Interdisciplinary Center Research Articles

Does Loire grayling represent a distinct species ?

Does Loire grayling represent a distinct species ?

A species distribution model for Paracentrotus lividus: predicted projections of habitat suitability

A species distribution model for Paracentrotus lividus: predicted projections of habitat suitability

An overview of small-scale fisheries in the Northern Portuguese coast

An overview of small-scale fisheries in the Northern Portuguese coast

Effects of harvesting on annelid assemblages associated with mussel beds

Event Abstract Back to Event Effects of harvesting on annelid assemblages associated with mussel beds Puri Veiga1*, Leandro Sampaio1, Catarina R. Oliveira1, Juan Moreira Da Rocha2, Jesus S. Troncoso3 and Marcos Rubal1 1 Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal 2 Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain 3 University of Vigo, Spain The mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819 is an ecologically and economically relevant species on European coasts. It is very abundant in the Atlantic intertidal fringe of the Iberian Peninsula where is harvested in natural systems and/or cultured intensively on rafts. Aquaculture production is dependent on their abundance in natural environments because juveniles are collected in rocky shores and then attached to ropes on rafts. Moreover, it provides habitat for many species, enhancing local biodiversity. The aim of this study was to explore effects of harvesting on the annelid assemblage associated with mussels. To achieve this, two rocky shores, where mussels are intensively harvested, were selected in Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula). At each shore, two different sites were considered; at each site, 4 replicates (10x10cm) of harvested mussel clumps and 4 replicates of non-harvested clumps (control) were collected. Size and number of mussels at each replicate were compared between treatments (harvested-control). Moreover, annelids at each replicate were identified to species level. A total of 1351 individuals and 27 species were found. Abundance, taxon richness, Margalef index and assemblage composition were compared between treatments by means of univariate and multivariate techniques. Results pointed out that harvested clumps showed a lower and more homogenous mussel size than control clumps, as expected. Regarding annelids, the interaction between treatment and site was significant for the multivariate assemblage structure and for the total abundance. Therefore, the effect of harvesting is dependent on the spatial scale considered. Acknowledgements This research was developed under the Project No. 30181, co-financed by COMPETE 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union through the ERDF, and by FCT through national funds. Keywords: Mytilus galloprovincialis L., Harvesting, Annelids, Iberian Peninsula, Rocky shores Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Ecology, Biodiversity and Vulnerable Ecosystems Citation: Veiga P, Sampaio L, Oliveira CR, Moreira Da Rocha J, Troncoso JS and Rubal M (2019). Effects of harvesting on annelid assemblages associated with mussel beds. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00078 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 13 May 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Mx. Puri Veiga, Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Matosinhos, 4450-208, Portugal, puri.sanchez@fc.up.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Puri Veiga Leandro Sampaio Catarina R Oliveira Juan Moreira Da Rocha Jesus S Troncoso Marcos Rubal Google Puri Veiga Leandro Sampaio Catarina R Oliveira Juan Moreira Da Rocha Jesus S Troncoso Marcos Rubal Google Scholar Puri Veiga Leandro Sampaio Catarina R Oliveira Juan Moreira Da Rocha Jesus S Troncoso Marcos Rubal PubMed Puri Veiga Leandro Sampaio Catarina R Oliveira Juan Moreira Da Rocha Jesus S Troncoso Marcos Rubal Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Disentangling the hierarchical structure of environmental effects on fish assemblages in tropical coastal ecosystems

Disentangling the hierarchical structure of environmental effects on fish assemblages in tropical coastal ecosystems

Are mussel attributes shaped by urbanisation?

