The marine macroalgae of Cabo Verde archipelago : an updated checklist

An updated list of the names of the marine macroalgae of Cabo Verde, an archipelago of ten volcanic islands in the central Atlantic Ocean, is presented based on existing reports, and includes the addition of 36 species. The checklist comprises a total of 372 species names, of which 68 are brown algae (Ochrophyta), 238 are red algae (Rhodophyta) and 66 green algae (Chlorophyta). New distribution records reveal the existence of 10 putative endemic species for Cabo Verde islands, nine species that are geographically restricted to the Macaronesia, five species that are restricted to Cabo Verde islands and the nearby Tropical Western African coast, and five species known to occur only in the Maraconesian Islands and Tropical West Africa. Two species, previously considered invalid names, are here validly published as Colaconema naumannii comb. nov. and Sebdenia canariensis sp. nov.The present work was generated in the context of the Project PADDLE - Planning in the liquid world with tropical stakes, funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant 734271. DG was supported with the FCT postdoctoral grant SFRH/BPD/64963/2009. CIBIO-Açores is maintained with Portuguese (UID/BIA/50027/2013) and Azorean (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006821) funding.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

DNA sequencing reveals three new species of Chamberlainium (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) from South Africa, all formerly passing under Spongites yendoi

Three new non-geniculate coralline algal species from South Africa are described that were passing under the misapplied name, Spongites yendoi. Based on plastid encoded DNA sequences from psbA and rbcL markers, these species belong in the subfamily Chamberlainoideae. The DNA sequences, supported by the morpho-anatomical character of tetrasporangial conceptacle roof development, placed all three species in the genus Chamberlainium and not Pneophyllum, the only other genus in Chamberlainoideae. In addition to the diagnostic DNA sequences, Chamberlainium capense sp. nov., C. glebosum sp. nov. and Chamberlainium occidentale sp. nov. may be distinguished by a combination of habit, habitat, geographic distribution, and several morpho-anatomical features. Biogeographically all three species are found in the Benguela Marine Province of South Africa, with C. occidentale being the most widespread. Chamberlainium glebosum also has a wide, but disjunct distribution and C

Taxonomic investigation of Ralfsia-like (Ralfsiales, Phaeophyceae) taxa in the North Atlantic Ocean based on molecular and morphological data, with descriptions of Pseudoralfsiaceae fam. nov., Pseudoralfsia azorica gen. et sp. nov. and Nuchella vesicularis gen. et sp. nov.

In this study we investigatedRalfsia-like crusts (i.e. excludingRalfsiasensu stricto,Stragulariaspp. and/or Scytosiphonaceae crustose phases) with an emphasis on the North Atlantic Ocean using molecular data (COI-5P, ITS andrbcL-3P) combined with morpho-anatomical comparisons of type material and contemporary specimens. Of the four species ofRalfsiapreviously reported in Europe, onlyR. fungiformisis presently recognized as belonging toRalfsiasensu stricto, Ralfsiaceae, with the remaining species,R. lucida, R. ovataandR. verrucosa, of uncertain taxonomic status. Our study revealed 11 independent genetic lineages ofRalfsia-like taxa, which were not assignable to any of the recognized families of the Ralfsiales. To accommodate this diversity, we propose Pseudoralfsiaceae Parente, Fletcher & G.W.Saunders fam. nov., including two new generaPseudoralfsiaParente, Fletcher & G.W.Saunders gen. nov. andNuchellaParente, Fletcher & G.W.Saunders gen. nov. The first genus includesPseudoralfsia verrucosa(Areschoug) Parente, Fletcher & G.W.Saunders comb. nov. as the generitype (the only species of the three remaining European species of uncertain taxonomic status assigned toRalfsiathat was reassessed here),P. azoricaParente, Fletcher & G.W.Saunders sp. nov. and seven undescribed genetic groups, which require additional vouchers for description. The second genus has as generitypeNuchella vesicularisParente, Fletcher & G.W.Saunders sp. nov., and also includesN. sp._1MP, which was represented by a single sterile specimen from Swanage, UK and consequently not characterized. Three characteristics differentiateNuchellafromPseudoralfsia- the former typically with numerous vesicles, non-synchronous development of the plurangia and hair pits arising from both middle and lower cells of the erect filaments. Species of Pseudoralfsiaceae can be distinguished fromRalfsiasensu stricto (Ralfsiaceae) mainly by DNA sequences and by consistently having frequent hair pits, and typically unsymmetrical thalli.This research was funded by FEDER funds through the Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade - COMPETE and by national funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology in the scope of the MACROBIOMOL project (ref. PTDC/MAR/114613/2009) and under the UID/BIA/50027/2013 and POCI-010145-FEDER-006821 programmes. Work completed in the Saunders Laboratory was supported by the Canadian Barcode of Life Network from Genome Canada in association with the Ontario Genomics Institute, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, as well as other sponsors listed at www.boldsystems.org, with infrastructure support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and New Brunswick Innovation Foundation

