Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets.

The recent Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) sets ambitious goals but no clear pathway for how zero loss of important biodiversity areas and halting human-induced extinction of threatened species will be achieved. We assembled a multi-taxa tracking dataset (11 million geopositions from 15,845 tracked individuals across 121 species) to provide a global assessment of space use of highly mobile marine megafauna, showing that 63% of the area that they cover is used 80% of the time as important migratory corridors or residence areas. The GBF 30% threshold (Target 3) will be insufficient for marine megafauna's effective conservation, leaving important areas exposed to major anthropogenic threats.

The fate of plastic-wearing sharks: Entanglement of an iconic top predator in marine debris.

Plastic waste is currently a major threat to marine ecosystems, and the ever-growing production of plastic materials suggests that this scenario will not change soon. Understanding cryptic effects of plastic debris on keystone marine species is warranted to address ecosystem-level impacts caused by plastic pollution. This study reports on plastic entanglement in top predator tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, from the western South Atlantic Ocean.

Female wound records suggest mating periods for the Caribbean reef shark at an insular marine protected area from the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean.

Despite being one of the most abundant, economically significant, reef-associated shark species, little is known about the reproductive aspects of the Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi). In the present study the authors report the first evidence of mating wounds and scars in female Caribbean reef sharks at the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, a remote marine protected area in the South Atlantic Ocean. Data from four females suggest this species mates mainly during the austral summer, between February and March.

Diving into the vertical dimension of elasmobranch movement ecology.

Knowledge of the three-dimensional movement patterns of elasmobranchs is vital to understand their ecological roles and exposure to anthropogenic pressures. To date, comparative studies among species at global scales have mostly focused on horizontal movements. Our study addresses the knowledge gap of vertical movements by compiling the first global synthesis of vertical habitat use by elasmobranchs from data obtained by deployment of 989 biotelemetry tags on 38 elasmobranch species.

Ecological features of a rocky intertidal community exposed to sewage effluent.

Sewage is among the largest components of coastal pollution, showing a variable scale and size when causing an impact. In this study, temporal and spatial sewage-related gradients were identified using univariate and multivariate methods. Phosphates and nitrogen-based nutrients, except nitrate, were associated to sewage.

Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries.

Effective ocean management and the conservation of highly migratory species depend on resolving the overlap between animal movements and distributions, and fishing effort. However, this information is lacking at a global scale. Here we show, using a big-data approach that combines satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and global fishing fleets, that 24% of the mean monthly space used by sharks falls under the footprint of pelagic longline fisheries.

Seasonal aggregation and diel activity by the sicklefin devil ray Mobula tarapacana off a small, equatorial outcrop of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

The present study aimed to analyse occurrence patterns, relative abundance and habitat use by the sicklefin devil ray Mobula tarapacana in the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Archipelago (SPSPA), Brazil, located in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Sampling was conducted between December 2008 and December 2012 by surface surveys and tagging with conventional tags and acoustic transmitters. Mobula tarapacana were sighted in the SPSPA year round but the highest frequency of occurrence was observed from January to June, probably due to greater food availability during this season.

Tiger sharks can connect equatorial habitats and fisheries across the Atlantic Ocean basin.

Increasing our knowledge about the spatial ecology of apex predators and their interactions with diverse habitats and fisheries is necessary for understanding the trophic mechanisms that underlie several aspects of marine ecosystem dynamics and for guiding informed management policies. A preliminary assessment of tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) population structure off the oceanic insular system of Fernando de Noronha (FEN) and the large-scale movements performed by this species in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean was conducted using longline and handline fishing gear and satellite telemetry. A total of 25 sharks measuring 175-372 cm in total length (TL) were sampled.

Fully disposable microfluidic electrochemical device for detection of estrogen receptor alpha breast cancer biomarker.

A novel fully disposable microfluidic electrochemical array device (µFED) was developed and successfully applied for detection of the biomarker estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). The µFED was constructed using low-cost materials and an inexpensive home cutter printer enabled the manufacture of dozens of µFEDs in less than 2h, at a cost of less than US$ 0.20 in material per device.

