Automated detection of ncRNAs in the draft genome sequence of a colonial tunicate: the carpet sea squirt Didemnum vexillum

Statistics D. vexillum draft genome. (PDF 485 kb

Report on the 2013: Rapid assessment survey of marine species at New England Bays and Harbors

Introduced species (i.e., non-native species that have become established in\ud a new location) have increasingly been recognized as a concern as they have\ud become more prevalent in marine and terrestrial environments (Mooney and\ud Cleland 2001; Simberloff et al. 2005). The ability of introduced species to alter\ud population, community, and ecosystem structure and function, as well as\ud cause significant economic damage is well documented (Carlton 1989, 1996b,\ud 2000; Cohen and Carlton 1995; Cohen et al. 1995; Elton 1958; Meinesz et al.\ud 1993; Occhipinti-Ambrogi and Sheppard 2007; Pimentel et al. 2005; Thresher\ud 2000). The annual economic costs incurred from managing the approximately\ud 50,000 introduced species in the United States alone are estimated to be over\ud $120 billion (Pimentel et al. 2005).\ud Having a monitoring network in place to track new introductions and\ud distributional changes of introduced species is critical for effective\ud management, as these efforts may be more successful when species are\ud detected before they have the chance to become established. A rapid\ud assessment survey is one such method for early detection of introduced\ud species. With rapid assessment surveys, a team of taxonomic experts\ud record and monitor marine species–providing a baseline inventory of\ud native, introduced, and cryptogenic (i.e., unknown origin) species (as\ud defined by Carlton 1996a)–and document range expansions of previously\ud identified species.\ud Since 2000, five rapid assessment surveys have been conducted in New\ud England. These surveys focus on recording species at marinas, which often\ud are in close proximity to transportation vectors (i.e., recreational boats).\ud Species are collected from floating docks and piers because these structures\ud are accessible regardless of the tidal cycle. Another reason for sampling floating\ud docks and other floating structures is that marine introduced species are often\ud found to be more prevalent on artificial surfaces than natural surfaces (Glasby\ud and Connell 2001; Paulay et al. 2002). The primary objectives of these surveys\ud are to: (1) identify native, introduced, and cryptogenic marine species,\ud (2) expand on data collected in past surveys, (3) assess the introduction status\ud and range extensions of documented introduced species, and (4) detect new\ud introductions. This report presents the introduced, cryptogenic, and native\ud species recorded during the 2013 survey.CZM through NOAA NA13NOS4190040MIT Sea Grant through NOAA NA10OAR4170086

The evolutionary history of parasitic gastropods and their coral hosts in the Indo-Pacific

This thesis deals with the associations between parasitic snails and their mushroom coral hosts. Gittenberger has spent 800 hours under water and searched about 60,000 coral discs for these parasites. He dived in Egypt, the Maldives, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, Palau, the Philippines, Indonesia and Australia. Places that are less popular with divers, like very deep or shallow sites, areas with strong currents, murky water, or sandy bottoms, received special attention. The greatest biodiversity was found off Sulawesi, a region that needs protection. Except for shell morphology, molecular, anatomical and ecological characters of the snails were studied. As a result it turned out that many more species exist than hitherto thought. Some dozens of unnamed cryptic ones were discovered. These can be distinguished most clearly by their DNA and their host specificity. The species of parasitic snails evolved most probably by bypassing the defence mechanism of one or a few coral species. Most of the data support a sympatric speciation model for these taxa. The molecular phylogenies of the parasites and their hosts were compared to investigate the amount of co-evolution.WOTRO; Naturalis; Jan Joost ter Pelkwijkfonds; Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen; Alida M. Buitendijk FondsUBL - phd migration 201

Dreissenids' breaking loose: differential attachment as a possible driver of the dominance shift between two invasive mussel species

Contains fulltext : 232244.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access

Nieuwe mosdiertjes van Noordzeewrakken (Bryozoa)

In het kader van het project ‘Duik de Noordzee Schoon’ worden scheepswrakken onderzocht, beschreven en van afval ontdaan. Scheepswrakken vormen een bijzonder leefgebied in het mariene milieu, met een hoge biodiversiteit. Dit bleek weer tijdens onderzoek van visnetten die van ver weg gelegen wrakken waren verwijderd. Hierbij werden maar liefst vier nieuwe mosdiertjes voor de Nederlandse fauna aangetroffen

Females floated first in bubble-rafting snails

SummaryEver since Mivart asked Darwin to explain a bird's use for half a wing, biologists have been challenged to explain extraordinary evolutionary change mechanistically. Here, we investigate the enigmatic evolutionary origins of Janthinidae, a family of marine snails that raft passively in the neuston, a vast oceanic surface habitat, by constructing floats of mucus bubbles. We present the first molecular phylogeny including Janthinidae, which confirms that janthinids are derived from Epitoniidae (wentletraps) — benthic predators and parasites of sea anemones and corals. Our data support the hypothesis that floats and rafting evolved via modified epitoniid egg masses rather than by juvenile droguing. Our phylogeny also reveals sequential modifications of float formation and function among janthinid lineages. We interpret these changes as sequential adaptations to a neustonic existence, a conclusion supported by the positive association of derived janthinid traits with ecological prevalence