DOCSLIB.ORG

The Bathyal Connections Between the Mediterranean Sea and the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean: an Assessment Using Deep-Water Sponges As a Case Study

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Bathyal Connections Between the Mediterranean Sea and the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean: an Assessment Using Deep-Water Sponges As a Case Study Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Programa de Doctorat de Biodiversitat The bathyal connections between the Mediterranean Sea and the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean: an assessment using deep-water sponges as a case study Memòria presentada per Cèlia Sitjà Poch per optar al grau de doctora per la Universitat de Barcelona Cèlia Sitjà Poch Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC) Barcelona, juliol del 2020 Director: Co-director: Dr. Manuel Maldonado Barahona Dr. José Luis Rueda Ruiz Investigador Científic CSIC Investigador Titular IEO Cen tre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes Centro Oceanográfico de Málaga Tutora: Dra. Conxita Avila Escartín Professora catedràtica d'universitat Universitat de Barcelona Sitjà, C., 2020. The bathyal connections between the Mediterranean Sea and the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean: an assessment using deep-water sponges as a case study. Doctoral thesis. Universitat de Barcelona. 360 pp. Cover design: Sílvia Bancells Aulet and Cèlia Sitjà Poch. Picture: Pipoca mud volcano seabed with Asconema setubalense and Petrosia crassa on methane-derived authigenic carbonates. Picture taken with a ROV during the LIFE+INDEMARES-Chica expeditions performed by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO). Als meus pares Agraïments Tots els que esteu dins de les pròximes pàgines m’heu recolzat, ensenyat, acompanyat i animat durant els meus anys de doctoranda. A tots us estic immensament agraïda i em sento afortunada d’haver-nos trobat. Sapigueu que us dono unes gràcies de les de veritat, de tot cor, perquè ja sabia que no em fallaríeu però sobretot perquè he après molt més que ciència al vostre costat. Sabia que podia comptar amb vosaltres, però no era conscient de tot el que em regalaríeu al llarg d’aquests anys. Per donar-vos les gràcies he resumit en unes frases i un petit text el que més valoro de tot allò que m’heu aportat cada un de vosaltres: “Hay que marcarse objetivos lejanos” Cada día he tenido en frente un ejemplo de perseverancia, esfuerzo y ambición. Manuel, gracias no solo por buscar el material y financiación para esta tesis, sino también por darme ejemplo pensando siempre en grande y lejos. Al final no te he dejado cuadricular mi “mente poética”, como tú la llamas, pero sin duda la has ayudado a tener capacidad crítica y puntos de vista mucho más amplios de lo que yo podía imaginar. Gracias por darme unas herramientas tan valiosas, estoy deseando sacarles el mejor provecho en el futuro. “La distancia es relativa” Nunca un director a tantos quilómetros ha estado tan cerca y tan presente. Tu predisposición, vocación y positivismo me llegaban a través de cada uno de tus mails. Los volcanes de fango son muy interesantes, pero los del Golfo de Cádiz tienen un encanto especial gracias a tu valiosa forma de transmitir tus conocimientos sobre ellos. Por favor José, dirige muchas tesis más y enseña a tantos estudiantes como puedas contagiándolos con tus ánimos y entusiasmo. “Un pont sòlid i pràctic ” La distancia entre Blanes i la UB s’ha escurçat gràcies a una bona tutora. Sempre disponible quan ho he necessitat, t’agraeixo, Conxita, la teva ajuda, comentaris i ànims. “En el Riesgo Lab todo es posible” Siempre con un “sí” listo, en este grupo todo son facilidades y primers! Sois la combinación perfecta de trabajo y compañerismo. No hay otro laboratorio con tan buenos científicos y un grupo de watsapp tan activo. Ana y Sergi son capaces de convertir el mismo National History Museum de Londres en tu casa des del momento en que lo pisas y pasas a formar parte del Riesgo Lab. Y encima tuve la suerte de compartirlo con Jenny, Carlos, Vassia, Nathan… you were all excellent labmates, always ready to help, and also ready to have fun! Thanks to all of you my short-time stay in London became a great stay! “Mucho más que muestras” Muchas de las muestras usadas en esta tesis han pasado por Málaga en algún momento. Gracias a ellas conocí a Carmen y Serge, que me ofrecieron todo lo que tenían mientras esperábamos a poder embarcar para la campaña de Alborán. No solo confiasteis en mí para procesar las muestras, también lo hicisteis para