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Background: Postoperative infection is a complication of spinal fusion surgery resulting in increased patient morbidity. Strategies including intraoperative application of powdered vancomycin have been proposed to reduce the incidence of infection; however, such antimicrobial effects are short-lived. Methods: Instrumentation of the L4–L5 vertebrae was performed mimicking pedicle screw and rod fixation in 30 rats. Titanium instrumentation inoculated with either PBS or 1×105 CFU bioluminescent MRSA, along with biomimetic bone grafts infused with varying concentrations of vancomycin and 125 µg of rhBMP-2 (BioMim-rhBMP-2-VCM) were implanted prior to closure. Infection was quantified during the six-week postoperative period using bioluminescent imaging. Arthrodesis was evaluated using micro-CT. Results: Infected animals receiving a bone graft infused with low-dose (0.18 mg/g) or high-dose vancomycin (0.89 mg/g) both exhibited significantly lower bioluminescent signal over the six-week postoperative period than control animals inoculated with MRSA and implanted with bone grafts lacking vancomycin (p=.019 and p=.007, respectively). Both low and high-dose vancomycin-infused grafts also resulted in a statistically significant reduction in average bioluminescence when compared to control animals (p=.027 and p=.047, respectively), independent of time. MicroCT analysis of animals from each group revealed pseudoarthrosis only in the control group, suggesting a correlation between infection and pseudoarthrosis. MRSA-inoculated control animals also had significantly less bone volume formation on micro-CT than the PBS-inoculated control cohort (p

Abstract Ultrasound technology can provide high-resolution imaging of blood flow following spinal cord injury (SCI). Blood flow imaging may improve critical care management of SCI, yet its duration is limited clinically by the amount of contrast agent injection required for high-resolution, continuous monitoring. In this study, we aim to establish non-contrast ultrasound as a clinically translatable imaging technique for spinal cord blood flow via comparison to contrast-based methods and by measuring the spatial distribution of blood flow after SCI. A rodent model of contusion SCI at the T12 spinal level was carried out using three different impact forces. We compared images of spinal cord blood flow taken using both non-contrast and contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Subsequently, we processed the images as a function of distance from injury, yielding the distribution of blood flow through space after SCI, and found the following. (1) Both non-contrast and contrast-enhanced imaging methods resulted in similar blood flow distributions (Spearman’s ρ = 0.55, p

Abstract Background Tension in the spinal cord is a trademark of tethered cord syndrome. Unfortunately, existing tests cannot quantify tension across the bulk of the cord, making the diagnostic evaluation of stretch ambiguous. A potential non-destructive metric for spinal cord tension is ultrasound-derived shear wave velocity (SWV). The velocity is sensitive to tissue elasticity and boundary conditions including strain. We use the term Ultrasound Tensography to describe the acoustic evaluation of tension with SWV. Methods Our solution Tethered cord Assessment with Ultrasound Tensography (TAUT) was utilized in three sub-studies: finite element simulations, a cadaveric benchtop validation, and a neurosurgical case series. The simulation computed SWV for given tensile forces. The cadaveric model with induced tension validated the SWV-tension relationship. Lastly, SWV was measured intraoperatively in patients diagnosed with tethered cords who underwent treatment (spinal column shortening). The surgery alleviates tension by decreasing the vertebral column length. Results Here we observe a strong linear relationship between tension and squared SWV across the preclinical sub-studies. Higher tension induces faster shear waves in the simulation (R 2 = 0.984) and cadaveric (R 2 = 0.951) models. The SWV decreases in all neurosurgical procedures (p

Abstract The western Terai Arc Landscape (wTAL) in Uttarakhand, India, marks the range limit for the Asian elephant in north‐western India. This region has been impacted by land‐use changes and infrastructure expansion for the last seven decades. To evaluate the impact of habitat deterioration on the population structure of elephants in the region, we characterized their genetic diversity and local genetic structure using mitochondrial (D loop) and nuclear DNA (microsatellites; n = 15) markers. We used tissue samples of 114 elephants from five different sub‐populations, collected between 2005 and 2014. The genetic variation was moderate (HO = 0.49–0.55) compared with other Indian elephant populations. Two mtDNA haplotypes were identified without strong spatial patterns across wTAL. Bayesian individual‐based clustering algorithm identified two genetic clusters (K = 2) with high admixture (50% at Q