Event Abstract Back to Event Are mussel attributes shaped by urbanisation? Puri Veiga1*, Catarina R. Oliveira1, Leandro Sampaio1 and Marcos Rubal1 1 Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal Urbanization and coastal development promote intense changes in marine ecosystems that jeopardize their ability to provide services, such as provisioning of food and other resources. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of urbanisation on different attributes of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819 in the Northern Portuguese coast: This species is harvested in natural systems as well as cultured on ropes suspended from rafts. Since mussel farming involves the capture of very large amounts of young wild mussels from rocky substrates to supply floating rafts, it is interesting to evaluate if urbanisation shapes the density, percentage of cover, depth of clumps, size-frequency distribution and condition index of M. galloprovincialis. To achieve this, a fully nested hierarchical sampling design was follow. Two conditions (urbanised and non-urbanised) were considered. At each condition, three different rocky shores were selected and two sites per shore were haphazardly chosen for the study of the different mussel attributes. Results pointed out that mussel density was significantly lower at urban shores. In terms of size, the abundance of mussels included in higher size classes was larger at urbanised than at non-urbanised shores. Moreover, percentage of cover, depth of clumps and condition index showed significant variability at different spatial scales. Acknowledgements This research was developed under the Project No. 30181, co-financed by COMPETE 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union through the ERDF, and by FCT through national funds Keywords: urbanisation, Mytilus galloprovincialis L., Iberian Peninsula, Rocky shores, Hierarchical sampling design Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Ecology, Biodiversity and Vulnerable Ecosystems Citation: Veiga P, Oliveira CR, Sampaio L and Rubal M (2019). Are mussel attributes shaped by urbanisation?. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00148 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 04 Jun 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Mx. Puri Veiga, Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Matosinhos, 4450-208, Portugal, puri.sanchez@fc.up.pt Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Puri Veiga Catarina R Oliveira Leandro Sampaio Marcos Rubal Google Puri Veiga Catarina R Oliveira Leandro Sampaio Marcos Rubal Google Scholar Puri Veiga Catarina R Oliveira Leandro Sampaio Marcos Rubal PubMed Puri Veiga Catarina R Oliveira Leandro Sampaio Marcos Rubal Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Changing growth pattern in small pelagic species targets of purse seine fisheries in Southwestern Atlantic

Changing growth pattern in small pelagic species targets of purse seine fisheries in Southwestern Atlantic

Age, growth and reproductive biology of the tub gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna) in North-East Portugal

Event Abstract Back to Event Age, growth and reproductive biology of the tub gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna) in North-East Portugal Juliana Rodrigues1, 2*, Diana Feijó3, Alberto Rocha3, Karim Erzini1, 4 and Alberto T. Correia2, 5* 1 University of Algarve, Portugal 2 Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal 3 Portuguese Institute of Ocean and Atmosphere (IPMA), Portugal 4 Centre of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Portugal 5 Fernando Pessoa University, Portugal The tub gurnard, Chelidonichthys lucerna, is an important commercial marine demersal fish species that belongs to Triglidae which can be commonly found in the north-eastern Atlantic, in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Black Sea. C. lucerna is mainly caught through bottom and beam trawls, gillnets, trammel nets and longlines. Within the gurnards, C. lucerna is the most important and the one with the greatest economic value in the Portuguese coast. The aim of the study is to obtain, for the fisrt time, data on the age, growth, sex ratio and sexual developmental stages of C. lucerna captured on the northern coast of Portugal (Matosinhos) bimonthly between June 2018 and May 2019. Moreover, we intent to test whether these basic biological traits, at present unknown for this species in the southern area of the NE Atlantic, differ from other geographic locations. These new findings are important to a sustainable and rational fisheries management. Acknowledgements This work was supported by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology - (SFRH/BD/111133/2015 to CM by NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000035 (MARINFO) and the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2019 through national funds provided by FCT and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the programme PT2020. Keywords: Triglidae, Fisheries, life history traits, age, Reproductive biology Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Fisheries, Aquaculture and Biotechnology Citation: Rodrigues J, Feijó D, Rocha A, Erzini K and Correia AT (2019). Age, growth and reproductive biology of the tub gurnard (Chelidonichthys lucerna) in North-East Portugal. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00158 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 17 May 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Mx. Juliana Rodrigues, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal, julianacrfrodrigues@gmail.com Prof. Alberto T Correia, Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Matosinhos, 4450-208, Portugal, atcorreia.ciimar@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Juliana Rodrigues Diana Feijó Alberto Rocha Karim Erzini Alberto T Correia Google Juliana Rodrigues Diana Feijó Alberto Rocha Karim Erzini Alberto T Correia Google Scholar Juliana Rodrigues Diana Feijó Alberto Rocha Karim Erzini Alberto T Correia PubMed Juliana Rodrigues Diana Feijó Alberto Rocha Karim Erzini Alberto T Correia Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Exploring anammox bacteria ecology to improve nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment

