ABSTRACT: Marine turtles have been traditionally considered model organisms to study sex-biased behaviour and dispersal. Although female philopatry has been identified in the loggerhead turtle, with adult females returning to specific locations to nest, studies on the philopatry and breeding migrations of males remain limited. In this study we analysed 152 hatchlings using 15 microsatellite markers. Each individual came from a different nest from samples taken at 8 nesting grounds in the Mediterranean. Our results revealed the existence of 5 genetically differentiated units, mostly due to restricted gene flow for both sexes. This supports existing satellite tracking studies that suggest that mating occurs close to nesting grounds in this region. The 5 management units identified within the Mediterranean included nesting grounds from (1) Libya and Cyprus, (2) Israel, (3) Lebanon, (4) Turkey and (5) Greece. The genetic similarity between distant nesting areas (i.e. Libya and Cyprus) suggests the presence of a more complex pattern of breeding behaviour. Three possible hypotheses, that remain to be tested in future studies, could explain this result: (1) mating might take place in common foraging grounds; (2) mating could occur en route while migrating to/from the breeding grounds; or (3) recent colonisation events could connect the 2 nesting grounds. Overall, our work suggests that widespread male-mediated gene flow between loggerhead nesting grounds is likely to have been previously overstated although opportunistic breeding patterns might connect some widely separated areas.
Abdulmula Abdumagid Alhadi Hamza(1-2022)

The results of marine turtle research and conservation in Libya have not been very well promoted or shared at the regional level, as always claimed by the scientific community. However, this did not affect the commitment of the authority, research institutes, and even civil society towards Marine turtle conservation to safeguard Mediterranean Biodiversity. Indeed, close collaboration at national and regional levels made possible the edition of the present book, which will fill some gaps to further complete the marine turtle picture in the Mediterranean. Furthermore, The National Action Plan for the Conservation of Marine Turtles and Their Habitats in Libya has been updated , reviewed and adopted by the main stakeholders in Libya (sea users, professionals, fishermen, public institutes, individual researchers, NGOs active in marine conservation) during an online national workshop held on the 9th of December 2020 within the framework of the implementation of phase 1 of the Mava Marine turtles project (2017-2020). Through the second phase of the project (2020 - 2022), SPA/RAC will continue supporting Libya to implement its national action plan for the conservation of marine turtles and its habitats, besides the nesting monitoring, the national stranding network will be set up and promoted at a national level. The LibSTP team will focus on working with key actors, mainly the local communities, in Sirte and Farwa to achieve effective and sustainable protection of these priority areas
Abdulmula Abdumagid Alhadi Hamza(1-2021)

Study discusses the genetic basis for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in some Libyan patients at Tripoli city, examining the distribution of variants that associated with mutations in exon 12 of low density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) gene on chromosome 19. Genetic analysis were done using polymerases chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) based on DNA technique, to detect splicing defects of the LDL-R gene in exon 12 on chromosome 19, among some Libyans patients probably have heterozygous familial hypercholesterol-emia (HeFH). The patient’svolunteer’s participants in this study were from Tajjora National Cardiac Center, Endocrine and Diabetic Hospital in Tripoli. The study showed the presence of the splicing defects (1845 +11 C>G)in the exon 12 of the LDL-R gene on chromosome 19 in patients with hyperchol-esterolemia and ischemic heart disease, as they have family history in hypercholesterolemia and other secondary causes to heart disease such as diabetic, hypertension, chest pain, and obesity. Frequency of HeFH Libyan patients was (0.86%), and the significant of statistical analysis were{p-value>0.05}, which considered high according to clinical diagnostic criteria for HeFH. As well as detection the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (1773C>T) that alter the exon splicing efficiency, because it is associated with an emerging of the functional genetic variants for mutations in exon-12, where results of molecular diagnosis confirmed that occurrence the mutation of (LDL-R gene) relates to premature coronary artery diseases(P-CAD). arabic 35 English 137
Soomia Ahmed Ali Al-Haddad(1-2016)