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In this study the presence, distribution and density of several species of Scleractinia corals introduced in the Canary Islands and settled in artificial substrata (marina pontoons and port docks) of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife harbor were studied. Tubastraea spp. and Oculina patagonica densities in such locations were assessed owing to their potential as invasive species, and the abundance of other introduced and native corals was also estimated. O. patagonica showed a high frequency of occurrence (28.8%), reaching densities of 0.25 colonies/m2 and was exclusively located in the marina pontoons, found opposite the anchoring spots of oil platforms, mainly in shaded environments. Tubastraea spp. were also found in said area, where they showed very high densities (44.6% of frequency and 2.0 colonies/m2) regardless of light availability, as well as in the inner wall of another port dock where oil platforms berth. Other species were only recorded in the pontoon areas of the marina, with the occurrence of the Culicia genus especially remarkable (15.9%), whose only previous record in the Atlantic was in the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). Tubastraea tagusensis was also recorded for the first time in the eastern Atlantic. Results confirm that oil platforms have been the introductory vector of non-native corals and the introduction process, the expansion and invasion risks, as well as the need for a control plan are discussed.

Cold-water corals are widely considered as important structural components of benthic habitats, potentially enhancing local abundance in a variety of fish and invertebrate species. Yet, current knowledge of the taxonomic diversity and distribution patterns of these vulnerable, slow-growing organisms is scarce and fragmented, limiting the effectiveness of spatial management and conservation measures. We have conducted an exhaustive compilation of records of alcyonaceans, antipatharians, scleractinians and stylasterids available through present day to assess the diversity, distribution and spatial structure of coral assemblages in the Azores exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The resulting database comprises 2501 entries concerning historical oceanographic expeditions and other published sources, as well as unpublished data from bottom longline by-catch. Our taxonomic inventory appears to be fairly complete for the explored habitats, accounting for 164 species (79 alcyonaceans, 58 scleractinians, 18 antipatharians and 9 stylasterids), nine of which were documented for the first time. The Azores EEZ harbours a mixed coral fauna with several zoogeographic origins, showing the closest affinity with the Lusitanian–Mediterranean region. Very few apparent endemics were found (14%), and only in part supported by consistent sampling. Coral diversity is particularly high between 300 and 900 m depths, in areas recognized as traditional fishing grounds or exploitable fish habitat within the 100-mile limit of the EEZ. The composition of coral assemblages shows significant geographical structure among longitudinal sections of the study area at comparable depths (100–1500 m). There is no evidence of a possible role of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge or latitudinal effects underlying this pattern, which suggests that it may instead reflect assemblage variability among features. Stronger changes in species composition were found along the bathymetric gradient. Notwithstanding the mix of partially overlapping steno- and eurybathic species that characterize the vertical distribution of corals, there is a distinct transition from shallow (100–600 m) to intermediate (600–1000 m) depths. The analysis presented here constitutes a valuable contribution for efficient conservation policies of coral-associated vulnerable marine ecosystems and their sustainable use as fishing areas.

The impact of bottom trawling on cold-water corals (CWC) has been thoroughly studied and shown to be long-lasting; however the effects of bottom longlining on CWC ecosystems have received little attention. The present paper identifies the principal CWC species landed by bottom longlining in Faial (Azores) from 150 to 600 m depth. Data were obtained from a survey of 297 landings during four months coupled with 16 interviews with fishermen. A distinction was made among corals brought on deck directly entangled in the fishing gear (primary by-catch) from corals brought up associated with other larger CWC species or rocks (secondary by-catch). Forty-five (15.2%) of 297 fishing trips surveyed landed coral specimens. The survey recorded 39 different CWC taxa in the by-catch, belonging to five different orders (Scleractinia, Alcyonacea, Antipatharia, Zoanthidea and Anthoathecata). Secondary by-catch included a larger number of species but the total number of corals was in the same order of magnitude for both groups. The taxa most frequently encountered were Leiopathes spp., Errina dabneyiand Dendrophyllia sp. CWC taxa in the by-catch were mostly medium size (10–60 cm), 3-dimensional and branched colonies. Local ecological knowledge of fishermen confirmed that the corals recorded were representative of their past experience and also revealed a general agreement that there has been a decrease of CWC by-catch on traditional fishing grounds. Corals are common by-catch in bottom longline fisheries around the Azores and so conservation measures may be required.

