In human-transformed landscapes, predators may feed on domesticated animals, and thus affect human well-being, creating negative perceptions and leading to conflict with people that can result in the persecution of the predator. We studied the factors that influence the perception of the Black-and-chestnut Eagle (Spizaetus isidori) in four rural Andean communities in Colombia and compiled historical and recent evidence on the persecution and other causes of mortality of this species in the country. We applied 267 questionnaires and conducted 16 interviews with local inhabitants, via visits to homes and schools in the surroundings of S. isidori nests. The perception of S. isidori by the inhabitants was largely negative and influenced by different socio-demographic factors such as gender, chicken (Gallus gallus) ownership, and chicken management. The records we obtained indicate that 47 eagles were shot, 16 were captured (three for illegal trafficking) and two were electrocuted on hightension wires. The persecution of S. isidori occurs as retaliation or as a preventative measure against chicken predation, and is a significant cause of mortality of this species in Colombia. Effective conservation planning for S. isidori in Colombia needs to go further than the protected areas system, and include a socioecological perspective in conservation practices applied at landscapes scales that are dominated by people. Education programs and socioecological research, along with participatory work in local communities are key to the conservation of S. isidori in breeding territories. This approach can also prevent conflict over food resources-G. gallus and other poultry-that are shared by humans and S. isidori in rural landscapes.

As the growth of the whale-watching activity increases rapidly around the world, the challenge of responsible management and sustainability also rises. Without suitable management, operators may try to maximize their own profits by breaking the rules, which may negatively affect cetaceans. In this paper, the applicability of conditions for sustainability governance in humpback whale-watching was evaluated. To achieve this purpose, semi-structured interviews were conducted in Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park, Colombia. Results of this study showed that humpback whale-watching is characterized by unevenness in connections with markets, income inequality and the distribution of operators across several villages and cities. The combination of which restricts cooperation between operators. Nevertheless, there are informal agreements among the operators, and some operators are motivated to form associations. Besides, environmental entities have been responsible of regulation in lack of community-based management. However, this still does not achieve effective enforcement of the rules. Stakeholders (communities and government authorities) must mediate trust and reciprocity among operators to improve the situation. It is important to involve all operators to fill gaps in the limited government monitoring capacity and absence of sanctions. This is relevant to continue monitoring the evolution of the whale-watching in this and other Marine Protected Areas, so that the sustainability of the activity is not affected in the future.

Marine-derived fungi are of great interest as new promising sources of biologically active products due to its diversity in chemical structures and biological activities. The objective of this study was aimed to determine the cytotoxicity of marine sponge-derived fungi that collected from Kepulauan Seribu Marine National Park. The fungi were fermented in a static liquid culture of malt extract broth medium (containing 0.3% malt extract, 0.3% yeast extract, 0.5% peptone and seawater) for 3 weeks at 27-29°C. Bioactive secondary metabolites of fungi were extracted using ethyl acetate. Cytotoxicity of the extract was performed by using MTT assay. A total of 17 isolates were tested against T47D cell at a concentration of 30 µg/mL, among them, isolate of MFP270 exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity. Further analysis showed that mycelium extract of MFP270 had stronger cytotoxicity (IC50 = 28.3 µg/mL) than broth extract (IC50 = 645 µg/mL). The MFP270 marine fungal was identified as Aspergillus sp. base on its morphology features.