scholarly journals Natural history and molecular evolution of demersal Mediterranean sharks and skates inferred by comparative phylogeographic and demographic analyses

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e5560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Ferrari ◽  
Fausto Tinti ◽  
Victoria Bertucci Maresca ◽  
Alessandro Velonà ◽  
Rita Cannas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Historical Demography ◽  
Phylogeographic Structure ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
Sea Level Fluctuations ◽  
The Mediterranean

Background The unique and complex paleoclimatic and paleogeographic events which affected the Mediterranean Sea since late Miocene deeply influenced the distribution and evolution of marine organisms and shaped their genetic structure. Following the Messinian salinity crisis and the sea-level fluctuations during the Pleistocene, several Mediterranean marine species developed deep genetic differentiation, and some underwent rapid radiation. Here, we consider two of the most prioritized groups for conservation in the light of their evolutionary history: sharks and rays (elasmobranchs). This paper deals with a comparative multispecies analysis of phylogeographic structure and historical demography in two pairs of sympatric, phylogenetically- and ecologically-related elasmobranchs, two scyliorhinid catsharks (Galeus melastomus, Scyliorhinus canicula) and two rajid skates (Raja clavata, Raja miraletus). Sampling and experimental analyses were designed to primarily test if the Sicilian Channel can be considered as effective eco-physiological barrier for Mediterranean demersal sympatric elasmobranchs. Methods The phylogeography and the historical demography of target species were inferred by analysing the nucleotide variation of three mitochondrial DNA markers (i.e., partial sequence of COI, NADH2 and CR) obtained from a total of 248 individuals sampled in the Western and Eastern Mediterranean Sea as well as in the adjacent northeastern Atlantic Ocean. Phylogeographic analysis was performed by haplotype networking and testing spatial genetic differentiation of samples (i.e., analysis of molecular variance and of principal components). Demographic history of Mediterranean populations was reconstructed using mismatch distribution and Bayesian Skyline Plot analyses. Results No spatial genetic differentiation was identified in either catshark species, while phylogeographic structure of lineages was identified in both skates, with R. miraletus more structured than R. clavata. However, such structuring of skate lineages was not consistent with the separation between Western and Eastern Mediterranean. Sudden demographic expansions occurred synchronously during the upper Pleistocene (40,000–60,000 years ago) in both skates and G. melastomus, likely related to optimal environmental conditions. In contrast, S. canicula experienced a slow and constant increase in population size over the last 350,000 years. Discussion The comparative analysis of phylogeographic and historical demographic patterns for the Mediterranean populations of these elasmobranchs reveals that historical phylogeographic breaks have not had a large impact on their microevolution. We hypothesize that interactions between environmental and ecological/physiological traits may have been the driving force in the microevolution of these demersal elasmobranch species in the Mediterranean rather than oceanographic barriers.

Local adaptation of a Lessepsian invader species to winter conditions in the Mediterranean Sea

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Débora Silva Raposo ◽  
Raphaël Morard ◽  
Christiane Schmidt ◽  
Michal Kucera
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Yield ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Red Sea ◽  
Photosynthetic Activity ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Effective Quantum Yield ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
Cold Temperatures ◽  
Invasion Front ◽  
The Mediterranean

