New records of exotic spiders and insects to the Azores, and new data on recently introduced species

The introduction of exotic species in islands is recognized as a major threat to native biota and ecosystems. In this contribution we list thirteen widespread exotic invertebrate species (two Araneae, one Orthoptera, four Hemiptera, four Coleoptera and two Diptera) that were recorded from the Azorean Islands in the last few years for the first time. In addition, we list another ten invertebrate species (two Araneae, one Orthoptera, two Phasmatodea, one Hemiptera, three Coleoptera and one Diptera) that expanded their known range in the archipelago. The pathways of entrance for species in the Azores, their impact on the local economy and biodiversity, as well as strategies to halt the introduction of alien species are discussed

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world's oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species.B.L.C., C.H., and A.M. were funded by the Cambridge Conservation Initiative’s Collaborative Fund sponsored by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. E.J.P. was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council C-CLEAR doctoral training programme (Grant no. NE/S007164/1). We are grateful to all those who assisted with the collection and curation of tracking data. Further details are provided in the Supplementary Acknowledgements. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Peer reviewe

Global assessment of marine plastic exposure risk for oceanic birds

Plastic pollution is distributed patchily around the world’s oceans. Likewise, marine organisms that are vulnerable to plastic ingestion or entanglement have uneven distributions. Understanding where wildlife encounters plastic is crucial for targeting research and mitigation. Oceanic seabirds, particularly petrels, frequently ingest plastic, are highly threatened, and cover vast distances during foraging and migration. However, the spatial overlap between petrels and plastics is poorly understood. Here we combine marine plastic density estimates with individual movement data for 7137 birds of 77 petrel species to estimate relative exposure risk. We identify high exposure risk areas in the Mediterranean and Black seas, and the northeast Pacific, northwest Pacific, South Atlantic and southwest Indian oceans. Plastic exposure risk varies greatly among species and populations, and between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Exposure risk is disproportionately high for Threatened species. Outside the Mediterranean and Black seas, exposure risk is highest in the high seas and Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of the USA, Japan, and the UK. Birds generally had higher plastic exposure risk outside the EEZ of the country where they breed. We identify conservation and research priorities, and highlight that international collaboration is key to addressing the impacts of marine plastic on wide-ranging species

Distribution and at-sea activity of a nocturnal seabird, the Bulwer's petrel Bulweria bulwerii, during the incubation period

Bulwer'spetrelsarenocturnalseabirdsthatmostlypreyonmesopelagicfauna.Asaerialforagersand shallowdivers,theirfeedingopportunitiesarelimitedbynear-surfaceavailabilityoftheirprey,whichis highlyvariablebothtemporally(reflectingdiurnalandlunarcycles)andspatially.Herewestudiedhow Bulwer'spetrelscopewiththeseconstraintsbyanalysingtheirat-seadistributionandactivityduringthe incubationperiod.Wetrackedthemovementsof20birdsfromSelvagemGrande(NEAtlantic)duringa completelunarcycle,andrecorded30foragingtripsthatlasted11daysonaverage.Birdswereboth distributedaroundthecolonyandinwatersclosetotheAzoreanarchipelago(mid-Atlantic)located 1700kmaway,andweresignificantlymoreactiveatnight(especiallyjustaftersunsetandbeforesunrise), whenmesopelagicfaunaisalsoclosertotheseasurfaceduetotheirdielverticalmigrations.Bulwer's petrelsspentsignificantlymoretime flyingduringmoonlight,althoughtheeffectofthemoonwasrela- tivelyweak(ca.10–15%differencebetweenmoonlitanddarkperiodsofthenight),andnotobviouswhen birdswereforaginginmid-Atlanticwaters,whichwerealsotargetedmoreoftenduringfull-moon.These resultsrevealkeyadaptationsoftheBulwer'spetreltothehighlydynamicecologyofitsmesopelagicprey.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), European Regional Development Fun

