37 research outputs found
Reef benthos of Seychelles - a field guide
Background
During the 2019 First Descent: Seychelles Expedition, shallow and deep reef ecosystems of the Seychelles Outer Islands were studied by deploying a variety of underwater technologies to survey their benthic flora and fauna. Submersibles, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and SCUBA diving teams used stereo-video camera systems to record benthic communities during transect surveys conducted at 10 m, 30 m, 60 m, 120 m, 250 m and 350 m depths. In total, ~ 45 h of video footage was collected during benthic transect surveys, which was subsequently processed using annotation software in order to assess reef biodiversity and community composition. Here, we present a photographic guide for the visual identification of the marine macrophytes, corals, sponges and other common invertebrates that inhabit Seychelles’ reefs. It is hoped that the resulting guide will aid marine biologists, conservationists, managers, divers and naturalists with the coarse identification of organisms as seen in underwater footage or live in the field.
New information
A total of 184 morphotypes (= morphologically similar individuals) were identified belonging to Octocorallia (47), Porifera (35), Scleractinia (32), Asteroidea (19), Echinoidea (10), Actiniaria (9), Chlorophyta (8), Antipatharia (6), Hydrozoa (6), Holothuroidea (5), Mollusca (2), Rhodophyta (2), Tracheophyta (2), Annelida (1), Crinoidea (1), Ctenophora (1), Ochrophyta (1) and Zoantharia (1). Out of these, we identified one to phylum level, eight to class, 14 to order, 27 to family, 110 to genus and 24 to species. This represents the first attempt to catalogue the benthic diversity from shallow reefs and up to 350 m depth in Seychelles
Assessing coral reef biodiversity at the Glorieuses Islands Marine Park (Scattered Islands, SW Indian Ocean) with identification of priority zones for conservation
International audienc
North meets south – Taxonomic and biogeographic implications of a phylogenetic assessment of Sargassum
The geographic scale of speciation in the Indo-Pacific marine red algal genus Portieria
International audienc
Percentage cover, biomass, distribution, and potential habitat mapping of natural macroalgae, based on high-resolution satellite data and in situ monitoring, at Libukang Island, Malasoro Bay, Indonesia
Multi-disciplinary approach for coral reef management in Eparses Islands, SWIO
International audienceOral presentation about Multi-disciplinary approach for coral reef management in Eparses Islands, SWIO in 12th International Coral Reef Symposiu
Regional Cerebral Glucose Transport in Insulin-Dependent Diabetic Patients Studied Using [ 11
Patterns and drivers of species diversity in the Indo-Pacific red seaweed Portieria
Aim Biogeographical processes underlying Indo-Pacific biodiversity patterns have been relatively well studied in marine shallow water invertebrates and fishes, but have been explored much less extensively in seaweeds, despite these organisms often displaying markedly different patterns. Using the marine red alga Portieria as a model, we aim to gain understanding of the evolutionary processes generating seaweed biogeographical patterns. Our results will be evaluated and compared with known patterns and processes in animals. Location Indo-Pacific marine region. Methods Species diversity estimates were inferred using DNA-based species delimitation methods. Historical biogeographical patterns were inferred based on a six-gene time-calibrated phylogeny, distribution data of 802 specimens, and probabilistic modelling of geographical range evolution. The importance of geographical isolation for speciation was further evaluated by population genetic analyses at the intraspecific level. Results We delimited 92 candidate species, most with restricted distributions, suggesting low dispersal capacity. Highest species diversity was found in the Indo-Malay Archipelago (IMA). Our phylogeny indicates that Portieria originated during the late Cretaceous in the area that is now the Central Indo-Pacific. The biogeographical history of Portieria includes repeated dispersal events to peripheral regions, followed by long-term persistence and diversification of lineages within those regions, and limited dispersal back to the IMA. Main conclusions Our results suggest that the long geological history of the IMA played an important role in shaping Portieria diversity. High species richness in the IMA resulted from a combination of speciation at small spatial scales, possibly as a result of increased regional habitat diversity from the Eocene onwards, and species accumulation via dispersal and/or island integration through tectonic movement. Our results are consistent with the biodiversity feedback model, in which biodiversity hotspots act as both "centres of origin" and "centres of accumulation," and corroborate previous findings for invertebrates and fish that there is no single unifying model explaining the biological diversity within the IMA