Exploring anammox bacteria ecology to improve nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment

Spatial and seasonal dynamics of zooplankton assemblages in the Douro Estuary

Spatial and seasonal dynamics of zooplankton assemblages in the Douro Estuary

Current state of research on the systematics and zoogeography of graylings (Thymallus) throughout the world, with notes on the recent advances and applications of genomics.

Current state of research on the systematics and zoogeography of graylings (Thymallus) throughout the world, with notes on the recent advances and applications of genomics.

Fishery artisanal monitoring of the communities of Jaqueiral, Barreta Island, Pescaria Island, Rio do Campo and Timbuca island (2017 - 2018), Serinhaém channel, Camamu Bay, Bahia state, Brazil

Event Abstract Back to Event Fishery artisanal monitoring of the communities of Jaqueiral, Barreta Island, Pescaria Island, Rio do Campo and Timbuca island (2017 - 2018), Serinhaém channel, Camamu Bay, Bahia state, Brazil Rogério C. Santos1, 2, Henry L. Spach3, Juliana C. Rodrigues1, 4 and Alberto T. Correia1* 1 Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal 2 Fernando Pessoa University, Portugal 3 Federal University of Paraná, Brazil 4 University of Algarve, Portugal In the Serinhaém channel of the Bay of Camamu, Bahia state, Brazil, the artisanal fisheries present a high economic and social relevance for the fishermen communities. The main objective of this work was to monitor, for the first time, the landings of the seafood caught in the communities of Jaqueiral, Barreta Island, Pescaria Island, Rio do Campo and Timbuca Island. The information was collected directly in the field with the fishermen through semi-structured questionnaires, applied in the ports of the communities, at the time of the landing of the fish. A total of 104 questionnaires were applied monthly in the communities during one full year, between October 2017 and September 2018. Data showed that most fishermen perform their fishing practices individually or in pairs, using fishing gears such as a gill nets (e.g. “redes de emalhe”) or traps (e.g. “armadilha tipo manzúa”), operating from small wooden boats (“canoa de madeira”). The main form of propulsion used by the small boats is a pulp engine, powered by gasoline. Some species are more frequently captured, such as mullet (Mugil Sp) and siri (Callinectes spp), but the other species are also economically important. This study presents estimates of the catch per unit effort for each community involved in the survey, evidencing the financial net income obtained with the fishing activity. The data obtained from this study is fundamental for the planning and implementation of adequate public policies in the artisanal fishing sector. References This work was partially supported by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2019 through national funds provided by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the programme PT2020. Keywords: Fisheries monitoring, Artisanal fishery, Fishermen Communities, Camamu Bay, Bahia state Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Fisheries, Aquaculture and Biotechnology Citation: Santos RC, Spach HL, Rodrigues JC and Correia AT (2019). Fishery artisanal monitoring of the communities of Jaqueiral, Barreta Island, Pescaria Island, Rio do Campo and Timbuca island (2017 - 2018), Serinhaém channel, Camamu Bay, Bahia state, Brazil. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00173 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 19 May 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Prof. Alberto T Correia, Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Matosinhos, 4450-208, Portugal, atcorreia.ciimar@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Rogério C Santos Henry L Spach Juliana C Rodrigues Alberto T Correia Google Rogério C Santos Henry L Spach Juliana C Rodrigues Alberto T Correia Google Scholar Rogério C Santos Henry L Spach Juliana C Rodrigues Alberto T Correia PubMed Rogério C Santos Henry L Spach Juliana C Rodrigues Alberto T Correia Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Co-engineering in mussel beds. First results on north of Portugal

