Status of Biodiversity in the Baltic Sea

The brackish Baltic Sea hosts species of various origins and environmental tolerances. These immigrated to the sea 10,000 to 15,000 years ago or have been introduced to the area over the relatively recent history of the system. The Baltic Sea has only one known endemic species. While information on some abiotic parameters extends back as long as five centuries and first quantitative snapshot data on biota (on exploited fish populations) originate generally from the same time, international coordination of research began in the early twentieth century. Continuous, annual Baltic Sea-wide long-term datasets on several organism groups (plankton, benthos, fish) are generally available since the mid-1950s. Based on a variety of available data sources (published papers, reports, grey literature, unpublished data), the Baltic Sea, incl. Kattegat, hosts altogether at least 6,065 species, including at least 1,700 phytoplankton, 442 phytobenthos, at least 1,199 zooplankton, at least 569 meiozoobenthos, 1,476 macrozoobenthos, at least 380 vertebrate parasites, about 200 fish, 3 seal, and 83 bird species. In general, but not in all organism groups, high sub-regional total species richness is associated with elevated salinity. Although in comparison with fully marine areas the Baltic Sea supports fewer species, several facets of the system's diversity remain underexplored to this day, such as micro-organisms, foraminiferans, meiobenthos and parasites. In the future, climate change and its interactions with multiple anthropogenic forcings are likely to have major impacts on the Baltic biodiversity

Taxonomy and distribution of species of Gastrocopta Wollaston 1878 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Gastrocoptidae) from the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador)

A revision of Gastrocopta from the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador) is made. Four new species from Pinzón, Santa Cruz and Floreana Islands are described; species previously known are redescribed and new locations are added. Gastrocopta (Gastrocopta) reibischi is revalidated through new records from Floreana, Isabela and San Bartolomé Islands. Shell shape and the number, morphology and disposition of the apertural barriers support the discrimination of the taxa. The species have cylindrical to pupoid shells; the number of apertural barriers–differentiated as lamellae, folds and nodulae–varies between 4 and 11, almost completely occluding the aperture in the more complex cases. These structures are: angular-parietal, infraparietal, supracolumellar, columellar, subcolumellar lamellae, and supernumerary, basal, infrapalatal, lower-palatal, interpalatal, upper-palatal and suprapalatal folds. In addition to this classic scheme, a supernumerary fold and a nodule are added. Calcareous concretions–pustulae–are found in several species, mainly located in the peristome. The aulacognathous jaw and radular dentition formulae of Gastrocopta (Gastrocopta) clausa and Gastrocopta (Gastrocopta) munita, are described and photographed for the first time.Fil: Miquel, Sergio Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Brito, Fátima Fernanda. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentin