---

Aims: The aim of the current study was to determine the role of Avicennia marina’s primary production as well as other food sources in the diet of Longjaw thryssa, Thryssa setirostris (Broussonet, 1782) in an arid mangrove ecosystem using carbon stable isotopes of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N).
Material & Methods: We collected five potential food sources in the ecosystem including fresh and senescent leaves of Avicennia marina, particulate organic matter, microphytobenthos and sediment organic matter for further stable isotope analysis. Additionally, fishes were collected with a combination of set nets and seines. The muscle tissue (boneless and skinned, 5 g) was removed from the dorsum of fish.
Findings: Significant differences were found between carbon and nitrogen isotopes of different food sources (p < 0.05). Although, this was not significant for green and senescent leaves (p > 0.05). The average values of carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios of T. setirostris were 15.93‰ and 13.01‰, respectively. The SIMMR model showed that the contribution of senescent and fresh leaves in the diet of T. setirostris was 15% and 10%, respectively.
Conclusion: The result of the current study emphasized a limited role for mangrove detritus in the diet of transient fishes in an arid mangrove ecosystem.
 

---

 The aim of this study was to compare the accumulation of heavy metals copper, zinc and cadmium and to investigate the changes of metallothionein as a biomarker of contamination in the gill tissue of the ghost crab Ocypode saratan in the two time periods before Monsoon (May) and after Monsoon (November) in mongrove forests. Chabahar and Gwater Bay was done in 2019. The results of the study showed that in both pre-Monsoon and post-Monsoon seasons the pattern of metal accumulation in the gill tissue of the ghost crab is zinc, copper, cadmium.The mean concentrations of copper, zinc and cadmium were obtained in the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons at Chabahar station, 173.6 ± 3.83, 186.43 ± 3.1, 0.095 ± 0.008, respectively and 156.7±4.15 ،175.13 ± 2.8, 0.026 ±0.003 and in Gwater station the average concentrations of copper, zinc, cadmium in the two pre-Monsoon and post-Monsoon seasons were respectively 237.03 ± 6.4, 231.8 ± 1.8, 0.048 ± 0.003 and 205.9 ± 6.34, 253.2 ±  2.13, 0.037 ± 0.015 μg/g dry weight. The mean levels of metallothionein in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon season in Chabahar station were 2.02 ± 0.01 and 0.1 ± 0.06, respectively, and in goiter station were 2 ± 0.02 and 0.12 ± 0.02, respectively. Comparison of metallothionein levels between Chabahar and Gwater stations was not significant (P<0.05). But in both stations separately between the two pre-Monsoon and post-Monsoon seasons, there was a significant difference (P<0.05). Correlation between metallothionein and metals showed that there was no correlation between metallothionein and the studied metals. Therefore, according to the observations, changes in the concentration of metallothionein in this species are not affected by heavy metals and can be due to changes in the environmental conditions of the seasons.

---

A new species of jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae), Afraflacilla goaensis Gawas & Tripathi sp. nov., is described, diagnosed and illustrated based on a single male specimen collected from a mangrove in Goa, India. Considering this finding, the genus Afraflacilla previously known from the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, is now documented for the first time in Goa. Finally, the Indian records of the genus Afraflacilla are mapped.

---

The significance of mangrove species in the world is undeniable and planting artificial mangrove forests is a desirable solution to preserve mangroves. The mangroves provide us with superior ecological services and one of their main services is the bioremediation of heavy metals. Hence, this study aimed to assess the effects of artificial mangroves of Velayat Park of Bandar Abbas on the contamination, adsorption pattern and ecological risk of heavy metals in the sediment samples. Thirty samples were collected from two paralleled sampling sections included those without mangroves and containing mangroves. Each sampling area consisted of upper, middle and lower sections. After drying samples using an oven, the dried sediments were sieved by a 63-micrometer sieve and digested by nitric and hydrochloric acid mixture. The concentration of As, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn was determined using ICP. The studied factors suggested a high level of ecological risk for as and Pb and the highest risk was observed in the samples without mangroves and a lower risk was reported for samples containing mangroves. Comparing the results with sediment quality guidelines and other studies indicated a dangerous concentration of As. Pearson correlation coefficient values exhibited that artificial mangroves have significantly affected the adsorption pattern of heavy metals (p-Value < 0.05). The principal component analysis (PCA) showed that As and Pb are dominantly derived from oil products leakages and industrial sewages while Cu, Fe, Ni, V and Zn are predominantly derived from natural and geological sources.

