David Iluz

Beit Berl College · Environmental Sciences and Agricalture

Ocean warming threatens the stability and survival of marine ecosystems, exposing species to lethal and sub-lethal effects. This is true particularly at their warm distributional edge, and more so, in extreme and highly variable environments like the intertidal zone where they can be often exposed to temperatures close or beyond their thermal limit...

The impacts of artificial light at night (ALAN) on marine ecosystems have emerged as a focus for ecological light pollution research in recent years, yet the global prevalence of ALAN in underwater marine ecosystems is unknown. We have derived a global atlas of ALAN throughout the marine water column that will accelerate our understanding of its so...

The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) coordinates responses to environmental signals with developmental changes and is important for stress resilience and crop yield. However, fundamental questions remain about how this phytohormone affects microalgae growth and stress regulation throughout the different stages of their life cycle. In this study, t...

Coral reefs are undergoing a severe decline due to ocean acidification, seawater warming and anthropogenic eutrophication. We demonstrate the applicability of Deep Learning (DL) for following these changes. We examined the distribution and frequency appearance of the eleven most common coral species at four sites in the Gulf of Eilat. We compared d...

Microalgae have gained significant importance in biotechnology development, providing valuable goods and services in multiple applications. Although there is a rising market for most of these applications, the incorporation and introduction of microalgae into new venues will extend in the near future. These advances are due to the vast biodiversity...

In the context of a broad study aimed at examining dyeing technologies in the Timna textiles collection, three samples of prestigious fibers dyed with murex sea snail were identified. Our identification is based on the presence of 6-monobromoindigotin and 6 , 6-dibromoindigotin components (detected using HPLC analysis), which is considered unequivo...

We describe the application of the computerized deep learning methodology to the recognition of corals in a shallow reef in the Gulf of Eilat, Red Sea. This project is aimed at applying deep neural network analysis, based on thousands of underwater images, to the automatic recognition of some common species among the 100 species reported to be foun...

Here we elaborate the underlying responses of photosynthesis and related processes in the thermotolerant microalga Micractinium sp. acclimated to limiting and saturating irradiances combined with elevated temperatures, by using a novel computer‐controlled multi‐sensor system which allows monitoring online values of oxygen exchange in photosynthesis...

Because of their high lipid content, microalgae are regarded as a potentially competitive source for biofuels. However, one of the main biotechnological challenges in algae-based biofuels is that cell division is arrested under conditions which promote lipid accumulation, resulting in reduced overall lipid yield. In this study, sethoxydim-resistant...

The influence of hydrosol nonsphericity on the polarization characteristics of light under water is investigated by combining accurate single-scattering models for randomly oriented spheroidal scatterers with a radiative transfer model that employs Stokes formalism and considers refraction of direct unpolarized solar radiation and 100% linearly pol...

The influence of internal inhomogeneities within hydrosol particles on the polarization characteristics of light is investigated by combining an accurate coated sphere (core-shell) single-scattering model with a radiative transfer model that employs Stokes formalism and considers refraction of direct solar radiation at the air–water interface follo...

The influence of internal inhomogeneities within hydrosol particles on the polarization characteristics of light is investigated by combining an accurate coated sphere (core-shell) single-scattering model with a radiative transfer model that employs Stokes formalism and considers refraction of direct solar radiation at the air-water interface follo...

Light polarization characteristics, i. e., degree of linear polarization (DoLP) and angle of linear polarization (AoLP), were documented in the depth of the littoral cave system of Rosh HaNikra on the northern Mediterranean shore of Israel (33° 5′ 35.24″ N, 35° 6′ 17.16″ E), based on light intensity sampled through polarizing filters at different h...

This book contains inside information on how to build a coral reef anywhere, disconnected from the sea. Reef keeper is an art. Each reef in an aquarium has a different size and weight and the specific properties and requirements, therefore the calculated indices are variable but the design and treatment principles are the same. The difficulty of co...

Abstract Padina pavonica is one of the common macro-algae that inhabit coastal inter-tidal zones around the world. It is one of the two brown algae known to science today that calcifies. It precipitates CaCO3 in the microscopy form of Aragonite needle shape seen macroscopically as a vertical ventral stripes. Here we will summarize the information a...

Underwater image reconstruction methods require the knowledge of wideband attenuation coefficients per color channel. Current estimation methods for these coefficients require specialized hardware or multiple images, and none of them leverage the multitude of existing ocean optical measurements as priors. Here, we aim to constrain the set of physic...

In this article, we focus on the analysis of dyed textile fragments uncovered at an early Iron Age (11th-10th centuries BCE) copper smelting site during new excavations in the Timna Valley conducted by the Central Timna Valley (CTV) Project, as well as those found by the Arabah Expedition at the Hathor Temple (Site 200), dated to the Late Bronze/ea...