<p>In recent decades the “Lessepsian” migration caused a rapid change in the marine community composition due to the invasion of alien species from the Red Sea into the Mediterranean Sea. Among these invaders is the large benthic foraminifera <em>Amphistegina lobifera</em>, a diatom-bearing species that recently reached the invasion front in Sicily. There it copes with colder winters and broader temperature than in its original source, the Red Sea. It is not yet known how (or if) the population from the invasion front has developed adaptation to this new thermal regime. Understanding the modern marine invasive patterns is a crucial tool to predict future invasive successes in marine environments. Therefore, in this study we aim to evaluate the physiological responses to cold temperatures of <em>A. lobifera</em> populations at three different invasive stages: source (Red Sea), early invader (Eastern Mediterranean) and invasion front (Sicily). For this, we conducted a culturing experiment in which we monitored the responses of the foraminifera (growth, motility) to temperatures of 10, 13, 16, 19°C + control (25°C) over four weeks. To address what is the role of their endosymbionts in the adaptation process, we also monitored their photosynthetic activity (Pulse Amplitude Modulation - PAM fluorometer) during the experiment. The growth rate of the foraminifera was reduced for all populations below 19°C as well as the motility, reduced until 16°C and dropping to zero below 13°C. The response of the endosymbionts was however different. There was a reduced photosynthetic activity of the Red Sea and Eastern Mediterranean populations at colder temperatures observed by the lower maximum quantum yield (Fv:Fm) and effective quantum yield (Y(II)), when compared to their initial levels and to the other treatments. In the meantime, the endosymbionts of the Sicily population stood out with the highest photosynthetic activity (Fv:Fm and Y(II)) in the treatments bellow 13 °C (P < 0.05). In conclusion, we observed that while the host responses were similar between the three populations, the endosymbionts from the invasion front population shows the best performance at colder temperatures. This suggests that the photo-symbiosis has an important role in adaptation, most likely being a key factor to the success of past and future migrations.</p>

scholarly journals Regional environmental conditions determine tolerance to future warming of a marine macroalgae forests

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Verdura ◽  
Sonia de Caralt ◽  
Jorge Santamaria ◽  
Alba Vergés ◽  
Luisa Mangialajo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Temperature Tolerance ◽  
Marine Macroalgae ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract: In the Mediterranean Sea, many species of Cystoseira, which are important habitat-forming species on shallow rocky bottoms, have gone missing from many coastal areas, impairing essential ecosystem services. Cystoseira crinita forests thrive in very shallow waters from sheltered environments and are currently regressing in several European shores. In the actual scenario of ocean warming it is essential to determine the vulnerability of these populations to thermal stress in order to design future conservation actions. Since the response of this macroalgae to thermal stress may be site-specific, here we compared the thermal tolerance of populations dwelling in the coldest and warmest areas of the Mediterranean Sea. We show that C. crinita populations from warmer areas (Eastern Mediterranean) had a temperature tolerance threshold 2ºC higher than Northwestern Mediterranean populations. There is a strong correlation between the observed differential phenotypic responses and the local temperature regimes experienced by each population. This is the first evidence for the role of thermal history in shaping the thermotolerance responses marine habitat-forming macroalgae under contrasting temperature environments. Financial support from EU2020 (R+I) under grant agreement No 689518 (MERCES) and MINECO (CGL2016-76341-R).

First report of Laurencia chondrioides (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta) and its potential to be an invasive in the eastern Mediterranean Sea

2014 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Razy Hoffman ◽  
Marcelo Sternberg ◽  
Donatella Serio
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Mediterranean Coast ◽  
Red Seaweed ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean Sea ◽  
First Report ◽  
First Occurrence ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Invasive Marine Species

AbstractThe Mediterranean coast of Israel is well known as a hotspot of invasive marine species, mostly from the Indian and Pacific oceans. Here, we report the first occurrence of the red seaweed

scholarly journals Regional environmental conditions determine tolerance to future warming of a marine macroalgae forests