recibirme en vuestra casa, o más bien adoptarme! Muchas gracias a los dos por vuestra confianza y calidez. Gracias también a Javi, por convertirse en el mejor guía de Málaga y asegurarse de que mi estancia allí fuera la mejor. Y por supuesto también quiero agradecer a todos los participantes en la campaña a bordo del Isla de Alborán esos fantásticos días embarcados. ¿Cómo puede ser que en un barco que se tambalea tanto se cree un equilibrio tan sano entre trabajo y risas? Gracias a la tripulación, y a todos los compañeros de campaña por hacer del trabajo duro un hobbie. Y gracias en especial al jefe de campaña, Serge, para asegurarse de que así fuera. No puedo olvidarme de nombrar al Oceanográfico de Málaga por cedernos las muestras de los volcanes de fango del Golfo de Cádiz. El esfuerzo de muchas personas invertido en las campañas del Golfo de Cádiz hizo que unos años más tarde las muestras recolectadas cayeran en mis manos junto con un montón de datos. A todos los involucrados en esas campañas les doy unas grandes gracias, en especial a Carlos, por el gigantesco trabajo de identificación que hizo con muchas de las muestras antes de que yo me las llevara a Blanes. Mil gracias a todos por vuestra generosidad y confianza. Las muestras de Malta tuvieron una historia similar a las de los volcanes de fango. En este caso nos las cedió la ONG OCEANA, que dejó en mis manos todo el material de esponjas que habían colectado previamente en Malta. Y literalmente lo dejaron en mis manos, porque gracias al entendimiento entre Manuel y Ricardo, un buen día llegaron al Ceab unas cajas con esponjas maltesas listas para ser identificadas. Más fácil no me lo pudisteis poner, así que muchísimas gracias. “Técnicos siempre dispuestos a ayudar” ¿Había que pasar unas láminas a tinta? Gustavo sin duda dominaba la técnica y era mucho más rápido que yo. ¿Había que metalizar muestras para el SEM? María José, Xavi, Maria, lo hacían tan pronto como podían. Todos estabais siempre dispuestos a colaborar a pesar de que lo que os pedía no formaba parte de vuestras actividades habituales. Gracias por encontrar siempre un hueco para ayudarme. “Algunes son capaces d’elevar el concepte d’equip a un altre nivell” María, Marta y Cris. Nombrades per odre d’arribada al Ceab, perquè no se us pot ordenar de cap altra manera. Al nostre equip no hi ha hagut mai desigualtats, només dones preparades per col·laborar i facilitar la vida de les demés. Alguna de vosaltres sap com explicar als lectors el que signifiquem les unes per les altres? No hem estat només companyes de feina, perquè les companyes de feina no es tenen el respecte i afecte que ens tenim nosaltres. Tampoc podem dir-nos només amigues, perquè és impossible posar un grup d’amigues a treballar, i que s’entenguin tan fàcilment com nosaltres per obtenir resultats. Un dia podíem estar treballant al despatx i el següent anàvem al mar a buscar larves. I acabàvem muntant una nursery d’esponges a la sala de cultius. O començàvem organitzant un congrés i acabàvem repartint cafès i entrepans als participants…Totes sempre a punt per participar en el que fes falta. I no puc oblidar-me de tu, Jana! Ja saps que sense tu, a l’equip li faltaria una part, molt important!. Amb vosaltres una pot fer tot el que es proposi. La nostra unió ha donat resultats inesperats, i seguirà donant-ne. M’inspireu amb la vostra força, suport i humilitat, i em sento immensament afortunada d’haver estat al vostre equip. Corregeixo, EQUIP. “Algunos son capaces de convertirse en imprescindibles” A vosotros os doy gracias especiales porque nuestra complicidad ha llegado más lejos de lo que podría imaginar. Me enorgullece que personas buenas y generosas como vosotros sean mis amigos. Sara, en qué gran momento empezamos a ser vecinas! ¡Lo que vino a partir de entonces fueron todo risas, confianza y diversión! Con Leyre lo que vino fue mucho glamour y dignidad. Nadie como ella para compartir té y buenas conversaciones. Queridas, no veo la hora de reunirnos otra vez, gracias infinitas por esos años tan bonitos. Sin duda, el más polifacético y artista de todos es Rudi. Querido, gracias por los brunch playeros y por tener siempre tan estupendo carácter, contigo todo fluye y todo es fácil. Y gracias también a Elliot por aparecer y desaparecer cuando menos te lo esperas sin dejar de preocuparse de que todo esté en orden. Gracias por aportar esa espontaneidad que tanta falta me hacía cuando la rutina chafaba los ánimos. “Blanes es el nuevo destino de Erasmus” Un día una amiga no ceabina describió mi vida en Blanes como un Erasmus. Ceabinos, salíamos de fiesta casi todos los findes, y cuando