Braga-Henriques, A., Carreiro-Silva, M., Porteiro, F. M., de Matos, V., Sampaio, Í., Ocaña, O., and Ávila, S., P. 2011. The association between a deep-sea gastropod Pedicularia sicula (Caenogastropoda: Pediculariidae) and its coral host Errina dabneyi (Hydrozoa: Stylasteridae) in the Azores. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 399–407. The Azores region harbours the richest communities of stylasterid corals in the Northeast Atlantic area. Of the nine deep-water species found there, Errina dabneyi seems to be the most abundant species; it is commonly collected as bycatch from longline fishing. E. dabneyi host Pedicularia gastropods on their branches, and a detailed study of shell shape and morphometry at different growth stages, complemented by shell characterization through scanning electron microscopy, allows the individuals to be identified as Pedicularia sicula. The incidence of this species on E. dabneyi was high (69.8%), with abundances ranging between 1 and 223 individuals per colony. The pediculariids exhibited a high degree of plasticity and produced evident traces on the stylasterid skeletons at their fixation points, suggesting that they are ectoparasites and not predators of E. dabneyi. The stylasterid colonies also hosted a rich associated fauna dominated by suspension-feeders using the coral as substratum and for protection.

Carreiro-Silva, M., Braga-Henriques, A., Sampaio, I., de Matos, V., Porteiro, F. M., and Ocaña, O. 2011. Isozoanthus primnoidus, a new species of zoanthid (Cnidaria: Zoantharia) associated with the gorgonian Callogorgia verticillata (Cnidaria: Alcyonacea). – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 408–415. In the Azores, Northeast Atlantic, an undescribed epizoan zoanthid is often found in association with the cold-water gorgonian Callogorgia verticillata at 110–800 m depth. This zoanthid was identified as a new species, Isozoanthus primnoidus sp. nov., based on morphological and anatomical characters of the polyps and type of cnidae. The distinguishing features of I. primnoidus are coenenchyme, column, and oral disc light brown, with short, translucent tentacles. Contracted polyps have column diameter up to 3 mm and height up to 2 mm. Ectoderm and outer mesogloea are densely encrusted with mineral particles and gorgonian sclerites. Capitulum bears a maximum of 14 distinctive ridges. Isozoanthus primnoidus was associated with 17% of C. verticillata colonies studied, and covered 14 ± 5% of the gorgonian colony. There was strong evidence of a parasitic relationship whereby I. primoidus progressively eliminates gorgonian tissue and uses the gorgonian axis for structure and support, and sclerites for protection.

Only two species of the genus Scleranthelia Studer, 1878 are known: S. rugosa (Pourtales, 1867) has been reported in European waters, and S. thomsoni Williams, 1987 from south-eastern Africa. In this paper, Scleranihelia microscelera sp. nov., the third species of the genus to be discovered, is described from the Strait of Gibraltar and Canary Islands. The distinguishing characters of this species are the small size of the calyx plates, and the distinctive shape of the stolon plates.

Corallium niobe Bayer, 1964 and Corallium tricolor (Johnson, 1899) are reported as new records from the central Northeast Atlantic. C. niobe was caught in the Azores and C. tricolor on the slope of the Irving Seamount (South Azores Seamounts). The presence of Corallium johnsoni Gray, 1860 in Azorean waters is confirmed. The sub-tropical Macaronesian islands and seamounts appear to be an important hot-spot for Corallium spp. Most colonies have been collected on seamounts and island slopes around Madeira, Canaries, Azores and the Cape Verde archipelagos. In the Azores most of these corals live below the normal depth of commercial fishing operations and are unlikely to be severely impacted by this activity.