The genus Spongites (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) in South Africa

Philosophiae Doctor - PhDCoralline red algae (Corallinales, Hapalidiales, Sporolithales: Corallinophycidae, Rhodophyta) are widespread and common in all the world’s oceans (Adey & McIntyre 1973; Johansen 1981; Littler et al. 1985; Björk et al. 1995; Aguirre et al. 2007; Harvey & Woelkerling 2007; Littler & Littler 2013). They achieve their highest diversity in the tropics and subtropics (Björk et al. 1995; Littler & Littler 2013; Riosmena-Rodríguez et al. 2017), and within the photic zone of rocky shores (Lee 1967; Littler 1973; Adey 1978; Adey et al. 1982; Steneck 1986; Kendrick 1991; Kaehler & Williams 1996; Gattuso et al. 2006; van der Heijden & Kamenos 2015; Riosmena-Rodríguez et al. 2017) where they serve as important carbonate structures (Adey et al. 1982; Littler & Littler 1994, 1997; Vermeij et al. 2011) and habitats for a host of marine species (Foster 2001; Amado-Filho et al. 2010; Foster et al. 2013; Littler & Littler 2013; Riosmena-Rodríguez et al. 2017). Coralline algae are resilient, inhabiting extreme conditions that include: low temperatures (Adey 1970, 1973; Freiwald & Hendrich 1994; Barnes et al. 1996; Freiwald 1996; Aguirre et al. 2000; Roberts et al. 2002; Björk et al. 2005; Martone et al. 2010); limited light exposures (Adey 1970; Littler & Littler 1985; Littler et al. 1985; Liddell & Ohlhorst 1988; Dullo et al. 1990; Littler & Littler 1994; Iryu et al. 1995; Stellar and Foster 1995; Gattuso et al. 2006; Aguirre et al. 2007; Littler & Littler 2013); severe wave action (Steneck 1989; Littler & Littler 2013); intense grazing pressures (Steneck 1989; Steneck & Dethier 1994; Maneveldt & Keats 2008; Littler & Littler 2013), highly fluctuating salinities (Harlin et al. 1985; Barry & Woelkerling 1995; Barnes et al. 1996; Wilson et al. 2004); including occurring in freshwater (Žuljevic et al. 2016), and constant sand scouring (Littler & Littler 1984; D’Antonio 1986; Kendrick 1991; Chamberlain 1993; Dethier 1994)

LOWER OLIGOCENE CORALLINE ALGAE OF THE UROMIEH SECTION (QOM FORMATION, NW IRAN) AND THE OLDEST RECORD OF <em>TITANODERMA PUSTULATUM</em> (CORALLINOPHYCIDAE, RHODOPHYTA)

The Rupelian Uromieh section of the Qom Formation was analyzed with the aim to provide a first description of its coralline algal assemblages, and benthic paleoenvironmental evolution through time. The presence of Nummulites fichteli, Nummulites vascus, Halkyardia maxima and Subterraniphyllum thomasii, together with the absence of Nephrolepidina and Eulepidina confirm an early to middle Rupelian age. In the lower part of the section, the abundance of miliolids and corals suggests a proximal inner-platform environment, while upsection the increase in large rotaliids, coralline algae and bryozoans points toward a distal inner-platform/proximal middle-platform setting. Coralline algal assemblages support this interpretation, with Sporolithales and Hapalidiales becoming more common in the upper part of the section. Within the coralline assemblage, Lithoporella melobesioides and Titanoderma pustulatum are two of the most common species, together with articulated coralline algae. S. thomasii is more common in  coral-rich intervals, confirming that the distribution of this species was confined to shallow-water environments. The specimens of T. pustulatum recovered in the Uromieh section predate all the other known records of this species, indicating that the origin of T. pustulatum should be dated at least at the early Rupelia

Six Thallus Surface Types of Coralline Algae with Descriptions of Two New Records of Amphiroa beauvoisii and Neogoniolithon setchellii in Sanya reef, China

