiti should leave the harbour of Ostend and set sail to Mombasa via the Suez Canal mid-June 2013. The journey should take approximately 33 days, with the arrival at the harbour of Mombasa around mid-July 2013 where the research vessel will receive a great welcome ceremony to fit this milestone in marine research at the West-Indian coast.

Source: http://www.hydro-international.com/news/id6191-RV_Zeeleeuw_to_Serve_for_Kenya.html

The deadline for submission of nominations is 31 May 2013!

2013 is an election year for the new Board of Trustees. We are pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for elections of the WIOMSA Board of Trustees. As was the case in the last election, only members in good standing, that is paid members and students (these are exempted from paying membership fees) will be eligible to nominate, be nominated and to vote. Paid members and students may make up to four nominations one for each category (Island states, Mainland countries, Host country and membership from outside the region).

Current Trustees may be nominated subject to Article 9.2.4 (i) of the WIOMSA Constitution which states that the “The tenure of office for the President and Members of the Board shall be three years, eligible for one more re-appointment.” Based on this, members of the current Board of Trustees who have served only one term are eligible for one more nomination and subsequent reappointment while those who have served two consecutive terms are ineligible.

Please submit your nominations (one for each category) to the secretary@wiomsa.org

Download the full announcement

The livelihood opportunity that sea cucumber fisheries provide to many coastal fishers in the Indian Ocean is threatened by widespread overfishing. The five-day SCEAM Indian Ocean workshop was held in November 2012 and brought together fishery managers from 13 countries to provide a forum for sharing knowledge and improving management plans in Indian Ocean sea cucumber fisheries. It followed the format of a similar workshop that was held in the Pacific in 2011. Workshop facilitators first presented background seminars on up-to-date research on fisheries management. The workshop then focused on interactive sessions with workgroup exercises and plenary discussions that helped participants diagnose their fisheries before deciding on appropriate objectives, regulatory measures and management actions. A field day was also included in the agenda to provide hands-on experience in species identification and product processing. The workshop outputs given in this report detail current management practices and constraints in Indian Ocean sea cucumber fisheries and the proposed strategies and research priorities of the participating fishery managers.

Citation: FAO, 2013. Report on the FAO Workshop on Sea Cucumber Fisheries: An Ecosystem Approach to Management in the Indian Ocean (SCEAM Indian Ocean), Mazizini, Zanzibar, the United Republic of Tanzania, 12-16 November 2012. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report. No. 1038. Rome. 92 pp.

The PDF publication can be downloaded from the following url:  http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3223e/i3223e.pdf

The MSC is pleased to announce that applications to the student scholarship research programme are now invited.

The £4,000 travel and study scholarship is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students of environmental and fisheries science to further their studies into some aspect of environmental improvement, performance or best practice in fisheries management, or fish product supply chain management.

The research may be a direct study of one particular fishery or a comparative study of fisheries problems or management. Direct linkage to a fishery certified or wishing to become certified by the MSC is not a requirement, although this is an additional point of interest for the MSC.

Applications are particularly welcome for research projects in Asia, South America and the developing world.

Projects must be completed within 12 months of the start date stated on the application form, and the final project report must be submitted within 15 months of the start date.

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 8^th May 2013.

Further information for applicants, frequently asked questions and application forms can be found at http://www.msc.org/scholarship-program