Does fragmentation of wetlands affect gene flow in sympatric Acrocephalus warblers with different migration strategies?

Wetlands are naturally patchy habitats, but patchiness has been accentuated by the extensive wetlands loss due to human activities. In such a fragmented habitat, dispersal ability is especially important to maintain gene flow between populations. Here we studied population structure, genetic diversity and demographic history of Iberian and North African populations of two wetland passerines, the Eurasian reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus and the moustached warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon. These species are closely related and sympatric in our study sites, but the reed warbler is a long-distance migrant and widespread bird while the moustached warbler is resident or migrates over short distances, and breeds across a more discontinuous range. Using microsatellites and mtDNA data, we found higher population differentiation in moustached than in reed warbler, indicating higher dispersal capability of the latter species. Our results also suggest that the sea limits dispersal in the moustached warbler. For both species, we found evidence of gene flow between study sites, indicating the capability of compensating for habitat fragmentation. However, in most cases gene flow was restricted, possibly because of the large distances between study sites (from c. 290 to 960 km) or breeding site fidelity. Haplotype diversity was higher for the reed warbler, possibly because of a more important contribution of dispersal from different populations and the higher population size. Studying demographic history, we obtained signs of postglacial population growth for both species, and evidences of a recent colonization or re-colonization of the Mallorca Island by the moustached warblerWe acknowledge M. Rebassa, M. Marin, J. Gomez, Santi, Luis, Kames and family and many others, who have helped us with the field work. We would also like to thank the authorities of the Marjal de Pego-Oliva Natural Park, the S'Albufera de Mallorca Natural Park, 'Consejeria de medio Ambiente y Desarrollo Rural de Castilla-La Mancha', the 'Servei de Conservacio de la Biodiversitat de la Generalitat Valenciana' and the 'Haut Commissariat aux Eaux et Forets et a la lutte contre la desertification de Rabat, Morocco' for providing the facilities to work in protected areas and for the relevant permits. The people in these areas were always kind and have greatly helped us in sampling reed and moustached warblers. We are grateful to M. Serra and the researchers and PhD students of the Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology (Inst. Cavanilles of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology - Univ. of Valencia), for providing the laboratory and useful advices for DNA extraction. This study has been funded by Projects CGL2005-02041/BOS and CGL2010-21933-C02-02 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. FC was supported by an 'Atraent talent' grant from the Univ. of Valencia.Ceresa, F.; Belda, E.; Kvist, L.; Rguibi-Idrissi, H.; Monrós González, JS. (2015). Does fragmentation of wetlands affect gene flow in sympatric Acrocephalus warblers with different migration strategies?. Journal of Avian Biology. 46(6):577-588. doi:10.1111/jav.00589S57758846

Satellite-tracking dataset of loggerhead sea turtles tracked from western Mediterranean

[EN] We provide the raw data of 44 satellite-tracked loggerhead sea turtles from different life-stages collected between 2016 and 2018. Depending on life-stage and tag availability a different satellite tag was attached to the loggerhead carapace. Location data were collected using the Argos system. We made publically available for the first time in the Mediterranean: (i) the satellite-tracking data for 17 one-year-aged post-hatchlings of loggerhead sea turtle came from two nests laid on the Mediterranean Spanish coast; (ii) the satellitetracking data for 4 loggerhead nesting females collected from nesting events occurred on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Besides, another 23 juvenile and adult loggerhead sea turtles were monitored and their data were made also available. Our dataset provide the turtle identity name or number, the date and coordinates of the location data, and the Argos location class associated. Our data contribute to the knowledge about the spatial use of the loggerhead sea turtle in the Mediterranean Sea and could be used in further analysis regarding habitat use and dispersal of this species in the Mediterranean Sea. Specially, nesting females and post-hatchlings data con-tribute to shed light about these life-stages related to nesting events out of the usual nesting range in the western Mediterranean, for which data still remains scarce. Also, data could be compared to further similar research in satellite-tracking loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean basin.This work was supported by Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, LIFE IP INTEMARES [285296], Spanish Ministry of Environment (MITECO) [16MNSV006]. The corresponding author, S. Abalo-Morla, was supported by a Ph.D. grant [FPU15/01823] from Ministerio de Educacion, Cultura y Deporte (Spain). J. Tomas also acknowledges Project EU-LIFE MEDTURTLES and AICO/2021/022 granted by Conselleria d'Innovacio, Universitats, Ciencia i Societat Digital, Generalitat Valenciana. Funding for open access charge: Universitat Politecnica de Valencia.Abalo-Morla, S.; Belda, E.; Tomás, J.; Crespo-Picazo, JL.; Marco, A.; Revuelta, O. (2022). Satellite-tracking dataset of loggerhead sea turtles tracked from western Mediterranean. Data in Brief. 43:1-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2022.108432154