Blanes hibernaba nos montábamos nuestras propias fiestas en casa. Éramos todos de diferentes lugares, compartíamos pisos, compartíamos lugar de trabajo… Con vosotros empezaron el “NDT”, las “Meriendas de gordacos”, las “Cenas de Tronos” y el “Cine Palacine”. ¿Qué no hemos inventado? ¡Creo que mi amiga tenía razón y nos montamos un Erasmus sin darnos cuenta! Desde entonces ya ha pasado un tiempo, y he acumulado grandes recuerdos de esa etapa, por los que estoy muy, muy agradecida. Kathrin, Anna, Carla, Íbor, Vicente, Clus, Carlos, Ari, João, Magda, Donatella, Xavi, Luis Fran, Nayeli, Mateus, Miquel, Mirco, Nuria …Tantísimas personas con quien compartir momentazos! ¡Gracias por esa sensación constante de compañerismo y alegría! Por si esto fuera poco, nuevas personas igualmente geniales han aparecido en los últimos años, cogiendo el relevo a los anteriores y dando nuevos aires a mi última etapa de tesis.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Taxonomy and Diversity of the Sponge Fauna from Walters Shoal, a Shallow Seamount in the Western Indian Ocean Region
    Taxonomy and diversity of the sponge fauna from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the Western Indian Ocean region By Robyn Pauline Payne A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Magister Scientiae in the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape. Supervisors: Dr Toufiek Samaai Prof. Mark J. Gibbons Dr Wayne K. Florence The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF. December 2015 Taxonomy and diversity of the sponge fauna from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the Western Indian Ocean region Robyn Pauline Payne Keywords Indian Ocean Seamount Walters Shoal Sponges Taxonomy Systematics Diversity Biogeography ii Abstract Taxonomy and diversity of the sponge fauna from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the Western Indian Ocean region R. P. Payne MSc Thesis, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape. Seamounts are poorly understood ubiquitous undersea features, with less than 4% sampled for scientific purposes globally. Consequently, the fauna associated with seamounts in the Indian Ocean remains largely unknown, with less than 300 species recorded. One such feature within this region is Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount located on the South Madagascar Ridge, which is situated approximately 400 nautical miles south of Madagascar and 600 nautical miles east of South Africa. Even though it penetrates the euphotic zone (summit is 15 m below the sea surface) and is protected by the Southern Indian Ocean Deep- Sea Fishers Association, there is a paucity of biodiversity and oceanographic data.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix: Some Important Early Collections of West Indian Type Specimens, with Historical Notes
    Appendix: Some important early collections of West Indian type specimens, with historical notes Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 between 1841 and 1864, we gain additional information concerning the sponge memoir, starting with the letter dated 8 May 1855. Jacob Gysbert Samuel van Breda A biography of Placide Duchassaing de Fonbressin was (1788-1867) was professor of botany in Franeker (Hol­ published by his friend Sagot (1873). Although an aristo­ land), of botany and zoology in Gent (Belgium), and crat by birth, as we learn from Michelotti's last extant then of zoology and geology in Leyden. Later he went to letter to van Breda, Duchassaing did not add de Fon­ Haarlem, where he was secretary of the Hollandsche bressin to his name until 1864. Duchassaing was born Maatschappij der Wetenschappen, curator of its cabinet around 1819 on Guadeloupe, in a French-Creole family of natural history, and director of Teyler's Museum of of planters. He was sent to school in Paris, first to the minerals, fossils and physical instruments. Van Breda Lycee Louis-le-Grand, then to University. He finished traveled extensively in Europe collecting fossils, especial­ his studies in 1844 with a doctorate in medicine and two ly in Italy. Michelotti exchanged collections of fossils additional theses in geology and zoology. He then settled with him over a long period of time, and was received as on Guadeloupe as physician. Because of social unrest foreign member of the Hollandsche Maatschappij der after the freeing of native labor, he left Guadeloupe W etenschappen in 1842. The two chief papers of Miche­ around 1848, and visited several islands of the Antilles lotti on fossils were published by the Hollandsche Maat­ (notably Nevis, Sint Eustatius, St.
    [Show full text]
  • Porifera) in Singapore and Description of a New Species of Forcepia (Poecilosclerida: Coelosphaeridae)
    Contributions to Zoology, 81 (1) 55-71 (2012) Biodiversity of shallow-water sponges (Porifera) in Singapore and description of a new species of Forcepia (Poecilosclerida: Coelosphaeridae) Swee-Cheng Lim1, 3, Nicole J. de Voogd2, Koh-Siang Tan1 1 Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, 18 Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119227, Singapore 2 Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity, Naturalis, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands 3 E-mail: [email protected] Key words: intertidal, Southeast Asia, sponge assemblage, subtidal, tropical Abstract gia) patera (Hardwicke, 1822) was the first sponge de- scribed from Singapore in the 19th century. This was A surprisingly high number of shallow water sponge species followed by Leucosolenia flexilis (Haeckel, 1872), (197) were recorded from extensive sampling of natural inter- Coelocarteria singaporensis (Carter, 1883) (as Phloeo­ tidal and subtidal habitats in Singapore (Southeast Asia) from May 2003 to June 2010. This is in spite of a highly modified dictyon), and Callyspongia (Cladochalina) diffusa coastline that encompasses one of the world’s largest container Ridley (1884). Subsequently, Dragnewitsch (1906) re- ports as well as extensive oil refining and bunkering industries. corded 24 sponge species from Tanjong Pagar and Pu- A total of 99 intertidal species was recorded in this study. Of lau Brani in the Singapore Strait. A further six species these, 53 species were recorded exclusively from the intertidal of sponge were reported from Singapore in the 1900s, zone and only 45 species were found on both intertidal and subtidal habitats, suggesting that tropical intertidal and subtidal although two species, namely Cinachyrella globulosa sponge assemblages are different and distinct.
    [Show full text]
  • Transcriptome Sequencing, Characterization and Overview of the Gene Expression Along Three Life Cycle Stages
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Digital.CSIC Molecular Ecology Resources (2013) doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.12085 A NGS approach to the encrusting Mediterranean sponge Crella elegans (Porifera, Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida): transcriptome sequencing, characterization and overview of the gene expression along three life cycle stages A. R. PEREZ-PORRO,*† D. NAVARRO-GOMEZ,† M. J. URIZ* and G. GIRIBET† *Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), c/Acces a la Cala St. Francesc 14, Girona, Blanes 17300, Spain, †Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Abstract Sponges can be dominant organisms in many marine and freshwater habitats where they play essential ecological roles. They also represent a key group to address important questions in early metazoan evolution. Recent approaches for improving knowledge on sponge biological and ecological functions as well as on animal evolution have focused on the genetic toolkits involved in ecological responses to environmental changes (biotic and abiotic), development and reproduction. These approaches are possible thanks to newly available, massive sequencing tech- nologies–such as the Illumina platform, which facilitate genome and transcriptome sequencing in a cost-effective manner. Here we present the first NGS (next-generation sequencing) approach to understanding the life cycle of an encrusting marine sponge. For this we sequenced libraries of three different life cycle stages of the Mediterranean sponge Crella elegans and generated de novo transcriptome assemblies. Three assemblies were based on sponge tissue of a particular life cycle stage, including non-reproductive tissue, tissue with sperm cysts and tissue with larvae.