Aim: Palms are an iconic, diverse and often abundant component of tropical ecosystems that provide many ecosystem services. Being monocots, tree palms are evolutionarily, morphologically and physiologically distinct from other trees, and these differences have important consequences for ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration and storage) and in terms of responses to climate change. We quantified global patterns of tree palm relative abundance to help improve understanding of tropical forests and reduce uncertainty about these ecosystems under climate change. Location: Tropical and subtropical moist forests. Time period: Current. Major taxa studied: Palms (Arecaceae). Methods: We assembled a pantropical dataset of 2,548 forest plots (covering 1,191 ha) and quantified tree palm (i.e., ≥10 cm diameter at breast height) abundance relative to co-occurring non-palm trees. We compared the relative abundance of tree palms across biogeographical realms and tested for associations with palaeoclimate stability, current climate, edaphic conditions and metrics of forest structure. Results: On average, the relative abundance of tree palms was more than five times larger between Neotropical locations and other biogeographical realms. Tree palms were absent in most locations outside the Neotropics but present in >80% of Neotropical locations. The relative abundance of tree palms was more strongly associated with local conditions (e.g., higher mean annual precipitation, lower soil fertility, shallower water table and lower plot mean wood density) than metrics of long-term climate stability. Life-form diversity also influenced the patterns; palm assemblages outside the Neotropics comprise many non-tree (e.g., climbing) palms. Finally, we show that tree palms can influence estimates of above-ground biomass, but the magnitude and direction of the effect require additional work. Conclusions: Tree palms are not only quintessentially tropical, but they are also overwhelmingly Neotropical. Future work to understand the contributions of tree palms to biomass estimates and carbon cycling will be particularly crucial in Neotropical forests.

The Asian elephant is mostly confined to mountainous ranges and therefore risks population fragmentation if hard protected area (PA) boundaries near steep slopes prevent movement. We tested whether elephant gene flow is (i) controlled by slope and (ii) affected by the interplay between barriers and slope. We used 176 unique genotypes obtained non-invasively from fresh elephant dung to assess individual-by-individual genetic distance across the Western Ghats of India, a biodiversity hotspot. To assess landscape distance, 36 resistance models were produced by transforming a slope raster. Core areas and corridors were calculated from the raster that provided the best correlation between the genetic and distance matrices. The influence of the closure of PAs on gene flow was examined for one region, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The best resistance raster obtained by transforming the slope occupancy model was better than Euclidean distance for explaining genetic distance, indicating that slope partially controls gene flow. Fencing elephant PAs on hilly terrain reduces core areas and disrupts corridors. Consequently, hard PA boundaries abutting slopes can fragment elephant populations, but this can be ameliorated by protecting the adjacent flatter terrain.

Global patterns of regional plant diversity are relatively well known, but whether they hold for local communities is debated. This study created multi-grain global maps of alpha diversity for vascular plants to provide a nuanced understanding of plant diversity hotspots and improve predictions of global change effects on biodiversity.