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Verdura ◽  
Sonia de Caralt ◽  
Jorge Santamaria ◽  
Alba Vergés ◽  
Luisa Mangialajo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Temperature Tolerance ◽  
Marine Macroalgae ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract: In the Mediterranean Sea, many species of Cystoseira, which are important habitat-forming species on shallow rocky bottoms, have gone missing from many coastal areas, impairing essential ecosystem services. Cystoseira crinita forests thrive in very shallow waters from sheltered environments and are currently regressing in several European shores. In the actual scenario of ocean warming it is essential to determine the vulnerability of these populations to thermal stress in order to design future conservation actions. Since the response of this macroalgae to thermal stress may be site-specific, here we compared the thermal tolerance of populations dwelling in the coldest and warmest areas of the Mediterranean Sea. We show that C. crinita populations from warmer areas (Eastern Mediterranean) had a temperature tolerance threshold 2ºC higher than Northwestern Mediterranean populations. There is a strong correlation between the observed differential phenotypic responses and the local temperature regimes experienced by each population. This is the first evidence for the role of thermal history in shaping the thermotolerance responses marine habitat-forming macroalgae under contrasting temperature environments. Financial support from EU2020 (R+I) under grant agreement No 689518 (MERCES) and MINECO (CGL2016-76341-R).

scholarly journals A star is torn—molecular analysis divides the Mediterranean population of Poli’s stellate barnacle, Chthamalus stellatus (Cirripedia, Chtamalidae)

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11826
Author(s):  
Yaron Tikochinski ◽  
Sharon Tamir ◽  
Noa Simon-Blecher ◽  
Uzi Motro ◽  
Yair Achituv
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Western Mediterranean ◽  
Suitable Model ◽  
Mediterranean Population ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
The North ◽  
The Mediterranean

Poli’s stellate barnacle, Chthamalus stellatus Poli, populates the Mediterranean Sea, the North-Eastern Atlantic coasts, and the offshore Eastern Atlantic islands. Previous studies have found apparent genetic differences between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean populations of C. stellatus, suggesting possible geological and oceanographic explanations for these differences. We have studied the genetic diversity of 14 populations spanning from the Eastern Atlantic to the Eastern Mediterranean, using two nuclear genes sequences revealing a total of 63 polymorphic sites. Both genotype-based, haplotype-based and the novel SNP distribution population-based methods have found that these populations represent a geographic cline along the west to east localities. The differences in SNP distribution among populations further separates a major western cluster into two smaller clusters, the Eastern Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean. It also separates the major eastern cluster into two smaller clusters, the Mid-Mediterranean and Eastern Mediterranean. We suggested here environmental conditions like surface currents, water salinity and temperature as probable factors that have formed the population structure. We demonstrate that C. stellatus is a suitable model organism for studying how geological events and hydrographic conditions shape the fauna in the Mediterranean Sea.

scholarly journals Regional environmental conditions determine tolerance to future warming of a marine macroalgae forests

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Verdura ◽  
Sonia de Caralt ◽  
Jorge Santamaria ◽  
Alba Vergés ◽  
Luisa Mangialajo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Temperature Tolerance ◽  
Marine Macroalgae ◽  
Marine Habitat ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
Conservation Actions ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract: In the Mediterranean Sea, many species of Cystoseira, which are important habitat-forming species on shallow rocky bottoms, have gone missing from many coastal areas, impairing essential ecosystem services. Cystoseira crinita forests thrive in very shallow waters from sheltered environments and are currently regressing in several European shores. In the actual scenario of ocean warming it is essential to determine the vulnerability of these populations to thermal stress in order to design future conservation actions. Since the response of this macroalgae to thermal stress may be site-specific, here we compared the thermal tolerance of populations dwelling in the coldest and warmest areas of the Mediterranean Sea. We show that C. crinita populations from warmer areas (Eastern Mediterranean) had a temperature tolerance threshold 2ºC higher than Northwestern Mediterranean populations. There is a strong correlation between the observed differential phenotypic responses and the local temperature regimes experienced by each population. This is the first evidence for the role of thermal history in shaping the thermotolerance responses marine habitat-forming macroalgae under contrasting temperature environments. Financial support from EU2020 (R+I) under grant agreement No 689518 (MERCES) and MINECO (CGL2016-76341-R).

scholarly journals Mitogenomics of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus) reveals dramatic loss of diversity and supports historical gene-flow between Atlantic and eastern Mediterranean populations