A hole inversion layer at the BiVO4/Bi4V2O11 interface produces a high tunable photovoltage for water splitting.

The conversion of solar energy into hydrogen fuel by splitting water into photoelectrochemical cells (PEC) is an appealing strategy to store energy and minimize the extensive use of fossil fuels. The key requirement for efficient water splitting is producing a large band bending (photovoltage) at the semiconductor to improve the separation of the photogenerated charge carriers. Therefore, an attractive method consists in creating internal electrical fields inside the PEC to render more favorable band bending for water splitting.

Simple and rapid fabrication of disposable carbon-based electrochemical cells using an electronic craft cutter for sensor and biosensor applications.

This work describes the construction of an all-plastic disposable carbon-based electrochemical cell (DCell) using a simple procedure based on the use of a home cutter printer for prototyping and laminating. The cutter printer and adhesive vinyl films were used to produce three electrodes in an electrochemical cell layout, and a laminating process was then used to define the geometric area and insulate the electrodes. The DCell showed excellent performance in several applications including the determination of toxic metals in water samples, the immobilization of DNA and the detection of Salmonella.

New approach for natural products screening by real-time monitoring of hemoglobin hydrolysis using quartz crystal microbalance.

The hemoglobin (Hb) released from erythrocytes is a primary nutritive component for many blood-feeding parasites. The aspartic protease cathepsin D is a hemoglobinase that is involved in the Hb degradation process and is considered an interesting target for chemotherapy intervention. However, traditional enzymatic assays for studying Hb degradation utilize spectrophotometric techniques, which do not allow real-time monitoring and can present serious interference problems.

Vertical movement patterns and ontogenetic niche expansion in the tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier.

Sharks are top predators in many marine ecosystems and can impact community dynamics, yet many shark populations are undergoing severe declines primarily due to overfishing. Obtaining species-specific knowledge on shark spatial ecology is important to implement adequate management strategies for the effective conservation of these taxa. This is particularly relevant concerning highly-mobile species that use wide home ranges comprising coastal and oceanic habitats, such as tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier.

Structure and dynamics of the shark assemblage off Recife, Northeastern Brazil.

Understanding the ecological factors that regulate elasmobranch abundance in nearshore waters is essential to effectively manage coastal ecosystems and promote conservation. However, little is known about elasmobranch populations in the western South Atlantic Ocean. An 8-year, standardized longline and drumline survey conducted in nearshore waters off Recife, northeastern Brazil, allowed us to describe the shark assemblage and to monitor abundance dynamics using zero-inflated generalized additive models.

Regional movements of the tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, off Northeastern Brazil: inferences regarding shark attack hazard.

An abnormally high shark attack rate verified off Recife could be related to migratory behavior of tiger sharks. This situation started after the construction of the Suape port to the south of Recife. A previous study suggested that attacking sharks could be following northward currents and that they were being attracted shoreward by approaching vessels.

QCM immunoassay for recombinant cysteine peptidase: a potential protein biomarker for diagnosis of citrus canker.

Citrus canker is one of the most important agricultural citrus diseases worldwide. It is caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) bacterium that infects leaves and the fruits produce a cysteine peptidase (CPXaC), which makes it a potential target for the development of effective and rapid detection methods for citrus canker.

Electrochemical detection of Salmonella using gold nanoparticles.

A disposable immunosensor for Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2 (S) detection using a magneto-immunoassay and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as label for electrochemical detection is developed. The immunosensor is based on the use of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) that incorporates a permanent magnet underneath.

Adsorption of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles within layer-by-layer films: a kinetic study carried out using quartz crystal microbalance.

The paper reports on the successful use of the quartz crystal microbalance technique to assess accurate kinetics and equilibrium parameters regarding the investigation of in situ adsorption of nanosized cobalt ferrite particles (CoFe(2)O(4)--10.5 nm-diameter) onto two different surfaces. Firstly, a single layer of nanoparticles was deposited onto the surface provided by the gold-coated quartz resonator functionalized with sodium 3-mercapto propanesulfonate (3-MPS).