Draft Genome Sequences of Aeromonas schubertii Strains Isolated from Asian Seabass from Thailand

Aeromonas schubertii is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium. It is a rare species that has been reported in humans and aquatic animals. Here, we report the genome sequences of A. schubertii strains isolated from two mass mortality events in central Thailand that were associated with aquaculture of Asian seabass.

A Novel Gonadotropic Microsporidian Parasite (Microsporidium clinchi n. sp.) Infecting a Declining Population of Pheasantshell Mussels (Actinonaias pectorosa) (Unioinidae) from the Clinch River, USA

Freshwater mussels of the order Unionida are among the most endangered animal groups globally, but the causes of their population decline are often enigmatic, with little known about the role of disease. In 2018, we collected wild adult pheasantshell (Actinonaias pectorosa) and mucket (Actinonaias ligamentina) during an epidemiologic survey investigating an ongoing mussel mass mortality event in the Clinch River, Virginia and Tennessee, USA. Histopathology and transmission electron microscopy showed a novel microsporidian parasite primarily infecting the ovary of pheasantshell. Sequencing of the small subunit rRNA gene produced a 1333 bp sequence with the greatest similarity to Pseudonosema cristatellae (AF484694.1; 86.36%; e-value = 0), a microsporidium infecting the freshwater bryozoan (Cristatella mucedo). Microsporidia were observed in 65% (17/26) of the examined female pheasantshell (A. pectorosa) and in no (0/2) female muckets (A. ligamentina) and occurred at mortality and non-mortality sites. Our findings indicate that a novel parasite, Microsporidium clinchi n. sp., is present in pheasantshell in the Clinch River, and while likely not a cause of mass mortality, could reduce fecundity and recruitment in this declining population and threaten the success of reintroductions. Surveillance of M. clinchi n. sp. and evaluation of broodstock and their progeny for microsporidia would therefore be prudent.

A fractional model in exploring the role of fear in mass mortality of pelicans in the Salton Sea

The fear response is an important anti-predator adaptation that can significantly reduce prey's reproduction by inducing many physiological and psychological changes in the prey. Recent studies in behavioral sciences reveal this fact. Other than terrestrial vertebrates, aquatic vertebrates also exhibit fear responses. Many mathematical studies have been done on the mass mortality of pelican birds in the Salton Sea in Southern California and New Mexico in recent years. Still, no one has investigated the scenario incorporating the fear effect. This work investigates how the mass mortality of pelican birds (predator) gets influenced by the fear response in tilapia fish (prey). For novelty, we investigate a modified fractional-order eco-epidemiological model by incorporating fear response in the prey population in the Caputo-fractional derivative sense. The fundamental mathematical requisites like existence, uniqueness, non-negativity and boundedness of the system's solutions are analyzed. Local and global asymptotic stability of the system at all the possible steady states are investigated. Routh-Hurwitz criterion is used to analyze the local stability of the endemic equilibrium. Fractional Lyapunov functions are constructed to determine the global asymptotic stability of the disease-free and endemic equilibrium. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted with the help of some biologically plausible parameter values to compare the theoretical findings. The order $\alpha$ of the fractional derivative is determined using Matignon's theorem, above which the system loses its stability via a Hopf bifurcation. It is observed that an increase in the fear coefficient above a threshold value destabilizes the system. The mortality rate of the infected prey population has a stabilization effect on the system dynamics that helps in the coexistence of all the populations. Moreover, it can be concluded that the fractional-order may help to control the coexistence of all the populations.

How SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Was Curbed in Japan. Will Omicron Replace It?

Curbing the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in Japan has probably initiated extinction of the Delta variant and the pandemic. Whether Omicron will replace Delta has been unknown so far. In case of Spanish flu, mass mortality reached an end two years later, although up to 2% of the population died in some villages at the Spanish flu outbreak in Yakutia in 1925 [23]. If Omicron replaces Delta, COVID-19 may probably turn into a seasonal infection, provided that the majority of the world population gets vaccinated or get sick.