Correction for "Phylogenetic classification of the world's tropical forests, " by J. W. Ferry Slik, Janet Franklin, Víctor Arroyo- Rodríguez, Richard Field, Salomon Aguilar, Nikolay Aguirre, Jorge Ahumada, Shin-Ichiro Aiba, Luciana F. Alves, Anitha K, Andres Avella, Francisco Mora, Gerardo A. Aymard C., Selene B?ez, Patricia Balvanera, Meredith L. Bastian, Jean-François Bastin, Peter J. Bellingham, Eduardo van den Berg, Polyanna da Conceição Bispo, Pascal Boeckx, Katrin Boehning-Gaese, Frans Bongers, Brad Boyle, Fabian Brambach, Francis Q. Brearley, Sandra Brown, Shauna-Lee Chai, Robin L. Chazdon, Shengbin Chen, Phourin Chhang, George Chuyong, Corneille Ewango, Indiana M. Coronado, Jurgi Crist?bal-Azkarate, Heike Culmsee, Kipiro Damas, H. S. Dattaraja, Priya Davidar, Saara J. DeWalt, Hazimah Din, Donald R. Drake, Alvaro Duque, Giselda Durigan, Karl Eichhorn, Eduardo Schmidt Eler, Tsutomu Enoki, Andreas Ensslin, Adand? Belarmain Fandohan, Nina Farwig, Kenneth J. Feeley, Markus Fischer, Olle Forshed, Queila Souza Garcia, Satish Chandra Garkoti, Thomas W. Gillespie, Jean- Francois Gillet, Christelle Gonmadje, Iñigo Granzow-de la Cerda, Daniel M. Griffith, James Grogan, Khalid Rehman Hakeem, David J. Harris, Rhett D. Harrison, Andy Hector, Andreas Hemp, J?rgen Homeier, M. Shah Hussain, Guillermo Ibarra-Manríquez, I. Faridah Hanum, Nobuo Imai, Patrick A. Jansen, Carlos Alfredo Joly, Shijo Joseph, Kuswata Kartawinata, Elizabeth Kearsley, Daniel L. Kelly, Michael Kessler, Timothy J. Killeen, Robert M. Kooyman, Yves Laumonier, Susan G. Laurance, William F. Laurance, Michael J. Lawes, Susan G. Letcher, Jeremy Lindsell, Jon Lovett, Jose Lozada, Xinghui Lu, Anne Mette Lykke, Khairil Bin Mahmud, Ni Putu Diana Mahayani, Asyraf Mansor, Andrew R. Marshall, Emanuel H. Martin, Darley Calderado Leal Matos, Jorge A.Meave, Felipe P. L. Melo, Zhofre Huberto Aguirre Mendoza, Faizah Metali, Vincent P. Medjibe, Jean Paul Metzger, Thiago Metzker, D. Mohandass, Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas, Rodrigo Muñoz, Eddy Nurtjahy, Eddie Lenza de Oliveira, Onrizal, Pia Parolin, Marc Parren, N. Parthasarathy, Ekananda Paudel, Rolando Perez, Eduardo A. P?rez-García, Ulf Pommer, Lourens Poorter, Lan Qi, Maria Teresa F. Piedade, Jos? Roberto Rodrigues Pinto, Axel Dalberg Poulsen, John R. Poulsen, Jennifer S. Powers, Rama Chandra Prasad, Jean-Philippe Puyravaud, Orlando Rangel, Jan Reitsma, Diogo S. B. Rocha, Samir Rolim, Francesco Rovero, Andes Rozak, Kalle Ruokolainen, Ervan Rutishauser, Gemma Rutten, Mohd. NizamMohd. Said, Felipe Z. Saiter, Philippe Saner, Braulio Santos, João Roberto dos Santos, Swapan Kumar Sarker, Christine B. Schmitt, Jochen Schoengart, Mark Schulze, Douglas Sheil, Plinio Sist, Alexandre F. Souza, Wilson Roberto Spironello, Tereza Sposito, Robert Steinmetz, Tariq Stevart, Marcio Seiji Suganuma, Rahayu Sukri, Aisha Sultana, Raman Sukumar, Terry Sunderland, Supriyadi, H. S. Suresh, Eizi Suzuki, Marcelo Tabarelli, Jianwei Tang, Ed V. J. Tanner, Natalia Targhetta, Ida Theilade, Duncan Thomas, Jonathan Timberlake, M?rcio de Morisson Valeriano, Johan van Valkenburg, Tran Van Do, Hoang Van Sam, John H. Vandermeer, Hans Verbeeck, Ole Reidar Vetaas, Victor Adekunle, Simone A. Vieira, Campbell O.Webb, Edward L. Webb, Timothy Whitfeld, Serge Wich, John Williams, Susan Wiser, FlorianWittmann, Xiaobo Yang, C. Yves Adou Yao, Sandra L. Yap, Rakan A. Zahawi, Rahmad Zakaria, and Runguo Zang, which was first published February 5, 2018; 10.1073/pnas.1714977115 (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 115:1837-1842). The authors note that, due to a printer's error, an author name published incorrectly. The author name Lan Qi should instead appear as Lan Qie. The online version has been corrected.

Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world's tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition, and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region-specific responses to global environmental change. Modern phylogenies, in combination with broad coverage of species inventory data, now allow for global biogeographic analyses that take species evolutionary distance into account. Here we present a classification of the world's tropical forests based on their phylogenetic similarity. We identify five principal floristic regions and their floristic relationships: (i) Indo-Pacific, (ii) Subtropical, (iii) African, (iv) American, and (v) Dry forests. Our results do not support the traditional neo- versus paleotropical forest division but instead separate the combined American and African forests from their Indo-Pacific counterparts. We also find indications for the existence of a global dry forest region, with representatives in America, Africa, Madagascar, and India. Additionally, a northern-hemisphere Subtropical forest region was identified with representatives in Asia and America, providing support for a link between Asian and American northern-hemisphere forests.

