"NYU Abu Dhabi" register scientific discovery important for groupers in the Arabian Gulf

register scientific discovery important

New York University Abu Dhabi announced reaching a group of researchers from the students and faculty the university body to an important scientific discovery about one of the most important commercial fish, known in the Arab Gulf region, where it was found that the groupers orange blobs known as grouper and are sold usually
marketed as a single faction of fish include in fact three different kinds of fish.

And it is groupers and sold as is currently managing one species in the local markets, which is known as the type (coioides Epinephelus). There are signs on the overfishing of grouper in the region where it is the exploitation of these fisheries within the rate of six times the sustainable level. In a new study published in the Bulletin on marine pollution, researchers found in a New York University Abu Dhabi, led by graduate from a boost in 2015 Remy Ketchum during the period of their presence at the university, to the new data on the genetic diversity of the groupers in an attempt to analyze the composition of these fish, which are marketed in the UAE United Arab grouper under the name in order to support the management of these fisheries and to generate strategies molecular indicators to be used to identify and monitor the species.

Researchers have made the New York University Abu Dhabi series and classification of the DNA of the mitochondria than 140 tissue samples were collected from four fish markets. They then analyzed the data to discover the existence of three different types of fish Epinephelus being marketed and sold as a single species of groupers.

On this discovery, John Burt, assistant professor, said in Biology New York Abu Dhabi University: "It's the first time the Arabian Gulf in which the application of this genetic approach to study the thickness of the grouper, which is one of the most desired fish species in the region level. The results were very helpful by showing us that what is marketed as a single type under the grouper name, is actually three separate and different types. these types look the same, but they are genetically different from each other. this discovery will leave a very important impact in the fisheries management process where the previously Managed efforts with the assumption that there is only one type should now expand these efforts to account for potential differences in various vital nature of these three species. "

For his part, Joseph Aadagdor, assistant professor, said in Biology New York Abu Dhabi University: "This research provides a very important and necessary information about the genetic makeup of the types of grouper in the United Arab Emirates. However the presence of factors such as climate change and over-exploitation of the riches and other environmental pressures in the region rates , weighed biodiversity and genetic variation of marine species under severe threat. the findings importance of genetic monitoring in the sustainable management of fishery wealth of practices. "

Commenting on the study, Remi Ketchum graduate of New York University Abu Dhabi said the boost in 2015, "highlights this study the value and role of the use of genetic technology to living organisms. Through markers DNA of the mitochondria, which provide a knowledge value of the rich, we determined that these three types have levels of similar genetic diversity of the types of other Hamor threatened with extinction and that two of these species are not passing by in abundance in the UAE. I hope that these results will help the Department of fisheries and urged people to choose more sustainable fish consumption type. "

According to the researchers in the project-chairs of the teaching staff and Bert Aadagdor members, it is truly remarkable that this type of research is led by university students in the graduation phase
.

Burt said: "We have achieved this research Revolutionary thanks largely to the hard work and effort, great creativity and a New York University Abu Dhabi students." He added: "It is rare in most of the universities that the university student production of research worthy of being published. We are very proud of the efforts of the student Ketchum efforts to enhance our knowledge about the type of fish this amount of economic and cultural importance to the UAE."

It Aadagdor: "It was our goal at the outset to focus on one type of fish, but during we in this process, and at the moment of creativity and the senior inventors approach screamed Mrs. Ketchum" eureka "When I looked for the first time to the genetic data and discovered the existence of three types in the group. This is the results evidence of the university students' abilities and what they can achieve revolutionary innovations. "

An understanding of the genetic diversity patterns in fish species is necessary to maintain the marine wealth, because it allows researchers to determine the effects of environmental pressures caused by overfishing and enhance the knowledge of the competent government bodies, which manages the special types of fish protection measures.