•Exposure to crude oil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is toxic to marine fish.•Capacity of red drum to recover following an exposure event is presently unknown.•Acute exposure to 4.1μgL−1 ...ΣPAH50 impair swimming performance.•Acute exposure to 12.1μgL−1 ΣPAH50 impair both respiratory and swimming performance.•Impairments persisted six weeks’ post-exposure, suggesting entrenched impacts.
Acute exposure to crude oil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) can severely impair cardiorespiratory function and swim performance of larval fish; however, the effects of acute oil exposure on later life stages and the capacity for subsequent recovery is less clear. Red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is an economically important apex predator native to the Gulf of Mexico, which was directly exposed to the 2010 Deep Water Horizon (DWH) oil spill. Here we examine impact and recovery of young adult red drum from exposure to concentrations of 0, 4.1, and 12.1μgL−1 ΣPAH50 naturally weathered oil-water accommodated fractions (geometric mean), which are well within the range of concentrations measured during the DWH incident. We focused on aerobic scope (ASc), burst- and critical swimming speeds (Uburst and Ucrit), cost of transport (COT), as well as the capacity to repay oxygen debt following exhaustive exercise (EPOC), which are critical parameters for success of all life stages of fishes. A 24h acute exposure to 4.1μgL−1 ΣPAH caused a significant 9.7 and 12.6% reduction of Uburst and Ucrit respectively, but no change in ASc, COT or EPOC, highlighting a decoupled effect on the respiratory and swimming systems. A higher exposure concentration, 12.1μgL−1 ΣPAH, caused an 8.6 and 8.4% impairment of Uburst and Ucrit, as well as an 18.4% reduction in ASc. These impairments persisted six weeks post-exposure, suggesting that recorded impacts are entrenched. Large predatory fishes are critically dependent on the cardiorespiratory and swimming systems for ecological fitness, and long-term impairment of performance due to acute oil exposure suggests that even acute exposure events may have long lasting impacts on the ecological fitness of affected populations.
Advancements in genetic testing have led to Usher syndrome now being diagnosed at a much earlier age than in the past, enabling the provision of early intervention and support to children and ...families. Despite these developments, anecdotal reports suggest there are substantial gaps in the services and supports provided to parents of children with Usher syndrome. The current study investigated the support needs of parents of children with Usher syndrome Type 1 when their child was aged 0 to 5 years.
Purposive sampling was used, and six semi-structured interviews were conducted with Australian parents of children with Usher syndrome, Type 1. Data was analysed using modified reflexive thematic analysis.
Four key themes were identified as being central to the support needs of parents of children with Usher syndrome aged 0 to 5 years. (1) Social Needs referred to parents' need for various sources of social support, (2) Informational Needs described the lack of information parents received regarding Usher syndrome from treating professionals, (3) Practical Needs included supports needed to assist parents in managing the day-to-day tasks of caring for a child with a disability, and (4) Emotional Needs represented the emotional support (both formal and informal) that parents needed to be a positive support to their child.
Findings provide rich information for relevant support groups, policy makers, individual healthcare professionals, and professional governing bodies regarding the education of stakeholders and the development and implementation of best-practice treatment guidelines.
Tropical coral reef teleosts are exclusively ectotherms and their capacity for physical and physiological performance is therefore directly influenced by ambient temperature. This study examined the ...effect of increased water temperature to 3 °C above ambient on the swimming and metabolic performance of 10 species of damselfishes (Pomacentridae) representing evolutionary lineages from two subfamilies and four genera. Five distinct performance measures were tested: (a) maximum swimming speed (Ucrit), (b) gait‐transition speed (the speed at which they change from strictly pectoral to pectoral‐and‐caudal swimming, Up−c), (c) maximum aerobic metabolic rate (MO2−MAX), (d) resting metabolic rate (MO2−REST), and (e) aerobic scope (ratio of MO2−MAX to MO2−REST, ASC). Relative to the control (29 °C), increased temperature (32 °C) had a significant negative effect across all performance measures examined, with the magnitude of the effect varying greatly among closely related species and genera. Specifically, five species spanning three genera (Dascyllus, Neopomacentrus and Pomacentrus) showed severe reductions in swimming performance with Ucrit reduced in these species by 21.3–27.9% and Up−c by 32.6–51.3%. Furthermore, five species spanning all four genera showed significant reductions in metabolic performance with aerobic scope reduced by 24.3–64.9%. Comparisons of remaining performance capacities with field conditions indicate that 32 °C water temperatures will leave multiple species with less swimming capacity than required to overcome the water flows commonly found in their respective coral reef habitats. Consequently, unless adaptation is possible, significant loss of species may occur if ocean warming of ≥3 °C arises.