Abstract The island species–area relationship (ISAR) describes how the number of species increases with increasing size of an island (or island‐like habitat), and is of fundamental importance in island biogeography and conservation. Here, we use a framework based on individual‐based rarefaction to infer whether ISARs result from passive sampling, or whether some processes are acting beyond sampling (e.g., disproportionate effects and/or habitat heterogeneity). Using data on total and relative abundances of four taxa (birds, butterflies, amphibians, and reptiles) from multiple islands in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, we examine how different metrics of biodiversity (total species richness, rarefied species richness, and abundance‐weighted effective numbers of species emphasizing common species) vary with island area. Total species richness increased for all taxa, as did rarefied species richness controlling for a given sampling effort. This indicates that the ISAR did not result because of passive sampling, but that instead, some species were disproportionately favored on larger islands. For birds, frogs, and lizards, this disproportionate effect was only associated with species that were rarer in the samples, but for butterflies, both more common and rarer species were affected. Furthermore, for the two taxa for which we had plot‐level data (reptiles and amphibians), within‐island β‐diversity did not increase with island size, suggesting that within‐island compositional effects were unlikely to be driving these ISARs. Overall, our results indicate that the ISARs of these taxa are most likely driven by disproportionate effects, that is, where larger islands are important sources of biodiversity beyond a simple sampling expectation, especially through their influence on rarer species, thus emphasizing their role in the preservation and conservation of species.

Asian elephants are endangered while they have faced ~70% population decline in India in the last 60 years. Climate change projections indicate exacerbation of ongoing habitat loss (>40%) by 2070, potentially impacting genetic structure of wild elephants across India. Therefore, we provide consolidated baseline data on genetic diversity and structure of elephants across four eco-regions of India, i.e., north-western (NW), north-eastern (NE), east-central (ECI), and southern India (SI), to identify populations at greater risk of further divergence. We genotyped 169 faecal samples across 14 microsatellites with 90.0% overall success rate. The genetic diversity levels were moderate and varied between the eco-regions (HE =0.57–0.74). Allelic richness was higher in NE (3.73–3.78) and SI (3.62–3.71). We observed a high inbreeding coefficient in NE (FIS=0.55–0.58) compared to the other elephant populations, probably due to the presence of related individuals in our samples. Genetic differentiation between populations using FST statistics (FST=0.06–0.18) was significant. Bayesian and multivariate analyses identified three major genetic clusters in India – NW, NE, and combined ECI-SI, mostly consistent with their geographic distribution. We also observed an unexpected pattern of high genetic distance between adjacent populations. This fine-scale genetic structure suggests the presence of barriers (natural and anthropogenic) and complex social organisation. Additionally, incipient sub-structuring within NE and SI indicates potential genetic discontinuity. These results highlight the importance of maintaining genetic diversity, particularly of NE and ECI populations, by retaining habitat connectivity and ensuring gene flow for effective elephant conservation in India.

The high species richness of tropical forests has long been recognized, yet there remains substantial uncertainty regarding the actual number of tropical tree species. Using a pantropical tree inventory database from closed canopy forests, consisting of 657,630 trees belonging to 11,371 species, we use a fitted value of Fisher's alpha and an approximate pantropical stem total to estimate the minimum number of tropical forest tree species to fall between ∼ 40,000 and ∼ 53,000, i.e., at the high end of previous estimates. Contrary to common assumption, the Indo-Pacific region was found to be as species-rich as the Neotropics, with both regions having a minimum of ∼ 19,000-25,000 tree species. Continental Africa is relatively depauperate with a minimum of ∼ 4,500-6,000 tree species. Very few species are shared among the African, American, and the Indo-Pacific regions. We provide a methodological framework for estimating species richness in trees that may help refine species richness estimates of tree-dependent taxa.

Lantana camara is a dominant invasive shrub in many protected areas of India including the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR). We conducted a study to assess the regeneration potential of endemic native (shola) trees under different levels of Lantana infestation in the upper plateau of NBR. A total of 61 plots in a total area of 0.73ha were sampled, out of which 0.57ha was in Lantana dominated sites and 0.16ha in undisturbed shola forests. The plots were classified as per the level of Lantana infestation (intensive, moderate, and low infestation). We found that regeneration of shola trees, including endemics decreased with increasing intensity of Lantana invasion. No regeneration occurred in the intensively infested plots whereas regeneration was high in undisturbed shola forests.

A critique of the extensive use of the term human-wildlife conflict to describe a variety of situations involving wildlife.

