TY - JOUR TI - Effects of a High-Fat Diet on Intestinal and Gonadal Metabolism in Female and Male Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus AU - Zhang, Shuangyan AU - Ru, Xiaoshang AU - Zhang, Libin AU - Gonçalves, David AU - Yang, Hongsheng AU - Xu, Jialei T2 - Biology AB - Parental nutrient reserves are directly related to reproductive performance in sea cucumbers. This study focused on the lipid requirements of male and female sea cucumbers Apostichopus japonicus during the reproductive stage and analyzed their physiological responses to a high-fat diet (HFD). The intestinal lipid metabolites and microbiome profile changed significantly in animals fed with the HFD, as given by an upregulation of metabolites related to lipid metabolism and an increase in the predominance of Proteobacteria in the microbiome, respectively. The metabolic responses of male and female sea cucumbers to the HFD differed, which in turn could have triggered sex-related differences in the intestinal microbiome. These results suggest that the lipid content in diets can be differentially adjusted for male and female sea cucumbers to improve nutrition and promote reproduction. This data contributes to a better understanding of the reproductive biology and sex differences of sea cucumbers. DA - 2023/02// PY - 2023 DO - 10.3390/biology12020212 DP - www.mdpi.com VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - 212 LA - en SN - 2079-7737 UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/2/212 Y2 - 2023/04/11/09:54:51 KW - high-fat diet KW - intestinal microbes KW - physiological metabolic responses KW - sea cucumber KW - sex differences ER - TY - JOUR TI - Examination of sex-related differences in intestinal and gonadal lipid metabolism in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus AU - Zhang, Shuangyan AU - Ru, Xiaoshang AU - Zhang, Libin AU - Gonçalves, David AU - Yang, Hongsheng T2 - Aquaculture AB - Reproduction of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus is critical for aquaculture production. Gonadal development is the basis of reproduction, and lipids, which are among the main nutrients required for gonadal development, directly affect reproduction. We investigated whether gonadal and intestinal lipid metabolism differed between male and female A. japonicus. Transcriptome analysis of the intestines of sexually mature male and female wild-caught individuals revealed differences in gene expression, with 27 and 39 genes being up-regulated in females and males, respectively. In particular, the expression of the fatty acid synthase gene was higher in males than in females. Metabolome analysis of the gonads identified 141 metabolites that were up-regulated and 175 metabolites that were down-regulated in the testes compared with the ovaries in the positive/negative mode of an LC-MS/MS analysis. A variety of polyunsaturated fatty acids were found at higher concentrations in the testes than in the ovaries. 16 s rDNA sequencing analysis showed that the composition and structure of the intestinal microbiota were similar between males and females. These results suggest that sex differences in intestinal metabolism of A. japonicus are not due to differences in the microbiota, and we speculate that gonadal metabolism may be related to intestinal morphology. This information might be useful in improving the reproductive efficiency of sea cucumbers in captivity. DA - 2023/01/15/ PY - 2023 DO - 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2022.738787 DP - ScienceDirect VL - 562 SP - 738787 J2 - Aquaculture LA - en SN - 0044-8486 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848622009048 Y2 - 2023/04/11/10:01:48 KW - Gonads KW - Intestines KW - Lipid metabolism KW - Sea cucumber KW - Sex differences ER - TY - JOUR TI - Resource estimation of the sulfide-rich deposits of the Yuhuang-1 hydrothermal field on the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge AU - Yu, Junyu AU - Tao, Chunhui AU - Liao, Shili AU - Dias, Ágata AU - Liang, Jin AU - Yang, Weifang AU - Zhu, Chuanwei T2 - Ore Geology Reviews AB - Seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits are important deep-sea mineral resources expected to occur predominantly on slow- and ultraslow-spreading mid-ocean ridges. Resource estimates are already available for some of the largest SMS deposits on slow-spreading ridges but not on ultraslow-spreading ridges. Based on geological mapping and sampling, this study investigates the distribution and content of sulfide-rich deposits in the Yuhuang-1 hydrothermal field (YHF), located on the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. The sulfide-rich deposits in the YHF are composed of two areas ∼500 m apart: the southwest sulfide area (SWS) and the northeast sulfide area (NES). We calculated the