Four species of ring sea anemones (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Actiniaria) have been recorded from the Indo-Pacific region (Hiles, 1899; Ocana et al., 2004). They occur in parasitic association with gorgonian and pennatulacean species and surround these cnidarian hosts with a solid piece of pedal disc tissue. Until now, these species have been placed in the Family Actinostolidae (Carlgren, 1949). According to Ocana et al. (2004) they may constitute a new family of sea anemones. Unfortunately, most of the material of ring sea anemones was stored in the octocoral collections and consequently fixed in ethanol. Ethanol is not a good chemical to fix material for histological purposes and also makes it very difficult to observe the capsules of the cnidome. We wait till new material can be collected in order to study the species from the point of view of taxonomy. The present paper reports a new species of ring sea anemone (Peronanthus sp.5) from the Atlantic (Azores Islands) that was found attached to the gorgonian Keratoisis grayi Wright, 1869 (Octocorallia, Gorgonacea, Isididae). Unfortunately, the two specimens of Peronanthus sp.5 studied were fixed in alcohol together with their hosts and this makes it very difficult to study this material with taxonomical purposes. New material will be necessary to advance with the study of this interesting species. Two fragments of Keratoisis grayi Wright, 1869 (Fig. 1) harbouring the ring sea anemones were collected in the Sedlo Seamount (40o20.8680’N; 26o50.2600’W) near the Azores, at depths between 1069 and 1156 m. We only found two specimens of Peronanthus sp.5 associated with two small pieces of the material of K. grayi. The material was sampled during the FISHOR expedition carried out in January 2002 onboard the FV Pakura, using a bottom trawl. Seawater temperature ranged between 5o and 6oC. The specimens were deep frozen, later preserved in 70% ethanol and stored in the biological reference collection of the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries (DOP), Azores (Dop181-ANT). Four similar species have been previously recorded from the Indo-Pacific (see Ocana et al., 2004). Tentacles and pedal ring of the fixed material are brown. The expanded specimen is 0.5 cm long and 0.3 cm wide, while the pedal ring of the retracted specimen measures 0.3 cm long. The species Peronanthus sp.2 is morphologically the most similar species. Peronanthus sp.1 and Peronanthus sp.5 were both growing on species of the genus Keratoisis Wright, 1869. This genus presents large polyps and, as a consequence of this characteristic, the anemone is placed between the gorgonian calyces (see Ocana et al., 2004). As in Peronanthus sp.1 and sp.2, Peronanthus sp.5 displaces the gorgonian polyps and their coenenchyme (see Fig. 2-3). Some large sclerites and Notas / Notes

Vigabatrin (VGB) was specifically synthesized to enhance inhibitory GABAergic transmission by elevating GABA levels via irreversible inhibition of GABA transaminase.This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of VGB introduced as monotherapy in 26 children fulfilled the criteria for diagnosis of West syndrome. Duration of follow-up was 24 months.Following the introduction of VGB, 13 patients became seizure free, a special efficacy in one case of tuberous sclerosis. Relapses of infantile spasms occurred in 8 infants, generalized seizures developed in 4 infants, and partial seizures in 3, of whom 2 were eventually rendered seizure-free by increasing the dose. EEG features and age affecting the response rate. VGB has been well tolerated in children with agitation being the most commonly reported side effects, and one case required discontinuation of therapy.VGB seems to be an effective an safe antiepileptic drug as primary monotherapy for West syndrome.

The Spanish Society for Developmental Biology (SEBD) organized its 17th meeting in November 2020 (herein referred to as SEBD2020). This meeting, originally programmed to take place in the city of Bilbao, was forced onto an online format due to the SARS-CoV2, COVID-19 pandemic. Although, we missed the live personal interactions and missed out on the Bilbao social scene, we were able to meet online to present our work and discuss our latest results. An overview of the activities that took place around the meeting, the different scientific sessions and the speakers involved are presented here. The pros and cons of virtual meetings are discussed.