The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius Ogilby, 1838) has not been comprehensively surveyed in the southern Western Ghats, India. Here we present results of a survey conducted in 2012 and 2013 in 25 sites where Nilgiri Tahr was reported in Agastyamalai range south of the Shencottah gap. The objectives of the survey were to assess population status; evaluate threats and propose conservation measures. In each site the geographical coordinates were noted. If Nilgiri Tahr (=Tahr) were sighted, the number and herd structure were recorded. Indirect signs of Tahr presence such as faecal pellets and feedback from local informants were noted in sites with no direct sightings of Tahr. The total sightings were 247 Tahr in 10 sites, and indication of Tahr presence in seven sites. Only two populations viz. Kalamalai-Varraiattumudi and Muthukulivayal-Balamore were large (>30 individuals). Tahr were not present in eight sites: of which four had earlier records of Tahr presence, and the other four had no prior data. There was a significant positive association between percentage of young (kids and yearlings) and number of Tahr sighted. Illegal hunting was widespread in the past, and continues to be a serious threat. Loss of Tahr grazing habitat to successional processes resulting in increased tree cover, is a long term threat that could increase with climate change. A landscape level management plan to reconnect small populations, rehabilitate Tahr in sites where they have disappeared, use fire to restore short grass habitats, and stringent curb on illegal hunting is required for the long term viability of the Nilgiri Tahr in this region.

We compiled records of 291 elephant deaths over a 33-year period (1979–2011) from the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and the reserved forests of Nilgiri North and South divisions of southern India from the databases of the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, the Wildlife Protection Society of India and the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association. We tested the null hypothesis that the causes of elephant deaths would not differ with time, by gender and with level of protection. We classified records by gender and age: adults (≥15 years), sub adults (5–15 years), juveniles (>1–1–

We investigated levels of pollinator dependency and pollinator visitation rates to flowers of six vegetable crops: brinjal (aubergine), tomato, chilli pepper (Solanaceae), okra (Malvaceae), bitter and snake gourds (Cucurbitaceae) in six small family farms in the Coimbatore region of southern India. We tested the null hypothesis that fruit set in these crops would be independent of pollinators. We assessed fruit set through self and cross pollination by pollen augmentation, by pollinator exclusion and open pollination. We evaluated pollen limitation by comparing percentage fruit set by hand outcrossed pollen with open pollination; pollinator dependency by differences in percentage fruit set by open pollination and autogamous pollination; and visitation rates to flowers by pollinating insects. Tomato, chilli and okra produced self-compatible hermaphrodite flowers, with higher levels of autogamous fruit set (32-76%) and significantly lower levels of pollinator dependency (0-37%), whereas andro-monoecious brinjal and monoecious gourds had significantly lower levels of fruit set through autogamy, and higher levels of pollinator dependency. Pollen limitation was not evident in any crop. Diverse pollinating insects visited the flowers, and the frequency of visits by different pollinator taxa differed with crop type. Native vegetation and uncultivated land may enhance pollinator diversity in small farms.

The study presented was carried out in 1978 with the support of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group (AsESG) of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC). Its objective was to investigate the impediments to elephant movement in the Nilgiri Hills, in the Western Ghats of India, in an attempt to suggest positive steps to encourage movement through the provision of corridors. The report was left unpublished, but given its importance as a reference document for the conservation of the Asian elephant in the Nilgiris, in 2011 the last two authors decided to publish it. The process of habitat fragmentation has been going on ever since man started agriculture. But this problem has, of late, become much more acute due to mounting pressure on land. The corridor concept applied to wildlife is the provision of a free and, as far as possible, unimpeded way for the passage of wild animals between two wildlife zones. A corridor’s more important function is to prevent wild animals from getting isolated in small pocket-like islands. Maintaining elephant habitat connectivity in and around the Nilgiris rests upon the understanding that elephant populations of the several protected areas of the now Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve must remain active. The first author surveyed the Nilgiris on foot and on elephant back for several months in 1978. It was concluded that four areas (the Nilgiri north slopes and Deccan Plateau, the south and southeastern slopes, the Gudalur Plateau, and the upper plateau) harboured together 10 corridors that needed to be maintained, or restored, or even partially restored.