volume of sulfide-rich mounds in the YHF and arrived at a total accumulation of ∼10.6 × 106 tons, including at least ∼7.5 × 105 tons of copper and zinc and ∼18 tons of gold. Furthermore, considering the coverage of layered hydrothermal sediment mixed with sulfide-rich breccias, which may have underlying massive sulfide deposits, the maximum total mass was estimated at ∼45.1 × 106 tons. This suggests that the YHF is one of the largest SMS deposits worldwide and confirm that ultraslow-spreading ridges have the greatest potential to form large-scale SMS deposits. DA - 2021/04/17/ PY - 2021 DO - 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2021.104169 SP - 104169 J2 - Ore Geology Reviews LA - en SN - 0169-1368 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169136821001943 Y2 - 2021/04/21/03:36:30 KW - Resource estimate KW - Seafloor massive sulfide deposits KW - Southwest Indian Ridge KW - Yuhuang-1 hydrothermal field ER - TY - CONF TI - Mangroves as ecosystem services providers in an urban context: case study of Macao, SAR China AU - Vanessa, W. L. AU - Calheiros, Cristina S. C. AU - Tagulao, Karen T2 - 4th Meeting – online edition – Functional Biology and Biotechnology of Plants C1 - Portugal DA - 2020/// PY - 2020 SP - 36 PB - University of Porto ER - TY - CONF TI - Mangroves as nature-based solution for coastal water eutrophication in Macao, SAR China AU - Vanessa, W. L. AU - Calheiros, Cristina S. C. AU - Tagulao, Karen C1 - Matosinhos C3 - Blue Think Conference: Share Science, Spread Knowledge DA - 2020/// PY - 2020 SP - 147 PB - CIIMAR SN - 978-989-54-9650-1 ER - TY - BOOK TI - Macao’s mangroves AU - Tagulao, Karen AU - Chan, Sek Kiu CY - Macao SAR, China DA - 2020/// PY - 2020 PB - University of Saint Joseph SN - 978-99965-040-0-7 ER - TY - JOUR TI - Mangrove Conservation in Macao SAR, China: The Role of Environmental Education among School Students AU - Tagulao, Karen Araño AU - Bernardo, Allan B. I. AU - Kei, Loi Hoi AU - Calheiros, Cristina Sousa Coutinho T2 - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health AB - Mangrove forests are one of the most ecologically valuable ecosystems in the world and provide a wide variety of ecosystem services to coastal communities, including cities. Macao, a highly urbanized coastal city located on the southern coast of China west of the Pearl River, is home to several species of mangroves with many associated flora and fauna. Mangrove forests in Macao are vulnerable to threats due to pressure from rapid and massive urban developments in the area, which led to mangrove loss in the past decades. To address this issue, the local authorities established special Ecological Zones for the management of the local mangroves. To reinforce local conservation efforts, educating the local population about the value of mangroves, especially school students, is of utmost importance. To evaluate the impact of environmental education activities on the environmental orientation, knowledge, and values of students toward mangrove conservation in Macao, a quasi-experimental study was undertaken. The effectiveness of a mangroves exhibition and field visit were evaluated using the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) Scale—Macao version in a group of local school students who participated in the activities. Overall, the results provided consistently positive evaluations of the impact of the environmental education program. The strongest improvements were found in the students’ pro-environmental orientations, knowledge about mangroves, and value for environmental protection. DA - 2022/01// PY - 2022 DO - 10.3390/ijerph19063147 DP - www.mdpi.com VL - 19 IS - 6 SP - 3147 LA - en SN - 1660-4601 ST - Mangrove Conservation in Macao SAR, China UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/6/3147 Y2 - 2023/03/14/19:48:03 KW - NEP-New Ecological Paradigm KW - conservation KW - environmental orientation KW - environmental protection KW - urban mangroves ER - TY - SLIDE TI - Mangroves as a nature-based solution for a cleaner and safer Macao T2 - Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Marine Sustainable Development Seminar A2 - Tagulao, Karen DA - 2022/04// PY - 2022 M3 - Seminar ER - TY - CHAP TI - Mangroves as a nature-based solution for water and climate change issues in Macao: from scientific research to environmental education AU - Tagulao, Karen T2 - Fostering applied research on the synergies between biodiversity and climate C2 - Naumann, Sandra C2 - Davis, McKenna C2 - Noebel, Rebecca C2 - Burgos Cuevas, Natalia CY - Bonn DA - 2022/// PY - 2022 DP - bfn.bsz-bw.de LA - eng PB - Federal Agency for Nature Conservation ST - Fostering applied research on the synergies between biodiversity and climate UR - https://bfn.bsz-bw.