    [Show full text]
  • Ereskovsky Et 2018 Bulgarie.Pd
    Sponge community of the western Black Sea shallow water caves: diversity and spatial distribution Alexander Ereskovsky, Oleg Kovtun, Konstantin Pronin, Apostol Apostolov, Dirk Erpenbeck, Viatcheslav Ivanenko To cite this version: Alexander Ereskovsky, Oleg Kovtun, Konstantin Pronin, Apostol Apostolov, Dirk Erpenbeck, et al.. Sponge community of the western Black Sea shallow water caves: diversity and spatial distribution. PeerJ, PeerJ, 2018, 6, pp.e4596. 10.7717/peerj.4596. hal-01789010 HAL Id: hal-01789010 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01789010 Submitted on 14 May 2018 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Sponge community of the western Black Sea shallow water caves: diversity and spatial distribution Alexander Ereskovsky1,2, Oleg A. Kovtun3, Konstantin K. Pronin4, Apostol Apostolov5, Dirk Erpenbeck6 and Viatcheslav Ivanenko7 1 Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Ecologie Marine et Continentale (IMBE), Aix Marseille University, CNRS, IRD, Avignon Université, Marseille, France 2 Department of Embryology, Faculty of Biology,
    [Show full text]
  • Trophic Ecology of the Tropical Pacific Sponge Mycale Grandis Inferred from Amino Acid Compound-Specific Isotopic Analyses
    Microbial Ecology (2020) 79:495–510 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-019-01410-x HOST MICROBE INTERACTIONS Trophic Ecology of the Tropical Pacific Sponge Mycale grandis Inferred from Amino Acid Compound-Specific Isotopic Analyses Joy L. Shih1 & Karen E. Selph1 & Christopher B. Wall2 & Natalie J. Wallsgrove 3 & Michael P. Lesser4 & Brian N. Popp3 Received: 19 March 2019 /Accepted: 2 July 2019 /Published online: 17 July 2019 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract Many sponges host abundant and active microbial communities that may play a role in the uptake of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by the sponge holobiont, although the mechanism of DOM uptake and metabolism is uncertain. Bulk and compound- specific isotopic analysis of whole sponge, isolated sponge cells, and isolated symbiotic microbial cells of the shallow water tropical Pacific sponge Mycale grandis were used to elucidate the trophic relationships between the host sponge and its associated microbial community. δ15Nandδ13CvaluesofaminoacidsinM. grandis isolated sponge cells are not different from those of its bacterial symbionts. Consequently, there is no difference in trophic position of the sponge and its symbiotic microbes indicating that M. grandis sponge cell isolates do not display amino acid isotopic characteristics typical of metazoan feeding. Furthermore, both the isolated microbial and sponge cell fractions were characterized by a similarly high ΣVvalue—a measure of bacterial-re-synthesis of organic matter calculated from the sum of variance among individual δ15N values of trophic amino acids. These high ΣVvalues observed in the sponge suggest that M. grandis is not reliant on translocated photosynthate from photosymbionts or feeding on water column picoplankton, but obtains nutrition through the uptake of amino acids of bacterial origin.
    [Show full text]
  • UH HIMB Sponge Biodiversity FY19 Final Report
    Project Title Using genetic techniques to determine the unknown diversity and possible alien origin of sponges present in Hawaii Agency, Division University of Hawaii, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology Total Amount Requested $114,200 Amount Awarded $49,145 Applicants (First and Last Name) Robert Toonen & Jan Vicente Applicant Email Address [email protected] Project Start Date 1-Oct-18 Estimated Project End Date 31-May-20 Efforts to detect and prevent alien introductions depend on understanding which species are already present1–3. This is particularly important when working with taxonomically challenging groups like marine sponges (phylum Porifera), where morphological characters are highly limited, and misidentifications are common4. Although sponges are a major component of the fouling community, they remain highly understudied because they are so difficult to identify4. The Keyhole Sponge is already present in Hawaiʻi5,6, but others like Terpios hoshinota, which is invading many locations across the Pacific7,8, kills corals and turns the entire reefscape into a gray carpet that would be devastating to Hawaiʻi tourism if introduced here. However, many gray sponges look alike, and it is only through the combined use of morphological and genetic characters that most sponges can be identified reliably4. To date, there have been very few taxonomic assessments of sponges in Hawaiʻi9–14, and only the most recent of these has included any DNA barcodes in an effort to confirm the visual identifications15. Most of the early studies did not provide museum specimens or even detailed descriptions about how the species were identified, and the few vouchers that exist from these studies were dried which precludes DNA comparisons.