CCR gene in Eucalyptus: a model of functional variability in forest trees

La variabilité nucléotidique du gène codant la Cinnamoyl CoA Reductase (CCR) et ses effets sur le taux de lignine est étudiée au sein d’une population d’Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake. La presque totalité de la séquence (94%, 3220 paires de bases) est décrite pour 15 individus. Le gène est hautement polymorphe et présente 131 mutations ponctuelles (SNP) ainsi que divers autres types de mutations. Les fragments exoniques présentent 10 SNP non synonymes dont 5 dans l’exon 5. La séquence promotrice (694 pb) est décrite pour les deux allèles d’un des géniteurs. Elle regroupe 5 SNPs. La variabilité fonctionnelle de ce promoteur sera étudiée grâce à son expression dans Arabidopsis thaliana. L’analyse de la teneur en lignine de 348 arbres appartenant à 35 familles de pleins frères obtenues avec ces 15 géniteurs montre que ce caractère présente un fort contrôle génétique additif (h²=0.76). Un nouvel algorithme type MCMC a été développé pour procéder aux études d’association sur 208 descendants génotypés grâce à un marqueur microsatellite présent dans le gène CCR. Les résultats montrent qu’une part importante de la variance du taux de lignine est due au polymorphisme du gène CCR. Ces résultats laissent envisager le développement d’une sélection précoce assistée par marqueurs.Nucleotidic polymorphism of Cinnamoyl CoA Reductase (CCR) gene and its relation with lignin content is studied within a breeding population of Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake (“Timor Mountain Gum”). The nearly full sequence (94%) are obtained for 15 parental trees. This gene (3220 bp) is highly polymorphic showing 131 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), 17 insertion-deletions (INDEL), 1 polyA sequence and a microsatellite site. Exons fragments encompass 10 non-synonymous SNPs, half of them within exon 5 (194 bp). Fifteen different haplotypes are reconstructed based on the polymorphism of exon 4 and intron 4. CCR promoting sequence (694 bp) including all the known regulatory sequences is described for the two alleles of one of the genitor trees displaying QTL and CCR gene colocalization in its genetic map. Five SNPs are present. Functional variability of the promoting sequence will be studied in planta through genetic modification of Arabidopsis thaliana. Lignin content was assessed within a sample of 35 full sib families (348 individuals) generated with the 15 parental trees, showing a high genetic additive control for this trait (h²=0.76). A new algorithm based on Reversible-jump MCMC was developed in order to implement association studies. Half of the progeny trees (208) were genotyped using the microsatellite fragment. The results show that a significant part of the observed genetic variance of lignin content is due to the nucleotide polymorphism of the studied gene. Those preliminary results look promising in order to develop early gene assisted selection for eucalyptus clones used as raw material in charcoal and paper production

Un modèle de variabilité fonctionnelle chez les arbres forestiers : le gène CCR d'eucalyptus

National audienceNucleotidic polymorphism of Cinnamoyl CoA Reductase (CCR) gene and its relation with lignin content is studied within a breeding population of Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake (“Timor Mountain Gum”). The nearly full sequence (94%) are obtained for 15 parental trees. This gene (3220 bp) is highly polymorphic showing 131 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), 17 insertion-deletions (INDEL), 1 polyA sequence and a microsatellite site. Exons fragments encompass 10 non-synonymous SNPs, half of them within exon 5 (194 bp). Fifteen different haplotypes are reconstructed based on the polymorphism of exon 4 and intron 4. CCR promoting sequence (694 bp) including all the known regulatory sequences is described for the two alleles of one of the genitor trees displaying QTL and CCR gene colocalization in its genetic map. Five SNPs are present. Functional variability of the promoting sequence will be studied in planta through genetic modification of Arabidopsis thaliana. Lignin content was assessed within a sample of 35 full sib families (348 individuals) generated with the 15 parental trees, showing a high genetic additive control for this trait (h²=0.76). A new algorithm based on Reversible-jump MCMC was developed in order to implement association studies. Half of the progeny trees (208) were genotyped using the microsatellite fragment. The results show that a significant part of the observed genetic variance of lignin content is due to the nucleotide polymorphism of the studied gene. Those preliminary results look promising in order to develop early gene assisted selection for eucalyptus clones used as raw material in charcoal and paper production.La variabilité nucléotidique du gène codant la Cinnamoyl CoA Reductase (CCR) et ses effets sur le taux de lignine est étudiée au sein d’une population d’Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake. La presque totalité de la séquence (94%, 3220 paires de bases) est décrite pour 15 individus. Le gène est hautement polymorphe et présente 131 mutations ponctuelles (SNP) ainsi que divers autres types de mutations. Les fragments exoniques présentent 10 SNP non synonymes dont 5 dans l’exon 5. La séquence promotrice (694 pb) est décrite pour les deux allèles d’un des géniteurs. Elle regroupe 5 SNPs. La variabilité fonctionnelle de ce promoteur sera étudiée grâce à son expression dans Arabidopsis thaliana. L’analyse de la teneur en lignine de 348 arbres appartenant à 35 familles de pleins frères obtenues avec ces 15 géniteurs montre que ce caractère présente un fort contrôle génétique additif (h²=0.76). Un nouvel algorithme type MCMC a été développé pour procéder aux études d’association sur 208 descendants génotypés grâce à un marqueur microsatellite présent dans le gène CCR. Les résultats montrent qu’une part importante de la variance du taux de lignine est due au polymorphisme du gène CCR. Ces résultats laissent envisager le développement d’une sélection précoce assistée par marqueurs