Una revisión de la taxonomía y diversidad molecular de un habitante de las charcas litorales Tigriopus fulvus (Copepoda, Harpacticoida)

[ES] El género de copépodos Tigriopus Norman, 1869 se distribuye en todo el mundo en charcas de rocas costeras y se considera que actualmente incluye 14 especies válidas. Tigriopus fulvus (Fischer 1860), con sus subespecies Tigriopus fulvus adriaticus Van Douwe 1913 y Tigriopus fulvus algiricus Monard 1935, y Tigriopus minutus Bozic 1960 han sido descritos para el área del Mediterráneo, pero la diversidad real del género es desconocida actualmente. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la identidad real de las poblaciones mediterráneas de Tigriopus y dilucidar su taxonomía y patrón de diversidad genética. Con este fin, se secuenció un fragmento del gen de ADN mitocondrial (citocromo c oxidasa subunidad I, COI) como marcador de referencia. Los resultados sugieren la presencia de una sola especie caracterizada por una estructuración genética con una notable base geográfica en toda el área de estudio. El patrón de diversidad observado aquí se atribuye tentativamente a una fuerte monopolización de las charcas de las costas rocosas por parte de los primeros inmigrantes que las alcanzan. Sin embargo, tal monopolización se interrumpe periódicamente por los eventos de extinción local, los cuales son frecuentes en los hábitats de charcas de rocas que son intrínsecamente inestables. Aquí proponemos para este patrón el nombre de ¿monopolización periódica¿ (¿clockwork monopolization¿).[EN] The copepod genus Tigriopus Norman, 1869 is distributed worldwide in coastal rock pools and it is currently considered to include 14 valid species. Tigriopus fulvus (Fischer 1860), with its subspecies Tigriopus fulvus adriaticus Van Douwe 1913 and Tigriopus fulvus algiricus Monard 1935, and Tigriopus minutus Bozic 1960 are currently reported to occur in the Mediterranean area, but the actual diversity of the genus is currently unknown. We aimed to assess the actual identity of Mediterranean Tigriopus populations and to elucidate their taxonomy and pattern of genetic diversity. In order to reach these goals, a fragment of a mitochondrial DNA gene (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI) was sequenced to be used as a reference marker. Our data suggest the presence of a single species characterized by a noteworthy geographically based genetic structure in the whole study area. The observed diversity pattern is tentatively ascribed here to a strong monopolization of the rock pools by the first immigrants that reached them. However, such a monopolization is periodically disrupted by local extinction events, which are frequent in the intrinsically unstable rock pool habitats. We propose the name "clockwork monopolization" for this pattern.We wish to thank Prof. Vezio Cottarelli for the help he provided us with the collection of some samples of T. fulvus and for the stimulating discussions we had on the topic of this manuscript. G Alfonso (University of Salento, Italy) and A Millán (University of Murcia, Spain) kindly provided some of the studied samples.Vecchioni, L.; Marrone, F.; Rodilla, M.; Belda, E.; Arculeo, M. (2019). An account on the taxonomy and molecular diversity of a marine rock-pool dweller, Tigriopus fulvus (Copepoda, Harpacticoida). Ciencias Marinas. 45(2):59-75. https://doi.org/10.7773/cm.v45i2.2946S597545

The effect of low frequency noise on the behaviour of juvenile Sparus aurata

[EN] Anthropogenic activities are causing increased noise levels in the marine environment. To date, few studies have been undertaken to investigate the effects of different noise frequencies on the behaviour of juvenile fish. In this study, the behavioural changes of juvenile gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) are evaluated when exposed to white noise filtered in third-octave bands centred at 63, 125, 500, and 1000 Hz (sound pressure level, 140-150 dB re 1 mu& x3a1;a) for 7 h. The group dispersion, motility, and swimming height of the fish were analysed before and during the acoustic emission. Dispersion of the fish was found to reduce immediately upon application of low frequency sound (63 and 125 Hz) with a return to control condition after 2 h (indicative of habituation), whereas at 1 kHz, dispersion increased after 2 h without any habituation. The motility decreased significantly at 63 Hz throughout the 7 h of sound exposure. The swimming height decreased significantly for all frequencies other than 125 Hz. The results of this study highlight significant variations in the behavioural responses of juvenile fish that could have consequences on their fitness and survival.This study was conducted in the framework of the Ph.D. program in the Mediterranean Biodiversity XXXII cycle (International) of the University of Palermo. I.P.-A., M.B.-C. and V.E. acknowledge the financial support of the European Comission-Project No. 11.0661/2018794607/SUB/ENV.C2, risk-based approaches to good environmental status (RAGES). The other founding support comes from the Ph.D. Innovative with Industrial Characterization Programma Operativo Nazionale (PON) 2014-2020 and the projects bilateral Research laboratory on marine and maritime Science Italy-Argentina (CAIMAR) Joint Laboratory Italy-Argentina (Laboratori Congiunti Bilaterali Internazionali of the Italian National Reseach Council, 2017-2019). DocumentMauro, M.; Pérez Arjona, I.; Belda, E.; Ceraulo, M.; Bou-Cabo, M.; Benson, T.; Espinosa Roselló, V.... (2020). The effect of low frequency noise on the behaviour of juvenile Sparus aurata. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. 147(6):3795-3807. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0001255S37953807147

