RSS 1.0Red Sea Research Center Open Science Conference 2019
Recent Submissions
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Spatio-temporal pattern of UV attenuation in the Red Sea(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Using satellite data to detect internal tides in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Arabian Albulids: A Biological Assessment of Bonefish (Ablula spp.) in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea(2019-07-31) [Poster]Arabian Albulids: A Biological Assessment of Bonefish in the Saudi Arabian Red Sea Bonefish (Albula spp.) support an unregulated commercial fishery in Saudi Arabia, and no biological information currently exists on these fish in the Red Sea. Here, we utilize molecular tools and conventional fisheries techniques to resolve the taxonomy of these fish and provide foundational data to base management upon. Considering the value of bonefish as a sportfish and the anticipated growth of eco-tourism along Saudi's coast, it is important to understand bonefish biology so that they can be best managed into the future.
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Cryptofaunal Diversity in Fringing Reef Rhodoliths(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Red Sea Cnidaria and Microplastic(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Exploring marine ultramicrobacteria in the Red Sea(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Major and trace element concentrations of zooplankton from the Red Sea, Saudi Arabia(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Nesting site preference of marine turtles in the central Red Sea(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Inhibition of uric acid synthesis alters the state of the Cnidarian-Alga Symbiosis(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Responses of Prochlorococcus RSP50 to experimental temperatures(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Seasonal Evolution of Mixed Layers in the Red Sea(2019-07-31) [Poster]
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Constructing of a comprehensive transposon library of the plant growth promoting bacterium Enterobacter sp. SA187(2019-07-31) [Poster]Construction of a comprehensive transposon library of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Enterobacter sp. SA187 Abdulrahman A Hashim, Abdul Aziz Eida, Wiam F. Alsharif, Heribert Hirt1 and Maged M. Saad Center for Desert Agriculture, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia. Background To solve the predicted food scarcity problem the world might face in 2050, enhancing the quality of raised crops in Arid and semi-Arid lands became an imminent problem that needs to be addressed. One of the suggested solutions was the use of beneficial plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR), which is believed, will play an important role in aiding plants with enhanced growth percentage during the exposure to abiotic and biotic stress. Enterobacter sp. SA187, a model PGPR bacteria, displayed several beneficial impacts on the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana as well as Crop plant Alfalfa. under salinity stress. The complete genome sequence of SA187 revealed a 4,347 predicted protein-coding sequences of DNA (CDS revealed the presences of different biochemical and metabolic pathways that involved on: 1.Production of antimicrobial compounds and toxins. 2.Nutrients acquisition 3.Mobility and chemotaxis capacity, 4.Protein secretion system Type II and Type VI, 5.Root colonization and tune plant immune system 6.ABC transporter and nutrients exchange 7.Hormone and hormone like compound synthesis Aim of the study To assess the function analysis of these previous biochemical characteristics of SA187 and the genes responsible of those pathways that might be involved in beneficial plant-microbial interactions. We decided to create a saturated mutagenesis library using the Tn5 transposon technology Methodology The mutant library was constructed using Tn5 transposon kit (lucigen-EZ-Tn5 <KAN-2>) with a selective marker Kanamycin to identify the positive transposon. This process had been repeated till we obtained our targeted number of mutants. A part of the library was screened for specific PGPB traits using different biochemical assays e.g. CAS Blue Agar to identify siderophore activity, Kovac's reagent for indole, Salkowski's reagent for IAA production. The selected clones was used for genomic DNA extraction followed by PCR and sequencing for Tn5 mapping. Results A saturated library with over 16000 mutants in different genes of Enterobacter sp SA187 was obtained . As a validation, different genes responsible for the IAA, Indole and Enterobactin mutants were selected using specific biochemical assays Conclusion A comprehensive Tn5 transposon mutated library was generated for Enterobacter sp SA187. With a total number of 16000 mutants (4x coverage of SA187 coding gene). All obtained mutants acquired the resistance to the antibiotic Kanamycin as a marker, in a concentration of 50µg/ml. Biochemical assays (siderophore, IAA, and indole production), present an excellent screening strategy to highlight the mutation in the specify gene related to the biochemical characteristic. The Sanger sequencing using the specific primers to Tn5 transposon succeeded to identify the insertion site; however, for large scale mapping of all the generated mutants will require a different strategy.
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Abundance and Distribution of Phyllosoma in Southern Cuban Waters(2019-07-31) [Poster]Introduction: The lobster industry is one of the biggest contributors to the Cuban economy. The Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus is the primary species harvested in Cuban waters and their numbers have decreased due to overfishing. Steps to replenish the industry and conserve the resource include implementing marine protected areas (MPAs), prohibiting female landings, and shortening the season. A large knowledge gap in the successful management of lobster is the variability and uncertainty of its early life history and recruitment. The larval (phyllosoma) stage can last 6-12 months in the plankton potentially providing a mechanism for the connectivity of lobster populations in the Caribbean region. It is important to understand these patterns to properly manage the lobster fishery. Objective: Assess the density and abundance of phyllosoma in Southern Cuban waters in relation to marine protected areas. Identify regions of interest using spatial analysis. Methods: An oceanographic survey aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster in southern Cuban waters took place 29 April to 19 May, 2015. A plankton net (1 x 2 m, 505 µ mesh) was towed from the surface to 50 m depth; samples were preserved in 95% ethanol. Phyllosoma were removed and densities at a subset of stations were calculated using the volume filtered (m3) at each tow. Phyllosoma abundance and densities were plotted using ArcGIS Pro. A Getis-Ord hot spot analysis was used to identify clusters of high densities. The hot spot analysis utilized z-scores to determine significance. Results: Phyllosoma abundance ranged from 0 to 2,523 Density and abundance showed variable results (Fig. 2), with high values found outside of MPAs (Table 1). One area of interest was identified using spatial analysis, with a significant (>99%) hot spot (Fig. 3). Conclusions: The density and hot spot analysis showed uneven distribution of phyllosoma across the region, with a significant hot spot located 26 km west of the Isla de Juventud. The patchiness observed in the area did not coincide with MPAs indicating that complementary tools to preserve the fishery are needed. The next step is to create species-specific data and compare densities on a regional scale. However, due to limited access to this portion of the Caribbean, information on phyllosoma distribution is unknown but essential to improve our understanding of the early life history of lobster in the North Atlantic Ocean. Understanding connectivity is needed as human populations continue to grow, demanding increased harvesting of adult lobster in local and international markets.
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Automated oil spill source tracking model, combining HFR and AIS data(2019-07-31) [Poster]Title: Automated oil spill source tracking model, combining HFR and AIS data 2 High Frequency (HF) Radar systems, situated in KAUST and Rabigh measure real time hourly surface currents up to 100km from the coast with 3km spatial resolution (Figure 1). One of those systems has also an Automated Identification System (AIS) antenna that receive the positions of the ships located in the same area. HF Radar data allow us to simulate the backtracking of drifting surface particles. The combination of the backtracking of the particles and the AIS data, allow us to identify the source of detected oil spills (Figure 3). An operational system can subsequently be established which would reduce oil spill incidents as ship owners would know that we can provide evidence for appropriate sanctions to be levied.