Large‐bodied fish are critical for sustaining coral reef fisheries, but little is known about the vulnerability of these fish to global warming. This study examined the effects of elevated ...temperatures on the movement and activity patterns of the common coral trout Plectropomus leopardus (Serranidae), which is an important fishery species in tropical Australia and throughout the Indo West‐Pacific. Adult fish were collected from two locations on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (23°S and 14°S) and maintained at one of four temperatures (24, 27, 30, 33 °C). Following >4 weeks acclimation, the spontaneous swimming speeds and activity patterns of individuals were recorded over a period of 12 days. At 24–27 °C, spontaneous swimming speeds of common coral trout were 0.43–0.45 body lengths per second (bls⁻¹), but dropped sharply to 0.29 bls⁻¹ at 30 °C and 0.25 bls⁻¹ at 33 °C. Concurrently, individuals spent 9.3–10.6% of their time resting motionless on the bottom at 24–27 °C, but this behaviour increased to 14.0% at 30 °C and 20.0% of the time at 33 °C (mean ± SE). The impact of temperature was greatest for smaller individuals (<45 cm TL), showing significant changes to swimming speeds across every temperature tested, while medium (45–55 cm TL) and large individuals (>55 cm TL) were first affected by 30 °C and 33 °C, respectively. Importantly, there was some indication that populations can adapt to elevated temperature if presented with adequate time, as the high‐latitude population decreased significantly in swimming speeds at both 30 °C and 33 °C, while the low‐latitude population only showed significant reductions at 33 °C. Given that movement and activity patterns of large mobile species are directly related to prey encounter rates, ability to capture prey and avoid predators, any reductions in activity patterns are likely to reduce overall foraging and energy intake, limit the energy available for growth and reproduction, and affect the fitness and survival of individuals and populations.
Farmed aquatic animals represent an increasingly important source of food for a growing human population. However, the aquaculture industry faces several challenges with regard to producing a ...profitable, ethical and environmentally sustainable product, which are exacerbated by the ongoing intensification of operations and increasingly extreme and unpredictable climate conditions. Fortunately, bio-sensors capable of measuring a range of environmental, behavioural and physiological variables (e.g. temperature, dissolved gases, depth, acceleration, ventilation, heart rate, blood flow, glucose and
l
-lactic acid) represent exciting and innovative tools for assessing the health and welfare of farmed animals in aquaculture. Here, we illustrate how these state-of-the-art technologies can provide unique insights into variables pertaining to the inner workings of the animal to elucidate animal–environment interactions throughout the production cycle, as well as to provide insights on how farmed animals perceive and respond to environmental and anthropogenic perturbations. Using examples based on current challenges (i.e. sub-optimal feeding strategies, sub-optimal animal welfare and environmental changes), we discuss how bio-sensors can contribute towards optimizing the growth, health and welfare of farmed animals under dynamically changing on-farm conditions. While bio-sensors currently represent tools that are primarily used for research, the continuing development and refinement of these technologies may eventually allow farmers to use real-time environmental and physiological data from their stock as ‘early warning systems' and/or for refining day-to-day operations to ethically and sustainably optimize production.
This article is part of the theme issue ‘Measuring physiology in free-living animals (Part I)’.
In March 2012, a second outbreak of Cryptosporidium parvum affected children following a stay at a holiday farm in Norway; the first outbreak occurred in 2009. We studied a cohort of 145 ...schoolchildren who had visited the farm, of which 40 (28%) were cases. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in faecal samples from humans, goat kids and lambs. Molecular studies revealed C. parvum subtype IIa A19G1R1 in all samples including human samples from the 2009 outbreak. A dose–response relationship was found between the number of optional sessions with animals and illness, increasing from two sessions risk ratio (RR) 2·7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·6–11·5 to six sessions (RR 8·0, 95% CI 1·7–37·7). The occurrence of two outbreaks 3 years apart, with the same subtype of C. parvum, suggests that the parasite is established in the farm's environment. We recommend greater emphasis on hand hygiene and routines related to animal contact.
Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse and economically important ecosystems in the world, but they are rapidly degrading due to the effects of global climate change and local anthropogenic ...stressors. Reef scientists are increasingly studying coral reefs that occur in marginal and extreme environments to understand how organisms respond to, and cope with, environmental stress, and to gain insight into how reef organisms may acclimate or adapt to future environmental change. To date, there have been more than 860 publications describing the biology and/or abiotic conditions of marginal and extreme reef environments, most of which were published within the past decade. These include systems characterized by unusually high, low, and/or variable temperatures (intertidal, lagoonal, high-latitude areas, and shallow seas), turbid or urban environments, acidified habitats, and mesophotic depth, and focus on reefs geographically spread throughout most of the tropics. The papers in this special issue of Coral Reefs, entitled
Coral Reefs in a Changing World: Insights from Extremes
, build on the growing body of literature on these unique and important ecosystems, providing a deeper understanding of the patterns and processes governing life in marginal reef systems, and the implications that these insights may have for the future of tropical coral reefs in our rapidly changing world.
Sedimentation is a substantial threat to aquatic ecosystems and a primary cause of habitat degradation on near-shore coral reefs. Although numerous studies have demonstrated major impacts of ...sedimentation and turbidity on corals, virtually nothing is known of the sensitivity of reef fishes. Planktivorous fishes are an important trophic group that funnels pelagic energy sources into reef ecosystems. These fishes are visual predators whose foraging is likely to be impaired by turbidity, but the threshold for such effects and their magnitude are unknown. This study examined the effect of sediment-induced turbidity on foraging in four species of planktivorous damselfishes (Pomacentridae) of the Great Barrier Reef, including inshore and offshore species that potentially differ in tolerance for turbidity. An experimental flow tunnel was used to quantify their ability to catch mobile and immobile planktonic prey under different levels of turbidity and velocity in the range encountered on natural and disturbed reefs. Turbidity of just 4 NTU (nephelometric turbidity units) reduced average attack success by up to 56%, with higher effect sizes for species with offshore distributions. Only the inshore species (
Neopomacentrus bankieri
), which frequently encounters this turbidity on coastal reefs, could maintain high prey capture success. At elevated turbidity similar to that found on disturbed reefs (8 NTU), attack success was reduced in all species examined by up to 69%. These reductions in attack success led to a 21-24% decrease in foraging rates for all mid to outer-shelf species, in spite of increasing attack rates at high turbidity. Although effects of turbidity varied among species, it always depended heavily on prey mobility and ambient velocity. Attack success was up to 14 times lower on mobile prey, leaving species relatively incapable of foraging on anything but immobile prey at high turbidity. Effects of turbidity were particularly prominent at higher velocities, as attack success was overall 20-fold lower and foraging rates 3.3-fold lower at flow velocities ≥30 cm/s relative to ≤10 cm/s. Given that many planktivorous reef fishes predominantly occupy exposed, high-flow habitats, these results provide a reasonable explanation for the lack of planktivores on inshore coral reefs and warn that the performance of visual predators could be impaired at turbidity levels of only 4 NTU.
Despite lipid lowering therapy (LLT), reaching LDL-C targets in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) remains challenging. Our aim was to determine attainment of LDL-C target levels and ...reasons for not reaching these in female and male FH patients.
We performed a cross-sectional study of heterozygous FH patients in five hospitals in the Netherlands and Norway. Clinical characteristics and information about LLT, lipid levels and reasons for not being on LDL-C treatment target were retrospectively collected from electronic medical records.
We studied 3178 FH patients (53.9% women), median age 48.0 (IQR 34.0–59.9) years. Median LDL-C before treatment and on-treatment was higher in women compared to men (6.2 (IQR 5.1–7.3) and 6.0 (IQR 4.9–7.2) mmol/l (p=0.005) and 3.0 (IQR 2.4–3.8) and 2.8 (IQR 2.3–3.5) mmol/L (p<0.001)), respectively. A minority of women (26.9%) and men (28.9%) reached LDL-C target. In patients with CVD, 17.2% of women and 25.8% of men reached LDL-C target. Women received less often high-intensity statins and ezetimibe. Most common reported reasons for not achieving the LDL-C target were insufficient effect of maximum LLT (women 17.3%, men 24.3%) and side effects (women 15.2%, men 8.6%).
In routine practice, only a minority of women and men with FH achieved their LDL-C treatment target. Extra efforts have to be made to provide FH patients with reliable information on the safety of statins and their long-term effects on CVD risk reduction. If statin treatment is insufficient, alternative lipid lowering therapies such as ezetimibe or PCSK9-inhibitors should be considered.
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•A minority of women and men with FH reach their LDL-C targets.•-•Women received less often high-intensity statins and ezetimibe.•Women had higher LDL-C before treatment.•Women reported to have more side effects than men.•Alternative LLT should be considered in women and men not reaching LDL-C target.
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