    [Show full text]
  • Sponge Contributions to the Geology and Biology of Reefs: Past, Present, and Future 5
    Sponge Contributions to the Geology and Biology of Reefs: Past, Present, and Future 5 Janie Wulff Abstract Histories of sponges and reefs have been intertwined from the beginning. Paleozoic and Mesozoic sponges generated solid building blocks, and constructed reefs in collaboration with microbes and other encrusting organisms. During the Cenozoic, sponges on reefs have assumed various accessory geological roles, including adhering living corals to the reef frame, protecting solid biogenic carbonate from bioeroders, generating sediment and weakening corals by eroding solid substrate, and consolidating loose rubble to facilitate coral recruitment and reef recovery after physical disturbance. These many influences of sponges on substratum stability, and on coral survival and recruitment, blur distinctions between geological vs. biological roles. Biological roles of sponges on modern reefs include highly efficient filtering of bacteria- sized plankton from the water column, harboring of hundreds of species of animal and plant symbionts, influencing seawater chemistry in conjunction with their diverse microbial symbionts, and serving as food for charismatic megafauna. Sponges may have been playing these roles for hundreds of millions of years, but the meager fossil record of soft-bodied sponges impedes historical analysis. Sponges are masters of intrigue. They play roles that cannot be observed directly and then vanish without a trace, thereby thwarting understanding of their roles in the absence of carefully controlled manipulative experiments and time-series observations. Sponges are more heterogeneous than corals in their ecological requirements and vulnerabilities. Seri- ous misinterpretations have resulted from over-generalizing from a few conspicuous species to the thousands of coral-reef sponge species, representing over twenty orders in three classes, and a great variety of body plans and relationships to corals and solid carbonate substrata.
    [Show full text]
  • Scs18-23 WG-ESA Report 2018
    Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Serial No N6900 NAFO SCS Doc. 18/23 SC WORKING GROUP ON ECOSYSTEM SCIENCE AND ASSESSMENT – NOVEMBER 2018 Report of the 11th Meeting of the NAFO Scientific Council Working Group on Ecosystem Science and Assessment (WG-ESA) NAFO Headquarters, Dartmouth, Canada 13 - 22 November 2018 Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................................3 Theme 1: spatial considerations................................................................................................................................................................4 1.1. Update on VME indicator species data and distribution .............................................................................4 1.2 Progress on implementation of workplan for reassessment of VME fishery closures. .................9 1.3. Discussion on updating Kernel Density Analysis and SDM’s .....................................................................9 1.4. Update on the Research Activities related to EU-funded Horizon 2020 ATLAS Project ...............9 1.5. Non-sponge and non-coral VMEs (e.g. bryozoan and sea squirts). ..................................................... 14 1.6 Ecological diversity mapping and interactions with fishing on the Flemish Cap .......................... 14 1.7 Sponge removal by bottom trawling in the Flemish Cap area: implications for ecosystem functioning ...................................................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Transcriptome Sequencing, Characterization and Overview of the Gene Expression Along Three Life Cycle Stages
    Molecular Ecology Resources (2013) doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.12085 A NGS approach to the encrusting Mediterranean sponge Crella elegans (Porifera, Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida): transcriptome sequencing, characterization and overview of the gene expression along three life cycle stages A. R. PEREZ-PORRO,*† D. NAVARRO-GOMEZ,† M. J. URIZ* and G. GIRIBET† *Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), c/Acces a la Cala St. Francesc 14, Girona, Blanes 17300, Spain, †Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA Abstract Sponges can be dominant organisms in many marine and freshwater habitats where they play essential ecological roles. They also represent a key group to address important questions in early metazoan evolution. Recent approaches for improving knowledge on sponge biological and ecological functions as well as on animal evolution have focused on the genetic toolkits involved in ecological responses to environmental changes (biotic and abiotic), development and reproduction. These approaches are possible thanks to newly available, massive sequencing tech- nologies–such as the Illumina platform, which facilitate genome and transcriptome sequencing in a cost-effective manner. Here we present the first NGS (next-generation sequencing) approach to understanding the life cycle of an encrusting marine sponge. For this we sequenced libraries of three different life cycle stages of the Mediterranean sponge Crella elegans and generated de novo transcriptome assemblies. Three assemblies were based on sponge tissue of a particular life cycle stage, including non-reproductive tissue, tissue with sperm cysts and tissue with larvae. The fourth assembly pooled the data from all three stages.