A probabilistic model for gene content evolution with duplication, loss, and horizontal transfer

We introduce a Markov model for the evolution of a gene family along a phylogeny. The model includes parameters for the rates of horizontal gene transfer, gene duplication, and gene loss, in addition to branch lengths in the phylogeny. The likelihood for the changes in the size of a gene family across different organisms can be calculated in O(N+hM^2) time and O(N+M^2) space, where N is the number of organisms, $h$ is the height of the phylogeny, and M is the sum of family sizes. We apply the model to the evolution of gene content in Preoteobacteria using the gene families in the COG (Clusters of Orthologous Groups) database

Estado de conservación de las tortugas marinas en España (revisión del periodo 2013-2018)

[ES] El presente documento revisa la situación y aporta nuevos datos para las tortugas marinas en España durante el periodo 2013- 2018. Se revisa el estado de conservación para el periodo 2013- 2018 en cada una de las demarcaciones marítimas españolas: Levante¿Baleares y Estrecho¿Alborán para el Mediterráneo, y Noratlántica, Sudatlántica y Macaronesia en aguas del océano Atlántico. Se incluyen análisis de tendencias, las presiones y amenazas que afectan a cada especie y bibliografía actualizada. Para Caretta caretta, se recopila la información de los nidos en las costas mediterráneas españolas desde 2013 hasta 2018 y los movimientos de juveniles nacidos en España, tras su liberación.Camiñas, JA.; Báez, JC.; Ayllón, E.; Marco, A.; Hernández-Sastre, L.; López-Pérez, MI.; Moreno-Colera, H.... (2021). Estado de conservación de las tortugas marinas en España (revisión del periodo 2013-2018). Anales de Biología. 43:175-198. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesbio.43.17S1751984

Nesting habitat requirements and nestling diet in the Mediterranean populations of Crested Tits Lophophanes cristatus

Most bird species show specific habitat requirements for breeding and feeding. We studied the pattern of habitat occupation, nestling diet and breeding performance of Crested Tits Lophophanes cristatus in a “typical” (coniferous) and an “atypical” (Holm Oak Quercus ilex) forest in eastern Spain during 2005–2007. We aimed to determine which microhabitat characteristics in the Holm Oak forest could account for the presence of Crested Tits, and checked whether the nestling diet in the Holm Oak forest resembled that obtained in the pine forest. Vegetation maps were produced using GIS from observations made in the field (tree species, tree and shrub cover). Nestling diet was recorded through video surveillance. Crested Tits bred in mature, low-density areas in the pine forest. Those breeding in the Holm Oak forest built their nests in areas including pine trees and avoided densely forested areas. Birds breeding in the pine forest started laying by mid-April and the average clutch size was 5 eggs. In the Holm Oak forest, birds started laying by the end of April and average clutch size was also 5 eggs. Fledglings weighed around 12 g in both forests. Nestling diet, prey size and feeding frequency by the parents did not vary between the forests. The main prey types consumed were Lepidoptera larvae and Diptera.

Across and within-forest effects on breeding success in Mediterranean Great Tits Parus major

Forest type and habitat structure can have profound effects on different aspects of avian life histories. These effects may, however, strongly differ across and within forests that vary in vegetation composition and structure, especially when an ancient forest has been replaced by a new forest. To test for these differences in effect, we studied Great Tit Parus major life-history traits (280 first clutches) in two Mediterranean evergreen forests during 2005–07: an ancient Holm Oak Quercus ilex and a reforested pine forest. A comparison between forests revealed that females breeding in the Holm Oak forest started laying one week later, and produced larger clutches and broods both at hatching and at fledging. Chicks raised in the Holm Oak forest also fledged in better condition. Within forests, however, the reproductive success was not higher for pairs breeding in nestboxes surrounded by oaks within the pine forest, and also reproductive success was not lower in nestboxes surrounded by pines within oak forest. Instead, vegetation maturity around nestboxes, rather than tree species composition, affected hatching success. Surprisingly, hatching success was higher in nestboxes surrounded by immature vegetation. We suggest that this may be due to a lower nest predation rate in nestboxes surrounded by immature vegetation, compared to nestboxes surrounded by mature vegetation. We suggest that different factors appear to affect variation in breeding success in Mediterranean Great Tits comparing across forests (e.g. food availability) vs. within a forest (e.g. nest predation).