European Scientific Journal, ESJ

Etat des lieux de la diversité et de la dynamique des communautés piscicoles du Lac Madarounfa (Niger)

Yacouba Hamadou — 2025-02-17

Classé site Ramsar en 2019, le Lac de Madarounfa est la zone humide la plus importante de la région de Maradi où les activités de pêches sont pratiquées toute l’année. Le présent travail vise à analyser la diversité et la dynamique des communautés ichtyologiques de ce plan d’eau. L’ichtyofaune a été inventoriée pendant 12 mois dans les prises des pêcheurs traditionnels et celles d’une senne de filet moustiquaire.. L’identification au niveau spécifique des poissons a été effectuée à l’aide de clés d’identification. Après identification des espèces, les individus sont comptés , mesurés et pesés.. Ainsi, après 12 mois d’inventaire et de caractérisation des communautés piscicoles du lac, 24 espèces appartenant à 12 familles ont été identifiées. Les Cichlidés représentés par 4 espèces et les mormyridés avec 3 espèces sont les familles les plus diversifiées. Les espèces les plus abondantes dans les captures sont : Oreochromis niloticus (30,96%) et Sarotherodon galillaeus (19,56%). Les indices de diversité spécifique (3,31 bits) et d'équitabilité (0,28) obtenus montrent que l’ichtyofaune du lac a une diversité moyenne et une mauvaise répartition des individus au sein des familles. Les résultats de ces investigations ichtyologiques serviront de données de références de l’ichtyofaune du lac de Madarounfa et enrichiront le répertoire national. Ces résultats serviront également aux décideurs dans le cadre de l’aménagement et de la gestion de la ressource piscicole.

Classified as a Ramsar site in 2019, Lake Madarounfa is the most important wetland in the Maradi region where fishing activities are practiced all year round. This work aims to analyze the diversity and dynamics of the ichthyological communities of this body of water. The ichthyofauna was inventoried for 12 months in the catches of traditional fishermen and those of a mosquito net seine. Identification at the specific level of fish was carried out using identification keys. After species identification, individuals are counted, measured, and weighed. Thus, after 12 months of inventory and characterization of the fish communities of the lake, 24 species belonging to 12 families were identified. Cichlids represented by 4 species and mormyrids with 3 species are the most diverse families. The most abundant species in the catches are: Oreochromis niloticus (30.96%) and Sarotherodon galillaeus (19.56%). The indices of specific diversity (3.31 bits) and equitability (0.28) obtained show that the ichthyofauna of the lake has an average diversity and a poor distribution of individuals within families. The results of these ichthyological investigations will serve as reference data for the ichthyofauna of Lake Madarounfa and will enrich the national directory. These results will also be used by decision-makers in the context of the development and management of fish resources.

AI-based Machine Translations in Tourism and Hospitality: An Exploratory Study of Travelers’ Perceptions and Future Challenges

Elisa Rancati — 2025-02-17

With the progress of AI-driven technologies, machine translation has significantly impacted tourists' travel experiences by transforming how they engage with or interpret language at their destinations. However, the body of empirical literature on the benefits, obstacles, and future prospects of these emerging technologies in tourism and hospitality is yet to be fully explored. This study aims to explore and outline 320 travelers' perceptions of machine translation. A distinctive sample of Italian travelers, along with their current and potential customers in the digital environment, is analyzed. Descriptive statistics was used to present the number and main characteristics of travelers‘ perceptions about AI-based machine translators. Travelers were grouped into two clusters based on perceived benefits and implementation challenges. Our findings contribute to the growing literature on AI-based machine translators and offer practical insights by mapping the benefits, challenges, outlook, and maturity levels of machine translations. The results provide both theoretical and practical insights for improving the use of AI-based machine translations and their role in tourism and hospitality industries. This is among the first studies exploring the tourism and hospitality approaches adopted by travelers to manage their interactions with AI-based machine translations while traveling abroad.

Digital Linguistic Markers of Emotions As of the September 2024 Hostilities in Lebanon: A Case Study in Communication Arts Course at a University Level in Southern Lebanon

Nadine Sami Joudi — 2025-02-16

Language and emotions are intricate systems that have several interactions. Amid the expeditious spread of digitalization and the upswing of various international issues, this case study seeks to explore how students at the Lebanese University in the South utilize language on social media to convey their emotions as of the 2024 clashes and airstrikes in Lebanon. Further, it aims to identify digital linguistic markers that reflect key emotional states and social identity. Drawing on discourse analysis which acknowledges language as a dynamic system that is influenced by shared experiences, values, and beliefs, and importantly, by Conceptual Act Theory which explores how meaning is constructed from experiences and perceptions and on sentiment analysis, a mixed-methods approach is employed. A convenient sampling of (191) university EFL students taking the Communication Arts module during the fall semester of 2024-2025 complete an online survey of 15 multiple choice and Likert scale items. Twelve students joined a focus group discussion and 155 out of 191 participants interacted on the web-based application, Padlet. The findings show that utilizing language in the context of social media platforms through words, emojis, hashtags, slogans, or posting articles, images, or videos, plays a vital role not only in channelling positive and negative sentiments in a constructive way, but also in signaling to belong to a collective identity during times of crisis in Lebanon. The overall analysis indicated that using various linguistic practices on social media platforms communicates positive and negative emotions, and upholds social norms and ideologies.