    [Show full text]
  • Mycale Grandis Gray, 1867
    Mycale grandis Gray, 1867 The orange key-hole sponge Mycale grandis is an introduced sponge that is considered invasive and a potential threat to corals and reefs in Hawaiian waters. M. grandis present on the main Hawaiian Islands. It is most likely to have been introduced is native unintentionally to the Australasia-Pacific as a fouling organism Region onand ship is hulls. M. grandis is generally restricted to shallow-water fouling communities in major harbours with associated disturbed habitats. The orange-red colouring is both internal and external. It can grow as thickly encrusting to lobate-massive cushions up to 1 metre diameter and 0.5m thick or larger. The upper surfaces of large sponges show large ostia or “keyholes”, hence the common cavernous,name. The sponge’sand often surface packed is with uneven. small The ophiuroids texture is ( Ophiactisfibrous and cf. savignyifirm but) (Eldredgecompressible, and Smithand can 2001). be torn easily. The interior is M. grandis Porites compressa was first observed in Kane‘ohe’ohe Bay, in the mid Photo credit: Steve Coles (Hawaii Biological Survey) Montipora1990s, by capitata2004 it , wasthe twoobserved dominant overgrowing reef-forming the coralfinger species coral and the ‘Near Threatened (NT)’ rice coral but there are concerns that this aggressive sponge could compete (Coles & Bolick 2006). Its ecological impacts have not been studied for space with native corals and sponge species of Kane‘ohe’ohe Bay and eventually become dominant (Coles & Bolick 2007). References: Coles, S. L and Bolick, H. 2006. Assessment of invasiveness of the orange keyhole sponge Mycale armata in Kane`ohe Bay, O`ahu, Hawai`i.
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Phylogenies Confirm the Presence of Two Cryptic Hemimycale
    Molecular phylogenies confirm the presence of two cryptic Hemimycale species in the Mediterranean and reveal the polyphyly of the genera Crella and Hemimycale (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida) Maria J. Uriz, Leire Garate and Gemma Agell Department of Marine Ecology, Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Girona, Spain ABSTRACT Background: Sponges are particularly prone to hiding cryptic species as their paradigmatic plasticity often favors species phenotypic convergence as a result of adaptation to similar habitat conditions. Hemimycale is a sponge genus (Family Hymedesmiidae, Order Poecilosclerida) with four formally described species, from which only Hemimycale columella has been recorded in the Atlanto-Mediterranean basin, on shallow to 80 m deep bottoms. Contrasting biological features between shallow and deep individuals of Hemimycale columella suggested larger genetic differences than those expected between sponge populations. To assess whether shallow and deep populations indeed belong to different species, we performed a phylogenetic study of Hemimycale columella across the Mediterranean. We also included other Hemimycale and Crella species from the Red Sea, with the additional aim of clarifying the relationships of the genus Hemimycale. Methods: Hemimycale columella was sampled across the Mediterranean, and Adriatic Seas. Hemimycale arabica and Crella cyathophora were collected from Submitted 19 November 2016 the Red Sea and Pacific. From two to three specimens per species and locality Accepted 4 January 2017 were extracted, amplified for Cytochrome C Oxidase I (COI) (M1–M6 partition), Published 7 March 2017 18S rRNA, and 28S (D3–D5 partition) and sequenced. Sequences were aligned using Corresponding author Clustal W v.1.81. Phylogenetic trees were constructed under neighbor joining (NJ), Maria J.
    [Show full text]