Hyperbole, Hypocrisy, and Hubris in the Aid Corruption Dialogue

Article published in the Georgetown Journal of International Law

Attack of the Sovereign Wealth Funds: Defending the Republic from the Threat of Sovereign Wealth Funds?

Article published in the Michigan State Journal of International Law

Geographic hierarchical population genetic structuring in British European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) and its implications for conservation

The European whitefish Coregonus lavaretus complex represents one of the most diverse radiations within salmonids, with extreme morphological and genetic differentiation across its range. Such variation has led to the assignment of many populations to separate species. In Great Britain, the seven native populations of C. lavaretus (two in Scotland, four in England, one in Wales) were previously classified into three species, and recent taxonomic revision resurrected the previous nomenclature. Here we used a dataset of 15 microsatellites to: (1) investigate the genetic diversity of British populations, (2) assess the level of population structure and the relationships between British populations. Genetic diversity was highest in Welsh (HO = 0.50, AR = 5.29), intermediate in English (HO = 0.41–0.50, AR = 2.83–3.88), and lowest in Scottish populations (HO = 0.28–0.35, AR = 2.56–3.04). Population structure analyses indicated high genetic differentiation (global FST = 0.388) between all populations but for the two Scottish populations (FST = 0.063) and two English populations (FST = 0.038). Principal component analysis and molecular ANOVA revealed separation between Scottish, English, and Welsh populations, with the Scottish populations being the most diverged. We argue that the data presented here are not sufficient to support a separation of the British European whitefish populations into three separate species, but support the delineation of different ESUs for these populations

Read counts from environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding reflect fish abundance and biomass in drained ponds.

The sampling of environmental DNA (eDNA) coupled with cost-efficient and ever-advancing sequencing technology is propelling changes in biodiversity monitoring within aquatic ecosystems. Despite the increasing number of eDNA metabarcoding approaches, the ability to quantify species biomass and abundance in natural systems is still not fully understood. Previous studies have shown positive but sometimes weak correlations between abundance estimates from eDNA metabarcoding data and from conventional capture methods. As both methods have independent biases a lack of concordance is difficult to interpret. Here we tested whether read counts from eDNA metabarcoding provide accurate quantitative estimates of the absolute abundance of fish in holding ponds with known fish biomass and number of individuals. Environmental DNA samples were collected from two fishery ponds with high fish density and broad species diversity. In one pond, two different DNA capture strategies (on-site filtration with enclosed filters and three different preservation buffers versus lab filtration using open filters) were used to evaluate their performance in relation to fish community composition and biomass/abundance estimates. Fish species read counts were significantly correlated with both biomass and abundance, and this result, together with information on fish diversity, was repeatable when open or enclosed filters with different preservation buffers were used. This research demonstrates that eDNA metabarcoding provides accurate qualitative and quantitative information on fish communities in small ponds, and results are consistent between different methods of DNA capture. This method flexibility will be beneficial for future eDNA-based fish monitoring and their integration into fisheries management

Spatio-temporal monitoring of lake fish spawning activity using environmental DNA metabarcoding

Determining the timing and location of fish reproductive events is crucial for the implementation of correct management and conservation schemes. Conventional methods used to monitor these events are often unable to assess the spawning activity directly or can be invasive and therefore problematic. This is especially the case when threatened fish populations are the study subject, such as the Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.) populations in Windermere (Cumbria, UK). Arctic charr populations have been studied in this lake since the 1940s, and the locations and characteristics of spawning grounds have been described in detail using techniques such as hydroacoustics, as well as physical and visual surveys of the lake bottom. Here, in conjunction with established netting surveys, we added an environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approach to assess the spatial distribution of Arctic charr in the lake throughout the year to test whether this tool could allow us to identify spawning locations and activity. Sampling was carried out between October 2017 and July 2018 at three locations in the lake, covering putative and known spawning sites. eDNA metabarcoding provided accurate spatial and temporal characterization of Arctic charr spawning events. Peaks of Arctic charr relative read counts from eDNA metabarcoding were observed during the spawning season and at specific locations of both putative and known spawning sites. Net catches of mature Arctic charr individuals confirmed the association between the Arctic charr spawning activity and the peaks of eDNA metabarcoding relative read counts. This study demonstrates the ability of eDNA metabarcoding to effectively and efficiently characterize the spatial and temporal nature of fish spawning in lentic systems

Complex and divergent histories gave rise to genome‐wide divergence patterns amongst European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus)

Pleistocene glaciations dramatically affected species distribution in regions that were impacted by ice cover and subsequent postglacial range expansion impacted contemporary biodiversity in complex ways. The European whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus, is a widely distributed salmonid fish species on mainland Europe, but in Britain it has only seven native populations, all of which are found on the western extremes of the island. The origins and colonization routes of the species into Britain are unknown but likely contributed to contemporary genetic patterns and regional uniqueness. Here, we used up to 25,751 genome-wide polymorphic loci to reconstruct the history and to discern the demographic and evolutionary forces underpinning divergence between British populations. Overall, we found lower genetic diversity in Scottish populations but high differentiation (FST = 0.433–0.712) from the English/Welsh and other European populations. Differentiation was elevated genome-wide rather than in particular genomic regions. Demographic modelling supported a postglacial colonization into western Scotland from northern refugia and a separate colonization route for the English/Welsh populations from southern refugia, with these two groups having been separated for more than ca. 50 Ky. We found cyto-nuclear discordance at a European scale, with the Scottish populations clustering closely with Baltic population in the mtDNA analysis but not in the nuclear data, and with the Norwegian and Alpine populations displaying the same mtDNA haplotype but being distantly related in the nuclear tree. These findings suggest that neutral processes, primarily drift and regionally distinct pre-glacial evolutionary histories, are important drivers of genomic divergence in British populations of European whitefish. This sheds new light on the establishment of the native British freshwater fauna after the last glacial maximum

Horizon scanning for invasive alien species with the potential to threaten biodiversity and human health on a Mediterranean island

© 2019, The Author(s). Invasive alien species (IAS) are one of the major drivers of change that can negatively affect biodiversity, ecosystem functions and services and human health; islands are particularly vulnerable to biological invasions. Horizon scanning can lead to prioritisation of IAS to inform decision-making and action; its scale and scope can vary depending on the need. We focussed on IAS likely to arrive, establish and affect biodiversity and human health on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The scope of the horizon scanning was the entire island of Cyprus. We used a two-step consensus-building process in which experts reviewed and scored lists of alien species on their likelihood of arrival, establishment and potential to affect biodiversity, ecosystems and/or human health in the next 10 years. We reviewed 225 alien species, considered to be currently absent on Cyprus, across taxa and environments. We agreed upon 100 species that constituted very high, high or medium biodiversity risk, often arriving through multiple pathways of introduction. The remaining 125 species were ranked as low risk. The potential impacts on human health were documented for all 225 species; 82 species were considered to have a potentially negative impact on human health ranging from nuisance to disease transmission. The scope of the horizon scanning was the entire island of Cyprus, but the thematic groups also considered the relevance of the top 100 species to the Sovereign Base Areas of Cyprus, given their differing governance. This horizon scan provides the first systematic exercise to identify invasive alien species of potential concern to biodiversity and ecosystems but also human health within the Mediterranean region. The process and outcomes should provide other islands in the region and beyond with baseline data to improve IAS prioritisation and management

The Influences of Ligula intestinalis (L.) on the Behaviour of Cyprinid Fishes in Lough Neagh, Northern Ireland

No abstract available