Event Abstract Back to Event Co-engineering in mussel beds. First results on north of Portugal Ana Catarina Torres1, 2*, Marcos Rubal1, 2, Isabel Sousa Pinto1, 2 and Puri Veiga1, 2 1 Departament of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal 2 Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research, Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal When spatial distribution of species overlaps, different kinds of interaction between organisms are possible (e.g. predation, competition). Sometimes, different species live on a very close relationship even as epibionts. This is the case of some macroalgal species which live as epiphytes above mussel beds. Specifically, in the intertidal zone of the north of Portugal, red algae of the genus Caulacanthus occasionally live above mussel beds of Mytilus galloprovincialis Lamarck, 1819. Both algae and mussels are recognized as ecosystem engineers, since these organisms, due to their morphology, activity and/or their life-style, provide habitats for many species. Although the role of mussels and algae as ecosystem engineers has often been analysed separately, few studies have still explored the effect of co-engineering due to these two groups of organisms together. The objective of our study is to explore how the presence of Caulacanthus spp. as co-engineer on M. galloprovincialis beds can affect their associated macrofauna. For this, two sites were selected from a rocky shore in the north of Portugal and at each site, five quadrat (10x10cm) replicates of mussels with and without alga were collected. Univariate analyses were done to explore differences between the abundance and diversity of the fauna, as well as the most abundant taxa. Moreover, a multivariate analysis considering the whole structure of assemblage was done. Results showed that the presence of Caulacanthus, as co-engineer on mussel beds, did not affect the total abundance and diversity of the associated fauna with M. galloprovincialis. However, the abundance of crustaceans and molluscs increased when the alga was present. Within crustaceans, amphipods were the taxa, which most likely benefited from the presence of the alga, since their abundance doubled when the algae is present. Finally, considering the entire assemblage structure, the multivariate analysis showed marginal significant differences between macrofauna on mussels with and without alga. Overall, we can conclude that Caulacanthus spp. as co-engineer of M. galloprovincialis, did not showed an important effect on mussels’ associated fauna, although molluscs and crustaceans seemed to be positively affected by the presence of this alga. Acknowledgements This research was developed under the Project No. 30181, co-financed by COMPETE 2020, Portugal 2020 and the European Union through the ERDF, and by FCT through national funds. PhD grant: SFRH/BD/114935/2016 by FCT Keywords: Co-engineer, Caulacanthus spp., mytilus galloprovincialis, Associated macrofauna, North of Portugal Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Ecology, Biodiversity and Vulnerable Ecosystems Citation: Torres A, Rubal M, Sousa Pinto I and Veiga P (2019). Co-engineering in mussel beds. First results on north of Portugal. Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00125 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 07 Jun 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Miss. Ana Catarina Torres, Departament of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal, a_catarina_torres@hotmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Ana Catarina Torres Marcos Rubal Isabel Sousa Pinto Puri Veiga Google Ana Catarina Torres Marcos Rubal Isabel Sousa Pinto Puri Veiga Google Scholar Ana Catarina Torres Marcos Rubal Isabel Sousa Pinto Puri Veiga PubMed Ana Catarina Torres Marcos Rubal Isabel Sousa Pinto Puri Veiga Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Population structure, habitat connectivity and movement patterns of the blue jack mackerel, Trachurus picturatus, in the NE Atlantic: combining natural tags for a rational management of fisheries resources