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Rey-Iglesia ◽  
Philippe Gaubert ◽  
Gonçalo Espregueira Themudo ◽  
Rosa Pires ◽  
Constanza De La Fuente ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Gene Flow ◽  
North Atlantic ◽  
Marine Mammals ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
Geographic Ranges ◽  
Western Sahara ◽  
The Mediterranean

Abstract The Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus is one of the most threatened marine mammals, with only 600–700 individuals restricted to three populations off the coast of Western Sahara and Madeira (North Atlantic) and between Greece and Turkey (eastern Mediterranean). Its original range was from the Black Sea (eastern Mediterranean) to Gambia (western African coast), but was drastically reduced by commercial hunting and human persecution since the early stages of marine exploitation. We here analyse 42 mitogenomes of Mediterranean monk seals, from across their present and historical geographic ranges to assess the species population dynamics over time. Our data show a decrease in genetic diversity in the last 200 years. Extant individuals presented an almost four-fold reduction in genetic diversity when compared to historical specimens. We also detect, for the first time, a clear segregation between the two North Atlantic populations, Madeira and Cabo Blanco, regardless of their geographical proximity. Moreover, we show the presence of historical gene-flow between the two water basins, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and the presence of at least one extinct maternal lineage in the Mediterranean. Our work demonstrates the advantages of using full mitogenomes in phylogeographic and conservation genomic studies of threatened species.

scholarly journals Ecological opportunities and specializations shaped genetic divergence in a highly mobile marine top predator

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1795) ◽  
pp. 20141558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Louis ◽  
Michael C. Fontaine ◽  
Jérôme Spitz ◽  
Erika Schlund ◽  
Willy Dabin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Structure ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
World Ocean ◽  
Ecological Niches ◽  
Morphological Divergence ◽  
Evolutionary Diversification ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Population Demographic

Environmental conditions can shape genetic and morphological divergence. Release of new habitats during historical environmental changes was a major driver of evolutionary diversification. Here, forces shaping population structure and ecotype differentiation (‘pelagic’ and ‘coastal’) of bottlenose dolphins in the North-east Atlantic were investigated using complementary evolutionary and ecological approaches. Inference of population demographic history using approximate Bayesian computation indicated that coastal populations were likely founded by the Atlantic pelagic population after the Last Glacial Maxima probably as a result of newly available coastal ecological niches. Pelagic dolphins from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea likely diverged during a period of high productivity in the Mediterranean Sea. Genetic differentiation between coastal and pelagic ecotypes may be maintained by niche specializations, as indicated by stable isotope and stomach content analyses, and social behaviour. The two ecotypes were only weakly morphologically segregated in contrast to other parts of the World Ocean. This may be linked to weak contrasts between coastal and pelagic habitats and/or a relatively recent divergence. We suggest that ecological opportunity to specialize is a major driver of genetic and morphological divergence. Combining genetic, ecological and morphological approaches is essential to understanding the population structure of mobile and cryptic species.

scholarly journals The Conflict Between Greece And Turkey In The Mediterranean Sea (International Maritime Law Study)

Jurnal Hukum ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 126
Author(s):  
Edanur Yıldız
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Mediterranean Sea ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
East Mediterranean ◽  
International Courts ◽  
Maritime Law ◽  
The Mediterranean

Turkey and Greece are again dragged into a new conflict in the East Mediterranean. Turkey and Greece vie for supremacy in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey, for its part, indicated that Greece's claim to the territory would amount to a siege in the country by giving Greece a disproportionate amount of territory. This study aims to rethink the conflict between Greece and Turkey in the waters of the Mediterranean sea in the view of international maritime law. This study uses an empirical juridical approach. The Result of this research is Turkey does not ignore the Greece rights, Greece ignores the international law with its extended or excessive maritime claims. Greece tries to give full entitlement of the islands in Mediterranean and Agean. Whereas the effect Formula is applied by international courts.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document