CCR gene in Eucalyptus: a model of functional variability in forest trees

La variabilité nucléotidique du gène codant la Cinnamoyl CoA Reductase (CCR) et ses effets sur le taux de lignine est étudiée au sein d’une population d’Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake. La presque totalité de la séquence (94%, 3220 paires de bases) est décrite pour 15 individus. Le gène est hautement polymorphe et présente 131 mutations ponctuelles (SNP) ainsi que divers autres types de mutations. Les fragments exoniques présentent 10 SNP non synonymes dont 5 dans l’exon 5. La séquence promotrice (694 pb) est décrite pour les deux allèles d’un des géniteurs. Elle regroupe 5 SNPs. La variabilité fonctionnelle de ce promoteur sera étudiée grâce à son expression dans Arabidopsis thaliana. L’analyse de la teneur en lignine de 348 arbres appartenant à 35 familles de pleins frères obtenues avec ces 15 géniteurs montre que ce caractère présente un fort contrôle génétique additif (h²=0.76). Un nouvel algorithme type MCMC a été développé pour procéder aux études d’association sur 208 descendants génotypés grâce à un marqueur microsatellite présent dans le gène CCR. Les résultats montrent qu’une part importante de la variance du taux de lignine est due au polymorphisme du gène CCR. Ces résultats laissent envisager le développement d’une sélection précoce assistée par marqueurs.Nucleotidic polymorphism of Cinnamoyl CoA Reductase (CCR) gene and its relation with lignin content is studied within a breeding population of Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake (“Timor Mountain Gum”). The nearly full sequence (94%) are obtained for 15 parental trees. This gene (3220 bp) is highly polymorphic showing 131 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), 17 insertion-deletions (INDEL), 1 polyA sequence and a microsatellite site. Exons fragments encompass 10 non-synonymous SNPs, half of them within exon 5 (194 bp). Fifteen different haplotypes are reconstructed based on the polymorphism of exon 4 and intron 4. CCR promoting sequence (694 bp) including all the known regulatory sequences is described for the two alleles of one of the genitor trees displaying QTL and CCR gene colocalization in its genetic map. Five SNPs are present. Functional variability of the promoting sequence will be studied in planta through genetic modification of Arabidopsis thaliana. Lignin content was assessed within a sample of 35 full sib families (348 individuals) generated with the 15 parental trees, showing a high genetic additive control for this trait (h²=0.76). A new algorithm based on Reversible-jump MCMC was developed in order to implement association studies. Half of the progeny trees (208) were genotyped using the microsatellite fragment. The results show that a significant part of the observed genetic variance of lignin content is due to the nucleotide polymorphism of the studied gene. Those preliminary results look promising in order to develop early gene assisted selection for eucalyptus clones used as raw material in charcoal and paper production