Harmful algal blooms and their impact on fish mortalities in Lampung Bay: an overview

The first disaster caused by harmful algal blooms in Lampung Bay was reported in 1991, where mass mortality of cultivated shrimp occurred in the brackish water ponds due to a Trichodesmium bloom. After this incident, the phenomenon reoccured in the following years continuously. Around nine species bloom makers in this bay are namely Pyrodinium sp., Noctiluca sp., Phaeocystis sp., Dinophysis sp., Trichodesmium sp., Ceratium sp., Prorocentrum sp., Pseudonitzhia sp., and Cochlodinium sp. The most frequent causative species, such as green Noctiluca and Trichodesmium, co-occurring during blooms and causing fish mortalities in the fish farming floating nets (KJA). Two species are known as the most potentially harmful species, namely Pyrodinium sp. and Cochlodinium sp. Cochlodinium blooms happened at the end of 2012, and since then, this species has continuously reappeared in the following years. The outbreak of Cochlodinium sp. still appeared in 2017 and 2018, but no fish-killing occurred. Phytoplankton bloom events occur at specific locations, mainly at fish farming floating nets on the west side of the bay, next to Hurun Cove. This paper discusses the occurrence of algal blooms in Lampung Bay and the triggering factors for increasing phytoplankton populations that cause harmful algal blooms.

EVIDENCE OF MASS MORTALITY OF THE LONG-LIVED BIVALVE MERCENARIA STIMPSONI CAUSED BY A CATASTROPHIC TSUNAMI

ABSTRACT Tsunamis are huge disasters that can significantly damage benthic organisms and the sea-bottom environment in coastal areas. It is of great ecological importance to understand how benthic ecosystems respond to such destructive forces and how individual species are affected. Investigating the effect of such disasters on animals that are seldom caught alive is particularly difficult. Bivalve mollusks are especially suitable for investigating how a tsunami affects coastal benthic species because they preserve an environmental record in their shells that can be extended back in time by crossdating the records of multiple individuals. Here we studied dead shells of Mercenaria stimpsoni, a long-lived clam, and precisely determined the time of death by using nuclear bomb–induced radiocarbon (bomb-14C) and by counting annual growth increments. First, a quasi-continuous, regional bomb-14C record was created by analyzing the shells of 6 live-caught M. stimpsoni individuals. Then 27 dead shells collected from the seafloor of Funakoshi Bay were 14C-dated and analyzed. The results showed that the huge tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on 11 March 2011 caused mass mortality of this bivalve in Funakoshi Bay. Nine of the 27 clams died during the March 2011 tsunami, probably by starvation after burial by tsunami deposits or exposure above the seafloor as a result of sediment liquefaction during the earthquake. The dating method used in this study can help us understand how long-lived marine organisms with low population density are affected by huge natural disasters such as a tsunami.

Susceptibility of Four Abalone Species, Haliotis gigantea, Haliotis discus discus, Haliotis discus hannai and Haliotis diversicolor, to Abalone asfa-like Virus

Abalone amyotrophia is a viral disease that causes mass mortality of juvenile Haliotis discus and H. madaka. Although the cause of this disease has yet to be identified, we had previously postulated a novel virus with partial genome sequence similarity to that of African swine fever virus is the causative agent and proposed abalone asfa-like virus (AbALV) as a provisional name. In this study, three species of juvenile abalone (H. gigantea, H. discus discus, and H. diversicolor) and four species of adult abalone (the above three species plus H. discus hannai) were experimentally infected, and their susceptibility to AbALV was investigated by recording mortality, quantitatively determining viral load by PCR, and conducting immunohistological studies. In the infection test using 7-month-old animals, H. gigantea, which was previously reported to be insusceptible to the disease, showed multiplication of the virus to the same extent as in H. discus discus, resulting in mass mortality. H. discus discus at 7 months old showed abnormal cell masses, notches in the edge of the shell and brown pigmentation inside of the shell, which are histopathological and external features of this disease, while H. gigantea did not show any of these characteristics despite suffering high mortality. Adult abalones had low mortality and viral replication in all species; however, all three species, except H. diversicolor, became carriers of the virus. In immunohistological observations, cells positive for viral antigens were detected predominantly in the gills of juvenile H. discus discus and H. gigantea, and mass mortality was observed in these species. In H. diversicolor, neither juvenile nor adult mortality from infection occurred, and the AbALV genome was not increased by experimental infection through cohabitation or injection. Our results suggest that H. gigantea, H. discus discus and H. discus hannai are susceptible to AbALV, while H. diversicolor is not. These results confirmed that AbALV is the etiological agent of abalone amyotrophia.