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Background The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has estimated that invasive alien species (IAS) might cause billions of dollars of losses every year across the world. One example is South-East Asia, where IAS have caused an estimated loss of 33.5 billion USD, affecting the environment, human health, and agricultural production. Factors associated with climate change, such as increased carbon dioxide (CO2), heavy precipitation, and elevated temperatures is expected to facilitate biological invasion, leading only to further financial and public health loss. Thus, further study is needed to identify, collate and categorise what evidence exists on the impacts of climate change on fish and shellfish species that contribute to the list of “One Hundred of the World’s Worst Invasive Alien Species” as identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN). Such mapping will identify regions more at risk of biological invasion as climate change progresses. Methods We outline a systematic mapping review protocol that follows the Guideline and Standards for Evidence Synthesis in Environmental Management and RepOrting standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES). We describe how peer-reviewed articles will be collected from Web of Science and Scopus, and then analyzed to create knowledge maps on the impact climate change has on invasive species. Finally, we speculate on how our results will aid future management of invasive species in the light of climate change.

With the ongoing climate change affecting the ocean, there is a need to understand and predict the future distributions of marine species in order to assess the sustainability of marine ecosystem. In this study, remotely-sensed satellite oceanographic data together with Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) fishery dataset were used to predict potential fishing grounds in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Peninsular Malaysia using boosted regression trees (BRT) model. The model was developed using three years (2008–2010) fish catch data and environmental variables of chlorophyll-a (chl-a), sea surface temperature (SST) and sea surface height (SSH). Result indicated that potential fishing grounds were closely associated with SSH, followed by SST and chl-a. The performance of the BRT model indicated acceptable fishing grounds prediction accuracy (AUC value of 0.749). Seasonal variability in fishing grounds was related to favorable environmental conditions of SSH (1.1–1.3 m), SST (29–32 °C) and chl-a (0.3–0.6 mg/m3). The projection of increases in SST due to climate change according to IPCC-AR5-RCPs was observed to influence the spatial and temporal distributions R. kanagurta. Increased temperature at 1.80 °C resulted in high potential catch areas for R. kanagurta in the EEZ. Meanwhile, elevated temperature at 2.60 °C and 3.30 °C showed decreased in potential catch areas for R. kanagurta in the EEZ. Most of the future fishing grounds area were projected to decline, and it was observed to shift outside the EEZ off South China Sea. Hence, by understanding these relationships, this analysis identifies where strategies can be adapted to face the ecological impacts under changing environmental conditions.

Background Climate is one of the most important driving factors of future changes in terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems. Any changes in these environments can significantly influence physiological and behavioural responses in aquatic animals, such as crustacea. Crustacea play an integral role as subsistence predators, prey, or debris feeders in complex food chains, and are often referred to as good indicators of polluted or stressed conditions. They also frequently have high production, consumption, and commercial significance. However, crustacean’s responses to climate change are likely to vary by species, life-history stage, reproduction status and geographical distribution. This map is undertaken as part of the Long-Term Research Grant project which aims to identify any interactive effect on physiological compensation and behavioural strategy of how marine organisms, especially crustaceans, deal with stress from environmental change. Our proposed map will aim to outline the evidence currently existing for the impacts of climate change on the physiology and behaviour of important aquaculture crustacean species within Asia. Methods We will document peer-reviewed articles in English using published journal articles and grey literature. Two bibliographic databases (Scopus and Web of Science) and multiple organizational websites with Google scholars will be searched. The systematic map protocol will follow in accordance with the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence Guidelines and Standards. Literature will be screened at the title, abstract, and full-text level using pre-defined inclusion criteria. The map will highlight marine crustacea physiological compensation and behavioural strategies to cope with climate change. It will also improve our knowledge of the available evidence and current gaps for future research recommendations.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations at the ocean surface are in approximate equilibrium with the atmosphere. Consequently, the amount of CO2 dissolved in oceans increases with increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Through ocean acidification, increase uptake of CO2 at the ocean surface lowers the ocean pH level. The availability of dissolved carbonate and bicarbonate primarily caused by CO2 uptake from the atmosphere also changes. Periodically or permanently elevated CO2 concentrations can become a general stress factor in aquatic environments. Excess CO2 can affect the surrounding ocean life, i.e., disturbing growth performance, reproduction, changes in skeletal and otolith development, and fish behavior. Studies on the effects of ocean acidification on fish species have recently received attention. This condition can lead to severe problems if atmospheric CO2 concentrations continue to rise. Therefore, management intervention and decisive action on excessive CO2 emission are necessary to overcome this situation. The information discussed in this review can be utilized as reference in understanding the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystem and associated fishes.