Coralline algae are globally distributed calcifying species and play critical ecological roles to marine ecosystems by contributing significantly to their structural complexity and diversity. Thallus surface types of historical samples in Sanya coral reef reserve were studied based on the scanning electron microscope (SEM) method. Our results show six thallus surface types within the study area: Corallina-type, Jania-type, Leptophytum-type, Phymatolithon-type, Pneophyllum-type, and Spongites-type. The Phymatolithon-type is the dominant surface type in Sanya reefs. Two new record species in the region are described: Amphiroa beauvoisii and Neogoniolithon setchellii. Although thallus surface types provide useful diagnostics characters for distinguishing coralline algae at tribe or subfamily level, species identification needs to refer to the reproductive features. This is the first surface study of coralline algae in the South China Sea. This result provides the baseline data needed for the monitoring and management of reef-building organisms of coral reef in China

Molecular diversity of reef-associated crustose coralline algae (Corallinophycidae, Rhodophyta) of the Spermonde Archipelago, Indonesia

Although important consolidators and settlement inducers of organisms such as corals, echinoderms, and molluscs on coral reefs, crustose coralline algae (CCA) have been some of the least studied organisms in the megadiverse Coral Triangle in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean. CCA were sampled from reefs across different ecological zones of the Spermonde Archipelago within the Coral Triangle through diver collections along 10 X 1 m transects on coral reefs and deployment of Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS). Using DNA sequences of psbA, COI-5P, and rbcL barcodes, we re-assessed the diversity of the reef-associated CCA of this region, previously studied only using morpho-anatomy. Species delimitation methods resulted in 63 molecular operational taxonomic units (OTUs) representing 11 genera from three orders. This tripled the species richness previously reported, with cryptic diversity observed in all genera except Porolithon (order Corallinales) and Melyvonnea, (order Hapalidiales) represented by one OTU each. Distinct communities of CCA OTUs were recorded from reef surveys and the ARMS collections that targeted the external and internal reef environments, respectively. Thirty-five OTUs appeared to be endemic to the Spermonde Archipelago. The rich phylogenetic diversity exhibited in the Spermonde Archipelago, as in studies on other Pacific areas, revealed that a significant amount of biodiversity has been overlooked in Indo-Pacific reefs, especially in the Coral Triangle. These findings emphasize the need for more research before losses are incurred due to their vulnerability to climatic and anthropogenic threats

Dictyotaceae (Dictyotales, Phaeophyceae) species from French Polynesia: current knowledge and future research

The coral reefs of French Polynesia (FP) have experienced repeated macroalgal blooms over the last decades. These events have prompted intense efforts in fundamental and applied research on macroalgae in this ecoregion, especially regarding species of the order Fucales (Turbinaria ornata and Sargassum pacificum). Recently, however, these proliferations have occurred with a higher frequency, and they now involve additional species. Specifically, over the past decade, the abundance of species belonging to the Dictyotaceae family (e.g., Dictyota bartayresiana and Spatoglossum asperum) has increased on coral reefs around Tahiti Island, the largest and most inhabited island in FP. On the course of evolution, these species have developed physical and chemical defenses to deter grazers, including the production of a wide array of specialized metabolites. These molecules are of particular interest for their promising biological activities as well as for the new Blue Economy opportunities they can offer to FP. We review the current state of knowledge on the diversity, ecology, and potential uses of Dictyotaceae species present in FP. The first section focuses on the diversity and distribution of the family Dictyotaceae in FP. The second part examines the ecological dynamics of Dictyotaceae species in the coral reef ecosystem and their response to various environmental factors. The third and final part reviews the metabolites known from Dictyotaceae species that are present in FP, their associated biological activities, and potential for the development of biotechnological applications in FP

Cryptic Diversity of Mediterranean Neogoniolithon (Corallinales, Corallinophycidae, Rhodophyta)

Neogoniolithon is a widespread genus of non-geniculate coralline algae in the Mediterranean Sea. Three vaguely differentiated species have been reported in the region. This study examined the diversity of Neogoniolithon in the Mediterranean by inferring phylogenies using psbA and COI-5P markers, applying delimitation algorithms and comparing morpho-anatomies of putative species. In contrast to previous reports, 13 species were delimited from the Mediterranean in two distant clades. Initial observations suggested that tetrasporangial conceptacle size might be used to separate the two clades. Only three species showed fruticose morphologies. Further morpho-anatomical differentiation was difficult. One species included Mediterranean, Pacific and Atlantic samples, while three other species occurred in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. The global tree revealed that most species were geographically restricted. Crypticity in multiple lineages implied a much higher diversity than currently reported, even lacking samples from the eastern Mediterranean. Only sequence data can be used to identify these cryptic lineages. High endemism emphasizes the importance of conservation of coralline algal bioconstructions to prevent extinctions. The presence of cryptic diversity also invites a reassessment of the knowledge on species distributions that are important in conservation planning and management.4D-REEF EU Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska Curie grant agreement no. 813360