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The achievements in successfully establishing coral nurseries using asexually reproduced transplants in Kavaratti Island, Lakshadweep archipelago are presented. During the present study, the survival and growth of 180 fragments of corals fixed on concrete blocks with iron frames laid over a 40 m2 area near reefs inside the lagoon of Kavaratti atoll were assessed. Significant differences in growth were observed between acroporid and non-acroporid corals after two years of transplantation. Acropora muricata (31.1 ± 0.4 cm) and Isopora palifera (15.9 ± 3.4 cm) displayed the highest and lowest growth rates among acroporid corals and Pocillopora damicornis (481.9 ± 68.4 cm3) and Hydnophora microconos (33.4 ± 15.7 cm3) had the highest and lowest rates, among non-acroporid corals. A diverse fish assemblage comprising 21 species belonging to 10 families was observed at the transplantation site, with Chromis viridis and Dascyllus aruanus being the dominant species. The success achieved in this study makes it an ideal approach to be used elsewhere in the Lakshadweep archipelago and the wider Indian Ocean region to develop underwater tourism and promote science-based management and restoration of coral reefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractNorth Sulawesi is renowned for its captivating underwater tourism, attracting SCUBA divers and traditional divers. Given the potential impact of diving activities on lung function, this study aims to explore differences in lung function among self-contained breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving tourism workers, traditional divers utilizing breathing air compressors and air lines, and non-divers within the coastal areas of tourism destinations in North Sulawesi. Employing a descriptive comparative study with a cross-sectional approach, 90 subjects were categorized into three groups, and selected through simple random sampling. Spirometry was utilized for data collection, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was employed for comparisons, with post hoc analysis for specific differences. The ANOVA analysis revealed significant variations in FVC Predicted, FVC Measured, FEV1, and obstruction and restriction values among SCUBA divers, traditional divers, and non-divers with a level of significance of p < 0.05. Post hoc analysis exhibited noteworthy distinctions in FVC Predicted, FVC Measured, and FEV1 between traditional divers and non-divers, and between SCUBA divers and traditional divers (p < 0.00). Obstruction values showed differences between SCUBA divers and traditional divers (p = 0.012), while restriction values indicated disparities between traditional divers and non-divers (p = 0.019). In conclusion, there were significant variations in lung function among SCUBA diving tourism workers, traditional divers using compressors and air lines, and non-divers within the coastal areas of tourism destinations in North Sulawesi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The abandonment of inhabited places is a phenomenon widespread on a global scale that has spanned centuries. It has led to the birth of the so-called 'ghost towns'. These lifeless sites dot the internal Mediterranean and European areas, testifying to the changeability of the human settlements. Through a vision that reverses the paradigm that epitomises the 'ghost towns', these places can be transformed from a problem into an opportunity for the development of the territories that host them. The main topic of this article is to present and update investigations performed on three abandoned settlements sited in Portugal, Italy, and Albania in view of their tourist exploitation, considering three different tailored strategies: underwater tourism, dark tourism, and heritage tourism. For each site, we analysed the site history, the abandonment causes, and the territorial-geological features, thus arguing for the possible valorisation and enjoyment approaches with special attention to digital technologies, which are highly underexploited in the sector. This study, which is part of an international research landscape still in the initial stages, falls within the BEGIN project (aBandonment vErsus reGeneratIoN), which aims to develop a multilevel methodological–operational protocol useful in regional, national, EU, and non-EU contexts for the dissemination of knowledge, conservation, regeneration, valorisation, management, and fruition of areas classified as a 'ghost town'. The research findings can be useful for scholars, practitioners, and local entities entrusted to manage the abandoned towns. Furthermore, the methodological approach followed in this research can supply useful insights into aims to valorise and enjoy worldwide 'ghost towns'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]