Although the practice of recreational feeding of fish by tourists is widespread within marine protected areas (MPAs), the ecological consequences of this activity have received little attention. This research aimed to investigate the influence of artificial feeding on reef fish communities of two Brazilian MPAs. Visual censuses were performed in areas not visited by tourists, in order to characterize the natural community structure of each reef system. In the Maracajaú reefs, the effect of artificial feeding was assessed below a moored floating dock found in the area. Stationary visual censuses were carried out before, during and after the fish feeding activity. In the Maragogi reefs, areas with presence and absence of tourism visitation were established. Transect methodology was employed in each of these areas. On both MPAs, fish feeding was a formal activity and occurred on a daily basis during the course of this study. Within the MPAs, 88 species belonging to 40 families were recorded. In Maracajaú, fish, shrimps and squids were provided by the tourists on the floating dock, which favoured mobile invertebrate feeders, whereas in Maragogi, animal ration and human food were used, causing aggregations of omnivores. Differences were observed in terms of abundance between before and after feeding in Maracajaú and between the control and impacted areas of Maragogi. The data are consistent with fish feeding leading to attraction of determined species, causing an increase in their abundance, also indicating that both the type of food and the extension of activity area are important factors determining the effects on fish communities.

An in vitro feeding method using rabbit or cattle skin membranes, applied successfully to all stages (larvae, nymphae and adults) of the ixodid tick, Amblyomma variegatum, is described. The feeding apparatus consisted of a blood container with a membrane placed on top of a tick containment unit. A carbon dioxide atmosphere of between 5 and 10% and a temperature of 37 °C were used as stimulants for the attachment of the ticks. High CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere improved the feeding success of all instars. The effect of anticoagulation methods for the bloodmeal was investigated, and heparinized blood was found to be the most suitable for tick feeding. When the bloodmeal was replaced by tissue culture medium for feeding nymphs the subsequent moulting success was reduced. Adult ticks of both sexes remained attached for up to 16 days, until completion of their bloodmeals. All stages of the tick fed on whole blood in the artificial feeding system and all reached engorged weights less than those achieved by control ticks fed on experimental animals. A large proportion of ticks, fed artificially on whole blood, moulted or laid eggs successfully. The method was successfully applied for the transmission of Theileria mutans and Cowdria ruminantium to cattle.

An apparatus for artificial feeding of Rhipicephalus appendiculatus nymphae was modified to improve feeding performance. Heparinized blood was supplied above a treated artificial membrane while the ticks attached below on its undersurface. The feeding apparatus was incubated at 37 °C in an atmosphere of 3% CO2 concentration and a relative humidity of 75–80%. Under these conditions, 91% of the engorged nymphae attained a mean weight of 6–11 mg, and an average of 93% of those nymphae moulted into adults. When this system was used to feed nymphal ticks on blood infected with Theileria parva piroplasms, the mean prevalence of infection in the resultant female and male ticks was 86% and 54%, respectively. The feeding performance and T. parva infection levels were comparable to those of nymphal ticks fed on the blood donor cattle. The apparatus used in this study has potential for modification to suit the artificial feeding needs of other species of ixodid ticks and for use in investigations to examine other tick/pathogen relationships.

Argasid ticks have been induced to feed successfully through different types of artificial membranes but this technique has not been easily applicable on ixodid ticks. In order to get hard ticks to feed artificially, two major approaches have been employed: Feeding on a diet through artificial membranes; and feeding from diet-filled capillary tubes placed over the tick's mouthparts. In both cases the ixodid ticks could not be fed to repletion. This paper gives a brief account about artificial feeding of ticks in general and the techniques used to obtain successful feeding of an ixodid tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus through a modified Baudruche membrane.

Five (Sergentomyia antennatus, S. garnhami, S. schwetzi, S. ingrami and S. adleri) of the six species of sandflies fed on mammalian blood containing cultured Leishmania donovani promastigotes on day 0, were able to feed through cockerel skin membranes at 5.5, 10, 34.3, 45.7 and 95% feeding rates, respectively. Sergentomyia bedfordi was able to feed on mammalian blood only through a lizard skin membrane at 100% feeding rate. Promastigotes were found in 9.3, 25 and 37.5% of S. schwetzi, S. adleri and S. ingrami respectively, dissected on days 3–9.

The results open way for artificial feeding of Kenyan sandflies on mammalian blood through membranes, and indicate that it is necessary to select the type of membrane depending on sandfly species. The ability of L. donovani to develop in Kenyan sandflies is being investigated to experimentally establish and confirm the importance of various genera and species in the epidemiology of leishmaniasis.