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Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are causing ocean acidification (OA), which affects calcifying organisms. Recent studies have shown that Padina pavonica investigated along a natural pCO2 gradient seems to acclimate to OA by reducing calcified structures and changing mineralogy from aragonite to calcium sulphate salts. The aim of the present study was t...

The aim of this work was to use green and simply synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N@CDs) based on carbonized bovine serum albumin (BSA) to boost the accumulation of astaxanthin in microalgae. The BSA carbon dots revealed a high blue emission having a quantum yield of up to 44%, which is superior to all previously reported carbon dots. By dir...

The aim of this work was to use green and simply synthesized nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N@CDs) based on carbonized bovine serum albumin (BSA) to boost the accumulation of astaxanthin in microalgae. The BSA carbon dots revealed a high blue emission having a quantum yield of up to 44%, which is superior to all previously reported carbon dots. By dir...

The urbanization of the shores of the Gulf of Aqaba has exposed the marine environment there, including unique fringing coral reefs, to strong anthropogenic light sources. Here we present the first in situ measurements of artificial nighttime light under water in such an ecosystem, with irradiance measured in 12 wavelength bands, at 19 measurement...

Pottery sherds stained with purple dye were found in the excavations at Tel Shiqmona, and were dated to the Iron Age II period. Analysis by HPLC-DAD identified the dye as ‘true purple’, derived from the Hexaplex trunculus sea snail, which is associated with the purple-dye industry that flourished in the coastal area at that time. This result is com...

Tzachy Morada, Zvy Dubinskya, Gil Rilovb, Barak Herutb & David Iluza a Department of life science, Bar-Ilan University, Israel b Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research Abstract: In this study we examined the intertidal meiobenthos distribution in the soil at 3 sites in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea exposed to a pollution gradi...

Since the Industrial Revolution, increasing atmospheric CO2 has been causing a rise in the concentration of carbon dioxide dissolved in seawater. This process results in seawater acidification, which has a major impact on the physical and chemical parameters of the oceans, consequently affecting the numerous calcifying organisms in the marine envir...

The bathymetric distribution of reef-building, zooxanthellate corals is constrained by the attenuation of underwater light. The products of algal symbiont photosynthesis provide a major share of the energy, supporting the metabolic needs of the animal host. The two orders of magnitude in the underwater light field spanned by corals are overcome by...

In a littoral cave system, abiotic environmental properties, such as the intensity and spectral distribution of light, often change going from the exterior to the interior part of the cave, filtering the light and thus creating a deep-sea irradiance setting for marine flora. In this mini-review, we suggest that the supralittoral zone in littoral ca...

Photosynthesis and growth in Dunaliella salina were significantly (P ≤ 0.01) enhanced under flashing light with a light–dark cycle tailored for the minimal activation of the violaxanthin cycle (VC), in comparison with cultures grown under constant illumination of the same time-integrated photon dose. The experiments were performed without using inh...

An energy-input analysis of the life-cycle of microalgal cultivation systems was performed to study the oil-rich biomass production from fast-growing microalgae, for biodiesel production purposes. We estimated and compared the energy demands for the algal biomass cultivation in open-ponds (OP) with that required in closed-system photobioreactors (P...

An energy-input analysis of the life-cycle of microalgal cultivation systems was performed to study the oil-rich biomass production from fast-growing microalgae, for biodiesel production purposes. We estimated and compared the energy demands for the algal biomass cultivation in open-ponds (OP) with that required in closed-system photobioreactors (P...

The violaxanthin cycle (VC) is an important mechanism for coping with the excessive photon flux operating in the photosynthetic apparatus in higher plants and algae under continuous illumination. However, the role of VC in the acclimation of photosynthesis to flashing illumination remains unclear. We report on the growth, VC dynamics, non-photochem...

The relationship between reef-building corals and light-harvesting pigments of zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium sp.) has been acknowledged for decades. The photosynthetic activity of the algal endocellular symbionts may provide up to 90% of the energy needed for the coral holobiont. This relationship limits the bathymetric distribution of coral reefs to...

in Hebrew

The eastern Mediterranean coast was the center of the dyeing industry in the ancient world. Royal purple, the most famous indigoid dye of antiquity, was derived from hypobranchial-gland extracts of various marine gastropod mollusks. Extensive marine biological surveys have revealed that the only snails in the Mediterranean that produce stable dyes...

Photoacclimation processes are crucial for the survival of all photosynthetic organisms in the photic zone. Changes in photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) are however simultaneous to changes in UV-B radiation. The influence of UV-B levels on bio-optical and physiological parameters of deep (30 m) corals from the species Stylophora pistillata and...