---

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relative importance of Avicennia marina organic matter in the feeding of Ilisha melastoma fish in the Mangrove Biosphere Reserve; It was stable isotope approach. Three primary food sources including mangrove tree leaves, microphytobenthos and suspended organic particles were analyzed isotopically. The samples of primary food sources and fish are converted into pure and simple gases such as CO, CO2 and N2 after minimizing the size and turning into powder. Then the identified isotope ratios are compared with a measured standard and the exact amount of isotope formed in the sample is obtained. In this research, sampling was done seasonally in August in the summer season and February in the winter season of 2019 in the mangrove ecosystems of Bandar Khmer, Hormozgan province.In the summer season, the average stable carbon isotope of primary food sources fluctuated from -28.07 units per thousand for mangrove leaves to -13.58 units per thousand for microphytobenthos.This average in the winter season was obtained from -28.05 units per thousand for mangrove leaves to -13.54 units per thousand for microphytobenthos.The average stable nitrogen isotope of primary food sources in the summer season fluctuated from 1.44 units per thousand for microphytobenthos to 10.72 units per thousand for suspended organic particles.The results of this research showed that in the summer season, suspended organic particles with 63% and in the winter season, microphytobenthos with 45% play the most important role in providing the food needed by the small shemsk fish.
 

---

The aim of this study was to isolate and identify a-amylase-producing bacteria present in mangrove ecosystems on Qeshm Island, Hormozgan, Iran. Samples of mangrove leaves and roots were screened for a-amylase activity using Lugol’s solution. Crude extracts were prepared of positive samples, and their a-amylase activity was determined by the Bernfeld method. The two strains with the highest activity were identified by molecular analysis of their 16S rRNA genes. a-Amylase production and activity were optimized by varying temperature and pH. 46 bacterial strains were isolated from mangrove tree leaf and root samples. Of these, 28 strains were capable of producing a-amylase. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of two strains with the highest enzyme production identified them as Bacillus sp. strain HR10 and Bacillus sp. strain HR11. The optimum temperature for enzyme production was 35 and 30 °C for strains HR10 and HR11, respectively, and the optimum pH was pH 8 for both strains. The highest enzyme activity was observed at 70 °C and 60 °C for the HR10 and HR11 strains, respectively, and the optimum pH was pH 8 for both strains. In conclusion, we have shown that bacteria isolated from mangrove leaf and root samples are potential source of a-amylases, tolerating a wide range of temperature and pH. Such a-amylases may be of interest for use in environmentally friendly industries.

---

This research was conducted with the aim of determining the biodiversity of Pertaran communities in three areas with mangrove cover and in 9 stations including one station in Gowatr Bay and 4 stations in each of Gowatr bay and Bahu Kalat on the eastern coast of Chabahar port. From each station, from the winter of 2019 to the fall of 2014, three sediment samples were collected seasonally for the separation and identification of sediments and one sample for the analysis of grain size and total organic matter of the sediments by Grab van Veen with a cross-sectional area of 0.028 square meters. In total, 12 genera belonging to 10 families were identified. Among the groups of the detected families of spionidae, the highest percentage of the average frequency with 13.70% was related to the Spionidae family. The survey of the density of the birds in total is 17800 ± 180 in the mentioned seasons, the average density of the birds in winter is 8720 ± 42 and the average density of the birds in the autumn is 9080 ± 181.63 in the mentioned seasons, the lowest average in winter is related to the Nereidae family: 0.5 600±67 and the most number was for Spionidae family: 1280±31.47 individuals in one square meter. The lowest average in autumn was related to the Nereidae family: 560 ± 32.65 and the highest to the Spionidae family: 1160 ± 62.94 individuals per square meter.

---

Mudflats are situated at the interface between land and sea, transitioning from submerged during high tide to exposed during low tide. For burrowing animals, especially crabs, mudflats serve not only as nesting sites but also as feeding grounds. This study aimed to examine the morphology and estimate the density, of the crab Leptochryseus kuwaitense using their burrows in the mudflats of Khor-Khoran during the winter 2023.  For this purpose, the mudflat above the mangroves was divided into three zones: the upper intertidal (station one), the mid-intertidal (station two), and the lower intertidal (station three) zones. The results of the study showed that the number of burrows was higher in the mid-intertidal zone compared to the other two zones, likely due to higher moisture levels and less human pressure. The diameter of the burrow entrances increased from station one to station three, with a significant difference observed between station one and station three . The morphology and structure of the burrows in the lower intertidal zone were more complex, likely due to competition with other species.
 

---

Endophytic fungi are considered an eco-friendly and bio-safe alternative to increase agricultural productivity. The study objectives were to isolate and identify endophytic fungi from the roots of Rhizophora racemosa and to assess their effect on the growth of Cucurbita maxima plants. Molecular identification of the endophytic fungal isolates revealed five fungal species: Aspergillus aculeatus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium equiseti, Penicillium citrinum, and Talaromyces albobiverticillius. A. aculeatus induced the best improvement rate of plant development with an increase of shoot length (159 %), petiole length (171%), internode length (155%), leaf number (133%) and leaf area (149%)at 84 days after the fungal treatment. This research highlights the importance of A. aculeatus, which can be an eco-friendly bio-fertilizer that can enhance the production of Cucurbita maxima and improve the agricultural sector. To confirm its effectiveness, experiments must be conducted in fields and greenhouses.