A study was conducted on the distribution of catfishes in selected wetlands in Kancheepuram and Kanyakumari districts of Tamil Nadu, southern India. Different types of wetlands such as tanks, pools, lakes, open wells and estuaries were selected for the study based on their different environmental set up. Fishes were collected with the help of fishermen using cast and seine nets. Twelve species of catfishes from five families (Ariidae, Bagridae, Heteropneustidae, Schilbeidae and Siluridae) were recorded, of which 10 species from four families were from Kanyakumari and six species belonging to three families were from Kancheepuram District. In Kancheepuram, the species recorded were Heteropneustes fossilis, Mystus seengtee, M. gulio, M. keletius, M. vittatus and Neotropius atherinoides, and in Kanyakumari the species recorded were Arius arius, Arius subrostratus, Heteropneustes fossilis, Mystus armatus, M. seengtee, M. gulio, M. montanus, M. vittatus, Ompok bimaculatus and O. malabaricus. Among the wetlands, the highest species richness was seen in Puthery and Erachakulam tanks in Kanyakumari and Chembarampakkam Lake in Kancheepuram. The lowest species richness was observed was in Vishnupuram, Thotiode tanks and Mavadi pool of the former district and Vandalur Tank, Kalpakkam Estuary of the latter. Environmental factors such as microhabitat diversity and substrate diversity in the wetlands significantly influenced species richness.

Biodiversity supplies multiple goods and services to society and is critical for the support of livelihoods across the globe. Many indigenous people depend upon non-timber forest products (NTFP) and crops for a range of goods including food, medicine, fibre and construction materials. However, the dependency of these products on biotic pollination services is poorly understood. We used the biologically and culturally diverse Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in India to characterise the types of NTFP and crop products of 213 plant species and asses their degree of dependency on animal pollination. We found that 80 per cent of all species benefited from animal pollination in their reproduction, and that 62 per cent of crop products and 40 per cent of NTFP benefited from biotic pollination in their production. Further we identified the likely pollinating taxa documented as responsible for the production of these products, mainly bees and other insects. A lower proportion of indigenous plant products (39 per cent) benefited from biotic pollination than products from introduced plants (61 per cent). We conclude that pollinators play an important role in the livelihoods of people in this region.

At-sea observations of seabirds and cetaceans provide essential baseline information about their biogeography and behaviour, facilitating marine spatial planning and management. Much of the world's oceans have been surveyed, yet some regions remain particularly data-poor for seabirds and cetaceans, including the Bay of Bengal. We performed 39 d of vessel-based observations within the Bay of Bengal from 2012 to 2014, surveying an overall linear distance of 4722.3 km. We observed 2697 seabirds of 17 species and 1441 cetaceans of at least eight species. Among the seabirds, Sooty Terns Onychoprion fuscatus (n = 2282, 85% of all birds) and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters Ardenna pacifica (n = 327, 12%) predominated, whereas cetacean numbers were dominated by Spinner Dolphins Stenella longirostris (n = 772, 54% of all cetaceans) and Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins Tursiops aduncus (n = 533, 37%). Other seabirds and cetaceans accounted for only 4% and 7%, respectively, of all sightings. The abundance and diversity of both groups was low compared to other tropical areas. We propose that low seabird and cetacean abundance results from low productivity due to stratification in the Bay of Bengal, as well as long-lasting disturbance, overexploitation of marine resources, possible impacts of longline fisheries, and the near absence of seabird breeding sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We carried out population counts of a nesting colony of terns (Sternidae) on Pitti Island, an official seabird sanctuary, on 17 February 2013, 10 March 2013, and 10 February 2014. We also assessed population trends over previous years using data from earlier surveys. We estimated the number of nests and eggs, and recorded loss of eggs by predation, including harvesting by fishermen. Using a structured questionnaire, we interviewed 800 respondents from Kavaratti Island in the Lakshadweep Archipelago to assess the number of people involved in seabird egg harvesting and trade, and to evaluate their attitudes towards seabird conservation. We recorded three species of terns: Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus, Brown Noddy Anous stolidus, and Greater Crested Tern Thalusseus bergii, but only Sooty Terns were nesting during our field visits. Levels of natural predation on this species were low (< 1%), whereas fishermen removed 14%-45% of the eggs. Approximately 72% of the 800 respondents interviewed on Kavaratti Island were either directly or indirectly involved in the harvest and local trade of seabird eggs. Respondents involved in egg harvesting were significantly less inclined to support seabird conservation. Although Pitti Island is a protected area, tern numbers have declined since 1963. This key breeding site will likely be lost unless stringent conservation measures are implemented to monitor and protect the nesting colony, and to divert the local people away from the seabird egg trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]