The definition of antioxidants, given in 1995 by Halliwell and Gutteridge, stated that an antioxidant is “any substance that, when present at low concentrations compared with that of an oxidizable substrate, significantly delays or inhibits oxidation of that substrate” [1]. In 2007, Halliwell gave a more specific definition, stating that an antioxi...

This article presents three prestigious textiles dyed with murex shellfish, which were found in the Murabba'at Caves in the Judean Desert and are dated to the Roman Period. The textiles were analyzed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results of the analysis indicate that one textile was dyed using Hexaplex trunculus and its c...

a b s t r a c t Most studies conducted on the desert oasis effect have focused on the summer season, while the winter has received less attention. This study aimed to determine existence of the oasis climatic effect in winter season and investigate influence of different vegetation types on its intensity and dynamics. Measure-ments were conducted d...

In this study, we describe the seasonal patterns and the depth dependence of the underwater distribution of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) in the Gulf of Eilat (Aqaba). Our data show a remarkable seasonal variation in the daily irradiance dose that reaches the benthos, including seaweeds, turf algae, seagr...

Microalgae appear to have the potential to become a major source of oils and contribute significantly as a source of lipids for biofuel, with economically valuable by-products, such as fine chemicals for industry, glycerol, beta-carotene, vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates, volatile substances, and a high protein residue suitable as poultry feed....

Two alternative mechanisms are suggested for nitrite accumulation in the oxygenated oligotrophic water column: (1) excretion by phytoplankton or (2) microbial oxidation of ammonium (nitrification). This study assessed the role of these 2 mechanisms, based on seasonal and high-resolution diurnal depth profiles of the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DI...

Solar light penetrates deep into the clear water of oligotrophic oceans and may have both beneficial and destructive effects on marine phytoplankton. In oligotrophic waters worldwide, phytoplankton communities consist mostly of ultraphytoplankton of the groups Synechococcus and Prochlorococcus, which differ in their optical properties and, therefor...

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Mediterranean shores of Israel have experienced invasions of several alien Indo-Pacific seaweed species. This phenomenon has been observed mainly on the northern Israeli Mediterranean shore, particularly near the port of Haifa. Here we report and dis-cuss the first record of the common Indo-Pacific seawe...

The above-ground surfaces of terrestrial plants, the phyllosphere, comprise the main interface between the terrestrial biosphere and solar radiation. It is estimated to host up to 10(26) microbial cells that may intercept part of the photon flux impinging on the leaves. Based on 454-pyrosequencing-generated metagenome data, we report on the existen...

Milk indigested glycans hamper infections by blocking pathogen adhesion to babies’ cells via lectins (sugar-binding proteins). This study describes usage of five pathogenic bacterial lectins and two plant lectins for analyses of alpaca, buffalo, camel, cow, dog, fallow deer, giraffe, goat, horse, human, rabbit, and sheep milks, and also commercial...

Aphids belong to the suborder Sternorrhyncha, which contains the aphids, whiteflies, psyllids, and scale insects, groups which are included in the order Hemiptera (Table 1). Sternorrhyncha refers to the rearward position of the mouthparts relative to the head.

Zoochory is the dispersal of diaspores by animals. Animals can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of animals, a process known as epizoochory. Seed dispersal via ingestion by animals, or endozoochory, is the dispersal mechanism for most tree species. Thediaspores of endozoochorous plants are eaten by animal...

Human society and its religions and cultures have laid out numerous guidelines, often involving dietary restrictions (Deut. 14:4-5; Lev. 11:2-7). One such set of restrictions still observed by many Jews today relates to the distinction between pure and impure, edible and forbidden mammals (Talmud Bavli, Avoda Zara 35b). The ancient Jewish dietary l...

The energy storage efficiency of photosynthesis is a sensitive diagnostic tool for probing the physiological status of phytoplankton in the laboratory and in nature. Photoacoustics (PA) allows direct determination of the energy storage efficiency of photosynthesis as the ratio of energy stored in the photosynthetic process, and not dissipated as he...

Depth zonation on coral reefs is largely driven by the amount of downwelling, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) that is absorbed by the symbiotic algae (zooxanthellae) of corals. The minimum light requirements of zooxanthellae are related to both the total intensity of downwelling PAR and the spectral quality of the light. Here we used Styl...

Shallow-water zooplanktivorous fish rely on their vision for foraging. In shallow water, feeding efficiency decreases in dim light and thus the fish cease foraging at crepuscular hours. Creatures living in the lower parts of their depth ranges are expected to be exposed to limited light levels for longer hours. However, observations of the zooplank...

Commiphora gileadensis is a plant that was cultivated in ancient times in the land of Israel, particularly in the oases of the Dead Sea Basin — Ein Gedi and Jericho. The plant, also known as balsam, was renowned for the expensive perfume that was produced from it, as well as for exceptional medicinal properties that were attributed to its sap, wood...