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/1090 Y2 - 2023/04/11/08:17:16 ER - TY - SLIDE TI - Mangroves for phytoremediation of coastal water eutrophication in Macao, SAR China T2 - The 9th WETPOL (Wetland Pollution and Dynamics) A2 - Tagulao, Karen CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 2021/09// PY - 2021 M3 - Conference ER - TY - JOUR TI - Physiology, endocrinology and chemical communication in aggressive behaviour of fishes AU - Silva, Melina Coelho da AU - Canário, Adelino Vicente Mendonça AU - Hubbard, Peter Colin AU - Gonçalves, David T2 - Journal of Fish Biology AB - Fishes show remarkably diverse aggressive behaviour. Aggression is expressed to secure resources; adjusting aggression levels according to context is key to avoid negative consequences for fitness and survival. Nonetheless, despite its importance, the physiological basis of aggression in fishes is still poorly understood. Several reports suggest hormonal modulation of aggression, particularly by androgens, but contradictory studies have been published. Studies exploring the role of chemical communication in aggressive behaviour are also scant, and the pheromones involved remain to be unequivocally characterized. This is surprising as chemical communication is the most ancient form of information exchange and plays a variety of other roles in fishes. Furthermore, the study of chemical communication and aggression is relevant at the evolutionary, ecological and economic levels. A few pioneering studies support the hypothesis that aggressive behaviour, at least in some teleosts, is modulated by “dominance pheromones” that reflect the social status of the sender, but there is little information on the identity of the compounds involved. This review aims to provide a global view of aggressive behaviour in fishes and its underlying physiological mechanisms including the involvement of chemical communication, and discusses the potential use of dominance pheromones to improve fish welfare. Methodological considerations and future research directions are also outlined. DA - 2021/// PY - 2021 DO - 10.1111/jfb.14667 J2 - J Fish Biol LA - en SN - 0022-1112, 1095-8649 UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfb.14667 Y2 - 2021/01/26/08:12:46 ER - TY - JOUR TI - How can environmental conditions influence dicofol genotoxicity on the edible Asiatic clam, Meretrix meretrix? AU - Ivorra, Lucia AU - Cruzeiro, Catarina AU - Ramos, Alice AU - Tagulao, Karen AU - Cardoso, Patricia G. T2 - Environmental Pollution AB - Genotoxic effects of dicofol on the edible clam Meretrix meretrix were investigated through a mesocosm experiment. Individuals of M. meretrix, were exposed to environmental concentration (D1 = 50 ng/L) and supra-environmental concentration (D2 = 500 ng/L) of dicofol for 15 days, followed by the same depuration period. DNA damage (i.e., strand breaks and alkali-labile sites) was evaluated at day 1, 7 and 15, during uptake and depuration, using Comet assay (alkaline version) and nuclear abnormalities (NAs) as genotoxicity biomarkers. The protective effects of dicofol against DNA damage induced by ex vivo hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) exposure were also assessed. Comet assay results revealed no significant DNA damages under dicofol exposure, indicating 1) apparent lack of genotoxicity of dicofol to the tested conditions and/or 2) resistance of the animals due to optimal adaptation to stress conditions. Moreover, ex vivo H2O2 exposure showed an increase in the DNA damage in all the treatments without significant differences between them. However, considering only the DNA damage induced by H2O2 during uptake phase, D1 animals had significantly lower DNA damage than those from other treatments, revealing higher protection against a second stressor. NAs data showed a decrease in the % of cells with polymorphic, kidney shape, notched or lobbed nucleus, along the experiment. The combination of these results supports the idea that the clams used in the experiment were probably collected from a stressful environment (in this case Pearl River Delta region) which could have triggered some degree of adaptation to those environmental conditions, explaining the lack of DNA damages and highlighting the importance of organisms’ origin and the conditions that they were exposed during their lives. DA - 2022/01/15/ PY - 2022 DO - 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118467 DP - ScienceDirect VL - 293 SP - 118467 J2 - Environmental Pollution LA - en SN - 0269-7491 UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749121020492 Y2 - 2023/04/11/08:11:37 KW - Bivalves KW - Comet assay KW - DNA damage KW - Nuclear abnormalities KW - Organochlorine pesticides ER - TY - JOUR TI - Can mangroves work as an effective phytoremediation tool for pesticide contamination? An