In this study we analyzed the effects of water temperature and diet on the growth properties and gastric emptying period of juvenile Malabar blood snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus) over a 30 day experimental period. Fish were collected from a local hatchery of Pulau Ketam, Selangor, Malaysia and immediately transferred to flow-through sea water system and subjected to four different temperatures (22, 26, 30, and 34 °C) and two diets (formulated pellet and shrimp). Body weight gain, food consumption, food conversion ratio, food consumption efficiency, specific growth rate, relative growth rate, daily growth rate, and gastric emptying time were significantly influenced by temperature and diet (P

White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a devastating, infectious virus affecting farming tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon). In efforts to limit trans-boundary movement of this pathogen and reduce the economic and socioeconomic impact of disease in shrimp culture, there is considerable scope for more effective use of DNA-based methods of pathogen detection. To assess the prevalence of the WSSV, broods, nauplii and post-larvae (PL) samples were collected from nine shrimp hatcheries located in the southeast and southwest regions of Bangladesh during the period from February 2008 to May 2014 and subjected to screening for WSSV by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The prevalence of WSSV during the 7-year period ranged from 48.15 to 62.99 %, 12.88 to 31.55 % and 4.03 to 8.89 % in broodstocks, nauplii and post-larvae, respectively. Out of a total of 5489 brood samples analyzed during the 7 years, 2,977 were found to be PCR positive for WSSV giving an overall prevalence of 54.24 %. The overall rates of PCR positive were 19.52 % for nauplii and 6.25 % for PL. The rates of infection in the nauplii and PL were much less than that observed in the broodstocks as the nauplii and PL samples were collected from broods found to be negative for WSSV by PCR. A follow-up study showed successful culture in about 87 % of the shrimp farms stocked with the PL that were PCR negative for WSSV. This study confirmed that PCR is an effective diagnostic tool for the screening of broodstocks before being used for spawning in the hatchery, to prevent vertical transmission of WSSV from parents to larvae. However, to avail the advantage of PCR screening for a risk-free crop, sources of potential horizontal contaminations should also be controlled.

Strombus canarium Linnaeus, 1758 is an important gastropod species within the study area and was traditionally collected for food by the locals. The objective of the present study is to assess the incidence of imposex and its severity in this species. Adult conchs were sampled during their main reproductive period, from October 2005 to January 2006, at Sungai Pulai estuary, Johor Straits, Malaysia. A total of 32.81% of adult females showed imposex characteristics, with varying degrees of severity though. The relative penis size (RPS) index ranged from 1.74 to 33.29 (mean = 13.40 ± 2.27, n = 21), while the relative penis length (RPL) index ranged from 6.28 to 55.19 (mean = 25.83 ± 3.33, n = 21). The use of vas deferens sequence (VDS) index was however cannot be applied as the presence of egg groove obscured any vas deferens development in affected females. Sequence of imposex (male penis) development in female conch, from merely a small stump to an advance male penis homologous was therefore carefully analyzed and described, and an alternative imposex classification scheme was proposed. S. canarium can be a good indicator for monitoring of organotin pollution within the study area. However, more studies are needed in order to further develop and test its validity and application, such as its correlation with levels of pollutant within the tissues and the environment, as well as its application on other Strombus species.