Antonio Luna-González

Perceptions of fishers to sea turtle bycatch, illegal capture and consumption in the San Ignacio-Navachiste-Macapule lagoon complex, Gulf of California, Mexico.

In this study, 10% of all registered fishermen in the coastal towns of Navachiste in Sinaloa, in northwestern Mexico, answered a survey designed to collect data on their perceptions of the following topics: the impact of turtle meat consumption; human health; bycatch; illegal turtle fishing; the illegal sea turtle market; the local economy; pollution; environmental education; the success of protective legislation; and sea turtle-based ecotourism. Perceptions were analyzed using the fuzzy logic method through classification into 5 fuzzy membership sets: VL, very low; L, low; M, moderate; H, high; VH, very high. The 9 topics generated decision areas upon applying fuzzy inference that revealed the membership level of the answers in each fuzzy set. The economic potential of sea turtle-based ecotourism and the economic profitability of the illegal turtle meat market were perceived as VL. Conservation legislation was perceived as H, although inefficiently applied due to corruption. Ecotourism and impacts on sea turtles were perceived as VL, because they were deemed unprofitable activities at the individual and community levels. Environmental education was perceived as L, because it centers on nesting, hatching and releasing turtles and is directed at elementary and middle-school students. While fishers perceive a serious negative impact of fishing activities on sea turtles in the San Ignacio-Navachiste-Macapule area, they do not see themselves individually as part of the problem. Achieving sea turtle conservation in this region requires: suitable ecotourism infrastructure, government investments in promotion, and studies to estimate the minimum number of tourists needed to assure profitability.

Human health risk assessment of pesticide residues in snappers (Lutjanus) fish from the Navachiste Lagoon complex, Mexico

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) residues were determined in fillets of Lutjanus colorado, L. argentiventris, and L. novemfasciatus. Fillet samples were collected bimonthly from February 2012 to February 2013. OCPs average concentrations do not differ significantly according to size, weight, or season, nor do they relate with the physico-chemical parameters of the sea water. The highest concentration and most frequently encountered OCPs were endosulfan sulfate, δ-HCH, and heptachlor epoxide, which indicates their use in the recent past and confirms their persistence. Average concentrations of ∑HCHs, ∑chlordane, and ∑heptachlor in samples were above cancer MRLs according to data from monthly consumed portions. HCHs and heptachlor are listed in Appendix III of the Rotterdam Convention of chemicals placed on a prior informed consent procedure for import and export purposes; they are considered illegal in Mexico. The OCPs concentrations above cancer MRLs in Lutjanus spp. turn its frequent consumption into a human health risk.

Applying Fuzzy Logic to Assess Human Perception in Relation to Conservation Plan Efficiency Measures Within a Biosphere Reserve

The objective of this study is to present an efficiency-perception impact assessment based upon the integration of fuzzy logic (FL) of the “Productive Reconversion” conservation program (PRP) instituted by the Mexican government, in the upper Gulf of California and the Colorado Delta Biosphere Reserve. This approach enables environmental analysts to deal with the intrinsic imprecision and ambiguity associated with people’s judgments and conclusions. The application of FL to the assessment of program efficiency is illustrated in this work, demonstrating how subjective perceptions can be converted into quantitative values easy to evaluate during the decision-making process.

Growth and metabolic responses of whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei and Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in polyculture fed with potential probiotic microorganisms on different schedules

ABSTRACT. Probiotics and co-culture of shrimp and tilapia are two strategies to improve yield and eco-efficiency of both species. However, only few studies have analyzed the combination of these two strategies. This study analyzes the effect of a mixture of potential probiotics supplied in the diet at different frequencies in a system of shrimp (10 m -2 ) and tilapia (5 m -2 ) in a trial lasting 84 days. The probiotics mixture was composed of four lactic acid bacteria and one yeast strain that were supplied either daily, every 5 days, or every 10 days in the diet and compared with a control without any supply of probiotics. At the end of the experiment, blood chemistry and hematology of shrimp and tilapia were analyzed as an index of physiological condition. Water quality did not differ between treatments. The final weight, feed conversion ratio, and yield of shrimp were significantly higher with daily supply of probiotics compared to shrimp that did not receive probiotics supply, with intermediate values for treatments with probiotics supply every 5 or 10 days. However, level of supplementation every 5 days could be considered as optimal because no significant differences with daily supply were observed for any variable, whereas the supply each 10 days resulted in a significantly lower yield. Significantly higher final weight, feed conversion ratio, and yield of tilapia occurred with daily supplements. Blood cholesterol in tilapia significantly decreased with increasing frequency of probiotics supplementation. These results indicate that probiotics supplements for shrimp and tilapia cultivated simultaneously improved yields and physiological condition.

Evaluación de la Virulencia de Steinernema riobrave y Rhabditis blumi contra Larvas del Tercer Instar de Spodoptera frugiperda1

Resumen. Se evaluó la virulencia de los nematodos Steinernema riobrave (Poinar y Raulston, 1994) y la de un aislamiento nativo de Rhabditis blumi (Sudhaus, 1974) contra gusano cogollero del maíz Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith). Ambos nematodos fueron usados para inocular larvas del tercer instar de desarrollo concentraciones de 100, 250, y 500 juveniles infectivos (JI) por larva y determinar la mortalidad de las larvas cada 24 h durante 7 días. El nematodo S. riobrave causó 90% de mortalidad a 500 JI, 96 h después de la inoculación, mientras que con la especie R. blumi no hubo mortalidad de larvas a las concentraciones y tiempo de evaluación. El nematodo S. riobrave tuvo alta virulencia, por lo que esta especie se consideran viable para usarse en una prueba de efectividad para el control de S. frugiperda en campo.

Phytochemical characterization and antioxidant properties of the wild edible acerola Malpighia umbellata Rose

ABSTRACT The objective of the current study was to determine the phenolic composition and carotenoid contents of leaves, bark, and fruits of Malpighia umbellata, assess the changes in the phenolic composition and contents of carotenoids and vitamin C of its fruits in different stages of maturity, and evaluate the antioxidant properties of its leaves, bark, and fruits. Leaves accumulated the highest levels of flavonoids (10.55 mg/g dry extract), tannins (21.16 mg/g dry extract), and carotenoids (424 63 µg/g dry tissue); whereas, the highest level of total phenolics was found in bark (47.12 mg/g dry extract). The vitamin C content decreased with the maturity of fruits. Twenty-two phenolics were characterized by high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Apigenin-7-O-glycosides, phenolic acids, and flavonols were predominant in leaves, bark, and fruits, respectively. Important chemical variations were found during fruit ripening. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) scavenging activity and 2,2ʹ-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) inhibition assays revealed important antioxidant properties for this acerola.