interlinked analysis between surface water, sediments and biota AU - Ivorra, Lucia AU - Cardoso, Patricia G. AU - Chan, Shek Kiu AU - Cruzeiro, Catarina AU - Tagulao, Karen Arano T2 - Journal of Cleaner Production AB - Mangroves are a unique group of plants growing along tropical and sub-tropical coastlines, with the ability to remove several types of contaminants such as heavy metals and other persistent organic compounds in coastal waters. However, little attention has been given to the possible role of mangroves in the removal of organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) from the environment. Used worldwide, these pesticides were banned in the late 80s, withal they can still be quantified in aquatic environments due to their high stability. Moreover, as persistent and lipophilic compounds, OCPs are known for their tendency to bioaccumulate and biomagnify through the food chain, affecting local ecosystems, and potentially human health. This work aimed to investigate the potential benefits of mangrove ecosystems as OCP phytoremediators. For this purpose, a total of seventy-three articles from non-mangrove and mangrove areas around the world were gathered, integrated and re-analysed as a whole. These data include information from four different matrices (water, sediment, benthic fauna and mangrove plants). A common trend of less pesticide contamination in mangrove areas was observed for all the selected matrices. As a complement, average concentrations were discussed considering International Directives, such as the European legislation 2013/39/EU for water policy and the Dutch List together with the International Sediment Quality Guideline, for sediments. Additionally, theoretical risk assessments were also included. Since information regarding OCPs in mangroves ecosystem is very scarce compared to non-mangrove areas, this review provides valuable insights regarding these environments, and the importance of preserving them as a relevant remediation unit. DA - 2021/05/01/ PY - 2021 DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126334 DP - ScienceDirect VL - 295 SP - 126334 J2 - Journal of Cleaner Production LA - en SN - 0959-6526 ST - Can mangroves work as an effective phytoremediation tool for pesticide contamination? UR - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652621005540 Y2 - 2023/04/11/08:13:55 KW - Benthic fauna KW - Intertidal environments KW - Organochlorinated pesticides KW - Persistent organic compounds KW - Toxicological assessment ER - TY - JOUR TI - Quantification of insecticides in commercial seafood sold in East Asian markets: risk assessment for consumers AU - Ivorra, Lucia AU - Cardoso, Patricia G. AU - Chan, Shek Kiu AU - Cruzeiro, Catarina AU - Tagulao, Karen T2 - Environmental Science and Pollution Research AB - The extraction of 21 insecticides and 5 metabolites was performed using an optimized and validated QuEChERS protocol that was further used for the quantification (GC–MS/MS) in several seafood matrices (crustaceans, bivalves, and fish-mudskippers). Seven species, acquired from Hong Kong and Macao wet markets (a region so far poorly monitored), were selected based on their commercial importance in the Indo-Pacific region, market abundance, and affordable price. Among them, mussels from Hong Kong, together with mudskippers from Macao, presented the highest insecticide concentrations (median values of 30.33 and 23.90 ng/g WW, respectively). Residual levels of fenobucarb, DDTs, HCHs, and heptachlors were above the established threshold (10 ng/g WW) for human consumption according to the European and Chinese legislations: for example, in fish-mudskippers, DDTs, fenobucarb, and heptachlors (5-, 20- and tenfold, respectively), and in bivalves, HCHs (fourfold) had higher levels than the threshold. Risk assessment revealed potential human health effects (e.g., neurotoxicity), especially through fish and bivalve consumption (non-carcinogenic risk; ΣHQLT > 1), and a potential concern of lifetime cancer risk development through the consumption of fish, bivalves, and crustaceans collected from these markets (carcinogenic risk; ΣTCR > 10–4). Since these results indicate polluted regions, where the seafood is collected/produced, a strict monitoring framework should be implemented in those areas to improve food quality and safety of seafood products. DA - 2023/03/01/ PY - 2023 DO - 10.1007/s11356-022-24413-7 DP - Springer Link VL - 30 IS - 12 SP - 34585 EP - 34597 J2 - Environ Sci Pollut Res LA - en SN - 1614-7499 ST - Quantification of insecticides in commercial seafood sold in East Asian markets UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-24413-7 Y2 - 2023/04/11/08:10:49 KW - Bivalves KW - Crustaceans KW - Health risk assessment KW - Mudskippers KW - Organochlorine pesticides ER -