Population structure, habitat connectivity and movement patterns of the blue jack mackerel, Trachurus picturatus, in the NE Atlantic: combining natural tags for a rational management of fisheries resources

Stock structure of Trachurus picturatus from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea using microsatellite DNA markers

Stock structure of Trachurus picturatus from the NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea using microsatellite DNA markers

Improving perception and acceptability of aquaculture through hands-on experimental activities for schools

Improving perception and acceptability of aquaculture through hands-on experimental activities for schools

Why Websites Work: An Examination of Interdisciplinary Agricultural Center Websites

Why Websites Work: An Examination of Interdisciplinary Agricultural Center Websites

Human-Animal Interaction Interdisciplinary Centers and Institutes: A Decade of Progress

Human-Animal Interaction Interdisciplinary Centers and Institutes: A Decade of Progress

Hints and tips: Arranging a study visit as part of your postgraduate studies: Establishing international collaborations

In May 2018, I was fortunate to receive funding to support a 4-week study visit to the Amsterdam Interdisciplinary Centre for Emotions at the University of Amsterdam. In this article, reflecting upon my own experiences, I provide some (hopefully) useful hints and tips for organising your own study visit, from finding and contacting a host, applying for funding and making the most of your time away from your home institution.

Prospective Cohort of Deep Dyspareunia in an Interdisciplinary Setting

IntroductionDeep dyspareunia is a common symptom in women, including in half of women with endometriosis, but little is known about its response to treatment and predictors of persistent deep dyspareunia over time. AimTo follow up deep dyspareunia severity over a 1-year prospective cohort at an interdisciplinary center, and to identify baseline predictors of more persistent deep dyspareunia at 1 year. MethodsProspective 1-year cohort study at a tertiary referral center for pelvic pain and endometriosis, where a range of interdisciplinary treatments are provided at a single center (surgical, hormonal, physical, and psychological therapies). Exclusion criteria were menopause, age >50 years, and never previously sexually active. Primary outcome (deep dyspareunia severity) and secondary outcome (sexual quality of life) were followed up over 1 year. Ordinal logistic regression was performed, controlling for baseline severity of deep dyspareunia, to identify baseline predictors of deep dyspareunia severity at 1 year. Main Outcome MeasurePrimary outcome was severity of deep dyspareunia on an 11-point numeric rating scale (0–10), categorized into absent-mild (0–3), moderate (4–6), and severe (7–10); secondary outcome was sexual quality of life measured by the Endometriosis Health Profile-30. Results1-year follow-up was obtained for 278 subjects (56% response rate at 1 year; 278/497). Severity of deep dyspareunia improved over the 1 year (McNemar test, P < .0001): the proportion of patients in the severe category decreased from 55.0% to 30.4%, the moderate category remained similar from 17.7% to 25.0%, and the absent-mild category increased from 27.3% to 44.6%. Sexual quality of life also improved (56% to 43% on the sex subscale of the Endometriosis Health Profile-30) (Welch t test, P < .001). On ordinal regression, severity of deep dyspareunia at 1 year was independently associated with younger age (OR = 0.94, 95% CI = 0.91–0.97, P = .008), and with a higher baseline depression score on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.03–1.11, P = .01). Clinical ImplicationsClinicians should consider employing an interdisciplinary approach for deep dyspareunia, and screening for and treating depression symptoms in these women. Strength & LimitationsStrengths of the study include its prospective nature, and assessment of deep dyspareunia specifically (as opposed to superficial dyspareunia). Limitations include non-randomized design, and the patients lost to follow-up over the 1 year. ConclusionOver 1 year in an interdisciplinary setting, improvements were observed in deep dyspareunia and sexual quality of life, but younger women and those with more severe depression at baseline had more persistent deep dyspareunia at 1 year.Yong PJ, Williams C, Bodmer-Roy S, et al. Prospective Cohort of Deep Dyspareunia in an Interdisciplinary Setting. J Sex Med 2018;15:1765–1775.