Mangrove estuaries are claimed to be productive and important breeding grounds for fishery resources. The role of particulate organic matter (POM), especially derived from decomposed litter detritus, is well documented in mangrove estuaries. However, being a primary producer, phytoplankton may play a significant role, which has not been well discussed, in governing the productivity of mangrove estuaries. Based on relevant published literature, this paper focuses on the role of phytoplankton in mangrove estuaries in the tropical coastal region and their interdependency. Analysis reveals that there are two-way interactions between phytoplankton and mangrove estuaries. The POM enriched water in mangrove estuaries acts as an ideal medium for phytoplankton succession. Simultaneously, diversified phytoplankton assemblages play a significant role in the food web of the estuarine mangrove ecosystem. Biomass and diversity of phytoplankton are influenced by nutrient and environmental parameters in mangrove estuaries and, concurrently, phytoplankton play a significant role in fish diversity and primary production in the same system. This review reveals that the inconsistent relationships between mangroves and coastal production could probably be due to the influence of seasonal changes. This paper unveils the latent potential and role of phytoplankton in tropical mangrove estuaries, which could be a source of thought for future research in this arena.
Body colouration in tilapia is an important trait affecting consumer preference. In the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), there are three colour variants which are normal (wild type), red and blond. In some countries, the red variant is important and reaches higher prices in the market. However, one major problem regarding red tilapia culture is their body colouration which is often associated with blotching (mainly black but also red) which is undesirable for the consumer. The overall aim of this work was to expand knowledge on various aspects of body colouration in Nile tilapia using genetic approaches. The results of this research are presented as four different manuscripts.The manuscripts (here referred as Papers) have either been published (Paper IV) or are to be submitted (Paper I, II and III) in relevant peer reviewed journals.Paper I and II investigated the inheritance of black blotching and other body colour components of the red body colour. Specifically, Paper I consisted of two preliminary trials (Trial 1 and 2), to look at the ontogeny of black blotching and body colour components over a period of six months. Trial 1 investigated the effect of tank background colour (light vs dark) on black blotching and other body colour components and was carried out using a fully inbred (all female) clonal red line. Trial 2 was carried out using mixed sex fish and was aimed to investigate the association of black blotching with the sex of the fish. The results from this study were used to guide the experiment described in Paper II. Sixteen red sires with various levels of black and red blotching were crossed to clonal females and the inheritance of blotching and other body colour components were investigated using parent-offspring regressions. The results showed no significant heritability for black blotching and body redness, but a significant niloticus) were used as mapping families and the blond locus was located in LG5. Four out of eight markers were successfully used to assess the interaction of blond on red blotched fish. The blond gene did not significantly reduce the area of blotching but did reduce the saturation (paler blotching) and enhanced the redness of body colour in the Rrblbl fish compared to the RrBlbl group.Finally, Paper IV aimed to find out the effect of male colouration on reproductive success in Nile tilapia. A choice of one wild type male and one red male was presented to red or wild type females and these fish were allowed to spawn under semi-natural spawning conditions. Eggs were collected from the female"s mouth after spawning and paternity was assessed using microsatellite genotyping and phenotype scoring. No significant departures from equal mating success were observed between the red and wild type males, however there was a significant difference between the red and wild The results from this research help to broaden our knowledge and understanding on the aspects of body colouration in Nile tilapia and provide fundamental information for further research.
The interaction between abiotic and biotic parameters in an ecosystem usually shows health and functioning of the system. Thus, some physico-chemical parameters, phytoplankton abundance, chlorophyll a and primary production of the mangrove estuary in Sarawak, Malaysia were extensively investigated from January 2013 to December 2013 in order to establish the inter-linkage among them. The Pearson correlation coefficient revealed a significant relation between atmospheric and water temperatures (r = 0.692). Similarly, surface water temperature showed a significant positive correlation with salinity (r = 0.744), TDS (r = 0.708) and conductivity (r = 0.776). The light extinction coefficient (LEC, K) changed negatively in relation to TDS (r =-0.623), conductivity (r =-0.644) and surface water temperature (r =-0.766). Ammonium showed a negative correlation with rainfall (r =-0.620) but a positive correlation with salinity (r = 0.600). The biological variable such as phytoplankton abundance was found to be positively correlated with chlorophyll a (r = 0.692), ammonium (r = 0.645) and silica (r = 0.644) and negatively with rainfall (r =-0.644). The canonical correspondence analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between environmental parameters and phytoplankton species. The analysis of variance disclosed significant seasonal differences in salinity, water temperature, TDS, conductivity, LEC, ammonium and chlorophyll a.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.